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/nb920423

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(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00001)

Ontario Govt Proposes Technology Investment Fund 04/23/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- The
government of the province of Ontario hopes to set up an investment
fund that would channel investment into high-technology firms in the
province. The proposed Ontario Investment Fund would rely mainly
on large pension funds for money to put into technology ventures.

The province's Ministry of Treasury & Economics and Ministry of
Industry, Trade, & Technology, have released a discussion paper
on the proposed fund, and have set up a project team to manage
further consultations.

The discussion paper warns that the standard of living in the
province has not risen as fast as the average of industrialized
countries in recent years, and that unemployment in Ontario is on
a rising trend. One reason for this problem, it argues, is a lack
of investment in new technology to modernize industry in the
province.

The paper says the province needs a way to develop "new sources
of long-term capital that can be invested in industries that are
adapting to the new economy or are being created by it."

The government proposes that the Ontario Investment Fund would
solicit as much as C$2,000 million in long-term investment capital
on a voluntary basis from institutional investors, including
pension funds. It would invest this money in investments that "earn
market, risk-adjusted rates of return." Its investments would be
long-term ones, and it would also provide management assistance,
help develop expertise in assessing and managing new types of
investments, and help companies develop partnerships and
networks. The fund's mandate would also call for investments to be
"economically and environmentally sustainable," the paper says.

The paper stresses that nobody, including public-sector pension
funds, would be required to invest in the fund.

Felix Chee, treasurer of the provincially-owned electrical utility,
Ontario Hydro, has been seconded to the province to head the
project team that will hold consultations on the proposal.
Consultations are scheduled to begin right away. The province is
asking for input from business, investors, unions, and others.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Wendy Cuthbertson,
Ontario Ministry of Treasury & Economics, 416-325-0333; Helen
Burstyn, Ontario Ministry of Industry, Trade, & Technology,
416-325-6700)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00002)

Toymaker Turns To CAD/CAM Software From EDS 04/23/92
KWUN TONG, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Precision
Moulds Limited (PML), a subsidiary of US toy manufacturer Mattel,
has turned to Unigraphics software from EDS (Electronic Data
Systems) to upgrade its computer-aided design and manufacturing
(CAD/CAM) systems from a PC-based to workstation-based
environment.

The Unigraphics systems, running on three Sun Sparc 2GX
workstations, will extend PML's capabilities to solid modeling,
surfacing, analysis, three-dimensional drafting and machining. One
workstation will employ Unigraphics Graphics Machining Products
to create the toolpath for machine cutting.

"After several years of experience with less powerful PC-based CAD
systems we were keen to speed up our design process," said M.K.
Chan, director of PML. "Unigraphics is not only much faster but also
provides a CAM toolpath that is directly linked to our CNC cutting
machines. By automating these tasks, we expect the whole design
process from, initial drafting to manufacturing, to be at least 15
percent more efficient than before, with a comparable rise in the
consistency of our manufacturing procedures."

PML manufactures moulds for Mattel's full range of toys, including
Hot Wheel Cars and Barbie Doll, at its plant in Kwun Tong. The
design process begins with three-dimensional part drawings
prepared by Mattel in the US. These are transferred by modem to
PML's workstations where Unigraphics is used to create three-
dimensional tool drawings and the toolpath.

Later, design details on the three-dimensional model can be
enlarged, rotated and shaded to enable easy viewing. In addition,
the toolpath can be modified at any time, or when design changes
are necessary.

(Norman Wingrove/19920423/Press Contact: Donald E. Davidson,
EDS, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00003)

Silent Partner, Compuadd To Develop "Codeless" Retail Apps 04/23/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Compuadd Information
Services (CIS) and Silent Partner Software have announced that they
will jointly develop customized software applications for the retail
industry.

The two companies said that CIS will use Silent Partner's innovative
"codeless" software to develop "cost attractive transparent
hardware and software solutions for department stores, restaurants,
convenience stores, grocery stores, and other retailers."

Silent Partner said the applications can be run immediately on all
major operating system platforms, regardless of the hardware or
operating system in use. CIS President, Darvy Lavender, told
Newsbytes that Silent Partner has taken specific machine
instructions and developed a procedure by which they can
paramaterize the requests that are going to be occurring, put that into
a database, and execute that database as if its an engine for that
processor. Lavender said that while the application would be
generic to different hardware and software platforms, a separate
engine would be used to read the application database, which
understood the platform. "I think it's a great, great philosophy," said
Lavender.

Silent Partner President, Wayne Moritz, told Newsbytes that Silent
Partner has the ability to move data and applications across
operating systems wthout programmer intervention. The software
can also design screens, interrelate multiple screens, define pop-up
and pop-thru windows, and could build an inventory and receiving
system in a few hours or less. "The client can expect to slash
development groups by 80 percent or more," said Moritz.

Moritz said that the programs' "brain" contains a compiler, which
creates the application on the fly, then executes it. When the
application is exited, nothing remains except the applications
"personality files," the engine, and the customer data. "This gives
the customer the ability to alter the application and SPS the
ability to enhance the engine independent of each other," said
Moritz. SPS requires about 400 kilobytes of RAM.

Moritz said that SPS currently runs in DOS, Unix, Aix, and concurrent
DOS, as well as some network environments. "We have it running in
the Symbols Technologies handheld batch portable collection units
and are working on the radio units," Moritz told Newsbytes.

The two companies said they will develop a modular suite of retail
management applications which retailers can mix and match to
meet their needs. The programs can be customized to work with
POS (point-of-sale) systems, scanners, cash registers, hand-held
tracking systems, PCs or even mainframes. "This alliance allows
us to bridge the gap between hardware performance and software
capabilities," said Lavender.

CIS is a custom software service recently spun off from Compuadd
Computer Corporation. A related announcement said that CIS has
also formed a joint marketing alliance with Compuadd Computer to
provide POS and other retail-related systems to retailers who
require both hardware and software systems. Silent Partner also
announced that it had signed an agreement with Symbol
Technologies to convert Silent Partner's codeless technology to
handheld batch and radio units.

While he was reluctant to discuss price structure, Lavender told
Newsbytes that the hardware/software systems being offered the
retail market by the CIS-Silent Partner alliance "will be very cost
competitive with all the other people who are generating software
packages" for the retailer market.

(Jim Mallory/19920423/Press Contact: Cynthia Stine, Capital
Relations for CIS, 214-907-9500; Gilbert Chinnos, Silent Partner
Software, 813-886-0316)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00004)

Integrated Dealers To Shorten DEC PC Sales/Support Channel 04/23/92
SHAUKEIWAN, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Asia has announced a special distribution strategy that
will be used for its new DECpc 320sx LP and DEC325sx LP desktop
computers.

