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/NB121393

Text File | 1993-12-13 | 76KB | 1,663 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00001)

IBM Announces The Disney Software Collection II 12/13/93
PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- IBM PC Europe
and the Walt Disney Company have announced the release of the Disney
Software Collection II, a special selection of Disney programs
packaged with the IBM PS/1 computer series.

Alan Milne, European consumer products operations manager, said
that, last year, both IBM and Disney announced a partnership to
jointly market specially created Disney educational and
entertainment software with the PS/1 computer. "The Disney Software
Collection II reflects the continuing success of that partnership,"
he said.

The collection consists of five educational and entertainment
programs which IBM claims have been designed to appeal to children
of all ages. The programs come packaged with the fully equipped PS/2
in the European sales channel.

The packages, which are available in English, French, German,
Italian and Spanish language versions, are:

Memory Challenge -- a fun way to practise association and memory
                    skills, IBM claims.

Beauty & the Beast -- help to break the Beast's spell over Bella by
                      solving various problems.

Stunt island -- the only flight simulation package, IBM claims, that
                offers a crash course on film making.

Coaster -- where the player designs, builds and rides the ultimate
           roller coaster.

Milne describes the package as one of the most outstanding bundled
with a PC to date. "The purchaser receives both a fully equipped
PS/1 and a set of highly interactive software packages designed to
be totally compatible with the existing ease of use software that
already resides on the PS/1," he said.

IBM also claims that the PS/1 also supplies novice children and
adult users with peace of mind since it comes with Big Blue's built
in quality and Helpware. Helpware is a complete package of services
for the user, which come free for the first 12 months, including a
24 hour helpline, an easy to follow tutorial, a special members-only
club for discounts, a Helpware quarterly magazine subscription, and
a trade in program for old computer hardware.

As if all this wasn't enough, as part of a special promotional
package, IBM is offering purchasers of the PS/1 Disney package to
buy a Euro Disney holiday package at a discount.

The deal involves a single night's stay un a Euro Disney hotel, two
adult and two kids' passes to the Euro Disney complex, for around
UKP 55 -- this price, Newsbytes notes, is less than the cost of two
adult passes to the complex on their own. The resort deal is open
until the end of 1994, although it cannot be used during the high
(summer) season.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931213/Press & Public Contact: IBM UK - Tel: +44-
705-561000; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00002)

High School Student Becomes Certified NetWare Engineer 12/13/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- After only two and a half
years in Australia, Russian-born 15-year old high school student
Boris Patoka has earned a significant recognition in the computer
industry -- he is now a Certified Novell NetWare Engineer (CNE).

Boris was introduced to the idea of attaining the qualifications
while doing work experience in the repairs and service center of
Sydney-based networking products distributor Com Tech
Communications. In the CNE exam he received over 90 percent in most
papers and 100 percent in others.

"At first I was a bit hesitant about doing the course, but I thought
I would give it a go as my father was taking it at the same time."
said Boris. "I had to attend the training three nights a week after
school for two months, which was tough going."

Ian Schofield, Training Products Manager at Com Tech's Education
Centre said that while networking courses such as the CNE are not
easy, the company recognised at an early stage that Boris had the
potential to pass.

"He has a passion for computers and wants to become a computer
engineer when he leaves school. He'll continue to work here on a
part-time basis during his school holidays," he said.

(Victoria Howarth and Paul Zucker/19931213/Contact: Com Tech
Communications on phone [phone] and fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00003)

Personal E-Mail Software Uses Regular Phone Lines 12/13/93
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- AmerCom has published
a software program that allows users to exchange electronic mail (e-
mail) anywhere there is a telephone line.

Personal-E Mailbox version 1.5 is a specialized communications
program that allows any user with a modem that transfers data at a
speed of 2400 bps or higher and a telephone line to send and receive
mail. Mail is composed off-line with the built in text editor and
read off-line.

Personal-E uses a mailbox metaphor, showing the user when mail is
waiting in the in and out trays. waiting mail can be read, printed
or deleted. There is also a chat mode for interactive communication
that displays both sides of the typed conversation on a split
screen, and an extra-large text display mode is available for people
who have difficulty reading regular size text.

Personal-E can run from a single floppy disk so travelers can pop
the disk in any available IBM-compatible PC to check their mail.
Menu choices allow you to reply to message or forward them to
another Personal-e user.

Documents of up to 30 kilobytes (10 to 12 pages) can be attached to
any message and can be ASCII or binary. There is also a conversion
utility that allows a file to be converted to a database *.dbm
format. Amercom says that allows a user to collect survey data ("did
you like our latest shampoo?") and convert the answers for use with
a database.

Personal-E has a suggested retail price of $49.95 per single copy,
$79.95 for a twin-pack (one for each user) and $199.95 for a six-
user pack. The company has a special corporate copy matching program
for proactive organizations that provides software for free to
speech and hearing impaired persons.

Amercom makes a unique offer to members of Congress and journalists
who want to allow their constituents or readers to communicate
directly with them about important issues. The company will donate
at no cost a copy of Personal-E. It also gives free copies to
schools and libraries.

Amercom spokesperson Jim Cochell told Newsbytes the company is
working on an improved DOS version and a completely new Windows
version of Personal-E.

(Jim Mallory/19931213/Press contact: Jim Cochell, Amercom - 503-531-
2880; Reader contact: Amercom 503-531-2880 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00004)

PCWorld Readers Vote M/Soft As #1 In Five World Class Awards 12/13/93
WANCHAI, HONGKONG, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Microsoft has been voted into
the top slot in five categories in a recent readership poll
conducted by PCWorld Hong Kong, the local edition of International
Data Group's flagship personal computing publication.

The survey -- the magazine's first annual World Class Awards --
asked readers to select their favourite PC products in categories
ranging from desktop PCs to vendor support.

Microsoft won the best wordprocessor category with Microsoft Word
for Windows 2.0, best spreadsheet with Microsoft Excel 4.0 for
Windows, best database with FoxPro 2.5 for Windows and best
presentation software with PowerPoint 3.0 for Windows. Microsoft
Mouse 2.0 also won hands down in the best input device category.

"We received an overwhelming response with 23 per cent of our
readership voting," said Paul Kelly editor of PCWorld Hong Kong.
"Microsoft's performance is a clear indication of our readers'
preference."

Amanda Young Application Products Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong,
said that she is delighted with the outcome of the World Class
Awards.  "The results reinforce the views expressed by attendees at
the Microsoft Office 4.0 launch last month," she said.

"More than a thousand people came to see how the new software suite
can add value to their favourite applications and nearly 50 per cent
of them bought the product on the spot. That kind of success,
coupled with the PCWorld awards, tells us that Microsoft is very
highly regarded in the local PC applications software market," she
added.

(Keith Cameron/19931213/Press Contact: Sasha Skinner (Microsoft):
[phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00005)

Australian Windows World Show Set To Become PC World Show 12/13/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- The Australian Expo division
of US publisher IDG Communications has announced changes to its show
lineup for 1994. Three year old Windows World Expo has been re-named
PC World and is broadening in focus.

The show will be held in Sydney on May 10-12. It will include themed
areas such as SOHO PC, Multimedia World and Mobile Business. "The
renaming of the show matches our perception of the PC market."
explained IDG Expo manager Rod Craig.

"Windows retains a high level of intense interest, but there is an
increasing excitement about several other areas of the market. By
calling the event PC World we will be better positioned to look at
all the hot topics of Personal computing," he said.

Along with the name change, the conference has been dropped "in
keeping with the re-positioning."

To be held simultaneously with the event will be Network World Expo
and Networkers Forum. IDG Australia MD Don Kennedy said: "Our
experience with Network World magazine and expo has convinced us
that networking is the dominant area of growth in the industry.
Australia's networkers deserve and want a top-quality event that
demonstrates the latest products and also serves as a forum where
they can hear top authorities from around the world."

