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/nb921123

Text File | 1992-11-23 | 62KB | 1,377 lines

(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00001)

New For Unix: Design Software From Computervision 11/23/92
BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Computervision
launched new software packages for computer-aided design (CAD) at
the recent Autofact trade show in Detroit.

Computervision unveiled CVdesign, a new three-dimensional CAD
package, and CVpvs, a project visualization system. Both are part
of the CVware line of tools that Computervision launched in
January.

The company said the new packages are the first it has developed in
line with a new core technology strategy. The strategy makes common
core technologies such as geometric modeling (including parametric
modeling), graphics, user interface, and database available to
users across all its applications, Computervision said.

The company also unveiled CVware Conferencing, software designed to
help engineers interact via computer.

CVDesign can be used with the company's Medusa two-dimensional
design and drafting software, making three-dimensional parametric
design capabilities available to Medusa users for the first time.
It also works with CADDS 5, the company's line of mechanical,
engineering, and design products.

Features in CVDesign include: interactive 3D modeling; 3D
parametric modeling to create easily modifiable designs; a unified
parametric modeler that supports all geometry types; a 2D sketcher;
an equation solver; a library of standard design features such as
holes, pockets, and grooves for insertion into designs; and
interactive graphics capabilities based on Ithaca Software's HOOPS
Graphics Development System.

CVdesign is available now for Sun SPARCstation workstations, and is
due to be offered on Digital Equipment's DECstations by the end of
the year, the company said. A version for Hewlett-Packard
workstations can be expected some time in 1993, a company
spokeswoman said. The list price is $12,600.

CVpvs lets architects, engineers, and mechanical and manufacturing
designers simulate walking through a large-scale 3D design project
so they can see it from every angle. It can also work with dynamic
shaded viewing, animation, and 3D model simulations created with a
separate CAD system, the company said.

CVpvs works with Medusa and CADDS 5, and with Computervision's
Dimension III architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC)
design package and its System 9 geographic information systems
(GIS) software.

CVpvs is to be available by year-end for Sun, Digital, and
Hewlett-Packard workstations. The interface to the Medusa software
will not ship until the first quarter of 1993, the company said.
Prices for CVpvs start at $8,925, and vary by platform and
configuration.

CVware Conferencing lets two or more engineers in different places
share a CADDS 5 session, so that they can discuss designs. It
incorporates built-in messaging and multiple-language support.

The software allows an unlimited number of users per conference and
has a menu-style interface, the company said. Conferences are
controlled by a moderator who can add participants at any time.

Computervision is now taking orders worldwide for CVware
Conferencing at $9,900 per conference, and it will be available to
ship by year-end, the company said.

(Grant Buckler/19921119/Press Contact: Sharon Israel,
Computervision, 617-275-1800, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00002)

New For Networks: DCA Upgrades Security For RLN 11/23/92
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Remote LAN Node
(RLN) from Digital Communications Associates (DCA) has been upgraded
again, this time to incorporate a host of security features. The new
version is numbered 1.2.

As Newsbytes reported earlier, this is the second upgrade to RLN
since DCA purchased the company and the product. The first upgrade,
from 1.0 to 1.1, was made to more closely align RLN with other DCA
products and was not perceived as a major change by either DCA or
most RLN customers who chose not to purchase the upgrade. The story
with this upgrade may be much different.

The focus of this upgrade, security, is handled both in terms of
the security of the package and the handling of secure modems and
customer installations.

Now, every time RLN handles a password, it will be encrypted. At this
time there are two passwords: one for remotely logging into the server,
and another required by the network itself. Previously, these two
passwords were transmitted between the client and server without
encryption.

Secondly, RLN will now require a password when a user attempts to
enter the server. RLN will also require a password when a user in
the server attempts to shut down the server.

Regarding external security consciousness, RLN has a new
feature which deals with sites where modems require a password.
DCA has added a TTY interface to the front end of the program so that
when a call is made to a site with a secure modem, the proper
commands and passwords can be entered to gain access to the
site's network.

The new version is available now. The retail price has not changed
and remains at $795 for the two-port version, $3795 for the eight-
port version and $6850 for the 16-port version. Current owners of
RLN can upgrade to the new version for $95, $195, and $295
respectively.

(Naor Wallach/19921119/Press Contact: Kerry Stanfield, DCA, 404-442-
4519/Public Contact: DCA, 800-348-3221, 404-442-4364)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00003)

New Books Aim At Unix Standards 11/23/92
SEBASTOPOL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- The Open
Software Foundation (OSF) is an alliance of companies attempting
to standardize the next generation of Unix and to develop a set of
guidelines for various aspects of computing. Its latest
proclamation involves what's called the Distributed Computing
Environment or DCE.

DCE may be one of the more important guidelines to come out of OSF
due to its broad scope. Specifically, DCE aims to convert a set of
computers connected together into a single, coherent, computing
engine. This is explained in detail in a series of books that O'Reilly
& Associates has just released.

There are two books in the series. "Understanding DCE" is concerned with
providing a conceptual and technical overview of DCE. It begins with a
survey of the different parts that comprise DCE and its architecture.
The book then gives general configuration and management considerations
involved in the implementation of DCE, and finishes with a sample DCE
application and a list of answers to commonly asked questions.

The second book is a technical guide for programmers entitled, "Guide
To Writing DCE Applications." The book essentially walks
programmers through the process of creating several small DCE
applications.

Newsbytes has learned that O'Reilly has other titles in mind within
the confines of this series but that it will first gauge the
market response to these two books before announcing any new ones.

Understanding DCE has a retail price of $24.95 and can be ordered as
ISBN 1-56592-005-8. Guide To Writing DCE Applications has a retail
price of $29.95 and can be ordered as ISBN 1-56592-4-X.

(Naor Wallach/19921120/Press Contact: Brian Erwin, O'Reilly &
Associates, 707-538-8040/Public Contact: O'Reilly & Associates, 707-
829-0515, 800-338-6887)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00004)

New For Macintosh: Arthur's Teacher Troubles - CD-ROM Book 11/23/92
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Broderbund has
released the second in its series of CD-ROM-based software products
called the "Living Book" series. The first book, released in March, is
"Just Grandma and Me." This second book is titled "Arthur's Teacher
Troubles."

