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/nb921201

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(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00001)

New For Unix: Sunpro Team Development Tools 12/01/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Sunpro, a
division of Sun Microsystems focused on tools for developers has
announced two new tools for use by development teams. The
packages have also been designed for use by distribution
channels, including Computerland stores.

According to Sunpro, the new tools, SPARCworks/Teamware and
Proworks/Teamware, are geared toward development workgroups and
have been designed to offer version control, release integration,
and allow development teams to work in parallel on a network.

The SPARCworks/Teamware product is designed to fit between Unix
source control utilities and complex configuration management
systems. The product allows development teams to work on multiple
releases at the same time, integrate changes from multiple
developers, re-use code, and build project components in
parallel.

Graphical tools in the SPARCworks/Teamware product allow for
visual inspection of source files, management of multiple versions
of source files, the capture of source file configurations for
retrieval later, graphical integration and management of
project releases, merge of source files, coordination of concurrent
source file changes, and the building of components of a project in
parallel.

Sunpro claims that teams of a project even in different sites or
working on different platforms can visually coordinate multiple
releases and concurrent source file changes using the Teamware
toolset. NFS and X Windows system utilities allow developers
using non-Solaris development platforms to gain access to the
toolset as well. Access control and electronic mail is also
supported in the product. Online documentation is also included.

Retail pricing for the SPARCworks/Teamware and Proworks/Teamware
code management tools has been set at $995. Quantity discounts
for 10, 25, and 100 licenses are available, and at 100 licenses
Sunpro says the price falls to $600 per user.

SPARCworks/Teamware is expected to be available by January of
1993, and Proworks/Teamware in mid-1993.

Both products support version 2.0 or later of the Solaris
operating system, and SPARCworks/Teamware supports Solaris 1.0
as well. Sunpro recommends use of the Teamworks toolsets with
SPARCworks or Proworks professional development environments.

New US distributors for Sunpro products include Computerland of
Pleasanton, California; Access Graphics of Boulder, Colorado;
Axil Workstations of San Jose, California; Solbourne Computer
of Longmont, California; and VC Net/US Software Resources of
Novato, California. Sunpro says it has added eight new European
distributors in France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and
the UK as well.

Plans call for the Sunpro's new distributors to carry the
company's development tools including the SPARCworks Professional
development environment. The development environment includes:
SPARCworks tools, SPARCcompilers for C, C++, Fortran, Pascal, and
Ada; and the newly announced SPARCworks/Teamware code management
tools.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921201/Press Contact: Pattie Walters,
Sunpro, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00002)

New For Unix: Pavilion Ports Process Insights To DEC Alpha 12/01/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Pavilion Technologies has
announced it has ported its Process Insights software to RISC
platforms and systems running Digital Equipment Corporation's
(DEC) recently announced 64-bit Alpha AXP.

Process Insights is model-based process control software for the
types of complex, non-linear processes that are prevalent in
manufacturing, power generation, and other industries. It allows
users of DEC Open VMS VAX systems to model, optimize, and perform
real-time control on production processes based solely on the
automated analysis of historical data.

The company says that production benefits range from energy
savings and efficiency improvements to enhanced quality and
reduced environmental impact.

Pavilion President Ron Riedesel claims that Process Insights is
adaptive software that learns the dynamics of production
processes based on data-intensive training through a neural
network based modeling system.

Alpha AXP is Digital's 64-bit RISC architecture which supports
multiple operating systems including VMS, OSF/1, and Windows NT.
Pavilion Technologies is a spin-off company from the
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation.

(Jim Mallory/19921201/Press contact: Bruce Ferguson, Pavilion
Technologies, 800-880-5432; Reader contact: Pavilion Technologies,
512-338-3377, fax [phone])


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

Gateway 2000 Reports Record 3Q 12/01/92
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) --
Gateway 2000, the PC clone manufacturer, has reported a record
third quarter, shipping 104,000 systems for $267.8 million in
revenue.

That works out to be a 7.7 percent increase over the second
quarter, and a 53.9 percent increase over the same period last
year. The privately held company's pre-tax earnings were up 6.1
percent over the second quarter, and 50 percent over the same
period last year.

Gateway 2000 President Ted Waitt said that third quarter revenues
might have been even better except for costs associated with
introduction of new products and completion of a 250,000-square-foot
facility which now contains Gateway's production, shipping,
technical support and product development facilities.

"Now that we have our new products in place and the new facility
in operation, we expect our fourth quarter to be even stronger
than the third," he said.

Waitt added that, unlike other PC makers who have been laying
off employees, Gateway plans to hire 300 new employees by the end
of the year.

"While many computer companies have had to let people
go to improve their financial positions, we need to hire more to
keep up with our growth and enable us to continue providing high
quality products at outstanding prices along with excellent
service," he said.

Gateway spokesperson Glynis Gibson told Newsbytes that the
company is the second largest employer in the North Sioux City
area. Plans call for the company to add employees in its sales,
product development, customer service, technical support,
manufacturing, inventory, and shipping divisions.

(Jim Mallory/19921201/Press contact: Glynis Gibson, Gibson
Communications for Gateway 2000, 312-868-9400; Reader contact:
Gateway 2000, 605-323-2000 or 800-523-2000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00004)

New Tandy Products "Made in the USA" 12/01/92
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Tandy Corporation
says that for the first time in over a decade the latest
technological advancements in consumer electronics will carry a
"Made in the USA" label.

The company has announced that three of its newest Radio Shack
products are being manufactured in its Advanced Technology
manufacturing facility in Forth Worth, Texas. Now being built at
the facility are the Memorex MD-2500 Video Information System
(VIS), the Optimus DCT-2000 Digital Compact Cassette (DCC)
Recorder, and the Tandy Sensation multimedia PC.

According to Bernard Appel, Radio Shack chairman, in recent years
consumers have become accustomed to the newest electronic products
coming first from foreign manufacturers. "Radio Shack is going
against that trend by introducing three new consumer electronics
technologies, all made in our own plant here in the United
States," he said.

The Memorex MD-2500 VIS attaches to any home television set and
uses an included wireless hand controller to interact with pictures,
voice, music and animation sequences in reference books,
instructional materials, learning and action games and educational
programs in various VIS applications.

Popular Science magazine named the VIS one of its "Best of What's
New" products and technologies for 1992. It ships with a VIS
version of the 26 volume Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia which
includes Webster's Intermediate Dictionary. The VIS has a
suggested retail price of $699.95.

