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/1993/NB102093

Text File | 1993-10-20 | 75KB | 1,646 lines

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

New Nextstep 3.2 Offers Windows Compatibility 10/20/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Next
Computers has announced that a new release of its Nextstep
operating system, version 3.2, will be available in early November.
The main benefit of the new version is compatibility with
Microsoft DOS and Windows environments.

Nextstep 3.2 for Intel processors will include a version of
SoftPC for Nextstep that has Microsoft Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS
5.0 installed. Users may experiment with the SoftPC portion for
30 days, after which it will lock up unless the user obtains a
licensing agreement for the software from the its developer --
Insignia Solutions of Mountain View, California. Insignia told
Newsbytes users can expect to pay $249 to obtain a code key
that will permanently unlock the SoftPC portion of Nextstep.

Next says it has worked closely with Insignia to optimize
SoftPC with the Nextstep operating system. Marc Munford,
product manager at Insignia Solutions said: "The result is
fast, 100-percent compatible, DOS and Windows performance.
With SoftPC for Nextstep, customers can be guaranteed they are
always up-to-date with Microsoft's latest release of MS-DOS
and Windows, and that they can continue to develop custom
applications on Nextstep without being concerned about
compatibility with the latest DOS and Windows applications."

While the latest release of DOS from Microsoft is version 6.0,
most of the functionality in terms of memory management and
capability is in the DOS 5.0 product, and software applications
that will run under DOS 6.0 will run under DOS 5.0. The biggest
feature of DOS 6.0 is data compression, a feature SoftPC
decided not to include in its product.

The Nextstep Developer version's claim to fame is its
reputation for being a fast, object-oriented development
platform for custom applications. Most of the new enhancements
to version 3.2 are in the direction of developer support tools.

For example, the new version of Nextstep will include
additional driver support to increase the number of hardware
configurations Nextstep can support. Driverkit, new to the 3.2
version, is described by Next as an object-oriented framework
that for use by developers to write device drivers. Next claims
device drivers can be written using Driverkit in less time with
significantly less code than traditional methods of writing
Unix drivers.

In addition, public application programming interfaces (APIs)
are included to allow sound, small computer system interface
(SCSI), graphics, and local area network (LAN) devices to be
supported by drivers that can be loaded when needed. A variety
of new graphics adapters are supported and for the first time,
full support for 32-bit color graphics is included.

A new Filemerge application can be used by developers to
compare two directories and to show which files are added,
deleted or modified. Developers can also take a pair of files
that are different and have Filemerge show them side-by-side in
a view that marks all differences in a graphical manner, Next
said. The developer can choose to create a third file and
selectively merge the two files by choosing which of the two
files the changes should come from for each set of differences.
The idea is to be able to quickly tell what has changed and
merge changes between the different source files with a few
mouse clicks.

For C++ developers, Next added the GNU libg++ class libraries.
Initial support for portable distributed objects (PDOs) has also
been added. The Projectbuilder feature of Nextstep has always
been able to build objects or applications remotely over the
network on another Nextstep machine, but now Projectbuilder can
communicate via PDOs to a non-Nextstep machine so objects or
applications can be built in the target environment. This will
allow PDO developers to build their object services for their
servers from a Nextstep client utilizing the same Projectbuilder
facilities they use for Nextstep applications.

Nextstep Release 3.2 for Intel still requires a 486 or Pentium
microprocessor, 120 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space for the
user version and 330MB for the Developer's Release, and 16MB
of random access memory (RAM), although 24MB of RAM is
recommended.

Pricing for Nextstep for Intel processors release 3.2 is $795
and the Nextstep Developer release 3.2 product is $1,995.
Upgrades to Nextstep for Next Computers and Nextstep Developer
for Next Computers are $195 and $495 respectively. Customers
who purchase the full version of Nextstep release 3.1 (excludes
evaluation or promotional copies) and return the registration
card before October 31, 1993 will receive release 3.2 free.

Representatives for Next say the company has an installed base
of 50,000 users and another 50,000 to 60,000 copies of its
software has been ordered for delivery over the next 18 to 24
months. The company plans to show release 3.2 of Nextstep at
the trade show Comdex in Las Vegas, Nevada next month.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931019/Press Contact: Karen Logsdon,
Next Computers, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00002)

Arkenstone's Open Book Unbound For Notebooks 10/20/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Arkenstone, a
non-profit Silicon Valley organization supported by the computer
industry which supplies hardware and software for disabled
individuals at a discount, has announced that An Open Book
Unbound, the company's reading machine software, will now
support notebook computers.

Since the first practical system was developed by Kurtzweil more
than ten years ago, the use of optical scanners, computers, and
special optical character recognition software, often combined
with voice synthesis software and hardware, but sometimes used
with braille output, has become a major technology in the arsenal
of those visually impaired individuals who wish to remain
independent of personal helpers yet still gain an education or
pursue a career.

The scanner is used to capture an image of the printed document,
whether it is a letter, brochure, or page from a book. That image is
then processed by the OCR software into a computer-understandable
text file. The next step uses special software to "speak" the file as
words for the listener, either through a headset or speaker.

Using a Hewlett-Packard ScanJet IIp scanner in combination with a
notebook PC, visually impaired users can have a complete twenty
pound scanner-OCR reading system. Arkenstone supplies the
scanner, software, and parallel-to-SCSI (small computer systems
interface) port adapter for $2,093 only through its network of
dealers to qualified individuals. The required notebook computer
and speech synthesis hardware that allows the visually impaired
user to hear the scanned text, is not included in the under $2,100
price tag.

Open Book software supports Adapter, Accent SX & SA, DoubleTalk
LT, Keynote Gold External, Artic Transport, and Litetalk speech
synthesis systems.

Although there is no support for the latest generation of PCMCIA
(Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association) cards,
Arkenstone says that the company does intend to develop such
support. PCMCIA slots are used for adding memory cards or
peripherals, especially to laptop or notebook computers.

Arkenstone has a network of 60 dealers worldwide who
specifically work with the visually impaired. Arkenstone is
located at 1390 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. The
telephone number is 800-444-4443, or 408-752-2200, and
the fax number is 408-745-6739

(John McCormick/19931019/Press Contact: Jim Fruchterman,
Arkenstone President, 800-444-4443)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00003)

Adobe Bundles With Sun, Licenses With Seiko 10/20/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Adobe
Systems Inc., has announced a bundling deal with Sun Microsystems
Comper Corp., and a licensing deal with Seiko Instruments USA Inc.

The deal with Sun calls for the bundling of Adobe Photoshop 2.5
software with the hardware vendor's Sun SPARCstation 10SX
workstation. Seiko Instruments, meanwhile, a manufacturer of
color printers for Macintosh computers, PCs and Unix-based
workstations, has signed a licensing deal giving the company
rights to Adobe's PostScript software.

According to the deal with Sun, each Sun system sold through
March 1994 will include a coupon redeemable from Adobe for a
complimentary copy of the image  editing software package.

In announcing the deal, Steve MacDonald, senior vice  president and
general manager, systems products division at Adobe Systems,
said: "Adobe and Sun have worked together to provide solutions that
strengthen and broaden each company's market position."

According to Jay Puri, vice president of product marketing at SMCC,
"SMCC has targeted the networked publishing and color imaging
markets."

Adobe says that its Photoshop software is used to manipulate
scanned or computer-generated continuous tone, bitmap, grayscale
or color images. The program also provides special effects filters
and 16-million-color paint capability.

Adobe says that, initially, Seiko plans to embed Adobe's
PostScript Level 2 software in its new Professional ColorPoint
2 PSF Model 14 printer. The new printer also includes 104 of
Adobe's Type 1 fonts.

