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/NB102893

Text File | 1993-10-28 | 72KB | 1,634 lines

(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00001)

PressLink Online News Service Adds New Sources 10/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- PressLink, a Reston,
Virginia-based online news and image source owned by Knight-
Ridder, has recently announced several new additions which boost
the size of the image archive to well over 120,000 images.
PressLink is a dial-up 9600 baud service that offers forums and
subscriber-only press information to more than 3,000 individuals
at 1,000 customer locations.

A new database provided by International Color Stock, a Miami,
Florida-based stock photography agency, carries preview images
which can be viewed by subscribers after which the publisher can
order a reproduction-quality image from the company. Another
newly added image source is United Press International's
Newspictures.

Other image files previously found on PressLink include
newspaper-type graphics, maps, and charts provided daily by
Knight-Ridder, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, The New York Times
News Service, Gannett Newspapers, the White House Photo Office,
and other news services.

Newspaper customers subscribing to PressLink include Knight-
Ridder publications, Ganett's USA Today, and others.

Open forums carried on PressLink include several related to the
US military and the Pentagon, as well as a White House
information database.

PressLink's Special Projects Manager Donald Kent told Newsbytes
that users access PressLink at 9600 bits-per-second through a
local telephone number provided by a General Electric network
GEIS or a toll-free 800 number.

The company has also announced that it can provide subscribers
with access to the massive Dialog Online Service through the
Advanced Research Technologies' ARTIST Gateway.

(John McCormick/19931027/Press Contact: Robert Nicholson, Redgate
Communications, 703-518-4182)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00002)

Digital Imaging Demo, Exhibit Scheduled In NY 10/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Tomorrow, October 28,
will see a New York City debut of a major new book on digital
imaging along with exhibits of Agfa, Kodak PhotoCD, SuperMac,
Tektronix, and Wacom digital imaging hardware and software. The
afternoon panel discussion and evening party will be held at The
Apple Market Center located on the 17th floor of 135 East 57th
Street in New York City.

Besides providing an introduction to Sally Wiener Grotta's
digital imaging work as she produces a digital portrait of a
party guest, the evening event will also highlight Dan and Sally
Grotta's forthcoming Windcrest/McGraw-Hill book "Digital Imaging
for Visual Artists." Digital imaging is the computer manipulation
of photographs and computer generated illustrations.

This event is geared to introduce New York media and publishers
to the entire field of digital imaging from scanning
photographs and capturing images with electronic cameras to
editing the images and printing them out in color or publishing
them on CD-ROMs.

Besides the book and hardware being shown, this event kicks off a
one-woman exhibit of Sally Grotta's digital images which will run
from October 28 through December 1, 1993.

(John McCormick/19931027/Press Contact: Dan Grotta, 215-367-9496,
fax [phone] or MCI: DGROTTA)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00003)

Stratus, Motorola, Chosen For India's Stock Exchange 10/28/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- US-based Stratus Computers has
bagged India's National Stock Exchange order, winning over the Wipro
Ltd-Tandem Computers combine, for supplying hardware for the
prestigious Rs 20 crore ($6.7 million) project, a report in
Business Standard newspaper said.

According to sources in the Industrial Development Bank of India
(IDBI), which is managing the project, the decks have been cleared
for the launch of the screen-based exchange by January '94.

The proposal was first cleared by the critical appraisal team formed
by the IDBI and thereafter formally by the NSE board. Stratus and
Tandem are two companies that manufacture fault-tolerant computers.

Sources claim that considerable focus was put on the ability of
the main contenders, both with established expertise, to provide
upgrades as and when the NSE expanded its operations.

With this, the IDBI has finalized the consortium for the project
in which Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., will be the prime
contractor. US-based TCAM services has bagged the software deal,
while Motorola will supply the switches for the exchange.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931028)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00004)

FAA Taps Indian Firm For Big Aviation Contract 10/28/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- A non-resident Indian (NRI)-owned
company has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the US
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The contract envisages
System Resources Corporation (SRC), based in Burlington,
Massachusetts, to serve as the prime contractor of a team
that includes Systems Control Technology, JIL Systems, and CTA Inc,
according to an India Abroad News Service (IANS) report.

The deal is to provide technical support services to the FAA's
prestigious navigation and landing program, which is part of the
US National Airspace System (NAS).

The contract, according to a spokesman, has a potential value of
approximately $48.5 million, including options which could run
for seven years.

Sam Desai, SRC's CEO, citing the importance of the contract to the
company's continued growth and expanding role in aviation said, "We
are delighted to play a major role in this critical program.
Initiatives such as this will ensure that the US is maintaining
the world's highest standards of aviation reliability and flight
safety."

With an emphasis on hi-tech, SRC was set up in 1985 and since has
registered strong growth. A trailblazer of sorts, SRC won the US
Small Business Administration (SSA) administrator's award for
excellence and was selected by Inc Magazine as one of America's
fastest growing companies.

The FAA contract is a step up for the company, which had major
branches of the US government and leading companies in the
private sector on its client list. The US army, Air Force,
Coast Guard and many other government organizations are clients.

(C. T. Mahbharat/19931028)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MOW)(00005)

Sun Training Center In Siberia 10/28/93
NOVISIBIRSK, RUSSIA, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- The Novosibirsk, Russia-
based Sun Microsystems learning center is widening its activities.
The center is active in building computer networks among various
university teaching and research departments, as well as promoting
an open systems computing approach.

According to spokesman Alexander Golenkov, the center has five
workstations and servers with a total hard drive capacity of four
gigabytes. It is a center of computer networking in the university
and local research institutes.

"As a part of our educational effort, we are participating in the coming
Sibkomputer-93 computer show in Novosibirsk, promoting Sun's ideas and
architectures," Golenkov said.

The center has been equipped with powerful Sun workstations and servers
as a result of the discounted purchase of 120 computers for education
establishments, financed by the Russian Republic Higher Education
Committee.

Novosibirsk is home to a Siberian center of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, where the special Akademgorodok (Academy Town) was
built in the late 1960s. It has been an important center of
research ever since.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19931028)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00006)

Sony Enters Video Game Machine Market 10/28/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Sony is jumping into the
video game machine market jointly with its subsidiary Sony Music
Entertainment in November. This is Sony's first stab at the
video game machine market, a territory dominated by Nintendo
and Sega.

Sony's new game machine firm will be called Sony Computer Entertainment.
Some 480 million yen ($4.8 million) of capital has been sunk into the
company in equal shares by both firms.

Chairman Toshio Ozawa of Sony Music Entertainment will assume the
presidency. Sony Computer Entertainment will develop not only
video game machines but games as well.

Sony is expected to offer a RISC (reduced instruction set computing)
chip-based 32-bit video game machine. The RISC chip would enable
the unit to process data at 500 MIPS (500 million instructions per
second) -- extremely fast for a video game machine. The unit is
expected to support three-dimensional computer graphics, and come
with a CD-ROM drive.

Sony expects to release this new game machine in Japan
by the end of next year, and overseas in 1995. Sony plans to set
the price around 50,000 to 60,000 yen ($600), which is
expensive for a game machine.

Nintendo and Sega Enterprises are also each developing 64-bit
next-generation video game machines but the graphics on
Sony's are expected to be superior.

Another major Japanese electronics firm, Matsushita, is
preparing to release a game device jointly developed with 3DO
of the US. Consequently, the industry is bracing itself for a
CD-ROM-based video game machine war in Japan late next year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931028/Press Contact: Sony, +81-3-
5448-2200, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00007)

Chipsoft Offers Lower Prices, Rebates On Tax Software 10/28/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- The tax
crunch this year may be even more painful, but Chipsoft is
attempting to ease the pain by offering its tax preparation
software at lower prices and offering rebates and coupons to
retail purchasers of its products.