The Living Books programs are illustrated children's books, written
by famous children's books authors, that have been transposed to the
computer medium. In the process of translating the books, Broderbund
has collaborated with the authors (where possible and feasible) to
expand upon the book's messages and themes.

When a child "flips a page," the program draws the page on the
screen with the text as it appears in the actual book. The program
also reads the text aloud, highlighting each word as it goes along.
This process can be done in more than one language.

The child can simply go on to the next page, but that would be missing
out on most of the fun. Since these books are interactive, they allow
the child to click on each word in the text, and the program will reread
that word and say it out loud. Many of the objects on screen can
be clicked to perform different actions. There is even a common
thread to one of the visual gags throughout the book.

"Arthur's Teacher Troubles" is the second book in the series. The
third book will be published in the April or May and will
be called "The Tortoise and the Hare." Arthur is currently available
only for the Macintosh. An MPC version of Arthur will become available
in January. Arthur for the Macintosh retails for $44.95. The MPC
version is expected to cost $59.95.

(Naor Wallach/19921120/Press Contact: Kathleen Burke, Broderbund
Software, 415-382-4567/Public Contact: Broderbund Software, 415-382-
4400, 800-521-6263)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00005)

New Product: ASP Printer Sharing Software 11/23/92
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- If you want to
hook up multiple users to a single printer, the most common way
is to install a LAN (local area network). Another way is through
products just introduced by ASP.

The ServerJet/P and its companion product the SNAP II transmitter
provide a system with which multiple computers can be attached to a
single HP LaserJet printer through their parallel port over distances
as great as 1400 feet. Each computer is installed with a SNAP II
transmitter at the computer's parallel port. Standard telephone-style
wiring, up to 1400 feet, is then connected between the SNAP II
transmitter and the ServerJet/P.

The ServerJet/P is installed in the Optional Input/Output slot of an
HP LaserJet II, IID, III, or IIID printer. The ServerJet/P comes in
two models which differ only in the number of parallel ports supported.
The STP400 has four parallel ports while the STP800 has eight.

In addition to the ports, each ServerJet/P has an on-board buffer that
allows the capture and storage of information so that the computer does
not have to wait for the printer. This buffer is sized at 256K
initially which is enough for 125 pages of purely textual information.
If there is a need for more buffer, ASP offers additional memory to a
maximum of 4 MB.

Both models of the ServerJet/P are available at this time. Prices
for the system range from $395 to $595 depending on the
configuration.

(Naor Wallach/19921120/Press Contact: Kristin Keyes, McLean PR for
ASP, 415-513-8800/Public Contact: ASP, 408-746-2965)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00006)

UK: Mercury Quietly Intros Calling Card 11/23/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Telephone users in the
UK may not realize it, but if they subscribe to Mercury's
telephone service, they qualify for a Mercury charge card
which operates in a similar fashion to that of BT's and MCI's.

Like BT's and MCI's charge card, Mercury's Global Connect service
costs nothing to subscribe -- calls are billed to the home or
office phone number. In the UK, subscribers call Global Connect
on 0500-800-800 (0500 is Mercury's toll-free access code) and ask
the operator to connect them.

Access is also available on a toll-free basis from many countries
around the world, initially back to the UK, as is the case with
BT's charge card. In the longer term, Mercury plans a country to
country "any to any" service similar to the AT&T World Connect
service. Put simply, this will eventually allow callers to place
a call from any country to another (for example France to
Germany) and charge the call to their Mercury card.

Call charges on Global Connect vary widely, but they are almost
always cheaper than those of BTs. Even better, the service is
operator assisted in the UK, so there is no more fumbling for the
telephone keypad. Many telecom charge cards surcharge callers for
inland operator assistance calls -- Mercury does not.

Mercury isn't advertising the Global Connect service just yet, as
it's officially undergoing a trial. Customers are being signed up
on a word of mouth basis.

(Steve Gold/19921120/Press & Public Contact: mercury
Communications - Tel: [phone] [toll-free])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00007)

UK: Tulip Establishes 25MHz As Minimum Speed 11/23/92
CRAWLEY, WEST SUSSEX, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Tulip
Computers has announced that it has established a minimum
processor speed of 25 megahertz (MHz) across its entire range of
PCs. The announcement coincides with the upgrade of the
company's dc and dt 80486SX-based systems to 25MHz speeds.

"By increasing the speed of these machines, and combining this
performance with accelerated graphics and cost-effective pricing,
Tulip is offering one of the most competitive 80486 solutions
around," commented Steve McCall, Tulip's managing director.

The Tulip Vision dc and dt 80486SX-based range of machines are
designed around the industry standard architecture (ISA)
technology. They include the S3 extended VGA (XVGA) chipset which
Tulip claims gives both of the machines accelerated graphics
functions.

Both machines are based around an "Overdrive-ready" version of
the 80486SX processor. This allows users the chance to upgrade
the machines from 25 to 50MHz at a later stage. Both systems are
supplied with 4 megabytes (MB) of RAM as standard, expandable to
20MB internally. Hard disk options include 60, 120, 200 and
410MB.

The dc 486SX machine, equipped with a 60MB hard disk, has a
retail price tag of UKP 1,170. The dt version of the machine
costs UKP 1,240. All the dc and dt systems come with a 14-inch
VGA monochrome monitor, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1 and a serial mouse.

(Steve Gold/19921120/Press & Public Contact: Tulip Computers -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00008)

UK: Hayes Moving To New Headquarters 11/23/92
STOCKLEY PARK, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Hayes
Microcomputer Products in the UK is planning to move to new offices
in Fleet, Hampshire, UK, in January.

The move, which will take place over the New Year break, is being
made for two reasons -- staff and services expansion, as well as
the expiry of the current lease at the company's business park
headquarters.

Bill Pechey, Hayes' technical manager for Northern Europe, said
that the new offices will allow more room for expansion.
The new offices, he told Newsbytes, will incorporate a number of
enlarged facilities, including a new training suite.

"Although our warehousing facilities are located elsewhere, it's
got to the stage where we've outgrown our offices here. The new
offices will allow us room to expand," he said.

During the change-over period, Hayes is retaining its outer
London telephone numbers, including the Online With Hayes BBS.
"We will have new numbers and will announce this fact to callers
as they dial in. Our new switchboard and PABX is quite
sophisticated and capable of direct dial in (DDI) calls," he
said.