The new PCs, the first to be designed and built by Digital, will be
sold and supported by Integrated Dealers in each country, working
closely with Digital sales and marketing representatives.

"The Integrated Dealer will source the PCs direct from Digital and
provide personal service direct to corporate customers, thus
bypassing the traditional distributor-dealer structure," explained
Alan McMillan, regional PC marketing manager for Digital Asia.
"By eliminating a link in the distribution chain, we can offer our
customers better prices, faster service and more personal support.
Integrated Dealers will provide delivery and first-line support, and
they will be able to call on Digital's own engineers and software
specialists for backup support."

One Integrated Dealer will be appointed for each country or area,
based on Digital's evaluation of each candidate's track record in
the PC marketplace, financial stability, and technical excellence.

In Hong Kong, the Integrated Dealer is Onflo Computer Co Ltd.,
which was set up in 1981 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Onflo
International Group. The Onflo Group was founded by Dominic
Cheng, who was voted Information Technology Personality of the
Year in 1990.

Integrated Dealers have also been appointed in six other
territories: South Grand Systems Pte Limited in Singapore; Prodec
Information Company in Taiwan; PT Astra Graphia in Indonesia;
Arrow Advance Technology in Beijing; Tonwick Computer in
Shanghai; and Force Trade Advance Technology in Shenzhen.
According to the company, more Integrated Dealerships will be
announced soon.

"We've identified well established PC specialists that can offer
our customers a wide choice of add-on hardware and third-party
software to add value to their Digital PCs," said McMillan. "In many
cases, they will be establishing separate companies specifically
to handle the Digital business. They will satisfy market requirements
in the area of staffing and response time to service calls. They will
offer the same level of service that Digital offers now, except that
they will concentrate on PC technology. That's why we're calling
them 'Integrated' Dealers. They will be a genuine part of the Digital
team in each country."

As well as selling direct to corporate customers, the Integrated
Dealers will supply local value-added resellers, which will use
the Digital PCs as a platform for systems that address specific
vertical markets, or specialized requirements such as local
language capabilities.

"With their in-depth understanding of the local desktop marketplace,
and their knowledge of the reputable resellers, our Integrated
Dealers will be adept at identifying opportunities," said McMillan.

(Norman Wingrove/19920423/Press Contact: Walter Cheung,
Digital, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(HKG)(00005)

Digital Launches First Taiwan-Built PCs 04/23/92
SHAUKEIWAN, HONG KONG, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corporation has launched the first PCs designed and
built by Digital in Asia. The company says the move is a major
new commitment to the desktop marketplace.

According to the company, the DECpc 320sx LP and DECpc 325sx
LP are industry standard, 386-based personal computers priced
aggressively against competing products. They are built in Digital's
Taiwan plant, which has achieved MRP II (Manufacturing Resource
Planning) Class A status, for worldwide distribution.

"Our corporate customers are under increasing pressure to minimize
costs but are fearful of sacrificing quality, service and the assurance
of a long-term commitment from their vendor by resorting to no-name
clones," said Joseph W. Ford, Digital Asia's vice president of sales
and marketing. "Digital resolved to create a manufacturing and
distribution strategy that would enable us to meet these customer
concerns by delivering a first-class product at a competitive price,
with the full backing of Digital's engineering, support, maintenance,
and financial strengths."

Digital says the PCs have already won strong backing from corporate
customers in Asia. In Hong Kong, the Stock Exchange has ordered
more than 1,600 units in one of the largest PC contracts ever signed in
the territory.

The DECpc 320sx LP and DECpc 325sx LP are identical apart from
their CPUs (central processing units), which offer 20 megahertz (MHz)
and 25 MHz performance respectively. The 20 MHz version
incorporates a CPU chip from Intel, while the 25 MHz version chip is
fabricated by Advanced Micro Devices.

Both systems use MS-DOS 5.0 and Microsoft Windows as their
standard operating environment. The PCs have been adapted to
suit local language requirements within Asia. They are also certified
to run Pathworks and Novell NetWare.

System memory starts at two megabytes (MB), using 70 nanosecond
SIMM (single in-line memory module) technology, and can be
expanded to 32 MB. Three full-sized 16-bit expansion slots provide
for growth or customization of the configuration.

Recommended base configurations for both models feature a 52
MB hard disk with 17 millisecond access time and on-board IDE
(integrated drive electronics) controller. A high-density 3.5-inch
diskette drive is also included, with 5.25-inch drive available as an
option.

The on-board video controller supports resolutions up to 1024 by
768 and has its own 512 kilobyte video memory. This video
controller will support VGA monochrome, VGA color, and Super
VGA color monitors.

Much detail design has gone into making the new DECpc models
among the finest on the market, according to Joe Cosgrove, vice
president of manufacturing for Digital Asia. "The memory SIMMs
are held in place by metal rather than plastic clips," he said. "A
front-to-back metal reinforcing bar strengthens the chassis and
provides extra support to the expansion card cage. Each system is
subjected to rigorous 'shake-and-bake' tests before being shipped."

(Norman Wingrove/19920423/Press Contact: Walter Cheung,
Digital, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00006)

Emerald Systems Opens European Office In The Netherlands 04/23/92
HOOFDDORP, NETHERLANDS, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Emerald
Systems, the backup and network data management technology
company, has opened an office in the Netherlands, to service and
support its customers.

Located in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam, the office is in the large
Intexo Schipol complex, one of Europe's largest industrial parks.
According to Scott Turner, vice president of Emerald's
international operations, the site was chosen after consulting
with the company's distributors.

"It's adjacent to one of the best cargo airports (Schipol airport) in
the world and is roughly in the center of our European operations.
This will enable fast turnaround of service and repair work for our
European customers," he said.

To date, while Emerald's products have been sold through the
various distributors across Europe, any servicing has had to be
carried out back in San Diego, the company's international
headquarters.

Plans call for the company to relocate its existing small London
office to the Netherlands. Despite all the changes, technical
hotline support will still be handled from the US, with calls
answered between noon and 1am, UK time.

Outside of these hours, Emerald is offering an "emergency"
technical support facility, although the company is charging for
this service. To make life easier for European customers, a new
fax facility for technical problems has been introduced.

So why all the shuffles? According to Emerald, half the company's
business now comes from international sales and it sees Europe
as having potential for major expansion. The reason for the sales
surge is the number of Novell Netware users in the European
marketplace (Novell has 70 percent of the European market
according to latest UK market research figures), an area in which
Emerald specializes in servicing.

The new Emerald Systems European service and sales center is
located at Hoeksteen 26, 2132 MS Hoofddorp, Netherlands.

