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/NB930503

Text File | 1993-05-03 | 63KB | 1,343 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00001)

Hayes UK Starts Shipping Smartcom For Windows 1.0 05/03/93
FLEET, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Hayes Microcomputer
Products has announced it has begun shipping Smartcom for Windows 1.0,
the Windows edition of its long-running DOS communications package.

According to Sue Starie, marcoms and PR manager with Hayes' European
region, the package will sell for UKP 119, although, until July of
this year, it is on special offer at UKP 49. "That price is an
unconditional offer, open to all comers," she told Newsbytes.

The package is billed as a full-featured asynchronous comms package
for Windows 3.x. The software is available in five languages --
English, French, German, Italian and Spanish -- and has the facility
to auto-install for more than one language, subject to hard disk
capacity. It's possible, the company claims, to hop from one language
to another without the need to unload the software from memory.

Hayes also claims to have designed the package with the Windows
software development guidelines in mind. This has enabled the company
to produce a comms package that is a true Windows application. The
software maximizes the graphical interface and functionality of the
Windows graphical user interface (GUI), the company claims.

Many of the features on Smartcomm for Windows 1.0 bear a resemblance
to other packages, notably Dynacomm and Procomm Plus, Newsbytes notes.
The features list includes: a program and file manager, smart buttons,
tool ruler and keyboard customization. Context sensitive help is
available at all points within the package.

Multiple terminal emulations -- including TTY, VT220/320, Prestel,
Teletel and ANSI -- plus file transfer protocols -- X-Modem (four
varieties), Y-Modem, Y-Modem-G, Kermit, CIS B Plus and Z-Modem -- are
supported by the software.

Unusually for a standard comms package, Smartcom for Windows 1.0
supports a variety of networks as a standard feature, including
Telnet, Netbios and file server operations. The software even supports
non-Hayes-compatible modems as well.

(Steve Gold/19930503/Press & Public Contact: 0252-775544)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00002)

Network Systems To Acquire Bus-Tech 05/03/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Connecting local
area networks (LANs) to mainframes is a considerable market among
networking vendors. Along those lines, Network Systems has announced
it is planning to acquire Bus-Tech, a privately held interconnect
controller company, for $24.5 million.

Bill Way, director of marketing for advanced networking, told
Newsbytes that the deal was significant for Network Systems in two
ways: "The Bus-Tech products extend our interconnect product offerings
-- we have offered products that connected to the channel and had
large numbers of mediums attached to them. Bus-Tech allows us to
broaden that offering," he said.

"The other area they help us in, is that they introduce into the
Novell interconnect market. So it gives us an opportunity to help
those people with Novell networks connect to their mainframe
networks," he added.

Announcing the deal, Michael Fitzpatrick, president and chief
executive officer of Network Systems, said: "Bus-Tech is the leader in
the fast-growing interconnect controller market. Network Systems is
the market leader in channel extension and CPU (central processing
unit) networking. Together, we will enhance our position as market
leader in the channel connect business and create new products
expanding our LAN-to-host solutions."

Plans call for Bus-Tech to continue to function as an independent
business, with Network Systems reselling Bus-Tech products.

Robert Nicewicz, president of Bus-Tech, said that the company can now
offer customers three approaches to host-LAN integration: supporting
SNA/APPN (Systems Network Architecture/Advanced Peer-to-Peer
Networking), SAA (Systems Application Architecture)/Novell NetWare and
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

Both companies said that they also intend to provide mainframe access
and archiving for users of Novell NetWare for SAA.

(Ian Stokell/19930503/Press Contact: Don Flanagan, 612-424-1555, Mary
Dudley, 612-424-1532, Network Systems Corporation)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00003)

Stac Claims IIT Success Will Help Win Microsoft Legal Battle 05/03/93
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Fresh from its
successful battle with IIT, Stac Electronics claims that the case has
armed it for its ongoing legal battle against Microsoft. Earlier this
year, Stac filed suit against Microsoft, alleging patent infringement
of its Stacker disk compression technology by DOS 6.0.

The parallels between the Stac/IIT case and the one the company has
outstanding against Microsoft are interesting. IIT has acknowledged
that the validity of Stac's patents, numbers 5,003,307 and 5,016,009,
may have been compromised by its Xtradrive software, its Xtradrive
Plus hardware and its DCP compression processor chip. Stac originally
filed suit against IIT last June, before the company had formally
launched its software and hardware compression technology.

Stac President Gary Clow said that his company had "squashed" an IIT
motion for a summary judgement, resulting in IIT's decicion to settle.
The settlement provides for a judgement against IIT and in favor of
Stac to be entered before the US District Court in Los Angeles.

As part of the deal, IIT is paying an undisclosed sum to Stac to
settle the case and has taken out a license agreement from Stac on the
patents involved in the suit, the amount of which was also
undisclosed.

Clow said that Stac's complaint against Microsoft includes patent
infringement allegations based on the same patents as in the IIT suit.
Microsoft and Stac both admit that the two companies talked last year
about adding Stac's data compression to Microsoft's planned version of
DOS 6.0. Microsoft representative Collins Hemmingway told Newsbytes
that Microsoft offered Stac "real money" in several different
proposals presented to the company for its data compression, although
not all the proposals didn't include royalties.

The proposals, however, were worth millions, says Hemmingway,
especially considering nearly three million copies of the retail
version of DOS 6.0 have been sold in the month since the product's
introduction.

When asked if he was sorry that Stac didn't take an offer from
Microsoft, Clow said no. He said that Microsoft didn't offer Stac
royalties and only offered Stac money on its bundle of DOS 5.0 and
Stacker, but no money for inclusion of the technology in DOS 6.0. Stac
did make a deal to bundle Stacker with IBM's DOS 5.0 last year.

The Microsoft/Stac case is awaiting the discovery process which
includes the court ordering Microsoft to present Stac with the source
code for the Doublespace compression in DOS 6.0. Clow said that Stac
is sure the Maxcompress portion of DOS 6.0, present in the beta
version but pulled out of the final shipping version, is in violation
of Stac's patents.

He added that he wouldn't know about Doublespace until Stac sees the
source code. Clow said that Microsoft has withheld the source code,
but Microsoft representatives said they must wait until court ordered
to release the source code, otherwise the code could end up in the
public domain.

In addition to all this, Microsoft has countersued Stac, alleging that
the company conspired to commit fraud on its investors by withholding
information that Microsoft was getting ready to enter the compression
market from investors until after the company's initial public
offering (IPO).