The DCC recorder plays and makes copies of compact discs, and can
record from analog sources such as long playing records (LPs) and
analog tapes, and has a suggested retail price of $700.

The Tandy Sensation is a multimedia PC which accesses CD-ROM
compact disks using graphics, animation and stereo sound. The
Sensation is shipped with Microsoft Windows and includes a voice
mail system with text to speech conversion, a built in data/fax
modem, a mouse, 4 megabytes (MB) of system memory, and several
interactive multimedia applications.

The PC also comes with Microsoft Works for Windows, Microsoft
Bookshelf for Windows, and communications software to access
America Online and Prodigy subscription information services.
Suggested retail price for the Sensation is $1,999.

(Jim Mallory/19921201/Press contact: Tony Magoulas, 817-878-4852;
Readers should contact their local Radio Shack store)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00005)

New For PC: Simlife, A Genetic Engineering Game, Debuts 12/01/92
ORINDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Maxis has released
a version of its Macintosh genetic engineering game for IBM PCs
and close compatibles.

Simlife, another of Maxis' Software Toy line, allows players to
create any creature they can imagine. Players create exotic plants
and animals of various shapes, sizes, and temperaments, and turn
them loose into a custom-designed environment to see if they can
survive.

The budding mad scientist can populate the landscape with agents
that cause mutation, and affect evolution. Or you can change the
individual genetics of one creature and see what effect its
offspring have on the long term survival of the species and the
entire ecosystem.

You can even keep track of new species splitting off from the
parent stock with constantly updated graphs showing each species'
genetic variation. You can also make mistakes. You could lose a
single species and the entire food chain could unravel, with
severe consequences for the entire ecosystem.

Simlife comes with six ready-made ecosystems, and includes a
tutorial and online help. The manual, with more than 200 pages,
explains the game in depth, and expands on concepts of genetics,
ecology, and evolution. You can even test your creatures'
survival abilities by introducing disease, drought or fire. Users
select such factors as gene pool diversity, mating differences, and
the percent of genes passed down by the father of the creature.

Maxis maintains an electronic bulletin board to support its products
and allow users to trade cities, planets, robot arenas and ant
colonies for use in the various games published by Maxis.

Maxis spokesperson Sally Vandershaf told Newsbytes that the
bulletin board will also host tournaments and contests on an
ongoing basis. They've already had a Robosport tournament. Maxis
players can also download software demos, program upgrades, and
shareware utilities to enhance the games.

Simlife, which is shipping now, requires an IBM-compatible, PS/1, or
PS/2 running a 16 megahertz 80386 or better microprocessor, a VGA
monitor, at least 2 megabytes (MB) of system memory (the company
recommends 4MB) and a mouse. Several sound boards are supported,
including Adlib, Soundblaster, Soundmaster, and Roland MT-32.
Simlife has a suggested retail price of $69.95, and is also
available in a Macintosh version.

(Jim Mallory/19911201/Press contact: Sally Vandershaf, Maxis,
510-253-3705; Reader contact: Maxis, 510-254-9700, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00006)

 ****Dell Cuts Dimension PC Prices 18% 12/01/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Dell Computer announced
late yesterday that it has reduced the price of its entire
Dimension systems line by up to 18 percent.

The announcement is expected to be a prelude to Dell's expected
announcement of a new 486-based product line expected later this
week. Those systems are expected to be upgradable to Intel's
Pentium chip when it becomes available. That's expected to be in
early 1993.

The Dell Dimension line consists of five desktop systems, three
floor standing servers, and two notebook systems. In early
November the company reduced the price of its NL20 by $150 on
the 60 megabyte (MB) system, and $200 on the NL25
notebooks, which are available with 60MB and 80MB hard disks.

All the Dimension systems ship with Intel 386 or 486 chips, an
accelerated video controller, a 1024 X 768 resolution Super VGA or
UltraVGA color display, a mouse, MS-DOS 5.0 and MS-Windows 3.1.

Dell says it is now able to fill orders placed directly with the
company within about one week. "We've been working over the last
three months to improve our production capacity to meet demand,"
explained Joel Kocher, Dell's senior VP. On the retail level,
CompUSA computer stores and Staples office supply stores also
sell the Dimension line.

In parallel with the price cuts, Dell announced that Dimension
customers will receive lifetime access to a toll-free expert help
hotline. Present owners, who were originally offered one year of
free support, will be included in the offer.

(Jim Mallory/19921201/Press contact: Jill Shanks, Dell Computer
Corporation, 512-794-4100; Reader contact: 800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00007)

Australia: Engineers Deliver Inmarsat Testing Equip 12/01/92
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Testing equipment developed
by Auspace, an Australian firm, to test the next generation of
Inmarsat satellites, has now been delivered.

Auspace, of Canberra, was contracted by the Inmarsat consortium
to develop and manufactures three sets of Anechoic Loads, which
will allow the Inmarsat III satellites to be fully tested in
conditions similar to those experienced in outer space.

This testing will include extreme temperature variations, and it
will help ensure the satellites last the expected 15 years of
service once launched.

Commenting on the delivery of the test equipment, a company
spokesman said that the delivery of the Inmarsat III
Anechoic Loads is another major achievement for Auspace and the
Australian Space Industry.

"Auspace was successful in winning this project against
international competition and our engineers have developed a
system that will give Auspace an excellent export potential for
other space programs in the future," the spokesman told
Newsbytes.

The first set of Anechoic Loads, delivered in May, have already
been used to successfully test the satellites (which are being
constructed in the UK and the US).

The Inmarsat consortium provides mobile satellite-based
communications services to member nations, including Australia
through OTC, the international arm of AOTC (Australian and
Overseas Telecommunications Corp). Auspace is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Matra Marconi Space, and is involved in several
space projects, including work on satellite navigation
technologies with the University of Queensland.

(Sean McNamara/199211201/Press Contact: Auspace, phone in Australia
[phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00008)

Australia: Computer Center For Customs Commissioned 12/01/92
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- In a move to increase
efficiency and cut paperwork in the Australian Customs Service
(ACS), the Federal Government has announced the completion and
commissioning of the ACS' new computing center.

The center is intended to improve processing of documents for
trading in global markets, and was completed ahead of schedule
and under-budget.

