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/NB121693

Text File | 1993-12-16 | 77KB | 1,713 lines

(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00001)

Supermac Intros Cinepak Accelerator Kit For Mac 12/16/93
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Supermac's
Cinepak compression/decompression (codec) for video has been
adopted by major players in the multimedia industry, but has one
big drawback -- it is very slow in compressing video. As a result,
Supermac has announced the Cinepak Compression Accelerator
Kit to speed up Cinepak video compression.

Video compression schemes are popular due to the enormous size
of digitized video which, uncompressed with sound, can take up
large amounts of hard disk space. Supermac asserts Cinepak can
reduce the storage space by as much as 20 times, so an entire movie
can be stored on a single compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)
disc. In addition, playback of the video does not require special
hardware, so even those with low-end personal computers (PCs)
can enjoy video playback. However, the playback will be better on
faster PCs.

However, Cinepak compression has been time-consuming at 10 to 20
seconds per frame. This means it can take a full hour to compress
a single minute of video at 15 frames-per-second (fps) and two
hours at the full-motion video speed of 30 fps.

Supermac says its Cinepak Compression Acceleration Kit includes
hardware for the Apple Macintosh computer to cut the time it
takes to do the compression by two-thirds. The kit contains two
SuperMac Thunderstorm dual-digital signal processing (DSP) cards,
the Cinepak DSP software, a user guide, technical notes, and sample
scripts.

The DSP chips on the cards provide the muscle to speed up the
processing so what used to take an hour now can take between 20
and 30 minutes, depending on the data rate, frame rate, and quality
factors selected by the user, Supermac said.

Company officials assert the kit can do double-duty by
accelerating image processing functions in many popular
applications, such as those done by Adobe Photoshop software.
Since many CD-ROM video developers, as well as movie makers,
rely on Photoshop for preprocessing movies and creating special
effects, SuperMac claims it has made the Cinepak Compression
Software fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop 2.5 effects and
filters.

Cinepak compression software requires Macintosh System 6.07 or
later, and is compatible with Adobe Premiere versions 2.0 and
3.0, Cosa's After Effects versions 1.0 and 1.1, Equilibrium
Debabelizer in the 1.0 and 1 versions, and Adobe Photoshop 2.0.1
and 2.5. The company also maintains that all SuperMac, Apple,
and third-party graphics cards are compatible with the Cinepak
compression software.

Suggested retail price of the Cinepak Compression Accelerator
Kit is $1,499. Those who already have Supermac's Thunderstorm
hardware may obtain a stand-alone version of the Cinepak
compression software directly from SuperMac for $499.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931215/Press Contact: Dan Wald, Supermac,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00002)

CompUSA Chairman Resigns 12/16/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- The chairman of one
of the country's largest superstore retailers -- CompUSA -- has
resigned.

Nathan Morton, chairman and CEO has resigned and CompUSA's
board has named the company's president, James F. Halpin, as CEO.
It has also elected Giles H. Bateman, an outside director, as
chairman of the board.

Morton joined CompUSA in May 1989 and was named president
and CEO in January 1990. He was elected chairman of the board
in May 1993.

In a prepared statement Halpin praised Morton, saying he had
done an outstanding job during the entrepreneurial period of the
company's growth. "Nathan showed tremendous vision in taking
the company from two to 66 stores and I look forward to taking
CompUSA to the next level."

Halpin joined CompUSA in May 1993 as president, chief operating
officer and a member of the board of directors. He has been
responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company.
Previously he was president and CEO of Homebase, a $1.6 billion
California-based chain of 85 home center stores, and president
and CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club, a chain of 30 wholesale stores
operating in the eastern United States.

Bateman, a co-founder of The Price Club and a director of
CompUSA since December 1991 says Halpin's mandate is to
increase profitability and continue the company's growth. "His
track record shows he knows how to do that," Bateman said.

(Jim Mallory/19931215/Press Contact: CompUSA, 214-383-4000)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00003)

Teen Gets Jail Term For Computer Death Threat 12/16/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- A Houston, Texas
teen, already on probation for trying to hire someone to kill a
romantic rival, has been given a 30-day jail term for sending
death threats via a computer bulletin board.

In addition to the 30 day jail term, State District Judge Denis
Collins also ordered Shawn Kevin Quinn to spend three months in
the county's boot camp for young offenders. Boot camps are
becoming a growing alternative to jail time for youth offenders
in various parts of the country. The camps operate similar to
military basic training camps and include a regimen of physical
training and strict discipline.

Quinn got into trouble with the law when he found himself in
an on-line discussion on a computer bulletin board about his
probation. The party Quinn was discussing his situation with
on-line reportedly told the teen he is "a whiny complainer who
probably belonged in jail."

Quinn, apparently incensed by the unidentified critic, responded,
"I deserve freedom, criminal conviction or not." He called the
person's comments "stupid" and "rude" and said he would
"probably think about getting a gun or other lethal weapon, Brady
bill or not, and you can guess the rest. The moment I escaped or
got paroled, guess what I'd do?"

The Brady bill is the law recently passed by Congress that
stipulates a waiting period prior to purchasing a handgun and is
intended to forestall the commission of a crime on the spur of the
moment or in the heat of passion. It is named after a presidential
staffer who was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on
then-President Reagan.

Quinn was placed on 10 years probation in August of this year
after pleading no-contest to charges that he gave seven Atari
computer games and $5.30 to a district attorney's undercover
investigator to assassinate a fellow high school student. The
target was another boy who was favored by a girl Quinn was
reportedly enamored of.

(Jim Mallory/19931215)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00004)

India - Motorola Software Center Earns Top Certification 12/16/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Motorola India Electronics
Ltd., the Bangalore software center of the US telecommunications
giant Motorola Inc., has gained the distinction of becoming the
third software development facility in the world, and the first
outside the US, to be formally recognized as operating at "Level 5"
by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of the US.

The other centers to have achieved this distinction are a joint
facility of IBM and the US National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and the facility of US aircraft manufacturer
Lockheed.

Affiliated to the Carnegie Mellon University, the SEI is a US
government-funded research and development center. The US
Department of Defence entrusted to it the responsibility of
evaluating software sites and assessing software engineering
practices.

There are five grades, of which Level 5 is the highest. The SEI's
evaluation is believed to be more stringent than that of the
International Standards Organization (ISO).

According to George J. Smith, managing director of Motorola India
Electronics, the ISO 9000 standard applicable to software
development concerns is equivalent to Level 2 of SEI.

SEI's Level 1 grade applies to software facilities that acts in an
ad-hoc manner. Level 2 applies if the process is "intuitive and
person-oriented." Level 3 takes into account processes that are
well-defined, and in Level 4, they are also measured while retaining
the quality of Level 3. At Level 5, the entire organization is focused
on continuous process improvement resulting in the elimination of
redundant effort. The difference between Level 1 and 5 can be easily
understood by measuring the number of post-release bugs in a
software. The ratio of post release defects between Level 1 and 5
stands at 300 to 1.

Motorola's software center was created about 18 months ago to
develop engineering software for various divisions of Motorola
worldwide. Its projects so far have included paging systems,
cellular systems, digital signal processing, data communications,
and multimedia, as well as tools for parallel computing.

The facility will also supply software to Motorola's prestigious
global telecommunications project -- Iridium. Motorola has
already invested $5 million in its Indian software operations
and has committed $2 million in the coming year.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19931216)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00005)

Quicken Financial Software $8 Trial Edition 12/16/93
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Intuit says
43 percent of home computer users want to try the company's
financial program Quicken before they invest in it, according to
a recent survey, so Intuit plans to oblige. Beginning this month,
a new Trial Edition of Quicken in the DOS, Windows, or Macintosh
format will be offered to anyone who requests it for an $8
shipping and handling fee.

