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/nb100893

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

Germany - Phone Charges To Be Slashed 20% 10/08/93
BONN, GERMANY, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Confirming promises made earlier
this year in the wake of continuing requests from the European
Commission (EC) to open up the German telecom market to free
competition, Deutsches Bundespost Telekom (DBT) has announced plans
to cut telephone call costs by as much as 20 percent.

German readers of Newsbytes should not hold their breath, however,
as DBT plans to phase in the reductions over the next five years.
Wolfgang Boetsch, the German federal post minister, said that the
price cuts would take into account inflation over the period.

Boetsch added that the first round of price cuts would be made at
the end of 1994. By the time they are complete, he said, the German
telecom market will be open to all comers, in line with the EC
directive to open the market by 1998.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931008/Press & Public Contact: DBT - Tel: +49-228-
130)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00002)

Bull Unveils Six Power PC Machines 10/08/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Cie des Machines Bull has unveiled
three new Power PC computing systems. According to Bull, the new
machines, the DPX/20 series, are based around the Power PC 601 and
Power 2 series of chips.

The three Power PC platforms are the Model 150 compact desktop
server, Model 150S server, and the Model 155W workstation. All
the new machines are based around the 66 megahertz (MHz) 601 Power
PC chipset jointly developed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola.

According to Bull, the new machines have a very high level of
performance, a Specint 92 rating of 62. In addition to a
32-kilobyte (KB) unified cache memory, a 80-megabyte (MB) per
second MCA bus with two slots and an integral SCSI-2 (small
computer system interface type two) adapter are fitted as
standard. All three systems are capable of having 256MB of memory
and/or 2,000MB of internal disk storage fitted.

According to Rhys Torrington, Bull's manager of open systems in the
the UK, the new machines will ship some time in November at prices
to be confirmed closer to shipment date. Torrington has just been
appointed to his present position, having worked previously at IBM.

Newsbytes understands that Torrington was national solutions and
services manager for Big Blue's UK operations. Bull officials claim
that his appointment has been made to capitalize on the company's
position in the Unix marketplace with the new Power PC systems.

"One of my priorities is to reinforce Bull's leading position in the
Unix world. Key to this is the continued success of the Bull/IBM
technology alliance, signed in 1992, as well as the Poweropen
environment, which Bull became a founding sponsor of earlier this
year," he said.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931008/Press & Public Contact: Bull World-wide
Information Systems - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00003)

French/German Telecom Venture Gets First Customer - IBM 10/08/93
PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Eunetcom, the joint venture
telecom company set up on a 50:50 basis between France Telecom and
Deutsche Bundespost Telekom (DBT) earlier this year, has secured its
first customer - IBM.

Officials with the new telecom company are reported to be
ecstatic that they signed Big Blue and beat off competition from
British Telecom and AT&T for the contract.

Terms of the deal call for Eunetcom to provide most of IBM's
European network services over its network. During the first phase
of the contract, Eunetcom will install telecom facilities at more
than 40 Big Blue sites in Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands,
Spain and the UK.

Exact terms of the deal have not been revealed by Eunetcom or IBM.
Sources close to IBM, however, suggest that the contract value runs
into eight dollar figures.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931008/Press & Public Contact: Eunetcom - Tel: +33-
1-4472-7272)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00004)

Lexmark To Make Laser Printers In Australia 10/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Capitalizing on its recent
acquisition of Australian laser printer maker Gestetner Lasers,
Lexmark Asia Pacific has announced its intention to manufacture
the new generation Lexmark 4039 printer range in Australia.

The assembly facility at the company's Sydney regional headquarters
is to become one of only three Lexmark laser printer manufacturing
sites - the other two are in Lexington, Kentucky and Orleans,
France.

The 600dpi Lexmark 4039 family of laser printers, launched in April
1993, support print speeds ranging from 10 to 16 pages per minute
and feature recyclable toner cartridges, double-sided printing and
low power consumption. More than 30 percent of the 4039 printer
components will be sourced in Australia, including the complex
controller boards.

Lexmark currently ranks second behind Hewlett-Packard in the
Australian laser printer market, and is hoping the shift to local
manufacture in early 1994 will boost it to the lead position. This is
because Australian Government departments are generally encouraged
to source locally made products, and Lexmark's new Sydney
manufacturing facility is claimed to meet world-class quality
standards.

Lexmark International, which was formerly an IBM division that
was sold off in March 1991, manufactures printers, keyboards,
notebook PCs and consumables. Lexmark Asia Pacific, headquartered
in Sydney, employs a staff of 150 and sells products to 33
countries in the region.

With the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Sydney,
Lexmark expects to employ another 20 staff, with a further 20 jobs
tipped to be created at third-party Australian component and
services suppliers.

(Ian Robinson/19931008/Press Contact: Annabelle Warren, Primary
Communications, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00005)

Australia Boasts Its Advantages For Corporate Regional HQs 10/08/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- The Australian Federal
Government's National Investment Council has released a report entitled,
"Australia: Your Business Location in Asia." The report targets major
multinational corporations such as technology suppliers, and presents
the case for establishing Asia-Pacific headquarters in Australia, as
an alternative to more traditional locations such as Hong Kong or
Singapore.

The release of the report was particularly well-timed, coming just
days after the announcement of Sydney's successful bid to host
the Olympic Games in the year 2000. Advantages cited in the report
for selecting Australia as a regional hub were the lower overall
cost structures, high skills base, a world-class telecommunications
network, extensive support services, and strong economic and cultural
links with other countries in the region.

Information technology suppliers that have selected Australia as their
Asia-Pacific headquarters include Lexmark International, Vodafone,
and Sequent. Other organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, such as
Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, have relocated their
computing support centers to Australia.

(Ian Robinson/19931008/Press Contact: Michael Deegan, Minister's Office,
Special Minister of State, Canberra, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(BOS)(00006)

 ****"Reach Out And Page Someone" Through New Motorola/VMX Deal 10/08/93
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- When calling
companies in any of a variety of countries, you're likely to come
across a new voicemail option soon. You'll be able to page the
person you're trying to locate, and be connected to that
individual, without a switchboard operator as an intermediary.

A new agreement between Motorola and VMX Inc., an international
supplier of integrated voice processing systems, is helping to make
the promise of Motorola's Site Call service a real-life
communications convenience.

The VMX deal is the first in a series of major partnerships that
Motorola plans to unveil over the next few months for its recently
introduced Site Connect offering, which also includes the Site
Alert service for emergency pager notification and Site Message, a
service for sending faxes and e-mail messages from desktop
computers to pagers.