(Steve Gold/19921120/Press & Public Contact: Hayes Microcomputer
Products - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00009)

Australian-Designed Network Card May Be World's Fastest 11/23/92
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- A Melbourne firm has
developed what it says may be the world's fastest network card for
IBM PCs and compatibles. Eagle Systems International recently
completed development the card, and expects it to garner a
significant level of export earnings.

The NFX4 card, part of the NETFX range of network cards, will come
with drivers and software. The NFX4 is the latest in Eagle's
list of PC components and accessories, including graphics accelerators,
386 and 486 motherboards and integrated I/O (input/output) controller
cards.

Commenting on the NETFX and GFX range of cards, Eagle's general
manager, Fred Tindale, said, "We wanted to become a significant
participant in those markets in which we have developed considerable
expertise and intellectual property, namely networking and graphics."

Tindale believes the NETFX series in particular offers a high
level of state-of-the-art technology, representing good value for
money. "We think we can succeed in a market that many claim is
already overcrowded," Tindale said. Commenting on the potential for
exports of the cards, Tindale said, "We've only just started
marketing [in the UK], but we are finding a ready acceptance of our
products. They are seen as competitive with Asian products, and we
have the added advantage of language and communication."

Currently, exports account for 10 percent of Eagle's earnings.
Prices for the NFX4 card have yet to be set, and agreements with
three local distributors are currently being negotiated.

(Sean McNamara/19921120/Press & Public contact: Eagle Systems
International, phone in Australia [phone])


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

Australia: Software Prices/Policies Report Criticized 11/23/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- The findings of the Prices
Surveillance Authority (PSA) about the Australian software market
have been attacked by the computer software industry. The industry has
specifically targeted the PSA's recommendation to remove import
restrictions, a move it says will cause irreparable damage to the
market, which the vendors claim is already high in competition and
low in profits.

The PSA has so released its draft report on the industry, and the
Australian Information Industries Association (AIIA) attacked
various facets of the report. The AIIA has claimed it has been given
insufficient time to reply to the report, and also criticized the
methodology used to prepare it. The AIIA has claimed that the burden
of proof normally associated with due process had been reversed, and
that this represented and unsound basis for government decision-
making.

The report recommended lifting of import restrictions to
allow parallel importing, which it said would lower the prices of
software, which is on average 49 percent higher than in the US.

AIIA acting executive director, Rob Durie, said at a public hearing
in Melbourne, "This recommendation has the potential to undermine
the basic property rights that are central to the development of the
information industry in Australia." Durie claimed that when the
different market sizes were taken into account, Australians were
only paying 29 percent more than their US counterparts. "The
evidence presented to the inquiry shows clearly that Australian
software prices are the lowest of any legitimate market outside
North America," Durie said.

(Sean McNamara/19921120)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00011)

Hongkong: Synon/2E CASE Used In Carlsberg Brewery 11/23/92
TAI PO, HONG KONG, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Carlsberg Brewery Hong Kong
Ltd., is using Synon/2E, a computer-aided software engineering (CASE)
product, to improve productivity and retain a small, cost-effective
EDP department.

Synon/2E, supplied by CSSL, local remarketer of IBM mid-range
systems, is being used to replace all of Carlsberg's existing
Cobol-based applications with sophisticated CASE-based systems
developed in-house.

According to Carlsberg Director of Finance and Administration
Stephen Tse, the CASE approach has dramatically reduced the cost
of developing new applications and providing MIS support for the
company.

"Because of our relatively remote location on the Tai Po Industrial
Estate, it is difficult to hire programmers, let alone recruit as
many as a traditional applications development solution requires,"
said Tse. "Using Synon's CASE tool we have been able to get along
with only four operators, one systems analyst, and two programmers."

Carlsberg's development team is now 50-75 percent smaller than
that needed to support a traditional Cobol system. Using
Synon/2E, this relatively small and elite development team is able
to develop applications much faster.

"Carlsberg is not unique in its approach," he said. "These days
many companies maintain small development teams to reduce costs.
The Synon CASE tool has allowed us to make savings in time and
money without compromising our ability to develop and implement new
applications that enhance our competitive edge."

The company has already designed and implemented several new
applications including accounts payable, order processing, sales
analysis, warehouse stock control, engineering spare parts and cash
register -- a subsystem to the account receivables system. More are
planned including general ledger and accounts receivable.

The bonus of using Synon/2E is that applications written in CASE
can be modified quickly and easily to fit changes in business. "In
Cobol-based applications even a simple modification, such as
changing a field on a single screen, is a time consuming process,"
said Carlsberg's EDP manager, Lo Ming Tak.

"Synon/2E is far more friendly. It provides a utility that
automatically highlights areas that must be altered to accommodate
new code. This allows modifications or enhancements to be made in a
fraction of the time it used to take."

Another benefit of using Synon CASE tools is prototyping and the
ability to involve users at the earliest stages of applications
development. This means that Carlsberg's users can actually view
the application screens as they are being developed and can make
suggestions on how they might be improved.

"Formerly we used to use paper diagrams to do this, which, as you
can imagine, wasn't entirely satisfactory," said Mr Lo. "Synon's
prototyping capabilities enable us to model the screens on the
computer. It gives us the opportunity to discuss them with the
users and incorporate their comments to produce a better end-
product."

Beer is a traditional product, and Carlsberg has been brewing the
same recipe for over 100 years. "However," said Mr Tse, "to stay at
the top in such a competitive market we have to use the latest
management and administration techniques supported by the latest
technology."

"To keep our customers happy and maintain our position as the
world's leading premium lager beer, we must have the best possible
tools. In computer terms that means CASE."

(Brett Cameron/19921120/Press Contact: Ally Ho, CSSL, tel: +852-
806-1622 ;HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(IBM)(HKG)(00012)

New For PC: Commander EIS Upgrade 11/23/92
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- COL Ltd., a Hongkong
computer services company, has announced version 3 of Commander
EIS (Executive Information System), Comshare's information access,
analysis and delivery tool.

Representing an investment of more than $10 million, the new
version of Commander is a comprehensive rewrite that reflects
feedback from the 40,000 users of Commander EIS worldwide.

Version 3 offers features unavailable on any other EIS, enabling
any number of users to access virtually any source of data,
computer architecture, and any size of database.

