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/NB920402

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(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00001)

Lasermaster, Lexmark Sign Licensing Agreement 04/02/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) --
Lasermaster Technologies has announced that it has signed
an agreement licensing its printing technologies to Lexmark
International. Under terms of the agreement Lasermaster will
provide key components of its proprietary technology.

Lexmark is a supplier of desktop laser printers worldwide, and
its IBM Laserprinter 4029 was recently awarded PC Magazine's
Technical Excellence Award.

Lexmark was formed one year ago through the sale of IBM's
Information Products Division, including IBM's desktop laser
printer products.

According to Mel Masters, Laseermaster CEO, the alliance will,
"provide a valuable complement to the revenues generated from
our own high-end Turbores typesetting division and the increasing
sales momentum currently being generated by our startup WinPrint
products division."

A Lasermaster spokesperson told Newsbytes the company had
not prepared any income projections based on the agreement, but
said the agreement "is significant in terms of what Lexmark can do
for us."

Masters indicated that the agreement encompasses both current
technologies and future development projects planned by
Lasermaster.

Turbores, introduced late in 1991, is designed to provide higher
resolution printing and typesetting capability on plain paper, with
output resolutions the company says are from 400 dots-per-inch to
1200 by 800 resolution. Without enhancement, most laser printers
produce 300 dpi resolution.

Lasermaster also produces Automatic Font Management, which
the company claims takes the place of Postscript font management,
and when combined with Lasermasters Enhanced Postscript
interpreter, provides faster Postscript printing. Another product,
Enhanced Trueimage is an interpreter designed to ensure that the
automatic font management products are fully compatible with the
Postscript page description language and with Postscript type 1
and 3 font formats.

(Jim Mallory/19920402/Press Contact: Karen Neset, Lasermaster
Technologies, 612-941-8687)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00002)

Vienna Software Offers Integrated Software For OS/2 2.0 04/02/92
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- With IBM's
OS/2 release 2.0 just hitting the streets, a Florida company
could be positioned to have a hit on its hands.

Just a few days before OS/2 2.0 was released, Vienna Software
Publishing announced N/Joy. The company describes N/Joy as
an "integrated business solution" based on an object-oriented
"office/room" metaphor, which allows users to produce compound
documents and share them on networks.

Vienna says N/Joy is written to take advantage of OS/2's
Workplace Shell, and can be used with IBM's Extended Services
database and communications modules when it is released.

N/Joy includes the basics needed to operate an office or a
business and features: spreadsheet; word processing; graphics,
 with an integrated data base manager; and LAN (local area
network) manager functions.

The user sets up an "office" with the objects required for the
user applications. Each object and its functions are then activated
by clicking on the object with a mouse. Compound documents can
then be produced, which are stored in "rooms." Rooms can be set
up locally or on the network, and designated as private or shared.

According to Vienna President, Peter Mayer, N/Joy is already
receiving strong acceptance in Europe. "We expect a strong
response in the US, as the benefits of its object orientation, namely
intuitive ease-of-use and true integration, becomes apparent," said
Mayer.

The current version of N/Joy is being shown at Spring Comdex in
Chicago beginning next week. Mayer said a 32-bit version is
planned for release in September.

N/Joy's external interface can move data to and from the OS/2
clipboard. Files can be imported and exported to and from .WK1,
.DIF, .RTF, and ASCII formats. The spreadsheet has "hot link"
capability with data in text and/or graphic areas, and provides
mathematical, financial, and logical functions. Formulas can be
entered via a calculator object, and financial functions can be
based on either periods or actual dates.

The "business graphics" object has hot links in both directions,
meaning that if the graph is updated, so is the spreadsheet, or
vice versa. Graphs can be displayed in three dimensions, and
regression plotting is also available.

Vienna Software says pictures or drawings in the OS/2 bitmap format
can be included in any documents using the bitmap area. The
bitmaps are scaled automatically to the current area size. The
bitmaps are held in separate files external to the N/Joy database.

Document formatting allows areas to be repeated on each page,
with  or without their contents, such as page headers and footers.
Bitmaps can be part of a page header, and text areas can be set to
flow to the next area, and even create a new page automatically.
Documents can be predefined and converted to stylesheets by
activating the typesetter object.

To use N/Joy, you will need a 386-based machine or better,
OS/2 2.0, six megabytes (MB) of RAM, and 10MB of free space on
the hard drive for the program software. N/Joy has a suggested
list price of $695.

For more information about N/Joy contact Vienna Software
Publishing at 407-392-7724.

(Jim Mallory/19920402/Press Contact: Al Killinger, Vienna
Software Publishing, 407-392-7724)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00003)

In Focus, Proxima Resolve Patent Suit 04/02/92
TUALATIN, OREGON, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- In Focus Systems
says it has settled its patent suit with Proxima Corporation.

The suit, originally filed by In Focus nearly two years ago, sought
to recover damages from Proxima for infringement of a color display
system patent held by In Focus. Proxima denied infringement and
filed counterclaims alleging that the patent was invalid. Proxima
also alleged unfair competition and violation of the federal antitrust
laws.

According to a joint announcement, each company has granted the
other a nonexclusive license under certain of their respective color
display technology patents. The two companies said they have
agreed to keep all other terms of the settlement confidential.

Douglas Robertson, corporate counsel for In Focus, told Newsbytes
that the allegations by Proxima were general in nature. As part of
the discovery process inherent in lawsuits, Robertson said Proxima
indicated they would provide details later.

The suit revolved around a stack panel display product, Versacolor,
manufactured and marketed by In Focus. The stack panel uses three
stacked LCDs (liquid crystal displays) in a subtractive technology to
manufacture a flat panel display. Robertson said that when Proxima
introduced its stack panel display, In Focus learned that they were
obtaining components from the same supplier In Focus used. The
supplier was not named in the suit.

Robertson said Versacolor is now being phased out.

(Jim Mallory/19920402/Press Contact: Douglas Robertson, In Focus
Systems, 503-692-4968)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00004)

Generation 5 Names New Chief Executive Officer 04/02/92
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Geographic
information systems developer,Generation 5, has announced the
appointment of a new chief executive officer.

Charles M. Powell, a director of Generation 5 since 1988, has
been appointed to the CEO position, replacing David Baraniak.
Newsbytes learned that Baraniak is now working in the company's
Wisconsin office.