"We'll be making a long string of announcements," said Steve Spiro,
director of Motorola's Customer Owned Paging Operations, in an
interview with Newsbytes. The pacts will combine Motorola's
expertise in paging with the partners' core competencies, he added.
Many of the deals, like the one with VMX, will also leverage the
partners' strengths in international markets.

Before forging the VMX alliance, Motorola announced two team
efforts for Site Alert, one with Simplex and the other with GE
Fanuc. In each deal, Site Alert is being integrated with the
partner's systems to allow automatic pager display of detailed
information on situations like fire alarms and security breaches.

The jointly produced on-site paging services are being marketed to
corporations, office buildings, industrial plants, hospitals, and
a wide array of other organizations in the US and abroad.

The new VMX system enhancement to Motorola's Site Connect was
developed by Communications Resources Inc., a VMX Teamworks
partner. Beyond the usual voicemail options of leaving a message,
transferring to another extension, and transferring to the
operator, the system offers the choice of paging the party by
touchtone.

Phone call recipients can identify who is calling through numeric
information shown on the pager, and thereby screen their calls,
noted Glenn Sherman, also of Motorola's Customer Owned Paging
Operations.

The system can also save cash for callers, according to Spiro.
When callers leave messages on voicemail, phone companies charge
them for the calls anyway, he explained. Being able to page people
who are away from their desks gives callers a much better chance of
getting their full money's worth.

Outside of the new partnerships for on-site paging, Motorola
already holds 75 to 85 percent of the rapidly growing US subscriber
paging market, Spiro told Newsbytes. The use of brightly colored
Motorola pagers has become particularly popular among US teens.

On-the-go high school students are toting the pagers as a way of
keeping in touch with friends, he said. Meanwhile, fast food
restaurants and other employers are contacting part-time staff
about job scheduling needs via pager.

Motorola has also been making big strides elsewhere in the world,
with the development of new software that provides non-English
alphanumeric character sets, Newsbytes was told. Motorola pagers
now come in Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Spanish, among other
languages. The Spanish character set features such niceties as the
tilda, an accent mark that is sometimes placed over the "n" in
Spanish.

"The Chinese market looks exceptionally encouraging for on-site
paging," commented the director of Motorola's Customer Owned Paging
Services. Subscriber paging has soared dramatically in China, from
about 10,000 to 20,000 pagers a few years ago to two to three
million pagers today, he reported.

Motorola's alliance with Simplex was made known in June, and the
partnership with GE Fanuc in late September. GE Fanuc, a joint
venture between General Electric and Fanuc Ltd., is especially
strong in the Canadian and Latin American industrial alert markets.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931008/Press contact: Marianne Radwan, Hi-Tech
Communications for Motorola, tel [phone] or 415-904-7000;
Reader contact: Rosalie Wyatt, Motorola Customer Owned Paging
Services, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00007)

Motor Simulation Program 10/08/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Bangalore-based Infosys Technologies
Ltd. (ITL), and Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), of the US, have tied up to
launch Gamana, software designed to create AC induction motors that
achieve high performance with variable speed.

While the software was developed by Infosys, ADI supplied the
digital signal processing (DSP) chips. Gamana will be marketed in the
US by ADI. ADI and Infosys will jointly own the patents and
trademarks of this product.

Gamana provides motion control engineers with a development system
comparable to those which computer system designers have been
using for years. The package reduces the complexity of
implementing vector control (a method of dynamically controlling
the speed of torque of AC induction and DC brushless motors by
controlling magnetic fields generated by stators and the rotor).

Gamana VT, the first phase of the development toolkit, allows
designers to run motor simulations on PCs, thereby giving them
an understanding of the principles and methods involved in
implementing vector control, Infosys reports.

With the second phase, system designers can develop their own
control architecture and simulate the results of the benchmark
control systems in realtime with a motor model of the DSP
development system. The PC platform then provides for the hookup
to a power inverter and motor to test the control robustness and
performance.

In the last phase, the software developed by the designer in
phase 2 is targeted to the DSP and an EPROM with the appropriate
chipset. After this, the system can be moved into production
implementation.

The motor control chipset is based on ADSP 21XX and AD 2S 100 with
embedded Gamana software. The motion control development system
includes PC add-on boards that control the motor and PC-based
software that could be downloaded from the host development system.

The development of Gamana took 15 man-years. The project also
involved the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore besides
ADI and Infosys. IISc lent theoretical support on issues relating
to vector control.

According to Nandan Nilekani, deputy managing director, ITL, Gamana
is primarily targeted at the AC induction motors market. The motor
control market in the US is estimated to be between $162 million to
$243 million, and is expected to swell to $2.3 billion by 1999.

ADI and Infosys are adding more features like rotor time compensation,
sensorless control and PMSM control to Gamana, and these are expected
to be incorporated by 1994.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931001)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00008)

Plastic LCD, High Resolution LCD Developed 10/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Japan's Sharp has developed a
liquid crystal display (LCD) made with a plastic material, an
industry first. Meanwhile, Matsushita Electronics Industry
has developed a 1.3-inch LCD with 330,000 pixels which produces
extra clear screen images.

Sharp's plastic LCD is made of a 0.4-mm plastic board. The screen
is 4.9-inch in size, and is based on supertwist nematic
technology. Sharp uses a low-temperature process technology
to create this LCD and claims that the result is a plastic
LCD which is up to five times harder than current
glass-type LCDs but is two-thirds thinner in width and
weighs half as much.

This plastic LCD is expected to be applicable to portable
items such as pocket beepers and pen-input computers. Also, the
surface is extremely smooth.

Sharp's plastic LCD will be produced on existing factory
production lines with slight modification. Sharp is planning
to produce plastic LCDs with 336 x 240 pixels and 640 x 480
pixels early next year.

Meanwhile, Matsushita Electronics Industry has developed a 1.3-inch
LCD panel with 330,000 pixels, based on silicon TFT
(thin film transistor) technology. These pixels allow the LCD to
display extremely clear images on a screen which is 30
percent brighter, Matsushita reports. This LCD is designed
for VGA-type personal computers. Matsushita will ship the
LCDs next spring.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931006/Press Contact: Sharp, +81-43-
299-8212, Fax, [phone], Matsushita Electronics Industry,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00009)

Hong Kong - Chevalier CT2 Succeeding 10/08/93
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Despite a very shaky start
in the UK, sales of the CT2, a shirt-pocket sized portable telephone
system, is going well in Hong Kong, according to Neil Montefiore,
managing director, Chevalier Telepoint, one of the leading CT2
portable telephone networks in Hong Kong.