The center, at the heart of its Electronic Initiatives Project
(EIP), will house Customs' two Unisys 2200/922 systems (used for
commercial applications) and Unisys U6000 Unix-based computers (used
for administrative applications).

The U6000 computers will also be used to run Customs' EDI
(electronic document interchange) system, which links Customs
with EDI systems used by importers and exporters (via a third
party value-added network). According to the federal minister for
small business, construction and Customs, David Bedall, the
center will help Customs fulfill its role as a conduit for the
trading process, rather than a bottleneck.

"This center and the sophisticated information technology it
contains will play a big part in speeding up the process of trade,"
Bedall said.

According to Bedall, when combined with the Sea Cargo Automation
and EDI-FICE projects, which are under development and also part
of the EIP, together with the existing EXIT and Air Cargo
systems, the ACS will have a paperless paper chain between
customs and the business community. This should speed up the
movement of goods into and out of Australia.

Further streamlining will be achieved when the Australian
Quarantine and Inspection Service completed its contracting of
mainframe information processing to Philips Communications and
Processing.

(Sean McNamara/199211201)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00009)

Australia: Gestetner Doing Well With Laser Boards 12/01/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Gestetner Lasers has
predicted its newly released (and Australian designed and built)
Hurricane laser printer upgrade boards could earn the company more
than AUS$15M in exports.

According to Neil Tilley, the company's general manager,
Gestetner has a six to 12-month lead over the rest of the
industry.

The boards, which were designed in Australia by Gestetner Lasers and
built by AWA and Techway, are based on the Intel i860 RISC
(reduced instruction set computing) chip. They are designed to
replace the processor board and control panel of most Canon SX
laser engine-based laser printers.

Once the printer has been upgraded with the board, Gestetner
claims it will rival the performance of the latest series 4 laser
printers from Hewlett-Packard.

The board contains approximately 80 percent Australian content.
"We don't see any competitive advantage in manufacturing overseas,"
Tilley said at the board's launch.

Claiming the board bypasses its competitors' limitation of just
being an add-on board, Gestetner also claims it was unable to
purchase a single competitive unit at the recent COMDEX show in
Las Vegas, where it displayed the board. The board will be
marketed to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and dealers,
as well as through toner recycling shops and service and repair
companies.

Gestetner believes the use of the latter two types of businesses by
customers looking to extend the life of laser printers will slot in
nicely with the board's ability to do the same. The board comes
pre-installed with 4MB (megabytes) of memory, and will support both
Postscript and PCL 5 (Hewlett-Packard's printer control language,
level 5).

While unable to fit all existing Canon SX-based machines,
the board, Gestetner claims, will fit Apple, Brother, Canon,
Genicom, Hewlett-Packard, Lasermaster, Olivetti, QMS, Siemens,
Star, Tandem and Wang printers.

(Sean McNamara/199211201/Press & Public Contact: Gestetner Lasers,
phone in Australia [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SYD)(00010)

Australia: Canon To Distribute Next Machines 12/01/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 DEC 01 (NB) -- Canon Australia has announced
it has signed a distribution agreement Next, the high-end computer
company founded by Apple Computer founder, Steve Jobs. The
agreement, which will see Canon the exclusive Next distributor
in Australia, marks Canon's entry into the high-end computer
market in Australia.

Martin Rehfeld, a Canon spokesman, said that the distribution
arrangement will see the establishment of a new chain of
resellers.

"Because of the type of unit it is, the type of expertise needed
to sell it is not what most of our current resellers are equipped
with," he said, adding: "We are now in he process of setting up a
new line of resellers to handle the Next machine," he added.

The agreement adds onto Canon's existing distribution agreement
with Next for the Asian market.

Australian pricing for the Next workstations will range from
AUS$13,580 for a 16 megabyte (MB) memory-equipped NextStation
Turbo with a 250MB hard disk, through to AUS$17,990 for
the 16MB RAM, 400MB hard disk color machine at the top of the
range.

Large scale distribution is expected in early 1993 after the
machine's official introduction later this year. Canon has
already installed Next workstations at its Canon Information
Systems Research Australia (CISRA) research and development
facility at North Ryde, in Sydney's northern suburbs.

(Sean McNamara/199211201/Press & Public Contact: Canon Australia,
phone in Australia [phone])


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

 ****GEnie Runs Open Beta Test on Internet Mail Access 12/01/92
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- The GEnie online
service is running an open beta test on mail access to Internet
addresses. Newsbytes discussed the test with communications
product manager, Pam Angelis.

"It's an e-mail only gateway," she said, adding that there is as yet
no such gateway on the companion GE Information Services business
service. The beta test is being conducted so GEnie can "make sure the
kinks are out and eliminated before offering it to the public."
Typical problems involve communications cards, communication links,
and software.

The service is available at additional charge over the basic GEnie
cost. To gain access to the GEnie Internet gateway, you'll pay a
$2 registration fee and 30 cents for each 5,000 characters, inbound
or outbound, you send over the gateway.

Other services price their Internet access differently. She explained,
"Other services charge connect time for mail. It's part of our basic
package," as the Star*Services package. Angelis added, however, that
GEnie will continue to evaluate pricing on the service. The beta test
is also available to GEnie members in Canada, Angelis added, at a $3
registration fee, and 40 cents per 5,000 bytes transferred.

The keyword to access the Internet gateway on GEnie is INTERNET,
or you can reach it on "page 207" of the service, or by selecting
the Internet option on the Unix RT menu. Once you reach the
gateway, you have an Internet mailbox at [e-mail].
The Internet address for Newsbytes, in that scheme, would be
[e-mail].

Angelis added that GEIS also offers X.400 message transfers.
GEIS is an administrative domain for such transfers designated
as mark.400. GEnie hopes to add X.400 access in time.

"We recognize it's something that our users want," Angelis said, "and
in the future it's going to be required. The directions X.400 and
Internet are going in allow for such open communication that if your
service doesn't offer the features, you won't be in the running." In a
recent survey of users on communications issues, she added, Internet
access was the most requested service, with X.400 third. GEnie has
something over 325,000 members, Angelis said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921201/Press Contact: Pam Angelis, GEnie,
301-340-4212)


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

SNET Seeks Rate Hike 12/01/92
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Connecticut is
the only state primarily served by a non-Bell telephone company.
Southern New England Telephone has served most of the state since
1882, and was not impacted by the 1982 Bell break-up decree. But
today it's in trouble, caught between high capital requirements
and a collapsing local economy, and without the financial
strength to soften the blow.