Powell recently left J.D. Edwards and Company, where he served
as director of International Operations and director of Amerasian
Operations.

According to the Generation 5 announcement, Powell started his
career as a certified public accountant with Price Waterhouse & Co,
and later held management positions at Storage Technology and
Columbine Systems.

Powell said his first priorities will be to secure additional
financing and resolve the ongoing legal dispute with Software
Support Limited. The company also announced that it has signed
a letter of intent with a regional investment banking firm to initiate
a second public offering of shares of common stock and common
stock purchase warrants to raise approximately $2.5 million in
gross proceeds.

The company said the dispute over software and royalties with
Software Support of Canada (SSC) has recently escalated to a
lawsuit and countersuit. The dispute centers around the royalty
obligations of the two parties, as well as the ownership and
associated license and distribution rights to Generation 5's primary
software product. Generation 5 said SSC has asked for substantial
monetary damages as well as injunctive relief.

Generation 5 markets automated mapping, geographic
inormation systems, and facilities management software systems.
Its geographic information systems software runs on desktop 386-
and 486-based PS/2s and Unix workstations.

(Jim Mallory/19920402/Press Contact: Rick Garfield, Generation
5 Technology, 303-427-0055)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

 ****Japan: Toshiba Develops Laptop Supercomputer Board 04/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Toshiba has developed a
computer board that the company claims turns a laptop computer
into a supercomputer. It is still in the prototype stage, but is said
to be a sizeable step towards the realization of a laptop
supercomputer.

Toshiba has already tested this board connecting with its J-3100
laptop computer, which is a Japanese version of the company's
T-3100.

The structure of this supercomputer board is said to be simple.
It consists of a digital signal processor, an 8-bit SRAM (static
random access memory) and a ROM (read-only memory).

The major innovation of the board is said to be Toshiba's new
original algorithm called "progressive multiplication." According
to Toshiba, the new board does not have to repeat the algebraic
equation hundreds of times under this new algorithm. It uses a
secret special method to avoid using algebraic equation.

The supercomputer board needs to be improved further however.
Toshiba is making sub-units of the board to enable parallel
processing. Also, the firm will produce an ASIC (application specific
integrated circuit) chip to simulate calculation. With these sub-units
and the IC chip, the board can process a calculation at 6.1
millisecond. This is said to be even faster than most existing
supercomputers.

The supercomputer board can be used for industry calculation
and the simulation to develop top-of-the-line electronics devices.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920402/Press Contact: Toshiba,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00006)

GTE Mobilnet Adds Octel Voice Mail Features In N. California 04/02/92
PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- A new
version of the Octel Voice Mail messaging system has been installed
for use of GTE Mobilnet cellular service customers. Offering the new
Mailshare feature provided by the Octel Voice Mail system, two
different GTE Mobilenet cellular numbers can share a single voice
mailbox.

The feature is intended for families where two members have
cellular service, or for individuals who may have both a car and
a "briefcase" number. GTE Mobilnet will only charge customers
for airtime when messages are being deposited.

The send-only message charge scheme means that users can
check a mailbox as often as desired to see if important messages
have arrived but without incurring any cost.

For the next 60 days customers can try out the system without
extra charge, but an optional pager-notification feature which
alerts subscribers when a message has been left is an extra-cost
service.

GTE Mobilnet operates in the greater San Francisco area of
northern California. Octel is a Milpitas, California, company that builds
and markets voice message processing systems to small and large
businesses as well as cellular service providers around the world.

(John McCormick/19920402/Press Contact: David Avirom, GTE
Mobilnet, 510-416-3750)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00007)

Computer Reseller News/Gallup Vertical Market Poll Results 04/02/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Color monitors,
desktop computers, and hard drives larger than 80 megabyte (MB)
capacity are top selling items to both education and manufacturing
markets, according to the published results of a Computer Reseller
News poll conducted by the Gallup Organization.

Coming in at tenth, eleventh, and twelfth places are notebook
computers, fax boards, and CD-ROM and other optical storage
devices. Those results come from a survey of vertical market
value-added resellers (VARs) targeting those two vertical markets.

However, when viewing the results it must be remembered that,
although those VARs ranked optical storage devices at the bottom
in frequency of sales of the top 12 products they sell, more than
half report including CD-ROM drives when configuring systems.

Both groups of VARs agree on some other items too, placing
Toshiba at the top of the list of battery-operated computers they
prefer to sell, with IBM topping the desktop category.

Interests divulge when it comes to software, with word processors
being most popular for education buyers and spreadsheets
toping the "want" list for manufacturers.

That just scratches the surface of the survey results, which are
the basis of a 50-page CRN Benchmark Supplement included
with the March 30 issue of Computer Reseller News.

(John McCormick/19920402)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00008)

MaynStream Offers Backup Software Promotion 04/02/92
LAKE MARY, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Florida-based
Maynard Electronics, a company which specializes in making
backup products for MS-DOS environments, has announced a new
promotion campaign designed to sell more copies of the company's
flagship MaynStream backup software.

Between April and September of this year, companies buying the
MaynStream SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) backup
hardware with capacities from 525 megabyte (MB) to five gigabytes
(GB), will receive a bundle with MaynStream for Windows, NLM
(NetWare), and OS/2, with the MS-DOS version of the software.

For the business user working in a single operating system
environment however, this does not appear to be much of a deal
since it means that they will get not only the software they need,
but three other products they cannnot possibly use.

For those operating in a mixed operating system environment,
the additional software will mean that data stored on backup
tapes from a system running any of the listed operating systems
and made using the appropriate MaynStream version, will be
readable on any other MaynStream system operating on other
computers.

Essentially Maynard is stressing the ability to transfer backed-
up data between different platforms if they all use Maynard
software.

For large organizations which operate MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows,
and Novell networks, this could mean a savings of up to $1,350
on the software which would normally be needed to share files
between the incompatible format systems.

The products which qualify for this promotion include SCSI-based
MaynStream cassette, quarter-inch cartridge, 4mm DAT (digital
audio tape), and 8mm HS tape backup systems.

(John McCormick/19920331/Press Contact: Anne S. Lardner,
Maynard Electronics, 407-262-4268)



(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00009)

Moscow Telecommunications Update 04/02/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Downtown Moscow
business phones have a charge counter activated on local calls.
Moscow phone authorities are trying again to force all fax and
modem users to register and pay higher rates.