(Paul Zucker/19931213/Contact: IDG Expo Division on phone +61-2-439
5133 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00006)

Georgia Sourcebook Released 12/13/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Jaye Communications
has released the second edition of its Georgia Technology
Sourcebook, detailing more than 2,000 technology companies in the
state of Georgia.

Of these, 53 percent are computer-related, 42 percent have fewer
than 10 employees, and 86 percent are in the Atlanta suburbs,
although 65 of the state's 159 counties have at least one high-tech
firm.

The book doesn't cover all those 2,000 companies, just the 1,425
which provided full information, according to vice president-
marketing Alexis Caldwell. Only manufacturing, research,
distribution and service units are included, not dealers or
resellers.

Caldwell noted that the findings of her book are in line with other
products like Egil Juliessen's Computer Industry Almanac. Based on
the findings of Caldwell, Georgia seems to rank eighth among the 50
states in high technology companies, and Juliessen indicated that
the state could quickly pass New Jersey and Illinois and leap to
sixth.

The book was published in cooperation with Atlanta's Business and
Technology Alliance, which contributed sections on its new
Technology Hall of Fame exhibit at Atlanta's Scitrek museum and on
financial awards given to the community by Georgia's technology
communities.

Jaye Communications also publishes Atlanta Computer Currents, as
well as the publications Technology South and Technotes. The book
carries a retail price of $27.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931213/Press Contact: Alexis Caldwell, Jaye
Communications, 404-984-9444; FAX: [phone]


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00007)

IBM AntiVirus Now Supports NetWare Servers 12/13/93
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- IBM said a
new version of its IBM AntiVirus software includes protection for
Novell NetWare local-area network (LAN) servers. According to Big
Blue, IBM AntiVirus Version 1.04 protects against computer viruses
on computers running DOS, Windows, OS/2, and NetWare.

IBM AntiVirus for NetWare uses the same detection technology used as
other IBM AntiVirus products, the firm said. It detects more than
2,000 known viruses and has facilities to spot previously unknown
viruses, and company officials claimed the software virtually
eliminates false alarms that occur with some other anti-virus
products.

Real-time scanning enables the LAN server to protect itself
immediately if a virus on a client PC is found trying to infect the
server. Network administrators also can scan selected volumes on
demand, or schedule a scan for particular times on selected days.

When it finds a virus, the software can send customized messages to
the affected user and administrators and lock infected files to keep
the infection from spreading.

IBM said that its AntiVirus for NetWare package is designed to have
minimal impact on LAN server performance, with automatic priority
adjustment to keep the added load to less than four percent on
typical servers.

Single copies of IBM AntiVirus for DOS, Windows, and OS/2 systems
cost $29.95. Site licenses are also available, and the company said
it provides monthly updates for newer viruses and rapid updates for
viruses discovered in customer incidents.

(Grant Buckler/19931213/Press Contact: Andrea R. Minoff, IBM, 914-
784-7428; Public Contact: IBM, 800-742-2493)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00008)

Softklone Intros V2.0 of Help Development Kit For Windows 12/13/93
HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) --
Softklone has announced that the latest version of its Help
Development Kit (HDK) for the Microsoft Windows environment, has
started shipping in the UK.

Version 2.0 of the HDK is being distributed in the UK on an
exclusive arrangement with Virtual Media of Australia, the company
that coded the software. According to Softklone, the package's
benefit lies in its use for creating complex online manuals,
replacing the need for expensive, quickly outdated paper-based
documentation.

According to Lee Wood, Softklone UK's managing director, HDK2 is the
most powerful help systems/hypertext tool available to Windows
users, whether they are beginners or hypertext experts.

"The increased number of automatic features in this latest version
of the product can save hundreds of hours in producing online
documents and enable the user to utilize all the features in Windows
help," he said.

So how does HDK2 work in real life? Softklone cites the example
involved with the production of large documents such as
BS750/ISO9000 standards manuals.

Whereas paper-based versions of these manuals require the user to
make constant reference to other procedures in the manual and
external documentation, the facilities within HDK2 allow the user to
"jump" in an out of the appropriate documents, online, without the
need to search through multiple printed references.

Not only can the core procedures manual be easily and cost-
effectively kept up to date, but using the automatic indexing and
searching facilities in HDK2, all related documents and standards
can be identified and changed accordingly.

HDK2 costs UKP 225 in the UK and requires the presence of Windows
3.1 plus Microsoft's Help Compiler for Win 3.1. The software is
billed as having the ability to: create sophisticated online
documentation; allow enhanced support of the Windows Help engine for
online document production; and review copies available immediately.

(Steve Gold/19931213/Press & Public Contact: Softklone UK - Tel: +44-
628-819200)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00009)

HK-Based Ex-Pat Singaporeans Meet Families By Videoconference 12/13/93
TAI KOO SHING, HONG KONG, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- The merging of
technologies, particularly video and computer-based information
technologies, is moving very rapidly. Newsbytes has learned that
family video-conferencing between Singaporean families in Hong Kong
and their relatives at home will be happening soon for some lucky
couples.

While international video-conferencing has been around for a few
years, most people would have believed it to be outside the domain
of the private family for some time to come.

The "Meet Your Family Promotion", organized by Singapore Telecom and
the Singapore Association, and sponsored by Hongkong Telecom CSL,
requires only that participants have spent US$100 or more on IDD
calls to Singapore during the month of November.

A lucky draw will be held after the closing date on December 28 to
select the five lucky families that will take part in the
Hongkong/Singapore video- conference scheduled for January 29, 1994.

"Videoconferencing is really starting to take off, with companies
using the technology to help regional and corporate management to
share input and make more effective decisions," said Franky Lai,
General Manager, Marketing, Hongkong Telecom CSL, the company which
is providing the VideoNet video communications services and a studio
to host the Hong Kong side of the event.

"Cross-border video-conferencing is a versatile medium that can be
used for a host of applications including marketing, and this
promotion is a perfect example of how it can be used to great
effect," he added.

According to Lai, there are many other areas where videoconferencing
can play an active part. In the legal field, VideoNet could easily
be used to take depositions or to arraign prisoners. And, by holding
recruitment interviews via VideoNet, an organization can have the
opportunity to screen a broad range of candidates, regardless of
where they may currently be working.

"In Singapore, we are also seeing a tremendous increase in the usage
of VideoMeet, the videoconference service provided by Singapore
Telecom," said Mrs Chong Yee Wah, Product Manager, Business Product
Management at Singapore Telecom.

"A variety of applications including press conferences by artists,
product launches, interviews and golf course design have proved
videoconferencing to be an effective communications tool in today's
dynamic business world," she said.

"A videoconference gives you all the benefits of a business trip,
but without the cost of expensive airfares, hotel accommodation or
jet-lag. It improves communications, enhances productivity, allows
instant access to key people and information and gives managers the
ability to make informed decisions faster," she added.

During the actual "Meet Your Family" videoconference, the Hong Kong
winners will be invited to the VideoNet Public Studio on the 37th
Floor of Tower Two, Exchange Square where they will have the
opportunity to chat and catch up on all the news from their families
at Singapore Telecom's VideoMeet studio.

Commenting on the promotion, Dicky Goh, Vice Chairman of the
Singapore Association in Hong Kong, expressed his support for this
innovative use of new technology.

"I am sure that the lucky members who take part in this novel
promotion will appreciate the chance to see their families, face-to-
face," Goh said. "It will allow them to communicate more
effectively."

(Keith Cameron/19931213/Press Contact: Ms Caroline Chung: +852-803
6551)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00010)

Omniplex Announces Planar Unicord 12/13/93
ST ALBANS, HERTS, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Omniplex Limited has
announced the release of Planar Unicord, a full color ANSI (American
National Standards Institute) terminal emulator and integration tool
for MIcrosoft Windows 3.

