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/NB102793

Text File | 1993-10-27 | 69KB | 1,527 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00001)

STB Intros Dual-Monitor Accelerator Card 10/27/93
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- If you need to
display two applications simultaneously and don't want to do it
with Windows, you'll be happy to hear that STB Systems Inc., has
released a dual monitor graphics accelerator card that can drive
two monitors at the same time.

STB says the card, designated the MVP-2X, integrates two video
channels versus the usual single channel. The card supports a
full suite of Windows 3.1, OS/2, and DOS applications, including
AutoCAD release 12.

STB says the MVP-2X is based on two Tseng Labs ET4000-W32 video
chips, and allows users to view two different monitors at the
same time via two independent video ports. Windows and OS/2 uses
can work in a virtual screen environment which provides one
virtual screen across both monitors. Windows, OS/2 and DOS users
can utilize a port switching mode that permits two different
applications to run at the same time, one on each monitor. The
card is backwards-compatible with all existing STB MPV video
cards based on the Tseng ET4000 video controller chip.

Each of the two video ports utilizes one megabyte (MB) of 60
nanosecond dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and its own
digital analog converter (DAC). Each monitor supported will have
a maximum resolution of 1024 by 768 and can provide up to 32,000
colors at 640 by 480 resolution. The card is ISA (Industry
Standard Architecture) and MCA (Micro Channel Architecture)
bus-compatible.

The cards come with drivers for Windows 3.x, Windows NT and OS/2.
Panacea's DLD386-VGA Deluxe Autodesk drivers are available as an
upgrade option for CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided
manufacturing) users.

The MVP-2X will begin full production runs this month, and has a
suggested retail price of $1,099.

(Jim Mallory/19931026/Press contact: Robert Haskins, STB Systems
Inc, 214-234-8750, ext 402: Reader contact: STB Systems, 214-234-
8750, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00002)

Retire ASAP 2.0, Retirement Planning For PC 10/27/93
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Calypso
Software Corp., has announced an upgrade to their Retire ASAP
software. The company says changes include revised economic
rates, added flexibility, and more comprehensive reports.

"Planning for retirement involves many significant factors, like
social security, plans from work, investments, and inflation.
Retire ASAP is the layperson's tool for putting it all together,"
according to Calypso founder and President Beth Kerman.

Retire ASAP is designed to help individuals age 30 to 60 see the
numbers and concepts of planning for their own retirement. It
also offers investment strategies, what-if scenarios, and an
on-line guide to finance. The program was initially released two
years ago.

Kerman says the market for a program such as Retire ASAP is
significant. "There are about 77 million 'Baby Boomers' in this
country today. In less than 20 years they will begin to retire.
How will this large segment of today's work force support
themselves?" Kerman says sources like social security and pension
plans will only cover a portion of one's retirement expenses,
typically about two thirds. The rest will have to come from
investments made before retirement.

Retire ASAP shows the user his or her current financial position
and the steps necessary to reach financial goals. The company
says the information provided in the printed reports and on-
screen graphs is similar to what you could expect if you went to
an expert financial planner.

Changes in the newest release include revised long term growth
and updated social security estimates -- new calculations
encompassing choice of stat-quarter for investment growth and
flexible rate-of increase for defined contributions. The reports
have been expanded to offer a variety of personalized reports
ranging from a "Retirement Planning Overview" to detailed charts
and projections.

The screen formats have been improved for data entry, tracing
calculations and navigating through the program. The "what-if"
scenario management facilities have also been revised, and the
user's manual has been expanded to include new descriptions and
screen shots for every screen, as well as more details about
retirement planning. The company says the program is written
to be understood by novices.

Retire ASAP 2.0 has a suggested retail price of $104 including
the $5 shipping fee, and runs on any IBM-compatible PC with DOS
3.0 or higher, 640 kilobytes of memory, and at least 1.5
megabytes of available hard disk space. A mouse can be used if
available. The company also publishes Retire ASAP PRO, designed
for financial professionals. Calypso says the PRO version is more
detailed and sophisticated than the consumer version and can be
used to prepare retirement analyses for many clients or employees.

(Jim Mallory/19931026/Press contact: Rose Fechko, Calypso
Software, 800-225-8246 or 206-822-8581; Reader contact: Calypso
Software, 800-225-8246 or 206-822-8581, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00003)

Baltimore Computer Conference Set For December 10/27/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- The fifth annual
Baltimore Computer Conference and Exposition, which is held at
the Baltimore, Maryland Convention Center each year, will feature
two women as the conference keynote speakers. Linda R. Renfro of
Martin Marietta and Patricia M. Wallington, Xerox's chief CIO,
will speak at the conference on, respectively, December 8 and
December 9.

The Baltimore Computer Conference, sponsored by National Trade
Publications of Alexandria, Virginia, is a relatively small show
hosting only about 12,000 attendees. However, it is particularly
important because, being near Washington, DC, it serves a region
with a high concentration of federal government computer buyers
and companies which serve the government.

Renfro, who is vice president of software services at the
Baltimore Martin Marietta Services Group, will discuss new
technologies, and competitive pressures affecting business
systems professionals. As manager of the defense contractor's
east coast technical services contracts, one of Renfro's
charges includes the Social Security Administration in Baltimore.

Wallington is responsible for planning, integration, and operation
of information technologies at Xerox in Stanford, Connecticut. The
subject of her keynote speech will be process re-engineering in
information management.

(John McCormick/19931026/Press Contact: Rosanne Desmone,
NTP, 703-683-8500, Public Contact: NTP 800-687-7469 or fax
703-836-4486)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00004)

New Deep River CD-ROMs To Show At Comdex 10/27/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Just in time for an
appearance at the company's Multimedia Showcase booth at the Fall
Comdex trade show, Portland, Maine-based Deep River Publishing
has announced the release of several Microsoft Windows-based
multimedia CD-ROM titles for producers and travelers.

Sound Kitchen, a $50 CD-ROM with more than 500 eight-bit 11
megahertz (MHz) and 16-bit or 22 MHz format stock sounds is
intended for the use of presentation developers who want to add
some spice to their multimedia productions using quality,
royalty-free sound files along with Sound Shaper, a full-featured
Windows-based digital sound editor. A floppy diskette-based set
of 100 eight-bit sounds is also available for $40.

Fractal Sideshow is available on 3.5-inch diskettes for $25 or in
a much expanded version on a $50 CD-ROM. Fractals are complex
images which are used in computer graphics to provide startling
backgrounds or area fills that can be enlarged to any desired
size, with the image adding ever greater details as it is enlarged.
The Mandelbrot set devised by IBM scientist Benoit Mandelbrot is
the oldest and best known fractal.

The Fractal CD-ROM title includes more than 1,000 full-color
images and, like Sound Kitchen, runs on MPC-compatible personal
computers equipped with Microsoft Windows.

Both of the titles are used by multimedia producers to enhance
their shows, or in the case of the fractal disc, just for
entertainment. Deep River has also announced Everywhere USA
Travel Guide, a $50 multimedia CD-ROM title containing a listing
and description of more than 3,000 events, special attractions,
festivals, museums, historic sites, national parks, sports teams,
and other items of interest to those vacationing in the United
States.