Central and Miussky phone districts, which cover most of downtown
Moscow, has announced that effective April 1, all business phone
lines will be billed on a per-minute basis for local calls. Fifteen
minutes daily are free, with further minutes costing 0.04 rubles for
commercial and 0.03 rubles for state organizations (100 rubles is
roughly equal to one dollar at the current inflated interest rate).
Monthly pay has remained unchanged. Rules for residential lines
and business customers in other areas of Moscow are currently
unchanged.

Commersant Weekly has reported that similar toll devices are
being installed on other phone exchanges in Moscow. MGTS
(Moscow city phone network) information computer center will
issue bills for all Moscow customers.

On another front, deputy MGTS chief Alexander Shambazov said
that MGTS is launching the campaign to register as many modem
users as possible. Registration will cost, by various sources,
between 1,300 or 2,900 rubles per year with long distance rates
doubled on those modem/fax lines.

Shambazov said also that, "customers who uses modem for
commercial purposes" will be charged 50,000 rubles annually. The
sum, however, is considered unreasonably high by a number of
Moscow computer network experts.

The modem registration rules, although stating how much business
modem users pay, says nothing about similar personal
communications equipment.

A number of people has reported to Newsbytes that public BBS
(bulletin board system) phone lines showed "strange behavior" in
the last several weeks, prompting some users to suspect that they
might be monitored by MGTS to find out how much modem use is
going on.

Newsbytes has also received the confirmation that MGTS is
scanning local newspapers' ads to check if announced fax numbers
are, in fact, registered. Those who did not, are remained to do so
and then, in the case of non-compliance, their phone lines are
threatened with disconnection.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920402/Press Contact: MGTS computer center,
[phone]; MGTS, Alexander Shambazov, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00010)

Hong Kong: On-line Cash Makes Rugby Sevens Debut 04/02/92
SOO KUN PO, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Rugby fans who
find themselves short of cash at this weekend's Hong Kong
International Rugby Sevens tournament will be able to obtain
additional funds without leaving the ground, thanks to the customer
service orientation of Hong Kong Bank and the efforts of NCR
engineers.

NCR is installing two of its most popular automated teller machines
(ATMs) at specially constructed Hong Kong Bank kiosks located
close to Gates 1 and 4 of the Hong Kong Stadium. The bank's
kiosks are specially designed for off-site use at a variety of events
such as conferences and sports tournaments.

The through-the-wall NCR 5085 ATMs will be operational throughout
Saturday and Sunday. They will dispense cash to holders of Hong
Kong Bank ETC cards and Visa cards issued by any bank that is a
member of Visa International's worldwide Plus network.

"While cash withdrawals are likely to be the most popular
transaction, these will be fully featured terminals that will handle
all the functions normally found in an ATM apart from deposits," said
Andrew Liu, manager of NCR's Financial Systems Division.

The NCR ATMs, which use color graphics to guide customers
through transactions, incorporate advanced ergonomic features
for easier operation.

(Norman Wingrove/19920402/Press Contact: Vivian Kung, NCR,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00011)

Hong Kong: CSSL Offers IBM S/36 Facilities Mgt Service 04/02/92
NORTH POINT, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- IBM reseller CSSL
has launched a new facilities management (FM) service for IBM
System/36 users in Hong Kong. The service provides for CSSL to
take full responsibility for running the subscriber's system.

"FM removes the worry and cost of housing, maintaining and staffing
a system in-house," said Ian Wallace, account manager in CSSL's
Business Services Division. "This is particularly relevant in Hong
Kong where office space is at a premium and staff are highly mobile."

The FM service is particularly aimed at users who are in the process
of upgrading from a S/36 to an IBM AS/400 mid-range computer. It will
consist of training programs for data processing and development
staff, file and program conversion, and backup facilities to enable
customers to run their new and their existing systems in parallel.

"System/36 users will sooner or later upgrade to mid-range systems
such as the AS/400 and it is at this crossroads that FM offers the
greatest benefits," said Wallace.

Wallace identified customer's key upgrade concerns as limited
space and manpower to run two systems simultaneously, staff
training, the cost of disruptions to work patterns and computer
systems, and the process of converting data between systems.

"CSSL can reassure customers on all these counts," he said. "Our
highly trained professional team supervises conversion and training
while reliable backup computer facilities provide subscribers with a
hot-standby System/36, a facility that very few have enjoyed so far."

According to Wallace, an additional benefit of FM is that it
encourages greater staff loyalty. "One of the biggest motivators for
developers is the opportunity to learn new skills and work with the
latest technology," he said. "By taking care of the mechanics of the
transition process, CSSL enables the customer's DP staff to quickly
get to grips with new challenges."

(Norman Wingrove/19920402/Press Contact: Ally Ho,
CSSL, + 852 806 1622)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00012)

Hong Kong: NCR Offers "New Way of Computing" Seminars 04/02/92
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- NCR is to stage four
keynote seminars this year, designed to help organizations migrate
from proprietary systems to computing based on distributed systems,
industry standards, and the client-server model.

The first in NCR's "New Way of Computing Seminar Series," to be
held at the Hilton Hotel on Monday 13 April, will focus on open
on-line transaction processing. Like all the seminars in the series,
it will feature leading overseas specialists in the subject. Later
seminars in the series will examine workgroup computing,
parallel computing and analytical processing, and open networking
and internetworking.

"The information technology industry is undergoing a historic
transition that will bring fundamental changes to the way we do
business," Vivian Kung, manager of Communications and
Advertising Services at NCR (Hong Kong) Ltd., told Newsbytes.

"These seminars are just one way in which NCR is helping
organizations that are ready to make the move from old fashioned,
proprietary technologies to the open, cooperative way of
computing that is the way of the future," said Kung.

Guest speakers at the opening seminar include Peter Kastner,
vice president of the Aberdeen Group, and one of the leading open
systems analysts in the US. He will present a manager's guide to
open OLTP implementation, illustrated by case studies.

Nick Simanteris, group manager of Oracle Consulting Group, will
suggest ways for organizations to enhance their competitive
position by taking advantage of the trend towards open OLTP
for critical business applications.

The benefits of open, interoperable systems under the UI-Atlas
architecture will be discussed in detail by Colin Fulton, regional
general manager of Unix International Pacific Basin.

