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/NB120793

Text File | 1993-12-07 | 66KB | 1,453 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00001)

PacTel Completes Wireless IPO 12/07/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Pacific Telesis has
spun-off its wireless businesses with a public offering of a 12
percent stake for $1.38 billion, one of the largest public offerings
of stock ever. The shares started trading at $23 each and rose to
$25.50 on the first day's trade.

The next step in the spin-off is for PacTel to give existing holders
of its shares new shares in the spin-off, which will have revenues
of $1.1 billion this year and 900,000 cellular subscribers along
with 821,000 paging customers and 40,000 customers in foreign
markets.

The spin-off will be free of the kind of regulation faced
by units of other regional Bell companies, but will also be cut off
from funding from its former parent.

Many analysts have criticized the spin-off for just that reason, but
others are touting the new PacTel, calling it among the few "pure
plays" in the business, meaning it's only involved in wireless
communications. The parent company's shares traded at about $55 per
share at the time of the spin-off, and moved little in early trade
on December 6.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931206)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00002)

India's Govt Spins Off Software Companies 12/07/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Three months ago, National
Aeronautical Laboratory set up a new company, Naltech, to
commercialize its technologies. Earlier was the creation of Antrix
Corp., the commercial front of Indian Space Research Organization.
Now it is the turn of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore, India's premier research institute, to set up an outfit
to market high-end scientific application software.

The yet-unnamed company will develop and export software used in
areas as diverse as crystallography and biophysics to research
institutes abroad. Coordinated by the Department of Supercomputer
Research and Development of IISc, the subsidiary is expected to
start functioning by the end of 1994.

While the main objective of the company would be software
development in frontier areas of research, it would also seek to
market other technologies developed by IISc. The company would have
a core group of about 100 software professionals, drawn from the
institute's various departments. The developers would work on
application-specific software already existing in the IISc's
software bank and customize it according to the needs of the foreign
laboratories. The company would also take up software development
jobs on behalf of foreign clients. IISc has already begun
strengthening its software bank by gathering together the software
developed by the various laboratories of the institute.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931206)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00003)

Japan - Fujitsu, IBM Team Up On Multimedia PC 12/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Fujitsu and IBM Japan
have agreed to produce and sell a multimedia personal
computer. This is an unprecedented agreement because it
represents the possibility that a unified multimedia personal
computer will be created by IBM Japan, Fujitsu and Apple
Computer.

The agreement between Fujitsu and IBM Japan is still tentative
-- these two firms are working out the details. But based on
preliminary talks, Fujitsu will provide IBM Japan with the
board that includes the operating system of the FM Towns,
Fujitsu's popular multimedia personal computer. IBM Japan will
use this board on its new personal computer that will be
released in the near future. The new Japanese IBM PC is
expected to operate both Fujitsu's and IBM's applications.

Fujitsu's FM Towns uses Fujitsu's original operating system.
The PC is already well accepted in Japan's school market
where it is considered the premier multimedia personal
computer. This will benefit IBM Japan, which is still behind
in the multimedia personal computer business.

Fujitsu is also planning to release a personal computer which
operates both its own and IBM's software. Fujitsu is a member
of IBM Japan's Open Architecture Developers Group where it has
access to technical information on the development of
IBM-compatible personal computers.

Meanwhile, Fujitsu has recently signed an agreement with Apple
Computer concerning mutual use of each company's applications.
This means that Macintosh programs may be used on both
Fujitsu and IBM computers in the future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931206/Press Contact: Fujitsu,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00004)

IDC Says Oracle Accounting Software Leader 12/07/93
REDWOOD SHORES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Oracle has
been named the market leader in client/server and Unix accounting
software applications, according to analysts at International Data
Corporation (IDC). In addition, Oracle announced its Applications
products are now available for Digital Equipment Corporation's
(DEC's) 64-bit Alpha AXP reduced instruction set computing (RISC)
hardware platform.

An IDC study to be released later this month reports 28.5 percent
of the $263 million packaged applications software market is held
by Oracle's accounting products. Oracle's nearest competitor,
SAP, holds only 16 percent. In addition, Oracle has the lead in
the Unix-based accounting software market with 12 percent of the
$156 million market in 1992, IDC said.

Oracle plans to further extend its market reach in offering its
application software line for the OSF/1 (Unix) and OpenVMS
operating environments from DEC, both of which are running on
DEC's most recently released microprocessor, the AXP Alpha.

The company has long boasted its leadership in cross-platform
database application software market with its Oracle7 product
line. The IDC study also claims Oracle's human resources
applications have the lead with an 11 percent market share.

Clare Gillan, director of applications and information access at
IDC, said: "Among leading business applications vendors, Oracle
was the first to provide a broad portfolio of client/server
capable applications. The breadth of its applications product
line, support for numerous server platforms, and its commitment
to multinational companies has strongly positioned Oracle to
maintain leadership in the client/server application market."

Headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, Oracle (NASDAQ:
ORCL) software runs on personal digital assistants (PDAs),
personal computers (PCs), workstations, minicomputers,
mainframes, and massively parallel computers. The company
reported $1.5 billion in revenue for its 1993 fiscal year and
more than doubled its earnings with net income of $141.7 million.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931207/Press Contact: Christine Mossmer,
Oracle tel [phone], fax [phone]; Clare Gillan, IDC,
508-935-4267)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00005)

Japan - Ricoh To Sell NEC, Apple, Compaq 12/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Japan's major office equipment
firm Ricoh has agreed to sell personal computers from
NEC, Apple and Compaq. This is significant because Ricoh has
until now, been in a tight alliance with IBM Japan -- it sells
IBM Japan's personal computers under its own brand name. The
move also continues a trend by major sales firms to spread out
their eggs among several baskets.

Other major sales firms such as Otsuka Shokai and Fujitsu's
PFU have also started selling a variety of personal computers.

Ricoh has received supplies of personal computers from IBM
Japan on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis.
These PCs are mainly Japanese versions of the PS/2. Ricoh and
IBM are also co-owners of a software development firm.

Ricoh's decision to be non-exclusive in personal computer
sales is the result of customer demand. Ricoh wants to sell
a variety of personal computers as part of its system
integration unit, which bundles personal computers, printers,
and other peripheral equipment such as fax machines and
copiers. Customers are demanding the most economical systems,
and many want Macintosh or NEC-compatible systems.