The company says its market research shows only 37 percent of
personal computer (PC)-owning households also own personal
finance software. As a result, 8.5 million households with
PCs do not have personal finance software.

Scott Cook, president of Intuit said in a prepared statement: "We've
talked to PC owners, and they are clearly excited about a way to
try Quicken before they pay full price. The Trial Edition is the
perfect way for us to give them that opportunity."

The $8 version will allow the user to set up eight accounts and
enter 50 transactions per account, which the company says is
about a month's worth of use of the product. A coupon good for an
$8 rebate is included with the product.

A Getting Started guide is provided with an overview of Quicken's
features, which include: multiple account tracking; electronic bill
payment; Quicken's electronic credit card statement delivery
Intellicharge; investment tracking; automatic budgeting; tax
record keeping; loan tracking; reports and graphs; and financial
planning calculators.

The suggested retail price for the software has been set at
$69.95, but careful shoppers may find the product in retail
stores for around $39.95. A proof-of-purchase is required for
the rebate.

Intuit's interest in broadening its market base is larger than
just Quicken, now that the company has completed its merger
with San Diego, California-based Chipsoft. Chipsoft makes tax
preparation software for DOS, Windows, and the Macintosh, and
has developed its products so data can be imported directly from
Quicken as well as other accounting packages. The two companies
said they are also planning a Quicken/Turbotax software bundle
for distribution in early 1994.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931216/Press Contact: Sheryl Ross, Intuit,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Intuit,
800-624-5071)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00006)

Clarisworks 2.1 For Mac Due February 1994 12/16/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Claris,
Apple Computers' software subsidiary, has announced Clarisworks
2.1 for the Macintosh. Features of the new version include
support for System 7 Pro's Powertalk, hyphenation support for
word processing documents, and new file filters.

Powertalk support for the newly released System 7 Pro operating
system means Clarisworks users can send and receive documents
electronically from directly within the product. Claris says the
feature will make it easier for workgroups in small businesses,
corporate users, and individuals in home office settings to
consolidate and share information.

Hyphenation support for word processing documents was added
because of its importance to the company's German and
Scandinavian users, the company said. The lengthy words in those
two languages make multicolumn layouts difficult to implement
without hyphenation.

The new version includes the addition of a Microsoft Excel 4.0
filter and a Clarisworks 1.0 text filter. The Clarisworks 1.0 filter
was added to simplify the exchange of documents between
Clarisworks for Windows on the IBM and compatible personal
computer (PC) platform and ClarisWorks 1.0 on the Macintosh.

Claris claims Clarisworks has topped the one million sales mark
in fiscal 1993 and calls it the undisputed best-seller among
Macintosh integrated applications. This claim is based on total
purchased units (or licensed copies) worldwide of Integrated
(Works) software applications for the Macintosh, company
officials said.

The new version is expected in February of 1994 at a suggested
retail price of $299. Those who have the previous 2.0 version may
download the new version from America Online, Compuserve, or
the Claris bulletin board. Updates are also available on disk from
Claris for $13.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931216/Press Contact: Ines Anderson, Claris,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Claris,
408-727-8227)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00007)

Ontario Gets Computerized Mining Library 12/16/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- There's gold in
them thar gigabytes. Or nickel, perhaps, or other minerals. The
provincial Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Ontario
has launched a computerized mining library system to help
prospectors in the province.

The Earth Resources and Land Information System (ERLIS) makes
available some 120,000 maps as well as mining databases and
1.5 million pages of documents related to mining. It combines
geographic information system (GIS), database, and document
processing technology, said Cheuk Kwan, vice president of systems
at Monenco Agra, the Oakville, Ontario systems integration firm
that built the system for the province.

The data is stored on a total of 700 gigabytes (GB) of storage,
divided between two systems in Toronto and Sudbury, Ontario.
Sudbury, in the north of the province, is in the heart of Ontario's
nickel-mining region. The ministry has opened computer centers
in each city, Kwan said, each with the complete mining library
stored on 350GB of mass storage and accessible through
terminals.

Those who want to use the system can visit either computer
center, where they will be able to open computer accounts to use
the terminals. There will be fees for using the system, which the
ministry is expected to set early in 1994, Kwan said.

Documents on the system can be copied to diskettes or output
to printers or plotters at the computer centers, officials said.
The system cost C$2.4 million, and the initial contract was let
in January, 1993.

(Grant Buckler/19931216/Press Contact: Cheuk Kwan, Monenco
Agra, 905-829-5400)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00008)

 ****IBM Resumes ThinkPad 500 Shipments 12/16/93
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- IBM has resumed
shipments of its ThinkPad 500 sub-notebook computer, which were
stopped in early November because of problems with the battery.

IBM stopped shipments after customer complaints about the
machines' batteries losing power. The machines are now back on
the market with a nickel metal hydride battery in place of the
former sealed lead-acid unit.

All other models in the ThinkPad line already used nickel-metal
hydride batteries and thus were not affected by the problem. The
lead-acid battery was made for IBM by another company,
spokesman Jonathan Gandal said earlier.

Gandal stressed in November that the problem was not a safety
issue. A handful of other manufacturers have recalled batteries
said to have overheated or short-circuited and occasionally
caused fires. Complaints about IBM's battery simply involved a
premature loss of power, sometimes resulting in new ThinkPads
reaching purchasers with their batteries dead, he said.

IBM said it will install and test the new battery free of charge
for owners of the ThinkPad 500.

The 3.8-pound ThinkPad 500 contains a 50 megahertz (MHz) IBM
486SLC2 processor and comes with a choice of 85 or 170
megabyte hard drives. It measures 10.1 by 7.5 by 1.6 inches.

(Grant Buckler/19931216/Press Contact: Jonathan Gandal, IBM,
914-766-1425; Michael Reiter, IBM, 914-766-1898; Public
Contact: IBM, 800-426-7244/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00009)

MicroProse, Spectrum Holobyte Complete Merger 12/16/93
HUNT VALLEY, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- MicroProse
Inc., and Spectrum HoloByte of Alameda, California, have completed
their merger. The merged company takes the MicroProse name, but
will be run by former senior executives of Spectrum HoloByte and
60 percent owned by former Spectrum HoloByte shareholders.

The two makers of games software agreed on the deal in June,
following some months of financial troubles at MicroProse.
Newsbytes reported at the time that part of the deal was a
$10 million cash infusion in MicroProse from Spectrum Holobyte.

The merger terms give former Spectrum HoloByte shareholders 0.6
shares of MicroProse stock for each share of Spectrum HoloByte
stock they formerly held.

Patrick S. Feely, formerly chief executive of Spectrum HoloByte,
is now chief executive of the merged MicroProse. Also keeping
their former positions in the new company are: Frank E. Murnane,
chief financial officer; Barry James Folsom, president and chief
technical officer; and Gilman G. Louie, chairman. Eight of the 10
directors of the merged company are former Spectrum HoloByte
directors.

Murnane said Ron Boucher, former chief executive and chief
financial officer of MicroProse, will be working with him in a
senior financial capacity. MicroProse co-founder John W. Stealey
resigned as chairman in August.

Also in August, MicroProse announced it had cut about 160 workers
from its former payroll of 400 people. Those remaining with
MicroProse at the time of the merger will probably keep their
jobs, Murnane said. The firms have already combined their sales
forces without cutting any positions, he explained, though he did
not rule out the loss of a few jobs in other areas in the future.

The combined company has about 400 employees. Its headquarters
will be in Alameda, with the former MicroProse operations staying
in their former Hunt Valley offices.

In late November, MicroProse reported a second-quarter loss of
$12.7 million.

(Grant Buckler/19931216/Press Contact: Frank Murnane,
MicroProse, 510-522-3584)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00010)

Japan - Sega To Intensify Video Game Development 12/16/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Tokyo-based game machine
maker Sega Enterprises says it will intensify development of
video game software.