(Steve Gold/19920423/Press & Public Contact: Emerald Systems
(US) - tel [phone]; fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00007)

New For Mac: Adaptec Personal Laserwriter NTR Controller 04/23/92
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Adaptec has contracted
with Apple Computer to design and manufacture the next generation
laser printer controller for the Apple Personal Laserwriter NTR
printer.

Plans call for the controller to use Advanced Micro Devices'
(AMD's) reduced instruction-set computing (RISC) microprocessor.
The controller will also incorporate Adobe's Postscript Level 2
page description language with auto-sensing and switching
technology.

According to Adaptec, the inclusion of Postscript technology will
enable the printer to intelligently process print files from Apple
Mac and other host systems.

"We've worked closely with Apple to design and manufacture a
product consistent with Apple's reputation for offering the
highest quality printers," explained Tom Stobier, Adaptec's
imaging products' general manager. "Our technical expertise in
the controller arena helps Apple achieve price/performance
leadership in today's laser printer marketplace."

Adaptec is not placing any timescale on the new controller. The
company's deal with Apple is open-ended, however, sources
close to Apple suggest that the new controller will be released
within the next few months. Pricing on the unit has not yet been
decided.

Stobier said that, while the controller will be sold by Adaptec,
a considerable degree of liaison between the company and Apple is
necessary to produce such a product. "We work with companies in
the early stages of product development to design and manufacture
controllers that help them efficiently being to market leading
price/performance products," he said.

(Steve Gold/19920423/Press & Public Contact: Adaptec Europe,
[phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00008)

New For PC: Secretary's Handbook For DOS/WIndows 04/23/92
SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) --
In an effort to eleviate some of the secretarial burden, Reference
Software International, in conjunction with Secretary's Day, has
introduced The Electronic Complete Secretary's Handbook.

The Handbook, which begins shipping this week, is one in The
Instant Answers series of electronic reference guides, which also
includes: The Electronic Business Writer's Handbook; The
Electronic Financial Mathematics Handbook; and the Electronic
Associated Press Stylebook.

The company claims that The Electronic Complete Secretary's
Handbook is actually a manual on running a business. The
company maintains that the software would be useful for anyone
who writes business correspondence, plans events, manages an
office or needs a quick reference for accounting or finance
questions.

It is based on the best-selling hard cover version (with over one
million copies sold), and provides sample business letters that
can be exported into word processing files for editing.

Nina Frank, spokeswoman for the company, told Newsbytes that
the Electronic Complete Secretary's Handbook is "like using a
reference book." She explained that the user "brings it up on the
screen" and is presented with "a table of contents." The user then
clicks on a subject, and there are multiple layers of subjects
beneath.

There are buttons on the top of the screen, said Frank, which is a
control panel. These button offers such features as returning to the
page before, or going to the page after, or returning to the
beginning of the chapter.

The Instant Answers products can be used as both TSR
(terminate-and-stay-resident) programs that sit in memory and can
be activated at any time, and as stand-alone programs. The
company says that the product comes in both DOS and Windows
versions shipping in the one package, with a suggested retail price
of $59.

According to the company, information is provided on such topics
as financial planning and writing tips, punctuation and stylistic rules,
desktop publishing guidelines, and sample business letters. All
screens can be printed if a hard copy is needed. The company
maintains that each Instant Answers product includes both DOS
and Windows versions on disk, which are instantly accessible from
all word processors, spreadsheets and any other PC programs.

Frank told Newsbytes that the product is "really for anyone that
runs an office." The "secretarial" reference in the title was a little
misleading, she said, as the product offers much more than those
features, but "we are bound to keep the name as we bought the
rights to the book."

The DOS version requires DOS 3.0 or greater and 55 kilobytes of
RAM. The Windows version requires Windows 3.0 or 3.1.

(Ian Stokell/19920423/Press Contact: Lois Tilles or Nina Frank,
Reference Software International, 415-541-0222)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00009)

Japan: NTT May Raise Phone Number Inquiry Fee 04/23/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- NTT's President, Hitoshi
Kojima says he wants to raise the fee for telephone number
inquiry service. Currently, it is 30 yen (20 cents) per inquiry, but
according to his idea, the fee might be raised to 50 yen (25 cents).

Telephone number inquiry services used to be free until two
years ago. NTT claims that callers of other common carriers
are exploiting NTT's service.

NTT's president claims that 30 yen is not still enough -- the
firm suffered from about 220 billion yen ($1.6 billion) debt
last year.

According to President Kojima's plan, NTT will invest 40 to 50
billion yen (around $330 million) to rationalize the facility, and
cut down the number of operators. Currently, there are about
20,000 operators throughout Japan. The increase in the phone
inquiry fee has not still been decided officially.

NTT is thinking of lending more telecom terminals to frequent
users of inquiring phone numbers. It is called the Angel Note,
which is a B5-size notebook-type computer. With this device,
the inquiry fee is 10 yen (7 cents) per inquiry present. It is
expected that this fee will also be raised slightly in the near
future.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920423/Press Contact: NTT,
[phone])


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

Illinois Rewriting Telecom Law 04/23/92
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- For the
second time in less than a year, a unit of Ameritech is battling to
have a state's telecommunications laws rewritten in its favor.
While Michigan Bell won most of the pricing flexibility it wanted,
Illinois Bell may have a tougher time.

Under provisions of Illinois' sunset laws, basic
telecommunications regulations were to have been rewritten last
year. But in a late compromise, the law was extended a year and
it now expires May 15. New Republican Governor Jim Edgar has
replaced regulators who favored a "telecommunications free
state" in Chicago with academics who might tilt toward consumer
interests, but the legislative balance of power did not shift
much, and both sides are staking out their positions.

As in Michigan, Bell wants more pricing flexibility, while
consumer groups want that flexibility limited. And some
legislators want to just pass another extension. Public hearings
will be held on all proposals, and they will likely be stormy.

Last year's hearings were held against the backdrop of the
controversial Caller ID issue, and consumer groups are warning
that Illinois Bell has a secret plan to ram-through a pro-Bell
bill. The Citizens Utility Board said the three most likely
proposals -- price freezes, inflation-adjusted rate increases,
and a plan to "share" earnings with ratepayers -- would all
result in unnecessary charges, while a Bell spokesman said
nothing the company proposes would raise rates. Both
statements may be accurate, however, since costs to provide
basic service continue to decline with improved technology.

In Michigan, the legislature last year passed a bill, favored by
Michigan Bell, which makes it easier for it to raise basic
service rates in exchange for lower long distance charges.
Critics, including AT&T, unsuccessfully called the bill an
attempt to discourage competition, allowing Bell to create its
own fiber "rings" around major cities and pass those costs on to
homeowners, while entering the in-state long distance business.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423)


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

Ameritech Puts In Late Bid For Part Of Centel 04/23/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- One week after a
company deadline, Ameritech put in a bid for part of Centel, the
telephone company which, in January, asked to be bought-out .