Ricoh has been doing fairly well despite the sluggish economy in
Japan. The firm has developed a hybrid copier, which can be used
not only as a copier but as a computer printer and fax
machine. Ricoh has been selling PCs with this system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931206/Press Contact: Ricoh, +81-3-
5411-4704, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00006)

Japan - Mitsubishi Develops Technology For 256Mb DRAM 12/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Mitsubishi Electric says it has
developed the technology to draw extra-thin circuit lines to
create a 256-megabit dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The
firm is planning to release sample versions of a 256Mb DRAM
within 4 years.

Mitsubishi's 256M DRAM technology is based on what's called
the exima-laser and electronic cyclone resonance etching method
which reportedly allows circuit lines 0.25 microns in width to be
drawn.

Mitsubishi Electric will release a prototype version of the
256M DRAM by 1997, and by the year 2000, will release
actual product.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Electric is preparing to release a
64-megabit DRAM this month. Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Hitachi
will also release 64M DRAMs by the end of this month.
NEC is slightly ahead in this 64M DRAM race since it has been
selling this chip on a sample basis.

The 64M DRAM is expected to become popular within two years
and chip firms will launch quantity production of the chip
around the end of 1995.

Other chip firms are working on 256M DRAMs in parallel with
Mitsubishi Electric.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931206/Press Contact: Mitsubishi
Electric, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

O'Reilly Offers Internet-in-a-Box 12/07/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- In the latest
effort to make joining and using Internet networks easy, O'Reilly
& Associates announced Internet-in-a-Box.

The product, developed with Spry Inc., of Seattle, includes
Spry's applications combining Microsoft Windows and the
Internet's TCP/IP protocol, along with a version of the O'Reilly
book "The Whole Internet User's Guide," by Ed Krol of the
University of Illinois. The Krol book, which drew top ratings
from Newsbytes and other reviewers, has since sold 200,000
copies and has led to a flood of copycat books from major
computer book publishers.

To complete the offering NovX InterServe will provide Internet
services to buyers of the package using Sprintnet's packet
data network and a toll-free number for access.

The Internet has become a hot topic this year for a number of
reasons. It's a key component in the Clinton Administration's
"data superhighway" planning, and many officials, including the
President, now have Internet addresses. Internet traffic has been
growing at 15 percent per month, in part because most use is
subsidized by colleges and government agencies. The net's public
profile was further raised by a series of "Doonesbury" panels,
most recently a series of cartoons in which Kennedy assassination
buffs discuss their latest theories on it.

O'Reilly estimates 150,000 new users are logging onto the
Internet each month, despite the fact access has been difficult
for those without dedicated data lines or Unix-based workstations.

Most major online services, including CompuServe and America
Online, have allowed access to Internet mailboxes for some time,
and America Online recently introduced Internet Center, an easy-
to-use way to access Usenet conferences or news groups and
databases stored under systems like Gopher and WAIS under
Microsoft Windows. Internet-in-a-box is similar, offering a
Windows-based access to all those services as well as Telnet
database access and Mosaic.

David Pool, president of Spry, said this will open use of the
Internet to a host of new home-based and small business users.
Buyers of the package automatically get subscriptions to
O'Reilly's Global Network Navigator, an online resource
launched in October on Internet resources, providing
direct links to over 600 of them, along with news, an online
magazine, an interactive catalog, and a global marketplace
containing advertiser-sponsored information on a range of
products and services.

NovX InterServ offers buyers Domain and Network number
registration, e-mail, fully interactive access to major networks
like CIX and NSF, Gopher databases, news servers, and more. The
Windows version comes out in the first quarter with the Macintosh
version to follow. Distribution will be through bookstores and
retail software stores.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931207/Press Contact: Ron Pernick, for
O'Reilly, 415/615-7891; FAX: [phone]; e-mail:
pernicknetcom.com; Spry, Deanna Leung, 206/442-8231 FAX: 206/447-
9008; e-mail: deannaspry.com; Customer Contact: O'Reilly GNN,
800/998-9938, Spry, 800/SPRY NET)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

AT&T Launches 155-Megabit Service 12/07/93
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- AT&T has
launched a service called Accunet T155 under the Sonet fiber
networking standard which moves data as fast as 155 million
bits/second. The service was recently tested with Comdisco, which
offers disaster recovery services and back-up computing to large
businesses.

T155 thus becomes the top of AT&T's Accunet line of fast-data
offerings. It's also the fastest network speed now commercially
available, AT&T said. The company said that, like other Accunet
services, T155 is supported by its FASTAR technology, offering
Fast Automatic Restoration in case of cable cuts or natural
disaster through an automatic system of finding alternate routes
for data through the AT&T network.

AT&T said medical imaging, links between supercomputers, and high
definition TV can all use the new service, which combines
equipment from several vendors. Medical X-rays will move across
the country using T155 in less than one-tenth of a second. The
service can also be multiplexed, meaning it can combine slower
lines linking local and wide area networks.

The service will be priced upon customer requests, with the
price based on the specific city-to-city links being purchased,
although AT&T said term and volume discounts will also be
available. The company estimated prices will be 10-15 percent
below the price of equivalent bandwidth offered through the
company's T45 45 million bit/second lines. Accunet technicians
will be in charge of the network, and their service assurance
warranties apply to the new service.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931207/Press Contact: Shelly London, AT&T,
908/221/4355)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00009)

SofTech Sells Govt Services Division 12/07/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Waltham,
Massachusetts-based, SofTech, a systems integration and project
management consultant, has announced that it has sold its
Government Sales Division to CACI International on the same terms
as were announced in the October 13, 1993 letter of intent
released by the two companies.

In the deal, CACI paid about $4.2 million in cash to acquire
SofTech's ongoing contracts with the government, along with about
$900,000 worth of computer hardware.

SofTech expects to show a stronger position at the end of the
fiscal year due to the deal which does not transfer the already
earned receivables.

Of the 327 former SofTech Government Sales Division employees,
the company reports that CACI has already hired 216, and expects
to eliminate about 15 headquarters jobs which were formerly based
in Waltham.

(John McCormick/19931207/Press Contact: Joseph Mullaney, VP and
CFO SofTech, 617-890-6900 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00010)

Canadian Product Launch Update 12/07/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- This regular
feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further
details for the Canadian market on announcements by international
companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week:
Microsoft adds Creative Writer and Fine Artist to its Microsoft
Home line of software.

Microsoft Canada Inc., joined its US parent company in unveiling
two software packages meant for children. Creative Writer and
Fine Artist (Newsbytes, Dec. 3) are the company's first creative
arts packages for elementary and middle school-aged children.

Creative Artist is now available, and Fine Artist is due to be
available early in 1994, the company said. Both have Canadian
list prices of C$89.95, with single-user teacher editions
available for C$59.95.

