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/NB930728

Text File | 1993-07-30 | 74KB | 1,629 lines

(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00001)

Centrum Intros AppleTalk Support For CentrumRemote 07/28/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Centrum
Communications Inc., has announced that its CentrumRemote
remote server will support remote access networking for Apple
Computers' PowerBooks as well as the company's other computer
products within multiprotocol enterprises.

According to the company, the combination of the AppleTalk
Remote Access Protocol (ARAP) with Centrum's network server,
CentrumRemote, allows users of Apple computers to access
enterprise-wide network resources as if they were directly
connected to the corporate network.

Kevin Gallagher, spokesman for the company, told Newsbytes that,
CentrumRemote, "Allows a laptop or PowerBook user to access an
enterprise local area network via telephone lines. Remote access,
or remote networking, is a new emerging, relatively hot marketplace."

CentrumRemote is claimed to be the only hardware server to provide
PowerBooks and Macintoshes remote networking support through
the same multiprotocol server used for IBM PCs and Unix users.

The new software release will support ARAP version 1.0, and the
company has also announced plans to continue development in
concert with Apple's plans to support ARA over Point-to-Point
Protocol (PPP).

Gallagher told Newsbytes that the announcement is actually "an
offering of AppleTalk capabilities. Up to now the product only
(worked with) PC users. Now it works with the Macintosh and
Apple PowerBooks as well."

In addition to AppleTalk Remote Access Protocol, CentrumRemote
also supports Banyan Vines, DECNet, Novell's IPX (Internetwork
Packet Exchange), NetBEUI, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol), and XNS (Xerox Network Services).

Gallagher told Newsbytes that "The CentrumRemote is a 19-inch,
rack-mount server. It has an i960 RISC processor in it. And it
sits on the corporate or host side (of the network). There is
sophisticated software within the server. Then each laptop user
has software as well that allows you to point-and-click on an
icon - it does automatic dial-up. It actually fakes the network
into thinking that the laptop is a node on the network. It almost
emulates a network interface card."

In announcing support, David Helfrich, Centrum's vice president of
marketing, said, "CentrumRemote is the only server that fully
addresses the needs of the enterprise network manager, and with
the addition of ARAP, offers the broadest protocol support as well
as security and network management."

The company says that, residing directly on the network,
CentrumRemote comprises specialty hardware optimized for remote
access, and software for network management and end-user access.
CentrumRemote can support both multiple users and multiple
protocols from one server.

Said Gallagher to Newsbytes, "The companies charter is to allow
virtually all protocols to access the enterprise regardless of either
side's capabilities. It is one of the last links in providing full
connectivity."

The company also says that no dedicated phone lines, modems or
computers are required at the corporate site.

The new version of CentrumRemote is implemented through a
software upgrade and is set to ship in September 1993. Pricing
begins at $3,495 fora four-port configuration, $4,495 for eight
ports, and $6,295 for a 16-portunit.

(Ian Stokell/19930727/Press Contact: Kevin Gallagher,
510-865-4963, Centrum Communications Inc.)


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

Ungermann-Bass & Raylan In Fiber Optic OEM Deal 07/28/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- The trend
towards bringing fiber optic technology to the desktop continues.
Sometimes this entails OEM (original equipment manufacturing)
deals between companies. Now Ungermann-Bass and Raylan Corp.,
have announced such a relationship.

Laura Irwin, spokesperson for Ungermann-Bass, told Newsbytes
that, "Raylan designed a fiber optic media converter for us - its
an OEM agreement. And we are incorporating that with our
Access/One network hub - to bring fiber to the desktop. It is
sold separately by Ungermann-Bass."

The ASP840 media converter is incorporated into Ungermann-Bass'
Virtual Network Architecture (VNA) and adds fiber functionality
to the Access/One 10Base-T modules (ASM320/ASM324) product
family and Ethernet switching module, DragonSwitch. The media
converter connects the 10Base-T modules and the DragonSwitch
via a 50-pin telco connector.

Also, the media converter is claimed to be integrated with
Ungermann-Bass' NetDirector network management system to
provide over 30 port-level statistics and supports the IEEE 802.1F
threshold and gauges standards. The converter is also reported to
be fully compliant with the IEEE 802.3 Fiber Optic Inter-Repeater
Link (FOIRL) standard.

In announcing the deal, Surya Panditi, general manager of the
Access/One business unit at Ungermann-Bass, said: "Customers can
now cost-effectively implement fiber optic cabling to interconnect
Access/One hub backbones as well as run fiber-to-the-desk by
installing the ASP840 media converters. Not only can we offer
more flexibility in wiring choices, but by integrating the converters
under the VNA umbrella and with NetDirector, the customer benefits
from much greater management capability."

D'Arcy Roche, president and founder of Raylan, said, "A healthy
percentage of Ungermann-Bass customers have expressed interest
in enhanced fiber Ethernet connectivity, and we're workingwith
Ungermann-Bass to deliver a cost-competitive solution to satisfy
this demand."

According to the company, the ASP840 is a 12-port system
enclosure that supports four-port fiber and twisted-pair interface
modules. The fiber interface module provides ST receptacles while
the twisted-pair interface module is equipped with RJ45
receptacles.

Each interface module is claimed to be "hot swappable" and can be
removed or inserted without affecting the other installed modules,
increasing network uptime and supporting more flexible
maintenance and troubleshooting, says the company.

The company also says that, as per the FOIRL standard, the media
converter supports fiber links up to a distance of one kilometer.
In addition, 10Base-T twisted-pair links up to 100 meters on
Type 3 cable are supported. The system also features an auto-
sensing power supply that will operate at the correct local AC
within an input range of 100V to 240V.

The ASP840 enclosure can be mounted in a 19-inch telco rack, or
toa wall with mounting ears to provide system compatibility with
rack- or wall-mounted Access/One enclosures.

The ASP840 is scheduled for availability in August 1993. The
ASP840ENC Media converter system enclosure carries a list price
of $299; the ASP840ST Fiber converter module with four ST ports
is set at $1,995; and the ASP840RJ45 Twisted-pair converter
module with four RJ45 ports costs $125

(Ian Stokell/19930727/Press Contact: Laura Irwin,
408-987-6509, Ungermann-Bass)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00003)

Artisoft Offers 900 Number Enhanced Tech Support 07/28/93
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- In an increasingly
competitive marketplace, many software publishers are
concentrating on after-sales support as a way to help distinguish
their wares from rival products. Now Artisoft Inc., has
implemented a new telephone service that provides "priority"
technical support, in addition to the company's free technical
support service.

Adriana Gomez, spokesperson for the company, told Newsbytes
that, "We support our resellers as well as our end users. So
we like to have that first channel of communications to our
dealers as well as the end users. Some of them occasionally
need a priority service and that's why we came out with a
'900' number."

Artisoft is best known for its LANtastic peer-to-peer network
operating system. The company says that, using this new phone
line - 900-555-8324 - for a cost of $2.50 per minute, Artisoft
end users and resellers in the domestic United States can receive
a "quicker response to their request fortechnical assistance."

The company also says that this line is in addition to Artisoft's
current free, unlimited telephone technical support line, at
602-670-7000, and its on-line BBS at 602-884-8648. The
company also offers support via facsimile at 602-884-8665,
on CompuServe by typing "GO ARTISOFT," and on AppleLink
at ARTISOFT.TS.

Gomez told Newsbytes that she envisions quite a demand for the
900 service, which is already available. "We've had a few calls (on
the number) already. It looks like it has been pretty well received
by people who like the idea of being able to have (answers) right
away. Perhaps they are at a client's site or on their way out of
town -they can call the priority service and get help right away."