The plan involves next-generation video game machines, and
includes not only the Japanese office, but also the European and
US offices of Sega.

According to the plan, the company will increase the number of
video game development engineers to a total of 1,000 by early
1994. In its headquarters in Japan, Sega will set up a special
project team called the Digital Media Production division.
The unit will hire specialized engineers on digital picture data,
who will work on the development of quality computer graphics
and virtual reality for inclusion in advanced video game software.

In Europe, Sega will set up a major development team office to
create advanced video game software, based on digital pictures.
In the US, Sega will hire engineers who are experts at producing
pictures and sounds for movies. The firm wants to incorporate
the technologies used in movies.

Sega Enterprises is currently developing a 64-bit video game
machine. It is reported that it will take considerable time and
effort to develop the necessary software for this advanced video
game machine.

Sega will face challenges from such companies as Nintendo, Sony,
and Matsushita, which are also developing advanced video game
machines. Matsushita and Sony have recently signed a deal with
software developer Capcorn in Osaka.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931216/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00011)

IBM Japan Intros DOS/V, Fujitsu-Compatible PC 12/16/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- IBM Japan has released an
upgraded version of DOS/V for the Japanese market. The firm
has also developed a personal computer compatible with
Fujitsu's FM Towns multimedia PC.

IBM Japan's latest DOS/V version is called PC DOS J6.1/V.
According to IBM Japan, it is designed as a 16-bit operating
system. The product has advanced operating features
designed to process the Japanese language as well as the
English language.

A major advantage of this operating system is the advanced
Japanese language processing -- it also has V-Text and it
supports Japanese language printers. Other features include
the ability to detect computer viruses, and advanced data
compression and data access capabilities. The kernel and
memory management features have also been enhanced.

The retail price of the latest version of DOS/V is 23,000 yen
($230), and an upgrade will be provided for 12,500 yen ($125).

Meanwhile, IBM Japan has released a personal computer, which
supports Fujitsu's multimedia personal computer, the FM Towns.
In an agreement with Fujitsu, IBM Japan has received a supply
of the required operating system boards. IBM Japan has equipped
the board on the DOS/V PC.

There are two types: one is a desktop model with a separate
display, and the other model includes the display and central
processing unit in a single chassis. With a built-in CD-ROM, the
PCs are sold at 480,000 yen ($4,800) for the regular desktop
model and 352,000 yen ($3,520) for the single-chassis version.

Users of both versions can switch the operating system from
DOS/V to FM Towns OS with a single click of the mouse button.
With this Fujitsu-compatible PC, IBM Japan is expected to
initiate a marketing campaign aimed at the Japanese
educational market.

Fujitsu is also planning to release a DOS/V-compatible FM
Towns system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931213/Press Contact: IBM
Japan, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00012)

Japan - Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Links With AT Com 12/16/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industry
has inked an agreement with the Massachusetts-based venture
business firm AT Com, concerning a radiowave toll-road payment
system.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry will sell this system in Japan. It will
reportedly be the first time such a device has been introduced
for Japanese toll-roads.

In the agreement with AT Com, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry will
sell the toll-road payment system, which was developed
by AT Com. The system is based on radiowave technology, a
data transmission box, and a pre-paid card.

The user's data transmission box, which is installed in the user's
car, will transmit the signal before the vehicle reaches the
toll-gate. The box will contact the main system at the toll-gate
office. The box then displays the toll fee. The user inserts the
pre-paid card in the box, and the fee is automatically deducted.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry will sell the system to the Japan Road
Association, which operates most of the toll-roads in Japan. The
major advantage of this system is that it will reduce traffic
at the gates.

However, users must purchase the transmission box and have to
install it in their vehicle. The price of the box is still unknown.

The system was already introduced in Illinois in the US in
November. A number of other states are also considering the
system.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931214/Press Contact:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, tel [phone], fax
81-3-3212-9860)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

MCI Mail Announces Free Express Software 12/16/93
RYE BROOK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- MCI Mail is
giving away a simplified version of its MCI Mail Express program
to MCI Mail Subscribers.

To get MCI Mail Express Lite, which works under MS-DOS, users
need only send an MCI Mail message with their name, address and
phone number to MCI ID number 321-8877. Allow four to six weeks
for delivery.

MCI Mail Express was originally called Lotus Express when it was
developed in the 1980s. It is designed to make MCI Mail easier to
use.

Director of marketing, Carla LaFever, said in a press statement
that by making the program a "standard issue" to current
customers, and making it available to new customers on sign-up,
new users will embrace the technology and its benefits.

The software has the capability to manage electronic mail (e-mail)
correspondence through the simple creation of "folders" for
message storage and retrieval. It requires a minimum of an IBM
compatible PC with 520 kilobytes of available memory, at least
three megabytes of available hard disk space, a Hayes-compatible
modem, and an MCI Mail account.

Among the other features of the program are simple pull-down
menus which allow the creation of "X.400" addresses for people on
different e-mail systems around the world. The complexity of
that process is seen by examining the X.400 address of MCI Mail
spokesman Alan Garrett, which is included in the press release:
C=US  A=MCI  S=Garratt  G=Alan  DDA=3577174.

Other features include on-screen hints including Zmodem support,
and a feature allowing the program to operate in the background,
unattended. There is also support for up to 10 mailboxes, an
address book, the ability to create folders within folders, and
MNP error correction -- the regular service supports Kermit error
correction.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931216/Press Contact: MCI Mail, Alan
Garrett, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

AT&T Announces China-Japan Fiber Cable Link 12/16/93
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- The
international facilities management group of AT&T's International
Operations Division has announced the opening of the first fiber
cable linking China and Japan.

AT&T is a part-owner of the new cable, which goes 1,252-
kilometers, or 782-miles, between Miyazaki, Japan and Nanhui near
Shanghai. The other two major owners are KDD of Japan and China's
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, a government agency.

Because half the length of the cable is in water less than 200
meters deep, the cable was buried about one meter under the
Continental Shelf. It is hoped that this will prevent the kinds of
problems found on some European cables, which were cut when
they got caught in fishing nets.

The new cable consists of two fiber-optic pairs operating at
560 million bits of information per second, enough capacity to
provide the equivalent of 30,000 simultaneous phone
conversations. It connects to the Chikura cable system in Japan,
using that network to transit with all the major cable systems
around the world including the APC system, the TPC-4 system
and the HAW-4 system.

Previously, AT&T spokesman Willem Zevenbergen told Newsbytes,
callers reached China via satellite. Callers should note a great
improvement in call quality as a result of the new link.

As background, AT&T noted that the first telegraph cable between
the two countries was laid in 1871, connecting Shanghai and
Nagasaki. In 1958, the first telephone lines were opened between
Beijing and Tokyo via radio. In 1976, service began on the first
coaxial submarine cable connecting China and Japan. The
Construction and Maintenance Agreement of the present cable
was signed on December 14, 1991.

AT&T said it now has ownership interests in more than 60 fiber
cable systems around the world, spanning more than 212,000
kilometers, in which it has invested approximately $2.2 billion.
In the Pacific alone, AT&T has invested more than $ 1.3 billion
in the new cables, Zevenbergen said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931216/Press Contact: AT&T, Willem
Zevenbergen, 201-644-1581)


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

MCI To Take $150M Restructuring Charge 12/16/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- MCI will take a
charge of $150 million against its fourth-quarter earnings to
cover costs associated with a re-alignment of operations
following its agreements with British Telecommunications.

Those re-structurings, previously announced, basically involve
the transfer of many jobs from a center in Reston, Virginia, to
a network operations hub in Cary, North Carolina, a data
operations division in Richardson, Texas, and an engineering
and network services center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Spokesman Melissa Robinson said that, over the long run, MCI
expects to save considerable money through the moves, calling
the new centers "lower cost areas," but adding quickly "that's
not necessarily why we moved there."