The solution is a proposed three-year, $160 million rate
increase, which Newsbytes discussed with spokesman Bill Seekamp.
He called it a "rate restructuring," which will result in some
people actually paying less, because of local call metering.

"We'll offer residential service in a different way. There'll be
three options. There's a per-call option, with a minimal $10
rate, and all local calls are priced at 5 cents per minute. The
second option is called a home calling area option -- it's $15
per residence, and they would receive no added charge for calls
within the local exchange -- all other calls are 5 cents per
minute," he said.

"The third option is the extended calling area option. For this there
would be fixed charge within a local calling area. We are adding new
exchanges to most calling areas -- we're making available toll-free
access to new exchanges in most calling areas. We've created maps of
the new exchanges and sent them to the newspapers, so customers can
look at what the options are," he added.

SNET has promised that the new money will be invested in the
local network, Seekamp added. "They're designed to make it
possible for us to increase the pace at which we're deploying new
digital switching systems and other technologies, such as SS7,
optical fiber, and intelligence to the network."

The restructuring will also help SNET lower the cost of in-state
long distance calls. Today it costs more to call Stamford from
New Haven than to call Los Angeles.

"One of the areas where we're proposing to lower rates are in in-state
rates. We're seeking to bring our rates in line with current market
thinking," Seekamp said. "The rate proposal will enable us to generate
more revenue from portions of the business where we ought to
generating more revenue."

Seekamp said that Connecticut regulators will hold hearings on the new
rates in January, and they will be making a decision sometime in May.
"The rates would come into effect mid-year."

With its financial troubles, SNET would seem to be an obvious
take-over candidate. But in the world of local utility regulation,
weakness can be strength. SNET may be in a better position to win
higher rates now, as a financially weak independent, than later,
as a smaller part of a stronger whole.

If the company is sold off, the most likely buyers would be NYNEX,
whose New England Telephone unit controls the surrounding area, and
GTE, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut. But nothing is likely to
happen until the Connecticut regulators act, and until the economy
there rebounds.

One more interesting point. Seekamp praised the local media: "I
would categorize the coverage of this as fair and objective.
There are some controversial and emotional issues in the size of
extended local calling areas for some communities. These become
very intense," he said, adding that coverage has been fair.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921201/Press Contact: Bill Seekamp, SNET,
203-771-3236)


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

New Caribbean Cable Activated 12/01/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- A consortium led
by AT&T has announced that service has begun on the new Taino-Carib
optical cable system in the Caribbean.

The $17 million network links Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Tortola, and
is the first link in two new networks called AMERICAS-1 and COLUMBUS
II, which will link to Latin America and Europe in 1994. An AT&T unit
installed the cable.

Specifically, the new cable runs 186 kilometers, or 116 miles,
from Isla Verde and Miramar in Puerto Rico through a
branching unit to Magen's Bay, St. Thomas, in the US Virgin
Islands, and Chalwell Station, Tortola, in the British Virgin
Islands.

The cable transmits data at 560 million bits per second over six fiber
pairs, for a capacity of about 225,000 simultaneous phone calls, 12 TV
channels without compression, or any combination of data, text, voice
or video.

AT&T is the largest investor in Taino-Carib, with over 42 percent
ownership. MCI is the second-largest owner. A total of 24
international telecomm carriers hold ownership interests.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19921201/Press Contact: AT&T, Tricia Sieh, 201-
326-4224; Jane Levene, MCI, 914-934-6480)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00014)

Dun & Bradstreet Software To Cut Workforce By 400 12/01/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Dun & Bradstreet
Software plans to cut back its worldwide workforce by about
400. The reductions will bring the company's head count to about
2,600 by the end of 1993.

According to a prepared statement from the company: "This
action is reflective of a product transition phase that
anticipates slow revenue growth in the near future as well
as a need for a different employee skill base."

The company also said that it is focusing on three strategic
areas -- client/server, rightsizing, and distributed applications --
as well as traditional IBM host-based applications.

D&B Software President Hank Holland, said: "We regret the loss
of jobs but the evolutionary changes in our industry require a
change in our employee base. Market conditions point to another
challenging year in 1993. And the direction for D&B Software
for the 1990s and beyond dictates a leaner and more focused
company."

The company also announced the "consolidation and transfer of
development and support" for the company's human resource
products from Huntsville, Alabama, to Atlanta by June 1993.

In May, Newsbytes reported that Systems and Computer
Technology had agreed to buy Information Associates, a
subsidiary of Dun and Bradstreet Software, for $22.5 million.

(Ian Stokell/19921201/Press Contact: George Cohen,
508-370-5146, Lorretta Gasper, 404-239-3658, Dun &
Bradstreet Software)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00015)

ASK Computer's MANMAN To Support DEC's Alpha 12/01/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- ASK
Computer has announced plans to develop versions of its MANMAN,
MANMAN/X, and MANMAN Process manufacturing business
management systems to support Digital Equipment's new 64-bit
Alpha AXP RISC (reduced instruction-set computer) platform.
The company hopes to have the products available by November
1993.

Peter West, vice president of marketing for ASK Computer
Systems, said: "ASK is working closely with Digital to offer
systems that are consistent with Digital's long-term strategy."

"By porting our products to Digital's next generation systems, we are
protecting the investment of our existing customers who wish to move
to the Alpha AXP environment and providing new customers with the
option of implementing Digital's highest-performing system," he added.

The two companies have worked together before. In 1982 they developed
a VAX version of MANMAN. According to the companies, they have worked
closely together "to ensure hardware and operating systems
compatibility and co-funded marketing and product initiatives."

ASK Computer claims that the MANMAN product lines are designed
to help companies streamline manufacturing operations, control
costs, manage inventory, deliver products on time, and help run
business efficiently. .

Alpha AXP is Digital's 64-bit RISC computing architecture,
designed to support "fast, uniprocessor, and multiprocessor
implementations that are scalable from palmtop to
supercomputer."

In September, Newsbytes reported that ASK Computer had
announced plans to localize MANMAN/X for the European and
Asia/Pacific markets.

At the time Newsbytes reported that MANMAN/X consists of 27
modules that automate the manufacturing process, including
planning and costing, engineering control, project control,
inventory, shop floor control, sales management, purchasing,
finance, customer service and maintenance.