Ameritech said in a short statement, that it submitted bids only to
buy Centel's local telephone network in Illinois and its cellular
properties in Indiana, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania. When
Centel Chairman, John Frazee, announced in January he would
seek bids for his company, in whole or in part, through April 16, a
"feeding frenzy" was expected to materialize among Bell
companies and others for the properties, but that does not appear
to have happened.

The first indication that no such bidding war would develop came
when GTE decided against bidding for any portions of Centel.
Further evidence came when Pacific Telesis declined to put in an
immediate bid for Centel's Las Vegas telephone network. At the
time PacTel did indicate it might bid on something if the company
were broken up later.

Centel was formed in 1926 and owns local phone operating
companies providing service to 1.6 million lines in Florida,
Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. It
also operates 44 cellular systems in 14 states and holds minority
interests in 32 more systems, including those in Chicago, New
York, Houston, and Kansas City, for a total of 18.7 million
"pops," or potential customers.

Before Centel's annual meeting in Chicago, its board was
appraised of the course of bidding, but Frazee declined public
comment. The company does have the option of refusing a sale
and staying in business, if it remains profitable.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423/Press Contact: Steve Ford,
Ameritech, 312-750-5205)


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

 ****Telecom Strike Stops Columbian Long Distance Calls 04/23/92
BOGATA, COLUMBIA, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Workers protesting
Columbia's plan to privatize its National Telecommunications
Company cutoff international telecommunications, just as the
nation's Congress prepared to debate privatization.

The strike, by 14,000 workers, effectively cut off all long distance
services, including international calls. Workers occupied hallways
in the company's headquarters, while the head of the strike
committee demanded that the company remain in state hands.
The government called the strike "blackmail" and declared
it illegal. It also ordered that the union leaders be fired. The
company called it unjustified because talks were still continuing.
Local links were not impacted by the strike, since most major cities
in the country have separate, locally-owned phone networks.

The strike goes against the grain of privatization moves
throughout Latin America that are helping turn domestic economies
around. Argentina made peace with its lenders earlier in the week,
helped by the sale of the EnTel phone monopoly to European
interests. Mexico's economy is booming, spurred by the 1989 sale
of its TelMex monopoly to a group led by Southwestern Bell of the
US. Venezuela sold its CANTV network to a group headed by GTE
of the US, then weathered a coup against President Carlos Perez.
Leaders of Brazil and Peru have also spoken in favor of selling
their Telebras and EnTel networks, respectively.

In Columbia, Telecom's total monopoly was broken by a
government decree in 1990, and private companies can now
provide cellular services there. The law currently being discussed
would turn Telecom into a public company for sale under a system
like that used by Argentina.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423)


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

Fleet Call Wants National SMR Networks 04/23/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Fleet Call, which
owns a number of Specialized Mobile Radio networks in major
cities, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to
auction unlicensed channels in that frequency range so that
national SMR networks can be established.

Fleet Call spent millions in the last year for its frequencies,
and earlier this year announced an affiliation agreement with
Racotek of Minneapolis which will transform its channels into
combined, two-way voice-data networks competitive with cellular
phone nets. However, all its networks are local -- there is no
way to achieve "roaming," as is available for cellular customers.
Despite statements by Racotek that 90 percent of companies
requiring mobile communications for workers in the field only
need local service, Fleet Call is anxious to set up a national
network.

The petition by Fleet Call also goes to the heart of a desire by
President Bush to auction off the frequency spectrum instead of
holding lotteries or giving away spectrum based on a "public
interest" test. Fleet Call Chairman, Morgan O'Brien, obviously
prefers the President's position, saying: "By adopting our
proposal, the FCC would speed that process without requiring any
new spectrum or reassigning existing licensing." He called the
creation of a nationwide SMR system "inevitable" and claimed
that an auction would bring substantial new capital to the SMR
industry.

SMR channels were first licensed in the early 1980s for local
mobile calling. They are used by taxi fleets and other dispatching
services. Federal Express also uses SMR channels to link its
deliverypeople to central computer facilities in Memphis. The
frequency is lower than the frequencies used by cellular phone
carriers, and most SMR systems consist of a single antenna with a
service radius of about 35 miles, although repeaters can improve
service in major cities.

In addition to the Racotek scheme, Motorola has proposed a plan
called Enhanced SMR, or ESMR, which would further increase the
capacity of the channels, making them even more competitive with
cellular carriers, especially when carrying data.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423/Press Contact: Fleet Call,
201-438-1400)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

Hughes Plans Direct Broadcast Of Up To 150 Channels 04/23/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- GM's
Hughes division plans a direct broadcasting network with up
to 150 channels, in cooperation with the National Rural
Telecommunications Cooperative. The NRTC, which represent
rural electric and phone cooperatives serving 12 million people
in 48 states, will pay a distribution fee of up to $250 million for
DirecTv, which will originally have about 20 channels similar to
those available in urban cable television systems.

Currently, many rural people have their own satellite dishes,
costing about $2,000 each, which can pick up any satellite-
delivered programming. However, most cable programmers now
scramble their signals, rendering the dishes useless except for
those who like foreign shows or do not mind buying descramblers
on the black market.

Under the agreement, Hughes is responsible for acquiring
programming for the 20-channel package. Hughes plans to expand
capacity using digital compression, and protect its programs
using encryption, just like the regular cable nets. NRTC will use
a home receiving system developed by Thomson Consumer
Electronics and distributed under the RCA brand, as well as a
security system provided by News Datacom.

The service will be carried on a high-powered direct broadcast
satellite now scheduled for launch in December 1993.  The
satellite will carry programming services for both DirecTv and
United States Satellite Broadcasting, which bought five
transponders last summer for its own services. Hughes
has the remaining 11 on the first satellite, and designated five
for the NRTC -- a second satellite with 16 transponders is
totally committed to NRTC. When the system is in full operation
at 101 degrees West longitude, more than 150 programming
services could be offered.

NRTC currently provides C-band satellite equipment and a
program packaging service known as Rural TV to its members,
as well as telecommunications services to support other utility
activities in its market areas.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423/Press Contact: Thomas M.
Bracken, DirecTv Communications, 310-535-5027; Jeff Almen,
NRTC, 703-787-0874)


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

Quotron Launches IBM-Based Brokerage System 04/23/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Quotron
Systems, the troubled brokerage computing company controlled
by Citicorp, has introduced Advantage AE, a new product for the
market based on IBM computers and Microsoft Windows. It is the
first non-proprietary offering by Quotron, which has been steadily
losing market share to rivals since Citicorp bought it.