The charge will also include impacts on MCI's data services
division arising from the acquisition of BT North America, which
is based in San Jose, California and includes the Tymnet packet
data network. The charge does not include the actual acquisition,
however, Robinson said. The charge will also cover a contingency
fund for commercial litigation arising from the moves.

"Cary was chosen because it's on our backbone," said Robinson.
"There we have a new facility for network operations," opened
just this year. Cary is also near the Research Triangle Park in
North Carolina, a major center for telecommunications research.
"Richardson was chosen because it's the telecom technology
capital of the US, and we felt it's important to be there. That
is our headquarters for data operation. Colorado Springs is
another engineering and network services operation."

The $150 million charge should have a minor impact on MCI's
earnings report, since it brings in about $2.5 billion in
revenues each quarter. However, Robinson said she would not
speculate on the actual impact, saying, "We haven't said anything
on the earnings report."

Most analysts expect good results from MCI, noting that it
continues to take market share from AT&T in the prime long
distance market.

Joseph Nacchio recently took over AT&T's long distance
operations, with a demand that he reverse that slide in market
share.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931216/Press Contact: Melissa Robinson,
MCI, 202-887-2762)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

Linkon To Supply AT&T With Hardware/Software 12/16/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Linkon Corp.,
will supply a hardware board and software as part of AT&T's
efforts to link clients' computers and phone companies.
Newsbytes discussed all this with Linkon President Lee W. Hill.

"The AT&T system connects all the networked telephone systems in
a company, as well as their networked computers, and allows the
two to communicate," he explained. "It's called the Integrated
Services platform, sold by AT&T's Network Systems division.

He continued: "For example, I went to a bank where I had a number
of accounts. I used their ATM (automated teller machine) and the
only information I could get was my checking account balance.
The ATM can't link with my other accounts, my mortgage and
credit cards. AT&T will allow that bank to integrate those
databases and link that over a packet network, giving the bank an
advantage. And the packet network costs less than a voice line."

This gives AT&T the chance to use all its strengths, he said.
"AT&T is using their fiber backbone, their NCR computers, their
switching equipment. It ties the totality of AT&T services into
one product."

AT&T noted in a press statement that, with this new platform,
only voice calls would require voice circuits, while transaction
calls, even those involving speech, could go over less expensive
packet networks.

What about Linkon? "We provide the voice modem compression
speech recognition and text-to-speech capability for this system.
It's all on one card, said Hill.

In reply to an observation that Linkon is also an AT&T customer,
Hill said: "We use AT&T digital signal processors, Bell Labs' data
pump, and other algorithms for text to speech and compression.
We have a proprietary operating system and a tool kit called
Teravox through which AT&T wrote applications. This lets a
developer pull-down modules for the telephone, modem, fax, or
text to speech. It's all on the card."

Dialogic's T-1 interface is also used to link clients' phone and
data networks to fast-data lines. Hill said this is not the company's
only product, and also counts such firms as Southwestern Bell of
the US and Callstream of Canada among his customers. "About 25
percent of revenue comes from exports," he said.

The company is publicly traded in the NASDAQ system under
the symbol LKON.

AT&T said its AT&T Information Services Platform will let
customers quickly and easily automate interactive access to
information by telephone, using touch tone, voice and voice
compression, data input with voice, modem, fax and speech
recognition and text-to-speech. No financial terms were
disclosed on the product, although Hill admitted it could
have a "substantial" impact on the company's revenues.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931216/Press Contact: Blanchard Hiatt,
AT&T, 908-606-3467; Linkon, Lee W. Hill, 212-753-2544)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MSP)(00017)

 ****Newsbytes Launches Picture Service 12/16/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB)  -- Newsbytes
News Network, the independent news wire service covering
computers, electronics and telecommunications worldwide, is
expanding its text-based service. In January, 1994, Newsbytes
will launch NewsPix -- digitized pictures to accompany Newsbytes
news stories.

Newsbytes News Network's NewsPix will be available to the
existing base of 150 publishers worldwide through Newsbytes'
private First Class bulletin board system. Publishers with
Macintoshes will actually be able to see the pictures while
onscreen and can decide whether to download a full JPEG
(Joint Photographics Experts Group) graphic.

Newsbytes is also planning to install the picture service on some
on-line services which feature Newsbytes later next year. GEnie,
America Online, Applelink, Prodigy, Ziffnet, Bix, and Newsnet are
among its on-line publishers.

The pictures will be presented in both JPEG and PICT format,
and will be available daily or within a few days of a story's
publication. Current plans are to make them available at 600
dots-per-inch resolution.

"Publishers of Newsbytes have been encouraging us to include
pictures for years. This will not only enhance our service to them,
but make us competitive with other major wire services. It also
makes us the first multimedia on-line computer daily wire
service," said Wendy Woods, editor in chief.

Public relations companies are encouraged to immediately include
photos, slides and graphics with all news releases sent to Newsbytes
reporters. "We have spent ten years telling them not to include the
photos -- now we need their help to include them in all press
materials they send to us," explained Woods.

Newsbytes offers at least 30 first-hand news stories each weekday
(approximately 600 each month) covering the worldwide computer
and telecommunications industries. The reports are filed by a team
of 19 award-winning journalists, many of whom are recognized
experts in their fields. Newsbytes has five times won Best Online
Publication honors from the Computer Press Association.

Newsbytes' multimedia wire will also be available on the next
edition of its existing CD-ROM series starting in early 1994.
Published by Wayzata Technologies Inc., the Newsbytes CD-ROM,
now in its fourth annual printing, contains more than 51,000
news stories reported by Newsbytes since it was started in 1983.
Newsbytes is also published on the Computer Select CD-ROM from
Ziff Communications Company.

Newsbytes is offered for publishing to magazines, newspapers,
newsletters, fax, and data transmission services, and end-users.

For more information, please contact Editor in Chief Wendy Woods
at 612-430-1100; fax [phone]; email - MCI Mail: WWOODS,
Compuserve: 72241,337; GEnie - NEWSBYTES; Applelink -
NEWSBYTES1; Internet - [e-mail]

(Newsbytes Staff/19931216)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00018)

 ****Compaq To Quit Printer Business 12/16/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) - - Just 16 months
after announcing its first high speed high resolution Pagemarq
printers, Compaq Computer Corp., says it will get out of the
printer business during the first half of 1994.

Pagemarq printers were first introduced in August 1992.
Two models were available, and a Compaq spokesperson told
Newsbytes then that they "would be the first of many."

In addition to their high speed and high resolution, Pagemarq
printers can also receive faxes when equipped with a modem. In
June, 1993, Compaq introduced Netlinq, an array of network
interfaces that allow Pagemarq printers to be connected
to most networks.

The company said that while the printers generated market share,
the segment was "quite small" and does not provide sufficient
return to cover its current level of investment.

Compaq spokesperson John Sweney told Newsbytes the company
will continue to support its printers for a five-year period.
Compaq will continue to sell the Pagemarq printers through the
expected life of the product, which Sweney said is projected to
be mid-1994. He said impact on jobs would be minimal.

Compaq said it will cease further printer development
immediately. It does not expect the move to affect current
estimates of performance for the remainder of 1993, but
expects it will benefit 1994 operating results by freeing
investment resources for other areas.

(Jim Mallory/19931216/Press Contact: John Sweney, Compaq
Computer Corp., 713-374-1564; Reader Contact: Compaq
Computer Corp., 713-374-1459 or 800-345-1518)


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

Iomega Expects 4Qtr Loss 12/16/93
ROY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Iomega Corp., the
company that makes the Bernoulli high capacity removable
storage media drives, has reiterated that it expects to take a
write-off for the fourth quarter as previously announced. The
company also says it will record a loss from operations for the
fourth quarter as opposed to its original projection that the
period would be profitable. The period ends December 31, 1993.