(Grant Buckler/19931207/Press Contact: Linda Carnell, Microsoft
Canada, 905-568-0434 ext. 4238, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00011)

Meca Fined, Will Relabel Head Start Tax Software 12/07/93
FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Meca Software
will relabel the 1993 Head Start Edition of its Andrew
Tobias' TaxCut software and offer refunds to any customers who
want them after being accused of misleading labelling. Meca is
also to pay $17,500 in penalties and costs to the Massachusetts
Attorney General.

The dispute arose after Meca changed the way it sells the Head
Start and Final Editions of the tax software. Eric Jacobsen,
director of marketing at Meca, said that like other vendors of
tax software, Meca sells a Head Start Edition that does not
include final Internal Revenue Service (IRS) forms and is meant
for tax planning. Until this year, the company shipped the Final
Edition free of charge to all buyers of the Head Start Edition
once the IRS forms for the year were ready.

In 1993, Jacobsen said, Meca tried a new approach. It sold the
Head Start Edition for $10, and included with it a coupon for a
$10 discount on the Final Edition. The idea was to encourage new
customers to buy the Head Start Edition and try it out -- and to
make the purchase less confusing, Jacobsen claimed.

The second goal apparently wasn't achieved. The Massachusetts
Attorney General's office was alerted -- by competitor Chipsoft
Inc., of San Diego, California, Jacobsen said -- because Meca's
box bore the printed claim that the Head Start software could
print approved IRS forms. That was a mistake, Jacobsen admitted:
"We shouldn't have said that."

Jacobsen said Meca is placing stickers on all new boxes of TaxCut
to correct the error, and is sending the stickers to distributors
to be put on boxes already in the distribution channel.

He said no users have complained to Meca about the software, but
any who are unhappy can have their money back. That would have
been true anyway, he added, "We have always had ... an
unconditional guarantee."

As a result of this dispute, Jacobsen added, the Massachusetts
Attorney General is now going to require that Head Start Editions
of all tax preparation software clearly explain on the front
panel of their boxes what a Head Start Edition is and that an
update to the Final Edition will be needed to file a return.

(Grant Buckler/19931207/Press Contact: Eric Jacobsen, Meca
Software, 203-256-5000)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00012)

Bell Labs Develops 0.1 Micron Room Temp Silicon Chips 12/07/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Ran-Hong Yan, leader
of a 16-person research team at AT&T's Bell Laboratories, ignored
traditional wisdom to produce the first-ever room temperature 0.1
micron silicon device. It has generally been believed that such
tiny components would only operate at reduced temperatures.

The problem with such tiny devices is that there is very little
material available to conduct electricity and in order to provide
enough impurities (doping) to make the transistor junctions
operate, they would normally become resistors.

Silicon-based semiconductors (transistors) operate because the
extremely pure silicon is selectively contaminated with arsenic
and boron which alter the atomic structure of the material and
allow electrons to pass through the silicon crystal lattice in a
very special way. Silicon in its pure form is an insulator.

Transistors with smaller amounts of boron and arsenic can operate
at lower temperatures, but until the recent development, current
leaks from the tiny devices caused them heat up too much at room
temperatures and they ceased to operate.

The newly patented process uses a new "vertical doping
engineering" system to eliminate or greatly reduce the leakage
making it possible to build much smaller and faster
semiconductors.

The current generation of fast integrated circuits use 0.5 micron
components and operate at 2.7- to 5-volts while the new 0.1
micron circuits operate at only 1.5 volts.

The developer said in his announcement that he doesn't see 0.1
micron as the smallest possible size for the newly developed
process and predicts that 0.05 micron devices are possible.

This and other developments in semiconductor technology are being
announced this week at the International Electron Devices Meeting
being held at the Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC.

Of course this new development is just a technological advance
and is not a practical manufacturing process at the moment so
initial mass production of 0.1 micron integrated circuits is
years away and 0.05 micron devices are only a theoretical
possibility.

Even the 0.1 micron device is capable of switching speeds up to
116 gigahertz and Bell Labs says that current testing technology
is inadequate to properly evaluate the integrated circuits if
they went into mass production.

By mid-1995 AT&T Microelectronics and NEC have plans to mass
produce 0.35 micron complementary metal oxide semiconductor
(CMOS) chips in volume and on November 15, the two companies
entered into another agreement to develop a process to
manufacture ICs using 0.25 micron designs.

(John McCormick/19931207/Press Contact: Bert Vorchheimer, AT&T
Bell Labs, 908-582-7889 office or 908-464-9512 home)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00013)

TI Restructures Top Management 12/07/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
restructured the office of chief executive, naming the heads of its
semiconductor and defense electronics units as vice chairmen.

William Weber, currently executive VP of semiconductor, materials
and controls, consumer businesses, and international operations; and
William Mitchell, executive VP of Defense Systems & Electronics and
the Information Technology Group, will assist TI Chairman, President
and CEO Jerry Junkins.

Both individuals currently report to Junkins, but as vice chairmen
will assist Junkins in strengthening TI's position as a global
company, according to TI spokesperson Buddy Price. Price denied that
the creation of a triumvirate to lead TI dilutes Junkins powers or
responsibilities. "This only formalizes the team concept Junkins has
always stressed," according to Price.

The company also announced the election of four executive vice
presidents, who will share the duties formerly held by Weber and
Mitchell.

Junkins led TI through some of the company's most difficult years as
the defense electronics fell off due to dwindling defense contracts.
TI has recovered from huge losses to report a record profit in the
third quarter. The semiconductor group under Weber's leadership has
moved from being a commodity producer to becoming a custom designer
of computer chips, while the Information Technology group has
shifted its focus towards software and related services.

(Jim Mallory/19931207/Press contact: Texas Instruments,
214-995-3481)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00014)

Hardware Spending To Drop, Software/Services Go Up 12/07/93
ROME, ITALY, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- It comes as no surprise
to those following the computer industry that the Xtra '93 Global
Directions survey says there is strong interest in open systems
and companies are increasing spending. However, it might come as
a surprise that the survey asserts hardware spending worldwide
will fall, while software and services spending will jump up
significantly over the next three years.

Of the companies surveyed, spending on open systems will increase
from the 35 percent allocated now to 58 percent by 1996. By
region, the figures are a 48 to 70 percent increase in Europe; 32
to 59 percent jump in North America; and the lowest increases in
industrialized Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea,
and Taiwan) with 16 to 36 percent predicted.

Interoperability is the number one reason for the interest in
open systems. Interest is high in open systems during purchase
decisions as the migration from mainframe systems to
client/server computing continues. Also highly rated were access
to applications and data across a network as well as portable
software and data. Conversion costs and incompatibility are the
biggest barriers, according to survey respondents, however the
benefits appear to outweigh the potential problems, the survey
added.