"The new version of Commander is a major advance in EIS
technology," said Michael Keaton, marketing manager for Comshare at
COL. "Version 3 has been designed to release customers from the
limitations of single platforms and specific application EIS
software. Now customers can keep all their options open. With
Commander EIS, accessing, adding or modifying information from
virtually any source can now be achieved in seconds."

The new Commander is the first EIS product to run on Microsoft
Windows, OS/2 and Apple Macintosh systems while presenting a
consistent interface to executives. Applications can be
transferred automatically across platforms without conversion and
can coexist on a local area network.

Version 3 enables customers to build applications using open,
client-server architecture. This means that executives can access
information directly from virtually any source or platform without
having to load information into a proprietary EIS database first.

Commander EIS can even change application architecture dynamically
while information is being accessed or manipulated. It
automatically establishes where additional processing should take
place, whether on the client or a dedicated server, and changes the
application screens to reflect the new data.

A wide range of development tools have been included to reduce the
amount of time needed to build and maintain an EIS. They include a
sophisticated scripting language to develop dynamic and parameter
driven screens, or to turn simple information screens into
production systems with added automation and security.

"Typical EIS updates with the new Commander can be reduced from
hours to minutes," said Mr Keaton. "This is a remarkable
achievement which not only means lower mainframe costs but gives
users the capacity to add further applications."

Executives will find that the portability of Version 3 will
increase their productivity while they are away from the office.
Commander EIS can be installed on a notebook computer that will
automatically update itself when connected to the office network.

Commander EIS version 3 is available for Microsoft Windows and OS/2
immediately. It will be available for the Apple Macintosh early
next year.

(Brett Cameron/19921120/Press Contact: Peter Fishwick, COL,
tel:[phone]:HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00013)

New For Unix: CADRA-Solids Add-On To CAD/CAM Software 11/23/92
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Adra Systems has
announced the availability of CADRA-Solids, a solid-modeling
extension to its CADRA line of computer-aided design and
manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software.

According to Adra, CADRA-Solids is the first solid modeler
optimized for use in the design documentation phase of product
development. Company spokesman Patrick Pecorelli said it is an
easy-to-use system meant especially for design drafters.

Instead of using complex commands, Pecorelli said, users can create
models from a variety of sources including solid shapes, a
two-dimensional sketch pad, and existing geometry in several
formats. They can also use local model editing tools to edit models
by pulling them into shape.

The focus in this software is to create documentation for the
engineering and manufacturing process quickly, rather than on the
conceptual design and analysis to which most solid modeling
software is best suited, Adra said.

Other features include: fillet creation and multi-face blending
techniques; shading and hidden-line removal; undo through the
whole model-creation process; and a solids-to-drawing connection
that lets users compare and update views from a revised solid
model.

CADRA-Solids is priced at $7,995 as an option to the company's
CADRA-III CAD/CAM software, and is available now, Pecorelli said.
An introductory price of $5,995 is in effect until March 31.

CADRA-III runs on Unix systems, including Sun, Digital Equipment,
Hewlett-Packard, and Silicon Graphics workstations, and on
DOS-based personal computers.

(Grant Buckler/19921120/Press Contact: Patrick Pecorelli, Adra
Systems, 508-937-3700 ext. 783, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00014)

New For PC: Wordperfect Presentations 2.0 For DOS 11/23/92
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation
says it has started shipping Wordperfect Presentations 2.0 for
DOS-based systems.

Features of the upgrade include sound capabilities, charting,
drawing, painting features, and more than 1,000 clip art images. The
program uses a graphical interface with pull-down menus and
three-dimensional push-button icons selected by clicking with a
mouse. Menu selections can be assigned to the button bar.

The company says Presentations supports key strokes which will be
familiar to the company's Wordperfect word processing program users.
Also included are scroll bars, rulers, a zoom icon and color
palettes. Up to nine drawings or presentations can be displayed
simultaneously.

Other features include an outliner, a master gallery of templates,
and a slide sorter. The templates provide ready made art to enhance
on-screen presentations, while the slide sorter enables users to see
and arrange slides in a presentation by displaying them in thumbnail
view. The display sequence can be changed by using the mouse to
drag slides to new locations. The program also generates speakers
notes for the presenter and handouts of the slide visuals for the
audience.

The company says the sound capabilities of Presentations support 20
popular sound cards, digital audio and MIDI, and the program comes
with more than 100 MIDI sound clips. Drawing tools include blending,
transparent shadows, regular polygons, smart arrows, and multi-point
editing. The programs supports color and users can create limitless
custom palettes of 256 colors each. An autotrace feature allows the
user to automatically covert bitmap images to vector graphics. Text
can be contoured to a path, and 40 fonts are available. A spell
checker for text is also provided.

(Jim Mallory,19921120/Press contact: Liz Tanner, Wordperfect
Corporation, 801-228-5004)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00015)

Microsoft Puts On Biggest Show At COMDEX 11/23/92
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Microsoft's
emphasis in its largest-ever booth at this year's COMDEX was
third party support and connectivity. The company announced two
database products for Windows and had over two hundred
companies demonstrating over 300 software applications for
Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Windows for Pen Computing, Modular
Windows, and Windows for Workgroups in its booth on the show
floor.

Company representatives said the large number of vendors and
third party involvement demonstrates the company is not
interesting in taking over the market but in creating
opportunities in the computer industry.

The displays getting the most attention were the multimedia and
the Modular Windows sections. The new Modular Windows was being
demonstrated at the booth on the new video information system
(VIS) player which just started shipping. The VIS player, made
by Tandy, retails for $799 and connects to a television set.
Broderbund's CD titles Just Grandma and Me and Arthur's Teacher
Trouble were being demonstrated on the Tandy VIS player.

Multimedia demonstrations were being conducted to show off
Indeo video compression technology and the new video capture
hardware for Windows, such as the Videospigot for Windows. Like
every other major vendor at Comdex, Microsoft is going after
the corporate downsizing crowd with a connectivity section
which emphasizing the ability for different "flavors" of the
Windows operating system to talk to each other as well as to
other operating systems.

Windows NT was running on several different machines, including
a Sequent with sixteen 486 50 megahertz chips and a MIPS
workstation. One display showed off the winning shareware
applications for Windows NT from a contest Microsoft held for
this Comdex.

Other displays included database connectivity displays,
hardware support for Windows, and previously announced
developer's tools, including the new version of Visual Basic,
version 2.0.

