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/nb920707

Text File | 1992-07-07 | 67KB | 1,452 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00001)

Miracom To Announce Interim V.Fast Modem Soon 07/07/92
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Miracom has revealed that
it will shortly launch a 28,800 bits per second "V.Fast" modem.
The release of the modem -- which operates to an interim version
of V.Fast -- comes after continuing delays by the CCITT, the
international regulatory body for telecommunications, to agree to
the standard.

Miracom claims that, when the CCITT gets around to approving
V.Fast as a formal standard, its high-speed modem will be
upgradable to the full specification.

According to Jens Montanana, Miracom's managing director,
releasing an interim specification V.Fast modem isn't as strange
as it sounds.

"Our parent company US Robotics is on the CCITT committee
currently drawing up the V.Fast standard, so we have a pretty good
idea of what it will ultimately look like. We felt that we had to
meet the demand for a high speed modem with a here and now
product with a guarantee of compliance when the standard is fully
ratified," he said.

The 28,800 bits-per-second (bps) modem, which is expected toward
the end of this year, will have a smaller footprint than the
current Courier range from US Robotics and Miracom. It will also
fall back to the V.32Bis (14,400 bps) standard when required.

Montanana said it was too early to predict exact prices on the
new modem, but noted that Miracom has always pitched leading edge
technology at a price to attract a significant market share. In
August of last year, the company announced the industry's first
sub-UKP 600 modem capable of V.32 (9,600 bps) speed, following it
up in April of this year with the industry's lowest cost V.32Bis
(14,400 bps) modem costing UKP 695.

(Steve Gold/19920706/Press & Public Contact: Miracom - Tel: 0753-
811180)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00002)

Cellnet To Launch Low-Cost UK Cellphone Service 07/07/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Cellnet has announced that it
will be offering a budget cellular phone tariff starting in October
for low-usage subscribers to its mobile phone technology.
The company estimates that the "Project Liberty" subscribers will
boost subscriber levels from their existing 565,000 users by as
much as 200,000.

Currently, subscribers to the UK cellular networks -- Cellnet and
Vodafone -- pay UKP 60 for sign-up to the network, then an
ongoing line rental of UKP 25 a month. Usage charges range from
10 to 33 pence per minute for inland calls.

The high line rentals and sign-up fees have enabled air time
providers (ATPs) -- who act as middlemen between the networks and
subscribers, since UK legislation prohibits the networks
selling direct to end users -- to subsidize the capital cost of
telephone handsets by as much as UKP 300. This translates to free
carphones and UKP 250 for a portable mobile phone.

Despite the subsidized handsets, many potential users of cellular
phones are put off buying a unit, owing to the high usage costs.
The typical phone charges bill incurred by subscribers is around
the UKP 40 mark, even for light cellphone users.

Project Liberty, which will be launched in October of this year,
aims to cut the sign-up and line rental in half, with cellular
usage charges doubled during off-peak hours. By shifting the
emphasis from subscription to usage charges, Cellnet reasons that
more subscribers will be attracted to the "pay as you go"
tariff. Plans call for Cellnet to allow existing subscribers of
the full-price network to migrate to the new tariff contracts.

According to the Reuter news wire, Cellnet has negotiated a deal
with Sony for the supply of a low-cost range of hand portable
cellular phones. Industry sources suggest that Cellnet's deal
with Sony is for the supply of up to 250,000 low-cost cellular
phones over the next few years.

According to Stafford Taylor, managing director of Cellnet, in
which British Telecom has a major stake, Project Liberty should
boost Cellnet's coffers considerably, since it will tap an
hitherto unknown section of potential subscribers. Taylor
predicts that, once sales of the Sony handsets get going, then
economies of scale should bring the end user cost down to UKP 200
or less per handset.

Newsbytes notes that Cellnet is shuffling its peak/off-peak times
on the Liberty tariff. Currently, peak rate (Monday to Saturday
8am to 10pm) calls cost 25 to 33 pence per minute, while night
and Sunday calls cost 10 pence per minute. Under the Liberty
tariff, calls cost 50 pence per minute during peak rate, and 20
pence per minute off-peak. Peak rate is defined as 8am to 7pm
Monday to Friday.

The key question which Taylor and Cellnet must be pondering is
how many of Cellnet's estimated 565,000 subscribers will switch
to the Liberty tariffs. Many subscribers to Cellnet make
extensive use of the messaging facility, which costs around 70
pence per message.

(Steve Gold/19920706)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00003)

New For Macintosh: Automated, Multiplatform Software Testing 07/07/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Automated software
testing won't replace the user tests, but Tiburon says much of the
testing process can be done by a computer itself. Automated
software testing has been developed by Tiburon Systems, which
announced it has just added the Macintosh to the list of computer
platforms for which the company's Ferret product can test software.

The Ferret testing system consists of an Intel-based 486 33
megahertz workstation computer and an interface for each specific
platform. The interface connects the workstation to the keyboard,
pointing device, and graphics cables of the system being tested and
the workstation simulates a user. The tests themselves must be
developed, usually by a test or quality assurance engineer, and are
then performed by the Ferret workstation which captures the entire
suite of tests, Tiburon said.

The advantage to the automated testing is once the tests are
developed, bug fixes can be tested with the exact suite of tests
again and again until the bugs discovered during the testing are
eliminated. A multiterminal feature also allows a software program
to be tested on multiple workstations, the company added.

The Ferret Macintosh interface, called the Macintosh Wedge, converts
Macintosh mouse and keyboard signals into standard protocols, which
the Ferret workstation can then use to automate testing, the company
said. Tiburon maintains the Ferret can now identify software bugs in
any software program that runs on systems using the Apple Data Bus
(ADB).

The addition of the Macintosh Wedge allows software developers who
build applications for both IBM and compatible personal computer
(PC) and Macintosh platforms, to now use a common test tool to
automate testing for both, Tiburon added.

Wedges are currently available for the Macintosh, Sun, Silicon
Graphics (SGI), DEC, PC/Clone, and IBM computers. Tiburon says it
expects to have Wedges for the Next and the Hewlett-Packard Apollo
in the near future.

The movement in the automated software testing business is toward
total automation of the testing process, said Tiburon company
representative Craig Sutphin. Sutphin said the Ferret currently
interfaces with computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools
such as Cadre's Teamwork and PEI's T tool to help automate the test
design process. Multimedia testing is a possibility through the
Ferret interface with CASE tools, the company added.

San Jose, California-based Tiburon says the Ferret system was
developed originally to test the software for the Tomahawk Cruise
Missiles.