Microsoft also alleges that Stac managed to withhold the information
from investors by dragging out negotiations over the compression
technology, which it says also damaged Microsoft as it delayed the
company's entry into the market with DOS 6.0. Further, Microsoft
alleges one of its patents has been violated by Stac as well.

Stac's stockholders filed suit against the company in July of last
year charging they were misled about the company's performance by
statements from the management. Stac denies the charges and Clow said
that Stac always fulfilled its disclosure obligations to investors and
plans to continue to do so.

Despite these assertions, Stac's stock has suffered over the last
year. Stac stock has fallen from a high in May of 1992 of 14 1/8 to
close last Thursday at 2 1/2. However, the company's stock has started
rising again on Friday, as reports of its win with IIT started to
filter through.

The next scheduled court hearing between Microsoft and Stac is
May 12. Clow said that he expects the suit with Microsoft to be
resolved relatively quickly. "We're not breaking new ground here, as
in other Microsoft suits with companies such as Apple. We're just
dealing with a generic patent infringement suit," he said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930503/Press Contact: Gary Clow, Stac
Electronics, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Collins
Hemmingway, Microsoft, 206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00004)

Novell Netware User Association Created in Russia 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Novell Netware users now have
someone other than Novell to turn to in Russia: The Association of
Computer Networks Users, or Novnet for short.

Novnet is a not-for-profit organization and has registered itself as
such with the Russian authorities. Its primary aims are to disseminate
information on local area networks, as well as serving as a contact
point for end users, plus network software developers and producers.

As the name implies, Novnet will concentrate on Novell's Netware
initially. According to Vladminir Chuykin, head of ELCO Technology, a
networking firm, the organization will support most aspects of
networking technology. As a founder member, Chuykin has been handling
all the formalities to handle the fledgeling user group.

ELCO Technology specialises in supplying Novell certified hardware and
software, as well as Netware software and associated packages.

Novnet was founded by 13 members, who all hail from around Russia. The
president of the organization is Grigory Elkin, while Sergey
Golovatsky from Moscow State University is his deputy.

According to Novnet, the idea for the association has been brewing for
almost a year now. There are plans to host meetings at which Novnet
will publicize its operations. Elkin said that there also plans to
begin publishing a newsletter on the group's activities.

(Eugene Peskin & Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: ELCO
Technology, Vladimir Chuikin, [phone]; fax [phone];
e-mail [e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00005)

Push A Button, Get An Envelope 05/03/93
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Autotime Corporation has
introduced Laserbuddy, a device that attaches to a laser printer,
automatically locates addresses and prints an envelope at the push of
a button.

According to Autotime, LaserBuddy automatically scans a document as it
prints, locates and captures the address, then prints an envelope. The
device is claimed to be compatible with a variety of word processors,
including Microsoft Word and Wordperfect software.

In use, LaserBuddy supports four capture modes. The user can press a
button to select printing of an envelope or a label, with the
selection indicated by an indicator light on the Laserbuddy control
panel. The batch envelope mode will prompt the user to feed an
envelope after each document, or an envelope is automatically loaded
for printers with dual bins.

Documents and envelopes print alternately, collating the two in the
output tray. In the Label mode, the same batch process prints labels
for manila envelopes or shipping cartons. The Label mode also has an
option that prints additional items such as return addresses or postal
codes. The Dual Mode allows the user to print multiple labels or
envelopes, useful for mail merge applications.

An optional mode is called Hi-Density, which prints four pages of text
or graphics on a single page. LaserBuddy also supports form macros,
allowing the user to select a form to combine with a document.

The $249 device has a capture buffer that can store up to 38
characters per line and up to five lines. It supports Zip, Zip+4, and
Canadian Zip formats, and works with HP-compatible printers, plus HP
Series II, III, and IV printers. Laserbuddy uses a parallel interface
to connect to the user's PC, and in turn connects to the parallel port
of the printer.

In parallel with LaserBuddy, Autodesk has also lunched HyperCable, a
device that has line driver circuitry built into the plugs. The
company claims that this feature boosts the distance over which a
parallel cable will work to 200 feet.

Autotime also claims that HyperCable is fully compatible with printer
sharer and switching boxes. In use, the unit modifies and conditions
all eight data lines on the parallel cable, independently regenerating
the strobe signal that is required to control the printer.

One of the biggest problems facing very long runs of printer cabling
is crosstalk between the data lines. Static and other interference can
also give rise to false busy signals and a generally corrupted data
output. Autotime claims that HyperCable prevents these situations
occurring.

Unlike much of the competition, HyperCable does not require any
external power source, since it draws around one milliamp from the
parallel cable itself. This is so low as to be almost unnoticeable,
even on portable computer parallel outputs.

HyperCable is available in a variety of configurations, including
Centronics or DB-25 male to male and male to female cables. Cables can
even be ordered with high quality cabling, such as the Plenum fire
rated wiring. Autotime also manufacturers a kit to allow HyperCable to
be installed through conduiting.

Autotime spokesperson Lesa Dibble told Newsbytes that HyperCable is
available in lengths from 30 feet to 200 feet. Prices range from $59
for the 30 foot version to $199 for the longest HyperCable.

(Jim Mallory/19930503/Press and public contact: Lesa Dibble, Press,
Autotime, 503-452-8577, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00006)

Sega, Accolade Settle Lawsuit Out Of Court 05/03/93
REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Sega and Accolade
have decided to stop fighting and settle their differences out of
court. The much-publicised lawsuit centred over whether or not a third
party developer was required to pay the owner of the hardware a
royalty to distribute software titles for that system.

While both parties are reported to be happy with the outcome,
Newsbytes notes that the settlement thwarts the resolution of an
unsolved issue in the computer industry.

Sega originally filed its law suit against Accolade in November of
1991, charging that the software developer should pay a royalty for
developing titles for the Sega system. The law suit also alleged that
Accolade has programmed its games in a manner that misled Sega
customers to believe it was produced or licensed by Sega.

According to Alan Miller, Accolade's president, the company didn't
mind doing a licensing deal with Sega, but Miller accused Sega of
attempting to force Accolade into agreeing to what amounted to a non-
negotiable, third-party licensing arrangement.

Accolade also accused Sega of changing its system so that the message
"Produced By or Under License From Sega Enterprises Ltd." had to
appear before any game inserted in the system would play. Industry
insiders said that Sega's action was a trick designed to use copyright
law to drive Accolade into complying with Sega's licensing agreement.

Sega's tactics in its suit against Accolade have been condemned by the
American Committee for Interoperable Systems (ACIS), a group which
includes companies such as Chips and Technologies, Phoenix
Technologies, Seagate Technology, Zenith Data Systems, and Sun
Microsystems.