(John McCormick/19931026/Press Contact: Daniel Bacon, Pat
Meier Associates, 415-957-5999)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00005)

First 3rd-Party PCMCIA Modems To Support OS/2 10/27/93
DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Apex Data has
released an OS/2 driver for PCMCIA card modems that is billed as
the first to be available from a third-party vendor.

The driver, which allows PCMCIA modems to be used with any OS/2
2.1-based communications package, can currently be obtained only
through Apex and IBM, said Glen Cordero, director of technical
services for Apex, in an interview with Newsbytes. "We purchased
the source code from IBM.  This was a big expense for us, but it
was definitely worth it," said Cordero.

The OS/2 driver is being included with all Apex Data PCMCIA modems
now on the market. Current users can download the driver from the
Apex Data bulletin board system (510-803-2039), or request
shipment of the driver on diskette for a nominal shipping charge.

The data/fax PCMCIA modems from Apex also come with DOS and
Microsoft Windows drivers, plus the CardSoft super-client enabler
from System Soft, which provides support for other PCMCIA devices
aside from modems.

Prior to the release of the OS/2 driver, Apex customers could use
windows in OS/2 to access communications packages from the DOS
shell or Windows Program Manager, said Cordero. "But they couldn't
access packages designed for OS/2," he added.

Apex modems are less costly than their counterparts from IBM,
according to Cordero. This month, Apex dropped the pricing on all
of its PCMCIA modems. New prices from Apex are $279 for a
2400/9600 bits per second (bps) V.22 data/fax modem, $299 for
a 9600/9600 bps V.32 data/fax modem, and $389 for a
14,000/14,000 bps V.32 bis data/fax modem.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931026/Reader contact: Apex, tel 800-841-
APEX; Press contact: Lauren Finkelman, S&S Public Relations for
Apex, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

MCI Claims Victory In 800 Portability 10/27/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- MCI said it has
gained four points in market share on AT&T in the toll-free
market since "800 portability" began in May, about in line with
what analysts estimated would happen before customers were
allowed to take their numbers with them.

MCI spokesman Mark Pettit, however, told Newsbytes the gain
was double his company's expectations, adding that customers
are continuing to switch. "It's a window of opportunity that's
been jammed open," he said.

Toll-free numbers on the "800" area code can now be taken with a
customer if they change carriers, thanks to a new database of
numbers and their long distance carriers. Before May, long
distance carriers controlled entire exchanges in the "800" area
code, which simplified call handling and set-up, but locked
customers into their carriers, especially if they advertised the
numbers heavily.

AT&T continues to hold a big lead in this market, having begun
the business 25 years ago, but MCI is now bringing the numbers
closer to those in the general long distance market, where AT&T
holds a 60-65 percent share and MCI about 16 percent. MCI claims
its toll-free traffic has grown 20 percent since May.

The company operates its toll-free business from Atlanta, home
of its Business Markets unit. In addition to taking away some
AT&T customers, MCI said it has been able to get many mid-size
companies to use the technology for the first time.

It offers businesses 800-numbers for as little as $10 per month,
plus regular toll charges. The company also offers consumers
their own toll-free lines, which include a four-digit "personal
security code" which also acts as an extension, for just $5 per
month, plus toll charges.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931026/Press Contact: MCI, Mark Pettit,
404-668-6012)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00007)

UK - Workgroup Computing Show Details 10/27/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Future Events, a division of
Future Publishing, has teamed up with the "Independent" newspaper
to organize what it claims is a unique exhibition -- Workgroup
Computing -- which takes place at Olympia in London from
November 3 - 5.

According to Future Events, a revolution is taking place in the way
people work together. This trend has already permeated businesses,
financial institutions, universities and government departments,
the organizers claim.

The exhibition will comprise of more than 80 exhibitors who will be
showing off various products based on a wide theme of workgroup
computing. Apricot Computers has said it will be introducing several
new additions to its range of network servers, while Digital
Equipment has said it will be demonstrating its new Linkworks
software, which it claims is the first object-oriented groupware
for departmental and line of business managers.

Borland International has committed to demonstrating its new
workgroup technologies incorporated into its core spreadsheet and
database software, which will be available through a Workgroup
Enabling Kit for use in third party software development.

Running parallel with the exhibition is the Workgroup Computing
Conference -- ten optional half-day sessions which Future claims
are "packed with essential information for business users and
information technology professionals." Details of the half day
sessions can be obtained in advance from Quadrilect Conferences
and Training on [phone].

According to Andrew Godsall, a spokesman for Future Events, the
three day show will cost UKP10 to get in. "As usual with shows of
this type, bona-fide business people will be allowed free admission
if they will in a show registration card and/or present their
business card at the door," he explained, adding that interest in
the show has been excellent so far.

(Steve Gold/19931026/Press Contact: Cape Cowley Associates,
tel [phone]; Public Contact: Future Events,
tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00008)

Microsoft Sees Growth In Mid East Software Market 10/27/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Microsoft
expects the Persian Gulf region's software market to grow by a
factor of four, riding on the back of rising sales of oil and
petroleum products as the recession starts to end.

In a news conference, Charles Allen, Microsoft's Middle East
general manager, said that he sees the whole  Middle Eastern
software market as growing to be worth between $150 and $200
million a year by 1996.

This contrasts, Allen said, with the current market's value of
around $50 million.

Newsbytes notes that sales of Microsoft software has been
increasing in unit terms worldwide. However, recent actions by
Borland and others, following the lead of Computer Associates,
have been pushing the unit price of software generally. This has
resulted in a general downturn in software revenues for many
software companies.

Despite this trend, Microsoft's first quarter results, which were
announced recently, showed that sales had actually increased by
around 20 percent to $973 million.

(Steve Gold/19931026/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft UK,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00009)

Eagle Intros Low-Cost WAN Adapter 10/27/93
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Eagle Technology
has unveiled the NW2000, a low-cost general-purpose wide area
network (WAN) adapter card for use on Novell networks running
Netware Multiprotocol Route (MPR) 2.11 software.

According to the German networking company, the NW2000
provides hardware support for the new frame relay protocol
enhancements recently announced by Novell.

The adapter is a two-port card capable of supporting both
synchronous and asynchronous transmission on each port. The card
can be configured, the company claims, to support V.35, RS-232
and RS442/449 plus X.21 network interfaces. This flexibility, the
company claims, makes it capable of supporting a wide variety of
data communications equipment and network topologies.

"We've taken our long-standing relationship as a premier provider
of Netware-compatible local area network (LAN) hardware and
applied it to the WAN marketplace," explained Jerry Dusa, Eagle's
president.

"The NW2000 takes advantage of technical breakthroughs and
provides functionality equivalent to other WAN adapter cards an
about half the cost. We believe that the NW2000 will become the
WAN adapter industry standard, just as the NE2000 has become
the standard for LAN adapters," he said.