ASK also announced at the time that it had opened software
development centers in Europe and Asia and reseller
recruitment initiatives to support the regions.

Newsbytes reported in July that, in an effort to reduce the
company's leasing expenses and provide expansion capabilities,
the ASK group of companies had decided to move its headquarters
from Mountain View to Santa Clara, California.

At the same time, the group decided to expand its leasing options at
its Alameda, California, site where its Ingres business unit is
located. The company had also managed to secure a new $50 million
credit line after paying off early, the debt it incurred by purchasing
Ingres.

(Ian Stokell/19921201/Press Contact: Russell Castronovo,
415-335-5534, ASK Computer)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00016)

Cadence In Design Automation Deal With IBM & Motorola 12/01/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Cadence Design
Systems Inc., has signed a multi-million dollar electronic design
automation (EDA) product and consulting agreement with IBM and
Motorola. The agreement covers their recently announced Somerset
design center in Austin, Texas.

According to IBM and Motorola, the Somerset center is a "focal
point of design and development efforts for the next-generation
PowerPC family of single-chip, reduced instruction set computing
(RISC) microprocessors."

According to Cadence, the agreement includes the purchase of
the company's electronic design automation products, which will
be integrated with proprietary design tools from IBM and Motorola.

Additionally, through a three-year partnership, Cadence's design
consulting engineers will work on-site in the Austin facility,
providing design expertise to nearly 300 Somerset design
engineers.

According to Cadence, Somerset engineers will be using a number
of Cadence software to streamline their design process for
developing microprocessors, including: Composer, for mixed-level
design entry; Verilog-XL, for mixed-level logic simulation; and
Dracula, for design verification. The three companies' tools will
be integrated in Cadence's Design Framework II.

Joseph Costello, president and CEO of Cadence, said: "The value-
added to Somerset is not only Cadence's design automation tools
but our expertise in providing a broad range of consulting
services as the organization develops and refines its design
automation environment."

A year ago, Newsbytes reported that Cadence had entered into
a multi-year ASIC (application specific integrated circuit)
design partnership agreement with Fujitsu, and Fujitsu
Microelectronics of San Jose, California.

In January, Newsbytes reported that Cadence had completed its
merger with Valid Logic Systems Inc. Original reports at the
time said that Cadence paid around $198 million for Valid. The
merger created a company with an estimated 2,600 employees
and revenues of more than $360 million.

(Ian Stokell/19921201/Press Contact: Michael Busselen,
408-944-7339, Cadence Design Systems)


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

British Telecom Scores Major Aussie Telecom Contract 12/01/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- British Telecom has announced it
has secured a UKP 350 million contract to supply private voice and
data exchange technology to the New South Wales Government in
Australia.

The deal is one of the largest of its type in the world telecom field
and was won against strong competition from other national and
international telecom companies. According to BT, the deal will mean
that the NSW Government will have one of the most sophisticated
telecom networks in the world.

The announcement of the awarding of the contract to BT will come as a
blow to OTC, the native Australian telecom company. To date, most
major contracts of this type have gone to OTC, but BT has adopted an
extremely aggressive pricing policy on major contracts this past year
or so, resulting in a considerable pick-up in its international
business.

Terms of the contract call for BT to design, install and manage the
private network which will link more than 5,000 offices together. Once
the complete network is in place in a few years time, more than
120,000 computers and 23,000 computers will be on-line in what will be
Australia's largest private telephone network.

The contract forms part of a state development program that has been
fostered by the NSW Government with the aim of making the local
telecom industry more competitive. It is anticipated that BT will
sub-contract some of the required services to local telecom companies
in the NSW area.

As part of the contract and, indeed, recognizing that the contract is
so large, BT is planning to locate a software engineering center for
the region in Sydney. The center will service the needs of
Australasian area customers of BT, which includes the NSW Government.

Announcing the deal, Ann Cohen, the NSW Government's minister for
administrative services, said that the switch to a private network
will save the Government around AUS$280 million during the life of the
contract.

The provision of the NSW network could be an interesting development
for BT in Australia. Most of BT's private data networks are actually
virtual networks on the main public data highways. BT's packet data
network is fairly limited in Australia, so the NSW contract will give
BT the impetus it needs to install major data highways in the region.

(Steve Gold/19921201)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00018)

France Telecom's Teletel Opens Viewdata Link With BT's Prestel 12/01/92
PARIS, FRANCE 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- France Telecom has announced that
users of its Teletel videotext service can now access a selection of
pages on the British Telecom Prestel viewdata service. A similar link
in the reverse direction is also available.

International gateways between the two services have been available on
a limited basis for some time, Newsbytes notes, but usually only to
groups of subscribers or users on the respective networks. For
example, in the late 1980s, subscribers to the Citiservice business
area of Prestel were able to access French Minitel pages, but the
service was only available during certain times and then to selected
subscribers only.

According to France Telecom, international videotext/viewdata traffic
is expected to be very popular. FT claims that international traffic
between the two networks could be quite high, with British Prestel
users accessing the directory assistance and business areas of Teletel
and Teletel users looking at the holidays, travel and business areas
of Prestel.

Newsbytes notes that it is possible to subscribe to both networks on
an out-of-country basis. Access to the French Minitel network is
available via the Infonet international packet data network (PDN) on a
host-paid and chargable account basis, while Prestel allows
international subscriptions to its service through the PDN.
Foreign subscribers pre-pay their PDN calls through their local PDN
service provider.

(Steve Gold/19921201)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00019)

Poland: 8 New Warsaw Phone Exchanges 12/01/92
WARSAW, POLAND, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Warsaw's overloaded telephone
network got a much-needed boost this week as no less than eight new
telephone exchanges were brought into service. All eight exchanges
were supplied and fitted by Alcatel of Spain.

The urban digital exchanges, known as 1000 S12 series, will add a
total of 120,000 phone lines to the Warsaw area. Most of exchange
lines will go to the urban areas, which have so far been starved of
lines. Many small businesses in Warsaw do not have a telephone --
something that has caused many problems for businesses in the area.

Finance for the exchanges has been provided by a $60 million complex
credit system from the Spanish Government. According to Kryszetof
Kilian, the Polish communications minister, the new lines will be of
great use to businesses in Warsaw. "We want foreign capital in Poland
and want to bring Poland closer to Europe," he said.