The Ferret workstation was originally released for use with
Microsoft Windows and consists of five software packages and four
hardware subsystems, starts at $26,450, Tiburon said. The five
software packages are a mix of off-the-shelf applications and
several proprietary (patent-pending) applications which operate
together under Microsoft Windows, including Microsoft Word,
Microsoft Excel, Owl Hypertext Guide, Ferret Maturity Prediction
Software and Ferret Capture/Playback Software, Tiburon said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920706/Press Contact: Craig Sutphin, Walt &
Sommerhauser tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00004)

New For PC: Windows Memory, Multimedia Troubleshooting 07/07/92
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- A new
troubleshooting utility for Microsoft Windows called Skylight has
been introduced by the San Diego, California-based Renasonce Group.
The company says the product is a "window into Windows."

The Renasonce Group says Skylight runs as a Windows application and
displays memory usage as Windows sees it with a text display and a
graphical memory map. The software offers detailed information about
memory usage, right down to the specific memory segment each
application occupies, the company said.

In addition to memory information the software supplies information
about disk drives, port usage, and task assignments, the Renasonce
Group said. An editor is supplied so the system files (autoexec.bat,
config.sys, win.ini, and system.ini) can be edited. Included in
the editor is context sensitive help for over 650 DOS and
Windows commands. The company said the help is specific -- for
example, if the user needs information about the 386 grabber
command in the system.ini file, a right-hand mouse click brings
up an explanation.

The product uses Window's Multiple Document Interface (MDI) for the
display of diagnostic information, so the windows overlap. The
product conserves system resources by not starting separate versions
of the program with each function the program performs and the
company says that also makes the product capable of more accurate
diagnostics.

Diagnostic capability can also be helpful when installing multimedia
hardware as the software can help the user anticipate hardware
problems beforehand. The software can map out installed device
drivers, input/ouput ports, and interrupt request line (IRQ)
assignments, the Renasonce Group added. Once multimedia hardware is
installed the software offers information about it as well, such as
whether or not a sound board supports stereo or mono recording and
playback, 8- or 16-bit operation, or bisynchronous playback.

The Renasonce Group says the software retails for $99.95 and is
shipping this month.

The Renasonce Group also markets diagnostic tools Infospotter 3.0
and Remote Rx 2.0 as well as Turbo EMS 6.0, a tool for memory
management.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920702/Press Contact: Erica Swerdlow, S&S Public
Relations for the Renasonce Group, tel [phone], fax 708-291-
1758)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00005)

Digital Wins Pioneer CIM Order From China Manufacturer 07/07/92
TAIKOO SHING HONG KONG, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Digital Equipment
Corporation has won a huge and strategically significant computer
integrated manufacturing (CIM) contract from China's leading
machine tools manufacturer.

The $2.5 million services order was placed by Jinan First
Machine Tool Works (JFMT) following two years of CIM technology
cooperation between Digital and the Chinese government.

By implementing an advanced CIM system from Digital, JFMT
aims to achieve responsive planning and control; reduced
engineering time-to-market for new product development;
lower production lead-time for flexible batch-size
manufacturing; and improve quality control and management
for export competitiveness.

"This is a strategic program which will make a major contribution
to the economic development of the country," said Thomas Lam,
marketing director for Digital Equipment China/Hong Kong Group.
"It is a project that has political backing at the highest level.
Experience gained from the pilot CIM installations will be used
to model a long-term industrial automation plan for the whole
manufacturing sector in China."

The JFMT contract includes roughly $1.3 million worth of services,
of which $180,000 is for training, $500,000 for network services
and, most significantly, more than $600,000 for consultancy,
including ASSETS software and services, plus manufacturing,
business and technology consultancy.

The hardware will comprise three Unix-based systems - two
DECsystem 5000 Model 900s, each with 64 MB of main memory and 4
GB disk, and one DECsystem 5000 Model 240, which has 32 MB
memory and 3 GB disk. Also included in the order are four
MicroVAX 3100 Model 80s, each with 48 MB memory backed by 3
GB of disk storage.

In addition to its open CIM technology, Digital will provide
business and technology consultancy on manufacturing resource
planning and production management, engineering systems and
concurrent engineering, shop floor automation and management,
ISO 9000 compliance and total quality management.

It will be the first installation in Asia of Digital's advanced
CIM software such as BASEstar for manufacturing systems
integration, EDCS II for engineering management and integration,
VAXplant for shop floor management, QiSPC for statistical
process control and BASEstar DNC for connecting shop floor
devices and numerical control machines.

Physically linking the hardware will be more than 10 km of
optical fiber cable, with five LANbridges, nine repeaters and
40 DECserver700s. A dedicated VAXstation 4000/60 will be used
for network management, running DECmcc.

The open computing foundation for JFMT's CIM system will be
Digital's Network Application Support, a suite of multi-vendor
systems integration software products based on international
industry standards.

The order follows two years of work by Digital in association with
China's State CIMS (CIM Systems) Expert Committee, and the State
CIMS Engineering Research Centre (CIMS/ERC). The Centre was set
 up to do research and development in CIM technology, and to
implement and promote CIM technology developed by seven national
CIMS laboratories.

Directed by the State CIMS Expert Committee, the JFMT CIM project
is being implemented by a team of experts from well-known industry
technology institutes, including the Beijing Research Institute of
Automation for Machine-Building Industry (BRIAMBI), which is one of
Digital's partners in the promotion of CIM technology in China.

JFMT is one of the four advanced China manufacturing
establishments nominated to pioneer CIM systems implementation
under the nationwide Advanced Technology 863 CIMS Program
launched by the Chinese Government.

(Brett Cameron/19920706/Press Contact: Walter Cheung, Digital,
[phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00006)

Datacraft LAN At Caltex In Singapore 07/07/92
JURONG, SINGAPORE, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Caltex has successfully
installed a local area network at its Jurong plant in Singapore,
provided by Datacraft Asia, which is said to be the region's
leading data communication equipment supplier.

The local area network (LAN) which is valued at $130,000 is part
of the initial phase of Caltex's plans to establish a
sophisticated data communications infrastructure.

Datacraft called for the integration of a diverse range
of Caltex's existing IT hardware including Datamini PCs, a Wang
minicomputer and an IBM 3270 mainframe in a LAN capable of
improving general and specific administration tasks covering
applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and electronic
mail.

For the project, Datacraft responded to Caltex's need for a
client-server by establishing a network system in a Token Ring
environment employing Banyan Vines and Token Ring cards
in the Caltex server platform to establish the LAN.

The second phase of the project will see Caltex expanding the
network from the marketing department to accommodate the rest
of the Caltex business divisions within its Jurong general
administrative office.

In the phase of the project, fiber cabling technologies will
be employed linking Caltex's four other buildings in the
Jurong area into the central network which will ultimately be
capable of running some 200 network nodes.

Caltex other offices currently run on a Novell-based operating
system and Datacraft is opting for a Banyan Vines gateway to
integrate the offices.

Datacraft Singapore managing director, Tad Jung, said: "Banyan
Vines was selected as the network operating system for Caltex
to meet their future expansion needs. At present, the LAN
Datacraft established at Caltex provides access to more than
60 users."