Artisoft networking products that will be serviced by the new
priority line include the LANtastic network operating system,
(DOS andWindows), the LANtastic/AI network, the Central
Station connectivityprocessor, the Articom modem-sharing
software and the LANtastic Z network.

Technical support will be available on the new priority line
between the hours of 7 am and 5 pm, Mountain Standard Time.

Technical support for Artisoft's Connectivity Series and other
networking products such as the LANtastic for TCP/IP connectivity
software, the LANtastic for Macintosh connectivity system, the
LANtastic for NetWare software, and the ArtiScribe NetMedia
document and dictation system will continue to be supported
through the current free, unlimited technical support line, says
the company.

In announcing the new support line, Dave Hallmen, Artisoft's vice
president of sales & marketing, said, "In keeping with Artisoft's
commitment to supporting all users, we have provided this priority
line that will give prompt technical assistance during time-critical
situations. Now customers can choose between using this new
priority line or receiving free, unlimited technical support with
our main line."

(Ian Stokell/19930727/Press Contact: Joe Stunkard,
602-670-7145, Artisoft Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00004)

Zilog's New Microcontroller Offers Safe System Operation 07/28/93
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Zilog Inc., has
announced a new microcontroller that the company claims provides
safe system operation features for low-cost consumer, industrial
control, and automotive applications.

The company says that the Zilog Z86C07 is designed for applications
such as integrated control units for automobiles, battery charge
units, and small appliances in the consumer market.

The company claims that, through the combination of the Z86C07's
on-board power-on-reset (POR), watchdog timer, and low voltage
protection circuitry, a fail-safe system can be attained.

Low-voltage protection, sensing "brown-out" conditions that occur
when batteries age and are replaced, holds the microcontroller in
a known safe reset state until voltage is restored, says the company.
This low-voltage sensing capability works in conjunction with
Zilog's proprietary on-board POR circuit to guard against a
malfunction when battery voltage falls below normal operating
levels.

The watchdog timer circuitry will time out and reset the
microcontroller when software strays outside the bounds of normal
operations, returning the device to a normal operating state. The
company claims that, because the watchdog timer oscillator/
clocking circuits are separate from the Z8 MCU circuitry, consumer
products using the Zilog Z86C07 operate with greater overall safety
and reliability.

The Z86C07 operates over an extended temperature range of -40
degrees C to+105 degrees C, and includes two kilobytes (KB) of
ROM and 128KB of RAM. It functions at clock speeds of eight and
12 megahertz (MHz). Two comparators are also incorporated,
along with two programmable eight-bit counter/timers each with
a six-bit programmable prescaler, six vectored priority interrupts
from sixdifferent sources, and 14 input/output lines.

The Zilog Z86C07 is now available in 18-pin DIP (dual in-line
package) and SOIC packaging options for $1.45 each in OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) quantities. A development
kit that includes hardware and software samples designed to
speed up the design cycle is also available.

Just recently, Newsbytes reported that Kawasaki Steel had
linked with Zilog concerning the joint development of ASICs
(application specific integrated circuits). Kawasaki Steel agreed
to provide its KC80 technology to Zilog.

In April, Newsbytes reported that Zilog was expanding its wafer
production facilities in Nampa, Idaho, because of triple growth
in the last eight years. The company said it would invest $200
million to expand its existing Idaho facility.

(Ian Stokell/19930727/Press Contact: Chris Bradley,
408-370-8246, Marketing Communications)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00005)

UK - Dataease Gets Into Consulting 07/28/93
ILFORD, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Dataease International
has announced the acquisition of Sapphire UK's specialist
consultancy business, Sapphire Consultancy Services.

Sapphire was Dataease's distributor operation in the UK until last
year, when Dataease International acquired the company. This latest
move follows on from that acquisition and, according to Dataease
International, is a natural progression.

The main reason for the acquisition was, according to Dataease,
after observing that many of its competitors, who were increasingly
leaving service provision to third parties, found that the support
offered was inadequate for customers' more advanced requirements.

The new Dataease division, which will be known as the Dataease
Professional Services Division, is headed worldwide by John Grieg,
former technical director of Dataease International. According to
Grieg, 90 percent of the division will comprise of former Sapphire
employees, with additional resources drawn from the Dataease
International Advanced Technical Services Group.

Plans call for the Professional Services Division to focus on high-
end client-server and local area network (LAN) systems, with a
special emphasis on IBM mainframe and mini database servers,
Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft Server

"Some of our competitors have recently announced they are
defocusing from services and leaving it all to third parties. As a
strategy, that's a pretty limited approach," commented Alistair
Trickett, Dataease International's marketing manager. "The problem
comes at the very high end, where customers are looking for
advanced expertise to help maximize their investment in mission
critical systems," he said.

"Apart from the shortage of quality third parties operating at this
level, this is the sort of support that requires ownership of the
core technology and direct access to the research and development
team behind it," he said.

According to Trickett, this is where Dataease's Professional
Services Division comes into the frame, acting as a "natural"
extension to the company's policy of certifying third parties in
the areas where they are strong and the providing complementary
services to fill the gaps.

"Dataease customers are therefore assured of a continuum of high
quality services to meet all their needs, from single user personal
databases through to enterprise-wide, mission critical client/server
solutions. In fact, we regard services as so important that we fully
expect they will account for 20 percent of our revenue in the near
future," he said.

(Steve Gold/19930727/Press & Public Contact: Dataease
International - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00006)

Fujitsu Europe Unveils Two Compact 6ppm Lasers 07/28/93
WEST DRAYTON, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Fujitsu
Printer Products of Europe has launched two new compact six pages
per minute (ppm) A4 office laser printers. According to the company,
both units provide high speed processing of fonts and graphics under
Windows.

The two new lasers - the VM600 and the VM600E - are fitted with an
internal processor - the AMD 29200 - which is specifically designed
to cut down on printer processing time under Windows applications,
even when complex graphics are combined with pictures and text.

The VM600 comes with one megabyte (MB) of RAM, 14 bitmap and
eight scalable fonts, as well as serial and parallel interfaces.
Standard emulations are HP Laserjet III, Epson, and IBM Proprinter.
The printer can be enhanced to Postscript capabilities using an
optional expansion kit that includes TrueImage emulation, 36
Truetype fonts, an Appletalk interface and up to 5MB of extra RAM
using standard in-line memory module (SIMM) technology.

Trueimage emulation comes as a standard feature on the VM600E
model, which has 2MB of RAM with 14 bitmap, eight scalable and
14 Truetype fonts. Using an optional kit, the Appletalk interface
and another 22 Truetype fonts can be added; the input buffer can
also be boosted to 6MB of RAM.

Both printers handle paper from B5 to A4 sizes, and come with an
automatic sheet feeder, 150-page input bin and a 100 sheet face
down stacker as standard. Input capacity can be boosted by adding
an optional 250 sheet second bin.

Print resolution on both units is 300 dpi, although Newsbytes notes
that Fujitsu is using an image resolution enhancement system to make
300 dpi produce crisper graphics. The Fujitsu system is, Newsbytes
understands, similar to the HP system, although the Japanese giant
calls it, "Fine Art technology."

Reiner Kratz, marketing communications manager with Fujitsu
Printer Products of Europe, said that the VM600 and VM600E retail,
respectively, for UKP780 and UKP985.

"We're targeting the VM600 series at the busy office environment.
They are small, fast, produce quality output and can suit a wide
range of applications because of the choice of fonts, emulations and
expansion options that have been included. With Windows becoming
more and more prevalent today, their faster processing of Windows
documents will also contribute to the printers' attractiveness to
office users," he said.