The NW2000 will be supplied through Eagle's European distribution
outlets at a price of UKP399 or its local equivalent. The card
will come with software and documentation that complements
Netware, the company claims, when it ships towards the end of
this year.

Eagle Technology is a division of Anthem Electronics and claims to
be the world's largest manufacturer of Ethernet adapter cards and
leading manufacturer/marketeer of Novell brand plus Eagle
EtherXpert networking hardware.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931026/Press & Public Contact: Eagle
Electronics, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00010)

CD-ROM Expo Opens Today In Boston 10/27/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- CD-ROM Expo,
a three-day event revolving around a 150,000 square-foot exhibit
area plus scores of conference sessions, opens today at the World
Trade Center in Boston.

Honing in on the use of CD-ROM in entertainment, education,
business, and government, this year's 50 conference sessions fall
into eight concurrent tracks, on topics ranging from creating
titles to distributing CDs, and from maximizing multimedia to
transitioning from print.

The conference tracks are topped off by two keynote sessions,
each headlined by a panel of experts on digital media. In a keynote
this morning, "Digital Publishing Today: A State-of-the-Art
Report," the panelists are: Tim Bajarin, Creative Strategies
Research; Steve Case, president, America Online, Bob Stein,
co-founder, Voyager; and Bruce Stephen, director, PC Hardware
Research, International Data Corp.

Tomorrow morning's keynote, "Digital Publishing Tomorrow: Future
Trends, Emerging Technologies," features Linda Stone of Apple
Computer; Michele DiLorenzo, senior VP at Viacom New Media; Craig
Mundie, VP of Advanced Consumer Technology, Microsoft; and Floyd
Wray, "Researcher/Technologist/Victim."

On the exhibit floor, more than 150 companies will be displaying
their CD-ROM wares, including such famous names as Apple, Digital
Equipment Corp., Eastman Kodak, NEC, Phillips, Random House, Sony,
and Toshiba.

For the price of an "exhibits only" ticket, attendees will be able
to participate in a series of some 20 Bonus Seminars on
"Understanding CD-ROM Jargon," "Evaluating CD-ROM Products,"
"CD-ROM in the Home Office/Small Business," and other aspects of
"Mastering the Mechanics" and "Reaping the Benefits."

Meanwhile, the 50 seminars on the full conference slate will cover
these eight tracks: "Creating Your CD," "Industry Watch," "Cases
in Point:  How We Did It," "Maximizing Multimedia in CD
Production," "Financing/Marketing/Distributing CDs," "Transitioning
from Print/Online to Digital," "How-To-Get-Started," and "You
Asked For It!"

Specific subjects to be tackled in the 50 conference seminars will
include digital video, CD-ROM XA, copyright and licensing, text
search and retrieval, animation techniques, interface design,
distribution channels, and structuring partnerships.

Conference hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 am to
5 pm and Friday from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Exhibition hours are
Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday
from 10 am to 3:00 pm.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931027/Reader & Press Contact: Mitch
Hall Associates, 617-361-2001)


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

International Phone Update 10/27/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- The march toward
privatizing phone monopolies has run into a roadblock -- voter
opposition.

The victory of socialist Andreas Papendreou in Greece, which
rolled back the planned privatization of the OTE network,
followed by less than a year Uruguayan voters' rejection of the
sale of their Antel network. Now Germany's Social Democrats are
rejecting the privatization of the Deutsches Bundespost Telekom,
and a violent strike has thrown into question the future
privatization of France Telecom.

Now the brakes are being applied elsewhere. A constitutional
court in Turkey has canceled a government decree designed to
privatize that nation's PTT at a price estimated at $15 billion.
This despite the fact that the government has carefully prepared
the way for the privatization by selling off telecommunications
manufacturing operations, despite a soft market, with control
going to foreign concerns. Those moves have succeeded in the
marketplace, but the court's decree seemed popular. Shares in all
stocks were off on the news.

The reason might be found in Greece, where Papandreou offered to
offer shares in OTE on the local stock exchange. The Turkish
move, like those elsewhere, was to be accompanied by an end to
the PTT's monopoly and its subsidies on local service. Many
people, especially the poor, fear loss of service without the
subsidies. Many people also fear that assets they own as voters
being given away to foreigners. Thus, a move to slowly privatize
on a local stock market, as Papendreou offered, may prove
popular, since it gives a value to the publicly-held shares and
assures that the public interest will remain protected.

Bankers and other analysts have underestimated the depth of
feeling on this issue, and its source. German Economics Minister
Guenter Rexrodt last week accused the postal workers' union for
slowing the DBT sale, but the slowdown would not have happened
had the Social Democrats not changed their policy of acceptance
on privatization. And the SDP is looking toward the next election
in Germany, scheduled for 1994.

Perhaps as a result, the biggest noise on privatization now comes
in countries not subject to democracy. The World Bank has sent
the Kuwaiti government a report calling for massive
privatizations of state-owned industry, including the nation's
telecommunications net. This comes as members of the Gulf
Cooperation Council, Kuwait's ally in its war with Iraq, move to
integrate their networks as part of a move toward full economic
union. The GCC move will include standardizing cellular service
and linking networks with fiber cable.

Cooperation is also the word in Southeast Asia, where telephone
companies in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand set a plan to cut
charges for calls made between their countries, and begin joint
efforts to link their networks. The participating companies
include Telekom Malaysia, PT Indosat of Indonesia and the
Communications Authority of Thailand.

While economic growth was said to be the reason for the move,
the first companies to grow will be the locally-owned telephone
companies, and that seems intentional. Singapore said it will
increase the size of its sell-off of Singapore Telecom to over 10
percent, from 7.2  percent, thanks to higher-than-expected orders
from local investors linked to the nation's mandatory retirement
savings plan.

Thailand seems poised to offer its latest concession, for a
rural phone network, to a local company, Shinawatra Computer and
Communications, bypassing Alcatel of France, Mitsui of Japan, and
Marubeni of Japan, among others. Equipment, however, is still
coming to Thailand from overseas. Nokia of Finland won the
equipment contract for the nation's new digital cellular service,
which is operated by Total Access Communications.

To the north, in China, indications are growing that growth is
slowing, and telecommunications will be the first sector to feel
the brakes. Special Assets US Holdings Ltd., of Hong Kong cut its
stake in First Pacific Networks of the US First Pacific sells
switches used by cable television companies to provide telephone
service, and which could be used by power companies as well. MTC
Electronic Technologies of Vancouver, Canada, also was moved to
send out a press release claiming it would not be impacted by
recent moves by the Chinese government to tighten control of the
sector, including a ban on foreign ownership of local networks.

In Latin America, seven groups signed for Argentina's tender of
two new cellular licenses covering rural parts of the country.
Both foreign and local interests are involved there. And Telecom
Argentina's controlling shareholder, Nortel Inversora, which is
held by STET of Italy, France Telecom, JP Morgan and Perez
Companc of Argentina, set a swap of its preferred stock for
Telecom Argentina common, another indication that the sector's
outlook continues to improve. In Peru, Tele 2000 signed a deal
with MTel of the US to bring that company's SkyTel paging
service to the country, starting next May, with 12 Peruvian
connections linked to the same frequencies used by SkyTel in the
US, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere. And AT&T signed a contract
worth an estimated $88 million to double the size of Honduras'
telephone network.