Conspicuously absent was any demonstration or even mention of
the new DOS 6.0, which is currently in beta test stages. The
entire presentation focused on Windows and Windows
applications.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921120/Press Contact: Erin Holland,
Waggoner Edstrom for Microsoft, tel [phone], fax 503-
244-7261)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00016)

Apple Buys More LCDs From Hoshiden 11/23/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Hoshiden, a Japanese LCD maker,
is revving up to make more liquid crystal display (LCD) next
year for Apple Computer, to which it has already been supplying
the thin-film transistor LCDs.

Hoshiden reports that Apple has asked for 30 to 50 percent more LCDs
starting early next year. Production will take place mainly at
Hoshiden's Kobe, Japan plant, but another manufacturing line is
is to be built in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture.

Hoshiden will invest 3 billion yen ($25 million) in the new LCD
facility by the end of March, 1993.

There is no sign of an economic slump at this firm. It's in operation
with 3 worker shifts, 24 hours a day in order to meet demand.

Hoshiden made 14.5 billion yen ($120 million) in sales for fiscal
1991 and 20 billion yen ($170 million) in sales for fiscal 1992. This
is an approximately 38 percent increase over previous years. Hoshiden
has been producing various types of LCDs, including TFT and STN (super
twist nematic). TFT has been the most popular LCD and it accounts for
14.5 billion ($120 million) in sales in fiscal 1992.

Hoshiden has been manufacturing LCDs for portable televisions
and aircraft cabins as well as for personal computers.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921123/Press Contact: Hoshiden, +81-
729-93-1010)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00017)

Japan: Fujitsu Talking OS/2 2.0 With IBM 11/23/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Fujitsu is said to be talking
with IBM Japan regarding a license for the latest version of OS/2.
IBM Japan has been helping Fujitsu develop OS/2 for Fujitsu personal
computers and is providing similar help to NEC.

The talk involves OS/2 version J2.0, which is IBM Japan's latest
bilingual operating system for 32-bit personal computers. This
system runs both Japanese and English language applications, and
provides a better Windows environment. Fujitsu and IBM Japan have
been testing OS/2 J2.0 for Fujitsu's FMR PC family.

Fujitsu has been shipping its PCs with an earlier version of OS/2
since 1989, and has shipped about 25,000 units of the FMR family
machines equipped with the OS, which it acquired via Microsoft.

IBM Japan is also talking with NEC to license the latest OS/2 and
is said to be talking with other manufacturers as well.

IBM group claims to have shipped over 2 million units of the latest
OS/2 in the world market.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921123/Press Contact: IBM Japan,
 [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00018)

ASIC Competition Heats Up Between Mitsubishi, LSI Logic 11/23/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Mitsubishi Electric and LSI
Logic are each investing heavily in their ASIC (application
specific integrated circuit) manufacturing businesses. Mitsubishi
will hire more researchers, while LSI Logic will move its
manufacturing base to Japan and link will Japanese electronics firms.

Mitsubishi Electric will move its ASIC research and development
facility from Itami (Western Japan) to Kanagawa, a suburb of Tokyo.
Currently, about 2,000 researchers work at this plant and Mitsubishi
will increase their numbers by another 1,000 within several
years. The move will start in the middle of next year and is
expected to cost the company 1.5 billion yen ($12.5 million).

Mitsubishi made 80 billion yen ($670 million) on sales of ASICs for
fiscal 1991. ASICs amounted to Mitsubishi's second largest
income source for semiconductors, following memory chip sales of 100
billion yen ($830 million).

The Japanese subsidiary of LSI Logic will make moves similar to
Mitsubishi's. LSI Logic will shift production of ASICs to Japan
from Germany and its German plant will close by the end of this year.
LSI Logic is preparing to produce ASICs at a Japan Semiconductor
plant. Japan Semiconductor is a joint venture of LSI Logic and
Kawasaki Steel. The new plant is slated to go on line in
early 1993 to produce 4,000 to 5,000 chips per month. By the end of
1993, 10,000 units will be shipped monthly from this plant and by the
end of 1994, both firms want to be producing 20,000 units per month.

LSI Logic is banking its hopes that ASICs are the hot products for
this decade and beyond. There are also plans in the works to develop
new ASICs that will support motion pictures, among other functions,
with Japanese electronics firms.

LSI Logic made $700 million in sales for fiscal 1991, which ended
in February. The firm closed plants in England and Canada
last year, and now is closing the plant in Germany.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19921123/Press Contact: Mitsubishi
Electric, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00019)

IBM Multimedia Vision Touches Networking, Storage 11/23/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- IBM's recently
released white paper on multimedia focuses on networking, data
storage, and standards -- key areas where work is needed to bring
multimedia to the mass of PC users, according to the company.

According to the white paper, a copy of which was obtained by
Newsbytes, IBM's vision is to extend multimedia capability across
the existing infrastructure of distributed computing. This will
allow organizations to distribute multimedia information to people
anywhere in the enterprise, around the world, according to IBM.

IBM said that in talking to its customers it found most want to use
multimedia not in isolated applications but as a core
communications vehicle within extended businesses.

The white paper offers some examples. Companies can communicate
product information to customers, designers can share ideas, and a
plant-floor worker can discuss a part problem with a design
engineer by videoconference, showing the problem part on the
screen. Educational and medical uses are also mentioned.

But this distributed multimedia approach requires work on some key
technologies, IBM said. In particular, it requires advances in
networking to handle the large quantities of data involved, and it
requires data storage systems that can deal with very large data
objects.

These things can be done by extended existing technologies, IBM's
white paper says, and it goes on to discuss work IBM is doing in
both areas.

IBM is working on distributed object management tools through its
Kaleida joint venture with Apple Computer, as well as internally
with the Ultimedia Tools Series architecture, which is intended to
produce multimedia tools for DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows.

IBM is also adding to its Common User Access (CUA) specifications
with services intended to deal with multimedia. And the company
says it intends to support multimedia programming interfaces in
OS/2 and in AIX/6000, a version of Unix for its RS/6000
workstations and servers.

IBM also said it intends to develop client/server multimedia
platforms with distributed data management capabilities on PS/2s,
AS/400 minicomputers, and ES/9000 mainframes; extend its relational
database software to support multimedia data objects; and extend
its system managed storage facilities to work with various
multimedia storage devices and data objects.

