Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/mac/Text/Mac Text/1992/NB920122

Text File | 1992-01-24 | 61KB | 1,340 lines

(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00001)

UK: IXI Intros X.Desktop On VMS, OSF/2 Environments 01/22/92
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- IXI has announced
the availability of X.Desktop, its OSF Motif-compliant desktop
manager software, on DEC's VMS and new OSF/2 operating
systems.

According to IXI, the announcement means that X.Desktop will be
available to Digital's customers, regardless of hardware. It also
represents the first time the software has been ported to a non-
Unix operating system.

The software has been ported on to what IXI describes as a field
test version of Open VMS, DEC's new Posix-compliant package
for the VMS operating system. The VMS version of X.Desktop
enables users to access VMS files and applications from within,
and alongside, a Posix environment.

The general public will get their first taste of the new package
at the Uniforum computer show in San Francisco, which opens
on January 22, running for three days.

U.K. shipment of X.Desktop for VMS will be made during the
second quarter of this year. Pricing has been set at UKP 595 per
user for a multi-user license. Quantity discounts on this price are
available, the company says. The DEC OSF/2 version will ship
from March of this year onwards on similar pricing terms.

"VMS is recognized as one of the richest operating environments
available in the industry today," said Tom Yeates, product
workstations manager for DEC. "Now, with the addition of IXI's
point-and-click interface, it becomes even easier to use. We're
pleased to see IXI take advantage of the new Posix interfaces
being built into VMS, making X.Desktop available to the many
hundreds of thousands of Vax users worldwide," he added.

VMS is an icon-based graphical user environment that provides
an intuitive method of running programs, managing files, and
accessing printers plus other peripherals using mouse-driven
operations. The X.Desktop, meanwhile, shields users from the
Unix operating system and allows them to organize their
working environment quickly and efficiently, IXI claims.

IXI's flagship package, X.Desktop, runs on all major Unix
computer systems, including those from IBM, Sun, Sparc
compatibles, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Unisys, and several others.

According to the company, its primary aim is to become the
leading desktop manager for the VMS environment, following
on from its success achieved in the Unix marketplace.

IXI, founded in 1987, is a developer and supplier of X-related
software packages and technology. The company's corporate
objective is to make it easier for non-technical users to exploit
the power of Unix computers. Last year saw the company
establish a U.S. operation, IXI Corporation, located in San
Ramon, California, as well as a Japanese facility, IXI Japan,
located in Tokyo.

(Steve Gold/19920122/Press & Public Contact: IXI Limited,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00002)

UK: JSB Offers Updated Microsoft Windows X-Server 01/22/92
MACCLESFIELD, CHESHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- As
part of a worldwide marketing agreement, JSB has integrated
Xoftware for Windows, the X server package developed by AGE
Logic in California, to create, what it claims is a unique product,
Multiview/X.

Multiview/X consists of JSB's Multiview Desktop and Xoftware for
Windows. The package will be shown at Uniforum, which opens
in San Francisco this week.

According to JSB, Multiview/X offers the advantages of having
both an X server to run X applications and Multiview Desktop to
run Unix character applications. Using simple configuration
mechanisms, all applications, regardless of their type, can be
invoked in the same consistent way, This means that Multiview/X
hides the complexities of running an X application from the user,
while still providing enhanced performance.

The X component of Multiview X is what JSB describes as a "state
of the art" X11R4-compliant server. The package has extended
international keyboard support and is faster and more compact
than other Microsoft Windows servers currently available. AGE and
JSB have cooperated to produce a version of the X server which
works seamlessly with Multiview Desktop, so creating Multiview/X,
the companies claim.

Announcing the integrated package, Steve Jones, JSB's
managing director, said that Multiview/X is unique in providing
the facility to run character Unix applications outside of the X
environment, current with X applications.

"This unique facility recognizes that many users of X servers
have requirements to run X and non-X applications concurrently,"
he said, adding that the Multiview/X reduces the load on both the
host and the PC for such users.

Product pricing on Multiview/X depends on individual site
licensing requirements. According to JSB, the package is
available through a number of Unix suppliers around the world,
including the United States.

(Steve Gold/19920122/Press & Public Contact: JSB Computer
Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00003)

New For Mac: CA Upgrades Cricket Graph, Cricket Draw 01/22/92
GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Computer
Associates has announced new releases of two graphics products
for the Macintosh. CA-Cricket Draw III is now available, while
CA-Cricket Graph 2.0 is to ship in April.

CA-Cricket Graph 2.0 will provide an assortment of new features
such as new data handling and analysis capabilities, an improved
drawing environment with an expanded tool set and professional
layout capabilities, improved color control, and increased speed,
company officials said.

The software's data sheet, where data to be graphed is input, has
been enlarged to 1,000 columns by 32,000 rows. More than 50
predefined functions are available and users can construct more
complex formulas as well, the company said.

Computer Associates claims it has also improved graphing speed
and added new drawing features. Hot-linking of data and graphs is
also supported.

The new release will work with Macintosh System 6.0.7 or higher on
any Macintosh Plus or later model. Two megabytes (MB) of free
memory is recommended when using System 7.0. The software
does not take full advantage of new features in System 7.0, company
spokeswoman Kim Commerato told Newsbytes -- a release that will
do so can be expected in late summer.

CA is now delivering Cricket Draw III, an object-oriented drawing
program that uses the PostScript page description language. It is
intended for producing professional-quality graphics and
illustrations on the Macintosh.

Features include a floating color window that lets users select
colors from the RGB, HLS, CMYK, and gray color models, 11
Bezier-based drawing tools, text editing features, and a
"Professional Color Toolkit" for simulating Pantone color
standards. CA-Cricket Draw's PostScript editor allows users to
edit the PostScript code description for the current document
directly and save it. Documents can be printed using a PostScript
or QuickDraw output device.

CA-Cricket Draw III works with Macintosh System 6.0.7 and higher on
any Macintosh Plus or later system with at least two MB of RAM
and a hard-disk drive. Like Cricket Graph 2.0, this release does not
make full use of all System 7.0 features, Commerato said.