"On-line transaction processing, which was once limited to the
financial and airline marketplace, is applied to virtually every
aspect of business today," said Kung. "This first seminar in the
series will help users break away from monolithic transaction
processing monitors tied to inflexible proprietary mainframes, and
enable them to move towards open, distributed on-line transaction
processing."

The seminars are designed for MIS executives and managers as
well as business unit managers who have responsibility for strategic
planning, information technology planning, and system design.

(Norman Wingrove/19920402/Press Contact: Vivian Kung, NCR,
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00013)

Hong Kong: MDA Named Mentor Graphics Distributor 04/02/92
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Mentor Graphics has
announced an exclusive distributorship agreement with Hong Kong-
based Mentor Design Automation Ltd (MDA). Under the agreement,
MDA will provide sales, marketing, and support for all Mentor
Graphics products and services in Hong Kong, Macau, and China's
Guangdong Province.

"We are happy to be appointed as the distributor for Mentor
Graphics in Hong Kong," said William Cheung, managing director
of MDA. "MDA was formed by a group of former Mentor Graphics
employees who understand and are sensitive to the company's
values, products and its commitment to the market and to customers'
needs. We will work closely with Mentor's OpenDoor partners to
provide total solutions to Mentor Graphics customers."

Steve Ting, general manager of Mentor Graphics operations in
China, Hong Kong, and the Asean countries, said: "Since our
worldwide restructuring in late 1991, Mentor Graphics has been
looking into various alternatives on how to best serve our customers
in and around Hong Kong. After three months of evaluation we have
chosen MDA."

"As our partner, MDA will have direct access to Mentor Graphics
support facilities in Singapore and the US. With its strong technical
knowledge and understanding of Mentor Graphics' corporate
philosophy, we are confident that MDA will continue to pursue our
objective of providing top quality support as well as a strong
commitment to our customers' successes," he said.

MDA was established earlier this year to market and service
electronic design automation (EDA) systems. In addition to its
appointment as exclusive distributor of Mentor Graphics products
for Hong Kong, Macau, and Southern China, it is a value-added
reseller (VAR) for both Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard.

(Norman Wingrove/19920402/Press Contacts: William Cheung,
MDA, [phone]; Steve Ting, Mentor Graphics, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00014)

DEC Plans To Acquire 800 Software 04/02/92
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment has signed a letter of intent to acquire 800 Software,
the Berkeley, California-based personal computer software
distributor. DEC expects the deal to close in three to six weeks,
company spokesman Bob Schneider told Newsbytes.

Schneider said Digital sees 800 Software as an opportunity to get
a piece of the desktop software market, where it currently has no
presence. The distributor stocks about 12,000 applications
packages, including titles from Novell, Borland, Lotus, Microsoft,
and a variety of other names. It does not sell any Digital products
at present.

Digital plans to keep 800 Software as a separate entity with
headquarters in Berkeley, Schneider said. However, as a wholly
owned subsidiary of DEC, it would likely become a supplier to
DEC's Open Advantage program, which aims to provide DEC
customers with one-stop shopping for desktop computer products.

Digital values 800 Software's expertise in software distribution
and sales, Schneider said. The distributor is "a well managed
company that very effectively delivers the service," he said.

Digital's expertise in electronic software distribution is of
interest to 800 Software, which could apply that knowledge to the
distribution of personal computer software, Schneider added.

Schneider said no major obstacles to the transaction remain and
Digital is quite confident the deal will be concluded shortly. The
terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

(Grant Buckler/19920402/Press Contact: Bob Schneider, Digital
Equipment, 508-480-4620)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00015)

Hitachi Establishes Research Unit In Canada 04/02/92
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Hitachi Data
Systems has announced the establishment of a research and
development subsidiary based in Montreal. HDS Research will
develop products and technologies for international markets, the
company said.

The new subsidiary's initial projects include developing technology
for image processing and optical disk applications, as well as
software to monitor the performance of computer peripherals.

The operations of HDS Research will not be limited to the province
of Quebec, a spokesman for the company said. In fact, the company
is in the process of setting up joint development agreements with
companies in Ontario and British Columbia, although details are not
ready to be released.

Hitachi said it will spend up to C$15 million in Quebec over the
next three years, however. That includes the creation of HDS
Research, as well as production, testing, and shipment of the
company's S2000 Super Server for local area networks, which will
be subcontracted to a Montreal firm, and joint ventures to provide
data processing services to customers across Canada. Hitachi's
Canadian operation, Hitachi Data Systems, has its headquarters in
Montreal.

The new initiatives are expected to add about 25 skilled jobs to
Hitachi's current Canadian payroll of about 150 people. The
company, which sells mainframe computers and related storage
systems, has two manufacturing sites in Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19920402/Press Contact: John Elias, National Public
Relations for Hitachi, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Denise
Doucet, Hitachi Data Systems, 514-874-0707)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00016)

Legent, Goal Systems International Plan Merger 04/02/92
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Software developers
Legent and Goal Systems International of Columbus, Ohio, have
signed a definitive agreement to merge in a stock transaction
valued at about $400 million. Still subject to shareholder and
regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close by July 31.

The agreement provides for Legent to issue 0.52356 shares of new
common stock for each of the roughly 19.1 million shares of Goal
common stock now outstanding. Based on the NASDAQ National
Market System closing price for Legent of $40.75 on April 1, this
works out to about $21.34 for each Goal share.

Legent spokeswoman Lori Beres said her company sees in the deal
a "tremendous opportunity to gain a tremendous presence in the
market." The combined company will have 126 products and a very
strong financial position, she said. Both Legent and Goal sell
software and services for managing enterprise computer systems
and networks. Many of the products are complementary, Beres
added.

Beres also said the deal will make both firms more secure against
possible hostile takeovers. Both firms took steps to guard against
unwanted takeover attempts during the period before the deal
closes. They have set up a share exchange agreement providing for
an exchange of each other's common stock if certain events occur,
including the purchase of 10 percent or more of either company's
outstanding shares by third parties. If exercised, the agreement
could give Legent about 10 percent of Goal and Goal about three
percent of Legent.

Goal also adopted a shareholder rights plan. Preferred stock
purchase rights will be distributed as a dividend at the rate of
one "right" for each share of common stock held, as of the close of
business on April 2. Goal said the plan is intended to deter abusive
market and takeover tactics and unsolicited takeover attempts. and
to guard against interference with the Legent deal. The rights will
expire on April 2, 2002, or when the Legent merger closes,
whichever comes first. the company said.