Mr Jung said that Datacraft won the contract because of its
expertise and capability to implement the first phase of the
project within a very short timeframe.

(Brett Cameron/19920706/Press Contact, Vincent Lam, Datacraft Asia,
Tel: [phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


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

Russian Telecom Statistics Released 07/07/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JUN 7 (NB) -- The Russian economics
ministry has released communications statistics for the country,
which conclude, among other things, that the average Russian
makes 10 long distance calls per year. The study also concludes
that the import of communications equipment was almost suspended
this year.

37.5 percent of urban and 15.3 percent of rural households were
reported to have telephones in early 1992, according to Russia's
Ministry of Economy.

The "wear and tear" on the existing communications network is
reported to be at a 38 percent level. Only one percent of
Russia's trunk phone lines is on pair with the internationally
accepted requirements. The urban network is said to measure up
to the international specifications by slightly over 6 percent
and the rural network by 2 percent, according to the statistics.

Meanwhile Labor Ministry's All-Russian Center of Living Standards
Research released in Rossijskaya Gazeta that the "freeing" of
prices on energy sources and the quadrupled rates imposed by
the Ministry of Communications, along with the on-going slump
in production were major causes for the overall jump in prices.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920706)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00008)

Russian Telecom Project: Argonaut 07/07/92
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Plans to build a
competitive space telecommunications systems have been
announced in Moscow by businesses and organizations related to
the former Soviet Union's space program. "Argonaut," as the project
is titled, is an idea to build a business and banking-oriented
national Russian network served by 1-2 geosynchronous satellites.

If the project is funded, as many as 10 regional centers would
be interconnected by the 64 kilobit-per-second satellite lines
within 3-4 years.

TCP/IP, X.25, X.400/X.500 protocols are to be supported on the
network, according to the company. Electronic Data Interchange
(EDI) standards are also to be supported across the net for
various banking institutions eager to get reliable and secure
communications links.

The idea is backed by a team of space equipment developers from
the Plesetsk space launch site, the Izhevsk factory producing
the land stations, and individuals within the Russian ministry
of communications. Digital Equipment Corporation is said to
support the project as well.

Argonaut officially is a State Innovation Program, but in fact is
being organized by a number of local private companies which,
according to Dmitry Burkov of Relcom network, gives them an
unfair competitive advantage.

Argonaut companies are still looking for more money to fund
the complete development, according to Alexander Suvorov,
director of the program.

Argonaut's announced plans calls for 5000 corporate users by
the end of 1993, which many observers are suggesting is
optimistic.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19920706/Press Contact: Argonaut, phone +7 095
291-8427; fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00009)

Volkswagen Computerizes Parts System 07/07/92
AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- The next time
your VW "Bug" needs a part, your local dealer may be able to get it
from the factory more quickly.

Volkswagen of America has announced that has computerized its parts
catalog. VW says it will use ETKA, a German acronym for electronic
parts catalog, to replace the former microfiche system. Microfiche
sheets resemble 4 by 5 inch sheets of film on which a number of
pages of information such as parts listings have been photographed
in thumbnail size. Microfiche requires the use of a special viewer
and are not as easy to read as a computer screen. The company
says the new system will increase customer service and provide
dealers with a competitive edge.

The ETKA program runs on a 386-based 33 megahertz personal computer
equipped with a 350 megabyte hard drive and a 19-inch high
resolution color monitor.

VW says their Volkswagen and Audi parts list already exceeds 100,000
different parts, and they expect that to increase by 30 percent by
the year 2000.

ETKA is menu driven, and dealers will receive monthly updates to the
system. VW estimates that the ETKA system will save up to 1.5 hours
per day over the time needed to locate and identify parts using the
old microfiche system.

(Jim Mallory/19920706/Press contact: Maria Leonhauser, VW Public
Relations, 313-340-5534)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00010)

Computer Notables In Australia 07/07/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- A number of big
names in the computer industry will be visiting Australia over the
next couple of months. Perhaps it's to beat the northern summer -
perhaps for business.

Lotus Development VP David Connor will be launching an
Australian version of Lotus' Consulting Services Group (CSG), a
systems integration and consulting branch of the company. Lotus
said he will explain the group's role, its history, plans and
services, and discuss the international groupware market at which
Lotus is aiming its Notes software.

Aldus president and founder, Paul Brainerd, though no stranger to
Australia, hasn't been here for a while, and in the meanwhile an
local office has opened, and distribution has been widened. He is
also to be shown around for larger accounts to "put a face to a
name." Computer Daily News newsletter also speculates that
Brainerd will brief the Australian branch on disturbing
developments at the Seattle headquarters which have been
accompanied by stock price drops.

Borland boss Phillipe Kahn is coming down under for a number
of reasons, not the least of which is to be with Borland's
barnstorming world tour. While here, he will star in "A Night With
Phillipe Kahn" at the Melbourne Town Hall. As star performer, the
closet jazz musician will play flute, pontificate about the future,
and judge a Hawaiian shirt contest (another subject not unknown
to the gallic gastronome).

Ever the diplomat, Kahn will is to give the keynote address at two
clashing events - the IBM OS/2 Architect's and Developer's
seminar on August 17, and Window's World conference on
August 18.

Paul Maritz - father of Microsoft Windows - is also coming to the
Windows conference, and is to be shown around to the industry at
various locations before giving his conference address. Lotus'
John Landry (VP of software development) will have a similar
itinerary for his visit, and will join Kahn and Maritz on a panel at
Novell's Network Forum on August 18. Novell boss Ray Noorda
will be down for that one.

IBM is bringing down Lucy Baney, Michael Kogan, Barbara
Barker and David Kerr for its show. Oh, and Lexmark CEO and
Chairman Marvin Mann and Lotus VP David O'Connor will also
be here.

(Paul Zucker/19920706)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEL)(00011)

India: Low-Cost PC-to-Video Devices, Multimedia Software 07/07/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- The National Informatics
Centre, the mammoth government computer network already linking,
through satellite, has more than 420 districts across the country
to organize data at the district level. It is now planning to
connect each of the 4,500 blocks of the country and has set up
the Multimedia Systems Development Program as an integral part
of its services.

NIC has an extensive training program to users. Last year,
15,000 persons attended various course sessions and this year,
the number is expected to go over 20,000. Alongside the
multimedia-equiped training facility at New Delhi's
headquarters, the Centre has initiated a number of R&D
projects to develop hardware and software tools to integrate
video and audio into the PC platform. Earlier this week,
it demonstrated a low-cost multimedia workstation consisting
of a PC-VCR controller card, a switch (DUO) and appropriate
software (Software for Analog Video Interactive Applications,
SAVIA) as subsystem. NIC scientists believe that, so far, only
NEC and Panasonic have such devices and claim that NIC's
devices, when produced, could cost one-tenth of the latter.