(Steve Gold/19921201)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00020)

New For PC: Tman Upgrade Supports Windows Accounting 12/01/92
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Bold Point
Software has announced that a new release of Tman, its sales and
inventory software, now works with Computer Associates' Accpac Simply
Accounting for Windows.

In addition, company officials have announced that the multi-user
version, Tman Plus, now supports more networks and an unlimited number
of workstations.

So what is Tman? According to the company, it's a companion product to
Accpac Simply Accounting. The new version, while it remains a DOS
program, integrates with the Windows version of Simply Accounting and
can run under Microsoft Windows.

Kerry Johnston, president of Bold Point, said that his company has no
plans for a full-blown Windows version of Tman at the moment because
Windows is "too slow."

The new Version 3.0 of Tman also includes Bold Point's own accounts
receivable module, and allows users to switch between French and
English operation using a hot key. The latter feature is in answer
to the needs of Canada Post, which recently signed a software
development contract with Bold Point.

The multi-user Tman Plus also now integrates with Accpac Simply
Accounting for Windows. In addition, it now works with all
versions of Novell's local-area network operating software,
including NetWare Lite, and with other NetBIOS-compatible network
software. Third, while the previous version of Tman Plus was
limited to five users, Johnston said, with the new version there is
no practical limit.

The suggested retail price of the software remains at C$495 for
Tman and C$995 for Tman Plus. Those who buy Version 2 after
December 1 will get a free upgrade, as will those who subscribe to
Bold Point's C$120-a-year update policy. Other users can upgrade
for C$120, Johnston said. Version 3.0 of Tman and Tman Plus will
begin shipping in January of 1993, the company said.

(Grant Buckler/19921201/Press Contact: Kerry Johnston, Bold Point
Software, 604-687-2000, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00021)

AT&T Protest Won't Stop MCI Deal, Stentor Says 12/01/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- An agreement between
Stentor Canadian Network Management, Canada's consortium of
regional telephone companies, and the United States long-distance
carrier MCI won't be stopped by a protest from AT&T, a Stentor
spokeswoman has told Newsbytes.

AT&T had protested to regulators in the United States that the
deal, which involves Stentor and MCI working together to develop
intelligent network services and precludes Stentor carrying out
similar development work with other US carriers, violates US
rules against exclusive arrangements between US carriers and
foreign companies.

But Stentor spokeswoman Lynda Leonard said that while Stentor will
not work on the development of services with other US carriers
such as AT&T, the deal does not mean Stentor and other US
carriers cannot cooperate in other ways. "We're confident that the
deal is sound and legal," she said. "Essentially, the deal is
going ahead as planned."

A statement from MCI accused AT&T of trying to restrain competition
and interfere with the deployment of MCI's technology.

As Newsbytes reported in September, the deal calls for MCI to
license the underlying technology of its Vnet, Vision, and Friends
and Family services, known as an intelligent network platform, to
Stentor for $150 million. This will let Stentor offer similar
services in Canada. The companies will also work together to
develop new services which both will offer.

Stentor is made up of British Columbia Telephone, AGT of Alberta,
Saskatchewan Telecommunications, the Manitoba Telephone System,
Bell Canada, New Brunswick Telephone, Maritime Telegraph and
Telephone, Island Telephone, and Newfoundland Telephone.

(Grant Buckler/19921201/Press Contact: Lynda Leonard, Stentor,
613-781-3794; MCI Corporate News Bureau, 800-289-0073 or
202-887-3000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00022)

UK: Agatech Unveils UKP 699 20MHz 386SX Notebook 12/01/92
TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 DEC 1 (MN) -- Agatech has
announced a UKP 699 notebook PC equipped with a 20MHz 80386SX
microprocessor. Bundled in with the 2 megabyte (MB) memory/60MB hard
disk-equipped machine is Microsoft Windows 3.1 and MS-Works for
Windows, as well as a mouse, power management software and DOS 5.0.

The 3026E is claimed to be very popular by Agatech, owing to its light
weight (6 pounds 6 ounces) and 90-minute battery recharge cycle. One
battery charge will run the machine for up to three hours, the company
claims.

According to Greg Walton, Agatech's general manager, the bundle is a
response to feedback from users of the company's machines. "This is
what they want, the package that most notebook users are looking for -
- a good quality machine with a proven track record, the latest
integrated software thrown in and a fabulous price," he said.

A number of optional extras are available for the machine if users
require. Options include a car charger connector and a clip-on tracker
ball at UKP 49.

(Steve Gold/19921201/Press & Public Contact: Agatech - Tel: 0952-
670370)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00023)

Bell Canada Links With Infonet Int'l Services 12/01/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Bell Canada has
announced another move to provide more international
telecommunications services. Through a subsidiary, Canada's largest
telephone company has bought the Communications Services Division of
Infonet/Computer Sciences Canada, thus tying in to Infonet's global
communication services in 135 countries.

WorldLinx Telecommunications, a Bell subsidiary formerly known as
IIS Technologies, bought the Infonet division for an undisclosed
sum. The division's portfolio includes: Enterprise-Defined Network
Services, a globally managed high-speed local-area network (LAN) to
wide-area network (WAN) service; international messaging and
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) services; Enterprise-Defined
Messaging Services for linking electronic mail systems; and billing
and network management services.

Infonet provides communications services to global organizations,
with local operations in nearly 50 countries and access to its
services in more than 135 countries.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Michael Neuman, chief executive
and president of WorldLinx, said the deal has three parts. First,
WorldLinx has acquired the assets of Infonet/Computer Sciences
Canada's Communications Services Division, and has offered jobs to
all the division's employees. The rest of the company, which
provides computer services, will continue intact. Second, WorldLinx
signed an exclusive Canadian distribution agreement with
California-based Infonet Services Corp. Finally, WorldLinx will pay
royalties over the next five years based on its use of Infonet
services.

IIS Technologies, which was renamed WorldLinx at the same time as
the purchase took place, offers desktop videoconferencing software
called Vis-A-Vis. Neuman said that in future this software will
probably be made to work more closely with Infonet's communications
services.

Earlier in November, Bell Canada's parent company, BCE Inc. of
Montreal, announced the purchase of a 20-percent stake in Mercury,
a British telephone carrier. That purchase gives BCE a link with
another world-wide telecommunications concern, Cable & Wireless plc,
which controls Mercury.

Eamon Hoey, a Toronto-based telecommunications consultant, observed
at the time of the Mercury deal that Bell Canada has in the past
had a weakness in its inability to provide international services
to its customers, and said the company seemed to be moving to
address that problem.

