Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1983 May to 1994 June

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(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00001) Canon Notebook Has Built-In Printer 04/13/93 COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Canon says its Notejet 486 notebook computer is geared toward the estimated 9.1 million mobile computer users that are away from their desk half the time. The computer weighs in at 7.7 pounds, has a 486 microprocessor, and a built-in Bubble Jet printer. Canon says the Notejet's printer prints on a variety of paper types and sizes including transparencies at 360 dots-per-inch resolution. By making use of the Notejet's two NoteJet 486's Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association (PCMCIA) slots, users can even use an optional PCMCIA data/fax modem to print received faxes on plain paper. Most mobile workers stay in their local geographical area but still need to stay in contact and use pagers, cellular phones, and notebook computers to do their work. This is the opposite of the stereotype of the "frequent flyer," according to market research group BIS Strategic Decisions of Norwell, Massachusetts. Canon says consumers can expect to see more notebook computers with built-in printers to accommodate these modern mobile computer users. Canon says the Notejet 486 features Texas Instruments' 25 megahertz 486SLC microprocessor with 1 kilobyte of cache; 4 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) which can be expanded to 12 MB; two PCMCIA type II slots; 9.5-inch video graphics array (VGA) backlit monochrome liquid crystal display (LCD) screen; a Nicad battery; handheld input device; AC adapter/recharger; serial, parallel, PS/2 mouse/key pad ports; and a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. Optional 2.5-inch hard disk drives in 85-, 135- or 180- MB versions are available. The Notejet comes with factory installed Windows, DOS, and its own tutorial, and integrated micro Bubble Jet printer. Its dimensions are: (width) 12.2 inches by (depth) 10 inches by (height) 2.2 inches and the average battery life is four hours which includes printing eight pages, Canon said. A replaceable Bubble Jet print head (retail priced at $43) will print approximately 3,000 pages and each ink cartridge (retail priced at $8) will print 65 pages. However, the cost per page comes out to be a whopping 14 cents each. Optional equipment available for the Notejet is the PCMCIA data/fax modem with software, a replacement battery, a 10-key pad, a Cyrix 387 co-coprocessor to speed performance, and a carrying case. Depending on the size of the hard disk included, retail pricing is between $2,499 and $2,999 and it is scheduled for May, 1993 availability. Canon is boasting the Notejet includes a one-year warranty that includes a 24-hour replacement service and/or a 72-hour repair service free of charge to the customer. (Linda Rohrbough/19930412/Press Contact: Karen Lippe, Canon Computer Service, tel 714-438-3075, fax 714-438-3099; Public Contact 800-848-4123) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00002) ****Adobe Intros Acrobat Reader And Acrobat Exchange 04/13/93 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- At a pre-Seybold press conference last night, John Warnock, chairman and CEO of Adobe Systems, made the company's first announcement of Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Exchange, two applications for the emerging Acrobat family of crossplatform distribution products. Macintosh versions of the new viewing software are scheduled to ship in the June time frame, and Windows versions later this summer, said Warnock. The Mac and Windows versions are now in beta testing, he added. Unix versions are in alpha testing, and DOS versions will enter alpha soon. Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Exchange are both designed to let users view, navigate and print electronic documents that are consistent in formatting and layout, regardless of the file formats in which they originated. Acrobat Reader will be used by publishers to give users access to completed electronic documents, in much the same way that publishers now distribute paper-based magazines and newspapers, Warnock explained. Acrobat Exchange, on the other hand, is targeted at peer-to-peer use in large corporations. The software will let users create Acrobat documents, and add notes and comments to documents produced by coworkers. During the fourth quarter, Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Exchange will be enhanced with unstructured full-text search capabilities, Warnock said. In the first quarter of 1994, Adobe will add structured full-text search functions that provide users with hypertext links and more detailed information on documents. In a demonstration at the press conference, Adobe's Ken Anderson showed the journalists how the GUI-based software might be used to share maps, phone lists, news releases on Adobe products, Seybold publications, and other documents. Documents viewed and created in Reader and Exchange will use Portable Document Format (PDF), the PostScript-based document description language that is the cornerstone of Acrobat, Warnock said. The unstructured full-text search capabilities will be supplied by the TOPIC document retrieval engine recently licensed by Adobe from Verity, Inc. Structured searches will be made possible by licensing deals with Avalanche Corp. and Mastersoft Inc., also announced at last night's press conference. Adobe will use conversion technology from Avalanche and Mastersoft to merge the structural elements of native file formats into PDF files, Warnock said. Structural elements define the overall structure of a document. Examples include headlines, subheads, and where the text ends and begins. In contrast, PDF defines how a document will look in its final form, describing such elements as point size and style as well as annotations, hypertext links, miniature "thumbnail" views of pages, and "bookmarks" such as tables of contents. The Avalanche technology will allow PDF files to use tags from documents created with Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), an emerging standard for describing structural elements. The technology from Mastersoft will allow Acrobat applications to support WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, FrameMaker (MIF), and most other applications that rely on stylesheets to format text. The technology translates native application files into a common file format that captures documents' style elements. During the demonstration, Anderson showed how users of Acrobat Exchange can annotate documents with electronic "stick-on" notes. He also displayed the ability to quickly import files from an outside file format, simply by clicking on an "insert" button. Zoom, thumbnail preview, bookmarks, "go to next page," and structured and unstructured searches were a few of the other features shown. By using Adobe's Multiple Masters technology, Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Exchange allow users to view any font style, regardless of whether the appropriate fonts are installed on the user's system, he noted. The software also uses JPEG compression, he pointed out. A 36-page document containing 78 MB of data, including photos and other images, can be downsized to only 976 K, he illustrated. (Jacqueline Emigh/19930413/Press contact: Linda Prosser, Adobe, tel 415-962-3840; Christopher Locke, Adobe, tel 303-449-5032) (NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00003) California, Florida Gov't Agencies Computer Woes 04/13/93 TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA/SALINAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- A California court has thrown up its hands and abandoned an attempt at automation, while the Florida state welfare department's new $28 million computer has allegedly cost the state's taxpayers $260 million in erroneous payments. Administrators at the Monterey County Municipal Court, south of San Francisco, switched to computers last November in an attempt to cut down on the trail of paper traditionally created by the court system. Unfortunately, about 150 people were erroneously kept in jail who should have been released or released when they should still be behind bars, apparently due to computer error. In one case a man charged with murder was reportedly released because of a computer glitch, and is still on the loose. Monterey County Sheriff Norm Hicks isn't pleased, saying, "This system has been a total nightmare since we started working with it." Meanwhile, the court has gone back to using paper, at least until the county can come up with the money to clean up the problems. In Florida, the welfare department's new computer began handling welfare cases about two years ago for the nation's largest state social