The PC-VCR card can be added on to any IBM PC-compatible XT/AT
and when used along with a VHS-VCR and "SAVIA," virtually any
VHS cassette can be indexed and viewed via the PC. DUO switch
is an analog device which takes computer output from a CGA
card and video output from a VCR and selectively displays the
output on the same monitor. Any color monitor can be modified
to handle PAL video and computer CGA display. It also has a
built-in audio amplifier with a volume control and a speaker
to listen to listen to the VCR audio.

SAVIA is a Microsoft Windows-based application that enables
the PC-video operation. This, when used with an AVI workstation,
can be effective in training institutes,museums, tourist
centers, schools, etc. A memory-resident version of SAVIA is
also available in DOS for indexing and playback of any
VHS-cassette.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920702)


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

Ameritech New Bell Pacesetter 07/07/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- In the first years
after the 1984 Bell break-up. US West was considered the most
aggressive and loud of the seven regional Bell companies. US West
consolidated all its old local units under one brand name, loudly
demanded freedom from regulation, and aggressively sought
opportunities internationally. Today, observers suggest,
the pacesetter is Ameritech.

Under Chairman William Weiss, Ameritech has been protecting its
flanks from so-called "bypass" companies by building its own
fiber rings around major markets, it's been the loudest Bell in
fighting moves in Congress to limit entry into the information
industries, it's been winning lighter statewide regulation in
most of its Upper Midwest territory, and it's been telling its
brethrans some harsh truths about the future. Namely, their local
monopolies are doomed, and they had better get ready.

Ameritech's latest move in this direction is a request for
proposal, or RFP, to major manufacturers. The RFP states that
Ameritech will triple the amount of fiber cable it has in its
local networks, to 1.2 million miles, and equip nearly 1.5
million phone lines with fiber access. "We're providing vendors
with requirements listing the network functions and features we
will need to serve our customers," explained Bill Kohl, who
coordinated the RFP. He added that the crucial factor in his
final decision will be price -- Ameritech will install fiber in
the local loop at a cost equal to that of installing copper wire.
Companies which supply local fiber network systems, like
Broadband Systems and Raynet, have claimed for some time this is
possible -- if fiber networking is bought in bulk.

Kohl also fired a shot across the bows of the other six regional
Bells, urging that they too accelerate their fiber purchases. All
seven Bells have been criticized in the past for slowing their
transition to fiber and digital ISDN services, preferring to
invest their money in wireless networks and internationally.
Weiss's stance is that if his fellow Bell-heads don't invest in
their networks now, while they still have monopoly profits to
finance the work, they'll be unable to do so later, as microwave-
based PCN phone nets and cable television networks, along with
the bypass companies, eliminate their last profit guarantees.

Ameritech plans to decide on who will supply its fiber sub-
systems by the end of September, and start installations before
the end of the year. Its way was made easier by decisions of
legislatures in Michigan and Illinois giving it price caps
instead of rate regulation.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920706/Press Contact: Dave Onak, Ameritech
Services, 708-248-2133)


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

Southwestern Bell Adds Video Services 07/07/92
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Southwestern
Bell is offering two new video services to its business phone
customers.

Business Video 1 runs at up to 384,000 bits/second, the speed
used by Compression Labs' popular Rembrandt units. Business Video
2 runs only at 1.544 million bits/second, the speed of a so-
called T-1 trunk line. Non-compressed, full-motion, broadcast
quality video is often sent over phone lines at T-3 speeds of 45
million bits/second. Both services offer support for the CCITT
Px64 standard, a video compression algorithm now supported by
Compression Labs and other vendors. Southwestern Bell continues
to sell standard digital lines, running at up to 64,000
bits/second. These are adequate for the transmission of video
conferences using PictureTel's low-end equipment. Ordinary analog
lines, of course, can also be used for videoconferences, using
new AT&T equipment, which includes a video compression chip-set
from Compression Labs.

There's a monthly service charge of $805 for Business Video 1
Service, $901 for BCS 2. There's also a $1,500 installation
charge on both services and a 36-month minimum contract, as well
as mileage charges.

Both services are only available within regional calling areas.
The services can, however, be linked to long distance companies
for service across the boundaries.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920706/Press Contact: Scott Hilgeman,
Southwestern Bell, 314-247-4613)


(NEWS)(IBM)(ATL)(00014)

New For PC: Quicksoft PC-Write Advanced Level 4.0 07/07/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Version 4.0 of
the leading shareware word processor for PCs, PC-Write, is now
available. The new version costs $89 and offers extensive
a button bar which can be customized, improved support of
columns, and an improved mail merge capability.

PC-Write, which was originally a single Wordstar-like program
written by one-time Microsoft executive Bob Wallace, has evolved
into a set of programs at different price points and levels of
complexity. There is a small version called PC-Write Lite, a PC-
Write Standard Edition, and the PC-Write Advanced edition. The
programs were differentiated at Version 3.0, when additional
features, with their additional overhead, became too much for
some older computers to handle.

The Advanced Level product is PC-Write's top-of-the-line
offering. It now offers a multiple windows feature, allowing
users to move between up to 10 documents at once, as well as file
directory enhancements making the management of multiple-file
documents easy. PC-Write also imports or exports files with
WordPerfect, the market-leader, as well as DCA-RFT files used on
many local area networks, and its native mode, straight ASCII
text.

Older PC-Write customers who don't presently receive technical
support for the product can upgrade to the new version for $69.
Recent registrants can upgrade for $55.20. The regular price is
$89. Group and campus pricing are also available.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920706/Press Contact: Terri Downey, 206-282-
0452; fax, 206-286-8802; Order Line: 800-888-8088)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00015)

Japan: 5th Generation Computer Research Center 07/07/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Japan's 5th generation computer
development association, ICOT, is creating a technology research
center and will give away technology it has created for 75
different software and hardware developments, free of charge.

ICOT, which has produced a wide array of software and prototype
computers during its 10-year project that ended this June,
was backed up by the Japanese Ministry of International Trade
and Industry (MITI). The Ministry spent enormous amounts of
money on ICOT's projects, and attracted top engineering talent
from such computer firms as Fujitsu and NEC.

ICOT also is opening its computer network called "ICOT Net" to
the public. The association will also link with JUNET, which is a
researcher computer network connected with universities and
laboratories worldwide. ICOT is also planning to exchange
information with researchers in overseas countries.

Despite its long list of inventions, ICOT never developed a
computer system applicable to actual businesses. However, it did
develop a parallel computer with over 120 processors. Although it
is a prototype, this processor is expected to provide the
inspiration for engineers and researchers to develop actual
von-Neuman-type computers in the future.

The Japanese Ministry contends that its release of ICOT
technology is a contribution to international computer development
in the world.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920703/Press Contact: ICOT, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00016)

Deutsche Bundespost Plans Major Staff Cuts 07/07/92
BONN, WEST GERMANY, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Deutsche Bundespost, the
German state postal and telecoms company, has announced plans to
shed 31,400 jobs over the next three years. The cuts will be made
from the company's 655,000 staff, employed across DB's postal,
telecoms and bank operations.