According to Omniplex, Planar Unicord allows Windows 3 users to set
up Unix systems and applications as icons within their Windows 3
graphical user interface (GUI) desktop. Using this approach means
that Unix applications can be launched under Windows as easily as if
they were Windows/DOS applications.

Using the Windows/Unicord interface, multiple Unix windows can be
scaled, iconized and resized as any Windows application can be,
Unicord can be run over a serial (RS232) cable link or almost any
network link.

Unicord is also used as an integration tool by Unix software
developers. The package allows DOS and Windows processes to be
started under the control of Unix. This allows Unix application
developers to use Windows tools and applications as utilities of
their Unix application.

Announcing the availability of the package, Graeme Youngs,
Omniplex's marketing director, said that Unicord addresses two
markets.

"The first is those users who want a trouble free way of running
Unix applications alongside their Windows programs. The second is
software developers who want to combine the worlds of Unix and
Windows to present an integrated environment for their users," he
said.

Pricing on Planar Unicord depends on the site license conditions
required. Interested parties are asked to contact Youngs direct at
the company.

(Steve Gold/19931213/Press & Public Contact: Omniplex UK - Tel: +44-
727-811301; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00011)

NetFrame Acquires High-Speed Tape Backup Technology 12/13/93
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Back-up operations
are a vital part of server-based networking. For large networks,
tape is often the media of choice. Now superserver manufacturer
NetFrame Systems has purchased a high-speed tape backup and restore
technology from Vortex Systems.

Under the terms of the deal, NetFrame has purchased all rights to
Vortex's Tape Array Technology for $1.8 million in cash. The company
said that "other assets or liabilities of Vortex Systems were not
acquired." NetFrame said that, prior to the acquisition, it had
about $39 million in cash.

NetFrame says that the technology acquired will be used to develop a
"new class of high-performance, high-integrity back up and restore
software products, designed for large, mission-critical servers.
Along with the technology, four key Vortex employees have joined
NetFrame.

Announcing the acquisition, Enzo Torresi, president and chief
executive officer of NetFrame, said: "Our customers have repeatedly
requested mainframe-like backup and restore capabilities that meet
their performance, capacity and reliability needs. This new
technology will enable NetFrame to develop and deliver products that
meet these requirements."

NetFrame Systems was founded in 1987, and designs, manufactures and
markets a series of expandable, fault-tolerant superservers that
run NetWare, Unix SVR4.2 and OS/2 and, in the future, NT.
NetFrame's superservers, which start at $14,950 for a three
processor superserver, are expandable to a 10 processor system with
up to 240 gigabytes of mass storage.

In November, Newsbytes reported that NetFrame had begun shipments of
its Concerto software, designed to allow shrink-wrapped NetWare and
Unix SVR4.2 to run concurrently in the same NetFrame superserver.

At the time, Paul Gross, a spokesman for the company, told
Newsbytes that Concerto only works on NetFrame's superservers
because of the multiprocessor architecture.

"Concerto is an internal messaging system within the NetFrame," he
said. "The NetFrame superserver is like a local area network (LAN)
within a box. Concerto is the connections between the various
components within that LAN. It is the message-passing scheme, which
allows all of the different parts of the network to coexist with one
another," he added.

In October, Newsbytes reported that NetFrame had extended its
existing original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement with
Olivetti for another three years, up to December 1996. The two
companies also announced the planned formation of NetFrame
International, a joint venture, in January 1994.

Under the terms of the OEM deal, Olivetti sells NetFrame Systems
line of superservers worldwide and maintains exclusive rights in
Italy, and Spain, as well as the UK. NetFrame International,
meanwhile, will be based in Europe and will have sales, support and
marketing responsibility for all NetFrame products sold in Europe.

(Ian Stokell/19931213/Press Contact: Mark Comiso, 408-434-4173,
NetFrame Systems)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00012)

SGML '93: SoftQuad 3.0 And New ApplicationBuilder 12/13/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- At SGML '93,
SoftQuad has introduced Version 3.0 of its Author/Editor editing
tool for Windows, Macintosh, and Unix, plus a new application
development tool known as ApplicationBuilder.

Author/Editor is installed at more sites than any other editor for
the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) document interchange
protocol, according to SoftQuad officials.

"But now that the market for SGML-based applications is growing
beyond the early adopters, the software must grow more accessible to
meet new needs. Our new version does just that," noted Yuri
Rubinsky, company president.

The new version (v3.0) adds a number of human interface enhancements
to Author/Editor, such as built-in templates, custom templates, and
simultaneous availability of Windows and Views on all platforms,
according to Dana Briggs, the company's training coordinator.

Other new capabilities include context sensitive stylesheets,
support for SGML delimiters other than angle brackets and
ampersands, and enhanced support for SGML parsing and for options in
the SGML declaration.

The update also brings support for graphics, math editing, and other
external formats, including video and sound, by allowing the user to
launch an external viewer or other specialized software, Briggs told
Newsbytes.

The product continues to provide the capabilities of previous
versions, including word processing, built-in SGML validation, on-
screen formatting, named bookmarks, on-line help, structured outline
and context views, auto-numbering, spell-checking, a thesaurus, and
context-sensitive search-and-replace.

SoftQuad's new ApplicationBuilder consists of Author/Editor along
with Scheme, a new object-oriented programming language for
customizing Author/Editor. Several sample Scheme scripts are also
incorporated in the package, he said.

Scheme is a LISP dialect that "understands SGML," he explained. The
language is easy to use, because there are few rules of syntax to
remember and each line of Scheme code is limited to just one
function. Still, Scheme is powerful enough to express complicated
relationships, he maintained.

ApplicationBuilder can be used for adding new functions to
Author/Editor, such as a database front end or a browser, or for
changing the behavior of existing functions, said Briggs.

For example, the developer might modify the security of a text
element so that a non-cleared user would only see those portions of
text that are marked as unclassified.

Author/Editor 3.0 is available now. Pricing is $995 for the Windows
and Macintosh versions and $1,995 for the Unix edition.
ApplicationBuilder is currently in beta testing. The new toolkit is
scheduled for release in the first quarter of 1994.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931213/Reader contact: SoftQuad, tel 416-
239-4801; Press contact: Linda A. Burman, SoftQuad, tel 416-239-
4801)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00013)

Sharp Promotes Workstation & Pocket Organizer Sales 12/13/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Sharp has announced plans to
promote a new workstation series and the Pencom, its latest pocket
business organizer. In preparation for the promotion, Sharp has
contracted with Sun Microsystems for the supply of the hardware and
spare parts.

Two new workstations from Sharp -- produced by Sun on an original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis -- will be launched this coming
Friday (Dec 17). The machines are known as the OA Server 4000 series
and are based around the SPARC reduced instruction set computing
(RISC) chipset running the Solaris operating system. A key feature
of the two machines is their inclusion of Sun's touch screen
technology.

Sharp claims that it is pitching for a market as big as 3,000
million yen ($300 million) worth of sales on its workstations next
year. Within three years, the company is aiming to secure 7,000
million yen-worth of sales.

Sharp is also trying to beef up sales of the Pencom, its pocket
business organizer computer. To date, the computer is selling better
than Sharp had originally envisaged, leading the company to realize
that the Pencom could be a best seller. According to Sharp, around
70,000 units were sold up until the end of November, with another
30,000 units expected to be sold in this month alone.

Sharp has said that it wants to continue selling at this rate right
through until the end of March, by which time it hopes to have sold
around 200,000 Pencoms. The Pencom sells in Japan for around 65,000
yen ($650), which Newsbytes notes is considerably less than the
Apple Newton personal digital assistant (PDA).