(Steve Gold/19930727/Press & Public Contact: Fujitsu Europe -
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00007)

UK - New Vehicle Anti-Theft Network Announced 07/28/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Securicor Datatrak is set to
announce an "install and run" vehicle tracking and immobilizer
system, known as Trakbak. The system, which is installed by
Trakbak Limited, costs UKP760 for installation and a year's
airtime, and uses the Securicor Datatrack packet radio network.

The idea behind the service is to offer a reliable method of
tracking vehicles with high value consignments, such as cash,
tobacco, or even computer chips. If the vehicle is stolen or lost,
then the police can track its location, speed, and direction of
travel very easily, claims the company.

If necessary, the equipment can be triggered to immobilize the
vehicle. With suitable equipment at their premises, the vehicle's
owners can also track the vehicle as a matter of routine.

The system is being launched in response to the increasing pressure
from the government and the insurance industry for private and
commercial vehicle owners to increase their levels of effective
vehicle security. According to British government figures, an
astonishing 625,000 vehicles were stolen in the UK last year.
Around 200,000 of these were never recovered.

The Trakbak "black box" can be covertly installed in most vehicles,
and, since the Datatrack system covers around 95 percent of the UK,
the vehicle's position can easily be monitored. Securicor, a parent
company to Securicor DataTrack, has been using the technology for
several years, and claims to have saved around UKP10 million as a
result.

Steve Perham, Trakbak's business development director, claims that
the security industry has been under pressure for some time from
insurance companies and car manufacturers to come up with an
integrated immobilizer/tracking device both as a deterrent and as a
means of recovering stolen vehicles.

"Not only have we delivered the first on the market, but it also
combines two tried-and-trusted technologies. Immobilizers have
proved to be effective and Securicor Datatrack has been tracking
thousands of vehicles nationwide of years, resulting in the recovery
of multi-million pound loads as well as fleet vehicles. We foresee a
strong demand for the product," he said.

(Steve Gold/19930727/Press & Public Contact: Trakbak AVL
Limited - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00008)

Time Magazine To Appear On America Online 07/28/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- The weekly news
magazine Time will be available electronically through America
Online starting in September.

The Vienna, Virginia-based on-line information service will offer
the full text of the current issue of Time, plus searchable back
issues, starting this fall. Initially, graphics and charts will
not be included, but there are plans to add them later, said Amy
Arnold, a spokeswoman for America Online.

The service will also include on-line forums with journalists who
work for Time, allowing readers to discuss the news with those
who cover it. It will also let readers write letters to the editor
and send them directly from their PCs.

For those who sample the magazine through America Online but
decide they prefer hard copy, the system will also accept orders
for subscriptions to the paper version.

Officials of Time said the deal will make the magazine the
largest available on an interactive basis and the only news
magazine publishing an on-line version of its current issue.

Each issue of Time will become available on America Online on
Sunday afternoon, which is earlier than the magazine arrives on
the news stands, officials said.

Current subscribers to America Online will have access to Time at
the cost of connect time, Arnold said, as there is no premium charge
for the service. Subscribing to America Online costs $9.95 per
month, which includes five hours of free connect time per month.
Additional connect time is $3.50 per hour.

(Grant Buckler/19930727/Press Contact: Robert Pondiscio, Time,
212-522-5196; Jean Villaneuva, America Online, 703-883-1675;
Public Contact: America Online, 800-827-6364)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00009)

New Software Brings Database Publishing To Desktop 07/28/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- "Lots of
organizations have been downsizing, but there still aren't very
many database publishing tools that can be used on the desktop,"
stated Tony N. Domit, president and CEO of Document Sciences
Corp.

To help fill that gap, the San Diego-based Xerox subsidiary has
just ported its CompuSet 6.0 document composition and assembly
software from the mainframe, VAX, and Unix environments to
Windows, at the same time introducing the CompuSeries suite of
Windows-based document design and prototyping tools.

End users will not be installing CompuSet and CompuSeries on their
home PCs, but they can expect to see some major changes in the
insurance policies, product catalogs, newsletters, and other
documents that crop up in their mailboxes, noted Domit,
speaking with Newsbytes during a visit to Boston.

"We draw a distinction between 'desktop publishing' and 'database
publishing,'" commented the company chief. CompuSet and
CompuSeries are geared to insurance firms, banks, retailers, and
other organizations that pour out hundreds of thousands of pages
or more per month, generally from information stored in large
databases, he said.

CompuSet uses a rules-based language to speed publishing of these
documents. The software imports and merges information from a
variety of page description, word processing and database
languages, converts data into Compuset's content-independent
publishing format, and produces finished pages for output to a
range of multivendor printers and image setters.

One organization, a PPO (preferred provider organization) in
southern California, has reduced production time from several
weeks to a couple of days by switching from traditional desktop
publishing and offset printing methods to using CompuSet on the
VAX, the CEO said.

In the process, the PPO has been able to replace its thick
provider directory with a series of briefer documents, tailored
to specific geographic areas. Each of the new documents supplies
detailed information on medical specialists in the health care
consumer's own community, along with a short summary of
providers elsewhere in southern California.

According to Domit, CompuSet's newly announced PC port, and
the CompuSeries tools, will bring database publishing to the
departmental level, resulting in more frequent updates and a
greater prevalence of customized documents.

The new CompuSeries tools are aimed at letting the people who
actually create the documents get the pages ready for production,
without relying on MIS (management information systems)
professionals for assistance.

One tool in the series, CompuSpec, allows departmental users to
determine CompuSet styles for documents, he said. CompuSpec is
intuitively organized into functional areas that represent the
formatting elements of the document, such as bullets, boxes,
headers, and text blocks. Within each area, the user can define
the CompuSet formatting tags that will be used in the final
document. A page simulation window lets the user see the effects
of the attributes applied to each tag.

Another tool, CompuMerge, lets the user describe the position and
attributes of any variable information - such as the name and
address in a form letter, for instance - that is to be merged
with the page during production. The variable information is
kept independent of the page boilerblate, for easy reuse in
customizing any number of documents.

Once the style has been developed and the merge elements are
ready for production, a third tool - CompuBuild - comes into play.
CompuBuild permits the user to view the document exactly as it
will appear in production, and make interactive modifications to
text, style, and data tagging. The tool includes a text editor,
extensive search and replace, a spell checker, multi-buffer
cut/copy/paste, and key bindings.

Domit told Newsbytes that some CompuSet users, mainly within
government, have been building maps between CompuSet and the
format-independent SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language)
document description language. Next year, Document Sciences will
introduce a new version of CompuSet that will take care of the
SGML mapping step automatically, he said.

The upcoming update of CompuSet will also act as a server to
the existing CompuSeries tools, supplying a full-fledged
client-server solution, he claimed.

CompuSet has its roots in XICS, an application Xerox first
introduced back in 1982. Document Sciences spun off from Xerox
as a separate subsidiary in 1991, launching CompuSet 6.0 early
in 1992 and initial ports to Unix later that year. Version 6.0
imports pages produced in TIFF, PostScript, HP PCL, Metacode,
IMG, RES, and the Xerox XES, Interpress, and Metacode page
description languages.

Through the CompuPrep option, CompuSet users with some
programming background can develop custom conversion programs
that will automatically tag information from outside databases,
word processors, and other formatting systems.

In the Unix arena, CompuSet now runs on Sun, IBM RS 6000, and
NCR. "We're just getting ready to port to Data General, and
we'll probably have that done by the end of August. We're also
interested in working on (Unix-based) products for Hewlett-
Packard and DEC," the company president said.