Each right will entitle shareholders to buy one hundredth of a
share of a new series of preferred stock for $50. They will be
exercisable only if a person or group other than Legent acquires
beneficial ownership of 20 percent or more of Goal's common
stock or announces a tender or exchange offer that would give the
buyer 30 percent or more of the common stock, or if Goal's board
of directors determines that any person is an "adverse person."

In their latest fiscal years, Legent had revenues of $203.3 million
and Goal had revenues of $127.8 million.

(Grant Buckler/19920402/Press Contact: David C. Wetmore or B.
Wade Monroe, Goal Systems, 614-888-1775; Richard E. Hanlon,
Legent, 703-734-9494)

(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00017)

 ****Tandon, Zeos Race To Offer New Cyrix 486-Based PCs 04/02/92
MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Tandon says
its modular, cartridge design is going to make it first to market with
IBM compatible personal computers (PCs) that will use the newly
announced Cyrix 486 microprocessor to be available in about six
weeks.  Zeos, however, has announced that its Zeos 486SLC-25
should be available by the end of April.

The Cyrix 486 processor, the Cx486SLC, is receiving attention not
only because it is expected to cost half as much as a comparable
Intel microprocessor, but also because Intel is loadly and
vehemently opposing the introduction of the chip into the market.

Cyrix claims the new 486 chip is compatible with Intel's 386 chip and
can in fact replace the Intel 386 chip directly. Tandon says it will
be the first to offer the new 486 chip because its new PC systems
have microprocessors housed in upgradeable cartridges, so the
old central processing unit (CPU) can be easily removed and a
new one put in its place.

Tandon says the new 486 PCs will be available in volume and will
provide 70 percent greater performance than IBM's new 386SLC/25
at half the price of the new IBM computer.

Retail availability of the systems is through Tandon as well as
through major chains, such as Bizmart and Bestbuy. The company's
PC Positive cartridge-based systems are offered through
membership warehouse clubs such as Price Club, Sam's, BJs, and
Pace. The company also sells its systems under the PC Brand
name.

The new base unit models offered in the mass channel will feature at
least 2 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) which can
be expanded to 32 MB, an 85 MB hard disk drive, a super VGA
monitor with video controller, and software, including current versions
of Microsoft DOS, Windows, and Works for Windows. External or
internal compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives bundled
with an assortment of CD disks will also be options for consumers.

Tandon also points out existing customers will be able to upgrade
their systems to the new 486 CPU.

Zeos says its 486SLC-25 will compete price-wise directly with other
386SX computers. Zeos says the 486-based computer will run 2.4
times faster than similarly priced 386SX systems.

Greg Herrick, president and CEO of Zeos said: "The market is ripe
for a conversion from older 386 technologies to faster 486-based
platforms." Zeos is also crediting Cyrix's lower priced 486 chip with
its opportunity to offer lower prices and fast time to market.

Moorpark, California-based Tandon has been in the computer
business since 1975 and is probably best known for its hard and
floppy disk drives. The company says its current principle market
is Western Europe.

Zeos markets and manufactures IBM compatible computers and
workstations. The company said its products are manufactured
under the Zeos name.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920402/Press Contact: Bryan Kerr, Tandon,
tel [phone] ext 1234; Rick Apple, Zeos, 612-633-5877)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00018)

New Report Generator For Objectvision From Borland 04/02/92
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Borland
says it is introducing a report writer geared toward its Objectvision 2.0
product for Microsoft Windows, called Quik Reports. The new product
fills-out the capabilities of Objectvision, as prior to its introduction
users could only print the form created in Objectvision, but were
unable to summarize information generated by Objectvision.

Like Objectvision, the product is geared toward use with database-
type data and will work with dBASE, Paradox, and Btreive files.
Borland says it also comes with an interactive what-you-see-is-what-
you-get (wysiwyg) report designer, and a separate print engine with
runtime capability when placed in an Objectvision runtime application.

Quik Reports for Windows was developed by Crystal Services and
licensed by Borland and will support any Windows printer in
Windows 3.0 or the new 3.1 version, Borland said.

The product is a point-and-click graphically-oriented and allows
users to place data and fields, then modify the properties of either
via "property inspector" menus, Borland maintains. Totals and
subtotals, calculations in fields, sort and selection criteria, and a
preview before printing are all features available to the user,
Borland added.

Objectvision is geared to the creation of interactive business
applications, and can act as a front-end to database applications in
Windows. Borland says since Objectvision shipped in November of
last year it has won awards from InfoWorld, Byte, Windows Magazine,
and the Software Publishers Association. Borland says later this
 year it will also release a version of Objectvision for OS/2.

Vancover, Canada-based Crystal Services describes itself as a
supplier of report generators for ACCPAC accounting software.
Crystal Services and Borland will both market the Quik Report
product, the companies said.

Retail pricing has been set at $195, however Quik Reports will be
offered for $99 for an unspecified amount of time, Borland said. The
product is expected to be available in April.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920402/Press Contact: Cathy Caplener,
Borland, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00019)

Interactive Network Starts With Sega, Headed For PCs 04/02/92
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Interactive
Network (IN) says it has already introduced a two-way system geared
toward allowing television viewers to compete against each other, but
now says it will team up with Sega to incorporate the system with the
Sega Genesis System.

The announcement was made by David Lockton, president and chief
executive officer of Interactive Network, at the "New Hollywood in
Silicon Valley" session at the Homemedia Expo held at the Beverly
Hills Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

Currently available as a hand-held control unit weighing less than two
pounds, IN allows wireless communication. Unlike TV Answer, IN is
broadcast via an FM signal to and from the company's headquarters
to players' control units. A control unit will run eight hours on
rechargeable batteries and also has an AC adapter. Selections are
made using function keys on each side of the control unit and a
retractable keyboard is included. The IN service is currently only
available in the Sacramento area of California, but will be available
in the San Francisco Bay area beginning April 6, the company said.

Lockton said in a prepared statement: "Market research has shown
for over ten years tremendous interest in competitions. IN's system
not only dramatically addresses the huge potential market, but also
provides an entirely new platform for the video and multi-media
industry."