The company offers Turbotax for the IBM and compatible personal
computer (PC) market and Macintax for the Macintosh. The
company has announced that retail packages of the Turbotax and
Macintax Federal versions contain a $10 rebate coupon. The
company is also offering lower prices.

Retail prices will be $69.95 (compared to $79.95 last year) for
the federal versions for DOS, Windows, and the Macintosh, and
$39.95 (compared to last year's $49.95 price) for the state
versions.

Users who have bought from Chipsoft before can save even more
by purchasing the renewal versions directly from the company
which will also be less than last year at $29.95 for the
Federal versions and $19.95 for the state versions. Those
interested in renewal copies may call toll-free or write the
company directly, Chipsoft said.

Also new from Chipsoft is a software Tax Savings Guide in which
users answer questions about their financial situation and the
software recommends tax-saving tips based on the user's input.
The product offers 250 tax tips and includes a coupon for up to
$15 off on the retail federal and state versions of Turbotax
and Macintax. The Tax Savings Guide is retail priced at $14.95

The Tax Planner software is available again this year and is
aimed at those faced with quarterly filings, such as the self-
employed. Users with fixed assets and other more complex tax
inquiries will find the $14.95 product helpful as well, company
officials said. The company also offers software for
professional tax preparers.

Chipsoft announced in September it would merge with Intuit,
known for its Quicken accounting software product and the
merger is expected to be complete by December of this year.
One of the expected results of the merger is better integration
between the accounting software and tax software of both
companies. However, current users of Quicken may export their
financial information into Turbotax or Macintax to speed tax
preparation.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Chipsoft is one of the
leading tax preparation software companies. Standard and Poors
reported Chipsoft had earnings in fiscal 1993 of $3.7 million
on revenues of $69.7 million.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931027/Press Contact: Diane MacKeeby,
Chipsoft, tel [phone] ext 431, fax [phone]; Public
Contact, 800-964-1040, Mailing Address, Chipsoft, Personal
Order Department, 2650 E Elvira Road, Suite 100, Tucson,
Arizona, 85706)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00008)

Matsushita, Sundisk Develop 16Mb Flash Memory 10/28/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Matsushita Electronics Industry
has developed a 16-megabit flash memory with California-based
Sundisk. Matsushita Electronics will produce the memory chips
in quantity by early next year, and will supply them to
Sundisk. Sundisk will use this chip in its memory cards.
Data is written on and erased from the flash memory.

Matsushita Electronics' flash memory chip is made with
original technology based on a 0.5 micron process. The chip will
be manufactured at the firm's Uozu plant in Toyama Prefecture,
Japan.

Sundisk's flash memory card will store 40 megabytes. This is
twice as large as others available on the market. It can also
hold the Windows program on this single card making it handy
for notebook-type personal computers.

Matsushita Electronics and Sundisk first entered their
alliance 1990. Since then, they have jointly developed a 4-megabit
and an 8-megabit memory card. Both firms are now developing a 32-bit
flash memory. Matsushita Electronics is expected to begin mass
production at the end of next year.

Sundisk is a joint venture firm created by a former president
of Intel in 1988.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931026/Press Contact: Matsushita
Electronics Industry, [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00009)

Apple Australia Boss Moves Aside 10/28/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- David Strong, managing
director of Apple Computer Australia, is stepping aside from
running the company. He has announced changes that he says are
necessary for the development of Apple.

Strong said that over the next few months Apple Australia will be
expanded in two key areas: the Macintosh personal computer business
and its associated Applesoft, Apple Business Systems (ABS), and
Personal Interactive Electronics (PIE) businesses; and a new
ventures operation which will initially concentrate on
developing opportunities in mobile information services.

Strong said that Apple's Macintosh PC business and the associated
Applesoft, ABS and PIE businesses will be run by a new managing
director, yet to be appointed. Apple is searching internally and
externally and this will no doubt form a pastime for some
industry watchers.

Strong said he will take over responsibility for building the
new businesses of mobile services and general messaging, while
remaining as chairman of the Australian organization. He added
that the plans are consistent with the whole company's plans as
outlined by Apple Pacific President John Floisand.

"Apple will only remain a great company if we can literally
make the transition from Apple Computer to Apple, where 'Apple'
is defined more broadly by the information needs of our
users." Strong said. "By the year 2000 it's essential that we
have a robust Macintosh personal computer business, including a
balanced portfolio of the associated businesses.

This naturally includes strategic architectures such as PowerPC
and PowerOpen, along with a continued focus on mobility, imaging,
and multimedia. But we also have to build new businesses that
are founded on the delivery of information to individuals wherever
and whenever they want it."

Strong said that as founder of Apple Australia 10 years ago he
delivered this announcement with a sense of optimism and excitement.
He said his new role would let him do what he likes best - starting
new businesses from the ground up.

(Paul Zucker/19931028)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00010)

Flash Mass Storage Cards From Zilog/Catalyst, Intel 10/28/93
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Zilog and
Catalyst Semiconductor have announced a partnership under which
they will combine Zilog's microcontroller and software
expertise with Catalyst's flash storage technology to make
credit card-sized mass storage. The cards will be aimed at the
growing storage needs of the mobile computing market.

While the original announcement said the companies could offer
the mass storage cards at prices per megabyte (MB) comparable
with magnetic disk technology, Zilog representatives backed off
those numbers when Newsbytes mentioned hard disk storage is
running now at about $1 per MB. Chris Bradley of Zilog said a
more realistic cost estimate might be a 2 to 1 ratio or a 3 to
2 ratio of dollars to MBs.

The size of the mass storage devices planned are in the 80 to
140 MB range, although exact sizes have not yet been decided.
The drives will be offered in the Personal Computer Memory Card
Industry Association (PCMCIA) Type II form factor, which is now
the most popular, Bradley said.

Flash storage offers the speed of integrated circuit (IC)
chips, the retention of magnetic memory, and it is light
weight. Unlike most ICs, flash solid state memory subsystems do
not lose the data stored when the power source is cut off. The
technology is relatively new, however, and Zilog and Catalyst
face such giants as Intel and Sharp electronics as competitors.
Intel has over two-thirds of the flash memory market and has
announced it too will product mass storage products, but with
lower capacities of 40 MB or less.

Zilog is headquartered in Campbell, California, employs 1,500
people, and had 1992 revenues of $145.7 million. Catalyst
Semiconductor is based in Santa Clara, California and employs
about 105 people. Catalyst lost $1.8 million last year, the
first year it went public, on sales of $32.2 million, but has
since moved into the black with doubled revenues in the first
quarter of its 1994 fiscal year.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931028/Press Contact: Chris Bradley, Zilog,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Don Witmer, Catalyst
Semiconductor, tel [phone])


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

QVC-Viacom Battle Plays Washington, Atlanta 10/28/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Major figures in
the battle for Paramount Communications testified before the
Senate's Antitrust Subcommittee, while BellSouth considered
entering the fray.

Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone and Bell Atlantic Chairman Ray
Smith battled before Senator Howard Metzenbaum, who opposes Bell
Atlantic's pending purchase of TCI. Redstone's testimony
continued his tack of demonizing TCI head John Malone, who he
claims is trying to extend his monopoly of the cable industry by
backing QVC's bid for Paramount. Redstone charged that any
enhancement of TCI's market power will further "choke competition
and lead to a closed communications 'superhighway' built, and
ultimately controlled, by TCI."