Available now, CA-Cricket Draw III has a suggested retail price of
$249. Registered users of CA-Cricket Draw can upgrade for $49.
CA-Cricket Graph 2.0 will be available in April and the price has
not yet been set, Commerato said.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Kim Commerato,
Computer Associates, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00004)

New Product: OmniLink/Laser Outputs Faxes On Printer 01/22/92
KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
Faxcessories has announced OmniLink/Laser, a device that lets a
laser printer act as a plain-paper fax receiver. Combined with
software on a personal computer, it can also transmit faxes direct
from the PC, or an ordinary fax machine can be hooked up through
the device to the same phone line.

The device is about the size of an external modem -- 6.75inches
by 7.75-inches by 1.5-inches, said Gary Byers, president of
Faxcessories. It connects between the PC and any Hewlett-Packard,
Canon, or compatible laser printer. Incoming faxes are printed on
plain paper on the printer, or can be stored in the OmniLink/Laser's
memory up to a total of 30 pages for later printing. The device will
automatically store incoming faxes when the printer is busy, out of
paper, or turned off, the company said.

With optional OmniLink PC software, the OmniLink/Laser hardware
can also be used to send faxes from the PC, without the need for
an internal fax board, Byers said.

The OmniLink/Laser has a suggested retail price of C$699.

Faxcessories is also offering the Fax Accounting Manager, an
attachment that fits between an ordinary fax machine and the
telephone line. It requires that any user enter an identification
code before sending a fax, and it records all outgoing calls and
who made them, for accounting purposes. The Fax Accounting
Manager can print reports on the fax machine itself or upload data
to a PC, Byers said. This device is priced at C$999.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Gary Byers, Faxcessories,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00005)

New For PC: BIOS Upgrades Available From Phoenix 01/22/92
NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
Phoenix Technologies, one of the major makers of basic input-output
system (BIOS) software for IBM-compatible personal computers, has
announced that it will now sell BIOS upgrades to personal computer
users. In the past, Phoenix and its rivals have sold their BIOS
products to PC makers who built them into their products.

The BIOS for a personal computer is stored on a read-only memory
(ROM) chip. Phoenix said there are several reasons why personal
computer owners may want to upgrade the BIOS chips on existing
PCs. In the first place, users may want to support large-capacity hard
disk drives on older systems, such as the IBM AT and Compaq
DeskPro 286, whose existing BIOS cannot handle them. Users
may also want to support 3.5-inch diskette drives, or require local
area network (LAN) compatibility, especially with Novell software.
Users may also want to run newer versions of certain applications
and utilities optimally.

The original ROM BIOS in the installed base of IBM AT systems
supports a fixed  number of disk drive types, Phoenix said, with
parameters burnt directly into the ROM. The PhoenixBIOS lets a
user configure a system to support any of the hundreds of disk
drive types currently available, including popular Integrated Drive
Electronics (IDE) hard disk drives.

Phoenix said more than 100 personal computer models now in use
need BIOS upgrades to support new types of disk drives.
PhoenixBIOS upgrades directly support about 100 widely installed
PC models, Levandov said. They can be adapted to other models,
but buyers should ask about compatibility with their systems when
they buy.

End users can install their own BIOS upgrades, said Richard
Levandov, a spokesman for Phoenix. The process is about the
same as adding or replacing memory, he explained.

Phoenix has licensed California-based Micro Firmware Inc., to
resell PhoenixBIOS upgrades to end users, resellers, system
integrators, and corporate computing departments.

Upgrades for PCs using the Intel 8088 processor (the original IBM
PC and XT and compatibles) cost $39.95. Upgrades for the IBM PC
AT and other machines using the Intel 80286 chip are $69.95.
Upgrades for PCs with the 80386 processor are $89.95, Levandov
said.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Richard Levandov,
Phoenix Technologies, 617-551-4005; Robert Braver, Micro
Firmware, 405-321-8333)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00006)

Data General Offers 486-Based PC 01/22/92
WESTBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
Data General has introduced the Dasher-II 486/33TE, a personal
computer in a tower-style case, using the EISA (Extended Industry
Standard Architecture) system bus and an Intel 80486 processor
running at 33 megahertz (MHz).

Data General claims the machine is intended as a high-
performance multi-user system. It has been tested to run Interactive
and SCO Unix, Novell NetWare local area network operating
systems, and MS-DOS. The 486/33TE has been certified by
Interactive Systems and Novell to support the latest versions of
I/Unix and NetWare respectively, Data General said.

The tower enclosure provides eight half-height peripheral bays,
four of which are accessible from the outside of the unit, and can
accommodate full-height storage devices internally, company
spokeswoman Susan Lee told Newsbytes. The company claims
that, altogether, the machine can accommodate as much as 2.5
gigabytes of storage plus tape backup.

As much as 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM can be installed on
the system's motherboard, Lee said, and 10 EISA expansion
slots are available.

Data General officials described the machine as a power platform
for multi-user environments and a complement to Data General's
Eclipse/MV minicomputers and Aviion workstations.

The machine will carry a list price of less than $10,000 in the
United States, Lee said.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Susan Lee, Data General,
508-898-4087)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00007)

Moscow: Phone Prices To Rise Again 01/22//92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- The Tass news agency
has announced yet another phone price rise in the former Soviet
Union, to take effect on February 1st.

International calls, already up three times since the first of January,
will increase in price another tenfold. A one minute call to the
United States will cost 340 rubles (US$3), and to Europe it will cost
180 rubles (US$1.5).  A four minute talk with States will be equal to
the monthly poverty level minimum salary.

Long distance charges within the country will increase fourfold. A
call from Moscow to the Far East will be priced at 12 rubles a minute.
This will include the now-independent Baltic States, Ukraine,
Byelorussia, and others.

The long distance prices were also increased 400 percent on
January 1st.

Newsbytes Moscow expects phone authorities to soon open direct
overseas dialing for everybody at all times.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920122)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

Piiceon Intros New Internal Compaq Modems 01/22/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Piiceon has
announced a 14,400 bits-per-second (bps) data modem under the
V.32bis standard which can fit inside the Compaq LTE 386s/20
notebook computer. The modem doubles as a fax modem, and
comes bundled with MagicSoft MTEZ and ExpressFax software.