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931213/Press Contact: Sharp, +81-43-
299-8212, Fax, [phone])


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

 ****Sega-Compatible Machines Expected To Debut Soon 12/13/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Sega Enterprises, a bit of a late
starter in the Japanese games market, has unveiled its latest weapon
in taking on the might of Nintendo, its major rival -- licence its
games console technology to third party companies.

According to Sega, three companies are licensing its games console
technology for use in their own 64-bit processor systems. At this
level of processor power, Newsbytes notes, three dimensional games
in realistic action are possible.

The three companies -- Hitachi, Yamaha and Victor -- are expected to
release their consoles on to the market some time next year. Sega is
also working on an advanced video games unit with Hitachi, and
expects to release the machine as a flagship Genesis unit when it is
available. The new high end games machine will come equipped with
Hitachi's reduced instruction set computing (RISC)/

Newsbytes notes that the linkup with the three third-party companies
is not the first time that Sega has been working with the companies.
As a result, it is widely expected that the new generation machines
will not be plain games consoles as Sega has released to date, but
will be true multimedia units.

The Hitachi/Sega 64-bit video game machine is expected to be
released within about a year. These compatible game machines are
expected slightly later than Sega's.

With this compatible-game machine strategy, Sega is trying to vie
with the rival firms such as Nintendo, Matsushita-3DO and NEC Home
Electronics. Also, the firm needs to compete with Sony, which,
although a relative newcomer to the games console industry, is still
a very powerful company.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931213/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00015)

Watermark Enhances Image-Enabling Software For Windows 12/13/93
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Watermark has
announced an upcoming OLE (object linking and embedding) 2.0-
compatible version of its image-enabling software for Windows, along
with the ability of the current version to be used with Powersoft's
client-server development environment.

In an interview with Newsbytes, David Skok, Watermark's president,
said that Watermark Discovery Edition 1.0 can be employed by end
users to quickly add images of faxes and scanned paper documents to
Microsoft's Excel, Borland's Paradox for Windows, BeyondMail,
WordPerfect for Windows, cc:Mail and Notes 2.0 from Lotus, and a
half-dozen other programs that are now capable of being OLE clients.

Discovery Edition 1.0 was named Imaging Magazine's "Most Promising
Product of 1993," and has also been awarded InfoWorld's "Buyer's
Assurance Seal." One factor setting the product apart from
competitors is a full suite of annotation tools that includes the
ability to type text on the embedded image, write freehand, redline,
highlight, draw arrows, and attach voice comments, video clips, and
other OLE objects to the image, Skok suggested.

Through Watermark's new relationship with Powersoft, developers will
now be able to use Discovery Edition 1.0 with PowerBuilder 3.0 to
image-enable specialized client-server applications, he added.
Discovery Edition 1.0 will also work with Powersoft's PowerMaker
and PowerViewer tools.

"We will have specialized documentation available that will show
developers how to integrate Discovery Edition and PowerBuilder, and
also some software code. But we're only talking one or two pages of
instructions. Essentially, the products will work together off the
shelf," he told Newsbytes.

OLE 2.0-compliance will become available in Discovery Edition in
spring of 1994, according to Skok. In Version 1.0, Discovery Edition
offers two methods of image enablement: through the clipboard using
standard Copy and Paste commands, or by clicking on the Insert
Object command that is provided in the edit menu of most current
OLE client applications.

The client software on the user's PC does not embed the entire
image, but only stores a pointer to the image, according to Skok.
The actual image is stored on a central storage system such as a
network file server, to minimize network traffic and permit multiple
users to comment on the same document and view one another's
comments.

The forthcoming OLE 2.0-compatibility will further simplify the
image-enablement process by allowing the user to drag-and-drop a
Watermark image object into another application, he explained.
Compliance with OLE 2.0 will also provide visual editing and OLE
automation, the company president noted.

Visual editing will let the user edit comments on a Watermark image
object embedded in another application without opening another
Watermark window. OLE automation will allow a macro developed in the
container application to control most of the operations of Discovery
Edition.

Other new features in the upcoming Discovery revision will include
integrated optical character recognition (OCR) and full support for
WinFax Pro, a capability that will permit sent and received faxes to
be viewed as thumbnails.

Discovery Edition 1.0 works with FoxPro, Word, PowerPoint, Mail, and
Access from Microsoft, Borland's Quattro Pro for Windows, and Ami
Professional from Lotus, in addition to Excel, Paradox, BeyondMail,
WordPerfect, cc:Mail and Notes.

The combination of Watermark and these popular end user packages
allows such applications as copying letters and sending them to
colleagues via electronic mail, sending application forms through a
lengthy approval process, and filing and retrieving faxes, contracts
and product specifications.

In contrast, the combination of Watermark and Powersoft's tools will
permit creation of high-end image-enabled applications that could
previously be developed only with the use of costly proprietary
systems such as ViewStar or FileNet, Skok told Newsbytes.

The two vendors are targeting applications that require storage of a
great deal of paperwork, such as human resources, order processing,
and accounts payable systems.

One large pharmaceutical house plans to build a system using
Watermark and Powersoft that will store all records the company has
submitted to the Federal Drug Administration pertaining to drug
approval, including highly detailed documentation of all clinical
trials, he said.

The pharmaceutical record system will initially store 6 million
documents, Newsbytes was told. After that, 1.2 million new
documents will be added every year.

"Heavy-duty Powersoft users will probably want to migrate to
Watermark Professional Edition," Skok added. Watermark's upcoming
Professional Edition will be highly scalable, from small to very
large implementations, he reported.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931213/Reader contact: Watermark Software, tel:
617-229-2600; Press contacts: Heidi Palmer, Watermark, tel: 617-
229-2600; Leahanne Hobson, Copithorne & Bellows for Watermark, tel
617-252-0606/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00016)

KAI And IBM Team Up On Speech And Pen Medical Apps 12/13/93
WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Kurzweil Applied
Intelligence (KAI) and IBM have announced plans to form a strategic
alliance that will focus initially on speech recognition and pen-
based clinical reporting systems for the healthcare market.

"(This collaboration) will involve technology exchanges, joint
development projects, and comprehensive marketing and support
programs, all (delivering) powerful solutions to our existing
customers and attracting many new customers in the US and
international markets," said Bernard F. Bradstreet, KAI's president
and co-CEO, announcing the signing of a letter of intent.

Added Raymond Kurzweil, chairman and also co-CEO of KAI: "With IBM
as key development partner, we'll be able to work together on a
common user interface and API (application programming interface)
suites for speech and pen-based technologies."

Elton B. Sherwin, Jr., IBM's manager of speech recognition strategy
and market development, noted that KAI and IBM have each pioneered
in the area of speech recognition.

"This is a very important alliance for our company as well," he
said. "Over time, we'll be expanding our relationship to
incorporate pen-based technologies, take advantage of new market
opportunities, and satisfy changing customer needs. And we expect
this to happen not only in the healthcare market, but in other
vertical markets like legal, financial services and government."

Bradstreet reported that the new relationship with IBM is consistent
with KAI's strategy of aligning itself with major healthcare
providers and leading technology companies.

KAI was founded in 1982, and has been concentrating on the
healthcare industry for the past seven years. KAI's VoiceMED
product line is designed to allow physicians and other healthcare
professionals to quickly prepare complete printed medical reports by
voice.

Waltham, MA-based KAI also produces KurzweilVOICE, a voice-enabled
personal computing and word processing system.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931213/Reader contact: Kurzweil Applied
Intelligence, tel [phone]; Press contacts: Mark D. Flanagan,
KAI, tel [phone]; Jeff Aubin or Jan Collins, Brodeur &
Partners for KAI, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00017)

Canadian Product Launch Update 12/13/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 DEC 13 (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: Computer Associates'
SuperProject for OS/2 and Realia-II Workbench, and FaxFirst's
FaxPak.