The IN service offered now is paid for by users via a $15 per month
subscription. Over 100 programs are available each day for users to
play, IN said. IN said a typical week's worth of programming might
include: "Fast Break Fantasy," Lakers vs Kings, NFL Football, Family
Feud, Donahue, Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego?, NBC
Nightly News, and Wheel of Fortune. Points are awarded users for
correct responses in competition and show up immediately on the
users control unit, the company said.

The complicated part comes when users want to compete for prizes.
IN said additional costs for competing range anywhere from $0.50
for a freestanding game, to $1 for a game show, and up to $2 for
sporting events. For $30 per month users can avoid paying one
competition at a time and enjoy unlimited competitive play, IN said.
Competitive games offer prizes to winners and include trips to Hawaii,
Mexico, and the Super Bowl, big screen televisions, and stereos.
The charges for competitive play are in addition to the $199 one-time
charge to purchase the control unit itself, IN added.

For users to know their standing among other players, the points
awarded must be sent in via telephone. This process involves
plugging the unit into a telephone jack via a standard modular
telephone cord for 15 to 20 seconds while the control unit phones the
scores into IN headquarters and the unit is disconnected. IN says it
then immediately broadcasts via the FM signal the user's standing
back to the control unit for display on the panel.

A similar process for recording a Sega player's score will be used,
IN said. However, this is the only viable way right now for players to
compete from home according to IN. Lockton said: "There are only two
ways to allow an unlimited number of players to compete in their homes
for feedback and prizes. They either continually use the telephone or
other hardwired communications system - which ties up the phone line -
or utilize the more efficient 'wireless' method protected by the IN
patents."

Sega says it is also looking into educational aspects of the use of IN
technology and the Sega system. Tom Kalinske, president of Sega
America said: "The ability to give feedback, mark progress, and
provide incentives - combined with the entertainment value of our 16-
bit sound and graphics - will attract a new generation of educational
and entertainment software programming for the Genesis system."

The new Sega systems incorporating the IN technology are not
expected to be available until 1993, but the company says it is
already looking at implementing the system on personal, laptop, or
notebook computers as well. IN says the introduction of low-cost
peripherals to connect to a computer would allow the user to play
competitive computer games, and use the computer as a control
and display device for IN interactive television services as well.

More information about IN control units is available from IN at
800-468-8199.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920402/Press Contact: Suzanne Nastaskin,
Bob Thomas & Associates for Interactive Network, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00020)

Apple Offers Free Case To Prevent Powerbook Battery Damage 04/02/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Apple says it
is offering a free case to protect the replaceable battery packs for the
Macintosh Powerbook 100, 140, and 170 notebook computers. Apple
says the battery pack can be inadvertently shorted by metal objects
and the free packs can offer a way to prevent potential problems.

According to Apple, keys or paper clips can short the battery pack
and cause fires or burns. Marianne Lettieri of Apple said risks are
present with the highly charged Nicad batteries used with any
electronic device like a computer or even a portable cellular phone.

Lettieri said the problem came to Apple's attention as an Apple
employee put an extra Powerbook battery into a tote bag loose with
other objects and the battery shorted, destroying the battery and
damaging the tote bag. Another incident with an Apple user was
reported, but Lettieri said the company did not have all the details
of that incident.

Whether or not a fire or burn is the result of a short, the short
probably will damage the battery. As these batteries are expensive,
in the neighborhood of $100 each, a case is also a matter of
protecting the user's investment, Lettieri added.

The case offered by Apple insulates the battery pack contacts to
prevent any shorts, Apple said. Lettieri said some Nicad battery
manufacturers have already been offering cases for replaceable
battery packs, but Apple has not until now. Until May of 1992, Apple
says Powerbook users will only be able to get a case via the toll-free
number. After May of this year the cases will be included with any
purchase of Powerbook rechargeable batteries, Lettieri maintains.

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission is involved in the
investigation of potential safety hazards that could arise because of
the battery packs. Apple says it is cooperating with the Commission's
staff to investigate and prevent safety risks possibly posed by the
battery packs.

Lettieri said Apple is taking other steps as well. The company is
planning to re-label the batteries to be more specific about possible
risks and is sending a consumer letter to Powerbook users as well
as informing its service providers, Lettieri added.

Apple is recommending consumers get the battery pack cases and
is offering a toll-free number for US consumers to call to request a
free case or ask for information. The number is 800-377-4127. Apple
suggests users outside the US contact their local Apple service
representative.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920402/Press Contact: Marianne Lettieri,
Apple, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00021)

More Computer Viruses Enter Computers In Japan 04/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Japan Information Processing
Promotion Association says more virus programs invaded
computers in Japan this past March.

According to the association, a total of 24 people and organizations
have reported that they had suffered from computer viruses. It is a
record number since the association started to keep records of
computer viruses since April 1990.

A total of 37 cases have been reported this year. Analysts believe
there were more unreported cases throughout Japan during this
period.

Among 37 cases this year, there were seven cases were for the
Michelangelo virus. A number of "Yankee Doodle" viruses were
also reported by IBM PC users.

One reason for the increase in the virus cases is said to be due to
the increased sale of more non-Japanese personal computers
such as IBM PCs and  Apple's Macintosh.

There are a few cases reported for viruses on Japanese PCs such
as the NEC PC-9801, and Seiko-Epson, Fujitsu or Sharp systems.
This is mainly because these PCs use their original versions of
operating systems. NEC and Seiko-Epson, instance, use a
modified version of MS-DOS, which is different from IBM PCs.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920402)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00022)

Japan: Something-Good Intros Mac And IBM PC Software 04/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- A Japanese software firm
called Something Good has developed various application
programs for Apple's Macintosh and IBM PCs. Many of the
programs were developed jointly with the U.S. firms.

Something-Good has gained a license from the US-based Macro
Mind to develop a Japanese version of multimedia software. It is
called MacroMind Action, and operates with MS-Windows 3.1.
Audio-sound and animation pictures can be made with this program.
It is sold for 98,000 yen ($750). The Japanese version of the data
sample programs, called MacroMind Clip-Media, is also sold at
90,000 yen ($690).

Something-Good has also signed a license agreement with Win
Software in France. Under the license, the firm has been developing
a Japanese language version of Win Software's card-type database
program called WinFile. It will be released for around 30,000 yen
($230) in April.