Sega did manage to get Accolade's products off the shelves for a while
during 1992, a move which Accolade said it may have lost as much as
$10 million in revenues.

Both parties, however, have now agreed to drop their respective legal
action against each other, bear their own litigation costs, and that
Accolade will become a third-party licensee of Sega. Accolade
representatives told Newsbytes that part of the settlement agreement
is that they cannot reveal any details of the license agreement with
Sega.

Accolade also said that reaching an agreement after such a long and
bitter battle had nothing to do with Sega's announcement with Time
Warner that it will introduce a game channel called the Sega Channel
which will debut this fall.

Plans call for the Sega Channel to offer a carousel of videogames on
an as-needed basis. A special decoder will be available for owners of
Sega Genesis systems but the games cannot be saved. Pricing will be at
about $8-10 per month, in the range of other pay cable services like
Home Box Office. An estimated 12-14 million homes have Sega Genesis
game systems in the US, while the cable channel is expected to reach
about 17 million homes.

Announcing the settlement, David Rosen, senior director of Sega
Enterprises, said: "This settlement is a satisfactory ending to what
was a very complex set of issues. Not only are we pleased to settle
this case amicably, we've also turned a corner in our association with
Accolade and now look forward to a healthy and mutually beneficial
relationship in the future."

(Linda Rohrbough/19930503/Press Contact: Brian Webster, Manning,
Selvage, and Lee for Sega, tel [phone]; Charlotte Skeel,
Accolade, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00007)

Dayna Ships EtherPrint 2.0; Lowers EtherPrint Plus Price 05/03/93
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Dayna Communications
has began shipping version 2.0 of its EtherPrint and EtherPrint Plus
Ethernet bridges for LocalTalk printers. The company has also lowered
the retail price of EtherPrint Plus from $649 to $599.

According to the company, version 2.0 offers enhanced EtherPrint
functionality by doubling its support from one to two LocalTalk
devices. EtherPrint Plus connects up to four LocalTalk devices
to Ethernet.

EtherPrint is an Ethernet bridge that allows LocalTalk devices to
connect directly to an Ethernet network. With the exception of
routers, all types of LocalTalk devices are supported, including all
brands of printers, network modems and Macintosh computers.

Version 2.0 includes network management and security features through
software that provides password protection for EtherPrint and the
LocalTalk devices attached to it.

EtherPrint Administrator is an feature that allows users to configure
EtherPrint. It has four configuration options that lets users name an
EtherPrint, place it in any AppleTalk Phase 2 network zone, assign a
password for configuration security, and assign password protection to
attached-devices.

The company claims that the password protection restricts EtherPrint
configuration to authorized personnel only, as well as restricting the
usage of attached devices, such as expensive color printers.

In order to access password protected LocalTalk devices, Dayna's
SecurIt control panel must be installed on each Mac. SecurIt allows
users to see any EtherPrint attached LocalTalk device in any zone on
the network.

Version 2.0 also offers easier installation to Ethernet networks, the
company claims. A device "mapping" feature allows either the attached-
device or the EtherPrint to be powered up in any sequence. It also
automatically senses which kind of Ethernet cable it is connected to,
thereby eliminating the need for manual switches.

An EtherPrint system supporting up to two LocalTalk devices costs
between $499 and $549, while EtherPrint Plus, which supports up to
four LocalTalk devices, costs between $599 and $649. Registered owners
can upgrade their current EtherPrint and EtherPrint Plus to version
2.0 functionality for $99.

(Ian Stokell/19930503/Press Contact: A. Cory Maloy, 801-269-7273,
Dayna Communications)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00008)

Russian CD-ROM To Be Sold In US And Europe 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The Russian Scientific-Technician
Information Center (WNTIC) has announced a CD-ROM (compact disc, read
only memory) that contains a listing of all Russian research
companies, including those involved with the military.

According to WNTIC, the disc includes details of 6,512 labs,
institutes, plus assorted other research and development
establishments in Russia. Included in each entry are complete contact
details, together with information on all known projects undertaken by
the establishments in the period 1989 to 1991.

The disc is being produced in Europe for the Russian company by Opti-
store in the Netherlands. Thanks to the European connection, the disc
is being offered for sale through European and US distribution
channels, although it bears a hefty price tag -- $1,500 per disc.

Curiously, the disc is not being offered for sale in Russia. WNTIC
says that it plans to offer an upgrade to the database that includes
details of all Russian Doctors of Science, together with their contact
details, later this year.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: WNTIC, phone [phone]-
7701)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00009)

Japan Electro Devices Teams Up With Korea's Samsung 05/03/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Japan Electro Devices (Osaka) (JED)
and Korea's major conglomerate, Samsung, have signed an agreement
concerning pictorial data processing devices. Terms of the deal call
for Samsung to market JED's products in Korea and the US.

Under the agreement, JED will supply its high quality pictorial data
processing software and hardware to Samsung. The Korean electronics
giant will then fit these products to its industrial robots and ship
them domestically, as well as to the US.

JED's hardware consists of a series of line sensors, connected by a
pictorial data processor controller. They will be used on the robot
for 3D image assimilation and in conjunction with a laser checking
system for electronic components and their assembly.

JED also plans to provide details of its advanced data processing
technology to Samsung. Using this technology, Samsung will offer its
customers a maintenance service.

The contract between the two companies will last for 10 years. JED,
which has already sent several of its technical engineers to Samsung,
expects to generate around a billion yen's worth of sales (about $9
million) over the next five years from the deal.

JED is one of Japan's top pictorial data processing technology
companies. This deal allows Samsung to resell the technology, while
both companies generate extra profits from the arrangement.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930503/Press Contact: Japan Electro
Devices, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00010)

Mastek Boosts Investment In US Subsidiary 05/03/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Mastek Limited, the Bombay-based
software company, has announced plans to invest a total of $200,000 in
its wholly-owned subsidiary in the US, MSI. According to the company,
the capital injection into its Californian operation will allow
exports to be increased. MSI is preparing to cater for large turnkey
projects in the US.

MSI is also preparing to release Mamis, an advanced object-oriented,
relational database management system (RDBMS) based MRP II package for
use in large manufacturing organizations.

Currently, Mastek has nine offices across India, as well as an
offshore development centre in the Santa Cruz Electronics Export
Processing Zone (SEEPZ) in Bombay, plus associate companies in
Singapore, the US and the UK. Mastek also operates as a distributor
for Ingres' RDBMS of the same name, plus Comshare International's
Executive Information Systems and Decision Support Systems in India.