In a press statement, general manager John Chess noted that the
effective throughput of such a modem, with compression, is 57,600
bps. But modems on both sides of the transaction must be V.32bis
products to achieve that speed, and there must be a minimum of
line noise, which would cause the modem to back-off on its speed.

Piiceon is retailing the new modem for $1,195, and offers a V.32
product at 9,600 baud, with fax capability, for $945. They all
come with a six-foot phone cord, user installation and software
manuals, a diskette, and a FCC approval label.  In addition,
Piiceon offers a lifetime warranty back by a toll-free 800 number
for technical support. Piiceon, is a subsidiary of Dynatech.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: Piiceon, John
Chess, 408-432-8030)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

Recession Hits Baby Bell Financial Results 01/22/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Ameritech has
reported lower earnings on just slightly-higher revenues for the
last quarter, while Pacific Telesis executives said they are
managing their business as though the recession will continue
through 1992. Both companies are cutting back on their staffing,
reflecting the improved reliability of new phone equipment.

The Ameritech results included a charge of $141 million to cover
cuts in its staff, and a write-down of assets, while revenues
were up to $2.74 billion from $2.69 billion. For the year as a
whole, Ameritech earnings were flat, after taking into account
gains from the public offering of Telecom of New Zealand shares
and the restructuring charge. In a statement accompanying the
report, Ameritech Chairman William L. Weiss said he expects
results to improve as the economy recovers.

Pacific Telesis Group chairman Sam Ginn was not as sanguine
about the outlook, however. "We are managing our business in
1992 as though it will be a rough year," Ginn said in a press
statement. PacTel earnings fell about $50 million for the quarter,
again reflecting restructurings and reductions in the workforce.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

 ****Pactel Paging Rolls Out Information Service 01/22/92
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- PacTel's
Paging group rolled out an information service in San Diego, its
first move to take advantage of court rulings allowing Bell
companies to control information sources.

Page Line News, will offer continuously updated news, financial
reports, weather and sports information. Customers with alpha
numeric paging service can subscribe for $3 per month. A silent
flash on the face of the pager signals users of their information
updates. Normal pages are held while such messages are
being received, and the information can be saved for future
reference. The company also plans to roll out the service in
other markets.

Data is compiled and updated by Beeper Plus, a Las Vegas
company. Before the ban was lifted, PacTel Paging said it could
not have marketed or sold the service directly, which would have
made the project uneconomic. PacTel Paging operates in 17
markets in the United States and has over 600,000 units in service.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: PacTel Paging,
Ed Katz, 619-571-1025)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00011)

 ****PictureTel And AT&T Sign Agreement 01/22/92
PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
AT&T will sell and service a private-label version of PictureTel's
videoconferencing system.

The deal comes just after AT&T began selling its own videophone,
which works on ordinary phone lines, into the consumer market.
PictureTel systems require digital phone lines, but offer data, fax
and other services not found in an ordinary two-way phone
conversation.

The AT&T Videophone was made using a compression algorithm
from PictureTel rival Compression Labs. The deal covers companies
which use AT&T's private branch exchange (PBX) switches worldwide,
and takes effect immediately. The company currently has an installed
base of about 40,000 PBXs, it said.

Also, AT&T announced a series of what it called advanced video
networking products. Robert Kavner, former head of AT&T computer
operations and now group executive for communications products,
predicted in a press statement that: "advanced video networking is
going to change the way people live and work before the end of
this decade."

Dedicated teams are being created around Global Business
Video Services and Global Business Video Systems, and
the PictureTel deal is the first of what could be many tie-ups
with leading vendors in the field, with AT&T acting as a sales,
service and support arm. A new phone number, 1-800-VIDEO GO,
will be advertised for the company's video conferencing offers.

AT&T also announced that it has added a new network-based
service option to its Global Business Video Services offer. The
new dedicated bridge option lets customers offer 6 meeting sites
at a fixed monthly charge, available at any time of the day or
night.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: PictureTel,
Ron Taylor, 508-977-8567; AT&T, Laura Williams, 908-658-2604)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012)

Infonet And Sears Link on EDI 01/22/92
EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Infonet,
the packet network owned by MCI and a consortium of international
phone systems, signed an electronic invoicing alliance with Sears
Communications, a unit of the giant retailer. The deal certifies
that Infonet's Notice EDI (electronic data interchange) mailbox
service works with the Sears Communications Network EDI
service in North America.

EDI messages differ from regular electronic-mail messages in
that they are certified requests for payments, with some form of
authentication. Notice EDI from Infonet links to over 118 countries,
while Sears manages EDI services for its retail operations as well
as its Coldwell Banker  real estate, Allstate Insurance, and Dean
Witter brokerage groups. Sears is trying to leverage its own use
of EDI into a profitable commercial offering serving other
companies.

"The EDI alliance Infonet has with SCC goes beyond a basic
physical interconnect in the sense that we cooperate with one
another to assure the successful conclusion of each message
that traverses our two networks," said Laura S. Andrus, Infonet's
marketing director for messaging services, in a press statement.

Infonet will verify receipt of messages from Europe or the Asia-
Pacific regions, while SCC will confirm delivery of outgoing
messages. SCC will also handle requests from any if its North
American clients, which want to have their suppliers and
distributors on other continents connected via EDI to Infonet's
Notice EDI mailbox service.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: Infonet, C. Randles
Lintecum, 310-335-2860; Sears Communications, Greg Gapinski,
708-240-8880)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

Nynex Rival To Build Wall Street Disaster Recovery Net 01/22/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Wall Street
has moved to prevent a recurrence of phone service outages by
signing a deal with Metropolitan Fiber Systems, whose fiber rings
bypass local service from Nynex's New York Telephone unit, and
a disaster specialty firm called Contingency Trading Facility.

The Hot-Site Consortium of the Wall Street Telecommunications
Association contracted the two companies to build and operate
the first trading-capable disaster recovery and backup facility for
investment trading firms at Brooklyn's MetroTech Center. The
center will include actual trading floors, allowing customers to
continue trading operations in case of an emergency phone
outage.

Wall Street has been embarrassed repeatedly over the last few
years with phone service outages which disrupted trading on the
New York, American, and NASDAQ exchanges. The exchanges
can lose money not only in the short run, but in the long term from
such outages, if customers decide to move their trades in major
stocks to electronic markets operated through brokerage offices
or in Cincinnati. Toronto's exchange is also going all-electronic.