Montefiore believes that the CT2's success is due to the number, siting
and spread of base stations. "The service must be affordable,
`street smart' and of a high quality. In addition it requires a high
level of customer education and wide distribution network. The price
must be more than cheap - it must represent value for money and
there must be a clear differentiation between CT2 and cellular."

The CT2 portable telephone system differs from classic cellular mobile
phones in that it parallels the cordless telephone in the home. It must
be within range of a base station to operate. The base stations
interface the CT2 caller with the standard in-ground telephone network.

At this stage CT2 technology only allows the making of calls and not
the receiving of calls. Some CT2 units incorporate a pager to enable
the user to be contacted, but the true integration of this facility
is considered to be part of the CT3 technology.

Montefiore stressed: "In terms of coverage the customer must have
access to the network everywhere he needs it from day one -
it must be geared to his lifestyle. Our initial strategy was
to install base stations in major shopping areas concentrating on
bank ATMs, chain stores and restaurants. The next stage targeted
major transport hubs like the concourses and platforms of the
KCR (Kowloon Canton Railway), Mass Transit Railway, and the
ferry terminals."

Internationally CT2 services are in various stages of maturity.
Singapore, which launched CallZone last year, has seen steady
growth and now has around 28,000 subscribers. The People's
Republic of China has five city networks and is using CT2 as a
means of accessing and extending the local telecommunications
service where there are currently too few lines.

France has been very successful with its Bi-Bop service in Paris,
attracted 20,000 subscribers in its first two months and the
service continues to expand dramatically.

According to Mr Montefiore, Hong Kong's first year has seen healthy
sustained growth. Eighteen months after launch there are three network
providers and a total customer base in excess of 60,000.

Hong Kong was uniquely well placed to develop a CT2 service.
It already had an exceptionally high penetration of both fixed and
mobile services, a large volume of traffic, a strong street culture,
and a high existing pager customer base. It also consists of a large
number of small businesses, a history of sustained GDP growth and
an inherent willingness to embrace new technology.

The territory has the additional benefit of its small densely
populated urban areas which means that operators can establish
rapid coverage in key business and residential districts with
minimum infrastructure investment.

Customer demographics were also unique to Hong Kong. Aimed squarely
at the 800,000 existing pager users and the 1,300,000 street
users who are away from their desks for 30 percent of their time,
the service was initially targeted at the young, well-educated,
single Chinese male. The rest of the market is made up of home
users and office users.

Usage figures bear out the success of this strategy. The typical
subscriber makes an average of 3.1 calls per day and each call
lasts about 1.4 minutes. The call profile also reflects the target
market's lifestyle, showing usage ramping up during the morning,
dipping a little at lunchtime, peaking in the late afternoon but
continuing well into the night.

(Keith Cameron/19931006/PRESS CONTACT: Neil Montefiore, Chevalier
Telepoint, 545 7022)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00010)

UK - Fujitsu Launches "Plug And Play" Optical Drive 10/08/93
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Fujitsu Europe has
announced an external version of its 3.5-inch rewritable optical
disc drive. The drive, which the company claims has one of the
fastest magneto-optical products on the market -- capable of 3,600
revolutions per minute (rpm) and a data access speed of 30
milliseconds -- is available in what Fujitsu calls "a plug and play"
configurations for PC, Apple Computer Mac and notebook applications.

"Since launching our optical disc drive, we have recognized a
distinct split in the market with the bare product appealing mainly
to value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators, but end
users are looking for a neatly packaged external solution,"
explained Hoe Jura, Fujitsu Europe's storage products manager.

"Now we can satisfy both requirements," he added.

All three versions of the M2511A are supplied with cabling and
device drivers; the PC also comes with small computer systems
computer interface (SCSI) host adapter, while the notebook version
comes with a printer port adapter.

"These units have been designed to be as simple to install and use
as possible. Even non-technical users could be up and running with
the Mac and notebook systems in minutes," said Jura, who added that
the PC card takes a little extra time, to install the SCSI card.

Although the drive is designed to use industry-standard 128-megabyte
media, it can take a variety of discs. It supports the O-ROM (read
only memory) standard, a disc format similar to CD-ROM discs, but
with claimed significant speed increase, as well as Partial-ROM (P-
ROM) format which allows areas of the ROM and rewritable data to be
combined on a single disc.

The drives are claimed to be highly reliable, with a mean time
between failure (MTBF) of 30,000 hours. The drive incorporates an
integral fan, a main power supply (for international use) and a
front-mounted on/off switch for ease of use.

Pricing on the new disc drive will be announced closer to shipment
date later this year.

(Steve Gold/19931007/Press & Public Contact: Fujitsu Europe - Tel:
081-573-4444)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00011)

China - HP, AT&T, HK Telecom In Venture 10/08/93
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- China Hewlett-Packard has
signed a two-part agreement with AT&T (China) Ltd and Hongkong
Telecom CSL for  sales and service of  AT&T Systimax SCS line
of cabling products in the People's Republic of China.
Systimax SCS is a modular system for cabling offices to
support voice, data and video networks.

Under the agreements, Hongkong Telecom CSL -- AT&T's Systimax SCS
distributor in China -- has appointed Beijing-based China
Hewlett-Packard (CHP) as an authorized reseller of the product
line throughout the country. CHP has also been designated a
preferred service provider in the design, implementation and
maintenance of networks built with AT&T Systimax SCS products.

"Cabling already represents a strategic element of our regional service
business mix, often derived from projects that involve AT&T Systimax
products," said Klaus Heironymi, director of marketing for
Hewlett-Packard's Asia/Pacific support operations.

"With these agreements in place, we will be able to develop this
business beyond the Hewlett-Packard customer base in China to
include all those who require comprehensive cabling solutions.
Telecom CSL has already demonstrated the market potential of Systimax
in Hong Kong and, with continued economic growth, we believe demand
in China will be strong."

AT&T structured cabling product has been installed at the offices
of some of Hong Kong's leading companies since Telecom CSL became
a Systimax SCS reseller in early 1992.

The China deal builds on an corporate level agreement signed by
AT&T Network System and Hewlett-Packard earlier this year
covering cooperative marketing of AT&T Systimax SCS products
throughout the Asia/Pacific region. AT&T Systimax has had
Hewlett-Packard's endorsement since 1987 and the two companies
have worked together on customer networking projects across the
region.