In announcing the licensing deal, John Warnock, Adobe's chairman
and chief executive officer, said: "Coupling Adobe's PostScript Level
2 software with Seiko's new generation of color printers means
Seiko's users in the graphic arts, CAD (computer-aided design) and
desktop publishing communities will have access to the industry
standard for high quality, compatibility and performance in printing."

The company says that, because Seiko plans to embed Adobe's
PostScript Level 2  software within the new printer, rasterization
will occur at the output device rather than at the user's computer.
That leads to reduced network traffic and faster time-to-print
for most jobs.

(Ian Stokell/19931019/Press Contact: Patricia J. Pane,
415-962-3967, Adobe Systems Inc; or Craig Lynar, 408-922-5950,
Seiko Instruments USA Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00004)

UK - IBM Touchmobile Works With Ram Mobile Data 10/20/93
HOUNSLOW, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) --IBM has
announced that its Touchmobile can now be used over the RAM
wireless data communications network. The Touchmobile is a
handheld touch-screen computer that IBM claims is designed for
use on the move.

IBM officials also claim that, when the portable is used in a
mobile situation, the Touchmobile really comes into its own, since
it can allow mobile workers to access remote databases over the
RAM radio-based packet data network.

The Touchmobile is built around a touch-screen computer that
combines bar-code scanning and electronic signature capture with
powerful processing and wireless comms facilities. The resulting
benefit, according to Ram Mobile Data, is that it enables
organizations to respond quicker to customers, reduce operating
costs, and provide higher levels of customer service.

"The range of uses for the Touchmobile are endless -- from retail
distribution to warehousing to field service. Any logistical
operation can benefit from the ability to send and receive vital
data on the spot, especially those who still equip their mobile
staff with little more than a clipboard or a bleeper," explained
John Jarvis, CEO of Ram Mobile Data. "Using the Touchmobile
system helps organizations to manage their resources more
effectively and ultimately reduce operating costs."

Plans call for Ram Mobile Data-equipped Touchmobile computers to
ship towards the end of this year. Newsbytes notes that this is the
first time that a packet radio-based system has been marketed as
a bundled system with a portable PC in the UK. Pricing on the
system will be announced closer to shipment date.

(Steve Gold/19931019/Press & Public Contact: Jane Banham,
Ram Mobile Data, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00005)

QMS Unveils 860 Print System In UK 10/20/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- QMS has announced that the
860 Print Plus System is now available in the UK. Company officials
claim that the system is designed to work with the QMS 860 eight
pages-per-minute laser printer to boost resolution and offer a
range of enhanced facilities.

The 860 Plus adds 1,200 by 600 dots-per-inch (DPI) to the choice of
resolutions available in the 860 range, full bleed 11-inch by 17-inch
printing capabilities for further flexibility in page layout and
design, as well as an increase in standard memory to 24 megabytes
(MB).

Ian Friar, QMS' marketing manager, explained that the 860 has been
successful in business and graphics arts environments since its
launch last year. "And, even though the basic 860 will continue to
meet most of the demands of these sectors for some time to come,
there is also a significant requirement in some areas of the market
for an enhanced version," he said.

Languages emulated by the new system include Postscript Level 1 and
Postscript Level 2, HP PCL4, and HP-GL 7475A. LN03 Plus emulation is
provided with the DEC-net option. The QMS Plus's emulation sensing
processor (EPS) analyzes incoming file data from all the printer's
interfaces, selects the appropriate printer language from those
installed and processes the work -- a process that QMS claims
eliminates the need to change printer settings or issue software
commands to select different printer languages.

The typical buying price of the QMS 860 Plus Printsystem is
UKP4,995. Newsbytes notes that QMS no longer publishes
recommended prices for its hardware.

(Steve Gold/19931019/Press & Public Contact: QMS,
0784-430900)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00006)

Call-Net Becomes Sprint Canada 10/20/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Call-Net
Telecommunications Ltd., a Canadian reseller of long-distance
telephone service, has changed its name to Sprint Canada Inc.,
reflecting an earlier alliance with the US-based long-distance
operator.

The newly named Sprint Canada is one of three subsidiaries of a
holding company which will retain the name Call-Net Enterprises
Inc. Another Call-Net Enterprises subsidiary is Lightel Inc., one
of the companies authorized by federal regulators last year to
build its own long-distance telecommunications network and
compete with Canada's regional telephone companies.

There are no plans to apply the Sprint name to Lightel, said
Susan Jeppesen, vice-president of marketing and product
development at Sprint Canada. She said the well recognized
Sprint name will help Call-Net increase its penetration in the
Canadian market.

An alliance between Call-Net and Sprint, announced in early
August, gave Sprint a 25 percent stake in Call-Net and brought
the Canadian company access to Sprint's advanced intelligent
networking technology.

Sprint Canada has also announced the first service based on that
technology. It said the Clarity service will offer its customers
volume discounts and consolidated detailed billing. More services
using the intelligent networking technology will follow, the
company said.

(Grant Buckler/19931020/Press Contact: Susan Jeppesen, Sprint
Canada, 416-496-1644, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00007)

Unisys 3Qtr Revenue Down, Earnings Up 10/20/93
BLUE BELL, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Despite
a drop in revenue, cost-cutting has enabled Unisys Corp., to post
improved earnings in its third quarter, ended September 30.

The computer-maker's revenues for the quarter were $1,810
million, down from $2,070 million in third quarter of last year.
However, net income rose to $84.1 million, or 29 cents per share,
from $68.3 million or 23 cents per share a year ago.

Unisys said about 35 percent of the revenue decline was due to
the impact of negative currency translation. A drop in defense
business and lower-than-expected revenues from the company's
client/server computing business were also to blame, officials
said.

Excluding the positive effect of one-time tax items in each year,
earnings per share in the quarter were 20 cents versus 17 cents a
year ago.

Unisys said cash flow from operations was $119 million and total
debt was reduced $131 million in the quarter. Standard & Poor's
upgraded the company's credit rating.

The European market slumped most, and the Japanese market was
also weak, Unisys said. The commercial business in the United
States, the Pacific Rim other than Japan, and Latin America did
well.

Officials admitted revenue from the client/server business
declined and did not meet their expectations over the first nine
months of 1993. This was partly because of global economic
factors, a company spokesman said, and partly because of a
product transition. The new U6000/300, a Unix server based on
Intel Corp.'s Pentium microprocessor, began shipping at the end
of the third quarter, along with the Intel 486-based U6000/DT
desktop and U6000/100 server products. More Pentium- and
486-based products are planned in the fourth quarter, officials
said.

During the quarter, Unisys created a new client/server business
unit that it hopes will boost its client/server business over time.

The company expects sales to the traditional defense market will
continue to slide, the spokesman said, but its Paramax unit,
which has focused on that area in the past, is trying to build
more business in other areas. An example, he said, is Paramax's
sale to the US Weather Bureau of 175 weather radar systems
using technology originally developed for military use.

Given current economic trends, fourth-quarter revenues will
probably be down from last year's figure, the spokesman said, but
Unisys hopes to be able to turn in improved earnings.

"We will continue to reduce costs during this period of economic
weakness to position the company to benefit from an economic
recovery," said James A. Unruh, chairman and chief executive, in
a prepared statement.

For the nine months ended September 30, net income was $447.7
million or $1.83 per share. The nine-month period included a net
gain from one-time items in the first quarter of $203.8 million
or 83 cents per fully diluted share. In the nine-month period
one year ago, net income was $222.0 million or 79 cents per
common share, including $27.0 million or 16 cents per share from
the tax benefit of operating loss carry-forwards.