MFS is the nation's largest so-called "bypass" company, offering
an alternative to local phone service for big companies. CTF
specializes in the design and management of disaster recovery
trading facilities.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: Marie Brockhurst,
MFS, 708-218-7200)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00014)

Antenna Maker Wins Patent Fight, But Gets Little 01/22/92
MELVILLE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- The Allen
Group claims it successfully defended its glass-mounted cellular
phone antenna patents against a Taiwanese company which was
making a knock-off of the product, but because the Taiwanese
company has no U.S. assets it had to strike a deal giving it little
financial benefit.

A Federal District Court in Chicago entered a final judgment in
favor of The Antenna Specialists Company division of The Allen
Group Inc. against Hamg Shing Industry Company Limited of
Taiwan, for infringement of Antenna Specialists' patent covering its
On-Glass glass-mounted cellular mobile communications antenna
design.  The judgment included royalty damages of $4.25 per
antenna plus interest, a trebling of the damages for willful
infringement of Antenna Specialists' patent and attorney fees
and costs. The total award came to $4,011,619.

But Allen noted in a corrective press release that the Taiwanese
company has no U.S. assets and is unwilling to satisfy the
judgement, and it would be impossible to win the same case
in Taiwan in a cost effective manner, so it negotiated a
confidential compromise settlement that will not have a material
impact on the financial results of Antenna Specialists or The
Allen Group.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: Robert A.
Youdelman, The Allen Group, 516-293-5500)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

MCI Offers Trunk Lines To Government 01/22/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- MCI, which has
tried for years to take a share of U.S. government business since
AT&T and Sprint won their FTS-2000 contract, now says it will
offer trunk lines not covered by the contract.

It said that 1.544 million bits-per-second (bps) lines, called T-1
lines, and 45 million bps lines, called T-3 lines, will be offered
to all government agencies at prices comparable to those in the
commercial market.

The company's vice president of government systems, Jerry
Edgerton, noted in a press statement that T-1 and T-3 trunk lines
are extremely useful in research and scientific applications,
moving vast amounts of data -- or pictures based on that data --
between research centers. "We are offering the federal agencies
pricing incentives for non-peak usage and price caps on the data
services to ensure cost containment," he added.

MCI had announced the T-1 and T-3 links for business last
year, as the first of its virtual private data services line of
bandwidth-on-demand systems. Prices are based on usage,
and the lines are available nationwide.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920122/Press Contact: MCI, David
Thompson, 703-903-1076)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00016)

Apple Tops In Two Canadian Surveys 01/22/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Apple
Canada is crowing over the results of two recent reports that gave
its products top spot in both unit shipments and customer
satisfaction in the Canadian market.

The latest Nielsen Computer Products Index, in which Nielsen
Marketing Research measures personal computer shipments
through resellers, said Apple was number one for the fifth
consecutive two-month period, ending October 31, 1991. Nielsen
named the Macintosh Classic the top-selling personal computer
in Canada for the 12-month period since it was launched in 1990.
The Macintosh LC placed third.

Earlier in January, J.D. Power & Associates published the results
of its Overall Business Personal Computer End User Satisfaction
Study. Out of some 35 computer, printer, and software brands, J.D.
Power gave Apple the highest user-satisfaction rating based on a
survey of nearly 6,000 business PC users at more than 4,000 sites
across Canada.

J.D. Power's study rated products on a number of attributes related
to user satisfaction, giving Apple highest marks on ease-of-use,
support, capability, reliability, and software friendliness, as
well as in overall satisfaction.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Franca Miraglia, Apple
Canada, 416-513-5511; Edward Gould or John Elias, National
Public Relations for Apple Canada, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00017)

Japan: NEC Encourages Employees To Create New Firms 01/22/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 20 (NB) -- NEC is to begin recruiting
entrepreneurs among its employees. Under this system, an
employee can set up a new firm with the financial assistance of
NEC.

In order to get the assistance, the employee should submit an idea
to create a unique product. NEC and NEC Home Electronics will
start accepting unique product ideas from their employees soon.

It is said the firms will grant maximum 100 million yen ($0.75 million)
as the capitalization of the new firm. The employee is allowed to
become the shareholder of the new firm, too. Also, the firms will
provide the new firm with various management support such as
accounting, legal matters, and general affairs. The company
claims it will currently accept a maximum of three product ideas.

Any employee, regardless their position within the company, can
apply for this entrepreneur system. It is expected that the nominees
will be picked up in May and the research on the feasibility of the
business will start in June.

NEC has been accepting ideas for new products from its
employees since 1986. About 180,000 ideas have been submitted,
and 20 products have actually produced from the ideas. It is the
first time the firm has offered financial support to establish a new firm.
It could be one of the strategies for the Japanese firms to avoid
laying off their employees in this slow business era.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920122/Press Contact: NEC,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00018)

Superconductivity Ship Debuts In Japan 01/22/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- The Japan Shipbuilding
Promotion Association has developed, what it claims, is the world's
first superconductivity ship called "Yamato 1." The ship will start
an experimental voyage in February around Kobe in Western
Japan.

The superconductivity ship operates with no screw, but it has
magnetic boards under the ship which drives the ship. It was
actually built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry. The development of
this ship started in 1985, and it took about six years to complete.

The ship is 26 meters long and 10 meters wide, with a
capacity of 10 people. It looks like a large smart motorboat.
It operates at only 15 kilometers (km) per hour at present, but it is
expected to operate at whopping 185 km per hour in the future. It
is reported that this will depend on the power of the magnet.

According to the Shipbuilding Promotion Association, the ship is
extremely comfortable because it is quiet and smooth. So far,
total five billion yen ($38 million) has been spend developing
the ship.

Experiments will be conducted for speed as well as health
hazard problems, which may be caused by the superconductivity
magnet.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920122/Press Contact: Mitsubishi Heavy
Industry, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00019)

Cabletron Releases New Networking Products 01/22/92
ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
Cabletron Systems has launched a brand new marketing offensive
with the introduction of several new products.