The new architecture lets brokers view multiple markets and
perform multiple tasks simultaneously, explained Alan Weiss, vice
president of sales and marketing. The IBM RISC System/6000
servers and PS/2 workstation systems, linked via standard local
area networks, makes it more cost-effective. The servers run
under AIX, IBM's version of Unix.

Installation, maintenance and customer support services for
the new product are provided through the a IBM-staffed support
center, set up as part of the alliance formed between Quotron
and IBM formed in December, 1991.

Meanwhile, Citibank's former vice president of information
systems for Global Finance, Joseph P. Castellano, was named
vice president and chief information officer at Nynex's Telesector
Resources Group. Citibank's alliance with IBM may have
undermined Castellano's power there, some analysts say.
Telesector is the successor to the supply unit Nynex had to close
after a scandal, so naming an outsider to head the group's
billing and customer service systems will be approved by
regulators.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423/Press Contact: Roxanne Taylor,
Quotron Systems, 212-898-7212; Nynex, Betsy Ricci, 914-644-5014)
(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

 ****Cellular Carriers Get Behind IBM Celluplan 04/23/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Nine
major cellular phone operators and IBM provided details on their
previously-announced plan to provide packet data service on their
networks.

Units of Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Contel, GTE, McCaw Cellular,
Nynex, PacTel, Southwestern Bell, and US West said they plan
to offer an industry standard, based on IBM's Celluplan IITM
technology, which will allow data to be transmitted on existing
cellular networks, in the idle time between voice calls. The
resulting system would pass data at 19,200 bits-per-second (bps),
four times faster than the Ardis system owned by IBM and
Motorola, and has already been demonstrated.

There will be other proposals brought to the cellular industry,
through its Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association,
however. Cellular Data of Mountain View, California wants to
create a packet network at 2,400 bps, using the frequencies
between calling channels. Motorola has offered open
licensing of the RD-LAP scheme it plans to use in upgrading
Ardis, which would also run data at up to 19,200 bps.

Still, analysts say, the commitment of so many major industry
players to IBM's scheme gives it a major leg-up. Of particular
interest is the fact that leaders of both the Cellular One group,
headed by Southwestern Bell and McCaw, as well as the
unnamed Bell Cellular group, headed by GTE, are getting behind
Celluplan. One reason may be the relative low cost of Celluplan,
estimated by the carriers at just five percent of the cost of their
current systems.

What's in it for IBM? Besides licensing fees, its IBM Information
Network would provide a backbone for field trials of the new
scheme this summer, and perhaps extended service beyond the
trial. IBM's on-line network would pick up enormous amounts of
valuable digital traffic for calls running between systems, giving
it a major leg-up in its competition with BT Tymnet, Sprintnet,
and General Electric.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920423/Press Contact: GTE Mobilnet,
Janet Henderson, 404-391-8357)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00017)

Cognos Ports PowerHouse To Alpha 04/23/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Cognos has
adapted its PowerHouse fourth-generation programming language
to run on the Alpha architecture that Digital Equipment announced
earlier this year. Cognos will offer PowerHouse for Digital's
OpenVMS and OSF/1 operating systems running on the Alpha-
based systems DEC is expected to make available in a few
months.

If Cognos' experience is a guide, many software developers will
find it fairly easy to adapt their products from Digital's existing
VAX systems to the new Alpha machines. Patrick O'Leary, director
of Cognos' Digital Business Unit, said porting the software to
Alpha was quite straightforward.

O'Leary noted, however, that PowerHouse is written in the C
language, for which Digital is providing on compiler on the Alpha
systems. Applications written in older languages such as DIBOL will
cause more trouble, he said. Parts of the PowerHouse code were
written in older VAX C rather than the standard version backed by
the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), he said, and had
to be rewritten, but the whole process took only about four weeks.

O'Leary said Cognos was impressed with DEC's implementation
of VMS on the Alpha hardware and with the migration tools the
company provided for software developers.

PowerHouse users will not have to change their applications at all
to run them on Alpha systems, O'Leary said. They will simply need
to recompile the code.

O'Leary said the Alpha architecture is likely to be good news for
software developers like Cognos that focus on minicomputers, as it
will probably help move minis up into mainframe territory and make
them more suited for critical business applications. He noted that
Hewlett-Packard and Data General, two other mini-makers whose
hardware runs versions of PowerHouse, are also extending their
product lines upward.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Lyse Teasdale, Cognos,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00018)

Boston Computer Museum Hosts Virtual Reality Display 04/23/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- For
two days, the Computer Museum is offering visitors a chance to
explore virtual reality. In what the museum says is the first public
demonstration of virtual reality using networked personal
computers, two people at a time will be able to meet in an
imaginary, three-dimensional universe and build an imaginary
house.

The demonstration will use personal computers built around Intel
486 microprocessors -- two per person -- an Ethernet local area
network connection, joysticks, control wands, and specially
designed helmets that track head movement.

Anna Laurita, a spokeswoman for Intel, told Newsbytes the system
costs about $25,000 per person. That, she said, is considerably
cheaper than a dedicated virtual reality workstation, which would
be more like $100,000.

Visitors to the exhibit will put on helmets and earphones that
create the illusion of stepping into an artificial world. They will
use wands to pick up objects and joysticks to move themselves
and the object around. In this demonstration, a variety of parts for
building imaginary houses -- such as walls, different roof shapes,
and so on -- will be supplied, and two people will be able to work
together in the virtual universe to build a house. They will also
be able to make themselves larger and smaller to see the virtual
universe from different points of view.

Liz Armbruster, a spokeswoman for the museum, said this two-day
exhibit is a preview of a permanent exhibit that will open this
summer, entitled "Tools and Toys: The Amazing Personal
Computer." That exhibit will include a virtual reality demonstration,
she said.

Intel and Sense8 Corporation created the exhibit for the Computer
Museum.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Liz Armbruster, The
Computer Museum, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00019)

Reorganization First Job For New Apple Canada Boss 04/23/92
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- A
reorganization to focus the company on four categories of
customers will be the first priority for Peter Jones, who has just
taken over as president of Apple Canada.

The restructuring is part of a worldwide Apple move that creates
business units for the institutional (large business and government),
education, consumer, and small-to-medium business markets.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Jones said Apple is addressing
such a broad market through so many distribution channels now
that it needs to deal with different groups of customers in different
ways. "The way we target our corporate customers... is much
different than our approach to the consumer," he said.