Computer Associates Canada of Mississauga, Ont., unveiled an OS/2
version of its SuperProject project management software (Newsbytes,
Dec. 7) as well as shipping CA-Realia II Workbench (Newsbytes, Nov.
30), software aimed at downsizing applications.

CA Canada will sell the Windows and OS/2 versions of SuperProject
together for C$649. Upgrades and competitive upgrades are C$179. For
C$69, CA-SuperProject users can replace the limited version of CA-
Realizer built into SuperProject with a full version.

CA-Realia Workbench will list for C$2,995. Users who already have
Realia COBOL can upgrade to the complete Workbench for C$1,650. CA
is also offering a competitive upgrade to users of rival Micro
Focus' COBOL Workbench for C$1,995.

FaxPak, a device that allows a computer printer to act as a plain-
paper fax machine (Newsbytes, Feb. 11), is now available in Canada.
FaxFirst Canada, Inc., of Toronto, is selling the unit for C$389. In
use, it sits beside a printer, receives faxes and prints them, or
stores them for later printing if the printer is not available.

(Grant Buckler/19931213/Press Contact: John Schoutsen, Computer
Associates Canada, 905-676-6700, fax [phone]; Stephen Caffrey
or Robert Kerzner, FaxFirst, 416-391-2864)


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

Software Vendor Endorses IBM's Workplace OS 12/13/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- It will not
actually hit the streets until some time in 1994 at the earliest,
but IBM's next operating system has already earned the endorsement
of a software company here.

Ask Group, a maker of application development tools, issued a
statement saying it endorses IBM's Workplace OS on the new PowerPC
architecture. Such endorsements, commonplace in the computer
industry, generally mean the company expects it will release
products for the system some time in the future but is not ready to
make a more specific announcement.

The PowerPC architecture is the result of an alliance among IBM,
Apple Computer and chipmaker Motorola Corp. IBM released its first
PowerPC hardware in September, and Apple is expected to release
PowerPC systems in the spring.

As for the Workplace OS, Jim Cannavino, senior vice-president for
strategy and development at IBM, said during the recent Comdex/Fall
trade show that the company hopes to release it in 1994, but "we
will serve no wine before its time." The first release will be for
PowerPC systems, he said, "to complement our existing Intel
investment."

IBM also sent signals during Comdex that Workplace OS will play a
key role in its strategy in coming years. The company said it plans
to put the new microkernel-based operating system on its AS/400
midrange computers as well as PowerPC systems and its line of
personal computers based on Intel x86 chips.

IBM assured customers at Comdex that Workplace OS would not crowd
out OS/2, but also pointed out that the new system's multiple
"personalities" will include the ability to run OS/2 software, so
customers will be able to migrate easily if they choose.

Workplace OS will also be able to run software written for DOS,
Microsoft Windows, and Unix.

(Grant Buckler/19931213/Press Contact: Shannon Hall, Ask Group,
510-748-2576)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00019)

Outsourcing Conference: "Best Practices In Outsourcing" 12/13/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- The "best
practices in outsourcing" begin with an analysis of outsourcing and
extend to a plan for "exiting" the process, according to Barry A.
Wiegler, director of the Sourcing Interests Group, speaking at the
Outsourcing Conference in Boston.

At a presentation packed with senior corporate executives from
throughout the world, Wiegler outlined a set of outsourcing
recommendations that was developed as a service to members of the
two-year-old special interest group on outsourcing issues.

In the initial outsourcing analysis, a company should "develop a
clear understanding of strategic objectives, identify opportunities,
and assemble a multi-function team," Wiegler told the audience at
the Westin Hotel.

Also at this stage, the organization should consider a broad range
of questions, set a realistic schedule, understand technological and
political risks, maintain trust, and obtain "broad-based buy-in,"
including the support of a highly placed corporate official as
"sponsor."

The initial analysis should then be drawn upon in developing a
request for proposal (RFP) and a proposal evaluation process,
Wiegler said. Proposals should be evaluated by a team that includes
selected users.

The RFP should be distributed to a limited number of vendors, he
added. The document should outline the scope of the proposed project
so as to permit proper pricing. The organization ought to "disclose
a lot" to outsourcing vendors, but should also make sure to ask
those vendors for needed information.

In evaluating proposals, the team should narrow the list of
candidates to two. The team should view selected references, and
obtain clarifications and specifics as necessary, remaining "open to
new approaches" but also keeping options open for as long as
possible.

After deciding on an outsourcing vendor, the team should create a
term sheet or memorandum of understanding and then negotiate a
contract. "Allow sufficient time for contract preparation," Wiegler
advised.

Next, the company should develop a detailed "transition plan and
schedule," assigning at least one staff member with the right kind
of experience to lead the transition to outsourcing. Throughout
transition, the organization should maintain control, monitor
progress and service levels, and make communications with employees
clear, concise and consistent.

In working with the outsourcing vendor, the organization must
establish a "win-win" relationship in which the vendor's
contributions are viewed as strategic, said Wiegler. An "integrated
management team" should be created, with representation from both
the organization and the vendor. Processes should be established for
dealing with change and resolving disputes. The status of the
relationship should be continually reviewed.

Early in the relationship with the vendor, however, the organization
should "map out exiting," in the event the relationship does not
work out. The exiting plan should not be overly detailed, according
to Wiegler. But the plan should include an agreement on causes for
termination, and also give specifics on the return of resources.

"Moving from one (outsourcing) vendor to another can be tougher than
pulling back work inhouse," Wiegler cautioned. On the other hand,
though, "Creative outsourcing can yield substantial dividends." The
best way to assure an outsourcing relationship will be successful is
to "do business with people you trust."

The Sourcing Interest Group's outsourcing recommendations are
spelled out in detail in a white paper on "Best Practices." The full
white paper is available only to group members, but a condensed
version is available to nonmembers, said Wiegler.

The Sourcing Interest Group was formed in mid-1991, under the
sponsorship of Key Consulting Group and DuWayne Peterson Associates,
he explained. Members consist of senior officers of user and vendor
companies, along with consultants and selected attorneys.

Though most of the first members hailed from the financial
community, the Sourcing Interest Group has since grown to include
representation from a wide range of other industries. The group
maintains a rule that the ratio of user members to vendor members
must always be two-to-one or greater.

Services to members include two annual roundtable conferences, a
hotline, telephone consultation, referrals, and access to a PC-based
I/S (Information Systems) outsourcing model, along with two to three
new research reports per year.

In addition to "Best Practices," white papers have been completed on
"PC Outsourcing" and "Outsourcing Strategies and Tactics." Work is
now being done for upcoming white papers on "Strategic Alliances"
and "IT (Information Technology) Value Measurement."

The Outsourcing Conference is presented by Digital Consulting
Incorporated (DCI). Co-sponsoring this year's event were Digital
Equipment Corporation, Unisys, SHL Systemhouse, Litton Computer
Services, Acxiom Corporation, Corporate Software, and the Computer
Task Group.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931213/Press and reader contact: Reader and
press contact: Barry A. Wiegler, Sourcing Interests Group, tel 818-
784-7755; Reader contact: DCI, tel [phone]; Press contact: Todd
J. Keefe, DCI, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00020)

Outsourcing Conference: Effective `IT Governance' 12/13/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- In the
information technology (IT) arena, outsourcing has never been
stronger, but the process is being increasingly incorporated into
broader management strategies, according to N. Venkatraman, who has
spent the past decade studying the use of outsourcing at 200
different Fortune 500 companies.

"In fact, I'd avoid the term `outsourcing' in favor of `IT
governance," advised Venkatraman, an associate professor at MIT's
Sloan School of Management, during a keynote speech at the
Outsourcing Conference in Boston.