In South Africa, a deadlock between the African National Congress
and the government over who will get new cellular licenses was
broken. Plessey Tellumat of South Africa joined with Astec Group
Plc of the United Kingdom in a new venture to serve that nation's
cellular market.

There was also some good news which didn't focus on any
particular nation. Kidder Peabody created US-style put and call
warrants on a basket of 12 major telecommunications companies,
giving investors the chance to bet on the future of the whole
world's networks. NYNEX of the US started what could be a
worldwide price war on international fiber service, offering 20
percent discounts to companies which use its round-the-world
FLAG network when it goes into operation in December, 1996. And
Infonet Services Corp., owned mainly by local phone companies
around the world, announced a service called Infolan Switched
Access which will let multinational companies link their local
area networks worldwide using TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol).

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931027)


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

Motorola Looks For On-Line Niches 10/27/93
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- A new unit of
Motorola called INFO Enterprises is searching out, and finding,
small high-value niches in the on-line business.

Spokesman Marilyn Teplitz discussed the strategy with Newsbytes
after the company announced EnGenius, a new database on
electronic components aimed at product engineers. "It's run by a
distributed network on Sun workstations under Unix," she said.
"It's a combination of technologies Motorola developed, which
includes some patented technologies."

Earlier, the company had rolled out LegaLink, a document
conversion service for the legal community marketed by Arthur
Andersen. "We provide the conversion technology for Andersen,
which markets to the firms. The pricing is based on the type of
conversion, and what additional services are provided," Teplitz
said. Andersen is already a leader in serving that market.

"These are the first of what we hope are many services," she
added. "We look at several issues when determining what vertical
markets to enter into. We want to see a large number of
information providers, and a large number of users with
computers. The other key issue is a market where the data is
mission-critical, where you have to have current information
now, where the data is changing. There's lots of services with
archival information," and Motorola isn't interested in that
market.

For EnGenius, Motorola is offering an introductory price of $20
per month, plus line charges, through March. After that the
charge goes to $39 per month, but large firms can subscribe a
wide area network for $65 per month. There is also volume
pricing available, Teplitz said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931027/Press Contact: Motorola INFO
Enterprises, Marilyn Teplitz, 602-267-4426)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00013)

MCC Seeks To Boost PCMCIA Use In PCs 10/27/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- The Microelectronics
and Computer Technology Corp. (MCC), has launched the first phase of
its campaign to increase the use of Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA) cards in personal computers.

PCMCIA cards plug into computers and add such capabilities as fax
modems, additional memory, or expanded data storage capacity. They
can also contain software programs. The credit card sized devices
were originally developed for use in laptops and palmtops where
space is at a premium and according to MCC are now found in about
40 percent of the notebook PCs being marketed this year. MCC
expects they will also show up in greater numbers in all types of
PCs as well as in digital cameras, printers, and other similar
devices.

MCC will kick off their effort with a cost tradeoff analysis of
circuit board technology alternatives for advanced PCMCIA
applications including surface mount, tape automated bonding, and
flip chip. It will also perform a worldwide competitive analysis of
existing PCMCIA card products and produce a benchmark study of
supporting electronic packaging processes and suppliers.

Dennis Herrell, VP of MCC's high value electronics division, says
the cards are an important technology for portable computing and
communication devices. "We intend -- without participants -- to
better understand the technology as well as fully define and
comprehend the related competitive considerations, from the current
state of the art to the suppliers and processes available to produce
these components." Herrell says MCC wants its participants to have
the information they need to be competitive users, as well as
suppliers of the technology.

MCC expects to complete the initial phase of the project by the end
of the year. The next phase of the project is expected to see
development of a PCMCIA design advisor based on MCC's Design
Advisor tool originally developed for multichip module applications.

The group says it also plans to accelerate commercial availability
of cost-effective, high-density laminate technology required for
advanced PCMCIA applications and accelerate the commercial
availability of flip chip technology for PCMCIA applications. It
also expects to achieve cost reductions for PCMCIA connector
components and connector assembly operations.

MCC's high value electronics division's work is directed toward the
underlying issues of systems engineering and design, materials and
processes, fabrication and assembly, manufacturing equipment, and
supplier infrastructure.

(Jim Mallory/19931027/Press contact: Cynthia Williams, MCC,
512-338-3512)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00014)

Sequent Intros Pentium-Based Multiprocessing Computers 10/27/93
BEAVERTON, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Sequent Computer
Systems Inc., has announced a new family of Unix-based Symmetry
2000 symmetric multiprocessing computers that use Intel's
Pentium microprocessor.

The Symmetry 2000 systems are marketed for use as centralized
business systems or for consolidating networks of PCs supporting
hundreds of users. The 2000 family has four members. The Symmetry
2000/990 consists of a range of Symmetry clusters, while the 790
supports up to 30 processors. The 990s are linked in clusters of two
nodes and share data stored on common disks or tape unit. They can
be configured with two 790, two 490 or two 290 systems. The 490
offers from two to 10 processors for departmental computing, and
the 290 uses two to six processors for applications such as branch
office or workgroup computing. Sequent is offering upgrade kits for
present customers who want to convert to a clustered configuration.

Earlier this year Sequent began delivering clustered systems, and
recently demonstrated its "soft fail-over" capability on a clustered
system running Oracle7 Parallel Server Software. In the
demonstration, one of the two servers is turned off and the users in
the cluster are able to resume operation with no loss of data and
without having to recover data or files from backups.

The company says the Pentium-based 2000 systems perform at levels
twice that of the Intel i486-based 2000's they will replace, but
retain full compatibility with the older systems. Each Pentium
processor is capable of executing two instructions at once and can
perform at speeds of more than 1000 million-instructions-per-
second. The units use 3.5 inch SCSI-2 disk technology, which
Sequent has implemented in a 16 bit-wide data bus designed to
double the input/output throughput.

Pricing ranges from $85,500 to $725,600 depending on the number
of processors, amount of memory and storage capacity, software
and user licenses.

(Jim Mallory/19931027/Press contact: Mike Green, Sequent
Computer Systems, 503-626- 5700)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00015)

IBM, Argonne Labs Announce Supercomputer Project 10/27/93
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- IBM and Argonne
National Laboratory have announced an agreement that will put
IBM's most powerful parallel processing computer at the
laboratory.

The University of Chicago runs the Argonne lab for the US
Department of Energy. The 128-node parallel-processing system
will be used by the laboratory, the university, and a number of
private companies.

Already installed at the lab, the system has 128 processors, each
equipped with 128 megabytes (MB) of memory and one gigabyte (GB)
of local disk storage, and all linked by high-speed communications.
Rick Stevens, director of the high-performance computing and
communications program at Argonne, said the machine is twice as
powerful as IBM's top commercial parallel processor today. IBM
rates it at 16 gigaflops (billions of floating-point operations
per second). It is also equipped with a 64-terabyte robotic tape
library.