Smith tried to go on the offensive, refusing to be drawn into a
lengthy defense of Malone, and saying that the TCI-Bell Atlantic
merger will speed the upgrade of both networks to the benefit of
customers, increasing competition. But he was put on the
defensive over his company's changed position on cable
reregulation in the wake of the TCI deal. That morning "The
Washington Post" had detailed how Smith and Bell Atlantic had
filed suit to force larger cable rate cuts before it bought TCI,
then said it would reconsider that position after the buy.

Metzenbaum fears cable rates will increase with the reduced
competition from phone companies that the Bell Atlantic-TCI deal
implies, and this turn-around just confirmed his suspicions.

To allay concerns on antitrust questions, Smith told Metzenbaum
he would put Bell Atlantic's programming and information assets
into a separate subsidiary. But Redstone called that a "shell
game," comparing it to Malone's spin-off of Liberty Media in
1991, which the Bell Atlantic deal is reversing. That may not be
enough. Anne Bingaman, assistant attorney general for antitrust,
told the committee that the department will analyze the deal under
"all plausible theories of competitive harm" and oppose it if
such harm is found.

Independent analysts say they see no problem with the deal,
since the two companies combined would only have market shares
of 10-15 percent in either cable or telephony.

Meanwhile, BellSouth continued to refuse comment on rumors it
might make a play for Paramount. Chairman John Clendenin,
interviewed by "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" over a separate
deal with Cox Enterprises, told reporter Maria Saporta he didn't
want to talk about a potential offer, but cut the interview short
claiming he was busy. The result was a pair of front-page stories
claiming the company was edging toward a decision, with one
arbitrageur saying there's a 60 percent chance BellSouth will
bid.

For the record, spokesman Larry Stevens told Newsbytes the
company does not comment on speculation, rumors, or possible
business combinations.

Speculation concerning BellSouth pushed the value of Paramount
shares to $81 in October 27 trading, above the $80 per share
tenders now on offer from QVC and Viacom. Viacom's bid has
been approved by regulators, while QVC's bid is still pending
before government officials. QVC is also expected to raise its
bid again, leading to a higher price for Paramount stock in the
open market.

Earlier in the story, BellSouth reportedly talked to both
Viacom and QVC, where it discussed making a bid of its own.
BellSouth is worth about $30 billion, has 1992 revenues of $15.2
billion, debt of just $9.7 billion. Thus, arbitrageurs say, it's
in a position to afford Paramount.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931028/Press Contact: Larry Stevens,
BellSouth, 404-249-2832)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(ATL)(00012)

 ****Motorola Chairman Fisher Leaves For Kodak 10/28/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Motorola Chairman
George Fisher stunned his employer and Wall Street by agreeing to
become chairman and chief executive of Eastman Kodak Co.,
effective December 1. Fisher is also expected to remain as
head of President Clinton's Council on Competitiveness, a part-
time position he took while at Motorola.

At a press conference, where he was introduced by Coca-Cola
Chairman Roberto Guizueta, who had headed Kodak's search for a
new boss, Fisher said he based his decision on Kodak's technology,
saying it's very strong, and the company's prospects are much as
Motorola's were when he joined that company from Bell Labs in
1976.

"At Kodak you have a franchise and a market position second
to none on the content side of the information revolution. If you
think about taking photographs, the imaging side of the business,
you have the most highly distributed information gathering
capability in the universe. The question is how does that tie to
the exciting things taking place in computing and communications?

"My contention is Kodak plays a very important part at the front
end of that process, and has the core competencies to really
drive some exciting things."

Beyond that, Fisher said he didn't want to discuss Kodak in
detail, saying he's still "in a rapidly learning stage on all
these things." But while saying the company remained committed to
its home base of Rochester, New York, he did acknowledge that
further layoffs will be necessary to restore the company to
profitability.

"The first step is making sure our financial house is in order.
But in the end we'll concentrate on fundamentals. First you focus
on your customers, because they pay the bills. If you do that
right everything else follows. You have to focus on cycle times --
how quickly you make products, develop new products, make
decisions, do everything in a corporate context aimed at serving
customers. And you have to have leadership products.

"My enthusiasm for Kodak is not a lack of enthusiasm for
Motorola. They're on a great track. We put together a great
management team. Kodak has a great franchise. My hope is we can
build on that and get out some exciting growth and make our
public happier than they have been -- customers, employees and
shareholders."

Motorola's stock fell in the wake of Fisher's announcement, but
still stands at over $103 per share, up from $20 just a few years
ago and more than double the price of early this year, when
shares were depressed over a health scare on cellular phones.

Kodak shares also rose sharply on the news, despite a $68 million
for the most recent quarter due to a huge restructuring charge, a
freeze on research spending, and announcements it will cut 12,000
of 132,000 jobs by the end of 1995.

Motorola moved quickly to fill the gap, issuing a statement
calling the news unexpected. For now, vice chairman William Weisz
becomes chairman of Motorola, while president Gary Tooker becomes
chief executive. A board meeting is scheduled Friday and a press
conference may follow. The company is not expected to look
outside for its next leader.

Meanwhile, Kodak's board of directors asked former CEO Kay Whitmore
to step down in August claiming Whitmore wasn't bringing needed
change. This fall, even Kodak's customers got involved in the CEO
search as they petitioned the company's executive search firm
to hire John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer. The choice
seemed a natural one, as Sculley made it clear he was looking
for another job and Kodak is one of the largest corporate users
of Apple computers in the world.

Kodak's new direction appears to be a bee-line for the electronic
imaging market. Its Photo Compact Disc (CD) format for digital
images has been widely accepted and it has already announced the
Eastman Exchange, an online, electronic imaging service now a
prototype.

But Sculley was out of the picture when, just two weeks ago on
the heels of Apple's barely-break-even fourth quarter, he
accepted the helm at Spectrum Information Technology, a company
with a dismal financial past. Sculley said he was attracted to
Spectrum because of its patented analog computer-to-cellular
communication technology which it has licensed to American
Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), Rockwell, and IBM.

Kodak, however, found its high-tech CEO further up the hardware
supply line at Motorola. Motorola's connection with Apple is
significant -- it's the company that makes the central processing
unit (CPU) or the "brains" of the current Apple Macintosh computer
line. Motorola is about half the size revenue-wise of
Kodak at $9.5 billion annually.

Kodak was founded in 1880 and went public in 1901. The report
of a new CEO has been good for Kodak's stock which is up 1.5
points from yesterday's close of 62 1/4.

(Dana Blankenhorn & Linda Rohrbough/19931028/Press Contact:
David Pinsky, Motorola, 708-523-2841; Paul Allen, Kodak, tel
716-724-5802, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00013)

 ****Fisher's Motorola Legacy 10/28/93
SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- At Motorola,
George Fisher built one of industry's most highly respected
management teams and helped revolutionize business through a
coherent strategy focused on wireless communications.

The company didn't win every battle. It was aced-out in the PC
chip market by Intel, which won dominant market share for its
80X86 series over Motorola's 68XXX chips. But under Fisher the
company concentrated on new wireless markets, becoming a dominant
player in cellular phones and cell sites. The company also
retained its dominant position in pagers, even opening the
Japanese market a crack after a long struggle.

One policy which helped Motorola keep its equipment markets open
was a decision by Fisher and his management team to avoid
competition in the services sector. While Motorola eventually got
one of three satellite paging licenses from the Federal
Communications Commission, for instance, it created a completely
different service with it, called EMBARC, for Electronic Mail By
A Roaming Computer. It became the largest licensee of Specialized
Mobile Radio frequencies, but after creating new technology which
could turn those licensees into competitors to cellular phone
companies, it sold most of them to some of its big customers --
Cencall, Dial Page, and NexTel -- in exchange for stock.