Over the past few years, he noted, multibillion-dollar IT
outsourcing deals by the likes of General Dynamics, McDonnell
Douglas, United Technologies and Continental Airlines have been
grabbing big headlines, first in the computer trade press and then
in business publications such as Forbes, the Wall Street Journal,
and Business Week.

Traditionally, outsourcing has been typified by the transfer of
responsibility and assets to an external organization, as well as
long-term contracts of five to ten years, the professor told a crowd
of 250 top corporate executives at the event.

"But outsourcing is only one option for governing IT operations.
Outsourcing cannot be -- and should not be -- understood outside the
(context of the) broader IT strategy and business strategy," he
explained.

Aside from outsourcing, the new practice of IT governance also
includes "insourcing" and a range of possibilities that fall
somewhere in between outsourcing and insourcing, such as strategic
partnerships, he added. In the insourcing process, responsibility is
brought inside of the organization. In many other alternatives to
outsourcing, responsibility is shared.

"The challenge is to identify the locus of IT competence along the
inside/outside continuum. Recognize that (your organization) cannot
be `best-in-class' along all sources of value," Venkatraman told
Newsbytes.

Outsourcing and other forms of IT governance can bring four major
types of value to an organization, he said. These include better
service, lower costs, higher profitability, and investment in the
future.

In the past, organizations have tended to use IT governance for
operational reasons only, viewing operations as "service centers"
and "cost centers," according to Venkatraman. Now, though,
corporations are also looking at strategic factors, and the need to
establish "profit centers" and "investment centers."

Decisions on whether a function such as the data center or
telecommunications is to be outsourced, insourced, or shared with a
partner should be made individually, based on the organization's
competencies and what kind of value source the activity represents,
he recommended.

As they step into the "IT governance" approach, IT professionals
must add "relationship portfolios" to the technical portfolios they
have managed in the past, pointed out Venkatraman, who plans to
embark on a new position at Boston University in January and
continue his research there.

But the new IT approach will also let companies move beyond the
negative connotations of outsourcing, a word that can conjure up
images of "getting rid of something the organization no longer wants
to do," Venkatraman concluded.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931213/Reader and press contact: Professor N.
Venkatraman, tel [phone]; Reader contact: DCI, tel 508-470-
3870; Press contact: Todd J. Keefe, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

Bell Layoffs Keep Rolling 12/13/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Automation makes
it possible, competition makes it necessary, so phone companies
across the company continue to cut staff while Wall Street cheers.

Southern New England Telephone has confirmed it will cut 2,500 jobs
over the next two years, 25 percent of all its workers and 1,000
more than previously estimated. A $259 million charge was set
against fourth-quarter earnings.

SNET has been battling Connecticut regulators, demanding an
"incentive plan" to help it fund improvements in its network, which
covers the area around New Haven. But in announcing the cuts, it
blamed competition for in-state long distance calls from AT&T and
MCI, as well as other carriers, something demanded by the state as
the price for changes. Bankers cheered the cut, with the Standard &
Poor's bond-rating agency affirming an AA rating on its $768 million
in unsecured debt.

A few days later published reports had NYNEX cutting 22,000 workers
by 1996 for similar reasons. A spokesman refused to confirm the
specific number, but noted that the company has announced it intends
to cut costs within its telecommunications group by 30 percent over
the next several years. NYNEX has 66,000 workers in its
telecommunications group.

Unions charged the number was leaked to scare its workers into
taking small severance offers, since the stories did indicate out-
right lay-offs were possible.

"We had nothing to do with the story that started this thing,"
replied NYNEX spokesman Peter Goodale. But NYNEX had already
announced it will re-align itself, dropping artificial distinctions
between its New York and New England operations and going with the
single NYNEX brand name.

Financial analysts have previously called NYNEX the most inefficient
of the regional Bells, with the largest number of employees per
10,000 lines, and the company now faces stiff competition from MFS
Communications in New York City. When the reports emerged of the
possible NYNEX cuts, its stock rose slightly in price on the New
York Stock Exchange.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931213/Press Contact: Peter Goodale, NYNEX,
914-644-7220)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00022)

GATT Deadline Nears: Film Current Sticking Point 12/13/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- After making massive
inroads in international agriculture trade support, the Uruguay
Round General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is currently
hung up on the access of US movies and television programs into the
European market where the French (again) are opposing powerful US
competition in a field where the local product requires massive
state subsidies to remain profitable.

Reports out of Europe, especially those from EC Trade Commissioner
Leon Brittan and US Trade Representative Mickey Kantor indicate that
the major disputes over farm subsidies have been resolved, leaving
massive subsidies to aircraft makers and French opposition to
admitting US films and television shows as the major remaining
elements blocking the years-long trade negotiations.

Intellectual property rights, which are of major concern to US
software and other publishers, are apparently on the back burner,
unmentioned by negotiators, and many industry insiders see them
being left there despite the importance of including better
protection for software.

The current situation is, as of Monday morning, that the EC has
called for a meeting of trade ministers on Wednesday morning just
hours before the final GATT deadline and that they have rejected the
latest US proposal on audio and visual properties.

GATT is a major international trade package which, if finally
passed, would result in lowered tariffs for about 120 countries and
a major increase in trade for all GATT members.

(John McCormick/19931213/Press Contact: SPA, Terri Childs, 202-
452-1600 x320)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00023)

NIST Announcements Of Interest 12/13/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- This past week has seen
a number of important announcements from NIST (National Institute of
Standards and Technology) which relate either directly or indirectly
to semiconductor development or computer technology:

New Method Puts "Trace" on the Hard-to-Measure

Trace elements, which make up just a tiny part of a particular
material, are actually the critical part of all semiconductors but
it is difficult to measure exact concentrations of such tiny amounts
of foreign material.

A new measurement technique will now help researchers determine just
how trace elements are distributed through the base material.
Developed for biological investigations, the National Institutes of
Health have built on improvements in electron energy loss
spectroscopy to analyze certain trace elements with very high
spatial resolution.

The same technique, which is capable of near single atom
measurements, can locate trace elements in specimens as small as 10
nanometers in diameter and is applicable to semiconductor materials
as well as cells.

In another important move involving semiconductor juncture
measurement, NIST and Digital Instruments of Santa Barbara, CA, are
working to develop better measures of the smallest features of
integrated circuits. The new approach involves scanning capacitance
microscopy which uses an atomic force microscope to produce images
of a silicon sample's electrical character.

The effort is intended to develop practical techniques which will
help delineate the junctions between semiconductor segments --
junctions are where the actual work takes place in a semiconductor,
a goal which the Semiconductor Industry Association calls an
essential technology for the advance of semiconductor development.

A new, more accurate capacitance standard is also in development by
the NIST. While sensitive superconducting instruments have made it
possible to very accurately measure resistance and voltage, it has
been more difficult to detect tiny changes in capacitance, but a new
series of experiments involving an electron pump and an electron
turnstile, is likely to result in a way to measure capacitance with
much greater accuracy.

For a copy of a scientific paper discussing the experiment, contact
Sarabeth Moynihan, Div. 104, NIST, Boulder, Colo. 80303-3328, 303-
497-7765. Ask for paper no. 43-93.

Along more practical lines, the NIST and the IEEE Computer Society
will co-sponsor four workshops devoted to advancing the use of open
computer systems in 1994. Each will be an open public forum hosting
participants from information technology industry vendors, major
private-sector users, and federal and state government agencies who
meet quarterly to develop technical implementation agreements needed
for interoperable open system products.

Current open systems projects focus on communications-related
services, electronic commerce, health-care information delivery,
library applications and multi-media.

OSE Implementors' Workshops in 1994 will convene at NIST in
Gaithersburg, MD, on March 14-18, June 13-17, Sept. 12-16 and
Dec. 12-16. For technical information, contact Albert T.
Landberg, 301-975-2245. To register for the workshops, contact
Brenda Gray, OSE Implementors' Secretariat, B266 Technology
Bldg., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001, [phone] or fax
301-926-3696.