Also in 1993, Document Sciences will probably bring out an
edition of CompuSet for Windows NT, Domit told Newsbytes. "We'll
be starting some experiments shortly to look at OS/2. But we
have no plans for Macintosh, and no plans for Motif," he added.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930728/Press contacts:  Frederick Reynolds,
Phyllis Grabot or Susan Shippey, Capital Relations for Document
Sciences, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00010)

Micrografx Ships Designer 4.0 For PC 07/28/93
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Micrografx Inc.,
is now shipping release 4.0 of its Windows-compatible
graphics illustration program Designer.

The company says the latest version of Designer includes a
bitmap editor with more than 30 special effects, a slide show
utility, and a CD-ROM disk that contains more than 13,000 ClipArt
images.

Color enhancements include Trumatch, Pantone, and Focoltone
color-matching systems for more accurate color creation. There is
also a new color palette that allows the user to mix custom colors,
and an advanced color separation utility to accurately adjust and
correct color and generate four-color separation from any
Postscript file, maintains the company.

The Windows-based illustration program also includes
three-dimensional drawing capabilities, precision symbol creation
and editing to one micron, and a more streamlined interface that
includes an interactive tool ribbon and a hint line.

Micrografx Chairman and CEO J. Paul Grayson says the company has
spent two years re-tooling its technology base to ensure it will
continue to develop what Grayson calls "best-of-breed" graphics
applications. "Designer 4.0 represents a new generation of software
from Micrografx. The advanced features in Designer 4.0 only begin to
scratch the surface of the new technology Micrografx has developed."

Designer 4.0 has a suggested retail price of $695. Registered users
of full versions of Designer can upgrade for $149.95. To run
Designer 4.0 users will need at least a 386-based PC with four
megabytes (MB) of RAM, at least 10MB of available hard drive space,
VGA or better video, and a mouse. To take advantage of the clip art
selection, you will also need a CD-ROM drive.

(Jim Mallory/19930728/Press contact: Katrina Krebs, Micrografx,
214-994-6247; Reader contact: Micrografx, 214-497-6247 or
800-733-3729, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00011)

Quickeys 3.0 For Mac To Ship Next Month 07/28/93
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- CE Software
Holdings Inc., plans to ship a new version of its Quickeys desktop
automation software next month.

Quickeys 3.0 is scheduled to ship August 16, despite the flooding
problems residents of the area are experiencing. CE Software
spokesperson Sue Nail says the company is operational despite the
flooding.

CE Software Vice President and Quickeys lead engineer Donald Brown
says the new release represents hundreds of hours of planning as
well as the results of market research with present and potential
users.

The company says the new release includes a redesigned user
interface and enhanced shortcut recording methods. Quickeys
automates frequently used actions in both applications and Apple
Computer's Macintosh operating system by storing the keystrokes
and mouse actions that execute the actions in what are commonly
referred to as "macros".

A "trigger" key combination is assigned by the user, and when
pressed, replays the keystrokes. The new release is open scripting
architecture (OSA)-compliant and can interact with other OSA-
compliant products such as AppleScript and Frontier. It is that
capability that makes Quickeys a powerful tool, according to Ford
Goodman, CE Software president.

A feature called Instant Quickeys walks the user through an
interview of how they use their computer, creating dozens of
shortcuts for the delegation of tasks such as application and desk
accessory launching, selecting server volumes or printers, typing
text, or dialing a phone number. The user can also assign the macros
to function keys on an extended keyboard and can map a numeric
keypad on a Powerbook keyboard.

The company says Quickeys 3.0 will have a suggested retail price of
$169. If you are a registered user of Quickeys 2.1.2 or later you
can upgrade to version 3.0 for $49.95. Users who upgrade by the end
of September will get a $10 discount off the $49.95 price.
Registered users of earlier versions can upgrade for $79.95. The
upgrade prices are good until the end of November.

The company sells two companion products, Prokey for Windows and
Prokey for DOS, to automate repetitive tasks on computers running
under DOS or Windows. CE Software recently announced it is
shipping Powerpak, a collection of software that provides file and
document management, a calendar publishing application, and Prokey.

(Jim Mallory/19930728/Press Contact: Sue Nail, CE Software
Holdings Inc, 515-221-1801; Reader contact: 515-221-1801)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00012)

ADA Expo 93 Big Hit In DC 07/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Although political
heavy hitters Vice President Gore and Senator Dole were too tied
up with the budget fight and Midwest flooding, no one at this
first ADA Expo appeared to miss them anyway.

Both exhibitors and attendees with whom Newsbytes spoke
expressed satisfaction with the first two days of the exposition
and trade show related to helping companies and government
agencies comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, better
known to many as the ADA.

Newsbytes Washington bureau chief, John McCormick, gave a speech
on Tuesday afternoon and shared an exhibition booth with Maridean
(Mari) Shepard. Mari (MARI.S) moderates the disABILITIES
Information Services Online RoundTable and Database on GEnie and
was the first to begin such a service on a commercial BBS (bulletin
board system). Mari is hosting a nightly live on-line roundtable on
GEnie with some show attendees and exhibitors at 9 pm.

President Clinton expressed strong support for the ADA Expo and
the First Lady has been invited to visit, as the expo and speaker
series continues through Thursday, July 29.

Nearly 80 exhibitors - ranging from General Electric (which owns
GEnie) to MCI and the US Forest Service - either showed products
or showcased how they were accommodating disabled individuals
either in accommodations or as employees.

John Williams, former publisher of the SAINT (special needs
newsletter) and current publisher of the new Assistive Technology
News and one of the ADA Expo's organizers, told Newsbytes that
they selected The Washington Hilton as the conference site
because it is fully accessible. Newsbytes verified that the hotel
has TDDs.

Exhibits will be open again today but closed Thursday, while the
conference sessions began Monday and will continue through
Thursday afternoon.

(John McCormick/19930728/Press Contact: John Williams,
tel [phone] or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00013)

GEnie disABILITIES Forum Takes ADA Expo Online 07/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Maridean (Mari)
Mansfield Shepard, operator of the GEnie BBS (bulletin board
system)-based disABILITIES Information Services, Online
RoundTAble, DataBase, and Equal Access Cafe BBS, is not only
exhibiting at this week's ADA Expo 93 held at The Washington
Hilton, she also put many of the conference exhibitors on-line
last evening and will do so again at 9 pm (East Coast time)
Wednesday evening on GEnie.

Among Mari's guests last night was deaf magician/comedian
Ken Glickman, who also operates the Deaf New World BBS at
301-587-2277 or FidoNet 1:109/468.

The file generated from last night's six guests and those who
interacted with them on-line will soon be available on GEnie,
probably by Wednesday evening.

Another of Mari's guests on Tuesday evening was a
representative of Microflip, the company that sells an
innovative and inexpensive TDD/modem card for PCs.

Mari (user name MARI.S) told Newsbytes that she has several
on-line guests already lined up for tonight and expects to
have even more guests confirmed after the ADA Expo 93's exhibit
area closes later in the day.

(John McCormick/19930728/Press Contact: Mari Shepard,
disABILITIES Information Services, 818-899-1598 voice or
TDD, MARI.S on GEnie.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00014)

ADA Expo 93 - Philips Demos Advanced TDD/Caller-ID Phone 07/28/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- A representative of
Philips, who was sharing the MCI booth at the ADA Expo 93
exhibition and conference held this week at The Washington Hilton
in Washington DC, is exhibiting a very interesting new combination
Caller ID, 500-name phone directory, modem, and text telephone/TDD
(Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) executive telephone which
will carry a list price well under $1,000.

The approximately 10-inch-square P100 Philips Screen Phone is a
desktop telephone with a 16-line, 40-character LCD (liquid crystal
display) screen, standard handset, speakerphone, mute, hold,
auto-redial, and four speed-dial buttons. However, a full chiclet-
style keyboard is also hidden inside the unit in the form of a
slide-out tray that disappears into the unit when not in use.