Revenue was $5,640 million in the first three quarters of 1993,
down from $6,170 million in the first nine months of 1992.

Just as the figures were being announced, Storage Technology
Corp., and Amperif Corp., filed a lawsuit against Unisys, accusing
the company of trying to restrain the manufacture and sale of
disk systems. Unisys filed a lawsuit against Amperif on September
1, alleging infringement of Unisys patents. Storage Technology
has announced plans to acquire Amperif.

(Grant Buckler/19931020/Press Contact: J. Peter Hynes, Unisys,
215-986-6948)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00008)

Textware Lite For Mac & WIndows 10/20/93
PARK CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Textware Corp.,
says it will unveil its text retrieval software Textware Lite 1.0
for Macintosh and Windows-based PCs at CD-ROM Expo 93. The
product is scheduled to ship in November 1993.

Textware Lite is a royalty free text retrieval software
program for CD-ROM and electronic publishing applications,
similar to Textware Lite 4.0 for DOS.

Textware Corp., says Textware Lite is typically licensed by
individuals wishing to publish textual databases called cardfiles
which have been created using Textware's authoring software.
Full text indexing, hypertext linking, automatic image tagging,
and multimedia support are provided.

The Textware license lets a publisher include the retrieval
software and one or more cardfiles on an unlimited number of CD-
ROMs or other magnetic media. The royalty cost is a one time fee
of $2,500 per operating system.

Textware Lite users can access a cardfile to retrieve, display
and print information, view text, follow hypertext links, jump to
bookmarks, view sticky notes, and perform full text searches.
Boolean, phrase, proximity, wildcard and synonym searches are
supported. Hypermedia links can display images or access audio or
video. Group 3 and 4 TIFF and PCX image viewer programs are
included.

The DOS version of Textware Lite has been shipping since
February 1993.

(Jim Mallory/19931020/Press contact: Reynolds Bish, Textware
Corp, 801-645-9600; Reader contact: Textware Corp, tel
801-645-9600, fax [phone])


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

Wordperfect Outlines New Support Policies 10/20/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corp., has
announced new support programs for large accounts and says it
will continue its free and toll-free end-user support.

The new large account programs are designated "Platinum" and
"Gold" and include enterprise membership, guaranteed response
time, access to senior-level technicians, CD-ROM based support
information databases (infobases), technical bulletins, a private
bulletin board system (BBS), and listings of local area certified
systems engineers (CSEs).

A Platinum or Gold subscriber is assigned an account coordinator
who services as the account's point of contact at Wordperfect
Corp. The company said the account coordinators have extensive
technical experience and will focus on managing all the service
and support needs of a few accounts within the same vertical
market.

Wordperfect will provide diagnostic software for installation on
a customer workstation that is dedicated to support. When a
problem arises the system engineer and a customer representative
will use the software to diagnose problems.

The two programs differ in several ways. Platinum accounts can
designate up to four employees as contacts to work with the
customer support account manager. Platinum accounts receive
guaranteed four-hour response time, around the clock support, and
the diagnostic software. Gold accounts can designate up to two
employee contacts to receive support during regular business
hours and are guaranteed response within eight hours.

Annual cost for Platinum support is $15,000, while Gold contracts
sell for $10,000 per year. CSEs and Wordperfect CAP (Customer
Advantage Program) accounts with a minimum number of licenses
on CAP Maintenance are eligible for a discount.

The company said it will continue to provide its free and toll
free support for end users. "Alan Ashton and Bruce Bastian
founded Wordperfect Corporation with two basic objectives," said
Ad Rietveld, senior VP of sales and marketing. "The first was to
write software that enables people to be more productive, and the
second was to offer the best customer support. We hold to these
objectives today."

In addition to telephone support, end users can get help through
the company's BBS, a toll-free fax-back system, and an automated
telephone system that allows the customer to navigate through
the company's technical support infobase via their Pc and a modem.

(Jim Mallory/19931020/Press contact: Deborah Hendrickson,
Wordperfect Corp, 801-228-5022; Reader contact: Wordperfect
Corp, 801-225-5000 or 800-451-5151, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00010)

Gates Denies Microsoft Job Cuts Coming 10/20/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates has denied widely circulated reports that the
software company plans to reduce costs by cutting jobs.

The report apparently first appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
The paper cited an unnamed source as saying personnel
redeployment could affect as many as 700 of the 14,000 Microsoft
employees. Most are employed at the company's Redmond,
Washington, headquarters.

"We have no groups that will be shrinking in any way like that,"
Gates told reporters. The company did say that employees who
complete their current projects will be able to transfer to
available jobs on other projects, and overall employment is
expected to continue to grow, although not at the previous rate.
Microsoft has hired an estimated 8,000 people over the last three
years.

However, Gates didn't leave himself a way out if the situation
should change. "We're not going to be like IBM used to be, where
if we have too many people answering the phones we find a new
way to answer the phones with them."

(Jim Mallory/19931020/Press and reader contact: Microsoft
Corp., 206-882-8080 or 800-426-9400)


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

Knight Ridder Buys Stake In US Order 10/20/93
HERNDON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- US Order, which
makes screenphones and screenphone-based services, won a $6
million investment from newspaper chain Knight Ridder that will
bring the company a six percent stake. Knight Ridder also owns
Dialog, Vu/Text, and specialized on-line services for the
financial community.

The deal is contingent on US Order raising another $6 million in
equity, and it expects to close the deal in the next few weeks.
The company has had difficulty creating mass markets for
screenphones, charging that a Bellcore screenphone standard
called the ADSI results in phones that are too-expensive. The US
Order position is that screenphones must be priced below $200 to
be a mass market item. Despite this, the company is involved in a
test of ADSI screenphones with BellSouth in Nashville, Tennessee.
US Order markets its screen phone under the name Scanfone.

US Order is one of two main businesses for its main corporate
parent, WorldCorp, whose troubles are not limited to the slow
pace of screenphone acceptance. The company said recently it will
need $15 million to cover its cash requirements over the next
five months. Its other business, World Airways, is a charter
airline for passengers and freight and is expected to lose $10
million for the quarter ending last September.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931020/Press Contact: William Gorog,
US Order, 703-834-9481)


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

Phone Company Earnings 10/20/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Third quarter
earnings are trickling in for major phone companies, and they
make interesting reading.

GTE earned $468 million on sales of $4.94 billion, in line with
figures a year ago. But it did take a $90 million after-tax
charge for retiring high coupon debt, which would have made
profits look better. It blamed the lower revenue on lower
charges to long distance companies for access to its local
networks. GTE's local phone operations have been larger than
those of any of the regional Bell companies since it bought
Contel a few years ago.

Bell Atlantic, whose buy of TCI may not be complete for a year,
said its net income dropped slightly, to $378.5 million, which it
blamed on a federal tax increase on corporate profits and one-
time accounting charges. Revenues were actually up four percent,
to $3.18 billion. As with GTE, there were big gains in sales and
profits from cellular phone operations -- the actual local phone
network business remains flat with limited profits.

Pacific Telesis, which wants to spin-off its cellular interests,
reported earnings of $323 million on revenues of $2.6 billion. It
credited other new federal tax law changes besides the corporate
rate hike for its gains, and said without them earnings would
have remained at 1992 levels. Chairman Sam Ginn, who wants to
move to the cellular side after the spin-off, called the numbers
respectable considering the sluggish California economy. PacTel
also completed the purchase of NordicTel Holdings of Sweden, a
cellular phone company, for $153 million. NordicTel operates one
of Sweden's three digital GSM networks, and two analog networks.
It also owns cellular operations in Denmark, and PacTel owns a
quarter of Mannesmann Mobilfunk's GSM network in Germany, as
well as stakes in Portugal and Spain.