The announcement has sent shock waves reverberating through the
German economy, since DB is the largest employer in Germany.
Analysts have concluded that the cuts are necessary in order to
ensure that DB, notably the telecoms division, remains
competitive in the increasingly liberalized and privatized
European telecoms marketplace.

Union leaders in the three division are said to have refused any
press comment until they have had a chance to discuss the matter
with the board of directors of DB. These discussions will,
Newsbytes understands, take several days.

The job cuts are across the board. DB's postal operation, which
has 380,000 staff on the payroll, will shed 10,500 employees,
although some German press reports have suggested that much
larger cuts are in the offing, owing to increasing postal
mechanization.

DB Telekom (DBT), meanwhile, plans to lose 12,900 staff from its
255,000 payroll over the next three years. DB Postbank, the
banking operation, plans to shed the most staff -- 40 percent of
its 20,000 employees by 1995.

Of the three divisions, it looks like that the Postbank division
will be the hardest hit in terms of actual redundancies. Unlike
the other two divisions, which expect the bulk of the layoffs to
stem from natural wastage (e.g. employees leaving, retiring etc),
DBP reckons that only 60 percent of the 8,000 staff reductions
will be made possible by this means.

(Steve Gold/19920707)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00017)

British Telecom Joins European Managed Data Network 07/07/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- British Telecom has announced
it is teaming with four other European telecoms companies --
Deutsche Bundespost Telekom, France Telecom, STET of Italy and
Telefonica of Spain -- to develop and maintain a managed data
network spanning the whole of Europe.

The planned Global European Network (GEN) will go live early
next year and consist of a virtual network linking all five
companies' telecoms networks, using a new generation of digital
telecoms links based around fiber optic technology. These links,
Newsbytes understands, will also be used for each country's
existing links with the rest of Europe.

The difference with the fibre optic links, according to BT, will
be that call switching will be near-instantaneous, particularly
where integrated services digital network (ISDN) services are
offered.

What's interesting is that each of the five telecoms companies
plans to offer its services on a local country basis, rather than
establish a pan-European telecoms company. Thus, for example, a
potential Italian subscriber to the European network would deal
with STET, which would itself deal with the other telecom
companies on the customer's behalf.

(Steve Gold/19920707)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00018)

IBM Scores Major Czech Computer Order 07/07/92
PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- IBM has secured a
major contract with the Czech government. Terms of the unpriced
deal call for Big Blue to install more than 200 of its RS/6000
workstation computers in the Ministry of Finance, which has
offices throughout Czechoslovakia.

Newsbytes understands that the RS/6000 computers will link
into a private data network which connects more than 2,500
personal system/1 (PS/1) PCs located at tax offices throughout
Czechoslovakia.

Although no financial details of the deal have been released to
the press, Newsbytes calculates that the contract is worth
several million dollars, owing to the high cost of the RS/6000
series of computers. The aim of the scheme is to modernize the
Czech tax collection system to cope with the increasingly
privatized industry in the country.

(Steve Gold/19920707)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

 ****Hotline to Fight Phone Fraud 07/07/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- The National
Consumers League and Reference Point Foundation opened the
"Consumer Protection Network," a toll-free hotline aimed at
collecting and disseminating information on phone-based fraud.

The group, with backing from phone companies like MCI and credit
card companies like CitiBank, MasterCard and Visa, also plans to
open a bulletin board so law enforcement agencies can swap leads
on the subject.

This is the second major move against phone-based fraud in the
last few months. The first moves were made by local phone
companies, which began offering software and services to reduce
the number of fraudulent long-distance calls made on their nets
earlier this year. The new move is aimed at "boiler rooms" which
call their victims and persuade them to pay for non-existant
services by credit card. Examples are groups that claim to get
unpaid child support after a "fee" is paid, or groups claiming
special help in job placement. By collecting tips on such frauds
through a central database, it is hoped, law enforcement can
become more effective.

But that is open to question. Columbia University professor Alan
Westin noted at a press conference announcing the hotline that
many scam artists are now setting up shop overseas. "They don't
tell you where they're calling from, and that makes it harder to
pinpoint and prosecute them," he said. Other criminals set up
shop in states where laws or enforcement are weak, or place only
interstate calls. Victims call local law enforcement, which then
can't prosecute. A Louis Harris poll paid for by the group found
that two-thirds of potential victims don't even know where to
turn to for help when they're ripped-off by phone.

Also, while ripping off a calling card number, then reselling
services based on that number, criminals can be detected by
computers and stopped, but that's not true of phone-based
scams. They must first be discovered, then located, then
prosecuted, often based only on local laws.

The groups sponsoring the hotline hope, that by gathering
information, they can convince US law enforcement agencies to
make this type of crime a higher priority.

The Harris survey showed that 29 percent of consumers have
responded to a letter or postcard promising a "guaranteed" prize --
the most common type of fraud, while 69 percent received no prize.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920707/Press Contact: National Consumers
League, 202-639-8140)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00020)

Sprint To Offer Language Translation Services 07/07/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Sprint has decided
to follow AT&T into the business of offering on-phone language
translation services. But while AT&T is performing this service
through its own people. Sprint will be working with a third-
party.

That third party is WorldNet Services, a subsidiary of Universal
Holding, a life insurance company. The group signed a letter of
intent to support the "Sprint Language Connection," which will
offer both spoken and written translations of 11 languages. At
first the services will be offered only to Sprint Hospitality
Group customers. Later it will be expanded systemwide.

The deal is only preliminary, WorldNet noted in a press
statement, and still subject to final negotiations. WorldNet is
based in Dallas and currently offers its services to the
insurance industry, the travel industry and to credit card
companies.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920707/Press Contact: Universal Holding,
Robert A. Waegelein, 914/278-2080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00021)

Microsoft Will Develop Windows NT Family Of Apps 07/07/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- More than
4,000 software developers from around the world learned from
Microsoft that the company intends to develop a full family of
32-bit applications for the Windows NT operating development.

Microsoft is hosting the developers conference at San Francisco's
Moscone Center, where mayor Frank Jordan declared the week Software
Developer Week.

Microsoft's announcement was made in conjunction with the
development rollout of 32-bit Windows NT, which is expected to come
to market before the end of this year. One Microsoft executive,
Steve Ballmer, is still somewhat cautious about that date, saying
recently that the company still has a lot of work to do before the
product is ready for release. However, Ballmer did not dispute the
1992 release date.

Microsoft VP of Desktop Applications Pete Higgins told the
assembled developers that Microsoft plans to take a leadership
role in development of 32-bit applications to facilitate the '
move for our users to Windows NT. "Microsoft applications groups
are making an early commitment to Windows NT," said Higgins.