The emphasis on software and applications was in the portion
of the survey on budget spending. Spending on hardware is
expected to drop dramatically between 1993 and 1996 as it is
partially replaced by spending on software. Hardware spending in
Europe will fall 42 to 33 percent; in North America 38 to 33
percent; and the biggest drops will be in Asia where hardware
spending is expected to decrease from 51 to 42 percent. Software
spending will jump 33 to 38 percent in Europe, Asia, and North
America.

Spending on services is also expected to increase. An additional
25 to 29 percent is being budgeted in Europe, while North
American spending will go up 29 percent and Asian companies are
planning 19 to 20 percent increases.

The research was conducted by the X/Open Company with
international market research firm Dataquest during the summer of
1993 and involved 57 prominent computer user groups in Asia,
Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Europe. Those surveyed
were senior information technology (IT) managers from more than
750 enterprises representing over 40 countries and six continents

(Linda Rohrbough/19931207/Press Contact: Jeff Hansen, X/Open
Company, 415-323-7992; Elizabeth Chaney, Regis McKenna for
X/Open, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00015)

Texas Commissioners May Offer Apple Deal 12/07/93
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- When the Williamson,
Texas county commissioners voted to turn down Apple Computer Inc.'s
request for tax breaks in exchange for building a $80 million
support center in the North Central Texas area, they said they made
the decision based on moral standards.

Specifically three of the five commissioners turned down Apple's
request for $750,000 in tax breaks because of the computer maker's
policy of offering health benefits to employees' same sex partners.
The commissioners said that that violated the community's moral
standards.

But now the commissioners will reportedly consider a new proposal in
which the county would get the right of way for a road and related
improvements worth $1.5 million. And Apple would pay their taxes
like any other county resident but would get $750,000 in rebates
over a seven-year period.

One commissioner explained the difference between the old plan and
the new one is that under the old proposal it was taxpayer money
involved. Under the new plan it's Apple's dollars. The deal is
reportedly being drafted by at attorney for the commission's
consideration later today.

(Jim Mallory/19931207)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00016)

Artisoft Shipping Low-Cost Home Office Network 12/07/93
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Artisoft has announced
it is now shipping Simply Lantastic, a low-cost entry level network
system for small business and home offices.

Simply Lantastic provides basic file, printer, and drive (including
CD-ROM drive) sharing, with the basic kit containing everything
necessary to connect two computers. Additional add-on kits and
software-only kits for adding one additional computer to the network
are also available.

Artisoft says it has designed a new internal 10-megabit-per-second
Ethernet-capable network adapter for use with the Simply Lantastic
software that uses plug and play technology to eliminate the cabling
problems often encountered when installing more complex networks.
The company says an external network adapter is expected to ship in
early 1994, eliminating the need to open the cover on PCs being
connected via Simply Lantastic.

Simply Lantastic software is compatible with Artisoft's Ethernet
series adapters as well as a variety of other third party network
adapters, and works with PCs running either DOS or Windows. It can
be used with older PCs using an 8088 microprocessor or the latest
486-based systems.

The Simply Lantastic network starter kit includes two software
licenses, two internal network adapters, one 25-foot connecting
cable, and the necessary documentation. Suggested retail price of
the starter kit is $299. To add one additional PC to the network,
you can purchase the Simply Lantastic Network add-on kit which
includes one software license, one internal network adapter, one
25-foot cable, and documentation for $149. The software can be
purchased separately for $79, allowing the user to connect a PC to
the basic network using a third party adapter and providing their
own cable.

A menu interface provides all the necessary control functions,
including sharing or accessing network drive and printer
connections, print job display and control, and an electronic mail
capability. Three levels of drive access control are possible: full
access, read-only access, or no access.

(Jim Mallory/19931207/Press contact: Joe Stunkard, Artisoft Inc,
602-270-7145; Reader contact: Artisoft, 602-670-7100 or
800-233-5564, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00017)

CD-ROM Interactive Training To Ship In January 12/07/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) - Wilson Learning
Corporation has announced it will begin shipping the first of several
CD-ROM-based interactive training programs for Macintosh and
PCs in late January.

The company says the interpersonal, sales, and management skills
development training programs are being developed in conjunction
with Sony Electronic Publishing Company. A total of 10 titles will
be produced in the joint project with Sony, while Wilson will also
develop further titles independently.

The first programs, scheduled to ship January 24th, are "Connect
for Success: Connect With Others and Influence Them;" Sell to Needs:
Sell the Way People Like to Buy;" Relate with Ease: Build and Keep
Interpersonal Relationships;" and "Decide For Sure: Add Certainty to
Your Decision Making."

According to Dave Ehlen, Wilson Learning Corporation CEO, studies
show that computer-based multimedia training programs enhance
learning by as much as 35 percent. "CD-ROM training programs are
the next step in computer-based training - a natural progression
from the more expensive interactive video discs." Ehlen says the
lower cost of the CD-ROM programs make them more readily accessible
to individuals and small businesses, as well as large organizations.

"We like to think of these programs as 'serious fun,' providing
users with engaging, real-life situations that draw them into the
learning process," says Ehlen.

Wilson Learning Corporation spokesperson Julie Fusella told
Newsbytes the programs will be available for both Macintosh and
Windows platforms. Wilson spokesperson Nancy Brenny said the first
four titles to be released will be available through retail
outlets such as Computer City and Software, Etc at the suggested
retail price of $69.95. They will be distributed by Navarre
Corporation, a Minneapolis-based company specializing in the
marketing, merchandising, and distribution of prerecorded music,
multimedia, and computer software products.

(Jim Mallory/19931207/Press contact: Julie Fusella, Kovak-Thomas
Public Relations for Wilson Learning Corporation, 212-246-0540;
Reader contact: Wilson Learning Corp, 612-944-2880 or 800-328-7937)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00018)

Claris Says Filemaker Pro Easier To Use Than Access 12/07/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Claris is
pleased to report its Filemaker Pro for Windows 2.1 outscored
Microsoft's Access 1.1 for Windows in usability tests conducted
by Usability Sciences Corporation of Irving, Texas. While Claris
commissioned the tests, it says this is the second test in which
its product outdid Access, the other being a set of tests for
ease-of-use conducted by Software Digest/NSTL.

The main claim Claris is making for Filemaker Pro for Windows is
ease of use. In the Usability Sciences study novice database
users were able to complete an identical set of tasks 20 percent
faster with the Claris product than with Microsoft Access. The
tasks were: creating a database, entering records into the
database, querying the database, creating a form, adding two new
records into the form, adding a scroll bar to the record field,
and stamping a system date onto the form.