The renewed thrust in the export arena means the company's export
revenues are set to grow from the Rs 2.5 crore in 1992 (around
$833,300) to over Rs 5 crore (around $1.6 million) for 1993-94.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930503)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00011)

Canadian Product Launch Update 05/03/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the
Canadian market on announcements by international companies that
Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Computer Associates' new
release of dBFast and Microsoft's developer kits for FoxPro 2.5.

Computer Associates Canada joined its US parent in announcing shipment
of CA-dBFast 2.0, a database development tool for Microsoft Windows
(Newsbytes, April 29). The Canadian retail price is C$595, with an
introductory price of C$299 in effect until June 30. Users of the
previous version of dBFast can upgrade for C$125.

Microsoft Canada announced the availability of three developer kits
for its FoxPro 2.5 database software (Newsbytes, April 7). The
Microsoft FoxPro distribution kits for Windows and MS-DOS are
available now at a suggested retail price of C$649.95 each. Registered
users of previous FoxPro distribution kits can upgrade for C$249.95.
The Library Construction Kit for FoxPro is due to be available this
month, with a suggested retail price of C$649.95 and a version upgrade
price of C$249.95.

Microsoft Canada also announced that Win32s, a software technology
that lets software developers write 32-bit applications able to run
unchanged on Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows NT
(Newsbytes, Nov. 12, 1992), is now available in Canada.

(Grant Buckler/19930503/Press Contact: John Schoutsen, Computer
Associates Canada, 416-676-6700, fax [phone]; Marc Camm,
Microsoft Canada, 416-568-0434 ext. 4086, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00012)

Hill Samuel Moves Computers To COL In Outsourcing Deal 05/03/93
KWUN TONG, HONG KONG, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Hill Samuel, the private
banking specialist, has outsourced its computer systems to COL
Limited, one of Hong Kong's leading computer services companies. The
deal, which runs for five years, is one of the most high profile in
the booming computer outsourcing industry.

Terms of the contract call for Hill Samuel's Digital Equipment VAX
4200 and PDP-11/84 systems to be housed at COL's purpose-built data
centre in Kwun Tong and linked from there to nearly 40 users at the
bank's office in Central.

According to Clemence Lee, the company's deputy chief executive, the
prospect of remote computer support is nothing new to the company,
which does not currently have an inhouse computer team. For the last
two years, Hill Samuel has been relying on support from its London
offices.

"We found this wasn't cost-effective, so we were faced with a choice
between building up our own team or using a third party that can
deliver the sort of service we need," Lee explained.

"We have a relationship with COL that goes back more than 10 years, so
they were the obvious choice. When you've been working with a partner
that long, you know a lot about their capabilities," he said.

For most of the 1980s, COL ran Hill Samuel's applications on a bureau
basis, and it still develops occasional applications for the bank most
recently a mortgage loan system.

Under the new facilities management agreement, COL will provide
software maintenance for all the bank's systems, which include
treasury, general ledger and credit control as well as the new
mortgage application. Three software specialists from COL visited
London recently to familiarise themselves with the software before
taking over support responsibility.

"Hill Samuel is in the position of many mid-range users who took
advantage of falling hardware prices to put in their own systems,"
said Peter Fishwick, COL's Sales Director. "They then found that the
real cost of computing was neither hardware nor software, but people."

"By leaving specialist companies like COL to manage their systems,
they can free up valuable office space and concentrate on their core
business, yet retain all the flexibility and responsiveness of an
online installation," he added.

(Brett Cameron/19930503/Press Contact: Peter Fishwick, COL,Tel: +852-
798 4798;HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00013)

Japanese Government To Further Deregulate Telecoms 05/03/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of Posts &
Telecommunication has been talking about further deregulation of the
telecoms business in Japan. If enacted, this will be the second stage
in deregulation, which started in 1985 in Japan.

The major point of the changes this time around is to remove the
limitations that affect companies involved in many different kinds of
telecoms business and broadcasting. This is a restriction that is
being progressively lifted by the governments of both the UK and the
US, Newsbytes notes.

If enacted, the new legislation will allow broadcasters to enter the
telecoms business, and vice versa. The classic example of this is a
cable TV company being allowed to offer telephone services over its TV
distribution cables. In the reverse direction, a telecoms company
could also offer TV and video services over its copper wire or fiber
optic links into the homes of its subscribers.

The main reason for the government consideration of the changes is
that multimedia technology has spawned a whole new generation of
companies in Japan. To impose archaic restrictions on these companies
would be an inexplicable application of the law.

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has been considering the
changes since January of this year. The Ministry looks likely to issue
a draft set of proposals later this year on the matter.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930503)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00014)

More Computer Shows Coming In Russia 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The slow but steady application of
Glasnost in Russia has meant that interest in computer technology has
been rising by leaps and bounds. And, just as in the West in the
1980s, the computer show organizers have not been slow to catch on to
this fact. Newsbytes has compiled a list of shows that are scheduled
to be held in Moscow and St Petersbourg over the next three months:

[] Automated Information Systems, May 11-15, St Petersbourg, at the
   Havan exhibition site. A general trade show in the Russian North-
   West region. Managed by Lenexpo and Restek.

[] Anigraph'93, May 12-16, Moscow, at the Cinema center. A computer-
   based animation and graphics show featuring major companies in the
   field. Organized by the Joy company and Moscow Cinema center.

[] Swiaz'93, May 14-21, Moscow, at the Presnya Expocenter. The annual
   communications equipment and technology exhibition organized by the
   Expocenter.

[] Expocom'93, June 1-5, Moscow, at the VVC (formerly VDNKh)
   exhibition center. Yet another computer trade show of general
   interest. Organized by Krauze Associates and Hannover Messe.

[] Electronmash'93, July 14-21, Moscow, at the Presnya Expocenter.
   The sixth international exhibition of the electronic and computer
   industry manufacturing equipment organized by the Expocenter.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: Restek, St Petersbourg,
phone [phone]; Joy Company, phone [phone]; Hannover
Messe Moscow, phone [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00015)

Ingres Announces Release 6.4, Developed In Singapore 05/03/93
WAN CHAI, HONG KONG, MAY 3 1993 -- Ingres Software (Hong Kong) Limited
has announced a full 64-bit version of Ingres Release 6.4, the
relational database management system (RDBMS) that runs on Digital's
Alpha AXP computers under the OSF/1 (Unix) operating system.