US West took it on the chin to the tune of $3.15 billion in
special charges, changing the way it accounts for big capital
expenditures. Revenues rose to $2.58 billion, and earnings would
have been $293.9 million without the accounting change. As it is
the company reported a net loss of $3.54 billion. The company has
applied to the FCC for permission to start upgrading its networks
using a hybrid copper-coaxial-fiber system, and the number of its
phone lines served rose to 469,000, up 3.5 percent, over the
previous year.

Beyond the Baby Bells, Rochester Telephone announced slightly
higher earnings, $19.237 million against $18.448 million, on an
equivalent revenue rise to $147.763 million from $142.116
million. As with the regional Bells, profits were re-stated to
reflect the retro-active increase in federal corporate tax rates
dating back to January.

Sprint, which operates local, long distance, and cellular
operations, reported a 34 percent jump in profits from long
distance services as well as big gains in profits from local and
cellular service, owing to its acquisition of Centel. Total
earnings, however, were just $1.22 million on revenue of $2.87
billion, against earnings of $120 million and revenue of $2.63
billion a year ago.

In other earnings news, small long-distance company LCI
International reported a strong quarter, with revenues up 35
percent to $90.4 million over a year ago, and operating income
up 58 percent to $9.4 million against $5.9 million. DSC
Communications continued its strong comeback from 1991's
technical embarrassments, posting profits of $23.3 million,
triple the $6.9 million of a year earlier, on sales of $188
million, up 32 percent from the $142.4 million of 1992's third
quarter. And Intermedia Communications, a competitive access
provider against BellSouth in Florida, reported revenues up 25
percent, to $2.16 million, with a small net loss.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931020)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00013)

PowerOpen Specification Targeted By Year End 10/20/93
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- The
PowerOpen Association is eyeing the end of this year as the target
date for wrapping up the baseline definition of the PowerOpen
Application Binary Interface (ABI), said Tom Mace, the new
president of the industry group, in an interview with Newsbytes.

But the effectiveness of the ABI in achieving cross-platform
interoperability among PowerOpen-compliant products is more
important than the date the specification is delivered, added Mace,
who took over the reins of the association's top spot when Domenic
LaCava resigned from the post last week.

"The plans are to continue what we've been doing, because things
are going in the right direction. The standards are being defined
as we speak. Our current goal is to have them defined, at least at
the baseline level, by the end of this year. But I won't give any
promises on dates. We want to make sure we do it right, rather
than worrying about the timing," Mace told Newsbytes.

The PowerOpen Association's emerging ABI is a hardware and
software interface designed to let binary-compatible applications
run across compliant PowerPC-based systems from multiple
vendors.

The association was founded by IBM, Apple, Motorola, Bull, Thomson-
CSF, Harris, and Tadpole Technology. The group also has about 130
associate members, including Oracle, Frame, Informix, Sybase and
other major independent software vendors (ISVs), said Pat Riemitis,
who continues in her position of vice president of marketing for
the group.

"Nobody is releasing a PowerOpen operating system at this point.
(Vendors are) delivering their own operating systems to their own
sales forces. What they want to do is to make sure they are
compliant with the ABI standard that we're putting together," noted
Mace.

"In the mean time, one of the key considerations is to assure that
we get 'applications capture,' by which we mean that existing
shrink-wrapped applications will have the strongest opportunity to
run on these machines as they are brought to market," he said.
Applications capture, he explained, is being achieved through a
combination of porting the toolbox activity of various operating
systems -- such as Macintosh, for example -- into machine language,
while also emulating some code.

To this end, the association is now supplying ongoing documentation
and technical support to members, said Riemitis. Meanwhile, the
group is also developing ABI certification tests and tools that
will be designed for use in porting applications to the completed
PowerOpen environment, she added.

Specific information on the tools will be released to members over
the next 60 days, she told Newsbytes. The first of the tools will
be in place by this spring, when the first PowerOpen-compliant
systems start rolling out the door, she projected. Also by spring,
the association will have readied a catalog of PowerOpen software.
"The software catalog will be distributed by our members on a very
large base of advertising. Our list of members is continuing to
get more impressive," she maintained.

Mace, the new president of the PowerOpen Association, has been
president and CEO of x88open for the past four years. Previously,
he was a co-founder and vice president of marketing for Unix
International. He has also held key positions with Unisys,
Convergent Technologies, Raytheon and DEC.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931020/Press Contacts: Pam Preston or
Joshua Weinberg, Technology Solutions for PowerOpen Association,
tel [phone]; Pat Riemitis, PowerOpen Association, tel
617-273-1550; Reader contact: PowerOpen Association,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00014)

Japan - Toshiba's CD-ROM Drive For Notebook PCs 10/20/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Toshiba has developed an
extra-thin CD-ROM drive, which is claimed to be about 40 percent
thinner than existing products on the market.

The new drive can be used with notebook computers. Toshiba will
release the drive on an experimental basis in November. The price
of the sample CD-ROM drive is 70,000 yen ($700).

Toshiba's latest drive is called the XM-4101B. It is only 2.5
centimeters (cm) thick. Although it is thinner, the product
reportedly has enough power to be used with regular CDs.

Toshiba is planning to ship 1.2 million units in its first
year of production. Currently about 6.5 million CD-ROM drives are
used worldwide. That number will reportedly reach 10 million by
the end of next year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931020/Press Contact: Toshiba,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00015)

Japan - Hitachi & Sharp To Increase LCD Production 10/20/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Hitachi and Sharp have
been building up their manufacturing facilities in order to
make more liquid crystal display (LCD) products.

Hitachi plans to spend 30 billion yen ($300 million) to create
a LCD production line. Sharp will also spend 40 billion yen
($400 million) to build a large-scale LCD plant.

Hitachi plans to convert its Braun-tube display plant into a
LCD facility. The firm has been shifting the production of
Braun-tube displays to South East Asian countries.

It is reported that Hitachi will soon begin building a three-
story LCD plant at its Mobara site in Ibaraki Prefecture. Clean
rooms and manufacturing lines will also be created. The firm
expects to start shipping 30,000 units of the TFT (thin film
transistor) LCDs a month by mid-1994. Hitachi is currently
producing LCDs at the plant, but only 5,000 units per month.
By fiscal 1996, Hitachi hopes to raise production to 110,000
units monthly, in order to gain an anticipated 15 percent market
share.

Meanwhile, Sharp will invest $400 million to create a new LCD
plant in Mie Prefecture. The firm will start building the facility
in January. It will be completed by early 1995. Sharp plans to
begin shipping the TFT LCDs from the plant in the fall of 1995.

This will be the third LCD plant for Sharp, which currently holds
about a 40 percent share of the worldwide LCD market. At the new
plant, Sharp plans to ship 200,000 units per month. If true, it will
become the largest LCD plant in Japan.

Sharp is currently producing LCDs in the US and Taiwan. The firm
is planning to increase production of other types of LCDs, such as
super twist nematic types, in the near future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931020/Press Contact: Hitachi,
tel [phone], fax [phone], Sharp, tel
[phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00016)

IBM UK Intros New PS/1 Series 10/20/93
PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- In a move
that the company claims aims to make computers as easy to use as
household appliances, IBM has announced a family of powerful
Personal System/1 (PS/1) machines for small business, home
office and home consumers.

According to IBM, all the machines in the redesigned PS/1 family
feature the company's patented smart energy system technology.