Contrast that with AT&T, another major cellular equipment supplier,
which drew fire from regional Bell companies for buying McCaw
Cellular. That's the kind of move Fisher's Motorola would have
resisted.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931028/Press Contact: David Pinsky, Motorola,
708-523-2841; Eastman Kodak, 716-724-4000)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

SkyTel Launches Quote Service 10/28/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- MTel made a move
into a new market by launching SkyQuote, a service of its SkyTel
paging service that delivers real-time quotes to the company's
SkyWord pagers.

SkyQuote will use headlines from Dow Jones as well as the quotes
from the major US exchanges. Users will be able to select up to
four companies on the exchanges, and in addition to regular
quotes, they'll get Dow Jones headlines on those stocks at two
times each day, specified by users. The service costs $10 per
month on top of SkyTel's usual charges. It's part of a broader
new product line that includes SkyNews, a headline service from
Reuters.

SkyQuote and SkyNews, combined with SkyWord, illustrate an
important trend which Motorola and its EMBARC service led.
Paging services are becoming information services, despite their
narrow frequency bandwidths and short messaging capabilities.

Like SkyTel, BellSouth's Mobilecomm service is also moving into
online news. EMBARC was designed from the beginning as an
electronic mail service for mobile computers, and the SkyWord
paging device is made by Motorola and also used by EMBARC.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931028/Press Contact: Elisa Fershtadt, for
SkyTel, 212/614-4254)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

AT&T Extends Frame Relay To Europe 10/28/93
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- AT&T
expanded its InterSpan frame relay service to Europe by
announcing that it will offer customers there the ability to link
their local area networks directly to InterSpan. AT&T will also
sell those customers frame relay equipment, install it, and
maintain the network interfaces. The official announcement was
made at the Interop-Europe trade show in Paris, France.

AT&T said this Extended Connectivity Option is based on a global
structure, and ECO has been available as an option since January.
The new announcement will mean customers in 16 countries can have
AT&T handle the complex regulatory dealings which are required
for provisioning such networks across national boundaries,
starting early next year. Also, multinational companies can get a
single point of contact for their international frame relay
networks. The service is managed through the company's management
center in the United Kingdom.

The frame relay announcement is yet another challenge to Europe's
decisionmakers, where voters have resisted moves to privatize
phone companies and allow greater competition despite a European
Community decision to allow greater competition starting in 1998.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931028/Press Contact: Carolyn Tommie, AT&T,
908-221-8541)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00016)

CD-ROM Expo - Keynoter Says Market Growing 40%/Year 10/28/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- The CD-ROM
market is expanding at a steady clip, and new developments such as
standardization, better search-and-retrieval engines, and booklike
reading devices will bring an even brighter future, speakers said
yesterday in a keynote session at CD-ROM Expo.

Since 1985, when the CD-ROM industry was born, the market has grown
at an annual rate of 40 percent, stated Julie B. Schwerin,
president of Infotech, and one of three members of a keynote
panel moderated by Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies Research.

From its initial use as text-based reference tool for libraries,
CD-ROM made its way into multimedia in 1991 and 1992, opening the
door to new applications in areas like entertainment and education,
according to Schwerin.

CD-ROM products are now being marketed in 35 countries worldwide,
for 15 different desktop and set top platforms, noted the head
of the Woodstock, VT-based marketing research firm. In contrast,
back in the mid-eighties, the technology was available only in the
US, and for PC DOS alone, Schwerin recalled.

For 1986, Infotech counted 52 commercial CD-ROM titles shipping.
By 1991, the company found 2,119 and by 1992, the number had risen
to 3,256.

Infotech has projected a $3 billion market this year for commercial
titles, and the firm will be adjusting that figure upward due to a
recent boom in the multimedia arena, she reported. The figures
for commercial titles do not even include other widespread
applications, such as CD-ROM for inhouse use, she added.

Up to this point, CD-ROM has achieved higher penetration among
businesses and home offices than households, acknowledged Walter
Miao, vice president, Technology, for another market research firm,
New York City-based LINK Resources Corp.

The proportion of medium/large businesses with CD-ROM is now 11.2
percent, according to LINK. Comparative figures are 6.9 percent
for small businesses, 4.8 percent for home offices, and only 0.2
percent for households.

Yet the advent of standardization will yield better opportunities
for CD-ROM vendors in the consumer marketplace, emphasized Miao.
Currently, the number of protocols in use by the industry amounts
to a whopping 25. In the future, though, there will be greater
consolidation around shared, open standards, he predicted.

"CD-ROM will not compete with online services," he added.
ISDN and other networking technologies that would allow delivery of
video to the desktop are still a long way off, he explained.

Meanwhile, PCs have achieved fairly high household penetration.
Exactly 16.6 percent of households are currently equipped with PCs,
compared to 42.9 percent of home offices, 67.2 percent of small
businesses, and 99.2 percent of medium/large businesses, according
to Miao.

The creation of new CD-ROM reading and writing devices will spell
greater success among consumers of tomorrow, said Bob Stein,
cofounder of Voyager.

And although some insist that books are still easier to read in
print than electronic form, "electronic books" already offer one
clear advantage, he maintained.

The electronic book provides "hands-free operation," a capability
that becomes especially important if you want to read while lying
in bed or flopping on a couch, he said. In these situations, an
Apple PowerBook, or even a notebook PC, is preferable to a
conventional book.

CD-ROM is being further advanced by the development of new, more
capable search-and-retrieval engines, according to Stein. He
demonstrated Voyager's use of such tools in several recently
released multimedia titles, including "A Hard Day's Night," "A
Portrait of Dorian Gray," "Who Built America," "MacBeth," "A Silly
Noisy House," and "Take 5."

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931028)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00017)

Cabletron Intros Spectrum Data Gateways 10/28/93
ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- As
part of its three-phase network management strategy,
Cabletron Systems Inc., has announced Spectrum Data Gateways.
The Gateways are designed to provide a link between the firm's
Spectrum enterprise management platform and other network
managers, permitting cross-platform network information
exchange.

Michael Skubisz, Cabletron's director of product management,
told Newsbytes that, "Spectrum is our network management
platform. It competes in some ways with HP OpenView and SunNet
Manager. What Spectrum Data Gateways allows us to do is
interoperate at a very high level with those products. It
essentially allows us to become the manager of managers."

Skubisz explained the gateways further to Newsbytes, saying: "The
Data Gateway is essentially an agent that resides on HP OpenView,
SunNet manager, or IBM's NetView 6000, and extracts information
from those systems using those platform's published APIs
(application programming interfaces). That information is then
exported up to Spectrum, so you have a centralized view of the
world, if you will."

According to the company, Spectrum Data Gateways permit the
"dynamic exchange of information between Spectrum and element
managers." This exchange reportedly allows Spectrum to create
models for all devices managed by other platforms, enabling it to
distribute polling and threshold monitoring tasks. Management
databases are also synchronized through the process.

Skubisz told Newsbytes that, "Spectrum in the platform has some
features that the other platforms do not offer. One of them is
artificial intelligence, which allows us to do intelligent isolation.
When something breaks, instead of telling you about the hundred
devices you can't reach any longer, we tell you about the single
device that has caused the problem."