The new port was developed by the Ingres team in Singapore and is
claimed to be the first RDBMS specifically re-engineered for Digital's
powerful new Alpha 64-bit processor. Ingres demonstrated Release 6.4
at DEC's Open Systems Open House Road Show late last month in Hong
Kong.

Casey Leaman, managing director, Asia operations for Ingres, said he
believes that database applications are arguably the main area that
will benefit from the 64-bit architecture of Digital's Alpha Range.

Doug Morrison, Ingres' product marketing manager for Asian Operations,
told Newsbytes that the porting process takes about three man months
to complete.

Porting is a process by which the program code of a package is
reworked to run on a different platform, usually under a variant of
the same operating system. According to Morrison, the process was
refined for the company's port to the DEC Alpha environment, since
the existing source code for the package was recompiled for the new
platform.

"In this case re-engineering is more than just doing a simple port of
existing 32-bit architecture, which is relatively straightforward." he
said. "Our Ingres development team in Singapore rewrote internal
components to ensure full advantage is taken of the new architecture."

According to Morrison, Ingres is ideally suited to porting between
computing platforms. "The recompiling issues are minimized, this time,
due to several factors. Firstly, the development team in Singapore is
headed by very good engineers. Also DEC's OSF/1 operating system is
very stable. Development is much easier to when there are less
technical problems to overcome," he said.

Interestingly, Morrison was enthusiastic about the DEC Alpha
environment's speed. He said that the machine is a lot faster than
older 32-bit systems. "It takes about a week to compile Ingres on a 32
bit machine. Overall we estimate the software to run 30-40% faster
than on any comparable 32 bit machine."

Beta tests on the new program code are being carried out at customer
sites outside of Asia. Morrison said that he expects the package to be
shipping worldwide for the DEC Alpha platform next month.

Ingres is available on a wide array of platforms including several
flavours of Unix, as well as DOS, OS2 and Windows NT. The double byte
feature of Ingres allows development in Asian languages like Korean,
Japanese and Chinese.

(Brett Cameron/19930503/Press Contact: Doug Morrison, Ingres, Tel:
[phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00016)

Joy Company To Distribute Animation Software In Russia 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Joy Company, one of the many firms
exhibiting at the Comtek '93 show in Moscow last week, was presenting
a range of hardware and software aimed at the advertising industry.

Among Joy's multiple animation and graphics systems were Upfront and
Sketch, two packages from Alias Research, which are aimed at
experienced advertisers. Joy also handles Silicon Graphics' Iris
Indigo and high-end Apple Macintosh software, plus Wacom's high
precision digitizers.

The animation and graphics technology shown at Comtek '93 does not
come cheaply, however. Pricing on complete systems from the Moscow-
based company starts at $3,000 and rises to a hefty $100,000. Joy
claims that the diversity of its systems allow all types of companies
to use the technology, including newcomers and the very well off
companies. Sales of the packages are rocketing, the company claims.

Joy is a Moscow-based systems integration company that specializes in
providing hardware and software solutions to TV companies and
advertising agencies. The company competes head to head with Steepler,
another Moscow company in the same market.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: Joy Company - phone +7 095
187-75-38)


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

Toronto, Chicago Firms Form Multimedia Alliance 05/03/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Digital Renaissance, a
Toronto multimedia developer, has announced an alliance with VMI, a
Chicago-based corporate communications firm. Plans call for the two
companies to work together to sell multimedia as a corporate
communications tool in the North American marketplace.

Three-year-old Digital Renaissance has developed multimedia
applications for organizations such as Canada Post, Northern Telecom,
Canadian Pacific, and the Bronfman Foundation, a company spokeswoman
told Newsbytes. Applications include marketing, employee
communications, and training. The company also sells multimedia
hardware and software and has recently begun venturing into the
production of commercial multimedia titles.

The alliance with VMI will focus on multimedia as a tool for
corporate communications, the spokeswoman said.

VMI has offices in Toronto, Chicago, and New York, and specializes in
designing systems of internal communication for firms such as IBM,
Proctor & Gamble, Prudential Insurance Co. of America, and others. The
company was founded in 1979.

The firms said the alliance will build on their respective strengths
in different industries.

(Grant Buckler/19930503/Press Contact: Keith Kocho, Digital
Renaissance, 416-593-5070, fax [phone]; Rand Nickerson, VMI, 312-
759-1250)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00018)

CGI Opens Toronto Connectivity Laboratory 05/03/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The CGI Group, a Canadian
consulting firm, has opened its fourth Connectivity Research Centre.
The new Toronto facility is the flagship of what will eventually be
six of the research sites, company officials said.

Robert Steel, Toronto region vice-president for CGI, told Newsbytes
that the new center is about twice the size of existing facilities in
Ottawa and Quebec City, and 50 percent bigger than CGI's Montreal
center. It will have three full-time employees initially, supplemented
by members of CGI's technical consulting staff depending on current
projects.

Like CGI's other Connectivity Research Centres, the Toronto lab
will have an assortment of computer and networking equipment from
various suppliers. This will provide a platform for developing
and testing connectivity applications. It will be linked through
a permanent telecommunications network with the other existing
facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, and with two
more planned centers in Edmonton and Boston.

Each center has an individual focus, according to CGI officials. The
Toronto center, because of its location in Canada's financial capital
and a major industrial area, focuses on areas such as work-flow
automation, multimedia document management, enterprise client/server
systems, distributed transaction processing, factory flow automation,
and security and risk assessment.

CGI plans to open its Edmonton center in about three months and the
Boston facility by October or November of this year, Steel said. He
added that the existing Ottawa center has been very well received and
has been extremely busy, while the Montreal center has also been quite
busy and the Quebec lab rather less so.

(Grant Buckler/19930503/Press Contact: Robert Steel, CGI Group,
416-862-0430, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00019)

India's Samtel teams With Corning On CRT Production 05/03/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The Samtel group of companies has
established a joint venture operation with Corning, the US company.
The new company will manufacture monochrome cathode ray tubes (CRTs)
and their glass shells for inclusion in computer monitors and TVs.
Plans are in hand for color tube production, once the first phase has
got under way.

The new company is known as Samcor Glass Limited and is based at Kota
in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. The manufacturing
operation, which will be capable of turning out 5.5 million units a
year, will cater for India's large TV and computer monitor
manufacturing industry.

Satish Kaura, Samtel's chairman, said that the introduction of the
plant will mean that the company's CRTs will only have a 10 percent
imported components ratio.

Corning officials say they anticipate a period of great growth in
demand for TV sets and computer monitors over the next two decades. By
the year 2010, the company expects the market to grow to between 50
and 100 million TVs and monitors.