Meanwhile, Something-Good has been hammering out a joint
venture agreement with Aldus Corp of the US. The agreement calls
for both firms to create a new firm in Japan in this May. The new firm,
called Aldus Japan, will develop the Japanese version of Aldus'
programs such as PageMaker and Persuasion.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920402/Press Contact: Something-Good,
 [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00023)

 ****DAK Offers $200 External CD-ROM Drive 04/02/92
CANOGA PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Drew
Kaplan has once again shocked the computer world with an
amazingly low price -- $200 (plus $19 shipping) for a complete
caddyless external CD-ROM drive with software and PC adapter
card from BSR. Offering a slow 800 millisecond (ms) access time,
this drive is nevertheless suitable for many home and office users,
especially considering that only slightly faster systems are
selling for double the price.

A caddyless drive has a drawer that pops out to accept the bare
CD-ROM disc rather than accepting a disc sealed in an expensive
caddy. There are both advantages and disadvantages to a
caddyless system, but since CD-ROM discs are remarkably tough,
the disc's exposure to handling should not be a major concern for
most users. Of course, discs must be handled regularly to load and
unload them from the carrier caddies used by some other systems
anyway.

DAK is also offering a 380ms access time external CD-ROM drive
for $399 (plus $19 shipping), complete with Microsoft Bookshelf
(1991 edition), The Family Doctor, and Battle Chess CD-ROMs.
Buyers of the $199 drive can get the same CD-ROM discs for an
additional $50.

DAK is an established catalog mail-order firm with a 30-day
refund policy. The CD-ROM drives both have audio output and
are offered one-to-a-customer, and DAK offers other bargain
CD-ROM bundles.

For further information, contact: DAK Industries, Inc., at
818-0888-8220, or 800-888-7808; TDD (deaf) 800-888-6703.

(John McCormick/19920402)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00024)

SPA Network License Survey 04/02/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- The Software
Publishers Association has compiled a white paper titled "Network
License Survey" which contains license policy information
collected from 12 companies offering software which is run on
networks.

Although eight of the companies are actively reviewing
their licensing policies, this survey is still the latest source
of information for companies confused about pricing and
licensing options in the software industry.

Items covered in the survey include multi-user discount rates,
whether limited home or portable use is included with the network
license, and which products are usable on networks.

Results are compiled from Aldus, Autodesk, Borland, Claris,
Lotus, Microsoft, Nantucket, Software Publishing, Symantec,
WordPerfect, and WordStar, publishers of the software most
likely to be run on business networks.

For further information contact the SPA at 1730 M Street NW,
Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, or telephone [phone].

(John McCormick/19920402/Press Contact: Terri Childs, SPA,
tel [phone] ext 320, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00025)

C3 Pre-Protest Of Navy Workstation Contract Hurts Company 04/02/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- When Hughes
Aircraft and Vienna, Virginia-based BTG were awarded a major
workstation contract by the U.S. Navy this week, many Washington
insiders were not surprised.

However, desperate to maintain its only major business -- federal
contracts -- C3 had lodged a protest early in the bidding procedure
when the Navy amended its request for proposals to call for more
powerful computers than offered by C3's supplier, Sun Microsystems.
Pre-award protests are very unusual and not viewed kindly by
most contracting agencies.

C3 is declining comment on the contract award. However, it had to
 have been a major blow since the company relies almost entirely
on government work and even its new subsidiary, Telos, is a
government contractor.

This Navy contract calls for the companies to supply thousands of
workstations, but only as the Navy requests them, and with the
present downsizing fever, the total value of the contract is
debatable. In any case, the winners could sell as much as $100
million worth of high-performance systems to the Pentagon during
the contract's multi-year lifetime.

IBM, the other losing bidder, declined to speculate on whether it
would protest the award, but in the case of large contracts a
protest is almost certain.

The service portion of the contract will probably require BTG to
provide on-site personnel in major US naval bases at Hawaii
and San Diego.

(John McCormick/19920402)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00026)

Top Windcrest/McGraw-Hill Computer Book Titles 03/31/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 31 (NB) -- Based on actual
sales numbers compiled by the publisher, the following is a list of
the top 10 best selling Windcrest/McGraw-Hill computer book
titles for the last six months. The list is in order from the top seller
to the tenth place book.

Build Your Own 80486 PC and Save A Bundle, Pilgrim.

Bit-Mapped Graphics, Rimmer.

Upgrade Your Macintosh and Save A Bundle, Brant.

DOS Beyond 640K, 2nd Edition, Forney.

MS-DOS Batch File Programming, 3rd Edition, Richardson.

Advanced MS-DOS Batch File Programming, 3rd Edition, Gookin.

MS-DOS Batch File Utilities, Richardson.

DOS Shareware Utilities, PC SIG, Inc.

Happy Mac: Using Utility Programs, Evans.

Upgrade Your IBM Compatible and Save a Bundle, 2nd Edition,
Pilgrim.

All the books are priced under $30.

(John McCormick/19920402)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00027)

Apple And DEC Announce European Distribution Agreement 04/02/92
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Apple
Computer Europe and Digital Equipment have announced details
of an inter-company distribution agreement. The agreement stems
from the letter of intent that both companies signed last November.

According to Apple, the agreement will enable DEC's subsidiaries
in Europe to provide Apple Macs and peripherals to their large
accounts within the context of integrated systems involving DEC
and Apple products.

On the Apple side, the agreement allows Apple's dedicated
reseller network in Europe (Apple Centres) to offer DEC Vax and
RISC-based servers as well as Pathworks interconnect products,
plus a wide range of desktop services.

The European-wide agreement will address the needs of customers
who require large-scale, enterprise-wise, integrated systems,
claims Apple. Plans call for some DEC "complementary solution
organizations," who operate as independent resellers or
developers, to port their DEC client/server systems to the Mac
platform and license their products to Apple resellers.

Apple and DEC first began collaborating on joint technology
development in January of '88. According to Apple, this latest
announcement is a distribution agreement that aims at widening
both the scope of the collaboration, and also the distribution of
both companies' products.

"Customers in large organizations have shown a growing
preference for the Mac as part of their enterprise-wide systems,"
said Soren Olsson, Apple's president of Europe. "With this
agreement, Apple/Digital-based customer requirements can
now be handled very effectively, thanks to DEC's systems
integration expertise and the exceptional flexibility and ease of
use of the Mac."