Conference attendees will receive their developer kits containing
three CD-ROM disks with the Win32 API (applications program
interface, and the NT File System, as well as a 32-bit version of
C/C++ and a 32-bit version for MIPS, libraries with code portability
between 16 and 32-bit Windows, a Windows debugger, and the Windows NT
system debugger. Developers who did not attend the conference can
get the kit for $399 with documentation, or $69 without the docs by
contacting Microsoft.

Microsoft spokesperson Colleen Lacter told Newsbytes that
developers will need a 386-based system or better, a minimum
of 12 MB (megabytes) of RAM (Microsoft recommends 16 MB ) and a
whopping 100 MB of hard drive space, as well as a CD-ROM drive.

Microsoft's spreadsheet application Excel 4.0 already takes
advantage of the 32-bit speed of 386 and 486-based PCs running
Windows 3.1 to speed up the recalculation of spreadsheets. The
company says Excel and word processing program Microsoft Word will
be the first desktop applications to ship Windows NT versions, with
other applications to follow. Microsoft spokesperson Marianne
Allison told Newsbytes that Excel would ship several months after
Windows NT came to market, with Word to follow.

According to Allison, Microsoft has had "a couple of database
management projects in the works, one of them for some time." She
also said that you can expect Microsoft to field a Windows version
of the database program Foxpro. Microsoft acquired Ohio-based Fox
Software recently. Foxbase and its successor Foxpro were a
significant competitor to Ashton-Tate's dBASE program.

Microsoft's workgroup division says it plans to exploit Windows NT
as a server platform for electronic messaging, and the database and
tools division has announced it is planning future versions of
Visual Basic, Microsoft C programming language, and database
management applications for Windows NT.

Microsoft also told the conference attendees that 100 independent
software vendors have said they will support the NT system,
including Borland International. Borland said it will make its C++
language available for the new software. A Borland spokesperson
said the combination of Borland's C++ and Windows NT is an ideal
foundation for developing next-generation 32-bit applications.

(Jim Mallory/19920707/Press contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00022)

Microsoft Says 100 Companies Commit To Windows NT 07/07/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation told the 4,000 independent software developers that 100
companies had already committed to delivering development tools in
a broad range of categories for Windows NT.

Fifty of the more than 140 development tools are being demonstrated
during the three-day conference which opened yesterday at Moscone
Center. Microsoft said about 25 of those are already shipping.

According to Microsoft, Borland, Digital Equipment Corporation,
Gupta Technology,Ingres, Knowledgeware, Legent, Microfocus, Oracle,
Powersoft, Symantec and Texas Instruments are just a few of the
companies who are developing Windows NT-compatible software.

Director of developer relations Cameron Myrhvold said the company
made a strategic decision to make early development tool support a
priority. Software is reportedly in the works for utilities,
compilers, version control, configuration management, coverage
analysis/profiling, project management, distributed computing/client
server tools, and databases. Several languages are already
available for Windows NT, including BASIC, C, C++, Cobol, FORTRAN
Pascal, ADA, Prolog and several others.

Development of these tools is important in getting applications
developers to write user programs that will run under Windows NT.

(Jim Mallory/19920707/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


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

Microsoft Windows Makes Ad Age Marketing 100 List 07/07/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation told the attendees at its Software Developers Conference
being held in San Francisco this week that Windows 3.1 has been
named to Ad Age magazine's Marketing 100 list. The list includes
what the magazine considers are the significant marketing successes
of the 1990s. Windows was the only computer software to make the
list.

Microsoft says it has already shipped more than ten million copies
worldwide. The company appears to be successful so far in making
Windows the operating system of choice over rival IBM's OS/2, with
Windows being pre-installed on computer hard disks by a number of PC
makers.

Microsoft marketing VP Gary Gigot says it is gratifying to be
included on the list with companies such as Nike and Pepsi. Gigot
said the Windows ad campaign includes consumer, trade and business
education efforts in order to create a strong product identity.

Microsoft used marketing methods such as a new logo, in-store
promotions, direct marketing, trade show appearances, print ads, and
extensive trade, business and consumer publicity to let buyers know
about Windows. With Windows an acknowledged success, the company is
already moving on to the next generation of the program, saying it
will deliver Windows NT (New Technology) by the end of the year.

This was the first time Microsoft has used television ads, targeting
computer users who don't read computer magazines. Running on cable
and network programs, the ads stressed the easy of computing using
Windows, as well as promoting Microsoft business programs that work
with Windows.

Microsoft also has about 85 PC makers pre-installing Windows, and
has introduced a Ready-To-Run program which allows the manufacturers
to identify their products as having Windows installed and ready to
use. User-installation of Windows is a lengthy process, and can
be frustrating for users who are less computer-knowledgeable.

(Jim Mallory/19920707/Press contact: Collins Hemingway, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00024)

Future Now Acquires Nine Intel Electronics Outlets 07/07/92
CINCINNATI, OHIO, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Cincinnati-based
computer reseller The Future Now has announced that it has acquired
nine computer reselling operations from Intelligent Electronics.
The company says the acquisition makes it one of the nation's 10
largest computer resellers.

The Future Now said it exchanged slightly more than 1.6 million
shares of its common stock for the outlets. Intelligent Electronics
now holds a little over 31 percent of The Future Now's issued and
outstanding shares. Intelligent will also get to name a director to
The Future Now's board of directors.

The Future Now's president and CEO Terry Theye said acquisition of
the IE outlets gives the company a national presence, and will
significantly enhance its revenue. The company, a franchisee of
Intelligent Electronics, already operates 16 computer stores. Most
of those are located in the Midwest, with two stores in the South.

The Future Now's VP of Finance David Durham told Newsbytes that the
majority of IE's staff will become its employees. It has also hired
about 30 employees to work at its corporate headquarters in
Cincinnati. Durham said those employees had been hired to handle
administrative tasks such as finance, human resource functions, and
order processing.

(Jim Mallory/19920707/Press contact: David Durham, The Future Now,
513-771-7110)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00025)

 ****Software Piracy Not Shielded By Bankruptcy, Says Court 07/07/92
PROVO, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- In what is probably a
landmark decision, a US Bankruptcy Judge has ruled that in
certain circumstances acts of computer piracy are not protected if
the alleged pirate files for protection under US Bankruptcy laws.

The ruling, handed down by US Bankruptcy Judge Lynne Riddle, applies
Section 523 (a) (6) of the Federal Bankruptcy Code to a debtor being
sued for actions of piracy. According to that section, bankruptcy
does not entitle debtors to discharge debts incurred by willful and
malicious actions against another individual or entity.

The ruling came as the court considered a suit brought by network
operating system maker Novell, Inc., against computer reseller
MedPerfect Systems Inc. Novell's suit claims violation of copyright
and trademark laws, as well as unfair competition practices, by
MedPerfect. MedPerfect owner Ronald S. Frank is also named in the
suit.