IBM said it is also working on object-oriented database technology
that it expects will be useful in multimedia applications.
On the networking front, IBM said it will provide multi-party
communications services for work-group computing to work with
multimedia in real time, and support client/server multimedia
applications. The company also promised extensions to networking
protocols to support multimedia, while using existing local-area
network wiring as well as emerging technologies such as fiber-optic
networks and fast packet switching with technologies such as
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM).

The paper also emphasizes the importance of standards, noting IBM's
involvement in a variety of industry standards bodies.

IBM's white paper, entitled Multimedia Distributed Computing: IBM's
Directions for Multimedia Distributed Systems, is available by
calling 800-426-9402.

(Grant Buckler/19921122/Press Contact: Martha Terdik, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900; Public Contact: IBM, 800-426-9402)


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

Caller ID Spreading Nationwide 11/23/92
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- By this time
next year, you can expect to find the controversial Caller ID
service available nationwide. The last state hold-outs are now
getting around to putting a tarrif on it.

Washington state is just the latest. GTE, United Telecom and US
West are all filing tariffs with the state's Utilities and
Transportation Commission. All are offering what have become the
standard privacy safeguards -- free per-call blocking, and per-
line blocking for a fee.

With Caller ID, consumers can buy special boxes which display a
caller's number as a call comes in. The number follows the call
in a technical scheme called Signaling System 7, which is
becoming standard on the US phone network. Businesses can use
the same technology to compile mailing lists, or to link the
numbers of calling customers to business records on them and
provide better service.

The service has been controversial for a number of reasons.
Privacy advocates worry about the creation of mailing lists
without permission, and about people who need privacy, like
battered wives, having their whereabouts discovered when they
call the kids from a friend's house. Phone company advocates have
charged these concerns are overblown, claiming that the system's
effectiveness is compromised if people can opt out of it.

Generally, however, most states have accepted the compromise of
allowing people to keep their numbers from going out on a per-
call basis, or charging a nominal fee to keep a line private. In
Nevada, where there are more private lines per capita than
anywhere in the US, it was found that only 2 percent of callers
opted to buy Caller ID blocking when it was offered, and only 5
percent used per-call blocking services.

US West, which was one of the first of the regional Bell
companies to accept the compromise, said it hopes to offer the
service as early as January in cities along Interstate 5,
including Bellingham, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bremerton, and
Vancouver.

The terms of Caller ID are still not uniform, however. Some
states, like New Jersey, still do not allow blocking. Georgia
offers only per-line blocking. Bell Atlantic, BellSouth and
Ameritech remain officially wedded to the position that any
blocking compromises the service. The Federal Communications
Commission or the US Congress may still consider imposing a
national set of rules, perhaps at the behest of merchants who
want to use the service to compile lists or in customer service
but don't want to follow 50 different sets of guidelines.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921113)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00021)

Dell Denies Accounting Improprieties 11/23/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Dell Computer
Corporation has denied rumors that it inflated its third quarter
earnings, and told Newsbytes that it is considering a lawsuit
against Kidder Peabody.

Newsbytes reported Friday that the company closed the third quarter
with sales up for the third consecutive quarter, with earnings of
$0.72 per share on sales of $570 million. Dell shares were up 2-1/8,
closing at 38-3/8 after the third quarter earnings were reported.

Rumors flew Friday that a Wall Street analyst had said currency
hedging by Dell may have led to inflated earnings. "Our reports and
filings have been audited and reviewed by our outside auditors and
they have been found to be fair and accurate," said Dell Chief
Financial Officer Tom Meredith. Meredith characterized
Korus's opinions as "suppositions...misguided," and "appalling."

The analysts whose alleged comments sent Dell shares into a tailspin
was Kidder Peabody's David Korus, who later denied that he had said
foreign currency hedging resulted in inflated earnings. However,
Korus reportedly did tell Reuters news service that Dell's foreign
exchange practices may have been unorthodox and potentially
speculative in nature. "We have some serious and unanswered
questions about Dell's foreign exchange policies and treasury
activities," Korus reportedly told Reuters. Korus downgraded Dell
from hold to underperform. The stock dropped to 35-3/4 Friday on 9.3
million shares Friday afternoon.

Dell Vice President of Corporate Communications Michele Moore told
Newsbytes that Dell held a conference call with about 150 analysts
Friday afternoon to allay investor concerns. Moore said Meredith
told analysts during the call that during the first nine months of
1992 the realized gains and losses from Dell's currency hedging
activities resulted in "an immaterial net gain." Moore also denied
that the Securities and Exchange Commission was conducting an
investigation of Dell. Moore said Dell stock jumped about $1 after
the call but dropped again after a second conference call initiated
by Kidder Peabody.

Moore said that the allegations disturbed Dell to the point that its
attorneys have forwarded a letter to Kidder Peabody demanding that
the analyst firm cease and desist in disseminating "false
allegations." "We believe our shareholders and Dell Computer
Corporation were damaged by the allegations," said Moore. She told
Newsbytes that Kidder Peabody has been asked to save certain records
for possible use in a lawsuit, should Dell decide to proceed with
legal action.

Moore explained that companies engaging in international operations
attempt to minimize the risk of currency volatility that results
from currency fluctuation. "You try to hedge in different currencies
to neutralize that fluctuation. You might buy components in
Deutschmarks and have an offsetting contract in British pounds with
the net effect to neutralize each other," explained Moore. "In a
perfect world the net result is zero," said Moore. For the first
nine months of the year the total gains ad losses was an
insignificant gain, Moore told Newsbytes. Moore said Korus has not
returned Dell's phone calls.

(Jim Mallory/19921123/Press contact: Michele Moore, Dell Computer,
512-343-3535)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00022)

CompUSA Opens Three Superstores, Requests NYSE Listing 11/23/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Computer retailer
CompUSA says it will open three superstores later this week. The
company also announced it has applied to list its common stock on
the New York Stock Exchange.

Two of the new superstores will be in new markets - Norfolk,
Virginia and New Orleans, Louisiana. The third will be a third
store in the Boston metropolitan area. CompUSA President Nathan
Morton said the company is on schedule for its plan to have 48
computer superstores in operation in most major US markets by
mid-1993. With the opening of the three new outlets CompUSA has 36
stores already in operation in 24 US markets. The stores offer
hardware, software, accessories, service and classroom training.