Spectrum Data Gateways permit the correlation of network
management data retrieved from disparate management systems.
The aggregate management data is filtered by Spectrum, and
then reported to the network administrator. The company adds
that the process permits enterprise network management to
take place from a single console.

Concluded Skubisz, "We extract information out of these other
platforms. Then we apply that raw information through the
modeling, the artificial intelligence engine, and present you with
a value-added report system." He said that the Data Gateways
would be available in the first quarter of 1994.

(Ian Stokell/19931028/Press Contact: Jennifer Ace,
603-337-1063, Cabletron Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00018)

Computer Associates Tax Software Is Almost Free 10/28/93
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Encouraged by
strong response to a giveaway of personal financial management
software earlier this year, Computer Associates International
is now offering a new income tax package free to all
callers. Well, almost -- the company will charge $9.95 for
shipping and handling to send out the new CA-Simply Tax software.

Simply Tax was developed by SoftKey Software Products Inc., a
Cambridge, Massachusetts, software developer, which has sold a
version of the software for the DOS operating system as EasyTax.
CA is offering the DOS version plus a version for Microsoft
Windows that has not previously been sold.

CA said it will send an unlimited number of free copies of Simply
Tax to anyone in the United States who calls its toll-free order
line -- 1-800-7-FREE-TAX -- before April 15, 1994. That is the
deadline for filing 1993 income tax returns.

Early callers will get a head start edition of the software,
without all details of the still-to-be-finalized 1993 tax form.
They will be able to update that software later, when the tax
form is final, for an added $3.95 shipping charge, said Marc
Sokol, CA's vice-president of product strategy. Customers can
also wait and get the final edition later for $9.95.

CA also plans to sell the software through retail stores. Sokol
said the price at retailers will probably be between $10 and $15.

The company will make its money on later updates and add-ons for
the package. Income tax software typically requires an annual
update to keep up with continual changes in tax rules. Sokol said
no price has been set for such updates yet.

Simply Tax uses a question-and-answer approach to walk users
through the tax preparation process. It automatically fills data
in on the correct form. The software also includes a facility for
filing electronically through a modem or by loading forms onto a
diskette to be sent to the Internal Revenue Service.

Computer Associates also said it has add-on programs to handle
state income taxes for 30 states, at $19.95 each.

The software is also able to import personal financial records
from the company's CA-Simply Money software to aid in preparing
tax returns, Sokol said.

CA said it will offer both Simply Tax and Simply Money together
free except for shipping and handling until April 15.

When CA launched the Simply Money offer, the company's order
lines were jammed with callers and it had to add more operators.
Officials said they think they are ready for the call volume this
time.

(Grant Buckler/19931028/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391, fax [phone]; Public Contact:
Computer Associates, 800-7-FREE-TAX)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00019)

Wordperfect Forms Small Business Unit 10/28/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation has
announced the creation of a new corporate sales group designated to
meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in the US and
Canada. The unit will cater to business using 50 to 299 personal
computers.

Clive Winn, WPCorp VP of sales, said the unit was formed as a result
of listening to customer needs. "Our customers indicated a need for
greater focus in the small to medium business arena."

Called SMB, the unit will have in-house sales representatives
designated to handle requests for help, update customers on
products, purchase opportunities, and WPCorp sponsored seminars
being conducted in the customer's region. Seminars will be conducted
by WPCorp authorized training centers. "Our goal is to provide SMB
accounts with more personalized attention from a new sales force, a
series of product seminars, and new purchasing and maintenance
programs," according to Russ Warner, WPCorp SMB account director.

The company said the SMB unit will utilize Wordperfect Office 4.0 to
communicate with accounts via electronic mail and other public mail
systems. "If the customer has Office 4.0 or some other mail system
we can e-mail them information and if they have a problem they can
e-mail it to us," WPCorp Laura Funkhauser told Newsbytes.

WPCorp says a survey last month by Computer Intelligence showed that
59 percent of establishments using 50 to 99 PCs use Wordperfect word
processing software, while in the 100 to 299-PC category 64 percent
are WP users. It also cites a recent CNN/Gallup Organization poll
that shows mid-sized businesses are increasing their budgets for
software purchases. In June mid-sized businesses reportedly spent
more than twice as much as they had planned on PC products. June was
the fourth consecutive month this year in which spending outpaced
projections.

Funkhauser told Newsbytes a business can become an SMB account just
by calling the unit's toll-free number. "We will assign an inside
representative, send information about seminars and products, and
can arrange for someone to make a personal visit," she said.

(Jim Mallory/19931028/Press contact: Laura Funkhauser, WPCorp, 801-
228-5051; Reader contact: WPCorp, 800-321-0034 or 801-225-5000, fax
801-222-5077)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00020)

 ****Microsoft Deals Directly With Mexico 10/28/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Microsoft isn't
waiting for Congress to approve the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA). The software giant says it has signed a software
licensing agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Trade that will put
Microsoft products throughout the ministry, and eventually possibly in
other branches of the government.

"The key news here is that the Mexican government has never bought
software before. Because of the copyright laws in Mexico it wasn't
necessary for them to do that," Microsoft spokesperson Michelle
Mathews told Newsbytes. "It's an unprecedented move, with the Mexican
government setting the precedent for the private sector to follow."

She said the Software Publishing Association estimates that
presently 85 percent of the business software used in Mexico is
pirated.

Mathews told Newsbytes the deal involves Microsoft Windows, Foxpro,
and Microsoft Office.

Microsoft said the deal signals support for the intellectual property
provisions of NAFTA and is the first in a series of agreements the
Mexican government intends to sign with various software vendors.
Wordperfect Corporation spokesperson Michelle Mathews told
Newsbytes WPCorp officials are negotiating CAP (Customer Advantage
Program) agreements, the company's large account agreements, with
numerous Mexican government agencies but declined to discuss details,
citing the delicacy of the negotiations.

"Wordperfect is glad to see the Mexican government setting the
standard for legally purchased software," Mathews said. Those
agreements are expected to be signed in the next few weeks.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates called the agreement a "great first
step" by the Mexican government in support of the intellectual
property rights outlined in NAFTA. "Today's agreement is part of
a broader campaign by the Mexican government to protect intellectual
property and encourage the use of legal software in Mexico." Gates
said it is a positive indicator for the entire US software industry.

Earlier this month the Mexican government formed a major interagency
commission to coordinate the prosecution of intellectual property
pirates and to educate the Mexican public. "We understand that
intellectual property protection is fundamental to the economic,
cultural and social development of Mexico, and we are completely
committed to the actions necessary to promote this. By purchasing
state-of-the-art software, we are advancing our goal of making
Mexico more productive and competitive in today's global markets,"
stated Dr. Jaime Serra Puche, Mexican secretary of trade and
industry.

NAFTA defines software as a literary work requiring the highest level of
copyright protection. It also calls for guarantees that US copyright
owners will benefit directly from the royalty fees and other specified
levies. Experts believe that will increase the market in both Mexico and
Canada for software publishers. NAFTA gradually decreases and
eventually eliminates the current 10 percent tariff imposed by the
Mexican government on software and computer hardware.

Microsoft says its sales in Mexico increased by 86 percent in 1992 and
are up nearly 200 percent this year. The company attributes that to the
improvement in the Mexican legal environment resulting from NAFTA
negotiations. Microsoft says staffing to support its Latin American
operations has jumped over 300 percent in the last two years. The
company operates a facility devoted solely to order processing,
production, and shipping of products destined for Latin America.

(Jim Mallory/19931028/Press contact: Michelle Mathews, Microsoft Corp,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00021)

CD-ROM Expo - Toshiba's New Midrange Drives 10/28/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- At CD-ROM Expo
this week, Toshiba is introducing its first midrange CD-ROM drives.