IBM officials claim that there are also two energy-saving models
that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star
program. These machines are called Rapid Resume and Standby,
according to Steve Rowley, IBM PC Co's UK's manager, who
explained that, "The IBM PS/1 brand has grown remarkably over
the last year. The new PS/1 will enable consumers to use Windows
the way it was meant to be used."

Rowley dismissed any suggestions that this revamp is in response to
falling sales of the PS/1 line. "Since the introduction of the brand
for consumers in 1990, the PS/1 line has seen several enhancements
and design changes that have helped to increase sales. First half
shipments 1993 shipments of PS/1 units were 80 percent more
than in the same period the previous year," he said.

"Based on extensive input from consumers and retailers, we have
redesigned the PS/1 family and implemented new features to
enhance productivity. These features reiterate a key element in
our vision of 'natural computing' -- making computers adapt to
the way people actually work," he added.

IBM claims that using the PC is "child's play" with Rapid Resume.
The program is designed to operate in the same way as people do
their work in the office, the company maintains.

According to IBM, normally, users take documents out of folders and
open them in any order they like. At the end of the day everything
is left on top of the desk. The next morning users come back and
pick up the same documents without searching for them all over
again. Likewise with Rapid Resume, the company claims.

Rapid Resume also helps conserve energy and money with its
Automatic Power Off option. This option, the company claims,
helps conserve energy with its auto power off facility. When the
system is powered back up, after turning off automatically when
not in use for between 15 and 90 minutes, it returns the user to
the point under Windows or DOS they were at the point of
switch-off.

Configurations of the new machine vary widely. Processor types
range from 25 megahertz (MHz) 486SX to 66MHz 486DX2, with
hard disk options starting at 129 megabytes (MB) and ranging to
253MB. Four MB of memory are supplied as standard, with
expansion facilities to 64MB.

Pricing on the new PS/1s will be set by retailers, IBM said, but
as a rule of thumb, they are expected to range from UKP999 to
UKP2,399.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931020/Press & Public Contact: IBM UK.
tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

UK - Cellnet Says Mobile Phone Use Growing 10/20/93
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Based on
information supplied by Cellnet, there is still a fast growing
interest in mobile phones. Sales are increasing and, Cellnet claims,
the network's growth is higher than ever before in the history of
the cellular phone industry.

In September of this year, around 37,500 people decided to
subscribe to Cellnet. The total number of connections to Cellnet
was 63,000 during the third quarter of 1993. Cellnet claims that
these figures show an increasing demand for mobile phones.

Despite the fact that Cellnet has been lagging behind its main
competitor, Vodafone, in recent years, the company claims that it
is clawing back its market share. Cellnet now claims it has more
than 776,000 subscribers on its network -- an increase of more
than 200,000 on those on-line a year ago.

Cellnet says it has achieved this remarkable increase in
subscribers by offering a strategy that combines business sense
with care for customers. Recently, the company has cut prices
on all its tariff and introduced a new phone tariff for London.

Despite this surge in sales, Cellnet maintains it is not resting on
its laurels. The company has just announced the largest marketing
campaign in its history to back its services, and forecasts that it
will continue to outstrip Vodafone in the number of subscribers it
signs up over the next year.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931020/Press & Public Contact: Cellnet,
[phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00018)

Play Detective On Your Apple Mac 10/20/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Mysterium Tremendum claims
that the launch of Moriarty's Return, a new game for the Apple Mac,
will allow users to have a lot of fun. The game, which was
announced at the Paris Mac World computer expo last month, is
now shipping.

According to the company, Moriarty's Return is a Sherlock Holmes-
type of entertainment. The package has been designed to enhance
users' knowledge of world's history, geography, and cultures.

The rules of the games are simple: the aim is for players to trace
criminals around the world -- from city to city trying to gather
maximum information and clues to define the criminal's appearance,
location, and identity.

Part of the information required in the game comes from witnesses,
who do not always tell the truth. To win the game, players must pick
the criminals out of a line up.

During the game, players can create a picture of the villain, using
the built-in 'Sketch-a-Wretch.' And that is not all. Crooks can
behave differently, depending on their physical appearance. They
can also be disguised, the company claims.

According to James Harvey, author of the game and president of
the company, this combination of strategies is unique and cannot
be found in other games anywhere.

Harvey also claims that the game has a high degree of flexibility
in its construction: it can be played by a group. It has also been
designed for two age groups: one division is for children ages 9 to
15, while the other is designed to be more challenging for the
older generation.

Moriarty's return ships in both color and black and white versions on
the same disk. The package requires a Mac Plus or better equipped
with System 6.0.5. or later. The color version needs two megabytes
(MB) of memory. UK/European pricing have yet to be confirmed by the
company, but are expected to be in line with the US version, which
ships at $59.95.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931020/Press & Public Contact: Mysterium
Tremendum - tel (US) 412-551-7790, fax [phone];
Email on Applelink - Mystre; Email on the Internet -
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00019)

UK - Lotus Intros Improv For Windows 2.1 10/20/93
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Lotus
Development UK has announced shipment of Improv for Windows
release 2.1, an upgrade to its spreadsheet package.

The company claims that the new versions features network-ready
installation, compatibility with .WK4 file format of the new 1-2-3
Release 4 for Windows, and integration with Lotus Notes workgroup
computing software.

In the UK the suggested retail price for the software has been set
at UKP365. A companion upgrade package is also selling for existing
users of earlier editions for UKP149.

"With the companion upgrade, Lotus is providing an affordable option
which is attractive to existing traditional spreadsheet users who
need different tools for different tasks," explained Andrew Wyatt,
brand manager for spreadsheets with Lotus UK.

"Improv's unique dynamic viewing and analysis, ease in spreadsheet
modification, and its capabilities for auditing and sharing of
spreadsheets make it the ideal complement to both Lotus
spreadsheet and competitive spreadsheet customers," he claimed.

Improv for Windows release 2.1 runs on a 386 or better-based PC
fitted with 4 megabytes (MB) of memory and a hard disk with at
least 12MB of free hard disk space.

(Steve Gold/19931020/Press & Public Contact: Lotus
Development UK, 0784-455445)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00020)

UK - Oftel Outlines Calling Line Identification 10/20/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Don Cruikshank, the
director general of the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel), the
government-appointed watch-dog on UK telecommunications
affairs, has published a consultative document discussing calling
line identification (CLI).

CLI allows the telephone exchange to transmit the number of the
calling party along with the first ring on the called party's phone.
This allows features such as the ability to spot who is calling
before the call is answered.

"The modernization of our telecommunications networks has led to
the prospect of innovative services such as CLI. For many customers,
such a service would solve persistent problems -- for example, such
as being able to identify nuisance calls before accepting the call,"
he said.

According to Cruikshank, CLI also opens up the possibility of
implementing extra facilities such as "call back when free" and
"selective call forwarding." But CLI, he notes, does raise a number
of important questions.

Even subscribers who might not choose to take the service
themselves would reveal their number to those they call unless
they block the ID details on every call they make by dialing
special prefixes.

"I am therefore anxious to receive the views of a very wide range of
telephone users in response to this consultation exercise. I can
then do my best to ensure from the start that the service offered is
the one that customers want," he said.

Copies of the consultative document, called CLI, are available free of
charge from Oftel's press office in London. Comments on the issues
involves are requested to be in by the November 19, this year.

(Steve Gold/19931020/Press & Public Contact: Oftel Press
Office, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00021)

What's New About Apple's Quicktime 1.6.1 10/20/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Apple
Computer has announced its latest version of the multimedia
extensions, Quicktime 1.6.1, at the announcement of the new
Macintosh operating system, System 7 Pro.

The company says that, key differences between this new release
and Quicktime 1.5 include less memory use, better performance,
better integration with Apple technology, new interfaces, and
increased reliability.