Neuman said the two deals are not directly connected, but agreed
that the Infonet agreement is aimed at providing better global
communications services to customers.

(Grant Buckler/19921201/Press Contact: Ruth Foster, Bell Canada,
613-781-3768; Joanne Stanley, Bell Canada, 613-781-3301)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00024)

US Govt Printing Office Goes Online 12/01/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- The venerable
Government Printing Office, the world's largest publisher, has
finally lumbered into the late 20th century by putting a number
of publications on a Galacticomm bulletin board.

The for-fee Galacticomm BBS operates on an 80486-based PC and
reportedly has nearly a gigabyte of data available. All federal
agencies are now free to put downloadable files on the GPO BBS for
public access.

There are currently 16 lines which operate at up to 9,600 bits per
second (bps) available and the GPO is reportedly planning to add 32 more
lines in the near future, perhaps even migrating the entire system to
a larger VAX computer.

To obtain more information about the GPO BBS modem users can log on
to the system at 202-512-1387. The BBS call is free, except for phone
charges, but you must set up an account to actually download data. The
minimum download charge is $2, with a 1 megabyte file costing about
$20 to download.

The following information comes directly from the opening screens
of the BBS:
User assistance is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays) by calling (202)
512-1524. Depository Library staff should call [phone].

The BBS is available 22 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is
unavailable each day from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., Eastern Time, for
maintenance.

This reporter found that the BBS was actually down until at least
7 am on Tuesday morning, probably an extension of the scheduled
maintenance.

In a related story, Government Computer News reports in its November
23rd issue that a California lawyer, William Mayo, has
gotten so fed up with his inability to access Supreme Court
opinions electronically for free at several supposedly
participating San Francisco, California GPO Depository Libraries
that he is suing to force the government into making court
decisions available free.

(John McCormick/19921201/Press Contact: GPO, 202-512-1530)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00025)

LSI Logic Cancels Planned Holiday Shutdown 12/01/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- A little over
a month after posting a third-quarter loss of $111 million, LSI
Logic has cancelled its planned shutdown due to take place over
the Christmas holiday period.

The company says that an "improved business environment," has
led to the decision. The company had planned to shut its
operations on December 21, 22, and 23. LSI Logic had originally
planned the shutdown to lower operating expenses during "a
typically slow business period."

According to the company, "the pace of new orders has caused
lead times to stretch for customer deliveries." The company says
it will continue operating normal hours throughout the rest of
1992 "in order to meet product delivery commitments to
customers." The company also claims to have already "achieved
its objectives to reduce operating expenses in the fourth quarter."

Wilfred J. Corrigan, chairman and chief executive officer of LSI
Logic, said: "The business conditions that prompted the original
idea for a holiday shutdown have changed. With the twin benefit
of improved orders and lower operating expenses over the last
two quarters, the company believes it will achieve solid
profitability in the fourth quarter."

In October, Newsbytes reported that LSI Logic posted a third-
quarter loss of $111 million, after taking a restructuring
charge of $102 million. LSI revenues were $154 million, down
nearly 11 percent from revenues of $172 million in the like
period last year.

The restructuring charge was set to be used to cover the cost of
closing a production plant in Braunschweig, Germany, shifting
some production from the Silicon Valley to the Far East, and
reducing the company's Headland Technology subsidiary in
Fremont to a division that will be run out of its headquarters.
The charge was also set to be used to dismiss 175 employees, or
four percent of its work force.

At that time, the company said that additional ways to cut costs,
planned for the future, included accelerating the phase-out of
older process technologies, increasing the role of the Far East
for high-volume wafer manufacturing and assembly and test, and
relying upon subcontractors and other outside sources to satisfy
an increased portion of the company's requirements.

(Ian Stokell/19921201/Press Contact: Bruce Entin,
408-433-4067, LSI Logic)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00026)

Cisco, British Telecom In Global Networking OEM Deal 12/01/92
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Hoping to
take advantage of the increasing popularity of worldwide
corporate internetworking, Cisco Systems and British Telecom
(BT) have signed an networking product original equipment
manufacturing (OEM) deal.

Under the terms of the new partnership, BT is set to become a
worldwide OEM supplier for Cisco's line of internetworking
products, including the Cisco AGS+, MGS, CGS, IGS, 3000, and
4000 multi-protocol routers.

According to the two companies, they will "work together to
increase connectivity of existing and new wide area networks
(WAN) services and improve network performance and support
for companies working with IBM System Network Architecture
(SNA) networks."

Chris Shaw, BT's general manager for local area systems, said,
"We recognize that customers' computing and communications
needs vary considerably and different business will adopt
individual internetworking solutions. To ensure effective
interoperability between different networking domains,
co-operation among....leading vendors is essential."

BT says that Cisco routers will be included in its Global Network
Services (GNS) international frame relay "portfolio," which will
"allow users operating a typical IBM screen-based application to
increase data transmission speeds over those currently provided
by X.25 networks."

John Chambers, senior vice president of Cisco Systems, said:
"This new partnership between British Telecom and Cisco
completes a key component of Cisco's strategy to ally ourselves
with key industry and technology leaders world-wide."

(Ian Stokell/19921201/Press Contact: Jeff Paine,
415-903-7191, Cisco Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00027)

New for Macintosh: Time, Expense Tracking For Powerbook 12/01/92
ESSEX, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Timeslips Corp.
has introduced LapTrack, a version of its time and expense tracking
software aimed specifically at remote use on PowerBooks and other
Macs.

LapTrack contains most of the capabilities of the company's Mac-
based Timeslips III, but consumes less hard disk space, a company
spokesperson told Newsbytes. The concise new application is
capable of seamless data exchange with the larger program.

Like Timeslips III, LapTrack lets the user time the minutes or
hours spent on a task, keep track of expenses, and categorize time
and expenses by project or client, according to the spokesperson.
Also like Timeslips, the remote program enables the creation of
productivity reports based on task and project or client.

LapTrack lacks the billing and accounts receivable capabilities of
the full-fledged Timeslips program, but the remote software can
export information into Timeslips III for billing and accounts
receivable purposes, the spokesperson stressed.

LapTrack users can employ AppleTalk Remote Access to update a
Timeslips database, running on a Macintosh in a central location.
The central database can supply corporate managers with an overview
of the work performed and expenses incurred by up to 250 LapTrack
users, she said.