Jerald B. Higgins, vice president of marketing for the Disk Product
Division, told Newsbytes that the new double-speed XM-4101 Series
offer most of the same capabilities as the previously released,
premium double-speed XM-3401 Series, the only other CD-ROM drives
that Toshiba has brought to market.

In addition, the XM-4101 brings the unique capability of being able
to be mounted either vertically or horizontally, Higgins said.

During an interview on the show floor, Higgins showed Newsbytes how
the XM-4101 uses a tray with a specialized lock-in spindle to keep
the drive in place during loading and ejection, even when the drive
is mounted vertically.

The XM-4101 is somewhat slower than the XM-3401, but will also be
priced lower to OEMs, according to Higgins. Ultimately, these cost
savings will be passed on to end users, he added.

Toshiba developed the new drive to extend the core technology of
the XM-3401 to a more price-conscious market, Higgins explained.

Typical average access times are 320 ms for the XM-4101 and 200 ms
for the XM-3401. Data transfer rates are 300 KB/sec for the XM-
4101 and 330 KB/sec for the XM-3401.

Available to OEMs in internal (XM-4101B) and external (TXM-4101L)
models, the drive is Multimedia PC-2 (MPC-2)-compliant, supports
Kodak multisession Photo CD, and also comes standard with a 64 KB
buffer and fully integrated audio.

Mean time between failure (MTBF) is a high 45,000 hours, according
to Higgins. In addition, the device consumes only three watts of
power, a capability targeted at the new generation of energy-
conscious "green PCs."

Toshiba's XM-4101 and XM-3401 drives can be connected through
installation kits to IBM PS/2 and XT/AT-compatible PCs and all
Macintosh computers.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931028/Reader contact: Toshiba America
Information Systems, tel [phone]; Press contact: Karen Allen,
The Benjamin Group for Toshiba, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00022)

UK - US Robotics New Products, Shuffles Prices 10/28/93
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- US Robotics has
slashed the cost of the Sportster V.32Bis fax modem from UKP 399 to
UKP 299, while the basic 2,400 bits per second (bps) version falls
from UKP 199 to UKP 149.

In parallel with the price cuts, the company has pre-announced plans
to launch a new range of Courier modems on November 22. The two
new modems will include support for HDLC/cellular and V.32Terbo
connections. Two models will be available -- the V.32Terbo-only at
UKP 699 and the UKP899 DS with cellular link support.

"The DS supports cellular links at rates of up to 16,800 bits per
second," Clive Hudson, US Robotics' managing director, told
Newsbytes, adding that both modems include support for 14,400 bps
fax. Hudson revealed plans are also in hand for portable and PCMCIA
versions of the new Courier modems to ship in the first quarter of
next year.

The new modems also support the V.32Terbo standard. Hudson
said that the company is getting behind in the continuing absence of
the V.Fast (28,800 bits per second) modem standard. "We think there
is a significant window of opportunity with V.32Terbo, as V.Fast
modems will not arrive until next summer," Hudson said, adding that,
since the V.32Terbo modems will be upgradable to V.Fast, these new
modems will appear to users who want the fastest speeds now.

According to Hudson, the Sportster price cuts have been made
possible by the massive growth in modem sales that US Robotics has
enjoyed on both sides of the Atlantic. Dataquest figures cited to
support this claim show that the company was in second position in
the high speed modem market-place in the UK with 11.4 percent of the
market in the year to September, 1993.

This contrasts with UK market leader Craycom with 13.2 percent, but
ahead of BT with 10.6 percent and Tricom and Hayes with,
respectively, 4.8 and 3.1 percent.

"The Sportster has really caught the competition napping. We took
the decision to offer a combination of high performance and low
price which we knew would be difficult to match. As a result, I
believe that we have grown the overall market size, as well as
increasing our share of the market," Hudson said.

"The decision to focus on the high speed of the market is justified
by the fact that, according to Dataquest, 75 percent of the modem
market by 1997 will be V.32Bis and above," he added.

(Steve Gold/19931028/Press & Public Contact: US Robotics - Tel: +44-
753-811180; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00023)

British Telecom Dukes It Out For Ireland 10/28/93
DUBLIN, IRELAND, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- British Telecom has announced
it is opening a business office in Dublin with the express aim of
competing with Telecom Eireann in the long distance and
international telecom market.

The telecom situation in Ireland is somewhat unusual, Newsbytes
notes, as Northern Ireland is in the UK and therefore covered by BT.
This means that Telecom Eireann (TE) has to contract with BT for
calls between Southern and Northern Ireland. TE, however, has been
charging more than BT for such calls, owing to a near monopoly for
Ireland-UK calls.

BT claims that, because of pricing differentials between TE and its
rates, it will scoop up a large number of company contracts. BT
officials claim that the company has already signed contracts with
the Irish Trade Board, which ironically is a division of the Irish
Government.

BT has employed 12 staff to run the Dublin office, which
opens at the beginning of November.

(Steve Gold/19931028/Press Contact: BT - Tel: [phone])


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

Canada's High-Tech Marketing Units Shrinking -- Study 10/28/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Canadian
information technology companies have been cutting back their
marketing operations in the past two years, relying more on
outside contractors and in many cases depending on parent
companies south of the border to do more of their marketing for
them. This is one conclusion of a study carried out by consulting
firm KPMG Peat Marwick Stevenson & Kellogg and the Information
Technology Association of Canada (ITAC).

The researchers contacted 150 of Canada's most prominent
information technology firms. The response rate was 29 percent,
or about 45 companies.

Forty-five percent of those responding said their marketing
departments had shrunk in the past two years. Of those, 38
percent -- that is 17 percent of all respondents -- said their
marketing units were less than half the size they had been two
years earlier.

To make up for this, a number of companies are relying more on
outside contractors to help with their marketing work. However,
many are also depending more heavily on the marketing programs of
their parent companies in the United States -- a decision, the
study noted, that means marketing programs are not tailored to
the Canadian market.

The study noted that the marketing resources of US parent
companies are "now more accessible" than before, presumably a
reference to the Free Trade Agreement in place between Canada and
the United States.

In general, the study said, marketers in Canada's high-tech
sector are being asked to do more with less. As a result, Peat
Marwick and ITAC predicted a move toward more focused marketing
tactics such as direct mail and telemarketing, and away from
trade shows and other general marketing methods.

(Grant Buckler/19931028/Press Contact: John Calhoun, Peat
Marwick, 416-777-3034; Barry Gander, ITAC, 613-256-5060)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00025)

Novell Offers NetWare Over TCP/IP 10/28/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Novell
claims it has further accelerated the integration between NetWare,
Unix and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
environments with the introduction of NetWare/IP.

NetWare/IP is claimed to be a software option for NetWare
that enables customers to run NetWare network services and
applications over TCP/IP environments.

Rene Siegel, marketing communications manager for Novell's
Connectivity Products Division, in reply to a question concerning
TCP/IP support already available in NetWare, told Newsbytes
that, "There is already a TCP/IP stack included in NetWare so
that TCP/IP clients can be added to a NetWare network server.
NetWare/IP is not equivalent to NetWare, and it is not a
replacement. It is a set of NLMs (NetWare Loadable Modules) that
sit on the NetWare server that allow you to run NetWare
completely transparently over an existing TCP/IP environment."

Continued Siegel to Newsbytes, "The main difference is that,
before you absolutely had to use (Novell's) IPX (Internetwork
Packet Exchange) to run NetWare. Now you don't have to. You have
a choice. If you have an existing TCP/IP environment, you don't
have to yank out the IP (Internet Protocol) to run NetWare."