The company said the loss is a result of lower than expected
revenues, a lower than expected gross margin percentage, and
higher than expected operating expenses. Iomega's board of
directors are currently reviewing the company's various
businesses and its competitive position in its markets, and
expects the review will result in a significant write-off and
in the establishment of reserves in the fourth quarter. No
estimate of the amount of the write-offs is available, but
Iomega said they will be in addition to the expected loss
from operations.

An Iomega spokesperson told Newsbytes it would be
inappropriate to comment on what specific actions will be taken
until the company's review of its business activities is complete,
but said the loss of jobs or other actions are all possibilities.

Iomega President and CEO Fred Wenninger resigned in October,
and Iomega announced earlier this month that Kim B. Edwards
would succeed Wenninger effective January 1, 1994.

Edwards was formerly President and CEO of Gates Energy Products
Inc., and spent more than 18 years ago General Electric Company
where his last position was manager of marketing and sales for
GE's battery division.

(Jim Mallory/19931216/Press Contact: Kristy Pregill, Iomega
Corp., 801-778-1000)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00020)

 ****Zenith Cuts Mexican Operations, Takes $30M Charge 12/16/93
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Zenith
Electronics says it will streamline its Mexican operations by
eliminating jobs, reducing its manufacturing output of computer
monitors and magnetics products, and automating portions of the
manufacturing processes.

In addition to the job losses in Mexico, Zenith said about 100 US
jobs will be lost. Zenith spokesperson John Taylor said the
actual number of jobs being lost in Mexico has not yet been
determined, but it will be "much larger" than the number of
employees being cut in the US.

Taylor told Newsbytes that the total number of US jobs at Zenith
will increase in 1994 because of the effect of the North American
Free Trade Agreement. Zenith recently added about 230 jobs at its
television picture tube plant in Melrose Park, Illinois. "That was
a result of NAFTA," Taylor told Newsbytes. He said a large portion
of the US job losses would be covered through attrition.

Zenith has plants in four Mexican cities, having already closed the
Chihuahua facility, and all will be affected by the cuts according
to Taylor. About 17,000 workers are employed in the Mexican
facilities. Taylor said he does not expect any further closings in
Mexico. Zenith said it will take a $30 million charge in the fourth
quarter to cover the write-downs and severance costs.

Taylor said the company has already phased out its production of
fluorescent light ballasts and other electronic lighting products.
The building of power supplies for computers, television sets and
other electronic products has been consolidated with another
plant in Chihuahua, Mexico.

(Jim Mallory/19931216/Press Contact: John Taylor, Zenith
Electronics, 708-391-8181)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00021)

Michael Dell Offers Prescription For PC Industry Ills 12/16/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Address the real
needs of the consumer, tap the mass consumer market, be
responsible for multi-vendor support, and forget the techno-
speak. Those are some of the elements of Dell Computer Corp.'s
Chairman and CEO Michael Dell's prescription to solve the
computer industry's ills.

Dell made his remarks to attendees at the 1994 Personal
Computer Outlook conference held in San Francisco recently.
CEOs and senior executives from AST, Borland, Compaq, IBM,
Lotus, and Microsoft also addressed the conference, which is
sponsored by market research firm Technologic Partners.
Attendees included MIS (management information systems)
professionals, industry and financial analysts, and computer
industry executives.

Dell said the PC industry needs to bulldoze its narrow-minded
channel and technology driven approach to marketing computers.
He called the industry "a consistent under-achiever" when it
comes to creating products that address the real world needs of
its customers, choosing rather to chase rapid technology turns
faster than customer needs evolve.

He also chided the computer makers for their investment in
proprietary consortia designed to control the technology horizon
rather than broaden it, and for taking a fragmented, component-
focused approach to product development and marketing. Dell
said these short-sighted vendor practices have forced MIS
professionals to manage technology integration rather than
focusing on their intended roles as information managers.

Dell said systems providers should deliver integrated hardware
and software systems that are designed for specific,
demonstrated customer requirements and applications, versus
the prevailing approach in which vendors develop and market
new products based primarily on leapfrogging technology and
arcane technical specifications. "We need the PC equivalent of
VCR-Plus," said Dell. He also encouraged systems providers to
take responsibility for supporting multi-vendor systems rather
than consumers having to call different vendors for support on
different parts of their computer system.

Dell said the industry is presently at a crossroads and will have
to choose between broad acceptance or rejection in the mass
consumer segment. "The opportunity is ours to seize. We need to
become a responsive, no-nonsense, jargon-free industry."

(Jim Mallory/19931216;/Press Contact: Jill Shanks, Dell
Computer, 512-728-8671)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00022)

UK - Force 2 Int'l Intros Home Series CAD Software 12/16/93
THAME, OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Force 2
International has announced the release of Home Series 2.0, the
budget computer-aided design (CAD) software to the UK
marketplace.

According to the distributor, the budget package, which is
produced by Autodesk, is aimed at the do-it-yourself (DIY) PC
enthusiast. In use, the UKP59 software allows DIY designers to
view three-dimensional (3-D) design concepts, giving what the
company describes as a more realistic idea of the finished look
of a room or landscape design before the actual implementation
takes place.

Since introducing the original Home Series to the UK in April of
this year, Force 2 has been very pleased with the reception the
software has had. The Landscape and Home packages in particular
have sold very well, especially through outlets such as PC World,
Action Computer Supplies and Software Warehouse, commented
Graham Kerry, Force 2's sales director.

Kerry says he sees the release of the new Home Series "as bringing
even more flexibility and choice to home owners who wish to make
improvements to the inside and outside of their homes."

Additional new features found in Home Series 2.0 include the
ability to produce full color designs for a more realistic appearance,
plus the ability to produce a full screen version under Windows 3.1.

Force 2 claims that the Home Series 2.0 takes between 20 and 30
minutes to get to know sufficiently for the user to create their
own 3-D drawings. The package, the company claims, eliminates
the often-laborious task of hand-drawing detailed plans or ideas,
enabling home owners to explore their own creativity for interior
and exterior designing.

Home Series 2.0 requires an 8086/8-based PC or better with 640
kilobytes (KB) of memory, DOS 3.0 or higher, as well as a hard drive.
A mouse plus a minimum of EGA graphics is also required.

(Steve Gold/19931216/Press & Public Contact: Force 2
International, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00023)

UK - Aashima Enters Scanner Market 12/16/93
WITHAM, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Aashima Distribution
UK has added a flatbed scanner to its range of Trust "own brand"
products.

Sold through resellers by the distributor, the Trust scanner has a
300 dots-per-inch (dpi) horizontal by 600 dpi vertical optical
resolution and comes bundled with Windows-comparable optical
character recognition (OCR), iPhoto Plus, and Wordlink software.

According to Aashima, the scanner will sell to resellers for under
UKP420, and has a suggested retail price of between UKP500
and UKP550.

Announcing the scanner, David Johnson, the distributor's
commercial director, said that this is the first time that a flatbed
scanner has featured in the Trust range of products. "It has been
introduced as a result of the demands from resellers and this,
combined with the very aggressive pricing, should make the
scanner a great success as the handheld version," he said.

Aashima claims that the new scanner has a maximum scan area
216 millimeters (mm) by 356 mm and a 1.86 milliseconds per line
scanning time. A total of 16.77 million colors are available using
24 bits per pixel. The device links to a PC or a Mac using an
integral small computer systems interface (SCSI) port connection.

Aashima is a 100 percent trade-only PC and peripherals
distributor. The company claims to have a reseller base of more
than 1,500 resellers, with delivery available within 24 hours.

(Steve Gold/19931216/Press & Public Contact: Aashima
Distribution, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Microsoft Intros Word 6.0 For Windows Developer's Kit 12/16/93
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced the availability of a new developer's kit for Word
6.0 for Windows.