MedPerfect reportedly admitted making unauthorized copies of Novell
software, thus meeting the "willful" standard. The "malice"
standard was met since the defendants allegedly knew they were
injuring Novell by selling pirated software, denying Novell a
legitimate sale.

MedPerfect Systems allegedly pirated Novell's Netware systems
software as the basis of an office automation and record keeping
computer system sold to dentists in Southern California. They
allegedly invoiced their customers for Netware software but did not
purchase it from Novell, then attempted to deny purchasers recourse
by filing for bankruptcy.

Novell alleged piracy in a suit brought in District Court before
MedPerfect sought bankruptcy protection, and obtained a temporary
restraining order in March 1991 requiring MedPerfect to stop its
alleged theft of Novell's intellectual property. MedPerfect filed
for bankruptcy after the injunction was issued.

The Software Publishers Association estimates that piracy costs the
industry over $2.4 billion annually in lost sales of business
software in the US alone. SPA's counsel and director of litigation,
Ilene Rosenthal, told Newsbytes that worldwide the loss is estimated
at $10-12 billion. "Our numbers are very conservative," Rosenthal
said.

Asked to comment on the courts decision, Rosenthal said, "A fabulous
decision. The bankruptcy judge took the absolutely correct
position," said Rosenthal. She told Newsbytes that seeking
protection by declaring bankruptcy is a common practice by companies
charged with piracy. Rosenthal said the California ruling is
probably a landmark decision.

Rosenthal said generally pirates make no attempt to make their
product look like the genuine article. "They don't even bother to
duplicate the labels, they just hand label them," she said.

(Jim Mallory/19920707/Press contact: Sharon Cornelius, Novell,
408-473-8657; Ilene Rosenthal, SPA, 202-452-1600)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00026)

New For Networks: Crosscomm X.25 Support To ILAN 07/07/92
MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Crosscomm
Corporation is continuing to introduce enhancements and new features
for its ILAN router. This time Crosscomm is unveiling support for
X.25 which will become a part of the standard ILAN package.

Earlier this year Crosscomm introduced the Protocol Independent
Routing feature for ILAN and at that time the company promised to
introduce a whole set of modules that would take advantage of PIR
and that would extend the ILAN capabilities. With this release of
X.25, Crosscomm is coming close to fulfilling all of its promises
made at the time of the PIR introduction.

PIR allows the X.25 module to efficiently route protocols from the
IBM environment such as SNA and NetBIOS. Crosscomm's last product
announcement about a month ago allowed for routing Novell IPX
packets using ILAN.

The X.25 module will be available in 30 days for $950. New purchases
of ILAN will be able to add it into their initial configurations.
ILAN pricing depends on the configuration and starts at $6000.

(Naor Wallach/19920707, Press Contact: Christine LeCompte, Beaupre
& Co. for Crosscomm, 603-436-6690)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00027)

Database World: Softbridge Updates Test Software 07/07/92
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Softbridge, Inc.,
has introduced an updated, easier to use version of its Automated
Test Facility (ATF) software system for the unattended testing of
applications for client/server, GUI (graphical user interface)
environments.

Running on an OS/2 server and Windows, OS/2 or DOS clients, ATF
allows applications to be tested through the use of scripts,
eliminating the need for programming. In Version 2.0, announced
last week at Database World, the range of platforms covered has
expanded to include Windows 3.1 and OS/2 2.0, according to Greg
O'Connor, product manager.

Unlike earlier releases, Version 2.0 makes use of Windows' Dynamic
Link Library (DLL) functions. In addition, scripts can be built in
a more intuitive way, by pasting commands from menus, O'Connor
said. The use of the SQL Server database, previously required for
storing and managing scripts, is now optional. Instead, the
scripts can be dealt with as flat files.

The ATF scripts consist of commands, sometimes used in conjunction
with context sensitive tape recordings of user interactions with
applications, O'Connor noted.

Now being implemented by some 60 corporations and independent
software vendors, ATF emerged as a commercial product out of a
system developed internally, he reported. During the late 1980s,
Softbridge was involved in building some of the first large-scale
client server systems -- including a customer support system for
MCI, a customer service workstation system for Nedlloyd Lines and,
together with IBM, a financial planning system for IDS-American
Express.

Finding an absence of appropriate software on the market,
Softbridge decided to create its own, O'Connor stated. In contrast
to most other test software, which can test only one machine at a
time, the product that resulted can run simultaneous tests on up to
50 computers, he explained.

In addition, ATF has been designed with "windows awareness" in
mind, stressed O'Connor. The product will automatically restore a
screen and its underlying state at the start of a test, locating
and sizing all active windows automatically.

Already beta tested at Kodak, Digital Equipment Corporation, Lotus,
Bankers Trust, and Avco Financial Systems, ATF 2.0 is slated to
ship this month. Pricing depends on the number of client
workstations on which tests are being run and the platforms
involved. A minimum configuration, permitting tests to be done on
one client workstation, is priced at $16,500 for Windows and
$19,300 for OS/2.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19920707/Press Contact: Maureen Rogers,
Softbridge, 617-576-2257)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00028)

New For PC: Autodesk's Low Priced Graphic Presentation Pkg 07/07/92
BOTHELL, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Autodesk, known for
its computer-aided design (CAD) package Autocad, just started
shipping a business presentation product for Microsoft Windows it
calls Graphic Impact.

The company says Graphic Impact offers the user a lower price than
other packages at $149 or one third the cost of other graphical
presentation packages and takes 20 to 40 percent less hard disk
space than competing graphic presentation packages. Other competing
mainstream graphical presentation packages include Harvard Graphics,
and Microsoft's Powerpoint.

Autodesk says the product also allows everything done by the user to
be visible on the screen at all times by using a split screen mode.
The split screen mode allows the information entered by the user on
the left of the screen, such as data or text into a worksheet for
the basis of the presentation, to be integrated into the display in
real time on the right side of the screen. The implication here is
there is no need to switch screens constantly to see how the
presentation is shaping up, the company said.

Thumbnail view of each screen can be displayed in a "slide sorter"
mode that allows the addition, deletion, or rearranging of
individual slides or several presentations can be combined on the
screen, Autodesk maintains.

Like most of the graphical presentation packages, Graphic Impact
offers a spell checker. In this product the spell-checker is
available as an on-screen button bar that displays icons of the
most-often used tools.

A Master Slide set allows the look and feel of the presentation to
be changed by selecting a few options. Autodesk says Graphic Impact
comes with clip art and pre-defined templates that are ready to use.

Like most Windows programs, import of numbers and text from other
Windows programs can be accomplished via Windows Dynamic Data
Exchange (DDE) link, the company said. The product will import data
that is in the following formats for data: .CHT, .DIF, .GIX, .TXT,
 .WK1, .WK3, .WKS, and .XLS for data; and the following graphics
formats: .BMP, .CGM, .DRW, .DXF, .GIF, .HPGL, .PCX, .PIC, .SLD
(Autodesk Slide Format), .TIF, and .WMF. However, the product will
only export in two formats, .BMP a Windows bitmap format, and .WMF,
a Windows metafile format. Also, the product does not offer a
runtime presentation feature, company representatives told
Newsbytes.