According to Irving Wladawsky-Berger, general manager of IBM
Power parallel systems, the system cost something under $15
million.

Stevens said the project has two main goals: to create a research
environment where Argonne and IBM researchers can study new
scalable parallel computing technologies; and to advance the use
of the technology in both business and scientific applications.

Joe Mambretti, director of strategic technologies at the
University of Chicago, said the university is particularly
interested in using the system for work in advanced computational
science. He mentioned an application modelling the behavior of
molecules during chemical reactions.

On the private-sector side, one company planning to use the
facility is petroleum firm Amoco Ltd. Joe Golab, an Amoco
research scientist, said the system will give his company a
chance to tackle problems an order of magnitude beyond what
commercially available hardware can handle today.

Other private-sector participants include AlliedSignal, DuPont,
and Phillips Petroleum Co. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the Illinois Institute of Technology, the
University of Maryland, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and
Pacific Northwest Laboratory also have plans to use the system.

The research agreement between IBM and the laboratory is worth
$3.9 million over three years. IBM's participation is officially
by way of the company's Federal Systems unit. IBM will provide
$1.95 million in services and expertise, and the Department of
Energy's Office of Scientific Computing will provide the balance
through Argonne.

(Grant Buckler/19931027/Press Contact: Dave Baurac, Argonne
National Laboratory, 708-252-5584; Nadine Taylor, IBM,
914-642-5425; R. Pierce Reid, IBM Federal Systems,
713-282-7773)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00016)

Another Quarterly Loss For Northern Telecom 10/27/93
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Northern
Telecom Ltd., has chalked up its second consecutive quarterly
loss, due in part to spending cuts by its sister company Bell
Canada, the country's largest regional telephone company. In its
third quarter, Northern lost US$35 million on revenues of US$1.88
billion.

That compares with net earnings of US$113 million on revenues
of US$2.02 billion in the third quarter of 1992. In the second
quarter of this year, Northern lost US$1.03 billion on revenues
of US$1.87 billion. This included a large provision for
cost-cutting measures.

The company reported sales growth in the Asia-Pacific market,
particularly in China where Northern recently signed a major
contract. European sales also grew, with the consolidation of
joint ventures in Turkey and France given much of the credit.
However, the news at home was not as good.

Bell Canada, which serves Ontario and Quebec, began this year to
face competition in providing long-distance telephone service.
The company also faces continued pressure from alternative
services such as cellular telephones. In response, the company
asked federal regulators earlier this year to allow it to boost
local rates. The request was denied, and earlier this fall Bell
announced cuts in its capital spending plans.

These cuts have hurt Northern, a major supplier to Bell, and
company spokesman Bob O'Brien said they are likely to continue
to have an impact in coming quarters. "Clearly the whole
telecommunications market is undergoing what appears to be
fundamental change," he said. He added that new competition for
Bell is not the only issue. "Both the Canadian and US markets are
becoming more mature," he said.

O'Brien said Northern has for some years trying to lessen its
dependence on the North American market by building its presence
overseas. It has done this through moves such as its purchase of
STC PLC in the United Kingdom and its current focus on Asia.
However, observers have said that the company is still heavily
dependent on the North American market, and this dependence
appears to be haunting the company this year.

In July, Northern announced it will cut manufacturing capacity
and shed 5,200 jobs worldwide over 18 months. O'Brien said this
process is under way, but would not say exactly how many jobs
have been cut so far. Northern has closed plants in Amherst, Nova
Scotia, in London, Ontario, and in Mountain View, California, and
last week announced the sale of an integrated circuit plant near
San Diego, California, to SGS Thomson, which will continue to
supply Northern from the plant and will hire the factory's staff.

Northern officials said they expect to return to profitability in
the fourth quarter, but O'Brien confirmed that as the company
warned in July, it still expects to lose money on the year.

(Grant Buckler/19931027/Press Contact: Tom Tropea, Northern
Telecom, 905-566-3178; Gary Brandt, Northern Telecom,
905-566-3098)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00017)

Motorola To Buy Western Digital's Irvine Plant 10/27/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- The Western
Digital six-inch silicon wafer fabrication plant that Rockwell
backed out of buying earlier this month has been tentatively
sold to Motorola. The new plant will help Motorola boost its
production capacity of microcontrollers and other advanced
integrated circuits (ICs) used in automobiles, electronic
devices, and consumer products.

Known for its microprocessors used in Apple Computers, among
others, Motorola is a strong player in the world of wireless
communications. Western Digital is best known for its hard disk
drives used in personal computers.

Motorola says it will pay between $112 and $115 million, which
appears to be a lower offer than Rockwell's $115 million offer.
Western Digital, which has been struggling with red ink since
1991, needs the sale to reduce its debt load, listed June 30 as
$137 million.

If this goes through, it will be Motorola's first major metal-
oxide semiconductor (MOS) semiconductor production facility in
California, and will be known internally as "MOS-10." MOS is a
way of layering circuits that offers low power dissipation and
tight placement of transistors while avoiding heat problems.
Motorola also has US semiconductor manufacturing facilities in
Austin, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona as well as in Europe and Asia.

The purchase is expected to close at the end of this year with
Motorola production beginning in the facility by early 1994. A
portion of the agreement includes a deal under which Western
Digital will continue to get silicon wafers for its disk drives
and microcomputer products from the facility for years after
the sale.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931027/Press Contact: Jeff Gorin,
Motorola, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00018)

Windows Tool For Mainframe-Based Super Natural 10/26/93
RESTON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 26 (NB) -- Software AG has
announced a Windows-based reporting and presentation tool for
Super Natural, its mainframe-based system for accessing
multivendor databases throughout the enterprise.

Entire Reporting Workstation is a graphical, point-and-click
front end to Super Natural, a program that runs on IBM MVS and
VSE hosts, said Tony Cooke, director of workstation marketing,
in an interview with Newsbytes.

The new Windows 3.1-based software lets users display, query,
manipulate, and download reports stored in Super Natural. Super
Natural generates reports in formats such as lists, graphs and
tables from a wide range of databases, including DB2, Rdb, IMS/DB,
VSAM, ADABAS, DL/1, and PC and sequential files. The databases
can reside anywhere on the enterprise network, Cooke maintained.

Prior to the development of Entire Reporting Workstation, PC users
could access Super Natural from Windows via Software AG's Entire
Connection software, but the user interface was then text-based,
he stated.

Entire Connection is a 3270 terminal emulation and data and file
transfer package residing on both the PC and the host. The first
Windows version of the package was released a year ago, and the
second just last week.

In the update, the Windows version of Entire Connection has been
enhanced with increased support for 3270 emulation and the
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
internetworking protocol, according to Cooke. Entire Reporting
workstation interfaces to Entire Connection.

Cooke told Newsbytes that the user sees a table of up to 50 reports
in Entire Reporting Workstation after logging on. The report
queues can include reports in users' own "private libraries," as
well as other Super Natural libraries they are authorized to access.