Corning is best known in the US for its optical fiber manufacture, as
well as video glass production and the supply of automotive emission
control systems.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930503)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00020)

Microsoft Basic Users Group Formed In Moscow 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- As they have done in the West,
Russian users of Microsoft's Basic have decided to form a user group.
The official name of the Moscow-based organization is the Microsoft
Basic Users Association or MBUA for short.

The association, founded under the auspices of the Moscow-based
Institute of Engineering Researches, will cater for users of all
Microsoft Basic languages, including GW Basic and Quick Basic, as well
as Professional and Visual Basic.

More than 100 companies are joining the society. Microsoft Russia and
the number of software distributors have agreed to provide assistance
and product discounts to MBUA members.

As with all user groups, once the launch euphoria has died down, the
organization faces an uphill battle to establish itself. Despite this,
Mr Kolesov, the MBUA co-ordinator, said that the society has a healthy
future.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: MBUA, Mr Kolesov, phone +7
095 366-2502)


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

International Telecom Update 05/03/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The focus of world
telecom attention has shifted to Europe, where moves toward
privatization and deregulation are moving in lockstep.

The sweeping victory of French conservatives has helped spur on
privatization throughout the Continent. The conservatives ran on a
promise to privatize, with hopes of raising $4-5 billion in short
order. A law governing sales is now being written, but so far no move
has been made to sell-off the biggest of the lot, France Telecom.
France Telecom, unlike most state-owned PTTs throughout the continent,
has heavy international investments. It's also profitable, and many
French citizens are reluctant to part with it.

But the European Community (EC) has promised an open telecoms market
by 1998, after failing to make a 1993 date. And Germany, facing huge
debts from its acquisition of 5 eastern provinces once called East
Germany, is under heavy pressure to sell its Deutsche Bundespost
Telekom unit, freeing it to compete with British Telecom and others.
As a first step, the company is changing its pricing structure,
cutting long distance rates while raising local charges.

As Western governments privatize, the new companies represent
competition with Eastern European PTTs for scarce capital. And some
Western companies, like Alcatel of France, are looking for new capital
to fill East European orders, like Alcatel's $20 million deal to
supply 200,000 new phone lines in Romania. This has caused bankers to
go back to their drawing boards, looking for new ways to finance all
this new business. Debt has already gone to its limit, and state-owned
companies have already been sold throughout most of the area.

The next step, private companies competing with the state-owned firms,
means complication and, perhaps, lower valuations on the newly-
privatized state-owned firms. Finding a regulatory framework which
will reduce potential losses while continuing to attract capital is
the challenge.

Elsewhere, officials of PLDT continue to face down the government of
President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines, who hoped nationalizing
stock held by former cronies of the late Ferdinand Marcos would change
attitudes. The argument now is over opening a new international
gateway facility, to be operated by Globe Telecoms. PLDT and the
Philippine Global Communications Corporation, known as Philcom, still
oppose the new competition, saying capacity is going begging.

Finally, Vietnam cut charges for international telephone, telex and
fax calls, to the Asian average. It's another sign of the market there
re-opening.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930503)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(MOW)(00022)

 ****Russia: First Details Of HP 100LX Palmtop Announced 05/03/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Moscow-based Cherus is planning to
offer the first "localized" palmtop in Russia. The machine will be a
specially-equipped version of the HP 100LX palmtop, which was jointly
developed by Hewlett-Packard and Lotus Development Corporation. The
palmtop will be modified to accept cyrillic characters as well as the
accepted ASCII characters seen in the West.
Packard.

Andrei Digilov of Cherus told Newsbytes that the HP100LX will have a
megabyte of memory and support an 80 character x 25 line CGA
resolution screen. The MS-DOS portable computer is HP's successor to
its popular HP 95LX palmtop that has been shipping for several years.

According to Digilov, the machine will also feature DOS 5.0 in ROM,
as well as built-in versions of Lotus 1-2-3 and CC:mail. The Russian
version of the 100LX will have a Russian keyboard layout in addition
to its software-based cyrillic conversion.

The 100LX tips the scales at just 300 grams and comes with PCMCIA
expansion slots for 5 and 10 megabyte (MB) RAM cards. As with the
95LX, power on the 100LX comes from AA-sized batteries, which power
the machine for up to nine hours. Also, as with later 95LX's, the
100LX has the facility to exchange data with other machines using an
infra-red connection port.

Cherus plans to begin shipping the localized HP100LX in the middle of
June, with a retail price tag of $1,161.

Cherus is an authorized dealer of Hewlett Packard, and specializes on
LAN equipment and peripherals.

(Eugene Peskin & Kirill Tchashchin/19930503/Press Contact: Cherus,
Andrei Digilov, phone [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

210 Area Code Becomes Mandatory In Texas 05/03/93
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The new 210 area code
for southwest Texas, including San Antonio, has become mandatory,
Southwestern Bell has announced. Callers using 512 to reach numbers in
San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley are now getting a recording
saying they must re-dial using 210.

The 512-210 boundary is a meandering line through the center of the
state, demonstrating how difficult is is becoming to know which cities
are in which area codes. Austin, for instance, is still 512, but San
Antonio, just slightly southwest, is the largest city in the 210 code.
Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Coast, is also 512, but Brownsville, also
along the coast, is 210.

The biggest problem, however, may be re-programming business software
switches, called PBXs, to recognize the new code. Many systems block
so-called "illegal" area codes, but the need for new codes has made
formerly illegal codes, like 210, legal and necessary. Other examples
of such codes, which use 1s or 0s as their last digit, include 410 in
western Maryland and 310 and western Los Angeles.

Bigger problems are coming, phone company officials warn, as the
number of area codes will have to expand further in the next five
years. Codes with 2 through 9 as their central digit will have to be
created, making many area codes indistinguishable from regular
exchange numbers.

Southwestern Bell has emphasized that rates are not changing as a
result of the new area code. Many calls throughout South Texas, even
within the 512 area code, were already long distance. Southwestern
Bell itself is in the process of moving its executive offices from St.
Louis, in the 314 area code, to San Antonio. It's the first of the
regional Bell companies to change its headquarters city since the
seven companies were formed on January 1, 1984.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930503/Press Contact: Oscar Saucedo,
Southwestern Bell, 210-222-3423)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00024)

Two New Typefaces From Adobe For The Mac Announced 05/03/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Two new multiple
typefaces for the Apple Macintosh -- Viva and Tekton -- have been
announced by Adobe Systems. The company says that the two typefaces
are from its Adobe Originals type library and are available now.