(John McCormick/19931213/Press Contact: (all NIST) Linda Joy,
trace elements, 301-975-4403 or [e-mail]; Fred McGehan,
capacitance, 303-497-3246 or [e-mail] Anne Enright
Shepherd, Open Systems, 301-975-4858 or [e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00024)

Gateway 2000 Audio Products Use Media Vision Chips 12/13/93
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Gateway
2000 says its sound card will use the Jazz16 chipset from Media
Vision.

Gateway 2000's sound card uses all the major functions of the
Jazz16 chipset, including implementation of 16-bit real-time audio
compression and decompression based on the International
Multimedia Association's standard.

The card can record and play back industry-standard digital
sound in either eight or 16-bit resolution in stereo or mono at
sampling rates of up to 44.1 kilohertz. It includes a 16-bit audio
controller, 16-bit codec, and audio mixer. It is 100 percent
compatible with Sound Blaster and AdLib, and has a built-in MIDI
port, joystick port, and 20-voice stereo FM synthesizer.

Based on preliminary information from the Framingham, Massachusetts-
based research firm International Data Corporation Gateway 2000
appears to have captured the number six slot on the list of the ten
top sellers of personal computers in the United States.

(Jim Mallory/19931213/Press contact: Elizabeth Fairchild, Media
Vision, 510-252-4473, Michelle Gjerde, Gateway 2000, 605-232-
2253)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00025)

Company Uses Wireless Security System Technology 12/13/93
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- A Wisconsin firm
says the key to cost effective security systems is substituting
wireless technology for the more expensive cabled systems.

Northern Computers says it has the solution needed to bring the cost
of security systems within reach, a technology called Spreadcom that
can increase the maximum distance between the computer controlling
the security system and the furthermost sensors by a factor of four.

The company also says the use of wireless technology reduces costs,
citing the example of large installations such as airports and
parking lots. According to Northern the need for trenching equipment
and significant electrical contracting is eliminated when wireless
technology is used.

Northern's Spreadcom uses spread spectrum technology, a technique
used extensively during World War II in military communications
systems. Signals between the transceivers and transmitter components
are sent over an entire bandwidth (902 to 928 megahertz) rather than
a single frequency. That lessens the possibility of jamming and
makes the system more reliable.

Northern says it can provide a turnkey security system that offers
access control, time and attendance reports, a video image display,
closed circuit television, guard tours, elevator control, and alarm
monitoring.

(Jim Mallory/19931213/Press contact: Heather Fabian, Northern
Computer, 708-291-1616; Reader contact: Northern Computer, 414-769-
5980 or 800-323-4576, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00026)

Farallon Intros Timbuktu Pro For Mac, Windows Upgrade 12/13/93
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Farallon Computing
has introduced a new version of its Timbuktu remote control, screen
sharing and file exchange software for Apple Computer's Macintosh
platform -- called Timbuktu Pro. The company is also planning to
release an upgrade to its Windows version of Timbuktu.

A company source told Newsbytes that the Mac product includes a
number of new features, including "TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) support in addition to AppleTalk, that
gives users a lot more options now in the kinds of networks they
can communicate across. (The company) has also significantly
speeded up the screen-sharing capabilities (Mac-to-Mac) so that
when people are in a Timbuktu session, it works much faster." Dial-
up sessions also work much faster. Other new capabilities involve
"enhanced security options and more features for network managers."

Timbuktu Pro also supports Apple's new PowerTalk client software
(also known as Apple Open Collaboration Environment) which allows
Mac System 7 users to use its uniform directory services to locate
and connect to other Timbuktu users.

The company maintains that Timbuktu Pro for Macintosh is completely
compatible with previous versions of Timbuktu for the Mac and
Windows, and with the upcoming Apple PowerPC computers. A Timbuktu
Pro version for Windows is also planned.

Newsbytes notes that Timbuktu for Mac and Windows allow for the
transfer of files between platforms without the need for a dedicated
server. However, a suitable AppleTalk card is required to plug into
the PC which then connects, via a suitable cable, to the built-in
AppleTalk capabilities supplied with Mac computers as standard. A
Windows version of Timbuktu is then installed on the PC and a
different version is then installed on the Mac.

The company has also announced enhancements to its existing Timbuktu
for Windows product -- version 1.1. According to Farallon, these
include new printing features, faster installation and support for
more Ethernet and Token Ring network interface cards.

The company also introduced the Timbuktu for Windows EtherWave Kit
which, according to Farallon, includes everything a user needs to
"easily connect a PC to a 10BaseT Ethernet network using Farallon
daisy-chainable 10BaseT technology."

The kit includes the necessary hardware and software to attach a PC
to an existing unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) 10BaseT Ethernet
network: Timbuktu for Windows 1.1, a Farallon EtherWave ISA
(Industry Standard Architecture) card, and four meters of UTP
cabling.

Timbuktu Pro for Macintosh is available immediately at the
suggested retail price (SRP) of $199 per copy, the same as
Timbuktu for Macintosh 5.0. The product is also available in
10-, 30-, and 100-user packs, which reduces the price.

The Timbuktu Administrators' Toolkit is available separately for a
SRP of $699, but is included free of charge with 100-user packs.
Timbuktu for Macintosh users can upgrade to Timbuktu Pro for $59 per
copy.

Timbuktu for Windows 1.1 will be available in the first
quarter, 1994, priced at $199 per copy in single user versions.
Volume discounts are also available.

(Ian Stokell/19931213/Press Contact: Trudy Edelson,
510-814-5307, Farallon)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00027)

 ****IBM Sells Federal Systems Unit To Loral 12/13/93
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Confirming rumors that
had been circulating for more than a month, IBM has announced the
sale of its Federal Systems unit. The buyer is Loral Corporation, a
defense electronics and space communications company based in New
York.

Loral will pay $1.575 billion in cash for the Federal Systems
Company. The transaction is effective January 1 and is expected
to close in the first calendar quarter of 1994.

IBM is selling Federal Systems because it was not considered a core
part of the company's business, said company spokesman Rob Wilson.
He said IBM carried out a comprehensive study of all its business
units and found Federal Systems was not vital to its strategy.

Loral officials, on the other hand, said they see the unit as a
good fit with their company's strategy. No major changes in
management or operations are planned, they said.

Wilson added that since the end of the Cold War, the unit's business
has been slowing down. About 60 percent of its business is with the
defense establishment. Federal Systems is still profitable, however:
the company expects 1993 operating income of $165 million on
revenues of about $2.2 billion, officials said.

The 40 percent of Federal Systems' business that is not defense-
related is largely made up of systems integration contracts for
agencies of the federal government. Notable contracts at the moment
are with the US Postal Service and the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA).

Newsbytes reported early in November that the FAA contract is about
three years behind schedule and is rumored to be in danger of
cancellation by the FAA.

Loral said it will finance the buyout through bank borrowings. After
the acquisition, Loral will have combined annual revenue of about $6
billion, a backlog of $5.7 billion, and more than 35,000 employees.

IBM Federal Systems Marketing, which sells standard IBM products and
services to governmental agencies, is not part of the transaction.

(Grant Buckler/19931213/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM, 914-765-
6565; Michael Drake, Loral, 212-697-1105)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00028)

 ****Fusion Success At Princeton 12/13/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Of interest to everyone
who wants a clean environment and an inexhaustible source of power
was last Friday's announcement by the Plasma Physics Labs at
Princeton University (NJ) that researchers had succeeded in
producing nearly 4 megawatts of power in the very first test of a
new $1.4 billion fusion reactor. Unlike nuclear fission that
generates massive amounts of dangerous radioactive materials which
must be disposed of, fusion produces almost no dangerous byproducts.