While it took both groups of participants well over an hour to
complete the tasks, participants using Access took nearly 17
minutes longer. Study participants were intermediate PC users
with little or no database application experience.

Microsoft representatives told Newsbytes Access has won a few
usability tests of its own. PC Computing's December issue named
Access number one in ease of use in tests not commissioned by
Microsoft. In addition, Microsoft has shipped 1 million copies of
Access in a market that International Data Corporation (IDC)
estimated in 1992 was 1.2 to 1.4 million strong.

Claris, the Santa Clara, California-based software subsidiary of
Apple Computer, has cut the price of Filemaker Pro 2.1 for
Windows to $129, and is offering upgrades for $20, and competitive
upgrades from other database software products for $99. A
Macintosh version of the product is available for $399.

Microsoft Access 1.1 is retail priced at $495, however Microsoft
has frequently offered the product for $99 since its introduction
over a year ago.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931207/Press Contact: Kevin Mallon, Claris,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Claris, 800-
544-8554 or 408-727-8227; Public Contact, Microsoft, 800-677-
7377)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(WAS)(00019)

Interactive CD-ROM Vietnam From CBS, Apple, NY Times 12/07/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Joining forces with
the formidable reporting resources and archives of the New York
Times and the CBS television network, Apple Computer will publish
and market "The Vietnam War" late in 1994. Chief reporters on the
interactive CD-ROM will be veteran reporter Dan Rather, anchor
and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, and R.W. Apple Jr.,
Washington bureau chief for the New York Times.

Other Vietnam War-oriented CD-ROM publications have been
available for years from Quanta Press and Wayzata
Technologies but these have been more in the nature of
archives of data related to the War. While they are highly
useful to historians and as reference materials, they lack
the immediacy of war reportage which the publisher apparently
expects this new disc to bring to the educational environment.

The multimedia disc will include more than 700 news articles from
The Times and film and video from CBS News' archives. Maps, and
even audio recordings will also be included on the CD-ROM, along
with the names of US military personnel either killed or missing
in action.

High points will be a time-line that will let users pick any
point during the Vietnam era and call up pictures and text
related to US and Vietnam events; interactive maps that can be
used to view geographical and political detail of Vietnam; and an
extensive photo library of the weapons used by the United States
and Vietnam.

The disc will also include biographies of political and military
leaders; documents relating to the war; a comprehensive
bibliography with thousands of titles; and a roster of winners of
the Congressional Medal of Honor, complete with the details of
their heroic acts.

The New York Times' William Adler told Newsbytes said that he was
not familiar with other CD-ROMs published about the Vietnam War
but that their "goal is to make this the definitive encyclopedia
on the war."

He pointed to the fact that all the names listed on the Vietnam
Memorial in Washington, DC would be cross-referenced on the disc
with their location on the memorial as an important feature of
the new disc.

Asked about pricing, platforms, and whether the disc would
contain information relating to current-day Vietnam, Mr. Adler
told Newsbytes that they are still developing the exact
contents of the disc and that price as well as just which
computer platforms, other than the Macintosh, would be supported,
had not yet been determined.

(John McCormick/19931207/Press Contact: William Adler, 212-556-
7077)


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

CA Adds OS/2 Version Of SuperProject 12/07/93
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Computer
Associates International Inc., has launched a version of its
CA-SuperProject project management software for IBM's OS/2
operating system. It is the second product CA has announced that
will combine code for Microsoft Windows and OS/2 in a single box,
said Marc Sokol, the company's vice-president of product
strategy.

CA will sell the Windows and OS/2 versions of SuperProject
together for $649. The company will also continue offering
version of the software for DOS and for Digital Equipment Corp.'s
VMS minicomputer operating system. Versions for Unix and
Microsoft's Windows NT are in development. The company hopes to
have a version for Sun Microsystems' Solaris version of
Unix in beta testing in the first quarter of 1994, said Chris
Frew, SuperProject product owner at CA, and the NT version will
come later.

All the versions are binary-compatible, CA said, meaning that a
project file created on one system can be opened unchanged on
another.

Because the OS/2 version of SuperProject is a native 32-bit
application, it can handle as many as 64,000 tasks, about four
times what the Windows version can manage, said Jean-Luc Valente,
marketing manager. Computer Associates has tried to take full
advantage of the power of OS/2 with this release, Valente said in
a telephone press conference.

The software also comes bundled with TimeSheet Professional for
Windows, a time-card and expense system, and with a limited
version of CA-Realizer 2.0 as a macro language. Several new
training tools are also included.

The software also has a "help assist" mode that Valente likened
to the "wizards" in some Microsoft consumer software --
facilities that walk new users through common operations.

Speaking during the CA-run teleconference, Greg Schmidt, project
manager for wide-area network implementation at MCI Corp., in
Colorado Springs, Colorado, said MCI was happy to get the OS/2
version of SuperProject because the company uses OS/2 widely in
addition to Windows. OS/2's preemptive multitasking makes it
possible to run SuperProject and do other things at the same
time, he noted.

Upgrades and competitive upgrades are $149, and for $59
CA-SuperProject users can replace the limited version of
CA-Realizer built into SuperProject with a full version.

(Grant Buckler/19931207/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391, fax [phone]; Public Contact:
Computer Associates, 516-342-5224)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00021)

SGML '93 - Progress In Government, Industry, Publishing 12/07/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- SGML (Standard
Generalized Markup Language) first took hold in government and
the automotive and aerospace industries, and is now starting to
move into such areas as wire services and newspaper publishing.

In "Reports from the Front," a presentation at the SGML '93
conference yesterday, representatives of these fields reported on
the current status of the document interchange language, which is
designed to allow data to be easily shared, retrieved and re-used
among applications, regardless of hardware or software platform
and independent of format.

The federal CALS Initiative released a revised SGML standard
called MIL-M-28001B in June, calling for an electronic review
capability along with an operating system enhancement, reported
Beth Micksch.

Meanwhile, a prioritized list of 30 target capabilities (TCAPS)
for MIL-HDBK-SGML has been submitted to the Roadmap 2000 review
body. MIL-HDBK-SGML concerns the tutorial information on CALS.
Comments on the TCAPS are due December 8, and a comment
consolidation meeting is slated for the week of January 13.

Pending approval of the TCAPS, the 28001 standard will be revised
again, to include a CALS SGML Registry and a CALS SGML Library,
according to Micksch. The revision will also include changes to
page methodology and a reorganization of 28001. The
reorganization will be aimed at streamlining the standard and
making information easier to find, she explained.