Adobe describes the Viva typeface an inline typeface with two design
axes: weight and width. Viva is the first typeface designed especially
for display use and was designed by Adobe's own Carol Twombly. The
typeface includes tapered inlines and strokes that are opened by the
interior white line, and in heavier weights, Viva gives the illusion
of a shaded typeface. Variations of Viva can be custom generated
anywhere between Light Condensed and Bold Extra-extended.

Tekton, meanwhile, was first released in 1989 and has been designed by
David Siegel. According to Adobe, it is based on the hand lettering of
Francis D.K. Ching, a Seattle-based architect and author. Like Viva,
the Tekton multiple master typeface has two design axes: weight and
width. Variations in Tekton and Tekton Oblique can be generated to
create fonts ranging from Light Condensed to Bold Extended, according
to Adobe.

Viva is retail priced at $145 and Tekton is $185. Adobe says those
interested can get more information about the typefaces from the
company's authorized resellers, who have both available for purchase.
These two typefaces are only available from Adobe dealers and were not
included on Adobe's Type On-call compact disc read-only memory (CD-
ROM) disc as they were not available when the CD-ROM was distributed.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930503/Press Contact: LaVon Peck, Adobe, tel
415-962-2730, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00025)

 ****Toshiba Slashes PC Pricing 17 Percent 05/03/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- The PC hardware price
wars continue. This time Toshiba America Information Systems has cut
prices up to 17 percent on most of its notebooks and portable
computers.

Announcing the cuts, Steve Lair, vice president of marketing for the
Computer Systems Division of Toshiba America, said: Because of the
rapid growth in our shipment volume, we are able to achieve
significant savings in components and sub-assembly costs. We are
extending the savings to our customers and providing them with premium
products at extremely aggressive prices."

According to the company, prices have been reduced by as much as 17
percent on the T6400 advanced portables, including the T6400MM
multimedia portable computer system, and up to 14 percent on the T4500
family notebooks.

Typical street prices have been reduced drastically. For example, the
T1850/80 notebook is down from $1,500 -- $1,650 to $1,300 -- $1,400;
the T1850/120 is down from $1,700 -- $1,900 to $1,500 -- $1,600; and
the T1850C/120 is down from $2,350 -- $2,600 to $2,000 -- $2,100.

The list prices on the T4400SX/120 liquid crystal display (LCD)
notebook is down seven percent from $2,799 to $2,599; the T4400C/200
is down four percent from $4,799 to $4,599; the T4500/80 is down 13
percent from $2,799 to $2,449; and the T6400MM/200 portable is down 17
percent from $9,599 to $7,999.

International Data estimates that Toshiba is the leading vendor in the
US market for portable computers, with 16.2 percent of the volume for
1992.

(Ian Stokell/19930503/Press Contact: Howard Emerson,
714-583-3925; Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00026)

Novell Intros Beta NetWare Client For Windows NT 05/03/93
PROVO, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Novell's NetWare network
operating system commands between 65 and 70 percent of the networking
installed base. Microsoft's upcoming Windows NT operating system is
aimed at corporate users and includes many networking features. Hoping
to provide interconnectivity between the two environments in the
future, Novell has now introduced NetWare Client for Microsoft Windows
NT Beta II.

According to Novell, it is supporting Microsoft Windows NT as a
NetWare Client in "the same way NetWare currently supports other
desktop clients such as DOS, Windows, OS/2, Unix and Macintosh."

The package is available to Windows NT beta sites who want access to
NetWare services from an NT client. The new release includes Novell's
NetWare transport stacks, IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange) and SPX
II, which is a new release of Novell's SPX transport.

According to Novell, SPX II improves performance and simplifies
network application development. Novell hopes to get early feedback
from users.

Features in the beta version of NetWare Client for NT include: support
for NetWare 4.0 ODI LAN (local area network) drivers; NetWare print
services; integrated install program; mutual log in that supports a
universal login username and password for NetWare and Microsoft
Windows NT; and increased reliability.

Novell says that, as development continues, the NetWare Client will
support NetWare 4.0 directory services, NetWare Client application
programming interfaces, and DOS and OS/2 emulations. Novell will also
provide a 32-bit Windows graphical utility.

The NetWare Client for Microsoft Windows NT is available on CompuServe
in NOVFILES (GO NOVFILES) under Client Updates, or directly from
Novell by calling 800/NETWARE.

(Ian Stokell/19930503/Press Contact: Roberta Alfred,
408-321-1198, Novell Inc.)


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

 ****IBM Taps Chrysler For Chief Financial Officer 05/03/93
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- IBM, in the midst of
cost-cutting efforts that follow unprecedented losses at what was once
one of the most profitable companies in the world, has chosen as its
new financial chief a veteran of another big American company that
went through hard times a few years ago.

IBM has named Jerome B. York, formerly executive vice-president of
finance and chief financial officer at Chrysler Corp., as its new
chief financial officer and a senior vice-president. York, 54, will
report to IBM's recently installed chairman, Louis V. Gerstner Jr.

York will take over the job immediately from Paul Rizzo, a retired IBM
executive who was called back to the firm in December and in January
took over as chief financial officer, following the retirement of
Frank Metz. Rizzo will remain a vice-chairman of IBM, overseeing
various manufacturing and development businesses, a company spokesman
said.

In a prepared statement, Gerstner said: "Jerome York not only has
extensive financial experience, but he has a significant background in
operations as well. He has helped lead Chrysler's cost-reduction
programs while successfully managing the company's over-all financial
portfolio. He will be a valuable member of our team."

In a statement issued by Chrysler, York said that leaving the
automaker was "the toughest decision I've made in my career," but that
he expected the job at IBM to be "one of the most challenging business
situations in the '90s and I welcome the opportunity to be part of
it."

Last year, IBM reported a net loss of $4,965 million, after changes in
accounting principles, on revenues of $64,423 million, down slightly
from 1991. In the fourth quarter of 1992, IBM recorded its first-ever
quarterly loss from regular operations, losing $45 million before
adding special charges for capacity and work-force reductions. The
total quarterly loss after special charges was $5,463 million.

IBM has said it plans to cut another 25,000 jobs worldwide this year,
in addition to about 40,000 positions cut from its payroll during
1992. Earlier this year, the company resorted to involuntary layoffs
for the first time in its history. More than 70,000 employees have
left IBM in the past two years.

York became executive vice president-finance and chief financial
officer of Chrysler in 1990 and a Chrysler director in 1992. As
Chrysler's CFO, York directed the company's $3-billion cutting effort,
supervised re-negotiation of its revolving credit agreements, and
oversaw the sale of more than $3 billion in assets.