Jones' old job at Apple Canada -- vice-president of sales -- will
disappear, to be replaced by four divisional managers. Apple
Canada's field sales and marketing force will be divided among
the four business units rather than geographically as before.

Jones also said he is pleased with Apple's progress in the large
business market, and with the company's drive to build market
share. Apple captured 20 percent of the personal computer market
in Canada in 1991 by unit sales, he said, making it the number-one
vendor in the country. Jones also quoted figures from AC Neilsen,
a market-research firm, giving Apple's Powerbook notebook
computers 35 percent of laptop and notebook computer sales in
Canada in the last two quarters.

Jones, who succeeds David Rae in the top job at Apple Canada,
also said he hopes to continue Rae's push to have Apple do more
manufacturing and purchasing of products in Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Franca Miraglia, Apple
Canada, 416-513-5511; John Elias, National Public Relations for
Apple Canada, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00020)

Minority Shareholders In Telesat Canada Protest Takeover 04/23/92
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Two
minority shareholders in Telesat Canada, the domestic satellite
communications carrier, are protesting a bid by the regional
telephone companies to take full control of Telesat. Canadian
Pacific and Ontario Northland Transportation Commission say
Alouette Telecommunications, which is jointly owned by the
telephone companies, is unfairly trying to force them to sell their
shares.

Canadian Pacific, a diversified transportation and communications
company based in Montreal, owns 3.7 percent of Telesat. Ontario
Northland, an agency of the province of Ontario, owns 0.24 percent.
Recently, the federal government agreed to sell its 53 percent
stake to Alouette Telecommunications, a company set up by the
telephone companies and satellite manufacturer Spar Aerospace
to bid for Telesat. The telephone companies already owned 41
percent of the company. The rest is held by a Telesat employees'
fund.

Canadian Pacific also owns 60 percent of Unitel Communications,
a Toronto-based company that has asked federal regulators for
permission to compete against several of the regional telephone
companies in providing long-distance service.

A statement of claim filed in an Ontario court by Canadian Pacific
and Ontario Northland against Alouette and Telesat says that
Alouette's offer to purchase does not comply with terms of the
Canada Business Corporations Act, the proposed acquisition of
the plaintiffs' shares contravenes the Competition Act, and the
action is unfair to CP and Ontario Northland.

Alouette officials could not be reached for comment by
Newsbytes' deadline.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Graeme McMurray,
Canadian Pacific, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00021)

Lotus To "Reference Sell" E-Mail Gateway 04/23/92
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- The
cc:Mail division of Lotus Development will offer its customers a mail
gateway to link its cc:Mail network electronic mail system with
Systems Network Architecture Distribution Services (SNADS)
electronic mail systems from IBM. The gateway comes from
LinkAge, a small Toronto networking firm.

In a "reference selling" arrangement, Lotus salespeople will put
customers in touch with LinkAge, which will sell, install, and
support the gateway, a Lotus spokeswoman said.

The gateway enables direct connection between cc:Mail and
SNADS-compliant systems such as IBM's OfficeVision/400 (OV/400)
or IMI Computing's OfficePath product, Lotus officials said, as well
as OfficeVision/MVS (OV/MVS) via Distributed Office Support
Systems (DISOSS).

The gateway automatically converts cc:Mail messages and
addresses into SNADS format and vice versa. With support for
multiple binary attachments, Lotus said, users on either side of the
gateway can create a message, attach documents, spreadsheets
or other files to the message, and send it to other users. Delivery
notification is also supported across the gateway.

According to the Lotus spokeswoman, more than half of all
customers who use cc:Mail also have some form of SNADS-
compliant host-based electronic mail systems in their
organizations and would be potential buyers for the gateway
product.

Including installation, support, and training by LinkAge, prices
for the gateway in the United States begin at $10,000 to service
three cc:Mail post offices. The gateway is available now, and
Lotus will be selling it worldwide, the spokeswoman said.

(Grant Buckler/19920423/Press Contact: Shelley Harrison, Lotus,
415-961-8800 ext 134; Constance Mazelsky, McGlinchey & Paul
for Lotus, 617-862-4514)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00022)

Emerald Systems To Debut Xpress Librarian At Networld '92 04/23/92
FRANKFURT, GERMANY, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Emerald Systems
will unveiled Xpress Librarian II, its latest network data management
system, at Networld '92 Europe, which opens April 28, in Frankfurt,
Germany.

According to Emerald Systems, Xpress Librarian II is more than a
traditional backup and restore system. The package runs under
Microsoft Windows and has been designed to be easy to install,
something that Emerald claims is unusual when it comes to network
backup software.

Announcing the planned launch of the package, Dale Munk, the
company's chief operating officer, claimed that Xpress Librarian II
is, "the premier software package in our migration from being
the industry's best developer of tape backup products to being
the leading supplier of network data management solutions."

According to Munk, Xpress Librarian II is designed for mid- to
high-range networks and supports a variety of hardware platforms,
ranging from a 250 megabyte (MB) 0.25-inch tape to 5 gigabyte
(GB) 8 millimeter (mm) systems. The software, which runs on any
80286-based or better PCs, supports Novell Netware 2,15 or later
and requires DOS 3.3 or later to run.

The slightly bad news is that, while Emerald will be showing
Xpress Librarian II at Networld '92 Europe next week, the package
will not actually ship until July of this year. Pricing has yet to
be decided.

(Steve Gold/19920423/Press & Public Contact: Emerald Systems,
tel (US) 619-673-2161, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00023)

IBM Licenses RISC Technology To Thomson Of France 04/23/92
PARIS, FRANCE, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- IBM has announced it has
licensed its reduced instruction-set computing (RISC) technology
to Thomson CSF, the French computer and electronics company.

Terms of the contract call for Thomson CSF to selectively
manufacturer RISC chips for use in computers supplied by TMS,
another company in the Thomson group. Newsbytes understands
that the chips -- customized versions of IBM's Power PC range --
will be used in computers supplied for French defense work.

Full details of the contract have not been announced, owing to
the restrictions imposed on defense contract business in France.
The deal comes in the wake of a number of tie-ups between IBM
and Thomson on a variety of technology fronts.

Newsbytes notes that, while financial terms of the deal have not
been revealed, the finance involved will be minimal compared to
the massive revenue that IBM France generates. The contract is,
however, prestigious and a feather in IBM's cap, especially in
its long-running battle with Hewlett-Packard over RISC chipset
market dominance.

(Steve Gold/19920423)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

British Telecom Secures Major IBM Data Network Contract 04/23/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- British Telecom has
signed up IBM to its new Syncordia European data network. Plans
call for IBM to link up at least ten of its major sites across Europe
using the network, effectively linking Syncordia -- on a private
basis -- into its own packet data network.