(Keith Cameron 19931006/Press Contact: Alison Butts,HP Asia Pacific,
852 - 848-7909)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00012)

Emerson Launches UPS Indian Subsidiary 10/08/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Indian industrial giant,
the Tata group, has set up Tata Liebert Ltd., in collaboration
with Liebert International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Emerson
Electric of US. The joint venture will introduce Liebert range of
uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems and precision environment
control systems.

At fifty percent equity stakes, and a total investment of Rs 18
crore (around $6 million), the company aims to begin production
in India in six to nine months and expects a turnover of Rs 300
crore (around $100 million) in the first year of production. Nelco,
a Tata group company with stakes in the UPS marketplace, which has
less than 10 percent share in the Indian computer market, will
house the company's office and production site in the beginning.

Production on separate lines will begin after the completion of a
manufacturing facility at Bombay. Branches are to be set up in all
the four metros of the country, besides seven other towns and cities.

The range of products, recently unveiled at New Delhi, comprised
the compact UPS machines, rated between 1 KVA to 1,000 KVA. There
was a considerable reduction in size and the system incorporated
a battery and a sleek LED display that indicated the load on the
UPS, its capacity to support more PCs, and a warning beep which
sounds when the machine fails.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931008)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00013)

PCMCIA Modems For IBM's Thinkpad 10/08/93
DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Apex Data has
announced a line of high speed Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA)-compliant data/fax modems for
the IBM Thinkpad 750 and 750C models announced in early
September.

The company says the modems allow two different PCMCIA devices to
be used simultaneously. The Model 750 series systems have at
least two PCMCIA slots installed, Apex Data spokesperson Heather
Fabian told Newsbytes. PCMCIA set the standard for the credit
card-sized devices that provide modem capability and other
interfaces.

One of the modems is a V.22bis fax/data modem that has a data
speed of 2400 bits per second (bps) and can send and receive
faxes at speeds up to 9600 bps. A V.32 model can handle either
data or faxes at up to 9600 bps. Both are compatible with Group
III fax protocol. The company has also announced a V.32bis
fax/data modem that can handle data at speeds of up to 14,400 bps
and V.17 faxes at the same transfer rate.

The modems offer support for V.42, V.42bis and MNP2 error
correction and MNP5 data compression as well as MNP10 support for
error detection and correction over cellular networks.

The 14.4K V.32bis data and 14.4K fax transmission modems have a
suggested retail price of $589. The 9600 data/9600 fax units are
priced at 4495, while the 2400 data/9600 fax model sells for
$220.

(Jim Mallory/19931007/Press contact: Heather Fabian, S&S Public
Relations for Apex Data, 708-291-1616; Reader contact: Apex Data,
510-803-2020)


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

Fone America In Deal For Truckers 10/08/03
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Fone America, which
operates pay phones and a long distance service, made a play for
the business of independent truckers with a new prepaid phone
card.

Fone America linked up with DAT Services, which provides an
information service on available freight aimed at keeping
independents from going home empty, and Lottery Enterprises Inc.,
whose main business is providing vending machines used in
lotteries, in creating "Driveline," a prepaid phone card which
will work in any pay phone.

All this was explained to Newsbytes by Fone America spokesman
Peter Jacobs. The cards themselves are a little thinner than
ordinary credit cards, with a magnetic stripe on them.

"You can flip the card over -- it has an 800 number -- you
access our network, input your 9-digit phone number, and then
make a series of calls. It's accounted for as you're on the phone.
When the caller places a call, he's told what his balance is, and then
each time he calls he's told his balance, until the last minute,
when he's given a one-minute warning."

Because the phone system and not the card carry credit
information, it's usable in every pay phone, not just those
outfitted with special readers, as in Europe, Japan, and other
countries.

Many companies have gotten into the business of providing phone
services to the fleet industry, Jacobs admitted, including many
wireless services. "The systems you're describing are used by
fleet drivers who are making plunges into technology. We're
aiming at the 60-70 percent of drivers who are independents, who
also depend on DAT Services to find out about load
availabilities."

That's a key -- many independents are already using DAT. "They'll
also buy freight information, and other trucker-transportation-related
info like weather forecasts, way station openings, and other things
designed for them."

The phone services are priced to sell. "A $10 card will
usually last about 33 minutes. If you make a call through AT&T on
a normal calling card you'll pay $1.80 for interstate calls --
ours is 99 cents for three minutes." Fone America offers the same
rates at many of its pay phones. "We've broken the barrier on
overpriced calls from pay phones."

Lottery Enterprises will contribute the vending machines, about
1,000 DCR 200-4 units which will be placed in major truck
centers. LEI will also be charged with maintaining the units,
stocking cards, and performing collections in exchange for a
percentage of revenue collected. DAT will be contributing all
point-of-purchase and national advertising for the calling card,
using the tie-in to help promote its information services. The
company hopes to have 300 locations up and running by the end of
this year, according to Jacobs.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931007/Press Contact: Fone America, Peter H.
Jacobs, 503/620-2400)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00015)

Major High Tech Expo Opens In Tokyo 10/08/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Japan's major high tech exhibition,
the "Electronics Show," opened in Makuhari Messe in the suburb
of Tokyo. An industry slump has resulted in fewer firms
participating in the show compared to last year.

Major firms Fujitsu and Casio did not participate in this
year's show. However, 458 other firms did and 390,000
people are expected to visit this show on 8th and 9th of October.

This year's show features high definition TVs (HDTV), multimedia
devices, and digital audio visual equipment. HDTV and
peripheral devices have been attracting the largest crowds.
Sanyo is showing a 3-dimensional HDTV with a 70-inch screen
which requires no special 3D eyeglasses to view.

Japan Victor Corp. (JVC) has displayed an HDTV projector,
which was jointly developed with Hughes Corp., in the US,
as well as a next-generation HDTV video cassette recorder
based on the W-VHS protocol.

Multimedia devices were shown by Sharp, Toshiba, Matsushita
Electric, and Pioneer. Sharp showed Newton, which was jointly
developed with Apple Computer. The firm has also has
shown its latest pocket data organizer called the PenCom,
which supports handwritten input.

Toshiba has shown off its latest business organizer,
the Xtend. Matsushita has also displayed a multimedia game
device jointly developed with 3DO in the US. Pioneer's
interactive device called Laser Active is also popular
at the show.