services agency. Now the state is in the midst of a criminal investigation and a $46 million lawsuit. Called FLORIDA (Florida On-Line Recipient Data Access), the system, which reportedly cost the taxpayers $104 million, is supposed to be able to process five million transactions a day, handle 2.3 million welfare cases, and run 12,000 individual terminals. FLORIDA is called "one of the largest non-military computer applications in the world" by Lieutenant Governor Buddy McKay. McKay is the acting head of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. He took over the agency on an acting basis when the department head resigned last month after the revelation that FLORIDA had failed to remove more than 200,000 ineligible people, some of them dead, from Medicaid rolls, according to the Associated Press. Florida officials say the problems were a combination of programming mistakes and human errors on the part of poorly trained workers. But McKay is optimistic, saying the $232 million in overpayments are only about $70 million over what might have been expected without the computer. The state could be fined as much as $144 million because of the errors, since the US Treasury pays a portion of the benefits. State officials are hoping to negotiate for a lower figure. (Jim Mallory/19930413/Press contact: Florida Health and Rehabilitative Services, 904-488-1234) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00004) Grants Avail For Pagemaker Additions Developers 04/13/93 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- In a move that could possibly bring a flood of Additions for Aldus Corporation's Pagemaker software, the publisher has announced a grant program through which Additions developers are eligible for a portion of $150,000 in grant money Aldus has set aside. The company says the grant program is designed to emphasize Additions that are aimed at the advertising and workgroup publishing markets, especially magazine and newspaper publishers. Aldus Pagemaker is a high-end desktop publishing program suitable for preparing camera-ready ad copy and graphics, brochures, and other professional level publications. There are three types of Additions. Loadable modules become an integral part of Pagemaker's interface. Stand-alone modules allow Pagemaker to be run from within another application. Scripts enable uses to create their own macros, or automated key strings and mouse commands which are stored and can be played back to automate Pagemaker functions. The Additions technology provides developers a specialized text-based language of commands and queries that enables them to tailor Pagemaker for special publishing needs. The commands can perform any action that can be done with the mouse or keyboard, and queries can collect specific data from a Pagemaker publication. The company says that with only a few exceptions the Windows and Macintosh versions of the language are identical, making it particularly easy for developers to create an application for both platforms with little re-coding necessary. Aldus says the average grant for an Addition ranges from $30,000 to $50,000. Grant recipients receive one-half of the money when the grant is awarded, and the balance when Aldus thinks the Addition is complete. The company says its Developer Relations group will manage the grant program and work directly with the developers to help their Additions take shape. "Even if the applications don't meet the criteria for the grant, we might help the developer in other ways," Aldus spokesperson Brad Stevens told Newsbytes. According to Karen Howe, Aldus senior product marketing manager for Additions, the program is a way to aggressively and tangibly promote Additions as well as support the efforts of Additions developers. Howe stresses the benefits to the developer. "It's not a loan, and it's not an advance against royalties. The developer still owns the code and controls the product," she says. The program has already encouraged some developers to resume development on Additions they had shelved earlier. One developer reportedly told Aldus his company is dusting off several new concepts which had been on the back burner. Aldus says developers interested in applying for a grant should contact its Developer Relations office. "What we're really interested in is stimulating interest (in Additions applications). We want to start building a third-party developer market," Stevens told Newsbytes. The company said it will accept and review the first applications during the third annual Aldus International Developers Conference being held April 21-23 at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle, and may make the first awards during the conference. (Jim Mallory/19930413/Press contact: Brad Stevens, Aldus Corporation, 206-628-2361; Grant application info: Aldus Developer Relations, 206-343-4249) (NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00005) Adobe Type Manager For Windows NT 04/13/93 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Adobe Systems and Microsoft Corporation said this week that the two companies are collaborating to bring Adobe's Type Manager (ATM) software to the Windows NT operating system. ATM is a system software utility that builds type of any size, on the fly, using PostScript outline fonts, and enables Postscript compatible printers to print those fonts. ATM operates transparently to both users and applications programs. Windows NT is Microsoft's long-heralded "new technology" (that's what the NT stands for) operating system that does not require DOS to run. Windows NT is expected to be formally introduced next month and ship a few weeks later. This week's announcement is said to assure that Type 1 typefaces and ATM for Windows NT will be well integrated with the type handling capabilities of NT. Adobe Chairman and CEO John Warnock says his company believes Windows NT is an excellent platform for the printing and publishing market. "With ATM, end users can access the several thousand Adobe Type 1 typefaces." Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says Windows NT is a natural for Adobe's desktop publishing software. "ATM for Windows NT offers a smooth interface to Type 1 fonts," says Gates. While no specific shipping date has been set, the announcement said Adobe Type Manager for Windows NT should be available in September '93, and may also be a clue to exactly when Windows NT is shipping. So far Microsoft has declined to specify exactly when the program will be ready. (Jim Mallory/19930413/Press contact: Linda Prosser, Adobe Systems, 415-962-3840, Collins Hemingway, Microsoft, 206-882-8080; Reader contact: Adobe System, 800-833-6687, Microsoft, 800-426-9400) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00006) Japan - Lotus Promotion 04/13/93 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Lotus' subsidiary in Japan has launched a campaign in which software prices have been cut as much as 70 percent. This is to celebrate the firm's sales of 1 million units of Japanese Lotus 1-2-3. Lotus, in Tokyo, will cut prices at the end of this week on only 10,000 units of 1-2-3/Windows, Windows Office, Freelance/Windows and AmiPro. The word processing and graphics program called Windows Office will be cut from current 198,000 yen ($1,700) to 50,000 yen ($430), a 70-percent reduction. 1-2-3/Windows and Freelance/Windows will go from 98,000 yen ($850) to 28,000 yen ($240), AmiPro's price is cut from 58,000 yen ($500) to 22,000 yen ($190). Buyers will also be eligible for a free upgrade service. According to Lotus (Tokyo) reported that the one-millionth copy of Japanese Lotus 1-2-3 had been sold at the end of this March. Japanese Lotus 1-2-3 was first released for NEC's PC-9801 in Japan in 1986. Since then, this program has been rewritten for various Japanese personal computers including IBM PS/55, Toshiba J-3100, Fujitsu FMR and Hitachi's FLORA. Lotus, Tokyo, is currently attempting to selling the Windows version of Lotus 1-2-3 in the Japanese market. A Lotus spokeswoman has tells Newsbytes that the Windows' market is still small so sales are slow, but steady. The firm has been selling a Japanese version of its electronic mail software, CC:Mail, briskly since it was released late last year, she added. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930413/Press Contact: Lotus, Tokyo, +81-3-5496-3185, Fax, +81-3-5496-3407) (NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00007) Magnetic Disk Technology Breakthrough 04/13/93 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- NEC has developed the technology to create what it claims will be a 1.3-inch 5-gigabit magnetic disk (5 gigabits = 600 megabytes). This is almost 100 times more memory storage than current magnetic disks allow. NEC reports that it is planning to create a prototype version of this disk in the near future. NEC has developed a magnetic head, which will write 10 gigabits of data per square inch on a disk. NEC has applied a micro-machine processing technology to create a special mothership-type silicon slider, which is a head-support spring. With this slider, the firm has reduced the distance between the magnetic head and the disk to only 0.05 micron, or about a third of that of current disk drives. NEC's mothership-type silicon slider has a 200-square-micron-sized slider on top of the 1.7 square millimeter silicon chip. With this extra slider, the distance between the magnetic head and the disk has been narrowed. As a result, more data can be written on the disk. Also, NEC has applied vertical magnetic recording technology to write data on the disk. NEC reports another benefit to this disk. The mothership-type slider is very economical when produced in quantity -- 600 units of the sliders can be cut from a single silicon board with a diameter of 5 cm. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930413/Press Contact: NEC, +81-3- 3451-2974, +81-3-3457-7249) (NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00008) Optical Disk Technology Breakthrough 04/13/93 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Researchers at Kyoto University report they have developed the technology to store over 100 times more data on an optical disc. They report that as much as 10,000 times more data could theoretically be written on this disc. The research team led by Assistant Professor Kazuyuki Hirao of Kyoto University is using a completely new material for the disc, based on samarium ion and glass. It is said this material is like photochemical hole burning (PHB). The research team created this material with some unique compounds. Existing PHB material needs to be cooled down to minus 196 degrees centigrade. However, the research team's material can be used at room temperature. Another unique aspect of this material is that it accepts data written to the same place over and over. In other words, the data can be piled up vertically on the same area on the disk. It can be done with different wavelengths of semiconductor lasers. With different wavelengths of lasers, data can also be read. It is said the disc storage capacity could be 200 to 300 times more than that of current optical discs. The research team is trying some new methods using red and green lasers. With this technology, 10,000 times more data can be written on this disk in theory. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930412/Press Contact: Assistant Professor Kazuyuki Hirao, c/o Technology Dept., Kyoto University, +81-75-753-5000) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00009) Casio Expands LCD Business 04/13/93 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Japan's watch and electronics maker Casio says it will increase investment and production of LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Casio will invest a whopping, 28 billion yen ($240 million) in LCD production in the next two years. For LCD facility investment, Casio spent 12 billion yen ($105 million) for fiscal 1992 ending in March 1993. The firm is planning to spend 18 billion yen ($155 million) in this fiscal year. Casio will invest a further 10 billion yen ($87 million) in fiscal 1994, bringing the total investment for the next two years to 28 billion yen. The four-year total will be 40 billion yen ($350 million). Casio will mainly manufacture TFT (thin film transistor) type LCDs, which are used on portable and pocket type television sets. The firm is also planning to produce more STN (super-twist nematic)-type LCDs, which are used on personal computers. Casio began construction of a new LCD production line at its Kochi plant in July 1992. It will be completed in January 1994. Full-color 6-inch and 10-inch LCDs will be produced there. Casio sold 35 billion-yen ($300 million) worth of LCDs in fiscal 1992, 17 percent more than the previous year. The firm is planning to earn 50 billion yen ($440 million) this fiscal year. Moreover, Casio expects to gain 100 billion yen in sales ($870 million) in fiscal 1996. About 50 percent of the firm's LCDs are used on its own products such as electric calculators, watches, and word processors. The other half are sold to other electronics makers. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930412/Press Contact: Casio, +81-3- 3347-4830, Fax, +81-3-3347-4669) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00010) Japan DEC Replaces President 04/13/93 TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Japan Digital Equipment Corporation has a new president, a veteran of BMW, the German car company. On May 1, current president Edmund Reilly will assume the post of executive chairman of Asian territory at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). The new president Yoji Hamawaki is a former president and chairman of BMW. Mr. Hamawaki, who worked for BMW for 12 years, has helped BMW grow into a major foreign car dealer in Japan. During his presidency, BMW became number-one in sales among foreign car dealers in Japan. Before joining BMW, Mr. Hamawaki was the president of Kawasaki Motors U.S. He has created the base of this U.S.-based Japanese firm. Mr. Hamawaki comes into the company just as it has started some new projects. Japan DEC will expand its OEM (original equipment manufacturer) sales and link closely with Japanese firms. Recently, Japan DEC linked with Microsoft (Tokyo) concerning "Microsoft University" user support and sales of Microsoft's products. Both firms have already started developing a Japanese version of Windows NT. (Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930412/Press Contact: Japan Digital Equipment Corporation, +81-3-3989-7145) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00011) The Latest Modem Deals 04/13/93 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Modems are increasingly being sold as standard equipment with PCs, making OEM deals more important than ever. Global Village scored the latest such deal, announcing that its TelePort/Bronze fax/modem will be sold as part of Apple's new Macintosh Performa 400 family of computers. It's the first time Apple has included a fax/modem with its Performa systems. Global Village said it created a specialized version of the product for the Peforma, using a modified version of its GlobalFax software, which sends faxes at 4 blank pages per minute in the background from other tasks, with progress monitored on a menu-bar status display. The same product runs data at 2,400 bits/second. Digicom Systems, meanwhile, which makes modems based on low-cost digital signal processor chips, announced a software upgradable V.32 modem using the technology. The Connection 96+ can be upgraded directly from Digicom's own SoftModem BBS, so new algorithms for error correction and fax transmission can be added as needed. The DSP design also means the modem can adapt to integration with voice functions. A free upgrade to 14,400 bit/second performance under V.32bis modulation standards is available on the modem, which lists at just $199. The modem is based on Analog Devices 2100 series digital signal processors. (Dana Blankenhorn/19930413/Press Contact: Digicom Systems, Andrea Coules, 408/262-1277; Global Village, Kathy Bower, 415/390-8218) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00012) Yeltsin Opens Moscow Int'l Phone Exchange 04/13/93 MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Moscow this week hosted a major event in telecommunications with the launch by the number of companies of their upgraded services, made possible by the completion of the Russia - Denmark undersea fiber optic cable. On Saturday, April 10, Russian President Boris Yeltsin participated in the official opening ceremony at the new international phone exchange in Belayevo, southeastern Moscow. The President tried the line himself, placing a call to the Danish Prime Minister. Yeltsin called the new exchange "the second window to Europe." The ceremony concluded with the presentation of awards to Russian and foreign specialists. According to "Moskovsky Komsomolets" daily newspaper, foreign companies invested more than US$100,000,000 in this project. That was a good reason for their representatives to insist on getting a photo with the Russian President. Another phone exchange in Moscow, to be operated jointly by Russian authorities and AT&T, is to be inaugurated on Tuesday. Yet another similar event is to happen in St Petersbourg. In a separate announcement, Sprint said it is widening the bandwidth by a factor of five on a line connecting its Russian system to the West, using the same undersea fiber. Due to the fact that this company is offering only digital packet switching services in Russia, the final result is a mere 64 kilobits per second line, which is similar to the ISDN being implemented in some parts of US. (Kirill Tchashchin & Eugene Peskin/19930413) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00013) Russia - Wiretapping 04/13/93 MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Russian Security Ministry (MBR) experts engaged in wiretapping activities appeared before the press for first time in their history to explain details of their "business." According to the MBR sources, they can simultaneously intercept up to 1000 phone lines in Moscow and up to 1500 more in the rest of Russia. The announced cost of wiretapping a single phone number is 100,000 rubles (US$131 at the current rate) per year, a price comparable to the installation of the regular business phone line. MBR officers told the press that the only way for them to legally wiretap phones is with proper authorization, issued by the Procurator's office. In addition to the MBR, this authorization could be obtained by the External Intelligence Service, Ministry of Domestic Affairs, tax service, and others. (Kirill Tchashchin/199302) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014) International Telecom Update 04/13/93 ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Large contracts from China highlighted the week's international telecommunications news. General Motors' Hughes division was the big winner, taking a $15 million contract to build a cellular network in Chungdu, a city of 6 million in China's Sichuan province. The plan is to upgrade it in time to Hughes' Extended Time Division Multiple Access, or E-TDMA, system. Hughes has been trying to sell E-TDMA in the US as a follow-on to the TDMA scheme endorsed by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and known as IS-54 among standards bodies. But recently major carriers like US West and Bell Atlantic have signed commitments to a competing scheme, Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA. The Chengdu network, which will start with TDMA and then upgrade, could serve over 100,000 subscribers in time, Hughes said, and was chosen as an alternative to upgrading an existing wired phone network. The GMH 2000TM system uses an Alcatel switch. Hughes says that E-TDMA can carry 20 times the calls of an analog network -- previously it claimed 15 times analog capacity. The network is due to go online in November, allowing "roaming" with other TDMA networks, including those in Hong Kong. Hughes announced a similar contract last year with province of Tatarstan in Russia. Contracts like this are essential for Hughes as it tries to move away from defense contracts. The company recently announced it will close its California missile plants next year and lease-out its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The cellular operation is based in Rockville, Maryland. Scientific-Atlanta also entered the Chinese market with a joint venture to make cable television equipment in Shanghai. The company said China is expected to begin handing out cable franchises soon, and the $10 million venture will start production of cable set-top converters within a year. Scientific- Atlanta has a majority stake in the venture, in partnership with the Shanghai Optical Fiber Communications Corp., Shanghai Radio and Television Development Corp., an arm of the local broadcast bureau, the Shanghai Post and Telecommunications Industrial Corp., and the Shanghai Jin Ling Co., Ltd. A marketing agreement for sale of the equipment is also included in the deal. Elsewhere in Asia, Nokia won a contract for a trunked mobile radio system in Indonesia, covering the island of Java with 40,000 subscribers initially, but covering the rest of the country in time. Hong Kong Telecom signed memos of understanding to link Vietnam and Thailand to fiber cables, and then on to the rest of the world by 1995. And New Zealand signed two major deals, one allowing equal access for its Clear Communications long distance company, the second a trial of QSM digital cellular equipment between Telecom and BellSouth. In Europe, Eurotunnel signed deals with British Telecom, France Telecom and Mercury for using fiber cables to be routed through the Anglo-French tunnel by early next year, when it goes into service. Sprint opened traffic on its fiber line from Denmark to Kingisepp, Russia, allowing all-digital communications through to Moscow. And Alcatel of France bought two small Polish telecom firms, PZT and Teletra, which had been its joint venture partners there. But the big news in Europe remains privatization. Belgium, which has been the major opponent of free competition in the EC, is expected to sell about half of its Belgacom telecommunications group in time. The government is under pressure to comply with EC directives on liberalizing its policies. The Belgacom sale, however, will be just one item on a long calendar of privatization moves across the continent, highlighted by the sale of the huge Deutsche Bundespost Telekom firm in Germany. Bankers are denying that liquidity will be a problem as the program moves ahead. Some sales, like that of DBT, may be delayed as some governments, like that of France, move ahead aggressively, but most analysts assume there is plenty of private capital to take out the continent's governments at a fair price. Debt as well as equity is being raised, however. Brazil's Telebras, which is still mostly state-owned, said it wants to raise $200 million this year in debentures and bonds, although some of the money may have to be raised through the local stock market of in the US, where its American Depository Receipts are sold. And Peru's Telemovil SA, a private cellular firm, sold 15 percent of its equity to Banker's Trust Australian Limited, at an indicated value for the total company of about $40 million. The government, which wants to sell off and deregulate the entire telecommunications sector, called the sale another vote of confidence in its policies. Finally Intelsat, the satellite consortium with 120 member countries, said it will upgrade its own central facilities with equipment from Stanford Telecommunications of the US. Stanford will design and build Intelsat's new Communications System Monitor, or CSM network, with a central facility at the group's Washington headquarters and a global network of measuring equipment at eight tracking sites. The deal is worth $14 million. (Dana Blankenhorn/19930413/Press Contact: Bill Brobst, Scientific-Atlanta, 404-903-6306; Gary Wolf, Stanford Telecommunications, 408-748-1010; Hughes Network Systems, Judy Blake, 301/428-7113) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015) BellSouth Works on Fast Data Services 04/13/93 ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- BellSouth announced deals with Fujitsu and Wellfleet as it continued to look for ways into the fast data-transmission business. BellSouth said it will comarket routers and bridges with Wellfleet for use in its Frame Relay and Switched Multimegabit Data Service, or SMDS, services. Spokesman Robert Morrow told Newsbytes the deal is not exclusive, but allows BellSouth to offer more one-stop shopping for local data services. Morrow acknowledged that the company has not yet announced any customers for either service. BellSouth has put its fast data services into four major markets, including Atlanta, but calls between those markets must still be routed through another long-distance company. This requirement, an outgrowth of the 1982 decree which broke up the Bell system, has hampered the efforts of the regional Bells to sell such services. Ameritech is among those companies which has done inter-operability testing with WilTel, the frame relay market leader according to Dataquest's Joe Noel, and BellSouth plans such tests with an as-yet unnamed long distance carrier. For now, however, Morrow said, BellSouth will look for customers which want to connect local area networks within Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, and Charlotte, with expansion to other markets later on. In this, it benefits relative to other RBOCs because its Atlanta service area is the largest such geographic unit in the nation. BellSouth also said it would buy future broadband switches under the developing Asynchronous Transfer Mode, or ATM standards from Fujitsu. The company has already placed orders for 8 Fujitsu FETEX-150 ATM switching systems, which can work at up to 622 million bits/second. The company said it sees markets in medicine, scientific research, and even home and business services requiring high bandwidth down the road. The company will deploy the ATM switches over the next three years as an overlay to its existing switched network, based on customer demand. SMDS and frame relay customers can migrate to ATM starting early next year, the company said. Fujitsu, whose telecom equipment unit has offices in North Carolina and Texas, has recently become the most successful Japanese company at penetrating the US equipment market, mainly by selling high-end