Another speaker, Eddie Nelson, said that the ATA, a consortium of
aircraft manufacturers, component makers, and other companies in
the aviation industry, is currently defining a series of seven
different Document Data Types (DTDs), or rules for specifying
SGML document structure.

The DTDs will be used for technical manuals ranging from parts
catalogs to operating and flight manuals, Nelson added.

"But the DTDs can be very difficult to put together, because we
all have our own issues to deal with," he commented.
Complicating the process is the fact that "a new generation of
aircraft is on the way."

Dianne Kennedy, a representative of the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE), noted that progress of SGML in the automotive
industry has been especially swift, due to the need for
compliance with the federal government's 1990 Clean Air
Amendments by 1998.

The amendments require auto manufacturers to provide better on-
board diagnostics capabilities for detecting excessive emission
levels, as well as improved emissions-related training and
service information to the "aftermarket," or technicians who work
with automobiles after the cars have come to market.

In June, 1987, the SEA Motor Vehicle Council formed the Vehicle
Electronic/Electrical Systems Diagnostic Committee, along with a
number of task forces, including the J2008 task force.

The mission of the J2008 task force is as follows: "Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will make emissions-related
service information publicly available in a standard organization
and defined structure." J2008, however, does not require OEMs to
provide presentation formats or application delivery systems.

The J2008 Task Force is fulfilling its mission with an SGML
specification that includes graphics standards, a relational data
model, and provisions for data interchange, as well as DTDs.

In July, 1993, the J2008 Task Force sent out a 2000-page draft
document for straw vote, Kennedy said. The final document is
being prepared this quarter, and is expected to be ready in the
first quarter of 1994. "We hope that our document can be used as
a model by other industries," she stated.

In the wire service and newspaper publishing industry, the
progress of SGML has been spurred by the annual SGML conference,
said Kevin M. Roche, news systems manager for the Wall Street
Journal.

At previous meetings of the conference, two industry groups, the
American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA) and the
International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC), discovered
that each had been working separately on a standard that would
allow wire service copy to be used by newspapers and other mass
media in a device-independent manner.

Since then, the two groups have started to collaborate on a joint
SGML standard known as UTF (Universal Text Format), according to
Roche.

The UTF specification improves on current methods of wire service
transmission to newspapers, which are based on the requirements
of newspaper typography, he said. UTF takes into account data
types such as audio, graphics, and video that will facilitate
multimedia publishing, he elaborated.

Participating in UTF's development are such key industry players
as the Associated Press, the New York Times, and the Chicago
Tribune, as well as the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones'
electronic publishing arm, he added.

The joint UTF committee plans to hold its next meeting in Miami,
FL during January. Another meeting will take place during March,
in Windsor, the UK.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931207/Press and reader contact: Tanya
Bosse, Graphic Communications Association, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00022)

Stratus Acquires Isis Distributed Systems 12/07/93
MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Stratus
Computer, Inc., said it has signed a definitive agreement to buy
Isis Distributed Systems, Inc., a software developer in Ithaca,
New York. Isis' software is meant to ensure the reliability of
distributed computing and client/server applications.

Stratus Computer spokesman Paul LaBelle said the acquisition is
the most significant in Stratus' history, because it extends the
company's business from fault-tolerant computers to a broader
range of continuous availability products.

The company will pay about $24 million in cash and shares for
two-year-old Isis, a spinoff from Cornell University, that expects
to sell about $3 million worth of its software by the end of
1993, LaBelle said.

Isis makes "middleware" -- software that manages the message
traffic among distributed computers. Paul Jones, former
vice-president of engineering at Stratus and now vice-president
and chief operating officer of the new Isis subsidiary, said the
software provides services to distributed applications to ensure
reliable messaging.

For instance, the Isis software will see that messages get
through by retrying or sending them by an alternate route if
problems arise, he said. The software will also ensure that
information is kept consistent. For instance, if a piece of data
is to be sent to three different database files, the software
will make sure it reaches all three or will restore all three
files to their previous state, much as database software will
"roll back" a transaction if a problem occurs to ensure data
remains consistent, Jones said.

Dealing with such consistency issues is "probably the most
difficult problem in distributed computing," Jones said, and by
providing services to handle this for applications, Isis makes
life simpler for application developers.

Isis is to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Stratus and keep
its present name, officials said. The company's roughly 25
employees will all keep their jobs, LaBelle added. Dr. Kenneth P.
Birman, founder of Isis, will remain as the company's chief
scientist.

(Grant Buckler/19931207/Press Contact: Paul LaBelle, Stratus
Computer, 508-460-2068; David Hayword, Stratus Computer,
508-460-2796; Public Contact: Stratus Computer, 508-460-2000, fax
508-480-0416)


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

In-Flight Phone Begins Beta Tests With German Airline 12/07/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Mercury In-Flight Phone Europe
has announced that it will undertake a series of tests in
conjunction with Mercury Communications on board Lufthansa Airlines'
jets operating in the European area.

The tests, which are scheduled to start next March, will involved
limited public and staff testing of the digital mobile phone system,
which will bounce signals to the nearest ground station, rather than
use satellite or VHF radio links as other plane-based phone systems
make use of.

The IFPE service to be used on the Lufthansa jets uses a similar
concept to cellular, with base stations handing calls over to other
base stations as the plane travels through Europe. Up to 60 base
stations will ensure that total coverage is available throughout
Europe and nearby areas.

As previously reported by Newsbytes, the system will be compatible
with digital systems already in use in the US and some parts of
Europe. Base stations are expected to be installed around Europe at
diverse locations.

Services available in flight will include digital phones, fax
machines and ISDN (integrated services digital network)-like
services such as interactive games, news services and even the
ubiquitous phone shopping facilities seen on some intra-US flights.

Plans call for onboard equipment to include a switched broadband
local area network (LAN) on the plane, with under-seat computers,
telephone handsets and LCD (liquid crystal display) "seat back"
screens. Users are to be offered a choice of five languages,
including English, French and German. Up to sixteen calls per plane
can be made.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931207/Press Contact: Mercury Communications - Tel:
[phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00024)

British Social Security Fraud Reaches Mammoth Proportions 12/07/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Britain's social security fraud
problem is now estimated to top the UKP1,000 million mark each year,
according to a report just issued by the Commons Public Accounts
Committee (CPAC). The report calls for more computerization and
enhanced anti-fraud facilities in order to beat the problem.