Other multimedia devices on display are Sony's Mini-Disk
and Matsushita's DCC. Both firms are vying with each other
at the show to attract the most visitors.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931008/Press Contact: Electronics
Industry Association in Japan, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00016)

Video Game Firm Acclaim Income Doubles 10/08/93
OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- The video game
market is certainly proving profitable to some companies --
Acclaim Entertainment Inc., for one. The company says that
revenue for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1993, increased 52
percent, while income more than doubled.

Acclaim reported record revenues of $327.1 million, up 52
percent over the previous fiscal year, while net income
for the year was $28.2 million or $0.63 per share, as compared to
net income of $13.8 million or $0.37 per share last fiscal year.

In announcing the results, Robert Holmes, president of Acclaim,
said: "We are extremely pleased to announce record revenues and
earnings for the fiscal year, exceeding analysts estimates."

During fiscal 1993 Acclaim signed an exclusive pan-European
distribution agreement with Virgin Games Ltd., for the
distribution of PC versions of several Acclaim titles. A similar
deal was signed between Acclaim and Hi Tech Expressions Inc.,
for North America.

According to Holmes, it was a busy year for the company, "During
the year, Acclaim continued its growth both domestically and
overseas, where we established a European division to manage
the activities of our subsidiaries. In addition, we completed
agreements that advance our digital actor technology, and entered
into several strategic product development alliances, including
those with TitanSports and Lightstorm Entertainment, as well as
those with leading software developers Park Place Productions
and Probe Software."

In July, Newsbytes reported that Acclaim had signed a multiyear
development agreement under which Probe Software Ltd., of
London, would develop a number of games software packages for
various hardware platforms, to be sold by Acclaim.

Probe, which had already designed the Alien 3 and Mortal Kombat
titles for Acclaim, will develop additional titles for CD-ROM,
ROM cartridge, and personal computer formats.

Acclaim has offices in Canada, France, Japan, Germany, and
the United Kingdom. The company is a publisher of interactive
entertainment products under the Acclaim, LJN, Flying Edge
and Arena labels.

(Ian Stokell/19931008/Press Contact: Allyne Mills,
516-624-8888, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00017)

Vietnam - Digital Equipment Deals 10/08/93
TAI KOO SHING, HONG KONG, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Digital Equipment
Corporation (Digital) announced the appointment of its first
resellers in Vietnam following intensive discussions with the
Vietnam Government on how the company can contribute to the
country's economic development.

Two Vietnamese companies - 3C and Scitech - will serve as
integrated dealers for Digital's family of DECpc personal
computers, providing full sales and service for Digital's PC
products as soon as the current US trade embargo ends.

In the meantime they will support Digital's sales to development
projects in Vietnam that are funded by international agencies,
which are permitted following a recent change in US government
policy, and to overseas companies that are investing in Vietnam.

"Digital was the first US information technology company to come
to Vietnam to meet with us in January," said Professor Tran
Van Dac, director of the Technology Promotion Department at
Vietnam's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.

"Over the last nine months we have had many meetings with Digital
to discuss how the company can use its products and services
to create an information technology infrastructure that will
support economic growth for the people of Vietnam."

Dr Maureen Flanagan, who has been managing Digital's business
development project in Vietnam since US government rules on
such activities were relaxed last December, said: "Vietnam
promises to be a strong market for Digital products and
services. We have been actively involved in understanding the
information technology needs of Vietnam, and at the same time
encouraging the US government to allow US companies to do
business there. Now we are able to supply products and services
to critical Vietnamese infrastructure projects."

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment will sponsor
a seminar this month at which Digital's technical and product
experts will discuss information technology. Topics will include
open systems, networking, client-server technology, public
administration systems and telecommunications.

More than 160 government leaders, scientists and computer
specialists from all over the country are expected to attend the
event, which will be held in Hanoi. Keynote speaker will be
Professor Dang Huu, Minister of Science, Technology and
Environment. He will be joined by Edmund J. Reilly, president and
managing director of Digital Asia.

"The Vietnamese people are anxious to begin using American
products of the high quality and excellent value that Digital
offers," said Alan McMillan, director of Digital's PC business
in Asia. "We're pleased to be able to contribute to key
infrastructure development projects now and hope that we
will soon be able to build a solid customer base throughout
Vietnam."

(Keith Cameron/ 19931008/Press Contact: Bonnie Engel, Digital,
852 - 805 3510)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

Telecom Update 10/08/93
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- IDB
Communications Group Inc. filed a registration statement to
underwrite the sale of about 9.7 million shares of its common
stock. It climaxes a year-long set of transactions among three
companies with different telecommunications strategies.

Newsbytes discussed the complex transactions with Pacific
Telecom spokesman Brian Wirkkala.

IDB is concentrating on the international long distance market,
using both satellites and fiber cables. In the last year it's
acquired new assets to further that goal, most notably
TeleColumbus' World Communications Inc. unit, for 6.2 million IDB
shares. The markets have responded to IDB's move by bidding its
stock to a high of $53 per share.

Pacific Telecom, meanwhile, has decided to concentrate on local
phone service in rural areas. It's 87 percent owned by
Pacificorp, an electrical utility in the Northwest. But in
selling IDB those needed assets, it got 4.5 million shares of
stock. So IDB's new offering will share that stock, and that of
another company with an electrical utility parent, TeleColumbus,
USA, with a total of 9.7 million shares now up for grabs.

Pacific Telecom, in turn, is using the proceeds to buy another
50,000 access lines in Colorado from US West. It already has
rural exchanges in 11 states covering 400,000 lines. Pacific
Telecom also retains a long distance operation in Alaska, which
could come under profit pressure if AT&T wins its present effort
to enter the market.

The third company here is IntelCom. It picked up Pacific
Telecom's Bay Area Teleport and UpSouth units. Both operate
satellite "teleports," which can bounce phone, data, and video
signals across continents via satellites. IntelCom will use those
assets to link its competitive access provider systems across the
US, where it mainly competes with regional Bell companies. It
will now be able to offer long distance links, much like MFS
Communications, the largest CAP company.

The result of all this reshuffling of stock and assets is three
companies with different strategies. IDB will be mainly an
international long distance company, Pacific Telecom will be a
local exchange company, while IntelCom will be a competitive
access provider. So far, the stock markets seem to like all three
strategies.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931008/Press Contact: Brian Wirkkla, Pacific
Telecom, 206-696-0983)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

Verifone To Make Phones For Tandem System 10/08/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Verifone Inc.,
the leader in making terminals used by merchants for processing
credit card transactions, teamed with Tandem Computers Inc.,
which makes fault-tolerant computers used in credit authorization
systems, to design "smart telephones" which will interface with
Tandem systems.