The SCSI-to-Ethernet adapter is a small device that attaches to the
Macintosh's SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) port. It
contains its own intelligent processing capability. There are several
advantages to this approach over the more traditional approach of
the adapter as a dumb card sitting in the computer's chassis. First,
by being external, it is possible to use this card with Macintoshes
that do not have an internal slot. The new series of Apple laptop
computers, the PowerBooks, could not be attached to a network in
any other way. Secondly, the on-board intelligence means that it is
possible to have an SNMP (simple network management protocol)
agent residing in the device. This allows for control of the device from
network management devices like Cabletron's Remote LANView.

There will be two models of the SCSI-to-Ethernet adapter available
within 60 days. The EA412 is equipped with one BNC connector and
one RJ45 port. These are in addition to the SCSI connector for
attachment to the Macintosh. The EA412 will sell for $499. The
EA419 will have only the RJ45 port and will retail for $419.

The GatorStar GX-M was codeveloped with Cayman Systems. The
product combines the active star capabilities of a 24-port smart
repeater with the routing capabilities of a multi-protocol LocalTalk
to Ethernet gateway. The GatorStar GX-M can connect up to 96
Macintoshes to Ethernet. The GatorStar GX-M will be available in
30 days and will sell for $3595.

The DNI series of Ethernet adapter cards for the Macintosh have
been redesigned. The new versions of the DNI cards make
extensive use of surface mount technology that gives users two
main improvements: better performance; and smaller size and
power consumption.

There are four different series: the E4000 is for the Macintosh SE;
the E5000 is for the SE/30; the E6000 is for the NuBus-based
machines (Macintosh II's); and the E9000 is for the Macintosh LC
computers. Prices vary depending on the series, between $230
and $549.

Mac LANview was upgraded to version 2.0. The network analyzer
software runs on a host Macintosh that has a Cabletron DNI card
attached to it. It can also help in analyzing and administering
LocalTalk networks. New features in this release include support
for Token Ring, new filter and alarm capabilities, and additional
capture and network utilization displays performed by protocol
type. Mac LANview version 2.0 is available now for $1495.

The company has introduced two new software gateways that will
allow for control information to pass back and forth between SNA-
based networks and SNMP controlled networks.

"Managing SNA and non-SNA network components from one
platform has become increasingly important as companies
continue to implement both types of networking technologies,"
said Michael Welts, Cabletron's marketing director. "By linking
Remote LANView/Windows and Spectrum (both are Cabletron
products) with the SNA world, Cabletron has provided network
managers with a solid platform for seamless, enterprise-wide
network management." Both gateways will be available in 60
days and will cost $2,995.

(Naor Wallach/19920122/Press Contact: Darren Orzechowski,
Cabletron, 603-332-9400, ext 1282)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00020)

Dayna Intros New Networking Products 01/22/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) --
Dayna communications has unveiled their plans on several
new products that will come out in the first quarter of 1992.

NetMounter is a new utility that allows Macintosh users to log into
Novell Netware servers. This can be done even without Novell's
Netware for Macintosh running on the server, or any need for
Netware VAPs or NLMs. This utility gives the user the ability to
use the complete set of file server features. There is even a
feature called Extension Mapping that allows Macintosh users to
define which application should be launched when an MS-DOS
file is double clicked. The three letter extension should have
previously been defined to the utility. This utility will begin shipping
in March and will retail for $99 for a single user.

DOS Mounter version 3.0 has started shipping. The improvements
in this version are many. MS-DOS volumes are now identified on
the Macintosh desktop with an ID that distinguishes them from
Macintosh volumes. DOS Mounter will support an unlimited number
of DOS volumes mounted at the same time. DOS Mounter can be
toggled on or off from the control panel. Extension Mapping is applied
here as well. Also, owners of Apple's PC drive can now mount DOS
floppies on the Macintosh desktop. DOS Mounter 3.0 is available
now and retails for $89.95. Registered owners of previous versions
that were purchased after December 1, 1991, can receive the
upgrade for free. All others can upgrade for a charge of $24.95.

Complete details are available from Dayna's customer service
department at 801-531-0600.

The DaynaStar Hub-12 is a 12-port hub that can be mounted in a
standard 19-inch rack. Supporting 12 ports of 10Base-T Ethernet
links, the DaynaStar Hub-12 will retail for $995 when it begins
shipping in February. This hub is not an intelligent device. It can be
upgraded to support an SNMP (simple network management
protocol) managed hub in the future. The 12 RJ-45 connectors are
attached to this device through an adapter that provides an RJ-21
connector on its other end. That connector, in turn, plugs into the
unit that also provides a BNC and an AUI connector for the
backbone. There are status LEDs (light emitting diodes) for each
segment.

Network Vital Signs is a fault monitoring software package. It can
run in the background on any Macintosh computer and will check
the network for any changes in the key elements like file and print
servers. There is a wide set of setup parameters that provide the
network administrator with a very flexible environment. Network
Vital Signs takes advantage of Apple's System 7.0's "publish and
suscribe" events and other events to allow for many options to this
program. For instance, a paging module can be added that will
page the network administrator under certain predefined
circumstances. Network Vital Signs will begin shipping in the
second quarter of 1992 for a retail price of $449.

NetScope is a collection of hardware and software that gives the
network administrator traffic monitoring capabilities. NetScope
Probe is a hardware component. It is a small device that connects
to an Ethernet or LocalTalk segment and gathers information on
bandwidth usage and error rates. NetScope Console is the software
component. It runs on any Macintosh that is on the network. The
software retrieves the information that was collected by the
hardware and takes care of archiving, displaying, and manipulating
it. The combination allows network administrators to collect and
analyze information directly from their workstation. NetScope
Console and Probe can be purchased separately or bundled
together. The bundle will cost $899, while NetScope Probe alone
will cost $499 and NetScope Console will sell for $449. A package
of all three network management tools (NetScope Probe, NetScope
Console, and Network Vital Signs) will retail for $1,199. All of these
products will be available in the second quarter of 1992.

(Naor Wallach/19920122/Press Contact: David Pascoe, Dayna,
801-531-0600)
(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00021)

Nextstep Developers Offered Postscript Display Kit  01/22/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- A
new development kit for displaying Postscript on the Nextstep
computer is available to software developers from Adobe.