IBM currently uses a variety of data networks to move data
around Europe. Plans call for Big Blue to gradually phase out
these networks (usually arranged through individual country
contracts) in favor of Syncordia.

Although financial details of the contract have not been
revealed, Newsbytes understands that the initial run will be for
three years. Ironically, BT is a major supplier of data network
services to IBM, some contracts for which it will lose in the
switch to Syncordia.

Syncordia is an Atlanta-based subsidiary owned by BT. The
US company managed data networks on behalf of companies
such as IBM, normally using BT-supplied circuits. The country is
aiming to become a major player on both sides of the Atlantic.

(Steve Gold/19920423)


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

Storagetek Okay, Despite Stock Drop/Earnings 04/23/92
LOUISVILLE, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Despite a
drop in stock price and lower than expected earnings, everything
is fine and on track, Storagetek spokesperson David Reid told
Newsbytes.

Despite the significant drop in its stock price, possibly fueled by
financial analysts concerns over poorer than expected earnings
and misunderstandings about test dates for its newest products,
the company said it will internally beta test its newest data storage
product -- Iceberg -- in the second quarter. Reid said external beta
testing will be done in the third quarter.

Storagetek stock dropped nearly 11 points earlier this week, with
3.7 million shares traded, suffering from Reid described as
"investor nervousness."  Two hours after the close of the market,
four Storagetek stockholders reportedly filed a class-action
lawsuit, claiming that misleading information released by the
company caused them to lose money after they purchased stock
while it was selling in the mid-50 to mid-60 dollar range.  Storagetek
officials told Newsbytes they had not yet seen the suit and could
not comment.

Storagetek attempted to reassure investors after the market action
by authorizing purchase of up to one million shares of is common
stock and up to $5 million face value of its convertible bonds on
the open market.  The transactions are being handled by Salomon
Brothers Inc.

A first quarter financial report released by the company
reported net income for the first quarter of $12.5 million, or $0.30
per share, compared to $33.4 million or $0.36 per share for the
same period last year.  However, Reid told Newsbytes that those
figures could be misleading, saying, "our numbers all get restated,
including Datacomp."  Reid explained that last year's financial
report had to be restated as if Datacomp was part of Storagetek,
lowering the figures.  "We had to go back and refigure all those
numbers," Reid told Newsbytes.

"The primary underperformance was from XLDatacomp. They didn't
meet the expectations we had internally," said Reid. Storagetek
purchased XLDatacomp, with the transaction being completed in
November. "We're not off the schedule (for Iceberg) and we're not
off the schedule for revenue," said Reid. According to Reid,
Storagetek told analysts in January when Iceberg was announced,
that the company expected $50 million in revenue in 1992.  "Indeed,
we still expect $50 million in revenue from Iceberg in 1992, Reid told
Newsbytes."That's not a lot for our company. That's a small part
of our business," he continued.

Last November the company estimated that it would produce up to
200 Iceberg units in 1992, with that number climbing to about 1,000 in
1993.

Storagetek has been fighting rumors about Iceberg's progress for
several months.  In March one analyst reported that the company's
customer site testing (external beta testing) would be delayed by
one month. The company denied the rumor.

Reid said that the company's flagship product, the ACS4400 tape
storage subsystem, experienced a slight increase in sales over the
first quarter of last year.  At that time company President, Ryal
Poppa, said the company would turn from a loss to a profit in 1993.

In the better news category for Storagetek is the announcement
that it is ready to ship Alpine -- a disk array product designed for
use with mid-range computer systems.  In the disk array system,
data is spread over a large number of computer disks, so that if
one disk fails, the information is not lost.

(Jim Mallory/19920423/Press Contact: David Reid, Storagetek,
303-673-4815)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00026)

Artisoft Plans Merger With Performance Technology 04/23/92
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Artisoft Inc.,
developer of LANtastic local area network software, has
announced that it has signed a letter of intent to merge with
Performance Technology Inc.

Under terms of the letter, Performance Technology will be
maintained as a wholly owned subsidiary of Artisoft, and PR
shareholders and stock option holders will receive $300,000 shares
of Artisoft common stock in exchange for their PT holdings.

Performance Technology, based in San Antonio, Texas, produces
network products such as: Powerfusion, a product that links PCs to
Unix systems; Powersave, an archival system for networks; and
Powerlan, which makes PC networks compliant with IBM and
Microsoft network products, as well as X/Open and OSF/DCE SMB.
PT also markets Powerbridge to provide WAN (wide area
networking) for NetBIOS LANs such as the Microsoft LAN Manager,
IBM LAN Server, and Powerlan, and LANtastic networks.

LANtastic is a peer-to-peer network software package that allows
up to 300 users of IBM compatible PCs to share peripherals,
data, and applications.

Artisoft said the merger is subject to approval of both companies
boards of directors.

(Jim Mallory/19920423/Public contact: 800-846-9726, Artisoft,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00027)

Microsoft Announces Flash File System 04/23/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced that this summer it will introduce its Flash File
system, which uses flash memory to function as an ordinary disk
in a PC.

The company said the Flash File system also makes it easy to
develop custom MS-DOS  and Windows applications for embedded
systems and consumer electronic devices by allowing developers
access to a wide range of existing DOS and Windows development
tools.

Flash memory is non-volatile, so any data in memory is not lost
when the computer is turned off. Flash memory saves and retrieves
data much more quickly than read-and-writes to a hard or floppy
disk.

Microsoft said it has released the specifications for the system's
media control structures, which will allow other companies
to develop systems for reading and writing data.  Flash memory
cards can be removed and inserted in computers much like floppy
disks are, and will work with any PC that supports the Microsoft Flash
File system. Flash cards will be especially useful in palmtop, pen-
based and other sub-compact computer systems where space in
the case is at a premium. Using flash memory chips, small
computers can utilize as much data storage space as larger units.

Microsoft said it will use Intel's flash cards, which presently can
store up to 20 megabytes (MB) of data.  Like floppy and hard disks,
data stored on flash cards can be erased by the user. Intel claims
that by the year 2000 it would be probable that flash cards would be
able to store as much as half a gigabyte of data, or 50 times as
much information.

Intel announced this week that it had cut the price of its flash
chips, which it said until recently had cost more than twice the
price of conventional memories and many times the cost of hard
disks.

Martin Middlewood told Newsbytes that the flash cards currently
come in eight and 20 MB versions, which can be easily inserted and
removed by the user.  The number of erasures that can be done on
a flash chip are limited, although the number is in the hundreds of
thousands. That will limit the life of the present flash cards to
several years, said Middlewood.  Flash cards require special slots
in the PC, so they cannot be retro-fitted to your existing system.
However, the computer can have several slots for flash cards.