LapTrack also comes with an address book that acts as a miniature
version of the client history field on Timeslips, she added. For
file transfers and other data calls, the user can dial directly
from the address book via modem. LapTrack will automatically
record the length of each call.

Like Timeslips III, LapTrack supports Balloon Help and required
Apple Events. A new class of event, just announced, enables access
to LapTrack's timing capabilities from Essential Software's Easy
Alarm software program.

"If you're expecting a client to arrive at a certain time, for
example, you can preset Easy Alarm to send an alert to you at that
time. Then, when the client comes in, all you have to do is push
`go,' and the system will start to record the length of the
meeting," the spokesperson illustrated.

In addition, LapTrack data can be exported into non-Timeslips
programs, including payroll, contact management and PIM, as tab
delimited Macintosh files.

The spokesperson explained that LapTrack's ability to export
information into a central Timeslips database permits managers to
take a closer look at apportionment of the workload.

"What we're seeing in the marketplace is that companies want
tighter control over how employees' time is spent. This concern
over productivity is a very `nineties thing,'" she noted.

However, LapTrack is also helpful to individual users employing the
program on a stand-alone basis, she emphasized.

In addition to LapTrack and the Macintosh edition of Timeslips, the
company produces a DOS version of Timeslips software, currently in
Version 5.

LapTrack and Timeslips III each require a Mac Plus or higher with
a hard disk and at least 1 MB of RAM, running System 6.0.2 or
higher. LapTrack is priced at $79.95. Timeslips III is priced at
$299.95 for a single-user edition and $699.95 for a network
version.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19921201/Press contact: Carol Burke, Timeslips
Corp., tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00028)

 ****Judge Throws Out Complaint Against Microsoft 12/01/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- US District
Court Judge David V. Kenyon has cut the legs out from under BEC
Computer in its attempt to counter-sue software giant Microsoft.

The Judge dismissed BEC's counterclaim against Microsoft alleging
violation on the part of Microsoft of antitrust laws and copyright or
trademark in licensing agreements for MS-DOS and Windows operating
systems is not valid.

Microsoft terminated its licensing agreement with BEC Computer
Company Limited and filed suit against the company in April of
this year alleging BEC, licensed to distribute Microsoft DOS
and Windows to purchasers of BEC hardware only, distributed
tens of thousands of stand-alone copies.

Microsoft's licensing agreement with original hardware
manufacturers prohibits the stand-alone sales of the operating
system software products, but allows OEMs to reproduce the
operating system including documentation and packaging, for
distribution with hardware only.

Microsoft is seeking damages in excess of $5 million, saying
BEC had "massively defrauded" it through under-reporting of
royalties due. BEC is accused of falsifying sales documents to
conceal the unlicensed distribution.

The Microsoft suit, filed in US District Court in Los Angeles,
named BEC Computer Company, Chunk-Kai Lus, and Quey-Pink Wang;
Babtech Enterprise Company, of San Jose, California, and Wei-
Lung Lee; and BEC Computer Company Limited, of Paipei, Taiwan.

Microsoft believes BEC is at the heart of much of the gray
market operating system software sales reported. Microsoft has
set up a toll-free number for users to report suspected gray
market distribution of its operating system software, and a 900
number for support of those who have inadvertently purchased
the gray market products.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921201/Press Contact: Katy Ehrlich,
Microsoft, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Reporting
Number 800- NO COPYN or 800-662-6796, Support 900-896-9000)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00029)

Surveillance Company Allegedly Copying Software 12/01/92
MELVILLE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Vicom, a
publicly held closed circuit surveillance systems company, which has
just reported a $4 million loss in its fourth quarter earnings,
was visited by federal marshals in a raid for alleged illegal
copying of Cadam's P-Cad Master Designer software product.

A former design engineer provided Cadam and the Software Publishers
Association the ammunition to get the order for the raid on the
Melville, New York-based firm. The engineer told the authorities Vicom
purchased a software product for the purpose of breaking the copy
protection designed into Master Designer and once broken, he was
instructed by management to make multiple copies for use on the
personal computers within Vicon.

Cadam and the Software Publishers Association reported multiple
illegal copies of the Master Designer software were revealed on
site at Vicom.

The Software Publishers Association is reminding users that the
US Government has passed a bill making the illegal copying of
software a felony if the value of the illegal product is
greater than $2,500. The retail price of the Master Designer
product is $8,500 so Vicon could be faced with felony charges,
Cadam representatives said.

Burbank, California-based Cadam is a wholly owned subsidiary of
IBM and claims its products are the leaders in printed circuit
board (PCB) design on personal computers and workstations. The
company says it has 21,000 installations world-wide, the largest
installed base of any PCB product.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921201/Press Contact: Al Cohen, Cadam, tel
818-841-9470, fax [phone])


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

Quantum Repurchases 1.5 Mil Shares 12/01/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 1 (NB) -- Disk drive
manufacturer Quantum says it has repurchased 1.5 million shares
of its own stock at a cost of approximately $19.9 million. The
purchase was made in the last two months, the company said, but
doesn't seem to have impacted the price of the company's stock.

Quantum, named in October of this year on Fortune Magazine's
list of "America's 100 Fastest Growing Companies" in October,
says it has been authorized by its board of directors to
repurchase as much as 4.5 million shares. The company did not
mention the possibility of a hostile takeover as a reason for
the repurchase, but said investing in its own stock is in the
interest of its stockholders.

Chief Executive Officer William J. Miller said in a prepared
statement the company's strong cash position, the price of
Quantum stock in the open market, and prevailing interest
rates were all factors in the repurchase decision.

Quantum saw its stock prices take a leap between its average
price a year ago of about 10 3/4 to a 17 5/8 average weekly
amount in February of this year. However, the company's stock
closed November 30, 1992 at 14 7/8.

As of the end of its second fiscal quarter on September 27,
1992 the company said it had $361 million in cash and
investments, an increase of $21 million from the previous
quarter.

Milpitas, California-based Quantum announced in May it was
teaming up with Matsushita, the parent company of Panasonic, to
set up a joint venture company in Ireland. The company, Ireland
Kotobuki Electronics, will manufacture disk drives from scratch
and is projected to create 430 jobs over the next three years.

(Linda Rohrbough/19921201/Press Contact: Catherine Hartsog,
Quantum, tel [phone], fax [phone])