Upon accessing a table, the user can mark rows and columns of data
to be employed as a base for any of some 15 different types of
graphical business presentations, ranging from "standard line" to
"3D stacked bar" and from "scatter" to "hi-lo close."

Users can also move or "fix" columns, change headers, add or delete
data, sort data via criteria, perform column calculations, and
query databases in a variety of ways.

Data can be stored for further use, printed out, and exported into
other applications. Data can also be imported from outside
programs. Entire Reporting Workstation supports the Windows
Clipboard and the following PC file formats; dBASE III, Multiplan,
DIF, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Symphony, ASCII, and Encryption.

In addition, a special utility allows merges between Entire
Reporting Workstation and Microsoft Word or Microsoft Word for
Windows data.

Entire Reporting Workstation is available immediately. Pricing is
$300 for up to eight copies and $270 for nine or more copies.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931026/Reader Contact: Software AG,
800-423-2227; Press Contact: Leahanne Hobson, Copithorne &
Bellows for Software AG, 617-252-0606)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00019)

Italy's STET Sells AT&T Div Stake Back To US Giant 10/27/93
ROME, ITALY, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- STET Telefonica, the Italian
state-controlled telecommunications company, has sold its 20
percent stake in AT&T Network Systems International (NSI), the
Dutch division of parent AT&T, back to its original owner, AT&T.

According to STET, the deal was made automatically under a
provisions clause in an inter-company agreement between STET
and AT&T, dating from 1989, when the two companies exchanged
shares with their respective European companies -- AT&T NSI and
Italtel.

Officials with STET have confirmed that AT&T has no plans to sell
off its 20 percent stake in Italtel for the foreseeable future. The
cash raised, details of which have not been revealed by STET, will
be used to finance further investment in new projects by the Italian
telecoms giant.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931027/Press & Public Contact: STET
Telefonica - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00020)

Germany - Cable TV On Crest Of Wave 10/27/93
BONN, GERMANY, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Deutsche Bundespost Telekom
(DBT), Germany's state-controlled postal and telecommunications
authority, has revealed that its diversification into cable
television technology in recent years has paid off in a big way.

According to DBT, its cable TV subscriber based has jumped by more
than 16 percent to 13.2 million in the first nine months of this
year. The company claims that it is gaining around 153,000 new
subscribers every month.

The real growth area on cable TV is in former East Germany, where
the terrestrial TV network is relatively limited in its penetration.
As a result, former East Germans have woken up to the fact that
there is a wealth of programming available from the former West.

While the Astra satellites supply more than a dozen channels to
Germany using a simple receiver and a 35 centimeter dish, the cost
of a satellite installation ($250 or more) has tended to put off
potential purchasers. Cable TV, with costs of around $10 a month
and no installation charges, seem to be a much better option.

Newsbytes notes that only a fifth of Eastern German households
have access to cable TV. Despite this, DBT reports that its
subscriber base jumped an amazing 162 percent in the first nine
months of this year, pushing the numbers to 750,000.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931027/Press & Public Contact: DBT -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00021)

UK - Lexmark Intros New IBM Printers 10/27/93
MARLOW, BUCKS, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Lexmark
International, the former IBM division spun off as an independent
company, has unveiled a range of new desktop printers that it
claims offer big office features to small businesses and
individuals.

Pricing on the new printers, which include the IBM 4037-5E, the
Execjet II 4076 and the 2300 series, starts at under the UKP625
mark.

The 4037-5E page printer has a typical buy price (TBP) of UKP620
and uses a new electrophotographic (EP) printer engine which
Lexmark claims offers superior reliability, ease of use and
exceptionally crisp text and graphics at five pages-per-minute
(ppm).

The Execjet II 4076 printer, meanwhile, has a TBP of UKP299 and
claims to use Lexmark's first internally developed inkjet printer
engine. The machine offers laser printer features such as scalable
fonts, optional advanced flash memory and 600 by 300 dots-per-inch
(dpi) printing with what Lexmark officials describe as print quality
enhancement technology (PQET). The printer runs at three ppm.

Last, but not least, is the 2300 Plus series nine and 24-pin dot-
matrix printers, with four models available, ranging from UKP330
to UKP440. Lexmark claims that these machines offer new levels of
convenience and flexibility for customers who need extra reliability
in printing multi-part forms and labels.

All the new printers were designed and manufactured at the
company's facility in Lexington, Kentucky, in the US. According to
Marvin Mann, Lexmark's chairman, they continued the company's
prolific launch of new units since the company was spun off
from IBM.

"Since becoming independent from IBM more than 30 months ago,
we have introduced new printers at an average rate of one a month.
Every printer we sell today has been introduced in the past 12
months, is Energy Star compliant and is backed by our service and
technical support," he said.

As in the US, all Lexmark printers sold in the UK come a one year
on-site warranty. In the UK, the printers are sold through a network
of more than 1,000 resellers.

(Steve Gold/19931027/Press & Public Contact: Lexmark
International - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00022)

UK - Staples Opens New Superstore In Leeds 10/27/93
LEEDS, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Staples UK has
opened its fourth office superstore at the Crown Retail Park in
Leeds, England.

The official opening comes in the wake of the first three stores,
which were opened in: Swansea (April); Staples Corner, London
(August); and Cambridge (September). Plans also call for a
Birmingham store to open early next year.

According to Roger Paffard, Staples UK's managing director, the
opening of the Leeds store marks yet another new opportunity for
small businesses and others to change their PC-related buying
habits.

"Until now, small businesses have been paying almost twice as much
for their supplied as larger organizations with their greater buying
power. We believe we can save most small businesses around
UKP200 per employee per year," he said. "Against this background,
the Staples concept really does represent a significant new
opportunity for businesses looking to buy everything they need from
a single source at low prices."

In the UK, Newsbytes notes, Staples is a partnership between
Boston, Massachusetts-based Staples Inc., and the Kingfisher Group,
a British retail company. Kingfisher is company that owns and
operates major retail stores such as B&Q, Comet, Superdrug and
Woolworths in the UK and Darty, the electrical retailer, in France.

(Steve Gold/19931027/Press & Contact: Jim Fisher -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00023)

UK - Open University Chooses Apple Macs 10/27/93
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Apple
Computer UK has revealed that the Open University, a "distance
learning" university, has placed what it claims to be one of the
most significant information technology (IT) educational orders
with the computer manufacturer.

According to Apple, the company beat offers from more than 30
other PC manufacturers when bidding for the contract, which
involves the supply of around 1,600 Mac LC computers with
printer, integrated software, and modem bundled in.

The Open University is buying in the new systems to go with its
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) program. Around 1,400
primary and secondary schools will receive a Mac-based system for
students of the university to use.

Professor Bob Moon, the director of the PGCE program at the Open
University said that, "The Open University is shortly to become one
of the country's largest providers of postgraduate teacher training."
"Information Technology (IT) is a key part of the initiative, which
has attracted worldwide interest. The link with Apple -- a company
which has the distinctive position in the British market -- offers
exciting possibilities for future development across the whole
spectrum of provision in teacher education."