A "smart telephone" carries far more intelligence than a regular
telephone, and a screen as well. Regional Bell companies have had
problems selling such systems because of the high cost of the
phone, and because until recently there were no standards for
creating services. Tandem and Verifone are pitching their system
as multimedia terminals, with the smart telephone replacing the
PC as an interface.

Tandem already has experience in the smart telephone business in
Japan. The Verifone system will combine a screen display,
typewriter-style Qwerty keyboard and modem, plus a magnetic
stripe card reader like those on Verifone merchant terminals, and
system software for automating card-based transactions. It is
expected to be available in mid-1994.

While most smart telephones are aimed at consumers, the Verifone
system will be aimed at businesses. Gary Grant, vice president
and general manager of VeriFone's US Division, said in a press
statement that "A manufacturing company could tailor the system
to serve as a remote access terminal to the corporate computer
network, enabling employees to place orders, monitor shipment
status, check product pricing, send and receive electronic mail
or submit reports from any location with access to a phone
line."

While Tandem stock remained strong in the wake of the
announcement, VeriFone "fell out of bed," as traders say, losing
a third of its value in heavy trading. The announcement that
quarterly earnings will be poor set off the selling, with
Verifone blaming disappointing revenues in emerging markets.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931008/Press Contact: Tandem Computers,
Judy Zimbelman, 408/285-6849, Verifone, David Barnes, 415/696-
8823)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00020)

Systemhouse Acquires Client/Server Firm 10/08/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- SHL Systemhouse Inc.,
a large Ottawa-based systems integrator, has bought XL/Proteus
Software Systems, Inc., of Marlboro, Massachusetts. Like moves by
many computer industry firms in recent months, the purchase is
aimed at bolstering Systemhouse's expertise in client/server
computing.

Michael Bealmear, vice-president and general manager of
Systemhouse's US Northeast Region, said his company is already
known for its expertise in client/server computing, but the
acquisition of XL/Proteus will help boost that strength.
XL/Proteus specializes in network computing and client/server
systems, officials said.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

XL/Proteus employs more than 40 professionals, who will remain in
Marlboro. Bealmear said Systemhouse is closing a small office of
its own in nearby Cambridge and moving the staff from that
location to Marlboro.

Christopher Weaver, president of XL/Proteus, and Neal Prescott,
chief technical officer, are to become directors in Systemhouse's
Northeast Region.

XL/Proteus will be merged into Systemhouse's operations, Bealmear
said.

The Massachusetts firm has working relationships with a number of
software vendors, including Novell Inc., Microsoft Corp., Borland
International Inc., Sybase Inc., PowerSoft Corp., and Lotus
Development Corp.

SHL Systemhouse employs more than 4,500 professionals around the
world.

(Grant Buckler/19931008/Press Contact: Michael Bealmear, SHL
Systemhouse, 212-303-5500; Christopher Weaver, XL/Proteus,
508-485-9990)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00021)

Dispute Over 800 Numbers Goes To Regulators 10/08/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Unitel
Communications Inc., has asked Canadian federal regulators to
force the rival Stentor consortium of telephone companies to
change its stand on toll-free 800 service.

Unitel, which announced plans in September to offer its own 800
service, wants customers to be able to use a single 800 number
even if service is provided by Unitel in some parts of the
country and by Stentor members, such as Bell Canada, in others.

The regional phone companies that make up Stentor, on the other
hand, say they won't share numbers with Unitel.

That refusal could hurt Unitel, spokesman Ken Stewart explained,
especially because the company cannot offer its 800 service in
the province of Saskatchewan for another five years.

A recent rewrite of Canadian telecommunications legislation
brings under federal authority provinces where telecommunications
was formerly provincially regulated. Saskatchewan in particular
has resisted this, and the law allows a five-year transition
period before the federal Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has jurisdiction there. In
the meantime there is no long-distance competition in the
province.

Because of this, companies can only serve callers from
Saskatchewan through Saskatchewan Telecommunications, the
provincially owned phone company, which is a member of Stentor.
If Stentor's stand on number-sharing prevails, they would have to
publish a different toll-free number for that province.

Stentor is not resisting the level of portability that lets
customers switch from one carrier to another and keep the same
phone number. This was an issue in the United States in the past,
with blocks of numbers reserved for each long-distance
competitor.

(Grant Buckler/19931008/Press Contact: Ken Stewart, Unitel
Communications, 416-345-2094)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00022)

Computers And Molecular Nanotechnology Conference 10/08/93
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- The Third
Foresight Conference on Molecular Nanotechnology: Computer
Aided Design of Molecular Systems, is being held next week,
October 14 through 16, at the Hyatt Rickey's Hotel in Palo
Alto, California. Nanotechnology is defined as the three-
dimensional structural control of materials and devices at the
molecular level.

The Foresight Institute says the fields of computer science,
computational chemistry, physics, and mechanical engineering
are converging, opening opportunities for development of new
instruments, devices, and capabilities in the new field of
nanotechnology. The conference is focused on how computers are
advancing nanotechnology today, and how nanotechnology will
change the computer industry of tomorrow.

Speakers at the conference include: Eric Drexler of the
Institute for Molecular Manufacturing who's topic is
"Introduction to the Design of Molecular Systems," Ralph Merkle
of Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center on "Computational
Nanotechnology," Ted Kaehler of Apple Computer speaking on
"Molecular Building Blocks," and Makoto Sawamaura of the Aono
Atomcraft Project in Japan with his topic "Atom Manipulation by
Proximal Probes: Experiment and Theory."

Also featured is a pre-conference tutorial on molecular
modeling and computational chemistry on Wednesday, October 13,
the day before the conference begins.

The conference is $400 and the pre-conference tutorial is $200.
Registration information as well as accommodations may be
obtained by calling the Foresight Institute in Palo Alto
directly.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931008/Press Contact: Ron Pernick, Niehause
Ryan Haller PR, 415-615-7891; Public Contact, Judy Hill,
Foresight Institute, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00023)

Creditors Take Control Of Compuadd 10/08/93
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- The creditors of
Compuadd Computer Corporation will take control of the company
under a bankruptcy reorganization plan filed with the US
Bankruptcy Court in Austin, Texas.