The Display Postscript Software Development Kit (SDK) for
Nextstep includes a 380-page book on developing on the
Nextstep platform, and Displaytalk software which is a
programming tool for Display Postscript. Adobe describes
Displaytalk as an interactive development and source-level
debugger of Postscript language programs.

Dr. Charles Geschke, Adobe's president and chief operating
officer, said: "With Display Postscript as its imaging model,
Nextstep brings all the... capabilities of the Postscript
language to the display and is fully compatible with the
imaging model found in Postscript printers."

The Display Postscript SDK is available through the Adobe
Developers Association, who offers the kit to members at a
discount. Association members also receive product discounts
on other Adobe application software, hardware discounts from
participating original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), monthly
mailings, technical phone support, and conference invitations,
Adobe said.

The Adobe Developer's Association can be contacted
toll-free at 800-833-6687.

Adobe, located in Mountain View, California, is best known for
Postscript, the printer and display description language it
developed and markets.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920122/Press Contact: Patricia Pane, Adobe,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00022)

New SCO Products Announced At Uniform 01/22/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- The
Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) has announced new Unix-based
products at the Uniform show held in San Francisco.

SCO says its SCO Unix Operating System (OS) in version 4.0 is
now shipping. The new version offers greater system capacity,
more network and device support, and has been optimized for the
benefit of software developers, SCO said. SCO reported over 150
software vendors have tested and verified their products work
with the new version.

SCO also announced the SCO Open Desktop 1.1 for Intel-based
80386 and 486 systems. SCO Open Desktop offers 32-bit,
multitasking of Unix with a graphical user interface (GUI),
transparent networking, and the ability to run MS-DOS
applications, the company added.

An Extended Feature Supplement (EFS) for SCO Open Desktop 1.1
was also announced. EFS includes new graphics and networking
as well as offering improved interoperability with other
workstations, SCO claims.

The newly announced SCO Open Desktop Server System
incorporates the SCO Open Desktop single-user operating
system and SCO Open Desktop Server Upgrade package. SCO
claims the combination of these products in a single system
simplifies ordering server-based platforms because users no
longer have to purchase separate operating systems and
upgrade products.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920122/Press Contact: Zee Zaballos, Santa
Cruz Operation, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00023)

 ****Compaq, Silicon Graphics End Joint Venture 01/22/92
HOUSTON, TEXAS,U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
and Silicon Graphics have announced they have buried the joint
technology agreement they gave birth to just last April.

Less than one year old, the agreement called for Compaq to
purchase $135 million of Silicon's preferred stock, or about 13
percent of  the company. Compaq had also agreed to pay Silicon
Graphics $50 million for research, and the two companies had
agreed to an exchange of technology.

Speaking about the end of the agreement, Compaq Senior VP
Gary Stimac said: "The joint development work did not coalesce
as expected into products that could appropriately serve each
of the companies' different timing and market requirements."

"We will not be working together in the future," said Silicon
Graphics spokesperson Jill Grossman.  Grossman said Silicon
Graphics is strong enough financially to buy back its shares.

The buyback will cost Silicon Graphics $150 million, the
estimated current market value of the stock. Compaq was
scheduled to make a final $3.75 million payment on the
outstanding $50 million research funds.

(Jim Mallory/19920122/Press Contact: John Sweney, Compaq
Computer Corporation, 713-374-1564)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00024)

Envisio Intros Presentation System For Apple Quicktime 01/22/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Envisio
has introduced its Notebook Display Adaptor 030, an eight-bit color
display adaptor that connects the recently introduced Apple
Macintosh PowerBook with color and monochrome display units
or large screen projection devices.

The company says the combination of that hardware with Apple's
newly introduced QuickTime provides the ideal tool for "on the
road" presentations. Apple's QuickTime allows users to prepare
presentations which incorporate video and sound into a Mac-based
program.

The Envisio display adapter 030 is designed to be installed in the
Powerbook's memory expansion slot, and will work with either the
Powerbook 140 or 170 color units. Envisio says the adapter will
drive monochrome displays up to 21 inches and 13-inch color units,
including Apple's RGB Display, or any VGA (video graphics array)
-compatible display or projection device with up to 256 colors.

Although the adapter occupies the memory expansion slot, users
can still expand the Powerbook memory.  The 030 has a
pass-through memory port that accepts a Mac 2 megabyte (MB)
or 4MB memory upgrade, and is available with or without onboard
RAM memory in 2 MB or 4MB configurations. Using a combination
of these features, users can expand the Powerbook up to 8MB of
memory and still use the presentation adapter.

Envisio also has a variation on the 030 adaptor, a high resolution
monochrome display adapter for the Mac Powerbook 100 that will
drive display units up to 21 inches.  That unit is available with either
1MB or 2MB of RAM , allowing the Powerbook 100 memory to be
expanded up to 4MB.

The monochrome unit ($695 for the 1MB unit, $895 for the 2MB
version) is available now. The 030 unit will be available next month.
The 030 will cost $1,195 for the 2MB version, and $1,595 for the 4MB
configuration.

(Jim Mallory/19920122/Press Contact: Thomas Burrke, Envisio,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00025)

Microsoft To Involve ISV's In Operating System Development 01/22/92
REDMOND,WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Microsoft
says it has invited leading commercial software developers to
participate in the design and refinement of its operating systems.

The process, called Open Process, is designed to allow Microsoft
technical architects to present preliminary operating system
specifications to developers from leading independent software
and hardware vendors (ISVs, IHVs). The vendors will have the
opportunity to suggest alternative approaches to Microsoft.

According to Microsoft, over 100 commercial software developers
have participated in Open Process forums, including Adobe
Systems, Aldus Corporation, Borland International, Digital
Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus, Novell, and Wordperfect.

Developers say that Microsoft's acceptance of the
recommendations will help them build better applications as
well as incorporate Microsoft innovations into their products.

Microsoft says Open Process involves the developers at the very
beginning, the time of the first technical proposal, usually a year
or more before a new technology is implemented.

Developers have already reviewed several aspects of the Windows
APIs (application programming interface) including Win32, object
linking and embedding (OLE), messaging API (MAPI), Open
Database Connectivity, and TCP/IP Sockets for the Windows
operating system. Microsoft says that through Open Process,
these technologies have contributed to the speedy dissemination
of stndards for advanced application functions.