equipment to regional Bell companies. (Dana Blankenhorn/19930413/Press Contact: Martha Schaefer, Wellfleet Communications, 508-436-3655, Robert Morrow, BellSouth Telecommunications, 404-529-8169; Scott Anderson, Fujitsu, 919- 790-3356) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016) Stratacom Claims Frame Relay Cost Breakthrough 04/13/93 SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- StrataCom says it can now cut costs for building frame relay networks by a factor of seven, using its IPX and BPX switches. Frame relay is a data service which works at speeds of from 56,000 bits/second up to T-1 trunk line speeds of 1.544 million bits/second, transferring data in large "frames" without the complex error detection and correction found on slower X.25 networks like Sprintnet and Tymnet. Joe Noel of Dataquest has estimated that frame relay could become a billion-dollar network in a few years, although under 1,000 frame relay ports were in service at the end of 1992, because the new offering is much more flexible than the private lines many companies are now using to link large computers and local networks. Stratacom said the new capabilities are available immediately in its IPX FastPacket switch, which is used in frame relay services. They will be available in the fourth quarter when it delivers its BPX broadband switch, which follows emerging Asynchronous Transfer Mode, or ATM, standards at speeds from 1.544 million bits/second and faster, allow the creation of networks for as little as $500 per operating port. Each of its interfaces will now support up to 31 frame relay users at speeds up to 1.984 million bits/second, against 4 users for previous models. Stratacom said the news is especially important to carriers like WilTel, which tested the system in its WilPak frame relay networks. Noel of Dataquest says WilTel was the market leader for frame relay in 1992, and the company is working hard to maintain its lead. Other companies using Stratacom switches on their frame relay nets include AT&T, British Telecom, CompuServe, New Zealand Telecom, and Telecom Finland. (Dana Blankenhorn/19930413/Press Contact: StrataCom, Margaret Parkinson, 408/494-2270; WilTel, Gil Broyles, 918/588-5752) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00017) Wellfleet Well Under Way In Canada 04/13/93 MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Internetworking vendor Wellfleet Communications has officially announced the creation of Wellfleet Communications Canada. According to Canadian General Manager Richard Dugal, Wellfleet expects better than 200-percent growth in the Canadian market this year. The company has actually had an office in this Toronto suburb since last July and has since opened a second office in Ottawa. An office will open in Montreal this summer, Dugal told Newsbytes, and one in Western Canada should be in business by the end of the year. Wellfleet is continuing to work with Toronto-based Allan Crawford Associates, a national distributor that has handled the Billerica, Massachusetts-based firm's products in Canada for about five years. But it has also signed distribution deals with several other companies, including Northern Telecom Ltd., IBM Canada Ltd., and Unitel Communications Inc. Wellfleet Canada currently has six employees, Dugal said, and hopes to grow to 20 by this time next year. Dugal noted that Wellfleet has also signed up Techtrol Ltd. of Toronto to manufacture power supplies for use in its products worldwide. "We're putting a lot back into the Canadian economy," he said, adding that he hopes to sign other such deals with Canadian suppliers. Wellfleet, founded in 1986, sells enterprise internetworking systems, mainly for large enterprise networks that mix different vendors' local-area network (LAN) equipment and various networking media. It had revenues of US$85.1 million in 1991, up from US$35.9 million the previous year, and was recently named the fastest-growing public company in the United States by Fortune magazine. (Grant Buckler/19930413/Press Contact: Rick Doyon, Hill & Knowlton for Wellfleet, 613-786-9935; Public Contact: Wellfleet Canada, 416-819-1077, fax 416-819-1221) (NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00018) US Memory Chip Makers Get DARPA Boost 04/13/93 WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the group which has been at the forefront of military-civilian high-tech development for decades, has, according to a report in The Washington Post, targeted memory chips with a $5 million grant to pursue production of 256-megabyte memory chips. The grant, made to Advanced Technology Materials of Danbury, Conn., will be used in conjunction with another $5 million from chip makers IBM, Texas Instruments, Micron, and AG Associates (a semiconductor manufacturing hardware supplier) and North Carolina State University. Japanese and Korean companies are already far ahead in this multi-billion-dollar market, regularly making announcements about new production or development milestones in the large-scale DRAM (dynamic random access memory) arena, and some insiders question whether a $10 million investment in this expensive technology will actually make much difference. The US is almost a non-player in the world and domestic memory chip market but, through TI, Motorola, and Intel, virtually dominate the world microprocessor market, with smaller US companies specializing in custom advanced ASIC, or application specific integrated circuit, microprocessors. DRAM is very important in the computer industry because ever- larger amounts of memory are needed to run any of the advanced operating systems such as Windows NT, Unix, OS/2, or even the MS- DOS version of Windows. In the past, MS-DOS programs seldom required more than a four-megabyte memory, but the minimum acceptable system for running programs under OS/2 and other new operating systems will be larger than 10 megabytes. While a desktop computer will only need one CPU, or central processor unit, such as an Intel 80486 or Motorola 68040, they will need many memory chips both for the computer's main memory and accessory boards such as accelerated video boards and caching hard disk controllers. By way of comparison, the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Intel, Jamar Technology, and Ultratech Stepper will be spending $25.5 million on the development of a new chip lithography process using weak X-rays. Also, last year DARPA provided $8 million to The Optoelectronic Technology Consortium, which consists of General Electric, Honeywell, IBM and AT&T, to test the feasibility of developing optical interconnections for high-speed data transmission, an area where the US is already in the forefront of high-tech development. Newsbytes was not able to contact a spokesperson at Advanced Technology Materials before deadline. (John McCormick/19930413/) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00019) Alcatel Acquires Two Polish Telecom Companies 04/13/93 PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Alcatel has announced the acquisition of PZT and Teletra, two Polish telecom companies. According to the French telecom giant, the two companies have been sold as part of the Polish Government's privatization program. Terms of the deal have not been revealed. The acquisition puts Alcatel into what it claims is a prime position in the Polish telecom marketplace. Newsbytes that AT&T also has a number of smaller telecom companies under its wing in Poland, as well as a rolling investment program with the Polish state telecom company on the provision of international circuits. Plans call for PZT and Teletra to be brought under the administrative control of Alcatel Standard Electrica, Alcatel's Spanish telecom operation. This will allow the French telecom giant to invest more than $80 million in Poland. Newsbytes notes that the deal formalizes joint venture arrangements that Alcatel has had in place with PZT and Teletra for some time. (Steve Gold/19930413) (NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00020) ****35% Of Europe's PCs Made In Scotland - Elonex Latest 04/13/93 LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Elonex has announced that it is teaming up with Cordata, a new company, to manufacturer Elonex PCs in Scotland. Plans call for Cordata to invest around UKP 5.5 million in a new factory in Cumbernauld, Scotland. According to Allan Stewart, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish office who has been working on the deal, Cordata will open a 40,000-square-foot factory later this year, which will create around 175 jobs for the area. The new plant will be operational in July, and will use surface mount technology to produce printed circuit boards for use in Elonex PCs. The final assembly and integration of the PCs will take place in Elonex's North London factory on a "build to order" basis. Initial production