Pier Carlo Falotti, president of DEC Europe, echoed Olsson's
comments, noting that the agreement is the result of the close
relationship between Apple and Digital.

"It is a response to customer needs and will enable us more
easily to offer the best of two worlds. This agreement combines
Apple's leadership and commitment to make it easy for people to
use computers with Digital's leadership in networking and
systems integration," he said.

(Steve Gold/19920403/Press Contact: Apple Computer Europe,
[phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00028)

New For PC In UK: Lotus Intros Multimedia Smarthelp For 1-2-3 04/02/92
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Lotus has
unveiled Multimedia Smarthelp for 1-2-3 for Windows on compact
disk read only memory (CD-ROM). The company claims that the
innovative new multimedia package combines text, sound and
animation to offer 1-2-3 for Windows users new ways to use and
learn about the product.

As supplied in the UK, the package comes as a single CD-ROM
disk containing 1-2-3 for Windows and Multimedia Smarthelp. The
Smarthelp package includes an animated and narrated guided tour
of 1-2-3 for Windows. "Show me" movies interactively educate
users about 1-2-3 concepts and procedures, and on-line books with
documentation and help assist the user still further, Lotus claims.

"Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows with  Multimedia Smarthelp is very
practical. It is the first compelling reason for corporations to
provide workgroups access to multimedia technology," said Tim
Davenport, Lotus' vice president of graphics and multimedia,
announcing the package.

Rob Lipincott, director of product development for Lotus'
multimedia products group, was equally enthusiastic.
"What's revolutionary about this product is how fully integrated
the multimedia is with Lotus 1-2-3. For the first time, users
will get the benefits of multimedia learning on their computer,
as part of the product they are using to complete the task," he
said.

"Multimedia Smarthelp delivers unprecedented ease of learning
and ease of use for 1-2-3 users. It offers users just the right level
of animated multimedia-based help, guidance, advice and
reference when they need it, This type of "mid task assistance is
what we consider just-in-time learning," he added.

Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows with Multimedia Smarthelp needs an 386
or better-based PC with standard VGA 16-color graphics adapter
and monitor. A CD-ROM drive with a minimum data transfer rate of
150K/second is also required.

Required software includes DOS 3.3 or later, Windows 3.0 with
multimedia extensions. The system must have at least three
megabytes (MB) of memory and 10MB of hard disk storage. Pricing
on the CD-ROM disk has been set at UKP 475, although existing
users of 1-2-3 for Windows can upgrade for UKP 99.

(Steve Gold/19920402/Press & Public Contact: Lotus
Development , 0784-455445)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00029)

Everex Systems Cuts Prices, Intros Notebooks 04/02/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- Everex Systems
has announced price decreases across its Step and Tempo system
lines -- its Step MP EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture)
multiprocessors and Tempo Carrier notebooks. At the same time the
company has also introduced Tempo M and C Series 486SX/25
computers.

The company claims that the price reductions were taken to
improve its competitive edge, and demonstrates a commitment to
penetrating the high end of the market.

"Product life cycles are shorter than ever and with so many
competitors pursuing the i486 system market, companies cannot
afford to be timid. Therefore, we are taking an aggressive
approach to converting our customers from i386 to i486-based
systems," stated Howard B. Crystal, senior vice president of
sales and marketing.

The company maintains that its Tempo 486 systems offer high
performance at midrange pricing and provide features such as high
color graphics capability so designers and desktop publishers
can work in up to 32,768 colors.

The Tempo M Series and the Tempo C Series have been
expanded to include i486SX/25 systems.  Everex claims that the
486SX/25 systems offer up to 60 percent more performance
than i386/33 systems.  The new systems will ship in large, compact,
and small desktop chassis and will be available in April.

Everex maintains that the new systems offer 486DX functionality,
such as an on-chip cache and a memory management unit, without
the higher costs associated with most 486DX computers. Support
for the Intel487SX math coprocessor and the recently announced
Intel OverDrive processor upgrade are standard on both systems.

Supporting up to 32MB of RAM, the Tempo M and C Series
computers are fully integrated with two serial ports, one parallel
port, floppy controller and IDE interface on the system board.
Both systems feature Everex's proprietary Advanced Memory
Management Architecture (AMMA), a 128 kilobyte write-back
cache for maximum system performance, claims the company.

The Tempo 486SX/25 M Series carries a list price of $2,399,
while the Tempo 486SX/25 C Series has a list price of $2,159.
Both products will be shipping immediately and include DOS 5.0,
Windows 3.1, and an Everex mouse.  The systems are also
covered by a one-year parts and labor warranty and three
months of on-site service.

The company maintains that the Step MP EISA supports up to six
symmetrical i486/33 CPUs (central processor units), 64 megabytes
of error correction code (ECC) memory, and 256 kilobytes of
write-back cache per CPU.

Also,  Everex has announced that it has signed an agreement
with Novell to participate in the Novell Labs Certification Alliance
Program. The program allows Everex to conduct NetWare
compatibility testing and Novell Labs certification at its on-site
test lab.

(Ian Stokell/19920402/Press Contact: Everex Systems Inc.,
Letty Dupuy, 510-683-2066)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00030)

DEC To Collaborate With Intel On Parallel Computer Software 04/02/92
BEAVERTON, OREGON, U.S.A., 1992 APR 2 (NB) -- In one of
a number of agreements for Digital Equipment recently, the
company has announced that it is collaborating with Intel on a
range of joint software projects, in the area of application-
development and system software for massively parallel
computers.

According to the companies, the first project, already underway,
involves an architecture-independent high-level programming
language compiler for parallel computers, which is actually a
version of the FORTRAN language. The new compiler is
expected  to be available by the end of 1992.

This new compiler is intended to allow scientists, engineers and
researchers to create applications to run on massively parallel
computers, using FORTRAN optimized for these systems.

According to the companies, future projects will include work on
operating systems and may extend to networking.

The developed product will be designed to be architecture-
independent, which is a plus for software developers as it will
allow them to create application programs that can be compiled
to run on different hardware platforms.

Newsbytes notes that the agreement is an important one for the
parallel processing computer market, as one of the elements
that many analysts say have been holding back the technology,
is the lack of available software that can use the technology's
power.

(Ian Stokell/19920402/Press Contact: Joseph D. Codispoti, Digital