The kit comes with more than 800 pages of information and
claims to describe fully how to use Wordbasic, the macro
programming language of Word 6.0 for Windows, to customize
the Word interface, automatic routine tasks, and integrate Word
with other applications. The kit also includes a wizard that helps
developers use Wordbasic to create their own wizards for end users.

In addition to chapters on how to program in Wordbasic, the
developer's kit includes comprehensive reference information on
each Wordbasic statement and function. Advanced topics include
how to take advantage of the Microsoft messaging application
programming interface (MAPI) and open database connectivity
(ODBC) facilities using extensions to Wordbasic included on disk.

The kit also claims to describe how to use a compilable language
such as C to create add-in libraries that control Word using its
application programming interface (API).

"Software Developer's Kits are issued by MIcrosoft in order to
make it easier for in-house programmers and independent
software developers (ISVs) to write compelling applications
which interoperate with Microsoft products," explained Nigel
Burton, manager of Microsoft's solution developer group.

The Word developer's kit has a suggested retail price of UKP34.95
and is available either direct from Microsoft or through computer
book resellers. The package needs Word 6.0 for Windows, Windows
3.1 or later, DOS 3.3 or later and a hard disk with at least 1.5
megabytes of space available.

(Steve Gold/19931216/Press Contact: Shelagh Marsh, Microsoft,
44-734-270001; Public Contact: Alastair or Cress Rolfe,
Microsoft Press, 44-71-416-3000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00025)

PC Users Face "Christmas Chaos" Claims IBM 12/16/93
PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- According to IBM,
people who buy PCs as Christmas presents face "chaos" if they do
not ensure they have adequate after-sales help and support.

IBM claims that eight out of every 10 people who buy a PC need
expert advice on how to operate it. The company backs up this
claim with the results of an independent research study carried
out on its behalf by Maritz Research.

The results prove that help-line services have become a necessity
for most PC customers. IBM says that it believes that, with the
expected Christmas surge in home and small business sales, they
will become even more important.

IBM carried out its research among 221 PC users, who bought their
PCs from a range of suppliers. The report found that 77 percent of
those with access a phone help-line service has needed to use it,
while 70 percent were either completely (43 percent) or quite
(29 percent) satisfied with the service they receive from
help-lines.

The area that people were least satisfied with was not technical
expertise or quality of advice -- but in ease of getting through on
the telephone.

In more detailed analysis of the attitudes and experience of IBM
customers, who are given free membership of a full after-sales
service and support scheme Helpware, the study showed that 77
percent of people need to use help-line services on only a few
occasions.

According to IBM, more than 77 percent of all problems faced by
people are caused by the software being used.

(Steve Gold/19931216/Press & Public Contact: IBM, tel
44-705-561000, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00026)

UK - MRC Offers Guide To Disaster Recovery Planning 12/16/93
OXFORD, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- MRC Business Information
has unveiled the "Guide to Disaster Recovery Planning," a UKP95
guide that claims to offer a practical approach to prevention and
survival for all businesses that "unwittingly face damage from
simple coffee cup spills to "acts of God."

A disaster recovery plan is an information resource, specifically
prepared in advance, that contains the procedures, plans,
agreements, phone numbers and other information that will enable
an organization to resume operations in the shortest possible time
following a disaster.

Disasters which result in a loss of critical information and
interrupt the day to day running of a business have been proven to
be ruinous to survival, causing crippling cash flow or more
frequently, bankruptcy, MRC claims.

To address what it claims is the core problem and motivate
companies to consider all potential outcomes, MRC has developed
the guide to offer advice on insurance, security, building services,
fire, computers, and communications. The company claims that
the guide includes full instructions for a comprehensive planning
process with the objective of preparing an organization for the
unpredictability of disasters.

"Research has shown that just 20 percent of UK firms have a viable
recovery plan. The problem is that many of these plans do not
consider any impact beyond the IT (information technology)
department," explained  Angus Fleming, MRC's director.

"One of the biggest mistakes a company can make is to believe that
its insurance cover is comprehensive. However, during the
preparation of the guide we discovered that insurance claims take
critical time to be realized and there is a correlation between how
long insurance supports and organization and the bankruptcy figures.
Typical compensation from insurance lasts for 18 months," he said.

The guide claims to go beyond computer disaster and is the first
step firms should take before opting for the very expensive full
service "solutions" which range from UKP3,000 upwards. Taken as
a first step to prevention and planning. the guide will make clear
what, if any, investment should be made in external resources or
contingency arrangements, claims the company.

The guide's author, David Hyams, is an architect specializing in
defining requirements for building users. It was written with the
assistance of a team of experts, including members of the fire
service and police force.

(Steve Gold/19931216/Press & Public Contact: MRC Business
Information, 44-865-200202)


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

Accolade Plans Sports Titles For 3DO 12/16/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Many analysts
believe that the success of any computer system rises or falls in
proportion to the number of software titles available for that
system. Accolade, one of the largest game title developers for a
number of game systems as well as personal computers (PC) has
announced that it will develop products for the 3DO.

Available in retail stores beginning this fall, the 3DO
Interactive Multiplayer, made by Matsushita under the brand name
Panasonic, has suffered from a low number of game titles.

Redwood City, California-based 3DO, started by Electronic Arts
founder Trip Hawkins, was the darling of Wall Street when it
went public this summer without a single product on the market.
But that affection has turned sour with a second quarter of losses
and reports by some industry insiders that 3DO may not be able to
recover.

However, 3DO officials are reminding investors it never said it
would make money at first. The company said it expected to report
losses through 1994 and is now saying it may not be profitable
until as late as 1996.

Also, 3DO is not the only new game hardware maker struggling
financially. Atari, maker of the Jaguar, another compact disc
read-only memory (CD-ROM) home entertainment player for
connection to a television, is struggling with manufacturing
problems and has been unable to deliver its product except in
relatively small quantities. The Jaguar has been heralded as the
biggest potential competitor to 3DO because of its low price
point of about $250 compared to the $700 3DO player.

Despite the problems, developers are still supporting 3DO even if
some of them say the system may not meet the high expectations
set by Hawkins when it was introduced. Well over 300 developers
have signed up to develop for the multiplayer.

Accolade's announcement is an encouraging sign for 3DO watchers.
The company has developed sports titles for the competing Philips
Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I) player and now says it is
planning to move several sports titles to the 3DO. United
Kingdom-based Psygnosis known for popular PC game, Lemmings,
told Newsbytes it plans to release a Lemmings edition for the
3DO in less than a month.

3DO claims over 10 titles are now available for its game system,
as opposed to three when the system was released. The Consumer
Electronics Show, scheduled for January 6 through 9, 1994 in Las
Vegas will probably be the forum for the introduction of titles
for the 3DO, as well as other game platforms.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931216/Press Contact: Megan Humpal, Accolade,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Cindy McCaffrey, 3DO, tel
415-574-6789, fax [phone]; Phil Sandock, Psygnosis, tel
716-497-7794)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00028)

HP Conference - Compatibility/Costs Key To Downsizing 12/16/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- Compatibility,
affordability, and scalability are the top drawing cards in the
current client-server market, judging from comments raised by
users, vendors and consultants at Hewlett-Packard's Enterprise
Application Development Conference in Boston.

In one of 14 conference sessions and keynotes at the newly created
event, John Coyle, project leader for the Brattleboro, VT-based
Holstein Association, said that costs had been the chief factor in
a decision to downsize from a mainframe environment to Unix, but
that compatibility and scalability were the main reasons the
100-year-old nonprofit organization had opted to go with HP
products.

In another session, "Managing Enterprise Objects," a panel of
vendors and consultants agreed with users that compatibility
remains an issue in object-oriented (OO) development market, and
that it will take more time before OO applications extend across
the enterprise.