Quicktime offers users the ability to imbed sound, video, and
animation into ordinary documents or applications on the
Macintosh. While the new version of Quicktime still takes the
same amount of memory when operating, it unloads a large
portion of itself from memory when not in use.

The 1.5 Quicktime version took up 160 kilobytes (KB) of RAM when
installed, but the new version only requires less than 18 KB upon
installation. This also means less memory is required for movie
playback as well, Apple representatives said.

The new version is also more reliable, as Apple claims it fixed
all known bugs present in the 1.5 version. For example, 1.6.1
adds tear-free movie playback support to the image compression
manager which reduces the tearing visible when playing back
movies with large amounts of background motion, Apple maintains.

In addition, the latest Quicktime version integrates better
with Apple's technology by offering explicit support for the
grayscale Powerbook, Mac Easy Open, and Color Sync. Also, a
new 3.0 version of the Sound Manager, offered with Quicktime
1.6.1, allows for a faster movie playback environment than under
Quicktime 1.5.

Quicktime users will notice a few new enhancements in the
Quicktime 1.6.1 user interface as well. For example, the movie
import component is now a drag-and-drop operation, allowing
users to import compact disc (CD) tracks as easily as they
can open PICS or AIF files.

Apple is offering a toll-free order line to accommodate those
who wish to upgrade to Quicktime 1.6.1. There is a $10 charge
plus tax where applicable for the upgrade, but no shipping and
handling charge, according to staffers on the toll-free line.
The new version is also now available in the System 7.1 upgrade
and upgrade kits or from Apple bulletin boards and user groups,
company officials said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931020/Press Contact: Whitney Greer,
Apple Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00022)

 ****Dataquest - CD-ROM Market Exaggerated 10/20/93
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- There is a
strong shift on the part of multimedia hardware makers towards
software in the form of CD-ROM titles.

Apple Computer, Media Vision, and Creative Technologies have all
announced their intention to offer CD-ROM software titles in
various forms. Traditional book publishers, such as Harcourt Brace,
are getting to the act as well. However, Dataquest analysts say
the race to CD-ROM may be premature.

Media Vision's Allen Thygensen, senior director and general
manager of multimedia publishing, told Newsbytes: "Content,
long term, is where the money is."

Ian Diery, executive vice president of Apple Computer's
Personal Computer Division, said the company sees such strong
opportunity in the direction of content that it has gone as far
as to spend $100 million to populate the market with CD-ROM
hardware so it can sell CD-ROM titles.

Harcourt Brace and Company, a publisher in the educational
market, just recently purchased Archipelago Productions, a
California-based developer of CD-ROM and interactive computer
software and educational products, for the purpose of entering
the educational software market. Random House, another
educational publisher, recently announced a joint venture
agreement with multimedia software publisher Broderbund to
develop and distribute CD-ROM titles.

However, the market for CD-ROM drives and titles may not grow
as fast as these companies anticipate, according to Bruce Ryon,
principle multimedia analyst with the market research firm
Dataquest. Ryon said exaggerated reports have had the CD-ROM
market as high as $3 billion, but Dataquest has been unable to
find any supporting evidence for a market larger than $600
million right now.

A recent Dataquest survey revealed only seven percent of a sample
population of 200 consumers with computers have CD-ROM drives
attached to their computers. Ryon says independent surveys he has
seen have held to the same proportions. This means the current
market for CD-ROM titles is a small subset of the PC market as
a whole.

In addition, Ryon said he found a whopping 85 percent of the CD
software titles are sold bundled with CD-ROM drives and those
surveyed said they were happy with the software that came in
the bundle. Less than fifty percent bought additional titles
after buying the CD-ROM bundle and most buyers said they did not
plan to purchase any more CD-ROM titles. As the CD-ROM drive
market becomes more competitive, manufacturers are considering
cutting their costs by eliminating the expense of the bundled
software, but Ryon says these companies are also afraid to
eliminate the bundles because they fear CD-ROM sales will drop
off altogether.

The main demand in the CD-ROM market is driven by the needs of
home business and home education, according to Dataquest. A
family can easily justify the purchase of a CD-ROM drive
bundled with an encyclopedia on CD as opposed to the $1,700 or
higher expense of an actual book set of encyclopedias, Ryon
said. In addition, other reference materials, medical
encyclopedias, and early learning software titles are also
finding acceptance in the home and small business markets. As
for the rest of the titles out there, Ryon quipped, "There's a
lot of content chasing not many potential buyers."

While there appears to be a nice growth curve ahead of 30 to 40
percent, the steep growth curves hyped by the multimedia
hardware companies are probably not going to occur, Ryon
claims. A handful of companies are doing well, such as Software
Toolworks with a $28 million revenue stream and Compton's in
the $26 to $28 million range. However, the vast majority of
content developers are small shops with total revenue of under
$50,000.

Why all the hype? Ryon says it is in the interest of the
multimedia hardware vendors to make the market sound lucrative.
These companies sell more hardware and get more developers to
make titles for the hardware, Ryon maintains.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931019/Press Contact: Bruce Ryon,
Dataquest, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Mitel To Make ATM Components 10/20/93
KANATA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Mitel Corp., said it
will develop circuitry to let local area networks carry voice and
video signals using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology.

The work will be part of a cooperative venture organized by the
Semiconductor Microelectronics Consortium (SMC), an Ottawa-based
group that includes many of Canada's microelectronics companies.
Under the same initiative, Newbridge Networks Corp., also of
Kanata, will develop ATM-based network interface cards, and
PMC-Sierra, of Burnaby, British Columbia, will develop other
integrated circuits for ATM.

Howard Tweddle, vice-president of integrated circuit marketing
at Mitel, said his company brings to the ATM effort a strong
background in real-time communications. Mitel is most
prominent in telecommunications systems.

ATM is a high-speed networking technology capable of carrying
data, voice, and video information. To date, it has been used
mainly for data. However, according to Mitel officials, customers
are demanding applications that integrate computing and
telephony, and ATM is a way of providing them.

Mitel expects products resulting from this work to emerge
by the third quarter of 1994.

The company said its circuits will be able to work with the
components being developed by PMC-Sierra. The components might
also be used on Newbridge's network interface cards, Tweddle
said, but that is not formally agreed upon to date.

No official specifications for running voice and video over ATM
exist today, Mitel said, but its approach will allow real-time
applications without waiting for those specs. It will use
eight-kilohertz (KHz) synchronization to internetwork with the
public switched network, and allow portions of bandwidth to be
assigned dynamically.

(Grant Buckler/19931020/Press Contact: Bonnie Perrigard,
or Mel Roberts, Mitel, 613-592-2122)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00024)

 ****DEC Loses Again In 1Qtr 10/20/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp., has reported a revenue drop and a net loss in its
first quarter, ended October 2.

The loss reverses an upturn that took DEC into the black in the
fourth quarter of last year, but this was not unexpected. In
commenting on the fourth-quarter results in July, officials
admitted to being unsure the company could turn a profit in the
traditionally weak first quarter.

DEC lost $83.185 million, or 62 cents per share, on revenues of
$3,015 million, in the quarter. That compares to a loss of
$260.546 million, or $2.04 per share, on revenues of $3,314
million in the first quarter of last year.

It compares to net income of $113.2 million, or 85 cents per
share, on revenues of $14,370 million in the most recent
quarter -- the fourth quarter of last year. DEC's first quarter is
traditionally weaker than its fourth.

In a telephone conference with reporters, William M. Steul, DEC's
chief financial officer, admitted the first-quarter loss was
disappointing. But, he added, "the company is on its recovery
plan and the management is confident about the future." Steul
pointed out that DEC has chalked up four straight quarters of
improved results year over year.