(Jim Mallory/19920122/Press Contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00026)

Microsoft Announces ROM Version Of DOS 5.0 01/22/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced that it has developed a ROM (read-only memory)
resident version of its MS-DOS version 5.0 operating system
as part of its portable computing initiative.

Unlike random access memory (RAM), computer code in ROM is
permanently stored in a computer chip, and is not lost when the
computer is turned off. ROM code is "burned in" at the factory.
Computer programs stored in ROM eliminate the need for disk-
based programs.

ROM-resident DOS is just one part of Microsoft'a newly announced
portable computing initiatives. The initiatives feature a suite of
technologies that includes: APM, a technology to extend the battery
life of portable computers by as much as 25 percent; Interlnk, a
new data transfer utility; and support for solid-state memory.

Microsoft says that because of its low RAM requirements and
power efficiency, the ROM version of MS-DOS 5.0 will be ideal for
use in laptop, notebook, and hand-held personal computers, where
space is at a premium.

Microsoft spokesperson Cathy Licht told Newsbytes that solid state
memory support is a technology that Microsoft and Intel are working
toward. "Right now it's not a product, but a direction that we are
working towards supporting," she said.

Microsoft Product Manager Sergio Pineda told Newsbytes that
Interlnk is several things. Pineda said Interlnk can transfer data
through either a serial or parallel port. Data transfer rates are
36KB parallel or 11KB serial. Using Interlnk and a connecting cable,
the drives on one machine can be used from another machine. For
example, drive C on your desktop system could appear on your
laptop as drive B. You could launch applications from the desktop
drive (with some functional limitations), copy files, edit files, and
perform other functions, with Interlnk making the operations
transparent.

Licht and Pineda said that DOS-ROM 5.0 and Interlnk are
available now for licensing to DOS licensees. Expect to see them
bundled with the next laptop or notebook computer you buy.
However, they are not expected in local computer stores for retail
sale in the foreseeable future.

(Jim Mallory/19920122/Press Contact: Cathy Licht, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00027)

 ****IBM Unveils New RS/6000 Models, Software 01/22/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- IBM
has launched five new models in its RISC System/6000 line of
Unix-based workstations and servers. The largest RS/6000
unveiling since the product line was introduced also included new
software offerings.

The new Powerstation/Powerserver models range from a desktop
system priced at less than $7,000 to a new high-end deskside
model for which IBM claims industry-leading performance.

The Powerstation/Powerserver 220 desktop system uses IBM's
first single-chip RISC processor, running at 33 megahertz (MHz).
The lowest-priced RS/6000 model to date, it is aimed at jobs such
as technical publishing, application development, electronic design,
and stock trading, IBM said. It also uses IBM's new Power Gtl entry
graphics adapter, which supports monochrome, gray-scale, or
color displays. Ethernet and Small Computer Systems Interface
(SCSI) adapters are built in.

Prices range from $6,345 for an entry-level unit with no hard disk
and 16 megabytes (MB) of memory, to $9,995 for a workstation
version with a 400 MB hard disk drive. A server version of the 220,
also with a 400 MB hard disk drive, is $9,715. Shipments are
to begin in March.

Powerstation configurations come with a graphics adapter and
display while Powerserver versions come without those features
but with a quarter-inch tape drive, a company spokeswoman
explained.

The Powerstation/Powerserver 340 and 350 systems are also
desktop units. The 340 models have a 33 MHz processor, while
the 350 machines use a 42 MHz version. Ethernet and SCSI
adapters are built-in. IBM said these models are well suited to
researchers and designers, small businesses, and departments
in larger organizations.

The Powerstation 340 with 16 MB of memory and 160 MB
of disk storage costs $18,895. The Powerserver in the same
configuration is $18,790. Both are to be available in April, but
configurations with 400 MB hard drives will be available in
February.

The Powerstation 350 with 16 MB of memory and 160 MB
of disk storage costs $26,895. The Powerserver in the same
configuration is $26,790. Both are to be available in April, but
configurations with 400 MB hard drives will be available in
February.

IBM described the Powerstation/Powerserver 520H as an
enhanced entry-level deskside system. It provides about 25
percent better performance than the existing 520 model, the
company said. The machine has a 25 MHz processor. With 16
MB of memory and a 400 MB hard drive, the 520H costs $28,110
as a workstation or $26,240 as a server. The 520H will be
available in February.

The new flagship of the RS/6000 line is the Powerstation/
Powerserver 560, which has a 50 MHz IBM RISC processor.
IBM said the new deskside model can deliver performance
of 89.3 SPECmarks or 30.4 million floating point operations per
second (MFLOPS). The price for a base model with 64 MB of
memory and an 800 MB hard disk drive is $64,110 for the
workstation or $62,240 for the server configuration. This model
will be available in March.

Tom Vassos, marketing programs manager at IBM Canada,
said the introductions give IBM "a very wide range of offerings"
in the workstation market.

New software products include a new release of IBM's Unix
variant, AIX, for the RISC System/6000 line. IBM said AIX/6000 3.2
is the first production-level operating system to fully comply with
the Open Software Foundation's (OSF) Application Environment
Specification.

IBM also announced a suite of new computer-aided software
engineering (CASE) tools for use in developing application
software. The AIX Software Development Environment (SDE) uses
Hewlett-Packard's Softbench technology and is described as the
centerpiece of IBM's CASE offering for the RS/6000. The AIX SDE
Integrator/6000 lets customers integrate their Unix CASE tools into
the framework.

Vassos said the company is providing a complete CASE framework
to help developers create applications for the RS/6000. He noted
that the framework also provides compatibility with software
development tools for Unix from other vendors. About 20
independent software providers have announced plans to integrate
their products with the new AIX CASE framework.

Other new software products include: a new software tool for
building on-line "libraries" of information such as software
documentation, that can be shared throughout an enterprise; new
graphical user interface tools; connectivity software; a new
release of a personal computer simulator that lets the RS/6000
run DOS applications; and NetWare for AIX/6000 from IBM
Version 3.11, which brings the popular Novell network operating
system to IBM's Unix product line.