CompUSA also announced that it will start selling National
Semiconductor's TyIN 2000 card the first week in December. The $279
TyIN 2000 is an integrated personal computer communications product
combining business audio, data communications, fax and voice
messaging capabilities on an add-in board for personal computers.

The company said it expects its stock to begin trading on the NYSE
in early December under the symbol CPU. Calling the NYSE listing
another major milestone for the company, Morton said the listing will
enhance the liquidity of CompUSA's shares and increase its
visibility to individual and institutional investors.

(Jim Mallory/19921123/Press contact: Nathan Morton, CompUSA,
214-406-4700)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00023)

 ****Don't Rely On Users For Security: Eubanks at CCS 11/23/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Companies can't rely
on end-users to maintain the security of data on computers, said
Gordon Eubanks, president and chief executive of California-based
Symantec Corp.

As the second keynote speaker at the Canadian Computer Show and
Conference, Eubanks focused on security. "Are we winning or are we
losing?" he asked. "We're probably doing a little of both."

Whereas computing was once mainly a matter of large central
systems, "today PCs are dominant in organizations," Eubanks said.
And networking is becoming a more and more vital part of the
information strategy.

Up to now networking has been used mostly for sharing files and
printers, he said, but in the next few years there will be an
evolution to wide-area networking and mobile computing.

And, "in the 90s were getting a growing group of novice users who
aren't really interested in all these technical things." They want
the computer to help them be productive.

But organizations are paying a penalty: the loss of control that
comes with the fact that computers are distributed, run by people
who don't care about data management and security issues.

Treating PCs like mainframes isn't the answer, Eubanks said.
Enterprise management systems have to change to deal with this
problem. "We can't kill the flexibility of PCs but at the same time
we can't say that we're going to be responsible for information but
at the same time not have any way to protect that information."

A vital point, he said, is that individual users don't care much
about security. Thus educating the users is not the answer. The
company must focus on the enterprise management system while giving
users transparent access to computing power.

But MIS must be "in control, and own the problem," Eubanks said. He
urged standardization on tools that are transparent to the user,
saying that while user education matters, the ultimate
responsibility for data security can't be placed on users.

Security may be an issue of special concern to Eubanks. He and others
are facing criminal charges in a civil suit levied by Borland
International over former Borland employee Gene Wang.
Wang, who joined Symantec on September 1 of this year, has been
accused of sending Borland's confidential trade secrets by
electronic mail over the company's MCI account to Eubanks.

Eubanks also talked about software development in the 1990s. He
praised an idea that, as he admitted, has been around for many
years: re-usable software components. Although the idea of re-using
software components has been talked about since the 1970s, he said,
object orientation may finally make it happen.

Object-oriented technology makes it possible to build reusable
components that can be moved among different hardware platforms, he
said, and that is the key advantage of object oriented development
tools.

Symantec is working with Apple Computer on a reusable component
technology project called Bedrock.

(Grant Buckler/19921123)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00024)

 ****Manzi Keynote Sets Groupware Tone At Canadian Show 11/23/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Jim Manzi, president
and chief executive officer of Lotus Development Corp., set what
may well be the theme of this year's Canadian Computer Show and
Conference in the opening keynote address, talking about a shift
from a data-centric to a communications-centric view of computing.

It was not a new theme for Manzi, who said many of the same things
at his company's 10th annual meeting this spring in Boston. One
element new since that speech was the promise that the next release
of Lotus' 1-2-3 for Windows spreadsheet software will incorporate
Lotus' "group-enabling" Chronicle technology.

Chronicle will enable data sharing at a level below that of
distributing files, Manzi said, allowing users to share single
cells or groups of cells across networks.

The same technology will be incorporated into Lotus's Ami Pro word
processing software for Windows later on, Manzi added.

Manzi referred to the 1980s as a "decade of disintegration" in
which traditional business and organizational models and even the
traditional office started to come apart. He said the 1990s must be
a decade of "re-integration or else."

Networking will be the key ingredient in that, Manzi said, and he
used that starting point to pitch his company's Notes workgroup
software.

Manzi cited a study undertaken by a research firm under contract to
Lotus, which he said found Notes produced an average return on
investment of 400 percent, and did so in less than four months on
average.

He also did not miss the chance for a dig at rival Microsoft, which
recently introduced its own workgroup software product. In
response to a question from the audience, Manzi said Microsoft's
Windows for Workgroups is "a placeholder in this space, but it is
nothing in function of capability compared to Notes."

(Grant Buckler/19921123)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

Greece Confirms Sell-Off Of 35% Of State Phone Company 11/23/92
ATHENS, GREECE, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- The Greek Government has begun
selling off a 35 percent stake in the Telecommunications
Organization of Greece, the Greek state telecom company.

Unlike other European state sell-offs, the Greek share is to be sold
in one job lot to an external investor. Greece is hoping that the
investor will be able to pump much-needed cash into the network which,
although good in major cities, is antiquated in many outlying
areas. For example, over most of Greece, it is not possible to achieve
more than 300 bits per second (bps) modem transfers.

Several telecom companies could make a move on OTE, notably AT&T,
Cable & Wireless and British Telecom, all of whom have stated
previously their intention to go on the acquisitions trail. The sell-
off could move Greece from being one of the more backward countries in
telecom terms to being one of the most up to date.

The closing date for interested parties to make representation to the
Greek Government is December 11.

(Steve Gold/19921112)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00026)

European HDTV Plans On Hold For At Least Two Months 11/23/92
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Following a series of heated
debates between the members of the European Community, the EC has
agreed to disagree and hold a decision on which high definition
television (HDTV) system to implement until after the end of the year.

Ministers in the EC have accused the UK of sabotaging the meetings,
claiming that, were it not for the British minister placing a block on
an agreement, abusing the UK's position in holding the EC presidency,
then an accord could have been thrashed out.

Hanja Maij-Weggen, the Dutch Minister of Communications, went on
public record as accusing Britain of "sabotaging the agreement," on
RTL-4, the Dutch TV station, which is broadcast on the Astra
satellite in Europe.

According to Maij-Weggen, Britain effectively blocked an agreement to
meet after the December EC summit meeting to agree on an HDTV
standard. Because of this, the whole HDTV project is still up in the
air.