The report clearly rejects the assertion made by Sir Michael
Partridge, permanent secretary at the Department of Social
Security (DSS), that "no government has ever proceeded on the
basis that you simply staff the Civil Service on the grounds of how
much money you can recover."

The report notes that the recent appointment of another 10 people to
combat fraud within the DSS in recent months is marginal and calls
on the ministry to "carefully consider the degree of priority they
are giving to this type of work."

The report claims that, where cases are referred to the Organized
Fraud Branch (OFB) teams, a high rate of success in prosecutions is
recorded. However, because of limited resources, the OFB teams only
accept between 12 and 21 percent of referred cases.

"In view of the difficulties in the exchange of information between
investigating teams, and the absence in many offices of formal
investigation review systems, we are concerned that some cases of
organized fraud may not be being detected and pursued," the report
said.

MPs in the CPAC are also highly critical of the Ministry and the
Benefits Agency for failing to provide training for fraud staff,
for "bad coordination and delays" in introducing a new computer
system to coordinate fraud detection.

The report notes that the Ministry is studying the use of identity
cards but felt that a more secure system was appropriate. "Nearly
everything was capable of being forged. So far they had not found a
solution," the report said.

The report is available through Her Majesty's Stationary Office
outlets in the UK and aboard. It is entitled "The Department of
Social Security and Benefits Agency: Combating Organised Fraud; 48th
Report of the Public Accounts Committee. HMSO #11)

(Steve Gold/19931207/Press & Public Contact: HMSO London - Tel: +44-
71-873-0011)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00025)

Chase Manhattan Intros Electronic Check Retrieval 12/07/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Chase Manhattan Bank
has introduced Imageaccess, which it claims is the next generation
of check processing technology. The system is the world's first
corporate electronic imaging archive and retrieval system from a
major bank.

The new state-of-the-art electronic check retrieval service is
designed specifically for customers such as insurance companies,
broker/dealers, mutual funds operators and other organizations which
process as many as 500,000 checks and field an estimated 1,500
payment enquiries in a single month.

According to Chase, Imageaccess will enable them to dramatically
improve customer service, reduce internal operating expenses, and
reduce the risk of check fraud, which the bank claims is currently
increasing at 20 percent a year.

In use, Image access scans and stores pictures of the front and back
of a check in digital form on an optical disk, so that a customer
can access a copy of a check in as little as nine seconds simply by
entering an account number.

Once checks are stored, customers can retrieve electronic images of
them in one of two ways. They can be transmitted directly over an
electronic network to a customer's computer and stored in an
organization's customer correspondence and account payable files.
Or, they can be exported in bulk. Bulk check images are stored on
digital tape or optical disks, which are mailed to customers, who
can load them onto their own image platforms.

Prior to the introduction of Imageaccess, account reconciliation and
customer service staff had to retrieve checks physically to respond
to customer payment enquiries. They could shuffle through paper
checks in numerical order and make a photocopy. Or, they could look
through microfilm or microfiche, find the check, and make a copy.
Either way, Chase claims that the entire process could take up to
eight days. With Imageaccess, the system takes a few minutes.

According to Chase, Imageaccess fights check fraud by speeding up
the process for reviewing questionable checks which don't tally
with issuance information such as serial number, date and amount.

(Steve Gold/19931207/Press & Public Contact: Chase InfoServ
International - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00026)

Olivetti Sheds 2,000 Staff - Temporarily 12/07/93
TURIN, ITALY, 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- After several days of speculation
fuelled by a firm "no comment" from the company itself, Olivetti has
announced plans to lay off around 2,000 staff from its Italian
workforce in the middle of January.

Although Olivetti is referring to the layoffs as temporary only, it
has told the unions concerned that the staff will be offered a
percentage of their salary for a fixed period, in compensation for
the fact that some of them may not get their old jobs back.

The unions concerned are reported to be up in arms over the layoffs,
but Olivetti officials said that, since official discussions on
staffing levels broke down late last week, the company now has no
choice in the matter.

Union officials have said that a further meeting with Olivetti's
management will now go ahead on December 16, although Olivetti has
refused to comment on the subject.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931207/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti - Tel: +39-
125-523733; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00027)

Multimedia Developer Great Bear Buys Bulgarian Firm 12/07/93
MORAGA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Multimedia
software developer Great Bear has announced it has acquired
Sofia, Bulgaria-based software development company Logatronix.
Officials at Great Bear said the acquisition is expected to
significantly enhance the company's custom multimedia title
development capability.

Great Bear describes Logatronix as staffed by more than 25
computer scientists and programming professionals who
participated extensively in computer software development for the
former Eastern Bloc and Soviet Union. Logatronix president,
Kostadin Yanev, is a senior research associate at the Institute
of Computer Sciences in Sofia and received his PhD in computer
science from the Polytechnical University, Sofia.

In addition, Great Bear announced private venture capitalist and
consultant William D. Jobe has been named as a director and as
chairman of the company's board of directors. Jobe has been
associated with companies such as MIPS Technology Development and
MIPS Computer Systems, Chatham Venture Corporation, VMX, and Data
General Corporation.

Moraga, California-based Great Bear (NASD EBB: GTBR) is a
recently formed interactive, multimedia software development
company. Its recently released titles include reference materials
such as medical dictionaries and health guides.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931207/Press Contact: John Lukrich, Great
Bear, tel [phone]; Bruce Russell, Russell Communications
Group for Great Bear, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00028)

Apple Newton Industry Association, Other Newton News 12/07/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Apple
Computer says it is launching the Newton Industry Association at
the first International Newton Development Conference being held
this week in Apple's home town of Cupertino, California. Apple
also announced it would work with Swedish company Telia to bring
Newton products to mobile computer users in Sweden.

Apple says the Newton Industry Association is aimed at promoting
growth and interoperability of the Newton platform and associated
devices. Standards is another focus for the association in the
areas of wireless communications, telephony support, and office
automation.

One of the areas receiving attention right now is infrared
communications between personal digital assistants (PDAs).
Infrared standards do not currently exist, meaning that even
though the Newton Messagepad and the Zoomer PDAs from Tandy and
Casio both have infrared sensors, the devices use conflicting
standards. The upshot is Apple's PDA won't talk to a Zoomer and
vice versa. Apple representatives were unavailable to comment as
to what the company or the Newton Industry Association are
planning to do concerning standards.

Apple listed beginning participants in the Newton Industry
Association as licensees, original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs), component suppliers, and marketing partners. Companies
represented included: Alcatel, ARM, Bellsouth Mobilecomm, British
Telecom/Cellnet, Cirrus Logic, Deutsche Telecom, GEC Plessey, LSI
Logic, Matsushita, Motorola, Paragraph, Scriptel, Sharp,
Siemens/ROLM, Telia, Toshiba, Traveling Software, and US West.