Moon added that the IT emphasis in the course is on personal
capability. "We believe that Apple Computer will provide our
students and their tutors with a computer that they can use
productively in a very short space of time," he said.

Mike Newton, Apple UK"s general manager, said that the order is of
major strategic importance for the company. "It means that a
significant proportion of primary and secondary schools will soon be
equipped with Mac computers, increasing the Mac's presence in some
sites and breaking new ground for Apple in others," he said.
"Education remains one of Apple's key markets and we will continue
to work closely with educationalists to ensure that Mac solutions
meet both curriculum and management needs."

(Steve Gold/19931027/Press Contact: Russell Brady, Apple
Computer UK, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00024)

Aldus Intros Enhanced Database Edition For Pagemaker 10/27/93
OLD ISLEWORTH, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Aldus
UK has announced an upgrade to its Pagemaker 4.0 Database Edition
database publishing module. The new package, known as
Infopublisher Database Addition 2.0, is the first standalone Aldus
addition for Pagemarker 5.0, the company claims.

According to the company, key new features of the package include
support for more database applications, extended font access and
automatic updating of data.

The package was developed by PageAhead Software Corp., of
Seattle. In use, it allows users to link Aldus Pagemarker 5.0 for
Windows to database management systems, This, the company
claims, is an important connection for users needing to create
professional quality publications using information from computer
database files.

New databases support by Infopublisher include Paradox 3.5,
Microsoft Access, Foxpro, and Microsoft Access. As with the previous
version, support for Borland dBase III and IV is provided, along
with Excel and plain ASCII text files. This new version, Newsbytes
notes, complies with Microsoft's open database communication
(ODBC) protocol, a key requirement, the company claims, for
working with future Windows database products.

Pauline Tyack, marketing director with the company, says that the
package is shipping now for UKP199. Registered owners of version
4.0 database edition can upgrade to the Infopublisher edition for
UKP50.

The Infopublisher Database Addition for Aldus Pagemaker 5.0
requires Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later and Windows 3.1-
compatible hardware. The suggested configuration is an 486-based
PC with between six and eight megabytes (MB) of memory and an
80 MB hard disk.

(Steve Gold/19931027/Press & Public Contact: Aldus UK,
44-81-568-8868)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00025)

 ****Stac Income Down 95 Percent; Microsoft Blamed 10/27/93
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Stac
Electronics says its fourth quarter revenue is up 25 percent.
However, the company still reported a loss for the quarter of
$420,000 and net income for the year down 95 percent.

The company blames litigation with Microsoft and higher costs
associated with bringing new products to market.

Stac claims that Microsoft is in violation of its patents on data
compression. Microsoft has counter-sued, alleging Stac is in
violation of its earlier patents and in August unsuccessfully
attempted to get the new version of Stacker that integrates
with MS-DOS 6.0 off retail store shelves.

Stac is also fighting a class action suit from its shareholders.
Some sources say Stac should have revealed the knowledge it
had before going public in 1992 that Microsoft was going to
enter the data compression market. However, Stac company
officials told Newsbytes they did put that information in
company statements before going public.

Stac's revenues for the quarter were $7,796,000 compared to
revenues of $6,245,000 for the same period last year. For the
year, revenues were $36,984,000, up 11 percent over last year's
$33,356,000.

The increases did not keep Stac in the black however, as fourth
quarter losses were $420,000 compared to income of $526,000 in
the year-ago quarter. For the year, net income was $415,000,
down 95 percent from the $8,362,000 reported for fiscal 1992.

Stac's President Gary Clow says the company is pleased with the
increased revenues and that Stac is shipping three products:
version 3.1 of Stacker for Windows and DOS; version 1 of
Stacker for Macintosh; and Stacker for OS/2. Stacker 3.1 for
Windows and DOS is the version that integrates Stacker
compression with MS-DOS 6.0.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931027/Press Contact: John Witzel, Stac
Electronics, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00026)

Novel & Nat Semi Ally On Networking Products 10/27/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- National
Semiconductor has announced a strategic alliance with Novell to
produce the Infomover line of products, which will integrate
network hardware and software from both companies. The
announcement was made at a teleconference, which Newsbytes
participated in.

The goal is  to bring networking to every computer with the
integrated products, the first of which are scheduled for
availability in early 1994.

Starting as low as $109 for the hardware/software bundle, the
Infomover product line will include workgroup connectivity
products, multimedia networking products, and high-performance
networking products.

National Semiconductor's Group Communications and Computing
President Richard Beyer, said the company supplies chips and
components for two-thirds of the networking hardware currently
on the market. Beyer claims that while the personal computers
(PCs) in large corporations are 75 to 80 percent networked, less
than 50 percent of the PCs in medium companies have network
capability, and less than 10 percent of companies with 10 or
fewer employees enjoy networking.

In addition, growth in the low cost peer-to-peer networking
market of 40 percent per year indicates there is an interest
among those not currently networked to share information.

According to Beyer, the major barrier to networking is the
cost. However, the opportunity is there, with an estimated 18
million PCs out in the market by 1994 that can be upgraded to be
network- and multimedia-compatible. It is that market the two
companies are after.

Novell says it will enhanced its Netware Lite product,
changing the name to Personal Netware in order to include the
software in the Infomover bundles, on which the logos of both
companies will appear. The workgroup connectivity products
start with the Infomover 2000 Plus Ethernet card for $109. For
fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) adapter capability, the
companies are offering the Infomover 3000 16-bit Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA) card for running Ethernet and Token
Ring networks alongside FDDI connections, at a retail price of
$1,345.

A product aimed at the mobile computer market, the Personal
Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA) Infomover NE
4100 adapter card will allow connection to networks and is priced
at $249.

In addition, the companies offered the usual multimedia video
conferencing demonstration where two or more parties can see
each other on their PCs and can also see graphics, spreadsheets,
and other applications.

The two companies say they have developed technology to together
for both client and server that will lead the transport of video
over a network using high-performance Ethernet and asynchronous
transfer mode adapter technologies.

Gil Amelio, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of National
Semiconductor, and Novell President and CEO Ray Norda, said that
products should be expected out of this alliance with the capability
to perform multimedia conferencing, but no time frame for these
products was announced.

High-performance computing products were mentioned, but the
companies said specifics on those products would come later.

The Infomover products will carry a lifetime guarantee, 24-hour
800 number support, support on-line via National Semiconductor's
bulletin board system (BBS), and support on a Compuserve forum.

To combat the obvious reaction from integrators that this move
could be their demise, National Semiconductor paraded system
integrators, a representative from the distributor Merisel, and
representatives from large companies like Kaiser Permanente to
all say how beneficial this new alliance will be to them. One
integrator said the people who are the most scared are
competitors with Novell and National Semiconductor.

The biggest benefit to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
is the integration between the products from Novell and
National Semiconductor. There will be no need for OEM customers
to write Netware drivers or perform interoperability testing
because that work will have already been done, the companies
maintain. Novell said it will also train its Platinum and Gold
resellers on National products.