Since the 55-key QWERTY keyboard is only meant for entering data
into the telephone's directory memory or for occasional TDD use,
the small keys appear to be adequate for most users' needs.

This powerful system is operated by an Intel 8086-compatible
microprocessor with memory expandable to four megabytes (MB).
It also includes a standard PCMCIA-1 (Personal Computer Memory
Card Interface Association) slot for adding memory, a smart card
reader station, auxiliary parallel printer output port, and a
9,600 bits-per-second (bps) fax, in addition to the standard 2,400
bps modem.

Although the system initially uses a non-backlit LCD screen, the
individual representing the product told Newsbytes that the
addition of a backlit LCD is planned for the near future.

(John McCormick/19930728/Press and Public Contact: Information
Access Systems, 404-728-9554 voice/TTY or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00015)

3D Microcomputers Intros Multimedia PC 07/28/93
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- 3D
Microcomputers, a manufacturer and distributor of PCs and related
products, has announced a lower-cost version of its multimedia-
ready PC.

The IPC486CD/FXi is a personal computer with a compact disk
read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive built in, plus a stereo sound
card, and external speakers. 3D describes it, and a slightly more
powerful version called the IPC 486CD/FX, announced last month,
as "multimedia-ready."

Like the IPC 486CD/FX, the new machine has an Intel 486SX
microprocessor, but the FXi's chip runs at 25 rather than 33
megahertz (MHz). The standard package includes four megabytes
(MB) of memory and a 120MB hard disk drive, plus a Super VGA
monitor and display adapter.

Chuck Yeung, vice-president of marketing at 3D, said the
multimedia-ready machines are aimed at home rather than business
applications. They are meant to give home and small business
users a sense of what sound hardware and CD-ROM can do for them,
he said.

Like the earlier model, the new system will come with a bundle of
CD-ROM titles, though the list is slightly different. The IPC
CD/FXi will come with: Microsoft Bookshelf '93, a collection of
seven popular reference books; the multimedia edition of the
Microsoft Works for Windows integrated software; Family Doctor;
and Beauty and the Beast.

The suggested retail price is C$1,949, compared to C$2,579 for
the CD/FX.

3D is focusing on the Canadian market, Yeung said, but is also
looking at the United States. Sales in many international markets
will have to wait until the CD-ROM titles bundled with the
machines are available in other languages, he added.

(Grant Buckler/19930728/Press Contact: Chuck Yeung, 3D
Microcomputers, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00016)

DEC Expands Distribution Agreements 07/28/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Working
to shift more of its personal computer sales into indirect channels,
Digital Equipment Corp., has announced three new distribution
agreements involving two major resellers and a systems integrator.

DEC signed new agreements with distributors Tech Data Corp., of
Clearwater, Florida, and Gates/FA Distributing Inc., of Greenville,
South Carolina. It also signed with systems integrator EDS Corp.,
of Plano, Texas.

These deals follow close on the heels of a distribution pact with
MicroAge Computer Centers Inc., of Tempe, Arizona. Digital also
said it expects its sales through Merisel Inc., the world's
largest publicly held computer products distributor, to increase
in the coming year.

In fiscal 1993, which has just ended, about 30 percent of DEC's
personal computer sales were through indirect channels, said
company spokeswoman Michelle Hoey. In 1994 the company is
predicting about a 50-50 split between direct and indirect, she
said, and by the following year indirect channels are expected to
make up about 70 percent of sales.

Hoey said Digital could not predict to what extent the shift
would mean a net increase in sales.

Officials said Digital's Personal Computer Business Unit plans to
make use of all "appropriate channel segments," and will choose
a strategic player as an initial partner in each segment, then
expand coverage with added agreements.

Tech Data will sell Digital's full line of Intel-based personal
computers, networking products, mass storage systems, and
terminals.

Digital broadened an existing deal with Gates/FA, which has been
distributing DEC's local and wide area networking products since
last summer. Gates/FA will now also sell Digital's entire
Intel-based PC line.

Digital announced a systems integration agreement with EDS'
Technical Products Division, which specializes in distributed
technologies. The division will integrate and sell Digital's
complete line of Intel-based PC products, as well as printers,
terminals, and networking products.

Digital expects to sign deals with other distributors and
integrators in future, Hoey said. She added that the company also
plans moves into other distribution channels, starting with an
agreement with a computer superstore chain this fall, and
followed later with a venture into mass-market retailing.

(Grant Buckler/19930728/Press Contact: Michelle Hoey, Digital,
508-496-8972; Alysen Northern, EDS, 214-470-5083; Jerry Lumpkin,
Gates/FA, 803-234-0736; Elizabeth Cronin, Merisel, 508-485-4100;
Charles Miller, Tech Data, 813-539-7429; Ann Videan, MicroAge,
602-968-3168)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00017)

Voice Processing Software Replaces Phone Operators 07/28/93
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Syntellect Inc., says
it has made deliveries of its first PC-based voice processing system
that accepts instructions made by pressing keys on a touch phone.
The software also recognizes simple voice commands.

Called VocalPoint, the software runs on an Intel 486DX-based 33
megahertz (MHz) personal computer under IBM's OS/2 operating
system, and is LAN (local area network)-compatible. Syntellect
says Vocalpoint can handle from four to 24 phone lines per module,
and modules can be connected to handle larger capacities.

Other features include analog-digital switch capabilities,
host connectivity options, a text-to-speech capability, voice
messaging, and audiotext.

Scott Coleman, VP of Syntellect's PC products, said that one of
Vocalpoint's strengths is its open architecture, as well as
controller/terminal emulation in large departmental call centers.

Craig Sparkes, Syntellect VP of marketing, told Newsbytes the
Vocalpoint voice messaging capability is more than a voice mail
system. Vocalpoint can place messages in a supervisory box or a
transaction area for action. Sparkes said that Vocalpoint's
audiotext capability is twofold. "It is a broadcast capability -
where every time you dial a number you get a broadcast message.
It is also a menu driven set of messages, so you can select what
you want to hear." Vocalpoint can provide either capability.

Syntellect says voice processing technology can be used to enable
callers to access information and execute transactions from a
touch-tone telephone. The caller selects from a numbered menu in the
familiar "press 1 for..." format or issues simple voice commands to
perform operations that might otherwise require a human operator.

The company says example applications include retrieving bank
account balances, paying bills, and transferring funds. Also, investors
can gain access to stock prices, students can register for courses,
employees can obtain payroll or pension information, or consumers
could access a wide range of entertainment, travel, weather or
directory services.

Coleman said the program has an application generator that allows
Vocalpoint customers to easily develop their own voice processing
applications. Syntellect offers pre-packaged applications or will
design a custom application. Coleman also said some third-party
business partners are also developing specific applications such
as 401(k) benefits management packages.

Vocalpoint pricing starts at $17,000 per module. Large scale, high
volume applications are addressed with rack-mounted modules.

(Jim Mallory/19930728/Press contact: Mary Ann Johnson,
Syntellect, 602-789-2800; Reader contact: Syntellect, tel
602-789-2800, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00018)

Desktop Still-Video Communications Software For PC 07/28/93
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- A
Colorado Springs, Colorado-based company has introduced a desktop
computer-based software program that captures and transmits
photographic-quality still video images that can be used to
reduce the time needed to perform tasks such as resolving
engineering flaws.

Called Imagine, the Microsoft Windows-based system was developed
by Interactive Image Solutions Inc., and consists of an image capture
device such as an ordinary camcorder, CAD (computer-aided design)
program, or scanner, a video expansion card, modem, and Imagine
software. Once the image has been captured it can then be transmitted
to another similarly equipped PC anywhere in the world that can be
reached via a telephone line.