The Holstein Association has been using an IBM 4381 mainframe to
store a repository of cow and bull lineage, as well as evaluation
criteria for dairies seeking effective herd management, according
to Coyle. This data is used to produce the "Sire Summary," a dairy
industry reference that summarizes mating and other information
on more than 15 million cows and bulls worldwide.

The mainframe data included more than 1,600 Cobol programs
running in a batch environment, and more than 1.1 million lines
of code.

When the organization's mainframe began to show signs of age, and
finally looked like it was "about ready to go," a five-member team
spent eight months on evaluating alternative strategies, he said in
a presentation called "User Success Stories."

The group opted to downsize after discovering that the price of a
Unix-based system of servers, workstations and X terminals was
less than half the price of a new mainframe, and that maintenance
costs would be about one-twelfth as much, Coyle added.

But on the question of which Unix vendor to use, Hewlett-Packard
got the nod, based on the wide array of hardware and software
produced by the vendor, he maintained.

In an interview with Newsbytes after the presentation, Coyle said
that, unlike competing companies, which rely on third-party
development products, Hewlett-Packard provides its own
development environment. "We thought compatibility between
hardware and software would be better for this reason," Newsbytes
was told.

HP's extensive range of RISC-based hardware also played a strong
role, Newsbytes was told. "As a result, it will be easy for us to
upgrade if we need to do so," Coyle noted.

The Holstein Association's new environment consists of one HP
9000 847 server, seven HP 9000 715 workstations, and seven
HP 9000 700RX workstations.

After an alpha test, the association decided to use HP's Cobol
Softbench for Cobol development. The Cobol Softbench product is
based on HP's SoftBench Framework, and also integrates three
Cobol/HP-UX tools: the Micro Focus Cobol compiler, the Micro
Focus Cobol Animator, and the Micro Focus Cobol Profiler.

During the session on "Managing Enterprise Objects," two users
commented on the need for greater compatibility between vendors'
OO tools. One of the users also noted that, so far, OO development
seems to be limited to departmental applications.

Two panelists responded that the Object Management Group's (OMG's)
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) standard has
addressed the issue of compatibility at the lower levels, but that
it will take a year or more before the standard is extended to the
higher application layers.

A pair of other panelists observed that corporations are now
developing objects for use in specific areas, such as financial
applications, and that later reuse of these objects will help to
hasten compatibility as well as enterprise-wide application
deployment.

Moderated by Dan Kara, technical editor of Application Development
Trends magazine, the panel was made up of: Robert C. Weinberger,
worldwide product marketing manager for HP's Workstations
Systems Group; Paul Vais, director of the RISC Business Unit for
Next; Nicholas Wybolt of Andersen Consulting, and Pieter R.
Mimno of Technology Insight Inc.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Hewlett-Packard's Roberta E.
Anslow, program manager, Enterprise Application Development, said
that HP created its first-time conference to broaden awareness of
HP's strong involvement in the software development market, and the
company's extensive range of hardware platforms for client-server
development.

The conference was held in San Jose, CA on December 6 and in
Boston on December 14.  The next step for HP, said Anslow, will
be a smaller event, targeted at a vertical market such as New York
City's financial community. "Then we'll hold the Enterprise
Application Development Conference again next year, and it will
be even bigger than our first," she reported.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931215/Reader Contact: Roberta E. Anslow,
Hewlett-Packard, 508-436-5093; Press Contacts: Diane Dennis,
Hewlett-Packard, 303-229-2255; Pat Arcand, Copithorne &
Bellows Public Relations for Hewlett-Packard, 617-252-0606)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00029)

HP Conference - Eight Categories Of Client-Server Tools 12/16/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- The burgeoning
market of client-server development tools can be divided into eight
different product categories, said Dan Kara, technical editor of
Application Development Trends, a magazine known until recently
as CASE Trends.

Speaking this week at Hewlett-Packard's Enterprise Application
Development Conference in Boston, Kara delineated the categories
of "frontware," GUI (graphical user interface) code generators,
cross-platform tools, and "traditional 4GLs (fourth generation
languages) and RDBMS (relational database management systems)."

Also described in Kara's keynote were PC-based client-server tools,
CASE (computer-aided software engineering), "visual programming
environments," and an eighth category of "new tools," such as Forte
and Dynasty, that have been specifically engineered for
cross-platform client-server enterprise development.

Spurred by increasing user demand, vendors from a wide variety of
disciplines are entering the client-server tool arena, Kara told an
audience made up of executives in charge of application development
for their companies.

A study conducted by the Business Research Group, for example,
determined that 49 percent of European respondents and 67 percent
of US respondents are currently implementing client-server
technologies, said Kara. In 78 percent of the IS (information
systems) shops, respondents predicted that 40 percent of their
processing will be done on client-server architectures within the
next two years.

Many other market researchers have also detected strong growth in
this market sector, including International Data Group (IDG), the
Meta Group, Market Intelligence, and Ovum. "They all agree,"
stated Kara.

Aside from the ascendance of the client-server computing paradigm,
he added, products in the booming development tool industry reflect
four trends: the "reality of multivendor computing;" the
downsizing of development; the need for global data access; and
"the GUI as the primary means of human/computer interaction."
Commented the keynoter: "We'll never go back to the days of one
vendor supplying all of the hardware and software you need."

Most of the tools currently available follow the distributed
presentation, remote presentation, and distributed function
topologies for client-server computing, according to Kara. A few
tools follow the remote data access model, and even fewer --
represented by the "new tools" category -- can be found on the
distributed database architecture.

Kara explained that, under the distributed presentation topology,
data management and the application are server functions, while the
presentation function is shared between client and server.

In remote presentation, data management and the application are
also handled by the server, but presentation is performed by the
client alone. Under the distributed function architecture, data
management is done on the server, and presentation on the client.
The application is shared between client and server.

In the less widely adhered to model of remote data access, data
management is a client function, while presentation and the
application are client functions. The newly emerging distributed
database architecture divides client and server functions in the
same way, except that data management is shared between client
and server, instead of being done by the server alone.

In the "frontware" category of client-server development tools, the
host application is unchanged, and all processing remains on the
server, according to Kara. The GUI emulates a dumb terminal.

Although frontware tools are sometimes referred to as "screen
scrapers," they do provide a number of advantages, he said. The
possibility of data loss is minimized, and high-end operating
system features are not required. In addition, the tools offer
simultaneous access from multiple data sources. Support is
supplied for non-SQL (standard query language) sources, and
sometimes for SQL sources as well.

Representative frontware products include Intelligent Environments'
Applications Manager, Guidance Technologies' Choreographer, Easel
from Easel Corp., Flashpoint from Knowledgeware, InFront from
Multisoft, Mitem Corp.'s MitemView, and Mozart Corp.'s Mozart.

Another category of tools, GUI code generators, is designed to
reduce development time for GUIs, an application component that
is becoming almost essential, said Kara. These tools typically
produce high quality code for one or two "target GUIs," he added.

Representative GUI code generators, and their "target GUIs,"
include WinSoft's Instant Windows (Windows), IT Makers' Marksman
(Macintosh), Interface Builder from Next (NextStep), Blue Sky
Software's WindowsMaker (Windows), WNDX GUI from WNDX
(Windows), AppMaker from Bowers Development Company
(Macintosh), and CASE/PM (OS/2 Presentation Manager) and
CASE/W (Windows) from KaseWorks.

Guidance Technologies' Choreographer, which generates code for
Windows in addition to OS/2 Presentation Manager (PM), can also
be considered a member of the code generator category, said Kara.

The "cross-platform development tool" category delineated by the
keynoter includes Open Incorporated's Aspect, Visix Software's
Galaxy, Neuron Data's Open Interface, and XVT from XVT Software.
These products are used to develop applications that run across the
Windows, Macintosh, OS/2 PM, Open Look, and OSF (Open Software
Foundation)/Motif GUIs. Open Interface and XVT can also be used
for NextStep.