The agreement would allows the personal computer maker to emerge
from Chapter 11 protection next month, just five months after it
sought court protection from its creditors.

Creditors will formally vote on the plan in the next few days,
and the judge overseeing the case has scheduled a confirmation
hearing for the agreement for November 4, 1993.

The deal calls for unsecured creditors to own 75 percent of the
company, formerly controlled by founder Bill Hayden, who will
continue as chief executive officer. Compuadd spokesperson John
Pope told Newsbytes Hayden repurchased a 20 percent stake in the
company for $8.1 million. The 16-company unsecured creditors
group includes Lexmark International Inc., Texas Instruments Inc.,
IBM Corporation, and Merisel Inc.

In March of 1993 Compuadd, founded in 1982, announced it would
close all 110 of its retail outlets and sell by direct mail only.
The company had about $525 million in revenues in 1992, but said
it expected that to drop to about $300 million this year.

Compuadd filed for voluntary Chapter 11 protection after trying
for three months to reach an out of court settlement with its
creditors, mostly suppliers and landlords of its retail stores.
The reorganization plan was filed with the court on July 29,
1993.

Pope said Compuadd has had discussions with about half a dozen
prospective buyers, but declined to name them. He did say that
some were from within the computer industry and investors from
outside the industry. He declined to say if any of the
prospective buyers are also creditors.

Pope said no management changes were contemplated, at least in
the near term. However the company will name a vice president of
finance and a vice president of sales soon. Compuadd has not had
vice president titles previously. The individuals currently
having those responsibilities could be elevated to the newly
created positions or Compuadd may select people from outside the
company, said Pope.

Compuadd is expected to announce a new PC-based point of sale
terminal shortly.

(Jim Mallory/19931008/Press contact: John Pope, Compuadd, 512-
250-2000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00024)

Chipsoft Opens Tax Support Center 10/08/93
TUCSON, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- With the tax filing
deadline six months away, tax software publisher Chipsoft has
announced a new customer support center to answer questions about
the use of the company's TurboTax and MacInTax programs.

The $5.5 million 70,000-square-foot facility will house about 350
Chipsoft technicians and service representatives at the height of
the tax season. The company says the facility can handle more
than 20,000 calls each day. The company also operates a service
facility in San Diego, California which is devoted to the support
of the company's Pro Series software.

Chipsoft and Intuit Inc., announced on September 1 that they will
merge, and Intuit has contracted to use the facilities and
systems in the Tucson center until the merger is complete. Intuit
publishes the personal financial software program Quicken. Intuit
also plans to open a technical support center in the same
facility in early January 1994. It will initially have a staff of
75, which will grow to 175 by the end of 1994.

Chipsoft spokesperson Diane MacKeeby told Newsbytes that while
the company's software is easy to use, often the user is also
experiencing the use of a personal computer for the first time.
"It (the computer) may have been a Christmas gift for the whole
family, or they may have upgraded from just playing games, so
they have questions," says MacKeeby. The center will not answer
tax questions.

A high-tech automated call handling system will offer callers a
variety of choices including an option to get their answer from
an automated response system or to be connected to a live
representative. The automated system will let users get answers
to the top 10 most commonly answered questions, select product
information by touch-tone phone and have the information faxed or
mailed, place an order or register their software, check on the
status of an order, and obtain updated product release date and
pricing.

At any point in the automated support sequence the user can
return to the main automated menu for additional assistance or
switch to a customer service representative without losing their
place in the queue. Chipsoft will also continue to answer
questions that are faxed or sent to the company's electronic
bulletin boards.

Chipsoft says tax preparation software offers the advantages of
saving time, only having to enter data once, and performing the
mathematical calculations accurately. The Internal Revenue
Service says incorrect math is the number one error on returns.

Chipsoft tax software prints the return on forms that are
approved for filing by the IRS.

(Jim Mallory/19931008/Press contact: Diane MacKeeby, Chipsoft,
619-453-4446, ext 431; Reader contact: 619-550-5001 or 800-964-
10410)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00025)

BSA Accuses Dealers Of Piracy 10/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- The Business Software
Alliance or BSA, has announced that some of its members have taken
legal action against computer hardware dealers -- two from
Ohio, one from New Jersey, and one from Illinois -- for allegedly
preloading computer hard drives with illegal copies of
Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS.

The action also concerns, according to BSA spokesperson Kim
Willard, "numerous copies of Novell network software."

The BSA is a consortium of US software publishing giants
Aldus, Apple Computer, Autodesk, Borland International, Computer
Associates, Lotus Development, Microsoft, Novell, and
WordPerfect.

Details are a bit sketchy at this point because none of the cases
are yet settled, but Ms. Willard was able to tell Newsbytes that
there were no seizures made in the Novell copyright infringement
case, although she was not certain about the Microsoft case.
According to the BSA, all of the companies operated walk-in
computer stores but may also have engaged in some mail-order
sales.

LS Technology of Parsippany, New Jersey, Micro Experts of Solon,
Ohio, North Canton, Ohio-based PC Importers and Mayberry Systems
of Belleville, Illinois were all sued for copyright infringement.
Among the products found during the pursuit of these actions were
those of Microsoft and Novell, the BSA reports.

Since Micro Experts and PC Importers once shared offices, that
case was filed as a single court case and illegal copies of
software were found in all cases, authorities reported.
Federal courts have already issued temporary restraining
orders in the New Jersey and Ohio cases.

The New Jersey and Ohio companies were found to have hundreds of
unauthorized copies of MS-DOS and Windows, while Mayberry
Systems, which provides computer systems and software to
pharmacies, was caught with illegal copies of Novell network
software, the BSA reports.

A separate suit was brought against LS Technology's owner, Ja-Yen
Wong, following repeated requests to cease and desist from the
illegal activity, Newsbytes was told.

Prior to filing suit, the Ohio companies were issued at least
five warnings over the past two years, according to the report
released by the BSA.

The BSA was not able to provide Newsbytes with any estimate of
the total value of the allegedly pirated software but did
state that not only was the software copied illegally, some
of it was also improperly installed.

Evidence from buyers of systems led to the investigation. The BSA
maintains toll-free anti-piracy hotlines for tips from
individuals suspecting illegal copyright violations either at
computer sales operations or within companies.

(John McCormick/19931008/Press Contact: Kim Willard, BSA, 202-
872-5500)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00026)

Roundup - Stories Carried By Other Media This Week 10/08/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Roundup is a brief
look at some computer stories carried in other publications
recently.