IBM also unveiled a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) network
adapter and a block multiplexer channel adapter, which connects
the RS/6000 to IBM Enterprise System/9000 and ES/3090
mainframe systems.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Judy Radlinsky, IBM,
914-642-4634)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00028)

Northern Telecom Reports Record Results For 1991 01/22/92
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Northern
Telecom has turned in record results for fiscal 1991 in spite of tough
economic times. The company also said it is optimistic about the
coming year.

Northern Telecom, which reports financial results in United States
dollars although its headquarters are in Canada, had revenues of
$8,182.5 million in fiscal 1991, up from $6,768.7 million in 1990.
Northern's fiscal year ends December 31. Net earnings in 1991
were $514.9 million, up from $460.2 million in fiscal 1990. Net
earnings applicable to common shares were $496.5 million, up
from $436.0 million.

In the fourth quarter, the company had revenues of $2,306.5 million,
up from $1,881.1 million in the same period a year earlier. Net
earnings were $208.0 million, compared with $187.7 million in the
year-earlier quarter. Net earnings applicable to common shares
were $204.2 million, up from $181.6 million in the fourth quarter of
1990.

In a press release, Dr. Paul G. Stern, chairman, president, and
chief executive officer of Northern Telecom, said the company
was pleased with its performance in 1991. "We managed the
reorganization of the company into geographic marketing, sales,
and service entities and global product organizations without any
measurable negative financial impact on the business. Additionally,
the  acquisition of STC PLC of the United Kingdom, effective in
March 1991, and its subsequent integration into Northern Telecom's
operations progressed smoothly. The increasing global acceptance
of our products and continued network modernization in many
countries were keys to our success."

Northern Telecom said its business was stronger in the United
States and worldwide markets and weaker in its home country,
where a serious recession and changes in Canadian tax laws
affected its results.

Company spokesman Guy Gill told Newsbytes the company
expects that in 1992 its strongest growth will come outside North
America, particularly in international markets where its present
market share is still fairly small.

Northern expects lower revenues in Canada in the coming year,
Gill said, but expects growth over-all. "We continue to drive toward
improved performance quarter over quarter," he said.

In a reorganization during 1991, Northern split its former World
Trade operation in two. STC/Northern Telecom Europe, based in
London, will serve the European Community. The new unit
incorporated STC. The balance of the old world trade organization
became Northern Telecom Asia/Pacific, with headquarters in
Tokyo.

These two companies and two North American subsidiaries --
Northern Telecom Canada Ltd., and Northern Telecom Inc., of
Nashville, Tennessee, now handle sales, marketing, and service
in their respective areas.  Three other companies -- Northern
Telecom Public Networks, Northern Telecom Private Networks,
and Northern Telecom Wireless Systems -- were set up as global
product groups.

Over the past year, Northern has laid off workers at a handful of
Canadian plants as it responded to the effect on demand of a weak
economy and as it phased out older product lines and replaced
them with models that are simpler to manufacture. Gill said these
moves were not part of a one-time program of cuts but simply the
result of an ongoing fine-tuning of the business, and the company
could not say whether more such cuts might take place in the future.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Guy Gill, Northern
Telecom, 416-566-3178)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00029)

Corel Ships Unix Update, Offers Competitive Upgrade 01/22/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- Corel Systems
has announced first shipments of CorelDraw version 2.002 for Unix,
a new version of its popular graphics software. The company also
announced a competitive upgrade offer for users who want to trade
in competitive graphics products on DOS PCs for the CorelDraw
CD-ROM Blockbuster Bundle, which packages the DOS version
of the software with more than 10,000 clip-art images.

CorelDraw for Unix 2.002 adds support for DECstation 5000, Santa
Cruz Operation ODT, and HP Apollo Series 400 platforms. Like the
first release, it also supports Open Software Foundation OSF/Motif
on IBM RISC System/6000, Data General Aviion, and Sun
Sparcstations.

Also new in this release are live links to the FrameMaker desktop
publishing software from Frame Technologies. When CorelDraw
images are incorporated in FrameMaker documents, users can
click on an image to reactivate CorelDraw.

The suggested list price for CorelDraw 2.002 for Unix is $895 in
the United States, or C$1060 in Canada. Additional licenses are
$745 or C$880.

Corel is offering the Blockbuster Bundle which includes the
CorelDraw software for DOS and OS/2 systems, 205 fonts, and
more than 10,000 clip-art images and symbols on compact disk
read-only memory (CD-ROM), plus a CD-ROM drive for $595 (internal
drive) or $695 (external drive) to users of Micrografx Designer, Arts &
Letters, Aldus Freehand, Adobe Illustrator, Harvard Draw, or Gem
Artline who trade in the competitive packages. The regular
suggested list price is $1,295 with an internal drive and $1,395
with an external drive.

When Corel announced the Blockbuster bundle at last fall's
Comdex show in Las Vegas, Michael Cowpland, president and
chief executive of Corel, described it as "a real breakthrough in
terms of value for money for the customer."

Corel also said it had shipped a maintenance release to CorelDraw
2.01, which fixes several problems with the main program and its
accompanying utilities, as well as adding some new features. The
maintenance release will be shipped free to all registered users,
the company said.

(Grant Buckler/19920122/Press Contact: Fiona Rochester, Corel,
tel [phone] ext. 1172, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00030)

EC To Consider Changes To Copyright Rules 01/22/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 22 (NB) -- The European
Community, or EC, will be holding a series of hearings beginning
tomorrow about the possible adoption of a "protocol" (diplomatic
term for a modification or adjustment) to the Berne Convention
for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. According to
CBEMA, the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturing
Association, this protocol could pose a major threat to the
copyright protection now afforded computer software.

Adopted by the World Intellectual Property Association, the Berne
(Switzerland) Convention requires strong copyright protection of
computer software. However, the recent WIPO memorandum
describing a possible modification or amendment to the Convention
would call into question whether a computer program should be
protected the same way as a literary work. The proposed protocols
also propose a set of exemptions to the Convention which the
CBEMA objects to on the basis that they would greatly weaken the
present protection of software.

On October 8 of last year the WIPO issued a memorandum
proposing the changes outlined above and on February 10-18 the
WIPO Committee of Experts will meet to continue discussing
adoption of the changes.

(John McCormick/19920122/Press Contact: Maryann Karinch,