He said weakness in Europe, along with unfavorable currency
exchange rates, contributed to the loss. Sales in Germany and
Italy were particularly weak, Steul said, while sales in the
United Kingdom and Asia grew and those in the United States
slipped slightly.

Edward Lucente, the former Northern Telecom Ltd., executive who
joined Digital earlier this year as vice-president of worldwide
sales and marketing, said DEC is working to improve its marketing
and sales performance. "I am very impressed with DEC's product
line," he said. "There is no technology gap or product gap that
needs to be filled."

To do a better job in sales, Lucente said, the company in July
introduced a commission plan for its worldwide sales staff, and
has also launched a worldwide education program and efforts to
have more sales staff working directly with customers.

Officials laid heavy stress on DEC's efforts in client/server
computing, which were the subject of a major announcement
recently. The announcements, "open up many new opportunities for
our Alpha systems," said Lucente, referring to DEC's new Alpha
AXP hardware architecture. Steul said about one fifth of DEC's
first-quarter systems revenues came from Alpha hardware.

Restructuring of the company will continue over the coming year,
the officials said, although they forecast fewer job cuts than in
the past year. Steul said about 15,000 jobs were cut during the
past year. He added that while a two-year plan begun in June of
1992 calls for some additional cuts this year, the number is
expected to be lower.

There will also be other cost-cutting measures in the
coming year, Steul said, with the cost covered by an existing
restructuring reserve.

In response to a question, he said significant cuts in research
and engineering are unlikely in the coming year.

DEC also announced a minor reshuffling of its reporting
structure, saying that five customer business units created at
the beginning of the fiscal year will now report to Lucente
rather than directly to Robert B. Palmer, president and chief
executive.

Company spokesman Mark Fredrickson described this as a
fine-tuning of the new business-unit structure that took
effect at the beginning of the year.

(Grant Buckler/19931020/Press Contact: Bradley D. Allen,
Digital, 508-493-7182; Jim Chiafery, Digital, 508-493-8009)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00025)

 ****CASE World/Objex - Firms Getting Complacent 10/20/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Many of
today's top corporations, in and outside of the computer industry,
have become bogged down by complacency, said Fran Tarkenton,
CEO of KnowledgeWare Inc., and former quarterback for the
Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.

Meanwhile, innovative individuals and smaller companies are seizing
the day by making the most of their potential, and refusing to
settle for anything but the best, added Tarkenton, speaking last
night to a packed audience in a special presentation at Digital
Consulting Inc.'s CASE World/Objex Conference in Boston.

In the computer field, Bill Gates' multibillion dollar success with
Microsoft is a case in point, he emphasized. Other examples
include Ted Turner, who skyrocketed to the pinnacle of the
entertainment world by taking a gamble on cable TV, and the
founder of Walmart.

While the profitability of the other major TV networks continues to
decline, Turner's empire keeps on flourishing, noted Tarkenton.
Yet when Turner first embarked on his cable enterprise, others in
the entertainment industry did little but jeer.

Similarly, the man who founded Walmart began his career as the
franchiser of a single Franklin Discount Store. In an effort to
boost sales, he talked to the store's customers, who told him they
were looking for "better value, more quality, and better service."

The franchiser then went to Franklin's headquarters in Chicago to
present his findings, but company higher-ups dismissed his
findings. Undaunted, however, the man went on to launch Walmart,
and grew the company into a $60 billion business.

No business, no matter how large, can afford to rest on its
laurels, and that includes KnowledgeWare, Tarkenton asserted.
After Tarkenton took the helm of the major CASE (computer-
aided software engineering) vendor in about 1980, profitability
rose year by year for about a decade, he recalled. But then,
about two years ago, profits declined for the first time.

"We had become complacent and arrogant," Tarkenton reported. In
response, the CEO directed a major company overhaul. To begin with,
he sent out a letter to all of the company's customers, asking them
to call him personally, at home or at work, with any problems or
suggestions. He began to receive about 150 phone calls a day.

Tarkenton indicated that he took this action in part to let
customers know of his deep, day-to-day involvement with company
operations, and his concern for customer needs. Many people had
erroneously assumed that, as a former football player, he was
merely the titular head of KnowledgeWare, or that he was the
company's public relations rep.

Bringing KnowledgeWare to its current status has been no easy
task, he emphasized. "I stand before you in a grey suit, with black
socks, and lace-up shoes...because I am in Boston," he remarked, to
empathetic chuckles from the audience. But in fact, running
KnowledgeWare is a shirt-sleeve job that has required him to
stay up all night, at times.

To remain competitive, companies must always adhere to the highest
standards, and they must not be afraid to demand the best from all
their employees, the CEO stated. They must not be afraid to take
risks. Above all, they must never become complacent. Gates,
Turner, and the founder of Walmart never did.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931020/Press contact:  Todd J. Keefe,
Digital Consulting Inc., tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00026)

 ****Case World/Objex -- GUIs/OOP Tools Everywhere 10/20/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) --  At least two
dozen vendors are introducing new products at the CASE World/Objex
Conference & Exposition in Boston this week, with faster and easier
software development as their common goal.

Newsbytes reports that Windows- and OS/2-based graphical user
interfaces (GUIs), aimed at furthering that end, can be seen
everywhere on the exhibition floor. So, too, can object-oriented
(OO) tools, in keeping with Objex, a conference component newly
added to CASE World this year.

Information Engineering Systems Corp., is introducing a new, multi-
user client-server version of its Universal CASE (computer-aided
software engineering) tool for building platforms, architecture
and language, handling reverse and forward reengineering projects,
and supporting the whole development life cycle. Version 6.1
operates in Windows and runs on Novell networks.

Micro Focus is showing its new COBOL SQL (standard query language)
Development Option 1.0, a tool for interactively developing and
testing new and existing SQL queries for COBOL programs using a
"point-and-click" approach on Windows, OS/2, or DOS platforms.

Applied Business Technology Corp., is debuting Methods Architect
1.0, a Windows-based program designed to let Information Systems
(IS) organizations customize and automate in-house and vendor-
created development technologies. Officials said that the
customized methodology can then be used with ABT's Project
Bridge Modeler to plan and estimate a project before it is sent
for scheduling, tracking and analysis to the company's Project
Workbench.

IPSYS Software is displaying IPSYS Object Information Engineering,
a new implementation of its product which uses OO features to
facilitate generation of client-server applications. The toolset
does not impose any process model, and can be used to
develop applications, according to the company.

McCabe & Associates is rolling out the McCabe Object-Oriented Tool,
a product aimed at providing software testing and metrix for OO
systems. The tool provides a clear visualization of OO
applications architecture from the perspective of either a single
object or a group of objects, officials asserted. The software
also contains features for migrating systems from traditional
languages to OO.

Other companies that are introducing new products include AGPW
Inc., ALYDAAR, Associative Design Technology, Burl Software
Laboratories, CGI Systems Inc., Cincom, Coopers & Lybrand, Esprit
Systems Consulting Inc., Future Tech Systems, Hitachi, IBM,
Interactive Development Environments, KnowledgeWare, Marconi
Systems Technology, Mark V Systems Ltd., McCabe & Associates,
and Meta Software Corp.

Also on the list are Performance Development Corp., Price
Waterhouse, Popkin Software & Systems, Softool Corp.,
Structured Solutions, Texas Instruments, Virtual Software
Factory, Westmount USA Inc., and Wizdom Systems Inc.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931020/Reader contact:  Digital Consulting
Inc., tel [phone]; Press contact: Todd J. Keefe, Digital
Consulting Inc., tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00027)

Library of Congress' First Fully Digitized Video Demo 10/20/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- The Library
of Congress has its first digitized video multimedia display.