Computer Reseller News for the week of September 27 says that
the purchase of ComputerLand by Merisel would face formidable
challenges such as objections from vendors and that the
acquisition of ComputerLand's franchise and distribution
operations would make Merisel the largest single supplier of
product to the retail channel.

Federal Computer Week dated September 27 reports that House and
Senate committees have agreed to require mandatory use of the FTS
2000 telephone contract by all federal agencies. FTS 2000 is the
contract between the government and the Sprint-AT&T winning
bidders who provide discounted telephone service to various
bureaus and departments.

Government Computer News for the week of September 20 reported
that since Desktop IV was awarded in June DoD purchasers have
bought about 28,000 personal computers from Zenith and GTSI. One
big attraction for agency buyers is the ability to obtain a large
number of identical computers which will reduce compatibility
concerns and cut support costs.

PC Magazine dated October 12 reviews gigabyte hard drives and
selects the Adstar IBM 0662 Model S12 and Maxtor MXT-1240 as
Editor's Choice for both value and performance. See the article
for details of tests from the PC Labs. The reviewers said, "We
found remarkable similarity both in the technology and the
performance of the nine drives we tested."

The September 27 issue of Government Computer news says that
Deputy Defense Secretary William Perry intends to push for
greatly increased standardization of DoD systems. The Deputy
Secretary will reportedly call for an interim temporary standard
that will aid in migration from older to more modern systems.

(John McCormick/19931008/)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00027)

UK - Mercury Secures British Govt Phone Contract 10/08/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Mercury Communications has
secured a prestigious contract for the supply of the British
Government's long distance and international phone services,
wresting the deal from British Telecom, the long-time provider of
telecom services to the Government.

Precise terms of the contract, which kicks in next April, have not
been revealed, but Mercury officials say that the deal lasts for
five years.

Government officials have revealed that they are currently spending
around UKP 13.5 million on telecom services, spanning a network of
a quarter of a million civil servants at 550 locations around the
UK. The Government claims that the contract was awarded to Mercury
as part of its ongoing contracting-out move.

(Steve Gold/19931008/Press & Public Contact: Mercury
Communications- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)

UK - Compaq In Joint Venture With Modem Firm 10/08/93
ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Communicate, the
fax/modem and portable computer specialist, has announced a joint
marketing agreement with Compaq Computer in the UK. The announcement
is timed to coincide with the shipment of the Compaq Concerto, the
new notebook PC which features PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card
Industry Association) support.

According to Vince Holton, a director of Communicate, the Concerto
has two PCMCIA type 2.0 slots, as well as pen and keyboard input.

Holton told Newsbytes that Communicate has developed a fully pen-
aware version of its established CMSfax for Windows fax application
software. Users of Concerto notebooks and the company's Connexion
PCMCIA modems will be able to upgrade to CMSfax for Pen Windows free
of charge, he said.

Holton claims that it's possible to use the pen, once installed, to
control CMSfax, and to annotate and add handwritten comments to
received faxes. All standard Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing
gestures, he said, are supported by the software.

"We believe that this unique software complements these
machines. We have a history of cooperation with Compaq in the UK
market and we're very pleased to work closely with them to provide
Compaq users with a complete, technically superior and locally
supported communications solution," he said.

The main aim of the marketing deal is to encourage Concerto users to
buy one of the company's PCMCIA modems. The modems are the 1440, a
V.32bis unit that sells for UKP 549, and the 2496, a UKP 349 unit
that supports all modem speeds to 2,400 bits per second (bps) data
and 9,600 bps fax.

Holton told Newsbytes that, despite the recent downward price moves
by Megahertz, Communicate has no plans to lower its PCMCIA modem
prices.

(Steve Gold/19931008/Press & Public Contact: Communicate - Tel: +49-
344-291294; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00029)

Fujitsu Pen-Based System Offers Wireless Comms 10/08/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) -- Fujitsu
made the Poqet Computer name disappear by announcing the PadPlus
RF, a pen-based computer with wireless communications built-in.

Fujitsu had bankrolled Poqet Computer and later bought the whole
company. Its previous offerings carried the Poqet name. The
PadPlus RF incorporates the Proxim RangeLAN wireless adapter
and radio inside the computer, with a retractable antenna in the
upper left corner. The company said it is just the first of a
new family of integrated wireless computers. RangeLAN sends data
quickly for short distances on shared frequencies that don't
require a separate FCC license, much like the frequencies used by
cordless phones.

The PadPlus RF can send data up to 300 feet using what's called
spread spectrum technology, which sends data over a wide
spectrum of frequencies to minimize interference. The PadPlus RF
has a maximum burst rate of 242,000 bits/second on three
channels. The system includes error correcting hardware and
firmware designed to re-transmit undelivered data.

The computer itself is, like the pen-based systems announced in
1992, a "full-screen" unit, measuring 10 inches by 4.6 inches,
roughly 26 cm x 12 cm. It also has an "on-demand" backlighting
capability and is based on the NEC V30 chip running at 16 MHz. It
weighs about two pounds, and can run 2-4 hours on rechargable
batteries. It also features a PCMCIA expansion slot, a serial
connector, an infrared link, and a keyboard. It can work with
Novell Netware and Netware Lite, with preliminary pricing at
$2,449.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931008/Press Contact: Fujitsu Personal
Systems Bill Wittmann, 408/982-9500)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00030)

Western Union Updates Mail Software 10/08/93
UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 OCT 8 (NB) --
Western Union Priority Services has updated its DeskMail 2.0
software, adding the ability to run under Microsoft Windows and
support for local-area networks (LANs).

The DeskMail software is used to create and send Mailgrams and
other Western Union messages from a personal computer. It runs on
IBM and compatible machines, with at least 512K bytes of memory,
DOS 2.0 or higher, a 9,600-bit-per-second (bps) or faster
Hayes-compatible modem, and at least one diskette drive.

The software can send single messages plus broadcast messages to
a list of recipients. Options include one or two-day delivery,
letters with signature or logos added, certified mail, and
enclosure of business reply envelopes.

The first version of DeskMail was released in February, a
spokesman for the company said. The major changes in the new
release are Windows and LAN support, he said. The new release
also lets users import text from various word processing programs
and address lists from database packages.

The retail price of the software is $39.95 per node.

(Grant Buckler/19931008/Press Contact: Jean Stritt, Western Union
Priority Services, 201-818-5843; Phil Hall, G.S. Schwartz & Co.
for Western Union, 212-696-4744)