Nebula 2/Nebula Two.iso/Documents/PressReleases94/06June94/LighthouseSpreadsheets.txt

Text File | 1995-06-12 | 6KB | 113 lines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Angela Grady
415/570-7736
[e-mail]

Lighthouse Design Introduces Two Powerful New Spreadsheets for
NEXTSTEP

Applications will provide a solution for every type of spreadsheet
user - whether advanced or traditional - plus provide compatibility
with key products from Microsoft and Lotus


JUNE 20, 1994 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Lighthouse Design, Ltd. today
announced that it will deliver Quantrix 1.0, a multi-dimensional
spreadsheet compatible with Lotus Improv, and ParaSheet 1.0, a
traditional spreadsheet compatible with Lotus 1-2-3, and Microsoft
Excel, to the object-oriented NEXTSTEP operating environment in
the third quarter of this year.

Pre-release versions of Quantrix and ParaSheet are currently in
use at several key NEXTSTEP installations, and will be on display
in Lighthouse Design's booth (#516) running on Intel and HP PA-RISC
versions of NEXTSTEP, at NEXTSTEP EXPO, being held from June 20-24
at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

"We have been overwhelmed by interest from NEXTSTEP customers
seeking a migration path from Lotus Improv, as well as those seeking
a more traditional rows and columns spreadsheet," said Jonathan
Schwartz, president of Lighthouse Design. "We're very pleased to
offer both Quantrix and ParaSheet. Given the breadth of its
object-oriented API, along with complete Lotus Improv compatibility,
Quantrix has already been a big hit at our early test sites. For
enterprises seeking the more traditional approach to spreadsheet
analysis, ParaSheet is a perfect fit."

Quantrix is a multi-dimensional spreadsheet application that allows
users to describe and manipulate data in terms of categories, rather
than rows and columns. This approach allows users to write formulas
such as "Gross Revenue = Product Revenue + Service Revenue," rather
than "$a27=b17+$c$31." Coupled with data tabs for fast navigation,
unlimited undo and redo, multiple views and smart cells, Quantrix
makes complex financial models and reports easy to create and share
with others. Quantrix is also fully compatible with Lotus Improv,
Lotus 1-2-3, and ParaSheet, with support for Microsoft Excel 4.0
and Lotus Improv for Windows coming later in the year.

Quantrix includes a fully object-oriented application programmer's
interface (API) that supports NEXTSTEP distributed objects (DO),
as well as real time data feeds and event notification. The API
provides complete programmatic access to all aspects of the
application, and is optimized for large data sets and real time
feeds, substantially reducing the development effort required to
shuttle data into and out of spreadsheet views. Support will also
be provided for transparent translation of application code previously
written to the Improv API.

ParaSheet is a general-purpose spreadsheet, providing a familiar
rows and columns approach to spreadsheet analysis. File compatibility
with Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel data, dynamic linking between
multiple spreadsheets, and a powerful mathematics engine for every
type of financial analysis and accounting task make ParaSheet ideal
for users transitioning from PC platforms. ParaSheet features a
robust and comprehensive macro scripting language, as well as
support for customized, user-definable functions.  Both applications
include extensive function libraries organized by mathematics,
statistics, accounting, logic, time/date, selection/lookup, and
formatting and grouping. Quantrix and ParaSheet also provide
inter-sheet linking, allowing cells in one worksheet to reference
other worksheets and views.

Quantrix and ParaSheet include full support for a wide variety of
charts and graphs, as well as real-time rotation of 3-D chart types,
and fine control over chart color, label and legend type and display,
axis scaling and markup, and full support for copy/paste and NEXTSTEP
3.0 Object Links.  Quantrix and ParaSheet are important additions
to the Lighthouse line of productivity applications, which now
includes Diagram!, a drawing program for information graphics;
Concurrence, a presentation and outlining package; VarioData, a
multi-user workgroup database; TaskMaster, a project and resource
management application; WetPaint, a painting and image manipulation
program; and the Foundation Classes, a library of reusable objects
for custom developers.

Quantrix and ParaSheet will be available for the Intel-, Motorola-
and HP PA-RISC-based versions of NEXTSTEP 3.2 or later, in Q3,
1994. Quantrix will be priced at $895. ParaSheet will be priced at
$595. Site licenses are available, as well as competitive upgrades
from other spreadsheets. Academic discounts are also available.

Lighthouse Design is dedicated to delivering high-quality, well
integrated productivity applications to object-oriented desktops.
The company is privately held, and located at 2929 Campus Drive,
San Mateo, CA 94403.

For further information on Lighthouse Design and its line of
productivity software, contact Lighthouse Design, Ltd. directly at
1-800-366-2279 or 1-415-570-7736, or send electronic mail to
[e-mail], or over the internet, try  http://www.lighthouse.com/.


-30-


Lighthouse Design, Ltd., Quantrix, ParaSheet, Diagram!, TaskMaster,
Concurrence, VarioData, WetPaint, the Foundation Classes and the
Lighthouse logo are trademarks of Lighthouse Design, Ltd. All other
trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.