Horizon Technology Incorporated (HTI), the developers of the
interactive demonstration, says library users experience real-
time capture of a digitized image for playback or can use a
touch screen to choose from a variety of video clips.

Located in the National Demonstration Laboratory (NDL) for
Interactive Information Technologies within the Library of
Congress, the HTI display is one of 20 to 30 demonstrations of
multimedia. What makes the HTI one unique is it is the only
demonstration that is fully digital, not using any analog
storage for video at all.

An Intel-based 486 computer running Microsoft Windows provides
the horsepower to run the Action Media II capture and playback
board developed by Intel and IBM. The computer is linked to a
video camera and provides real-time capture of digital video
images for immediate playback on a video graphics array (VGA)
monitor.

The touch-screen choices include six video clips. One of the
clips is of an actual fetus in the womb and was a voluntary
effort of one of the employees of HTI, who has since delivered a
healthy baby boy, company officials said. Other demonstrations
include comparisons of video compression, a series of
informational text blocks on video-compression capabilities,
and an interactive curriculum guide for teachers called
"Learning to Live Drug Free" which links text and video.

Part of the purpose of the program is to demonstrate how
digital video compression is more effective and provides
greater flexibility than comparable analog techniques, such as
laser video disks. The program features both real time video
(RTV) and production level video (PLV) in a presentation that
allows viewers to investigate these emerging digital video-
compression technologies.

HTI was considered for the display in the library because of
its work on other multimedia projects, including the record of
Desert Storm on CD and the "Learning to Live Drug Free" video
which was done for the Department of Education. The San Diego,
California-based privately held company is 16 years old and
employs about 450 people.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931019/Press Contact: Lisa Fischer, Horizons
Technology Incorporated, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00028)

 ****India - Telecom Giants Help In Quake Relief 10/20/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- While India's Department
of Telecommunications, with its limited resources, was trying to
set up an effective telecommunications network for speeding up
relief and rescue work in the earthquake-hit areas of Maharashtra,
foreign telecommunications firms decided to lend a helping hand.

Motorola and AT&T, offered to set up wireless networks in the
affected areas to restore the telecommunication links with the
rest of the world.

Motorola had its equipment on standby to supplement the DOT's
efforts at activating the communications network. At a later
stage, this became a critical component in effective use of relief
measures pouring into the area.

The equipment that Motorola offered was valued in excess of
$250,000. Of this, $100,000-worth of equipment was provided as a
gift from Motorola to the Indian government, while the rest was
loaned. The equipment included a wireless in local loop (WILL)
communications system that could provide mobile or fixed
telephony services for about 100 or more users over a geographic
area in excess of a 40 kilometers (km) radius.

The portable communications system, specifically designed for
providing instant communication in disaster-hit areas, was
compatible with DOT exchanges and very small aperture terminals
(VSAT). The 100 handsets and 50 two-way radios along with six
repeaters helped in coordinating the relief and rescue efforts
among the various agencies on the ground.

AT&T too offered its multiple access digital radio system, capable
of providing telecommunications links within a radius of 80 km.
The system was spread over three different locations capable of
providing 24 connections. The company also donated $75,000
for earthquake relief efforts. The contribution included a $50,000
donation to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and $25,000 for
disaster relief to the Washington-based National Federation of
Indian Americans association.

Apart from these two offers, a non-resident Indians provided
wireless communications in the villages. The equipment was
jeep-mounted and could easily be shifted from one place to other.

Meanwhile, the devastation reinforced the need for an extended
national satellite-based seismic networking for continuous
monitoring and measurement of slow deformations. The precise
measurement of such deformations using modern techniques, such
as the very long baseline interferometry and global positioning
system, over a period of time could have helped to determine
whether there was any unusual activity in the region, feel many
scientists.

Striking on the night of September 30, the earthquake, with its
epicenter in the western-Indian village of Latur, caused havoc
in the area. Though it measured just 6.5 on the Richter scale, the
devastation and loss of life was of a disastrous scale. Unofficial
agencies put the death toll at over 30,000 people, though the
government maintains that little over 15,000 people lost their
lives in the disaster.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19931020)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00029)

Hong Kong - DEC Opens Multivendor Service Center 10/20/93
TAI KOO SHING, HONG KONG, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- Digital Equipment
Corporation Hong Kong (Digital HK) has opened its first Super
Service Center in Asia, offering cost-competitive maintenance
services for all leading makes of PCs, workstations, terminals
and other computer products.

In addition to hardware maintenance, the Super Service Center
will offer customer support for a wide range of systems and
application software, and will act as a showroom and sales outlet
for Digital hardware, software and services. Customers can take
their products to the Super Service Center or can arrange for
collection and return by Digital.

"Digital has a decade of experience in providing multivendor
services direct to our large, corporate customers," said Bruce Dahl,
general manager of Digital Equipment Hong Kong Ltd. "Now we're
extending this one-stop service concept to the retail level,
enabling anyone to bring us their Digital or non-Digital computer
products for fast, economical repair or support. With the Super
Service Center, Digital hopes to set a competitive benchmark for
service that will help to raise standards throughout the territory."

Customers of the Super Service Center will have access to expert
trouble-shooting through a special telephone hot-line which will be
continually manned during normal office hours, said the company.
Customer support staff will help users to resolve problems with
industry standard operating systems, databases, query languages
and popular application packages as well as advise on networking
issues.

"The Super Service Center is a completely new concept in the
computer services market," said Matthew Liang, multivendor
customer services manager at Digital Hong Kong. "Digital is now
providing low-cost, off-site, flexible services on multivendor
products."

He continued: "If open systems means anything, it means the
ability to pick and choose products from a wide variety of vendors
supporting industry standards. In this environment, a customer's
interests are well served by a company that can offer single-
source maintenance and support."

Although the Super Service Center is open to all-comers, it will
operate a preferential membership scheme, offering discounts and
special services to members. They will also receive periodic advice
on subjects such as performance tuning and system upgrades to
meet expanding business needs. Members will also have access to
a bulletin board system (BBS) through which they can share
information and experience, download shareware and freeware,
exchange files and use electronic mail.

Last month, Digital was selected by leading Taiwan PC and
workstation manufacturer President Technology Inc., to provide a
global warranty service for its systems. It also recently became
the first worldwide reseller of maintenance on Microsoft products
across all hardware platforms. Product upgrades, upgrade licenses
and documentation for Microsoft products are all available from
the Super Service Center.

(Keith Cameron/19931014/Press Contact: Marian Xavier,
805 3100, DEC)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00030)

Australia - NEC Mobile Phones Seek Opportunities 10/20/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 20 (NB) -- NEC wants to sell
between 20,000 and 30,000 mobile  phones to upmarket Australian
households over the next year,

The marketing angle will be "safety and security." The company
has launched a new "affordable" model, the Sportz, for sale in the
retail channel at around US$510.

According to NEC Marketing Manager Bruce Croad, the company
sold 100,000 of the Sportz model in the US in just three months.
In the US it is called the HotDog. NEC officials considered calling
it the 'Meat Pie' in Australia. Croad said that NEC wants to
increase sales of the phones by selling to high-income households
with parents in the 35 to 55 age group.

A NEC marketing film called "A day in the life of a Sportz," depicts
an up-market Australian mother handing out mobile phones to her
offspring like candy.

NEC plans to spend $2 million advertising the phone over the next
three months. It has also launched its new business mobile - the
US$700 P3-10 which uses Australian developed software.

(Stewart Kennedy and Computer Daily News/19931015)