Virtually every visionary who looks to the future and sees computer
technology and robots providing a totally new way of life for
mankind also sees the need for plentiful and pollution-free power
as a major part of this future. While nuclear (fission) power
advocates once predicted electricity so inexpensive that it wouldn't
be metered, the fact is that most experts always foresaw that
fission, the breakdown of massive atoms of uranium or plutonium
would involve dangerous and expensive technologies.

Fusion, on the other hand, starts with hydrogen, two thirds of the
atoms making up plain water, and ends with energy plus helium, an
inert gas with industrial uses, but which is not radioactive. Fusion
reactors are also inherently much less dangerous than traditional
nuclear power plants because if virtually any accident occurs the
reaction will instantly stop and any released materials will be
perfectly harmless.

In fact, the recent experiment which involved the donut-shaped
magnetic containment system known as a Tokamak, actually required an
extremely powerful magnetic confinement "bottle" to hold the hot
plasma. If such a field weakens or fails the hot gas will instantly
stop reacting and although there is a potential local danger in such
a bottle failure, it is strictly a danger relating to a simple
physical explosion and if such an explosion occurred it would not
result in any release of radioactive materials, thus it would only
endanger workers in the immediate vicinity, if anyone.

The major problem with fusion has been that it is so difficult to
achieve that fusion can only be sustained for a tiny fraction of a
second and at a cost that far exceeds the amount of energy released.

What has happened at Princeton's premier fusion research center is
that a fusion reaction has been sustained for several seconds and
required only about six times more power to prepare and confine the
fuel than was generated by the reaction. As fusion times and
containment strength are increased it should be possible to produce
more power than fusion takes to create and it only takes a small
improvement over break even to make fusion a practical technology.

Of course this is only a first step and years of further research
and development remain before we have commercial fusion power, let
alone the whimsical "Mr. Fusion" device used to power the time-
traveling DeLorean in the "Back to the Future" trilogy.

But the fact that deuterium, the prime hydrogen isotope used in
fusion reactions, is readily available and that tritium, the
heaviest hydrogen isotope which is also used in fusion reactions, is
produced in an operating fusion reactor, makes fusion a highly
desirable source of power.

Although fission reactors produce plutonium, a potential nuclear
fuel, this element is also a prime component of nuclear weapons and
perhaps the most dangerous element that exists. Fusion's byproducts
are not dangerous and although they might be used to a certain
extent in developing weapons, the hydrogen which fuses in a hydrogen
bomb comes from the breakup of a relatively common element rather
than from stored hydrogen gas.

As people look to computers to provide a clean work environment,
more sophisticated education systems, intelligent homes, and reduce
the need for commuting, none of the advances made possible by
computer technology will really make a big dent in pollution or
improve the quality of life even fractionally as much as the
availability of pollution-free power from fusion.

Newsbytes notes that fusion power won't be free in dollar terms, but
it will or at least can be pollution-free.

(John McCormick/19931213)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Mobilesoft Newton Math Products, 1st 5,000 Get One Free 12/13/93
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- Mobilesoft has
added a second product, Mobilemath, to its math products for the
Newton Messagepad personal digital assistant (PDA) and is giving
away copies to the first 5,000 Newton users who request them.

The company's first product, Mobilecalc, which was announced back in
August when the Messagepad started shipping, is now available for
retail purchase as well, the Mobilesoft added.

Mobilemath offers math ability to any Newton application, taking
advantage of the PDA's intelligent assistance and it can be
activated from within any application. To activate, users can simply
hand write an equation on a Newton screen, just as they would if
writing on paper, and get an answer to the equation by highlighting
it and tapping the Newton Assist button. In addition, formulas can
be saved and used over and over or one of the 80 pre-written
formulas that come with Mobilemath can be used.

The package is capable of handling complex problems such as
engineering equations, time-based calculations and trigonometric
calculations, as well as simple problems like figuring the tip
(gratuity) for the meal in a restaurant. Words in equations can be
in plain English, such as "cost," "change," and "hours," and
abbreviations can be used, such as "SQRT" (square root) and "STDEV"
(standard deviation).

The package is available only on diskette, requiring a Newton
Connection Kit for moving the software from the desktop personal
computer (PC) to the PDA. The software comes in either Apple
Macintosh or Microsoft Windows disk format.

Mobilecalc takes math on step further to a spreadsheet format for
the Newton. The product is written to take advantage of the small
screen and handwriting input of the Messagepad. Mobilecalc can
handle traditional spreadsheet tasks from data entry for
inventory control to complex numerical analysis. Users can also
transmit the data they collect via electronic mail, fax, or
infrared "beaming."

Mobilecalc is priced at $109, comes on a 3.5 inch on diskette,
and requires the Newton Connection Kit for either the Macintosh
or for Windows in order to install the software. In addition,
Mobilecalc requires installation on to Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association (PCMCIA) credit-card sized storage
of at least a 2 megabytes (MB) in order to function. These 2 MB
PCMCIA cards run about $300 retail each.

There have been over 50,000 Newton units sold since August,
according to Apple, although the Wall Street Journal reported
Newton sales are slowing. Apple representatives were unavailable
to confirm the reports on current Newton sales, but industry
analysts predict that by 1996, the number of units sold will
exceed 6 million.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931213/Press Contact: Lisa Croel, Edelman
Technology Communications for Mobilesoft, tel [phone], fax
415-968-2201; Emma Bufton, Regis McKenna for Apple Computer, tel
408-974-1856, fax [phone]; Public Contact, Mobilemath for
Free Software, 408-376-3470)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00030)

 ****IBM Tries Harder, Recaptures Top PC Seller Title 12/13/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 13 (NB) -- There are still a
few weeks to go, but according to the Framingham, Massachusetts-
based research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), IBM has
reclaimed the title of top seller of personal computers in the
United States after losing the number one spot to Apple Computer
Corporation in 1992.

IDC says the top ten companies combined sales will account for 9.5
million of the 14.8 million PCs sold during 1993. That's about 64
percent of the market compared to 52 percent for the top 10
companies last year.

Richard Zwetchkenbaum, IDC's PC market research chief says brand
names have become more important because of their greater marketing
muscle, an ability to spend more money on research and development,
and a greater array of distribution channels.

Until last year the third-tier PC makers, brands many people never
heard of unless the product was sold in their area, accounted for a
greater portion of the market because those machines generally sold
for several hundred dollars -- or more -- less than the name brands.

However those companies lost that advantage after Compaq Computer
Corporation, the company that will probably end up in the number
three position on this year's sales list, started a price war last
summer that eliminated much of the cost difference between a name
brand PC and Brand X. With no significant price difference consumers
apparently felt more comfortable buying from well established
companies they perceived as more likely to be around when service or
support was needed.

IDC says if its projection of 14.8 million PCs shipped in the U.S. in
1993 is accurate it means a 26 percent increase from the previous
year. The research company projects worldwide shipments of
36.1 million units in 1993, up 19 percent from 1992. U.S. market
growth is expected to slow to 10 percent next year.

Compaq Computer posted the biggest growth this year, more than
doubling its U.S. sales to 1.4 million unfits in 1993. Compaq's
worldwide sales were up 96 percent to 3.05 million units.

Packard Bell holds down the number four spot on the list, followed
by Dell Computer Corporation, Gateway 2000, AST Research, Tandy
Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, and Zenith Data Systems Inc. ZDS
jumped from number 16 on the 1992 list to number 10 this year.

Although listed separately the AST and Tandy figures are related,
since AST purchased Tandy's PC manufacturing operations last year
and builds the Tandy-labeled machines as well as those sold under
the AST label. In international sales, the top three companies
listed by IDC are IBM, Apple, and Compaq.

(Jim Mallory/19931213/Press contact: International Data Corporation
- 508-872-8200)