Flash cards will also help lengthen battery time before recharge,
since the flash chips draw considerably less power than a hard
drive.  The Flash File system is presently in beta testing, and is
expected to be released this summer.

Do not look for flash cards to replace hard disks yet.  Depending on
the application, desktop computers used for tasks such as graphics,
computer-aided design (CAD) and other data intensive tasks still
require considerably more storage capacity than today's flash cards
can provide.

(Jim Mallory/19920423/Press Contact: Collins Hemingway,
Microsoft, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00028)

Apple To Intro Pen Computer Called Newton? 04/23/92
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) --
According to reports in both the San Francisco Chronicle and
the Associated Press, Apple Computer is expected to demonstrate
a pen-based hand-held computer, called Newton, at the Consumer
Electronics Show May 29 in Chicago. The new PDA (personal digital
assistant) handwriting recognition device is reported to be six to
eight inches in length, although is not expected to be available to
consumers until next year.

According to the reports, those who have seen the Newton are
"excited" about it, although Apple declines to confirm the existence
of the product.

Newton is reported to be a reduced instruction-set computer
(RISC)-based product, more powerful than the Motorola chip in the
Macintosh line. While John Sculley said at the announcement of
PDA's last year that they would be based on a new operating system,
reports say users will operate the Newton by writing on the screen or
by tapping on icons.

According to different sources, the Newton is likely to cost
anywhere from $700 to $1,000. Sharp, who is Apple's partner on the
Newton, is said to licensed to use the technology and is planning its
own device. That product is reported to be different from Apple's, but
available at the same time as the Newton, and aimed at a different
target market. The Apple product is said to be aimed at business
users, while the Sharp product will be geared toward consumers.

The Newton is also said to be able to exchange information with
desktop computers up to six feet away using infrared technology.

Bill Lempesis, editor and publisher of the Penvision Newsletter, told
Newsbytes he couldn't talk about what he knows about Apple's PDA
device. However, Lempesis did say he thought these "leaks" were
Apple's way of "testing the water without giving away anything" to
gauge potential success and acceptance of the PDA. Shorter product
development cycles make it advantageous for companies to do this
informal market research, Lempesis said. Big changes can be made
as late as late as 90 days before the devices are available on the
market, unlike the old days when plans had to be finalized a year or
more in advance, Lempesis added.

So just because a product is leaked way in advance to be a
certain way, doesn't mean it will ship with those characteristics,
Lempesis added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920423/Press Contact: Brooke Cohen, Apple,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Bill Lempesis, Penvision,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00029)

UK: Husky Links Computers To Trial RAM Mobile Data Net 04/23/92
COVENTRY, ENGLAND, 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Husky Computers,
which claims to be the world's leading supplier of rugged handheld
computers, has become one of the first UK portable manufacturers
to demonstrate links to the new RAM mobile datacoms network.

The RAM network is one of the UK's licensed mobile data network
services operating in the FM band. According to Altaf Ladak,
marketing communications manager with the Heathrow-based
company, the network has been live since July of last year.

"We've been around for a couple of years now setting things up,
but it's only recently that the network has gone into the public
trial stages," he told Newsbytes.

Major customers of RAM include British Airways, which is testing
the radio data network at Heathrow International Airport.

RAM is using the Mobitex system designed by Swedish Telecom
and Ericsson, as seen in the US. Unlike in the US, where Mobitem
radio modems are being sold alongside the Mobitex network, RAM
is acting as a network supplier, leaving it to third-party suppliers
to equip users with the necessary hardware to use the network.

This is where Husky comes into the picture. Both companies are
cooperating in the trials with third-party companies, which
involve linking Husky handhelds via radio modems into the RAM
network for packet radio transmissions. So far, trials involving
several emergency services have been carried out.

It is still early days with RAM and Husky's trials with the
network will continue for some time. Unlike the two other
directly competitive networks -- Dowty's Cognito and the
Paknet service -- RAM is acting purely as a network provider.

(Steve Gold/19920423/Press & Public Contact: RAM Mobile
Data, 081-990-9090)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00030)

Intel Announces New Mini Mass Storage For PCs 04/23/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 APR 23 (NB) -- Intel
says it is introducing a new data storage device it calls memory
cards, based on new flash memory chips. The new cards will hold
up 20 megabytes (MB) of information in a fast, credit card-sized
device that could eventually replace disk drives.

Flash memory is much like random access memory (RAM)
currently used in microcomputers, but has the advantage of
maintaining whatever information is stored in it even without a
power source. The only drawback was, until now, it was very
limited in capacity.

The new Intel cards are changing that. Based on the newly
introduced one MB Flashfile flash memory chips, the new
memory cards come in 4-, 10-, and 20 MB capacities.

This new technology is opening the doors for the fastest, smallest
computers yet, Intel said. The cards can also take much harsher
treatment than the rotating magnetic disks in disk drives and Intel
said the cards are lighter and require less power for reading and
writing.

Further, Intel says the memory cards will allow the transfer of data
and programs between desktop and mobile computers such as
hand held, laptop, and notebook computers and eliminate the
hassle of serial transfers currently being used.

A new standard was necessary to support writing information to
the new cards and one has been developed by the Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), a
non-profit trade association established to develop and maintain
a worldwide standard for PC Cards.

To implement the new cards on IBM and compatible personal
computers, Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Flash File
System, a PCMCIA-compliant system for a single format to read
and write to the memory cards. Microsoft says the Flash File
System will allow the use of memory cards the way floppy disks
are used now.

Microsoft also announced the specifications for the Microsoft Flash
File System media control structures, which determine how data is
stored on flash memory cards using the Microsoft Flash File System.
This will allow third-party disk utility vendors to create tools for
use of the memory cards on PCs, Microsoft said.

Besides possibilities for faster and smaller computers, Intel says the
memory cards will allow the transfer of data and programs between
desktop and mobile computers such as hand held, laptop, and
notebook computers and eliminate the hassle of serial transfers
currently being used. The cards can also take much harsher
treatment than the rotating magnetic disks in disk drives, are lighter,
and require less power for reading and writing.

The cards offer speed as well. A 120 nanosecond version of the
Flashfile chip is available as well as an 80 nanosecond version.
Pricing is low too, with the 120 nanosecond versions available in
quantities of 10,000 to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) at
$29.90 each, and the 85 nanosecond version priced at $39 in the
same quantity.

In quantity, the memory cards range from $163.50 for 4 MB cards,
$331.50 for 10 MB cards, and $611.50 for the 20 MB cards.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920423/Press Contact: Janet Woodworth,
Intel, tel [phone]; Collins Hemingway, Microsoft, 206-882-8080)