has been set at 100,000 PCs a year and, according to Elonex, this figure is expected to double over the next two to three years. Commenting on the inter-company arrangement, Stewart said that Elonex's desire to manufacture its PCs in Scotland confirms the country's position as a premier location for technology. "We now have three of Britain's top five PC companies manufacturing in Scotland," he said, adding that, with the addition of the Elonex/Cordata arrangement, more than 35 percent of Europe's PCs are now made in Scotland. "This new plant is evidence that Scotland has the appeal to attract the cream of the computer industry," he said. (Steve Gold/19930413/Press & Public Contact: Elonex - Tel: 081-452- 6422) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00021) Olivetti Multi-Processing Parallel Superservers 04/13/93 LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Olivetti has announced it is the first manufacturer to launch its range of Superservers for client-server environments in Europe. The machines are the result of the company's partnership with Netframe. Olivetti claims that the heart of the technology is the multiprocessor parallel server architecture (MPSA). This technology will, the company claims, allow users to add parallel application processor engines and I/O processors to the main processor. This will allow users to "grow" their systems. According to Rob Bishop, Olivetti UK's systems marketing manager, the new Netframe series will enable users to achieve two goals. Users will, for the first time, be able to run shrink-wrapped software such as Novell Netware from a single multiprocessing parallel superserver. This currently only possible with proprietary versions of networking software. Users will also be able to run multiple operating systems, such as Unix and Windows NT, from the same server, to support the best environment for each type of application. "Client-server has been an industry buzzword for a long time. Unfortunately, in real terms, implementing client-server systems has, so far, cost a fortune. The user has typically needed to develop software, acquire a host of hardware platforms to run diverse applications, and then maintain the integrated platform. A further source of concern has been the security implications of running such a distributed environment," he said. "The Netframe MPSA series overcomes all three hurdles. Customers can now choose from a host of popular shrink-wrapped applications and run them on the optimum operating system from a single platform. This of course ensures a high and consistent level of security and dramatically reduces the maintenance overhead," he added. Olivetti is offering the Netframe superservers into major companies. The company claims that the machines "break through" the performance dip which normally occurs when conventional PC servers reach 20 users. The Superservers can be based around Intel Pentium processors or 50 megahertz (MHz) 80486 processor systems with up to 128 megabytes (MB) of system memory. (Steve Gold/19930413/Press & Public Contact: Olivetti - Tel: 081-785- 6666; Fax: 081-874-3014) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00022) ****Intel Credits 486 Chip With "Explosive" Company Growth 04/13/93 SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Intel is making money hand over fist according to its first quarter of 1993 reports. The company says revenue was up 63 percent, but net income on that revenue rose to 198 percent, making for the first 2 billion dollar quarter for the world's largest chip manufacturer. Revenue totaled $2.02 billion, nearly double from the $1.24 billion reported in the same quarter a year ago, and net income was up to $548 million compared with $184 million in the first quarter last year. Intel's President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Grove is crediting the "explosion" in demand for the company's 486 microprocessor for the growth. Attractive pricing for 486-based personal computers has heightened demand for the chip, according to Intel. "It took us 22 years to get to $1 billion a quarter in revenues and... less than three years to get to $2 billion a quarter," said Grove in a prepared statement. Grove said Intel was ready to meet demand for the 486 as it has been investing heavily in new plants and equipment. The company is continuing its investments with its announcement last week that it would spend $1 billion to expand manufacturing facilities in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. While other chip manufacturers, such as Advanced Micro Devices and Cyrix, have been loudly decrying Intel as monopolistic, and Intel is still under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), nothing seems to be slowing the chip giant's momentum. Anticipation that the new Clinton administration would spur FTC action has proven to be unfounded. The outlook for Intel is increasingly bright. Analysts are predicting stock increases of $8.00 to $10.00 per share in fiscal 1993. The high interest in the introduction of the next generation microprocessor to consumers, the Pentium, makes those reports plausible coupled with the fact that Intel has already reported net income increases of $2.48 per share, compared with $.86 cents per share in the same quarter last year. The Pentium is expected in less than a month, and Intel said volume shipments of the new chip began in March. The Pentium is fully compatible with existing DOS and Windows-based software, but is more than 3000 times faster than the 8088 used on the original IBM personal computer (PC). On Intel's Comparative Microprocessor Performance (iCOMP) Index, the Pentium at 60 megahertz (MHz) gets a 510 point rating and the Pentium at 66 MHz rates 567, compared to a rating of 231 for the i486 DX 50 MHz chip and 39 for the i386SX at 25 MHz. (Linda Rohrbough/19930413/Press Contact: Pam Polace, Intel, tel 408-765-1435, fax 408-765-1402) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00023) SynOptics Posts Record Revenues 04/13/93 SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Anyone doubting the earnings potential of the networking and internetworking market need look no further than SynOptics Communications' first quarter, 1993, financial report. The company says that it posted record revenue of $152,701,000 for the first fiscal quarter ended April 2, 1993, an increase of 17 percent over the prior quarter and 123 percent over the like quarter in 1992. Even more impressive was net income, which was reported at $21,877,000, or 95 cents per share, up 30 percent and 25 percent, respectively, over the previous quarter, and 334 percent and 296 percent above the year earlier quarter. For the first fiscal quarter of 1992, revenue was $68,394,000 and net income was $5,037,000, or 24 cents per share. The figures can be viewed as an indication of the industry-wide move towards client-server networking architectures. The company said that, during the quarter, both Token Ring and Ethernet business increased. In addition, shipments to both domestic and international customers grew as the company experienced no softness in any of its major geographic markets. In announcing the results, Andrew K. Ludwick, SynOptics' president and chief executive officer, said: "SynOptics has one of the broadest intelligent hub offerings in the market today, including the industry's first network management that provides a fully integrated view of a network, from end station to end station. Our combination of modular and stackable hubs has enabled us to extend our market reach and capitalize on high-end enterprise opportunities as organizations downsize from host-based systems." The company's partnerships were given a pat on the back by Ludwick. "Furthermore, this quarter's performance underscores the power of our partnering strategy. Our manufacturing and selling alliances have been instrumental in leveraging our ability to grow along with the increasing demand," he said. During the quarter, the company announced new asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) products. According to the company, the LattisCell products "utilize internally-developed technology and offer market leading price, size and functionality." Said Ludwick, "The advantage of silicon integration could maximize the early time-to-market opportunity. We believe that switching technologies, such as ATM, although not contributing to current revenue, represent a major direction for the future of networking." (Ian Stokell/19930412/Press Contact: Kris Sokoloski, 408-988-2400, SynOptics Communications Inc.) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00024) Ungermann-Bass Adds Net Mgt Functionality To Access/One 04/13/93 SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Ungermann-Bass has announced a number of enhancements to its Access/One 10Base-T concentrators. The enhancements include port-level statistics reporting, network monitoring and control based on user-defined "thresholds" and "gauges," along with port-level security. The company says that all of the functions are available across the entire family of Access/One 10Base-T concentrators, including the recently announced 24-port ASM324T module. The company says it designed the Access/One products with a scalable, tiered architecture in order to "protect customer investments in equipment." Users begin with Tier 1 equipment and add the "advanced functionality" of Tiers 2 and 3 later. According to the company, this allows network managers the option to grow their connectivity platforms as their network requirements increase. The new management features introduced come as Tier 2 and Tier 3 support for the ASM324T. Support for the company's implementation of the IEEE 802.1F standard for "thresholds" and "gauges" will be made available as an enhancement to Tier 2. A software upgrade will be offered to the 12-port 10Base-T concentrators. Advanced management functions for the Access/One Ethernet concentrators include IEEE 802.3k standard repeater management features which add Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based management and control. The number of features include performance monitoring capability to compute critical network metrics at the port or concentrator level and address tracking to allow quick identification of attached devices and connectivity changes. Ungermann-Bass says it was recently granted a patent for its invention of a Network Message Security Method and Apparatus which covers network security features for 10Base-T networks. Two types of security are provided: eavesdrop protection, which sends data only to authorized devices on any port; and intrusion protection, which can detect unauthorized devices on a concentrator. (Ian Stokell/19930413/Press Contact: Suzan Woods, 408-562-7958, Ungermann-Bass) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00025) ****Chipsoft Buys Meca 04/13/93 SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Chipsoft is buying the company's biggest competitor in the tax preparation business, Meca, in an exchange valued at approximately $58 million. Chipsoft claims as a result its customer base will be 2 million strong. The Meca purchase will put Chipsoft in control of tax software Andrew Tobias' Taxcut, as well as personal financial programs Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money, Home Lawyer, and Fidelity On-Line Xpress. Meca is the third company in three years Chipsoft has acquired. In 1991, Chipsoft announced both the purchase of Park Technologies publisher of Taxease, and Softview producers of the Macintax product. Chipsoft's bread and butter product is Turbotax for DOS though last year it introduced Turbotax for Windows and Macintax for the Macintosh. The Windows and Macintax products were developed as a result of the Softview acquisition. As far as the Meca acquisition is concerned, no long range plans are now in place for eliminating one or more of the Meca products. Chipsoft representatives said they see Tax Cut and Turbotax as appealing to two different segments of the same market with Tax Cut geared more toward novice users and Turbotax geared more toward professional tax preparers. As for the Managing Your Money, Home Lawyer, and Fidelity On-Line Xpress products, Chipsoft says the products are attractive to the company because they have year-round appeal and potentially offer a more stable income, instead of the feast-and-famine the company experiences with its tax software line. Last year, Chipsoft boasted earnings of $21 million, but the company is predicting this year its earnings will be as high as $34 million. A predicted $5 million of the earnings will come from Meca's sale of the small business accounting software package One-Write it acquired last year from the developers to Nebs. While the acquisition is still subject to stockholder approval, Meca says 50.5 percent of the stockholders have already agreed. The company's remaining competitors include Parson's Technology with Personal Tax Edge, Softkey and its Easy Tax product, and several smaller players. Interestingly enough, many of the competitors Chipsoft representatives named as offering tax preparation software are shareware vendors who market their software on a try-before-you-buy approach. (Linda Rohrbough/19930413/Press Contact: Debra Kelley, Chipsoft, Tel: 619-453-4446 ext. 482, Fax: 619-453-1367) (NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00026) Wordperfect UK Ships WP Works For Apple Mac 04/13/93 ADDLESTONE, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Wordperfect UK has announced it has begun shipping Wordperfect Works 1.2 for Apple Computer's Macintosh. The new package has a number of improvements, including an enhanced version of the company's recently acquired Beagleworks packages. The package, which sells for UKP 180, includes six modules: word processor, database, draw, paint, communications and spreadsheet. It claims to be the first System 7-savvy package from Wordperfect and includes facilities such as "in context" editing. Newsbytes understands that this facility allows users to change linked data in several of the modules, without the need to jump between modules. Announcing the package, Dan Sumner, Wordperfect UK's product marketing manager, said that the company is convinced that it is the most feature-rich package of its type for the Apple Mac marketplace. "It's simple, easy to use and contains all the best elements of our most popular software packages," he said. One interesting feature of the package is that virtual memory is supported as a native feature. This facility, which is used by System 7, allows a part of the Mac's hard disk to be assigned to "virtual memory," which allows programs and data files which would normally overflow the Mac's memory to spool to and from disk on a transparent basis. For example, with 2 megabytes (MB) of memory and 4MB of virtual memory (on hard disk), programs and data files of up to 6MB can be loaded and run. The downside of the virtual memory is that program execution is slowed down to the rate at which data can be read and written to on the hard disk. Typically, this means that certain program commands can take up to a second to execute, instead of thousandths of a second they normally take. The upside, of course, is that extra memory requirements are negated. Wordperfect Works 1.2 for the Mac requires a Mac with a hard drive, at least 1MB of memory (for System 6.0.5 and beyond users) or 2MB of memory (for System 7.0.x users). A modem or direct serial connection is required for use with the communications module. (Steve Gold/19930413/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect UK - Tel: 0932-850500) (NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00027) Where In Space Is Carmen Sandiego 04/13/93 NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Following on from the success of other games in the series, Broderbund Software has introduced announced Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe. The company has also announced the promotion of David Kessler to vice president and creative director, and Marylyn Rosenblum to vice president, education sales and marketing. According to the company, Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe is an astronomical learning game for players ages 12 to adult that features an "information-rich electronic database," digitized NASA photographs, and animated constellations. In announcing the game, John Baker, Broderbund's vice president of product development, said: "Kids were clamoring for Carmen to launch into space. This game combines the excitement of a crime-stopping chase through the galaxy with an impressive amount of information on astronomy and space exploration." In Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe, the player is an agent of the Acme Detective Agency, Intergalactic Division, equipped with something called a Cosmohopper 911 Turbo space vehicle. Using the Cosmohopper's VAL 9000 computer, the player is responsible for tracking down Carmen and her galactic gang of aliens. VAL 9000's electronic database contains information on the history, mythology and science of space, including video clips of planetary fly-bys. The company says that the program also contains more than 50 digitized photographs including NASA images; over 1,100 factual clues and 32 space locations; and digitized sound and original music, with individual musical scores for each planetary system. This is the sixth game in the Carmen Sandiego series, and also includes a copy of "Peterson First Guide to Astronomy," a 128-page field guide to the stars, planets and the universe. Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe requires a 16 megahertz (MHz) 386 or faster machine, MS/PC-DOS 3.1 or higher with 640 kilobytes (KB), VGA, 1.44MB 3.5-inch disks and a hard disk with eight megabytes (MB) of available space. A sound card is also recommended. The game is available for IBM PC/Tandy and compatibles, at a suggested retail price of $79.95. In announcing the promotion of David Kessler and Marylyn Rosenblum, the company said that Kessler has been with Broderbund since 1984, overseeing the company's Design Services department. The company also says that, since Rosenblum joined Broderbund, she has instituted many new and effective programs for the education marketplace. In her capacity, Rosenblum oversees the sales and marketing of Broderbund products into the educational channel. (Ian Stokell/19930412/Press Contact: Kathleen Burke, 415-382-4567, Broderbund Software Inc.) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00028) Software Publishing's 2-year Corporate Upgrade Program 04/13/93 SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Software Publishing has introduced the Subscribe Program - a two-year software upgrade agreement designed for corporate users of graphics and database software products. According to the company, the Subscribe Program allows customers with a minimum of only 50 software units to receive an upgrade to the current version of Harvard Graphics DOS or Harvard Graphics for Windows or Superbase, as well as all future releases of the specific product over a two-year period. The Subscribe Program costs $150 for Harvard Graphics products, and $175 for Superbase. According to the company, the Subscribe Program differentiates itself from similar long-term upgrade programs by requiring an industry-low minimum qualification of only 50 units. Other companies require a minimum of 250 to 1000 units, claims the company. The Subscribe Program also allows upgrades from competitive products. In announcing the program, Chris Randles, vice president of marketing for Software Publishing, said: "The Subscribe Program makes it easy to budget software purchases over a two-year period. The program also makes it easy to manage upgrades, including transitions from DOS to Windows, and it simplifies the reporting and tracking of software purchases." (Ian Stokell/19930413/Press Contact: Len Filppu, 408-450-7597, Software Publishing Corp.) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00029) BoCoEx Index 04/13/93 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APRIL 13 (NB) -- Boston Computer Exchange for the week ending April 9, 1993. Machine Main Drive Closing Price Ask Bid Price Change IBM AT 339 30 MgB 350 400 350 IBM PS/2 Model 30 286 20 MgB 400 450 300 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z 30 MgB 425 500 400 IBM PS/2 Model 55SX 60 MgB 750 800 700 IBM ThinkPad 300 80 MgB 1400 1500 1325 IBM ThinkPad 700 80 MgB 2350 2400 2200 IBM ThinkPad 700C 120 MgB 3400 UP 200 3400 3350 IBM V\P 3/25T MOD. 80 80 MgB 1500 1600 1500 IBM PS/2 Model 90-OH9 160 MgB 1700 1700 1600 IBM PS/2 Model 95-OJF 400 MgB 3000 3300 2700 Compaq Portable II 20 MgB 225 500 200 Compaq Portable III 20 MgB 350 400 200 Compaq Portable 386 100 MgB 650 DOWN 100 800 600 Compaq SLT-286 40 MgB 625 650 600 Compaq LTE-286 40MgB 675 700 600 Compaq LTE-386 30MgB 750 850 700 Compaq LTE-LITE\25C 120MB 2400 2600 2300 Compaq Systempro LT-486 510 MgB 2200 2400 2100 Compaq Syspro 386/25LT 340 MgB 2100 2300 1950 Compaq Deskpro 486 /33I 120 MgB 1850 1900 1750 Compaq SysPro 486/33 2040 MgB 6800 7000 6300 Compaq DeskP 486DX2/66i 240 MgB 2100 2400 1900 AST Prem Exec 386SX20 40 MgB 900 1000 800 NEC UltraLite 286 20 MgB 550 600 500 NEC UltraLite 386SX/20 40 MgB 900 950 800 Zenith Mastersprt-386SX 60 MgB 950 1100 900 Zenith SuperSport 386SX 40 MgB 750 900 650 Macintosh Classic 40 MgB 650 700 600 Macintosh Classic II 40 MgB 800 850 750 Macintosh SE 40 MgB 625 650 600 Macintosh SE-30 80 MgB 1150 1250 1100 Macintosh LC 40 MgB 1000 1300 800 Macintosh II 40 MgB 1350 1400 1300 Macintosh II SI 80 MgB 1550 1650 1500 Macintosh II CX 80 MgB 1600 1700 1600 Macintosh II CI 80 MgB 2250 2350 2200 Macintosh II FX 80 MgB 2800 3000 2800 Macintosh Quadra 700 160 MgB 3250 3500 3200 Macintosh Quadra 900 160 MgB 4000 4300 3900 Macintosh Powerbk 160 120 MgB 2600 2700 2500 Macintosh Powerbk 180 80 MgB 3350 3500 3250 Macintosh Powerbk 170 80 MgB 2200 2300 2100 Apple Imagewriter 2 200 225 175 Apple Laserwriter LS 550 600 500 HP Laserjet II 750 800 750 HP Laserjet III 1050 1100 1000 Toshiba T-1200 XE 20 MgB 550 up 25 600 500 Toshiba T-1600 40 MgB 575 down 25 600 550 Toshiba T-2000 SX 40 MgB 900 1000 900 Toshiba T-2000 SXE 40 MgB 950 1050 900 Toshiba T-2200 SX 80MgB 1250 1300 1200 Toshiba T-3100 SX 80 MgB 1000 1300 900 Toshiba T-3200 40 MgB 550 700 500 Toshiba T-3200 SX 40 MgB 850 900 800 Toshiba T-3200 SXC 120 MgB 2250 2400 2100 Toshiba T-6400SX 120 MgB 2400 2700 2200 Toshiba T-4400SX 120 MgB 1800 1900 1700 Toshiba T-5200 100 MgB 1400 1500 1400 BoCoEx Index data is compiled by Market Analyst, Gary M. Guhman Here are some current retail-oriented Seats on the Exchange, presented in a cyclic basis. Dallas - Ft. Worth, TX - DFW Computer Exchange - M.B. Lee - 817-244-7833 Escondido, Ca. - Affordable Computer Solutions - Dean Jacobus - 619-738- 4980 New Orleans, Louisiana - Audubon Computer Rental - Mike Barry - 504-522- 0348 Detroit, Michigan - CompuCycle - Walt Hogan - 313-887-2600 Computer Exchange\\NorthWest - Dye Hawley - 206-820-1181 Albuquerque, NM, Western Computer Exchange - David Levin - 505-265-1330 Fresno, California - MacSource Computers - Mike Kurtz - 209-438-6227 BoCoEx Index prices are based on complete systems with keyboard, VGA monitor and adapter, less the value of any software or peripherals. Boston Computer Exchange is available at: 617-542-4414, Buyer's HotLine: 1-800-262-6399, In Alaska and Canada 1-800-437-2470, FAX: 617-542-8849. (BOCOEX/19930413) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00030) ****Microsoft, Computer Associates Ally 04/13/93 WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 13 (NB) -- Computer Associates International's (CA) announcement that it will offer a version of its CA-Unicenter systems management tool for Microsoft's forthcoming Windows NT operating system is not a total surprise. The Islandia, New York firm has made no secret of its interest in supporting multiple platforms and NT was an obvious candidate. But the announcement is significant because it marks an alliance between the world's two largest software companies. At a press conference during the spring Federal Office Systems Exhibition (FOSE) here, CA Chairman Charles Wang and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said the availability of Unicenter for NT would make it possible for customers to integrate the new system into mission-critical computing environments. "What makes this exciting," Wang said, "is to be able to bring good systems management to the platform that's being demanded by our mutual clients." And Unicenter for NT is just a beginning, Gates added. "Windows NT is now a platform for the CA90s architecture. Unicenter is the centerpiece of that, but we're going on to have a lot of CA applications on NT," he said. CA90s is Computer Associates' umbrella software architecture, meant to ensure cooperation among the company's various software products on a number of hardware and operating system platforms. Microsoft, of Redmond, Washington, has demonstrated NT at a number of trade shows, and a formal announcement is expected at the Spring COMDEX show in Atlanta at the end of May. Unicenter for NT should be available within 12 to 18 months, Marc Sokol, CA's vice-president of product strategy, told Newsbytes. Sokol added that CA has shown its CA-Realizer development tool running on NT already, and other CA software, particularly packages currently offered for Windows, will likely be offered in NT versions in future. Unicenter deals with four areas of interest to systems managers. It provides security, control, and audit features such as user registration, access control, and security for all systems-management functions. It manages storage, helping ensure proper backup and file management. It deals with production control issued such as workload balancing and batch-queue management, and, finally, it provides tools for data center administration and user support. CA-Unicenter is already offered for IBM's OS/2 operating system and Novell's NetWare local-area network operating system, both of which are considered rivals to NT. It is also available for a variety of flavors of Unix. Gates said Unicenter will work with Hermes, the systems management tool that Microsoft is developing for NT, though the two are rather different because Unicenter is a cross-platform product. Data from Hermes will be able to be uploaded to Unicenter, he said. (Grant Buckler/19930413/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer Associates, 516-342-2391; Collins Hemingway, Microsoft, 206-936-7480)