That has been a problem in the past, she elaborated. "That has
been a big issue for a lot of our major customers. For example,
the large manufacturers, such as the auto companies, oil
companies, and a lot of the big TCP/IP shops, they have been
hesitant to move over to NetWare because it has meant an
administrative nightmare for them."

Corporate customers whose businesses are standardized on TCP/IP
can integrate NetWare services with their protocol of choice, says
the company. In addition to running NetWare over the IPX transport,
NetWare/IP enables customers to select the IP as their network
protocol.

Said Bob Young, vice president of marketing for Novell's NetWare
Systems Group, "Both TCP/IP and IPX protocols are key to our
strategic direction and product offerings. By providing customers
with the freedom to choose a network protocol - either IP or IPX -
we can further integrate NetWare into TCP/IP environments."

"Many large companies in the US and abroad have standardized on
TCP/IP and the market demand for integration of NetWare into
TCP/IP environments is exploding," said Bob Davis, vice president
of marketing for Novell's Unix Systems Group.

NetWare/IP is a set of NLMs that enables existing NetWare 3.1x
or 4.01 servers to use IP as a transport protocol option. The
company says that the ability to choose the network protocols
frees network administrators to build the network infrastructure
that best fits their requirements. NetWare/IP can also act as a
gateway by connecting native NetWare and NetWare/IP networks.

The company also says that the software includes both client
and server components; enables traditional IPX-based applications
to run on an IP transport; and provides two services to emulate
the IPX protocol's broadcast mechanisms.

NetWare/IP is priced at $500 for a five-user version; $900 for a
10-user version; $1,400 for 25-user version; $1,800 for a 50-user
version; $2,600 for a 100-user version; $4,700 for a 250-user
version; $7,900 for a 500-user version; and $14,500 for a
1000-user version.

Novell has also announced three native language versions of its
LAN WorkPlace for DOS 4.1 product -- French, German, and Japanese.
The company says that LAN WorkPlace for DOS is a member of its
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
connectivity product family and provides DOS, Windows and mobile
computing users with concurrent access to Unix systems and
NetWare resources. LAN WorkPlace for DOS is installed directly at
the desktop, giving users direct access to TCP/IP resources with
or without NetWare.

(Ian Stokell/19931028/Press Contact: Marie Gunter,
408-321-1669, Novell Inc.)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00026)

DCA Crosstalk For Mac 2.0; Enhanced Token Ring Drivers 10/28/93
ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Digital
Communications Associates has introduced version 2.0 of its
Crosstalk for Macintosh asynchronous communications software.
The company has also announced new Ring Advanced Communications
Executive (RACE) software enhancements for its IRMAtrac line of
Token Ring adapters.

Crosstalk for Mac provides support of Apple's Comm Toolbox
standard for connection, file transfer, and terminal tools. The
company says this allows users to access all third-party tools
which support Comm Toolbox.

The company also says that the product provides cross-platform
compatibility to ensure script, QuickPad and keyboard files as
well as user interface capability between environments. As an
example, the company claims that a user of Crosstalk for Windows
can migrate to Crosstalk for Macintosh and use existing scripts
that were written for Crosstalk for Windows.

The Macintosh version also includes a built-in text editor. The
user can also communicate with multiple systems concurrently.

File transfer protocols offered include: IBM IND$FILE, XMODEM,
XMODEM-Checksum, XMODEM-CRC, XMODEM-1K, XMODEM-G, YMODEM,
YMODEM-G, YMODEM-BATCH, ZMODEM, Kermit, CompuServe B+,
and QuickB and ASCII upload and download.

Also, the software supports a number of terminals, including:
ANSI PC; DEC VT320, 220, 100, 102, 52; IBM 3101; WYSE 50, 50+,
and 60; ADDS Viewpoint+, FTTERM (asynchronous 3270);
Lear-Siegler ADM3a; Hewlett-Packard 700/94; Hazeltine 1500;
TTY (teletype); VIDTEX (for CompuServe); and Televideo 912, 920,
and 925.

Crosstalk for Macintosh 2.0 is already available, priced at $195.
Users of existing Crosstalk software or competitive software
can trade up to Crosstalk for Macintosh 2.0 for $49 directly from
DCA.

The new RACEtrac 3.1 software for the company's own IRMAtrac
Token Ring adapters includes support for Microsoft Windows NT,
Novell NetWare 4.01, 4.0 and 3.12 servers, and a memory-efficient
NetBIOS stack.

DCA says that RACEtrac 3.1 also includes support for DOS ODI
"promiscuous" mode which allows users to access IRMAtrac in
"copy-all-frames" mode. DOS ODI "promiscuous" mode reportedly
allows users to use such network monitors as Novell's LANalyzer
for NetWare, which monitors network performance.

The company also claims that the new RACE software provides
high-performance NDIS and ODI Token Ring drivers as well as a
fine-tuned media access control interface. RACE off-loads
protocols such as NetBIOS, allowing them to run on-board.
RACE on-board processing frees up PC memory for applications.

RACEtrac 3.1 is available free of charge to existing worldwide
IRMAtrac customers. The software can be obtained via DCA's
corporate bulletin board system at 404-740-8428, or by calling
DCA Sales Operations at 1-800-348-3221.

(Ian Stokell/19931028/Press Contact: Kerry Stanfield,
404-442-4519, DCA)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00027)

 ****29% Growth Predicted In 1993 World Chip Market 10/28/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Growth is the
key word in the semiconductor market and the North American
market is expected to lead even the Japanese by the end of this
year. The Semiconductor Industry Association says personal
computers (PCs) and related products will spur 29 percent
growth in the 1993 world market to $77.3 billion with a
continuing climb to $103.4 billion by 1996.

The North American market will be the strongest player in this
semiconductor growth spurt, with $24.8 billion in shipments in
1993, surpassing Japanese shipments of $23.7 billion, Asia
Pacific shipments of $14.4 billion, and European shipments of
$11.5 billion.

By 1996, North America is still expected to lead with projected
shipments of $32.5 billion. The Japanese are predicted to be at
$31 billion, the Asia Pacific will hit $21.4 billion, and the
European market will reach $18.5 billion.

This year will be the first time since 1985 that the North
American shipments will be larger than Japan's. The North
American rate of growth is expected to be higher as well at
34.5 percent for 1993, compared to 22.3 percent growth for the
same period in Japan.

The projected numbers do not compensate for the appreciation of
the yen versus the dollar, which inflates the growth
percentages. SIA officials say when the numbers are balanced
out, Japan's 1993 growth rate will be just 5.9 percent.

Worldwide, semiconductor shipments are predicted to grow to
$87.8 billion in 1994, $92.5 billion in 1995, to the $103.4
billion figure in 1996, SIA officials said.

The largest growth product-wise is expected in the integrated
circuit (IC) market, specifically including metal oxide
semiconductor (MOS) devices such as MOS micro, MOS memory,
analog products, and digital bipolar products. This market is
expected to increase 32.2 percent from 1992's figures of $50
billion to $66.1 billion in 1993 and reach $90.2 billion in
1996.

The forecasts were prepared by the World Semiconductor Trade
Statistics (WSTS) organization which polls semiconductor
manufacturers worldwide. The SIA manages the distribution of
WSTS data in North America.