For Swedish users, Telia is hoping its alliance with Apple will
bring integrated mobile technology, using the Newton, to Telia's
current mobile services. Stig Johansson, director of marketing
for Telia, said: "Telia's growing number of mobile customers need
integrated services which work seamlessly with today's computer
technology... The collaboration between Telia and Apple enables
Newton technology to be integrated into some of Telia's mobile
services such as Minicall text, NMT 900, GSM, and the PLUS and
Access information system. Products based on Newton technology
may even be sold in Telia's retail outlets."

While the Newton has been well-received by enthusiastic users who
have snatched up 50,000 units since the product was launched in
August, reports from mainstream media have expressed
disappointment and sharp criticism for the PDA. It appears,
however, that things may be turning for Apple as four industry
publications have awarded the unit top honors. PC Laptop
Computers Magazine called the Newton the "Most Promising
Portable," PC Magazine awarded the Newton MessagePad first place
in its "Design Category," Byte gave it the 1993 Byte Award of
Excellence, and Reseller magazine called it the "Best-To-Sell
Products of the Year."

In new announcements concerning the Messagepad, Apple said
Newtonmail is expected to be available in a final commercial
release throughout the United States in January 1994. Newtonmail
allows Newton users to exchange text messages easily with each
other and anyone who can be reached through online services
available on the Internet and is currently available in a limited
commercial release in the United States. Newtonmail requires the
Newton Fax Modem Card, a credit-card sized Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) modem, for
communication via online services as well as the ability to send
faxes.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931207/Press Contact: Emma Bufton, Regis
McKenna for Apple Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone];
Wolf Fernlund, Apple Computer Europe, 46 8 703 33 33; Michael
Gunnarsson, Telia, 46 8 713 25 38)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00029)

Trellis Expose 2.0 Provides Distributed SNMP Management 12/07/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- Trellis, the
Southborough, Massachusetts-based developer of network
applications software for the Banyan Systems VINES operating
system, has announced that its new Expose Distributed Network
Manager will include a large number of major enhancements which
will provide network managers with the tools they need to monitor
and troubleshoot SNMP or simple network management protocol
devices.

Expose 2.0 (written with an accent sign on the final e) will
introduce the SuperMIB (management information block) tool that
presents vendor's MIB information in an easily understood
display. The main object of SuperMIB is to filter out the
extraneous data which is not really useful in managing a
particular network.

Several other new functions will support VINES 5.0 network
performance statistics, alphanumeric pager alarm notification,
performance graph printing, and bitmap image generation for
network topology diagrams.

Pricing for the software, which will ship this month, starts at
$1,500.

(John McCormick/19931207/Press Contact: Chip deVillfranca,
Trellis, 508-485-7200 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00030)

SGML '93 - 5 Electronics Vendors Create "Pinnacles" 12/07/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 7 (NB) -- It isn't easy
for competing companies to work together in preparing an SGML
(Standard Generalized Query Language) specification, but five
electronics vendors are meeting this goal so well that they
deserve to be held up as a role model, said Yuri Rubinsky,
conference chair and president of SoftQuad, introducing a session
at SGML '93.

Employees of the five companies -- Intel, National Semiconductor,
Texas Instruments, Philips, and Hitachi -- have been
collaborating so closely that these activities extended to the
joint preparation of the presentation they gave at the conference
yesterday, "Multi-Company SGML Application Standard Development
Process."

The collaborative SGML effort, "Pinnacles," was formed because
staffers at each company had faced similar problems in the area
of publishing product data sheets, and republishing these
documents into compilations, or databooks, said the first speaker
from the group, Bob Yencha of National Semiconductor.

These documents are typically small in size, but very complex,
"with many dependencies and relationships, many of them
implicit," he noted. Company employees had found paper-based
publishing too slow and expensive, and were interested in placing
the documents online.

Speaking next, Jeff Barton of Texas Instruments said that the
idea of a joint development program was appealing for several
reasons, including the ability to build on existing development
partnerships, the opportunity to minimize costs, and the chance
to avoid "the major risk of individual companies implementing
proprietary SGML solutions."

To get the ball rolling, employees of Texas Instruments, National
Semiconductor, Intel, and Philips began to meet, learning about
SGML applications in other industries, testing assumptions about
their own document types, and defining a common approach.
Hitachi came into the program a little later.

After meeting for nine months, the members of "Pinnacles"
submitted an identical proposal to top management at their
respective companies.

"Interestingly, although we used exactly the same proposal, the
objections raised at each company were different," noted Barton.
Top management at each firm did "buy into" the program, though,
and the stage was set for the "Process" phase.

During the "Process" phase, Pinnacles developed a timeline and
vendor selection process, "defined the deliverables," analyzed
its own actions to that point, and drafted and reviewed a
standard, said Alfred Elkerbrout of Philips.

The group decided to base its specification on SGML due to the
modularity and extensibility of the SGML architecture, and its
ability to accommodate print as well as future electronic
publications, he explained.

Pinnacles opted to work with a consultant, but specified that the
same consultant should be used throughout the process. The group
further decided to hold four one-week "document analysis"
sessions, to be followed by one or two "reconciliation" sessions.

Each session was to consist of "participants" as well as two
"observers" from each company. Two-thirds of the participants
would be "content experts" (such as engineers, product managers,
and standards experts).

One-third of the participants would be "publications experts" and
information consumers (technical writers, editors, component
managers, actual consumers).

The observers would be invited to assure continuity, and to serve
as an additional resource to the participants. They would
consist of "politically necessary people from each host company,"
as well as "people that will be responsible for implementing or
supporting an SGML-based information system" and external and
internal consultants.

Tom Jeffery of Hitachi said that, in drafting the SGML standard,
Pinnacles took a "modularization approach" and took into account
"what to adopt from other standards." The group was looking for
the ability to handle structure as well as content models.

Once completed, the draft standard will be reviewed by invited
semiconductor companies, third-party vendors, customers, and
vendors of authoring, publishing, and EDA (Electronic Design
Automation) tools.

Patricia O'Sullivan of Intel stated that the draft standard is
due for completion by December 31 of this year. The review
process is set to be completed by March, 1994. In April, 1994,
Pinnacles plans to submit the specification to a standards body.

What has Pinnacles learned in the process? "Plan, plan,
plan...but be flexible, too. And constant communication is
critical," Yencha advised.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931207/Reader and press contact: Tanya
Bosse, Graphic Communications Association, tel [phone])