Autodesk says system requirements for Graphic Impact include an IBM
PC/AT or PS/2 compatible with a 80286 or higher microprocessor
running Windows 3.0 or higher, 2 megabytes (MB) or more random
access memory (RAM); a floppy disk drive (either a 5.25-inch 1.2 MB
or 3.5-inch 1.44 MB); a hard disk with 3 MB minimum free space; a
video graphics array (VGA) monitor or any video adapter supported by
Windows 3.0; and a Windows-compatible mouse. Like other graphic
presentation products, the Autodesk product supports monochrome
laser and color printers, the company said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920707/Press Contact: Sue Whitcomb, Autodesk
Retail Products, tel [phone] ext 4528, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00029)

New For Macintosh: Radius 24-bit Color Board, Pivot Price Cut 07/07/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Hoping to
appeal to Mac users using 24-bit color applications, Radius
has introduced an accelerated 24-bit color graphics board
for Macintosh II family and Quadra computers, called the
PrecisionColor 24Xk. At the same time the company has also
cut the price of its Color Pivot/LE display for the Macintosh.

According to the company, the PrecisionColor 24Xk delivers
large screen 1024 by 768 resolution to users of 19-inch and
smaller displays for a suggested list price of $999.

Andy Ramm, spokesman for the company, told Newsbytes that the
product has been "optimized for 19-inch and smaller" displays.

The board is compatible with a broad range of displays, claims
Radius, and delivers "multiple resolutions on-the-fly and
faster QuickDraw acceleration than other boards selling for
the same price."

Ramm told Newsbytes, "If you are using a 19-inch or smaller
display, and you don't need two-page resolution....[you are
getting] accelerated 24-bit color."

Amit Mazumdar, Radius product marketing manager, professional
color systems, said: "Today an increasing number of software
applications are allowing users to take advantage of 24-bit
photorealistic color. As a result, more users are demanding fast,
true color-capable displays. The PrecisionColor 24Xk is ideal for
users who need accelerated 24-bit color graphics but don't need
full two-page layout capability."

According to the company, the PrecisionColor 24Xk features:
24-bit color, which allows for the displaying of up to 16.7
million colors on-screen; high resolution, which supports
non-interlaced images at resolutions ranging from 640 by 480
to 1024 by 768; on-board acceleration, using a custom ASIC
(application specific integrated circuit) that accelerates
commonly used QuickDraw functions; and broad display and
hardware compatibility.

Ramm told Newsbytes that the product is aimed at the
"professional color publishing, professional graphics design,
and high-end desktop publishing" markets.

Radius also maintains that the PrecisionColor 24Xk can be
combined with a Radius Rocket accelerator, to allow for
QuickDraw acceleration, along with display-list processing and
CPU (central processing unit) and graphics acceleration.

PrecisionColor boards allow users to upgrade displays as their
needs change, claims Radius. A special NuBus adapter and low
power consumption customize the PrecisionColor line for use
with the Macintosh IIsi. The IIsi NuBus adapter is available
separately.

The Radius PrecisionColor 24Xk is available immediately for
the suggested list price of $999, and features a full one-year
warranty.

Radius has also cut the price of its Color Pivot/LE display,
which is a lower-cost version of the original Radius Color
Pivot for the Macintosh introduced last year.

The company claims that, at $999, the Color Pivot/LE provides
70 percent more viewing area than a 13-inch monitor and full
page capabilities in both landscape and portrait orientation.

Larry Herman, Radius product marketing manager, said: "With
today's price reduction, we now hope to attract 13-inch users
who want to step up to pivot functionality."

According to Radius, both Radius' original Color Pivot and Color
Pivot/LE are15-inch 256-color dual orientation displays that
rotate to display a color document in either portrait or landscape
orientation, whichever is best suited for the user's application.

Ramm told Newsbytes that Radius has had "tremendous success"
with the Pivot LE display, and that the company has reduced the
price to make it "competitive for users of 13-inch displays." The
idea, said Ramm, is to "get them to move up to the Pivot LE."

The LE version features 624 by 832 resolution and provides 78
dots-per-inch (dpi), compared to the Macintosh 16-inch Color
Display which provides the same resolution but only 70 dpi, says
Radius.

The important difference between the two Radius products, is
that the Color Pivot/LE differs from the original Radius Color
Pivot in that it always requires a color graphics interface card.
According to Radius, the Color Pivot/LE must always be used with
a Radius Color Pivot Interface card. Radius Color Pivot
Interfaces are available for all NuBus Macintoshes, (Macintosh
II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIsi, IIfx, Quadra 700, Quadra 900 and Quadra
950 computers), the Macintosh LC and LC II, and the Macintosh
SE/30, for a suggested list price of $599.

In June Newsbytes reported that, some nine months after the
shipping of versions of the Full Page Pivot Display for both the
Industry Standards Architecture (ISA) and Extended ISA (EISA),
Radius announced a version for Micro Channel Architecture
(MCA)-based PCs.

Also in June, Newsbytes reported that the company had
settled the suit it brought against Minneapolis, Minnesota-
based Envisio charging copyright infringement. Radius
originally said Envisio had copied software it used in its
Powerview product for Envisio Notebook Display 030 Adapter.

(Ian Stokell/19920707/Press Contact: James Strohecker,
Radius Inc., 408-954-6828; Heather Hood, A & R Partners,
415-363-0982)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00030)

Computerland Targets Downsizing Corporations W/ TRW Buyout 07/07/92
PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 7 (NB) -- Computerland says
it has completed the buyout of TRW's computer service division, a
division with annual revenues of $110 million and 13,000 service
customers. The terms of the deal, originally announced May 5, were
not disclosed.

Computerland is beefing up its support services with an aim at the
corporate market and says combined with TRW's service division it
will have a $280 million service and support business. Downsizing,
the move on the part of businesses from mainframe and mini
computers to personal computers is the trend Computerland maintains
it can capitalize upon. The company says $2.25 billion is spent
annually by corporations on outside microcomputer services, and
predicts that figure will grow to $3.8 billion by 1995.

About 15 percent of the company's overall business is expected to
come from the service and support with the addition of TRW,
according to Al Andrus, senior vice president of service and support
for Computerland.

The company adds that the addition of TRW's service, which has been
established in the corporate PC maintenance business, make service
and support about 15 percent of the company's overall income. TRW
not only offered PC maintenance and support, but has offered support
on point-of-sale terminals (POS) and automated tellers.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920707/Press Contact: Dave Murray, Neale-May &
Partners for Computerland, tel [phone], fax [phone])