The SIA recently reported the September book-to-bill ratio, a
three-month moving average of the number of semiconductor
orders (bookings) compared to the number of shipments
(billings), was down to 1.01 from August's figure of 1.08.
However, the actual bookings and billings have been climbing
compared to last year's figures and are expected to continue to
climb.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931028/Press Contact: Tom Beerman, SIA, tel
408-246-2711, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00028)

Conner To Stop Scotland Manufacturing 10/28/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- Increased
competition has led to Conner Peripherals Inc., suspending its
manufacturing operations in Irvine, Ayrshire. The company plans
to continue its European distribution and service activities there,
however.

Conner plans to review its worldwide manufacturing requirements
and capacity annually to determine whether conditions might
support a resumption of manufacturing in Scotland.

About 200 employees at the Irvine facility will be laid off at the
end of 1993, and approximately 100  employees will remain at
the distribution and service centers.

The company says that its decision to suspend manufacturing is
due to competition from products produced in non-European
countries which have lower costs and duty free access to European
markets.

This company says that the decision is part of the restructuring
program announced in conjunction with its report of third quarter
financial losses totalling $372 million, which included a
restructuring charge of $78 million, write-downs of $213 million
in goodwill and intangibles, and a $39 million charge for other
reserves and contingencies.

No comment was available from Conner by Newsbytes deadline.

(Ian Stokell/19931018/Press Contact: Kevin Burr or Mike Seither,
408-456-3134 or 408-456-3743, Conner Peripherals Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00029)

CD-ROM Expo - Sony Codeveloping New Titles 10/28/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- At CD-ROM Expo
this week, Sony Electronic Publishing has announced partnership
pacts with five information publishers for the codevelopment of
CD-ROM-based multimedia software products.

In its booth on the exhibition floor, Sony is displaying "Mayo
Clinic Family Health Book" and "Mayo Clinic -- The Total Heart,"
two titles that have been jointly produced with IVI Publishing
Inc., Minneapolis, MN.

Aside from IVI, Sony's other new partners include Houghton Miflin
Co., Boston, MA; Interactive Media Communications, Waltham, MA;
MindBank, Inc., Ingomar, PA; and Wilson Learning Corp., Eden
Prairie, MN.

At an interview with Newsbytes, officials said that the titles
combine CD-ROM technology from Sony with high-quality multimedia
content from the third-party vendors.

All titles that emerge from the relationships will integrate
graphical user interfaces (GUIs), video, art work, and original
written content, explained Mark J. Hart, national manager for sales
and publishing.

The two titles that have been codeveloped with IVI make use of
Sony's Full Text Retrieval Authoring Set, according to Hart.
The "Family Health Book," which has already been released, has sold
300,000 copies by now, he said.  Both titles are aimed at health
care consumers.

In a demonstration, Newsbytes saw how IVI's "The Total Heart"
provides an in-depth look at a variety of aspects related to
coronary health, including the "normal" heart, "reducing risk,"
"heart disease," and "heart tests."

Within the "heart tests" section, the user can witness -- in full
3D -- how laser, balloon, and PCTV heart testing is conducted.

Also among the first batch of titles are "Get in Touch:  Building
and Keeping Personal Relationships," from Wilson Learning; "Name
Game," from MindBank; and "First Aid Basics:  A Family Primer,"
from Interactive Media Communications.

In "Name Game," viewers will learn name-recognition techniques
while playing a role in solving an interactive mystery, according
to Hart.

Other upcoming titles will require longer development times, he
told Newsbytes.  An example is Houghton Miflin's "The Challenge of
Democracy," a CD-ROM title that will incorporate a college
textbook.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931028/Reader contact:  Sony Electronic
Publishing Company, tel [phone]; Press contact:  Peter Dille,
Sony, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00030)

AmCoEx Index Of Used Computer Prices 10/28/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 28 (NB) -- By John Hastings.
IBM and Motorola have combined forces to produce a new family
of CPU chips to challenge Intel's dominance in that field. The
first PowerPC CPU chip is designated the 601. This chip delivers
586-class performance at half the price of Intel's Pentium chip.

The Pentium chip, which sells for over $900, is expected to drop to
under $500 by next spring.  Meanwhile, the second generation PowerPC
603 is ready for introduction. While it is not as powerful as the
601, the 603 is smaller, uses less power, and is expected to sell
for less than $225.

The low power requirements of the 603 chip make it make it
an ideal high performance CPU for notebook computers. Intel's current
Pentium is unfeasible for any portable computers because it runs too
hot and uses too much power.

IBM is expected to announce a notebook computer using the
new PowerPC chip before the end of the year. The new notebook computer
may be the first IBM product to include a built-in connector for
AppleTalk. AppleTalk is the network used with Macintosh computers.
The new computers are expected to run software for DOS, Windows, OS/2
and the Macintosh.

John Hastings is the president of the American Computer
Exchange. The American Computer Exchange matches buyers and sellers of
used microcomputers. For more information contact the American
Computer Exchange at [phone].

The AmCoEx Index of Used Computer Prices

The following prices are for October 25, 1993.

                        Average Average

                                Buyer's Seller's

 Machine                        Bid     Ask     Close   Change

 IBM PS/2 Model 30/286 20M      300     525     400     **

 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z 30M         300     650     450     **

 IBM PS/2 Model 70 120M         600     900     725     -50

 IBM PS/2 Model 80 70M          550     850     625     **

 IBM ThinkPad 300               1250    1650    1325    -25

 IBM ThinkPad 700               1900    2500    2100    -75

 AST 286/12, 40M                275     675     375     **

 AST 386/20, 80M                550     950     700     -25

 Dell 325SX, 50M                400     800     650     **

 Dell 386/20, 120M              600     1000    750     -25

 Gateway 286/16, 40M    350     600     375     -25

 Gateway 386SX/20, 80M  600     950     675     **

 Gateway 386/25, 80M    600     1000    850     +25

 Clone AT 40 Mg                 250     550     400     +25

 Clone Notebook 286, 40 MB      350     750     600     **

 Clone Notebook 386SX, 40 MB    700     1050    825     +25

 Clone 386/SX 40M, VGA          450     950     650     +25

 Clone 386/25 80M, VGA          650     1150    700     **

 Clone 386/33 80M, VGA          750     1250    850     +50

 Clone 486/25 120M, VGA         800     1450    1050    **

 Compaq SLT/286 20M             350     700     425     **

 Compaq LTE 286 40M             400     775     500     -50

 Compaq Portable III 40M        250     650     275     -25

 Compaq Deskpro 286 40M         250     650     325     -25

 Compaq Deskpro 386/20e 100M    600     900     825     -25

 Macintosh SE 20M               350     650     475     **

 Macintosh SE/30 40M            500     900     700     -25

 Macintosh II 40M               600     1150    825     -25

 Macintosh IIcx 80M             700     1300    900     **

 Macintosh IIci 80M             1200    1600    1400    -25

 PowerBook 100 4/20             600     1000    725     -25

 PowerBook 140 4/40             900     1400    1100    -50

 PowerBook 170 4/40             1100    1700    1425    +50

 LaserWriter IINT               700     1000    850     **

 Toshiba 1200XE                 300     650     325     **

 Toshiba 1600                   300     600     325     **

 Toshiba 2200 SX 60MB         800       1300    900     +25

 Toshiba T-3100SX  100MB      500       900     700     +25

 Toshiba 5200 100MB             950     1450    1100    **

 HP LaserJet II                 400     850     675     +50

 HP LaserJet IIP                325     950     525     **

 HP LaserJet III                750     1200    1025    -25

The American Computer Exchange matches buyers and
sellers of used microcomputer equipment. For more information contact
the American Computer Exchange at [phone].

(AMCOEX/19931028)