He holds a BS in engineering science from the United States Military
Academy, an MS in structural engineering from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and an MBA in accounting from the University
of Michigan.

(Grant Buckler/19930503/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM, 914-
765-6565)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00028)

Fujitsu Networks Intros Desktop Conferencing For Novell Nets 05/03/93
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Communication is an
important element in the success of any corporate networking
environment, which accounts for the current popularity of electronic
mail systems. Now Fujitsu Networks Industry has introduced DeskTop
Conferencing for Novell networks.

According to the company, the package is a fully interactive Microsoft
Windows-based communications tool which allows people to hold real
time, interactive conferences directly from their PCs.

Fujitsu says that DeskTop Conferencing enables users to share any on-
screen information in real time. Multiple users may participate in a
conference, and multiple conferences may occur on the network
simultaneously.

Each user has an on-screen pointer and pen tools that they utilize.
The package also offers something the company calls "Flipcharts" for
brainstorming, note-taking and annotation of any screen.

Announcing the package, Don Marshall, vice president, sales and
marketing, said: "DeskTop Conferencing adds tremendous value to any
Novell network. In effect, it turns any software application into
groupware by allowing workgroups or teams to share on-screen
information, collaborate, make edits and revisions and reach
consensus, even sign off on a project, right over a Novell network."

The company says that, with DeskTop Conferencing, documents,
spreadsheets, charts, graphics and images from any Windows or MS-DOS
application can be simultaneously viewed, discussed, annotated and
edited by all participants, with changes showing up instantly on all
users' screens. Participants can conference any information resident
on their PCs, or accessed from a server, mainframe or other source.

DeskTop Conferencing for Novell networks requires Novell's NetWare
2.2, 3.11 or 4.0 network operating systems, IPX (Internetwork Packet
Exchange) protocol and Ethernet or Token Ring topology. For wide area
interconnects, a bridge or router with a minimum bandwidth of 56kbps
is recommended. The package also needs Microsoft Windows 3.0 or
higher, MS-DOS 3.1 or higher and a 80386 or better PC.

DeskTop Conferencing is available immediately and carries a base price
of $2,475.00 for a five-user pack. Discounts for large workgroups are
available. A light pen computing pack is available as an option,
priced at $395. A version for Integrated Services Digital Networks
(ISDN) is also available.

(Ian Stokell/19930503/Press Contact: Laura Shiembob,
203-326-2749, Fujitsu Networks Industry)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00029)

Moving? Now You Can Use Your PC To Compare States 05/03/93
NOVATO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) -- Thinking of moving?
Broderbund says it has combined information from US statistical
abstracts with a US atlas program so you can use your computer to
compare states based on crime rate, average annual pay, taxes, and
even climate.

The company calls the package a "computerized atlas" and says it is a
result of Broderbund's purchase last July of Arizona-based PC Globe.
The program is available for in two forms, PC USA for the IBM and
compatible personal computer (PC) and MacUSA for the Macintosh
platform.

In addition to providing detailed maps, facts and figures on all 50 US
states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., Broderbund claims that the
1990 census data is included as well as the 1992 election results.

Demographic and economic data, collected by the US government on
subjects such as average incomes, age distribution, and crime rates is
available in the programs. In addition, information on the names of
each state's primary political leaders, key historical events, tourist
attractions, and climate charts for major cities is offered. Users can
also view state flags and play each state's anthem.

Comparing states or regions can be done by creating thematic maps and
bar charts in various categories. The categories include: agriculture,
business conditions, children, energy, entrepreneurship, environment,
labor sectors, general living conditions, government finances,
manufacturing, mining, vital statistics, taxes, average/annual pay,
highway statistics, crime statistics, and health statistics.

Both versions of the atlas program are available now and Broderbund
says the suggested retail price is $49.95. On the PC platform, the
program is DOS based, but Broderbund says it will run under the
popular Microsoft Windows 3.1 user interface.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930503/Press Contact: Karen Omholt,
Broderbund, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00030)

 ****ZDS Slashes PC Pricing By Up To 23 Percent 05/03/93
BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 MAY 3 (NB) --  Zenith Data
Systems (ZDS) announced today that is lowering the prices on several
of its notebook and desktop personal computers as well as some
monitors. Some units are being reduced as much as 23 percent.

"The PC price war is far from over," explained ZDS VP Clifford Jenks.
Responsible for North American sales and marketing, Jenks said that
the current round of price cuts affect all models of the Z-Sport and
some models of the Z-Note notebook PCs. The biggest cut apply to the
Z-Sport 325S Model 60, which has been reduced to $999, a cut of $300.

The 325S is a Intel 386SX 25 megahertz (MHz)-powered unit with 2
megabytes (MB) of system memory and a 60MB hard drive. "ZDS is the
first major personal computer maker to break the $1,000 barrier with a
full-featured notebook," said Jenks.

The company's Z-Note 320L Model 60 has been reduced $200 to $1,499, an
11 percent drop. The Z-Note 320L is driven by a 20MHz Intel 386SL
microprocessor, has 2MB of system memory and a 60MB hard drive, and
comes with a built-in Ethernet connection. It ships with MS-DOS,
Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, and client shells for
three popular local area network (LAN) programs.

ZDS has also cut prices on its Z-Station and Z-400+ desktop systems.
The Z-Station 433 Model 200 now sells for $1,900 with a 33MHz Intel
486DX microprocessor, 4MB of memory, a 200MB hard drive, four full
size expansion slots, and a LAN module. Z-Station PCs can use Zenith's
SCSI and Windows Accelerator Modules without tying up any of the full
length expansion slots.

The Z-425S Model 170 has been reduced about five percent, and will
now sell for $1,399 with a 25MHz Intel 486DX chip, 4MB of RAM, 1MB of
video DRAM (dynamic random access memory) on a local video bus, and
170MB hard drive.

Several ZDS monitors, including color units, have been cut by about 20
percent. One of the affected monitors is a 17 inch (measured
diagonally) high resolution unit, while a 14 inch color VGA monitor
that uses flat tension mask technology has also been reduced.

Zenith Data Systems sells its products direct through a field sales
force and through its catalog. The prices quoted by ZDS are for direct
sales. The company also sells through a reseller network and through
seven major distributors. Prices on items purchased through resellers
or distributors may be higher or lower than the ZDS direct price.

(Jim Mallory/19930503/Press contact: John Bace, ZDS, 708-808-4848;
Reader contact: ZDS, 800-553-0333)