This alliance is not a new one for the two companies who have
been working together since 1984. However, it marks the second
move National Semiconductor has made to offer products in a
more direct line to consumers, a course Amelio says National
will continue. The first product in that direction was the
company's Tyin 2000, a retail market all-in-one card that
offers modem, fax, and voice messaging capabilities.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931027/Press Contact: Celeste Martino Sa,
National Semiconductor, 408-721-4210; Public Contact, National
Semiconductor, 800-227-1817; Kelli Christensen, Novell, tel
801-429-5933, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00027)

 ****Mid-Western Flood Firms Reject Data Recovery Plans 10/27/93
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Not only did
Mid-Western flood area businesses not have regular data protection
plans, a majority of them do not plan to take any additional
precautions even now.

According to a recent study of businesses in the Upper Mississippi
Valley, commissioned by 3M Corp., about half of the organizations
surveyed did not have a disaster recovery plan and only 22 percent
plan to take new or special precautions to prevent PC data loss in
the future.

The survey was conducted by Fleishman-Hillard Research and covered
1,200 firms in the region. 3M said most of the businesses had
received warning of imminent flooding in time to lessen the
likelihood of data loss, and many were able to either move their PCs
out of the affected building, raise their computer systems off the
floor or back up their data and transfer the backups to a safe,
off-site location.

One third of the respondents said they either do not back up PC data
at all, or back up only a portion of their data, and about one third
do not do daily backups. About the same number said they keep most
of their backed-up data on site.

Michael Stevens, 3M director of tape technology, said the flood
offers important lessons for the US business community if they are
heeded. "The big lesson is that every company - every employee - in
every region must become aware of just how valuable PC data is and
how data backup must be everyone's responsibility."

However, according to Stevens, too many businesses continue to
gamble. "for want of a secondary storage device and a comprehensive
backup policy, crucial data remains at risk." News reports estimated
the economic loss from the floods at $12 billion dollars. "Companies
simply can't afford not to back up," says Stevens.

He recommends several steps PC users should follow. Backup of
modified files should be done daily, except on Friday, when a full
backup should be performed.  He also recommends creating at least
two sets of backup data each time the backup process is done, and
says at least one set of backup data should be kept off-site in a
cool dry location. Backup copies should also be made of
applications software.

The company says companies with less than 100 workers are less
apt to take precautions. Researchers found that smaller firms are
substantially more likely to store data on-site, where it is still
vulnerable to loss. They are also less likely to have a disaster
recovery plan in place.

PC users often complain about the time needed to backup data.
However, current technology makes unattended backups during off
hours simple and cost effective.

Forty-four percent of the businesses surveyed had less than 100
employees, 35 percent employed over 100 but less than 500, and 21
percent had 500 or more workers. Financial services, insurance,
manufacturing, retail, medical and construction firms were
represented in the study. They averaged about 100 PCs each, and
60 percent were networked.

(Jim Mallory/19931027/Press contact: Larry Teien, 3M Data
Storage Products, 612-736-5961)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00028)

Microsoft Slashes Price Of Multimedia Encyclopedia 10/27/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Microsoft
has cut the suggested retail price of its Encarta multimedia
encyclopedia to $99 through December 31, 1993. The product
has been priced at $395.

Encarta was introduced in March 1993. The 1994 edition includes
26,000 articles; more than 8,000 photographs, illustrations and
graphics; an atlas; an illustrated time line of world history; an
educational game; and a dictionary and a thesaurus based on
Webster's electronic versions.

Encarta is currently available for Microsoft Windows-based PCs.
The company says it will release an Apple Macintosh version early
next year.

CD ROM-based Encarta is one of the products included in
Microsoft Home, a collection of software Microsoft introduced
earlier this month as part of its campaign to capture a chunk of
the growing home computing market. Microsoft Home also includes
Microsoft Works, an integrated software package of word
processing, charting, spreadsheet and database software. It also
contains Microsoft Art Gallery - the Collection of the National
Gallery, which includes images of about 2,000 paintings.

(Jim Mallory/19931027/Press contact: Karen Frey, Waggener
Edstrom,  503- 245-0905;  Reader contact: Microsoft Corp.,
206-882-8080 or 800-426- 9400)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00029)

India - Synoptics Signs Up Microland 10/27/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Microland has made yet
another strategic addition to its list of alliances. The company
recently announced a deal with Synoptics Communications Inc.,
a US-based $300 million networking company.

The deal enables Microland to offer networking products based
on Synoptics' range of intelligent hubs, routers and network
management software. Microland has also been the distributor of
Compaq in India for over a year.

Intelligent hubs, which are fairly new in the domestic market,
should give Microland a crucial competitive edge over rivals. Hubs
offered by Synoptics are media independent. For example, they
enable Ethernet networks to operate alone or co-exist with Token
Ring, fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), or asynchronous
transfer mode (ATM) technologies, thereby providing integrated
connectivity.

A key feature of these hubs is their scalability. Traditionally,
increasing the number of ports meant buying a new hub. In an
intelligent hub, one can do it by simply adding a card. Fault
diagnosis, especially in networks spread across different
buildings is much easier with intelligent hubs. Then there are
automatic switch-overs for fault tolerance. To achieve better
throughput, a network backbone could be collapsed into a hub.
They address large heterogeneous networks.

Last year, eight percent of the networks in India used unshielded
twisted pair (UTP)-based hubs. By the end of this year, that is
expected to grow to 40 percent. "We expect at least 50 percent
of the UTP market to shift to intelligent devices in the next year
and a half," said Pradeep Kar, chairman and managing director of
Microland.

With the agreement, Synoptics has an early lead over its
competitors, such as Cabletron or Networth, which are not yet
represented in India. A big market for Microland is its existing
clientele. Synoptics' range of products, which also include
network management software and routers, should enable the
company to enlarge its customer profile.

"We will also offer post-sales support to existing Synoptics
installations," said Kar. Microland also plans to take up wide area
networking in the near future. "We are talking to some leading
companies," disclosed Sharad Heda, general manager of marketing.

The company will shortly be launching Compaq's pen based
notebook computers.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19931027)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00030)

Japan - Canon To Stop Low-Cost Camcorder Manufacture 10/27/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 27 (NB) -- Canon says it plans to reduce
the production of low-cost camcorders. Eventually the company
wants to stop production altogether, in favor of expensive high-
quality camcorders.

Canon's decision to stop producing low-cost camcorders has come
about because of fierce competition in the marketplace and a
camcorder price war. Prices have dropped to around the $1,000
level -- reducing profits to a minimum.

Canon is reportedly already shifting to high-quality models. The
firm has stopped the sale of camcorders which cost less than
$1,500. Currently, the firm is been selling the UC series, which
costs 200,000 yen ($2,000), along with the LX-1 and the A1 Digital,
both of which cost around 270,000 yen ($2,700). Canon wants to
discontinue the UC series and sell only the LX-1 and A1 Digital.

Canon wants to go even further by reducing production of all of
the camcorders within a couple of years. Then, the firm wants to
focus on corporate-use camcorders.

Currently, Sony and Matsushita are selling extremely low-cost
camcorders, which are sold for about $900.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931027/Press Contact: Canon,
tel [phone], fax [phone])