After the phone link between the two computers is established, a few
mouse clicks sends the image. Once the sending and receiving PCs are
displaying the still video image, users can communicate in real time
using an interactive arrow, adding text, or making freehand
annotations directly on the image with a mouse. The annotations
appear on both screens simultaneously.

In a demonstration of Imagine for Newsbytes recently, IIS displayed
a high quality image of a defective circuit board. Pointing to the
defect with a mouse, a single click added a red arrow pointing to
the defective area. The arrow can be rotated in 45-degree increments
with another mouse click. The arrow appeared on both screens
simultaneously. By holding the mouse button down, the I-beam pointer
becomes a John Madden-like freehand drawing tool football fans will
recognize that allows the user to draw, highlight or otherwise
annotate the image.

If the image is captured with a camcorder, the user plays the video
on the computer monitor until the desired image appears. A click on
a pull-down menu captures the image for transmission. If you don't
like the image you selected, you can play the motion video again
until you get the picture you want. Pull-down menus perform other
functions such as controlling hue, contrast, and brightness. When
IIS showed Newsbytes an image of a soft drink can that was lightly
scratched, the operator was able to make the scratches stand out
using the controls.

IIS President Michael Schell told Newsbytes one of the applications
for Imagine is to resolve quality control problems. Imagine a
manufacturer discovers a hairline defect in a product. Instead of an
engineer flying to the plant, or the part being returned to the
designer, Imagine could have the factory representative and the
engineer examining the defect together in a matter of minutes.

Imagine can not only transmit the images, it can also print a
hard copy to a color or laser printer, or fax it. Images are stored
in a JPEG-format compressed file, and can be exported to other
file formats for use in word processing or database programs for
documentation purposes.

IIS Marketing Administrator Jan Hruz told Newsbytes system
requirements include Microsoft Windows and a 386 or better PC with
four megabytes (MB) of memory and 14MB of hard disk space.  Hruz
said the Imagine software does not require that much disk space, but
the user will need it in order to store the image files.

(Jim Mallory/19930728/Press and reader contact: Jan Hruz,
Interactive Image Solutions, 719-598-3894, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00019)

India - HCL HP Wins Big Order In Public Power Sector 07/28/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- HCL Hewlett-Packard Ltd., the
Indian computer industry leader with a turnover of Rs 249 crore in
1992-93, has won an order from the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board,
worth Rs 11.2 crore.

A part of the World Bank-funded project in India, the order comprises
45 Meteor minicomputers, 112 Busybee 486-based multi-user
systems running Unix SVR4, 1,200 Busybee PC/XTs and 667 printers.
The entire installation will be supported by the Sybase database
management system.

The systems will be used for running a financial management
system, a personnel management system, and CAD/CAM (computer-
aided design/manufacturing) applications such as power
transmission and simulations of distribution logistics.

"The order sum excludes customs duty, excise and sales tax. If
these were included it would be worth nearly Rs 20 crore,"
claimed Ajay Chowdhry, director of HCL HP.

In the current wave of deregulation by the Indian government,
the power public sector, like telecommunications and oil
exploration, is one of the biggest modernization prospects
and hence a lucrative target for information technology
companies.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930728)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00020)

Indian - US-Based Gulf Publishing SIgns Distributor 07/28/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Hinditron Informatics Ltd.,
has been appointed the Indian distributor for Houston-based Gulf
Publishing Co.'s chemical plant equipment design software
products.

The Bombay-based company will sell over 30 packages ranging in
price from Rs 20,000 to Rs 8 lakh. Packages being distributed
include 3D/SIM for 3D petroleum reservoir simulation; Paula,
Natasha, and Simple, for surge analysis in pipelines; Triflex, for
pipe stress analysis; Projocon, for project scheduling and
management; Chemcalc 8, for centrifugal pump selection and
rating; Chemcalc 15, for centrifugal compressor design and rating;
Chemcalc 17, for emission analysis; Chemcalc 18, for underground
storage and petroleum transportation analysis; and Instrucalc 3,
for instrument and control element sizing.

Hinditron is also planning to introduce ChemShare Corp.'s
MirrorModel systems into India. Hinditron has been distributing
the US-based firm's products for over a decade. MirrorModel, a
generic software for on-line optimization of process plants in
real-time, is positioned for the petrochemical and refineries sector.

The systems, used as a modeling foundation for process Computer
Integrated Manufacturing, are priced between "Rs 90 lakh to Rs 3
crore," said Ram N. Iyer, divisional manager of Hinditron.

Although no orders have been received yet, the firm is said to be
negotiating with Madras Refineries Ltd.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930728)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEL)(00021)

India - HCL HP & Siva Offer Local Bus PCs 07/28/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- PCs based on a local bus
architecture are the latest trend in the domestic Indian market.

Both HCL Hewlett-Packard Ltd., and Sterling Computers Ltd., have
announced this architecture in their 486-based systems to score
an edge over their rivals.

While Siva will provide an additional local bus card in all its AT
486 machines, HCL HP's Busybee, Oasys and Meteor range of PCs
based on 486SX/DX and DX2 will include at least 2 VESA (Video
Electronics Standard Association) local bus slots in addition to
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) slots.

Local bus architecture serves as an extension of the ISA/EISA
(Extended ISA) bus, and opens up a 32-bit expansion 33 megahertz
(MHz) pathway between the video subsystem and the main CPU
(central processing unit). This becomes a major factor when
running Windows programs. With the VL bus, HCL HP guarantees
a three to eight times better response on Windows 3.1 than the
AT bus VGA card.

The HCL HP systems which will now come out with VL bus slots
will be priced five to 10 percent more than the previous systems.

Sterling provides the local bus architecture standard for all its
486-based machines. If separately purchased, upgrades from VGA
to local bus will cost Rs 3,000 and IDE to local bus Rs 2,000 at
Sterling.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930728)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00022)

India - Atomic Center Considers Selling Lock Knowledge 07/28/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- The Bhabha Atomic Research
Center (BARC) is exploring the possibility of selling its technical
knowledge of high security electronic locks to traditional lock
manufacturers.

R.K. Nigam of the center's electronics systems division, said the
electronic lock was designed by BARC about five or six years ago for
in-house use. It has been modified for industrial use. Nigam said the
electronic lock has tremendous export potential. It is suitable for
security arrangements in high access control areas such as treasury
houses, banks, and diamond retailers.

The entire locking operation is code-operated. Once a new code is
programmed in, the old one becomes obsolete. While locksmiths
have eyed the high technology system with interest, they have
several reservations about it - not the least of which is the price.
The lock is expected to retail for Rs 65,000 (around $2,200).

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930729)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00023)

Philips DCC Claimed As A Runaway Success 07/28/93
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Philips
Electronics claims that its digital compact cassette (DCC)
system is starting to take off in a way that no-one could have
predicted.

The company, which developed the original "compact cassette" in the
1960s and went on to co-develop the compact disc (CD) with Sony in
the 1970s, claims that the take-up by consumers of DCC far exceeds
the early take-up of CD technology.

Abraham Pasman, Philips consumer electronics marketing director,
claims that DCC has been a runaway success owing to its backwards-
compatibility with the original analog compact cassette. DCC tapes
are the same size and shape as the C60s and C90s that we all load
into our tape decks every day. The advantage of DCC, like digital
audio tape (DAT), is that the recorded music retains every last
nuance, no matter how many times the tape is copied, thanks to its
digital nature.

According to Pasman, a million DCC players will be sold this year -
a figure that will rise to 16 million by 1997, and 50 million by the
year 2000. "Early sales indicate our projections are on line," he is
quoted as saying in the latest Philips magazine.