Products in this "cross-platform" group are typically used for
inhouse, as opposed to commercial, development, said Kara. Some
SQL support is available now, and more will be coming in the
future.

Tools in the "traditional 4GLs and RDMBS" category offer strong
support for business applications, according to Kara. The RDBMS
tools tend to work best with vendors' own RDBMSes, but some of
them also connect to other SQL databases. The 4GL tools offer
superior back-end coverage, and also leverage developers'
existing 4GL expertise.

Some vendors in the "traditional 4GLs and RDBMS" group, such as
Oracle, are also supporting CASE, he said. Across the category,
non-SQL data is supported through third-party or vendor gateways.
Outside of Oracle, vendors in this category include Uniface, Unify,
Information Builders, JYACC, Informix, Software AG, Must Software,
Cognos, Progress Software, Sybase, and Ingres.

Products in the PC-based client-server development group were
originally designed for PC and GUI-based development environments.
Some processing is performed on the client, and there is also some
support for workgroup development.

These products feature screen painters and nonprocedural languages,
Kara said. The products are not equipped with proprietary
databases. The tools connect to the back ends of SQL servers, but
typically provide little support for non-SQL data sources, he
maintained.

Vendors offering products in this category include Symantec,
Intelligent Environments, Next (DBKit), Easel, MDBS,
KnowledgeWare (ObjectView), PowerSoft, and Gupta Technologies.

Products in the CASE category can be employed for development of
large-scale, strategic, client-server applications. Applications
built with these tools can reflect the advantages of CASE
methodologies, Kara indicated. On the other hand, though, the
tools sometimes carry a large "CASE overhead," and integration
problems sometimes crop up between CASE tools and "point"
components that have been purchased by CASE vendors from third-
party developers, he added.

Tools in the "visual programming environment" incorporate process
objects as well as GUI objects, he said. These tools are easier to
use than third-generation language (3GL) and 4GL "solutions," and
allow for rapid application development. The products support 3GL
code libraries, and some support is also provided for SQL access.
Generally, these tools are used for inhouse development. Examples
include Prograph from TGS Systems and Serius Developer Pro from
Novell (Serius) Corp.

In the final product category, "new tools for client-server
development," 4GL code is used to generate 3GL code, or 3GL code
alone is used. These products support large-scale, strategic
applications with SQL access. "The learning curve, though, can be
steep," Kara observed. Forte and Dynasty, two examples in this
category, are produced by Forte Software and Dynasty Technologies,
respectively.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931215/Reader Contact: Roberta E. Anslow,
Hewlett-Packard, 508-436-5093;  Press Contacts: Diane Dennis,
Hewlett-Packard, 303-229-2255; Pat Arcand, Copithorne &
Bellows Public Relations for Hewlett-Packard, 617-252-0606)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00030)

 ****Senate Hearing On TCI/Bell Atlantic Merger 12/16/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 16 (NB) -- John Malone,
President, Tele Communications Inc., testified today before a
Senate Subcommittee regarding concerns which many groups have
voiced over the monopoly possibilities opened up by the proposed
merger of Bell Atlantic and TCI.

Speaking before the Senate hearing on Media Mergers' Impact on
Consumers & Competition chaired by Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH) in
defense of his company's intention to merge with Bell Atlantic,
and specifically addressing competitive concerns, Malone
pointed out that his company had helped Turner Broadcasting,
The Discovery Channel, and others, all of which increased
competition.

The Senate's concerns seemed to relate to two main areas, first
that the merger would eliminate any possibility of competition
by the cable TV industry providing local telephone service and,
second, that TCI was already so powerful that it could block new
cable programs and that TCI was investing heavily in program
suppliers.

In regard to cable monopoly, Senator Metzenbaum pointed out at
one point that there is some belief that, "If John Malone says no,
they you just aren't viable."

Malone said in respect to this concern that, "If we (TCI) can
give it broad support it is halfway there (to profitability)."
But he also pointed out that there are 52 million cable
subscribers not getting their service from TCI and that any
program supplier (cable network) would break even if it got
even half of those non-TCI households.

In defense of TCI's heavy investment in some program suppliers,
Malone said, "In reality, we carry what our subscribers want
and there are a lot of turkeys we have invested in that (failed)"
citing the Fashion Channel as an example of a major failure.

At another point in his testimony regarding the same concerns,
Malone said, "We don't invest in programming to control it
...but to profit from it."

As an example, he pointed to Turner's Cartoon Channel, which TCI
invested in, but doesn't carry in most of its service areas.
Malone also referred several times to an "FCC study (which)
showed that there was no correlation between what we carry
and what we own a share in."

Senator Metzenbaum, in a question to Malone, outlined his
position on cable competition with local phone companies
succinctly saying, "We thought that you, through your operations,
would be the leading competitor for the Bell companies and local
telephone services." He went on to point out that he had led us
to believe that TCI would use its 1.2 million subscriber base to
tear down Bell Atlantic's monopoly and expressed the concern
that this merger would end that competitive edge.

TCI's reason for wanting to merge with a major telephone company
was expressed by Malone as being that his company needs the
resources of Bell Atlantic to compete nationwide with other cable
and phone companies.

In response to Sen. Metzenbaum's question about why TCI cannot
compete with these other companies one region at a time,
Malone said that while competing in one region the other baby
bells would supersede them and preemptively lock them out of
other regions.

"We believe that we could compete with any one local telephone
company, but we lack the resources to compete with all of them
at once," Malone testified.

Again in the anti-trust vein, Sen. Metzenbaum ask, "Doesn't your
deal with Bell mean that you will be able to dominate the
phone and cable industry for decades to come?"

Malone replied, "No we will only end up with 22 percent of the
cable market at most, or 25 percent of the households in the
country." He said that TCI envisages that what will happen here
is that the entire cable industry will compete to offer phone
services and the and entire phone industry (Baby Bells) will
become cable service providers.

"We really believe in competition," Malone pointed out at one
point in his testimony.

During his comments, Senator Metzenbaum said that he would be
"greatly surprised" if the government did not impose major
restrictions on this merger. "In fact I would be shocked if they
didn't," he said.

In defense of the proposed merger, which Sen. Strom Thurmond
(R - SC) and Sen. Metzenbaum both suggested would create a new
monopoly, Malone explained his view of the future: "We
will live in a world where there will be two wires -- both of
which need to be upgraded -- and they will compete vigorously.
the world of the future won't be two regulated monopolies -- it
will be two competitors or more in every market slugging it out
on a national scale. The harbinger of this is the deal between
Bell Canada and Jones Systems which has already stated that it
intends to offer phone services in competition with Bell
Atlantic. My view is that these telephone companies are in effect
investing in cable companies so they can compete with each
other."

Sen. Thurmon pointed out that Malone had said in his testimony
that there would be as many as four information suppliers
per household and asked how this could be cost-effective.
Malone pointed out, as he had several times earlier, that today's
launch of the Hughes Direct TV Service broadcast satellite would
directly compete with all cable services in the US and much of
Mexico and Canada and that there are other direct satellites in
service or planned.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D - VT) expressed particular interest in
rural service and pointed out that where he lived in Vermont he
got 1.5 channels and jokingly suggested that after getting a
"kazillion" channels in the DC area, he was not certain which was
better.

A defining moment in the hearings came when Senator Metzenbaum
said that he felt as if he was hearing from a new Malone (who
had several years ago testified against mergers similar to the
proposed TCI/Bell Atlantic deal. Said Malone, "This technology is
moving very fast Senator." To which Sen. Metzenbaum said, "So is
TCI and Bell Atlantic unless we slow them down."

The Senator also said that he hoped the regulatory agencies could
see through all the fog and properly regulate this merger, but if
the agencies and the White House did not take a careful look at
the proposed merger that the Senate certainly would.

(John McCormick/19931216/Press Contact: Sen. Metzenbaum,
tel [phone] or fax [phone])