The sticking point in the negotiations is the amount of money that the
EC is planning to invest in HDTV development. The EC had intended to
invest several millions of dollars in the form of a grant for European
electronics companies to develop their HDTV technologies.

Britain, currently wrestling with the recession and a plunging
economy, has found itself in the curious position of paying large sums
to the EC, despite the fact that the UK is now classed as one of
poorer countries in the European Community.

(Steve Gold/19921123)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00027)

Toshiba, Ingram Micro In Distribution Deal 11/23/92
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Hoping to expand
its product line to a larger base of resellers, the Computer
Systems Division of Toshiba America Information Systems
has signed a US distribution agreement with Ingram Micro
for its entire product line of portable computers and accessories.
The agreement is effective December 1, 1992.

Bruce Martin, Ingram Micro senior vice president of purchasing
and products, said: "This is an important agreement. It puts
together two US market leaders. We're the US market leader in
distribution with a 29 percent market share and Toshiba is the
US market leader in portable computers with a 13.9 percent
market share. With the largest domestic reseller customer base
of all microcomputer distributors, we have the market reach to
deliver a significant expansion in the availability of Toshiba
products."

Tom Scott, vice president of sales for TAIS Computer Systems
Division, said: "Having a second distributor in place ensures that
we can more effectively supply resellers by providing two
sources for all products at all times."

Toshiba portable computers are currently distributed by Tech
Data Corp., of Clearwater, Florida. Of this agreement, Scott said:
"This business relationship will continue as we are pleased
with Tech Data's performance."

Toshiba also claims to have agreements with such national
reseller organizations as MicroAge Inc., ComputerLand, JWP
Information Systems, Compucom Systems Inc., Intelligent
Electronics Inc., InaCom Inc., and Sears Business Centers.

(Ian Stokell/19921123/Press Contact: Howard Emerson,
714-583-3925, Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)

Ericsson Gets German OK For Digital Handportable 11/23/92
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Ericsson, the Swedish telecom
company, has received approval from the German government to allow its
GH 172 digital mobile phone -- which tips the scales at under 14
ounces -- for use on the German global system for mobile
communications (GSM) network.

The granting of interim type approval for the phone is a major step
for the company, as the German telecom market is widely regarded as
being one of the toughest to enter. Ericsson will be able to
"clean up" one the German mobile market, as it is the first digital
hand-held to gain approval.

The GH 172 hand portable weighs about the same as existing analogue
cellular portables. The difference is that the Ericsson unit is
designed for digital network usage. This has allowed the manufacturers
to extend battery talk time life to an impressive 150 minutes per
charge.

In the UK, Orbitel, one of the most innovative mobile phone suppliers,
is still around six months from unveiling its digital hand portable. If
the GH 172 is released in the UK, then it will have a clear lead over
the rest of the digital mobile market-place.

(Steve Gold/199211123)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00029)

Autodesk Stock Takes Dip After Long Incline 11/23/92
SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- Autodesk's
stock took a sharp drop after its third quarter earnings
announcement, and unusual turn as the company's stock has been
rising steadily for over a year.

The company's stock dropped $4.125 a share to $49.50, and while
some analysts are downgrading the company's estimates others
are issuing "buy" recommendations, according to published reports.

A year ago, the company's stock averaged around $28.25 and
climbed steadily to an average high of $53.875 the week of
November 13. However, the stock began falling after the
company's announcement last Thursday of lower company earnings
of $12.8 million ($0.50 cents a share) for its third quarter
ending October 31, compared with $16.2 million ($0.65 cents a
share) the same quarter the year before. Autodesk did report
revenues increased 33 percent to $93.8 million from $70.3
million the year before.

Autodesk is reporting strong sales of its leading computer-
aided design (CAD) product AutoCAD Release 12 and has branched
into the home market with a series of inexpensive packages for
home design and modelling.

The first company to hire a woman chairman as the current
chairman went back to research and development work,
Autodesk says spending on advertising, promotional launches,
and research and development has held back the company's
earnings. However, Carol Bartz, chairman and chief executive
officer, said in a prepared statement: "We are pleased with the
quarterly results, and the company is on track to meet its
yearly financial goals."

(Linda Rohrbough/19921123/Press Contact: Len Rand, Autodesk,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00030)

US Develops Russia's Computerized Tax Software 11/23/92
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 NOV 23 (NB) -- The Russians
are getting into computerized tax collection with the help of
Pick Systems, an Irvine, California-based software company.
The company's Russian subsidiary has actually been awarded the
contract and 350 multi-user tax collection systems are expected
to be installed in Moscow by the end of the year.

Pick won the contract in competition with over 200 other
bidders and says it released the news late in order to secure
its position in the Russian marketplace. The company has also
automated the social security system in Brazil, according to
company representative Steve Kruse.

Kruse said Pick used to be thought of as an operating system,
but it was developed over 20 years ago when "there were no
non-proprietary operating systems, Unix was still in the think
tank, and Gates was in grade school." Pick is a multiuser
database application system that works on a cross-platform
basis and only requires 64 kilobytes (K) of memory per user to
operate. Thirty-three users can then easily be accommodated on
a 386 system with 8 megabytes (MB) of memory.

Originally, Pick got its foothold in Russia by being sold
through licensees on mini and mainframe computers such as
Ultima and Prime. The company says it has over 3500 value-added
resellers (VARs) and in the US is installed in 2600 Etena
Insurance offices and is the system Red Lion Inns uses for
reservations.

In Russia tax collectors are in every building and are a
combination of tax collectors and notary publics, Kruse added.
While there are over 100,000 such tax offices in Russia, Kruse
said he doubts each tax collector will get a computer. The main
collection offices which each individual reports to will be the
ones with the computers, which will be mostly 386 Korean clones
or PS/2s, Kruse said. Pick Systems doesn't install the
hardware, the Russians do that themselves, the company added.
Kruse estimated 3,000 Russian tax collection officials will be
on the Russian- language Pick database system by the end of the
year.

Interestingly, the Russians are learning about taxation from
the example US systems Pick has shown them. Pick demonstrated a
billing system the city of Irvine has been using and Kruse said
the Russians were saying, "You mean you charge for water? We
didn't know we could do that."

The company has already worked with the Russian government in
providing municipal services software for the city of St.
Petersburg and training centers established by Pick have also
been established in the major Russian scientific and technical
institutes, the company added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921123/Press Contact: Steve Kruse, Pick
Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])