So far, DCC is only available in selected parts of the US and
Europe, including the UK. Software for the tape format is very
limited and, like DAT, has a recording block system in place to
prevent direct digital-to-digital recordings from CD.

In a quick stroll earlier this week down Tottenham Court Road,
London's electronics nirvana for hi-fi and technology enthusiasts,
Newsbytes noted that DCC is still as rare as the Sony minidisc, a
recordable CD format. DCC still has the edge in the hi-fi magazines,
however, because of its backwards compatibility with analog
compact cassettes.

(Steve Gold/19930728)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

Prague Phones Dragged Into 20th Century 07/28/93
PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Prague,
Czechoslovakia, has inaugurated a new telephone exchange for its
citizens. Plans call for the city's telephone users to be moved from
their ageing step-by-step Strowger exchanges to the new $33
million exchange over the coming weeks, on a selected block-by-
block basis.

The wait for the exchange has taken several years, resulting in a
massive build-up in waiting lists and a saturated cellular phone
network for the city. The existing exchanges are reported to be so
overloaded that almost 30 percent of all calls fail for several
reasons.

So far, around 60,000 city subscribers have been switched over to
the computerized exchange, with plans calling for other blocks of
subscribers switching over to the new exchange over the next four
weeks.

The slightly bad news is that the mish-mash of exchanges installed
around Prague, with their four, six, seven, and eight digit numbers,
could not be transferred to the new exchange without a numbering
chaos.

Officials with the Czech state telephone company have therefore
opted for a city-wide eight-digit phone numbering system. Wherever
possible, old numbers are being re-routed to the new numbers,
although officials have admitted that the re-routing is temporary
and patchy in parts.

Czech telephone company officials say that any problems with
obtaining numbers can be referred to the directory enquiry service.
Unfortunately, the service, though free of charge, is hopelessly
overloaded. On a visit to Prague a few years ago, Newsbytes was
unable to obtain a ringing tone to directory assistance, except
when calling around 2am to 3am.

(Steve Gold/19930728)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

UK - Cellular Tariffs Set For Shake-up 07/28/93
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- As the British
mobile telecoms war hots up in preparation for the launch of the
Mercury One-2-One digital network next month, as well as the
Vodafone and Cellnet low-cost Groupe Speciale Mobile (GSM) sub-set
services later this year, Cellnet has revealed it plans to revamp
its charges to meet the competition.

In a specially prepared statement, Stafford Taylor, Cellnet's
managing director, said that he is planning to  rejig tariff
packages in the fall, in a clear attempt to upstage the digital
competition.

The bulk of the initiative is likely to involve the abolition of the
so-called "Gold" tariffs for calls within London's orbital M25
motorway area. Currently, standard rate calls cost UKP1 for three
minutes inside the ring, compared with four minutes for that sum
elsewhere in the country. The abolition of the Gold/M25 surcharge
is equivalent to a 25 percent rate reduction.

"Unlike other expected competitor offerings, Cellnet also gives
customers the freedom to use their cellphones throughout the rest
of the UK," Taylor said in his statement.

Taylor's comments are a direct answer to the mercury One-2-One
digital mobile phone service that, for the first year at least, will
only be available in London and the South-East of England.

Mercury's One-2-One is actually a joint initiative with US West,
drawing on the company's experience with digital phone technology in
the US. The service claims to undercut existing cellular tariffs by
as much as a third. Cutting Cellnet's Gold tariff by 25 percent
could seriously undermine its cost advantage, Newsbytes notes.

Sources close to Cellnet have suggested that, as well as cutting its
Gold M25 tariffs for standard business customers, some price cuts
are likely for the so-called "Lifetime" low subscription/high charge
service. Lifetime, since being launch late last year, has attracted
around 250,000 new subscribers to Cellnet, Newsbytes notes.

(Steve Gold/19930728/Press & Public Contact: Cellnet -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00026)

 ****DEC Posts Quarterly Profit, Annual Loss 07/28/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Another
old-guard computer maker has weighed in with financial results,
and unlike IBM, Digital Equipment Corp. is showing signs of
recovery.

DEC lost $251.33 million or $1.93 per share in the fiscal year
ended July 3, on revenues of $14.37 billion. This is much better,
though, than last year's loss of $2.79 billion or $22.39 per
share on revenues of $13.93 billion.

In its fourth quarter, DEC had net earnings of $113.2 million or
85 cents per share, on revenues of $3.91 billion. This compares
with a net loss of $1.86 billion or $14.76 per share on revenues
of $3.91 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1992. The loss
in last year's fourth quarter included a restructuring charge of
$1.5 billion, to be used mainly for cuts in staff and facilities,
asset retirements, and related costs.

The loss for fiscal 1992 included the restructuring charge plus a
one-time charge of $485.5 million for the cumulative effect of an
accounting change.

In a prepared statement, DEC President and Chief Executive Robert
Palmer pointed out that the company has posted a cumulative net
profit of $9 million in the three quarters since his management
team took over last fall. "With our new customer-focused business
unit structure now in place, we are poised to grow revenues and
increase our market share, while continuing to work diligently to
reduce our costs,"  he added.

Palmer did admit to some concern about "the seasonally soft
September quarter" now beginning, and a statement from the
company expressed doubts about its ability to turn a profit in
that quarter.

Officials said growth was strong in Asia in fiscal 1993, and
revenues grew slightly in the United States, but European
business was weak.

DEC said a comparison of the fourth quarters of 1993 and 1992
shows a cut in research and engineering spending of 24 percent or
$116 million, and a 17 percent or $215 million drop in selling,
general, and administrative expenses. Capital spending was $529
million for the full year, the lowest level since 1984, the
company said.

(Grant Buckler/19930728/Press Contact: Bradley D. Allen, ┐,
508-493-7182; James Chiafery, Digital, 508-493-8009)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00027)

Acclaim Entertainment, Probe Software Sign Deal 07/28/93
OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 Jul 28 (NB) -- Software
publisher Acclaim Entertainment Inc., has announced a multi-year
development agreement under which Probe Software Ltd., of London,
will develop a number of games software packages for various
hardware platforms, to be sold by Acclaim.

Probe, which has already designed the Alien 3 and Mortal Kombat
titles for Acclaim, will develop additional titles for compact
disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), ROM cartridge, and personal
computer formats, officials said.

The deal is not for a fixed length of time but is expected to run
for several years, said Allyne Mills of Acclaim. "They'll be
doing, I can tell you, dozens of titles for us," Mills told Newsbytes.
Other titles designed by Probe include Terminator 2, Lemmings,
SimCity, Dracula, and Outrun.

Mills said Acclaim relies largely on other developers for product
development, though it maintains an internal production team to
develop ideas and supervise the work of other developers. The
company recently signed a deal similar to the Probe agreement
with Park Place Productions, which is to develop a series of
sports titles.

Acclaim Entertainment has offices in Canada, France, Germany,
Japan, and the United Kingdom, and sells products under the
Acclaim, LJN, Flying Edge, and Arena labels.

(Grant Buckler/19930728/Press Contact: Allyne Mills, Acclaim
Entertainment, 516-624-8888)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(BOS)(00028)

 ****VP Al Gore Airs Small Business Views 07/28/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- US Vice
President Albert Gore Jr., a strong backer of the nationwide
"information highway," received a free copy of a software package
for smaller networks this week during a trip to LANovation in
Minneapolis.

"We fully expect that the vice president will have his copy of
LAN Escort installed at the White House," said Anne Peterson, a
LANovation spokesperson, in recounting the official event for
Newsbytes.

But the presentation of LANovation's software was merely a
sidelight of the official visit, summed up by Peterson as an
opportunity for Gore and local small businesses to exchange
information.

After preparations were made by Gore's advance team, the VP took a
tour of LANovation and several other small businesses in the same
building on SE 5th Street. "He was trying to see what else he can
do to promote small businesses and the high tech sector," Peterson
explained.

When the tour was over, Gore hosted a Small Business Success
Roundtable in the LANovation office suite, meeting with owners of
18 companies to air his views on how the Clinton administration's
recently proposed economic plan would help small businesses.

Gore told the business owners that the Clinton plan would result
in a tax decrease for 98 percent of all small businesses, according
to Peterson.

The VP also asserted that the plan would raise the investment tax
credit from $10,000 to $25,000 a year, provide a special capital
gains tax cut for small firms, cut borrowing costs by keeping
interest rates low, and make it easier for banks to extend credit
to small businesses.

"In addition, Gore emphasized that a lot of the brains and
innovation in this country can be found in small businesses,"
Peterson told Newsbytes. Gore said that small businesses are
creating "the vast majority of new jobs each year."

As corporations downsize, more and more highly technical people
are taking jobs with small businesses, so that investing in small
businesses makes sense for the overall economy, he said.

Even before Gore's appearance, the LANovation staff was
familiar with the Clinton plan.  "We had downloaded some of the
proposals off the Internet," Peterson revealed.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930728/Press contact:  Anne Peterson,
LANovation, tel [phone] or 612-379-3805)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00029)

Univ Puts Economic Archives On Internet 07/28/93
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Washington
University has announced the establishment of an electronic archives
for the collection of working papers on economics. The archives will
be available at no charge to all economists having access to the
Internet.

The archive, set up by Bob Parks of the Washington University
department of economics, provides an automated system for
archiving and distribution of working papers in all areas of economics.
The archive also maintains mailing lists to inform participants of
new papers in their areas of interest, and a discussion list
(LISTSERV) to discuss problems in using the archive and related
issues.

Parks told Newsbytes that enthusiastic support has been received
from both the University and from the National Science Foundation
(NSF). He said that he has been provided with two gigabytes (GB)
of storage to work with and that he expects that, once the system
is under normal use, to utilize approximately 2GB of storage a year.

The Internet address of the new archive is "econwpa.wustl.edu."
Additional information may be obtained by sending electronic
mail with "Help" as the subject and a blank message body to
"[e-mail]."

Parks also pointed out in his conversation with Newsbytes that the
archiving of working papers in no way interferes with the author's
ownership of the work and the announcement of the archives states,
"Copyrights to papers in the archive remains with theauthors or
their assignees."

Parks told Newsbytes that Thomas Kritchel in England has posted
some economic information and that there is some economic
information concerning economics and forestry. He said, "The new
archives should add to the ability of economists to collaborate."

Parks also mentioned that he was using the same software that
some other Internet archives are also using and thanked Paul
Ginsparg for making it available to him.

The release named some of the other sites as:
[e-mail] (algebraic geometry); astro-
[e-mail] (astrophysics);
[e-mail] (condensed matter);
[e-mail] (e-mail address database, physics);
[e-mail] (functional analysis);
[e-mail] (general relativity/quantum cosmology);
[e-mail] (computational and lattice physics);
[e-mail] (high energy physics phenomenological);
and [e-mail] (high energy physics formal).

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930726/Press Contact:
Bob Parrks, Washington University, 314-935-5665 (voice);
314-935-4156 (fax); [e-mail] (e-mail on the
Internet)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LAX)(00030)

 ****AT&T & Sierra Online Offer Virtual Communities 07/28/93
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 28 (NB) -- Sierra
Online, owner of the graphical bulletin board service The Sierra
Network (TSN), has announced a deal with American Telephone &
Telegraph (AT&T) to create "virtual communities." The TSN service
is being renamed the Imagination Network, and AT&T has purchased
an equity interest to make the virtual communities possible.

TSN has become widely known for its work in developing
interactive on-line amusement parks and allowing users to
actually choose how they appear to other users on-line.

Rick Selvage, AT&T Consumer Products vice president and general
manager of interactive systems said: "We're taking the new
types of products AT&T is creating with such companies as 3DO,
Sega of America and PF.Magic, and adding them to the computer-
based game capabilities of The Imagination Network. This
combination will allow consumers to tie into an electronic
'virtual community' of networked entertainment, information,
and transaction services."

Like TSN, the Imagination Network will also provide an
interface for entry to on-line "areas" where subscribers can
meet, play games, "chat," and exchange information in real
time.

TSN users have already had access to the Clubhouse, were
players can play backgammon, bridge, chess; the amusement park
Sierraland with the Red Baron dogfight simulation game, Graffiti
collaborative art drawing board, and Paintball battlefield; and
Medievaland where players can engage in a fantasy role-playing
game called "The Shadow of Yserbius" that includes monsters,
wizards, dungeons, and magic spells.

However, independent content developers will also be encouraged
to create new interactive areas such as "virtual shopping malls"
to browse and purchase products, or "communities of interest,"
where they can discuss and learn about various topics.

Prodigy, another graphical on-line service, is also involved in
this deal, as it just recently signed a joint development and
marketing deal with TSN for Prodigy members to access TSN
beginning in September of this year. TSN was to receive
revenues from Prodigy members who access its service. Despite
its estimated two million members, Prodigy has yet to turn a
profit.

AT&T and private investment firm General Atlantic Partners,
have each purchased a 20 percent interest in TSN, for a total
of $10 million, giving AT&T a controlling interest. In
addition, The Imagination Network will pay Sierra On-Line $5
million to develop content for the network, which will be
managed by a board of directors representing AT&T, Sierra
On-Line, and General Atlantic.

AT&T says Imagination will become a network platform for users
of a number of devices including the 3DO player - expected this
fall - and the Sega Genesis game system, as well as personal
computers. AT&T recently announced plans to develop interactive
video game and multimedia equipment with The 3DO Company,
with Sega of America, and PF.Magic.

The Sega deal included the development of a device called The Edge
16, that allows two Sega Genesis systems to be connected via a
single telephone line for interactive play and voice communication
at the same time. AT&T added that The Edge 16 would also be
developed for use with the Imagination Network. The 3DO player
has been heralded as the video cassette recorder (VCR) of the 90's,
offers workstation-like graphics capability, and can also be used
for real-time interactive access.

Bob Kavner, recently named AT&T executive vice president
and chief executive officer of the new AT&T Multimedia Products
and Services Group, said, "Consumer demand for interactivity
goes beyond video games, and includes access to video and audio
libraries, electronic shopping, news services and magazines,
and virtual classrooms. With strengths in a number of
underlying communications technologies, AT&T is positioned to
provide interactive multimedia products and services that are
available on demand, and customized to consumers' needs."

Sierra Online has been pouring resources into TSN for some time
now, putting the company in the red. However, in its first
quarter financial statement just released, Sierra showed less
red ink, which it credited to growth in TSN.

The company also said it would continue to invest heavily in
developing new 3DO and CD-ROM products and platforms. The
company sold more CD-ROM units during the quarter than it
anticipated and says the growth in this emerging platform has
encouraged it to strive for CD-ROM versions of new titles
within 30 days of releasing the floppy disk products.

The company also said it released 10 new products during the
quarter, which included six new education and entertainment
titles and one CD.

Revenues for the quarter were reported up approximately 12
percent, to $10,648,000, compared with $9,539,000 for the same
period a year ago. Net loss for the quarter was $3,603,000, or
$0.49 per share, compared to net income of $127,000, or $0.02
per share, last year.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930728/Press Contact: Ken Williams,
Sierra Online, tel [phone] ext 333, fax [phone])