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/nb120293

Text File | 1993-12-17 | 64KB | 1,398 lines

(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00001)

Japan - HDTV Video Player 12/02/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Japan Victor Corporation (JVC)
will release a video cassette tape recorder for high definition
television sets (HDTV) at the end of this month.

Based on the W-VHS system, the unit can also play current
VHS standard tapes. This is the first VCR for HDTV on the market,
but at a price of 620,000 yen ($6,200), it is not expected to
attract substantial consumer interest for some time.

JVC will take orders for the W-VHS VCR starting December 20, and
plans to ship the decks by the last week of December.

A major sales campaign to promote the device will be launched
in consumer electronics stores in February. However, due to
the unit's high price, JVC expects a slow start. The firm will ship
only 2,000 units per month until 1995, at which time shipments are
to double. By 1996, JVC hopes to ship 100,000 units per year,
but that will be when the price drops.

JVC is confident that the W-VHS format may become a future
industry standard because it has won the support of
Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Sharp. In fact,
these companies plan to release their own W-VHS VCRs next year.
Some will receive the products from JVC on an OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) basis.

Despite these prospects, some industry analysts are still
skeptical about the future of the W-VHS. The major concern is
the fact that the W-VHS VCR is an analog system. Other electronics
firms such as Sony and Philips are developing a digital
HDTV VCR. Also, the price of cassette tapes is extremely
expensive at present -- a 120-minute tape costs 4,900 yen ($49)
and a 180-minute tape costs 5,900 yen ($59). By the time HDTV
broadcasting starts on a regular basis on TV, these tapes
are expected to become more affordable. Regular broadcasting will
start in Japan in 1997.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931202/Press Contact: Japan Victor
Corporation, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00002)

Japan - Catena Acquires 3 Software Firms 12/02/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Catena will acquire three mid-sized
software firms on April 1 of next year, which will make it a
major distribution and software company in Japan.

Catena will acquire Japan Software Development, Soft Wing, and
Resource Sharing, all of them located in Tokyo. Japan
Software Development develops software for large-scale general
purpose computers. Soft Wing develops software but also
is a software distributor in Japan. Soft Wing, formerly
owned by Japan's ASCII, was sold to Catena with ASCII ran into
financial difficulty. Resource Sharing develops custom software
applications. All of these firms are reportedly profitable.

Catena expects the combined companies will do well. In fiscal 1995,
the firm expects to make 72.5 billion yen ($725 million) sales,
about 35 percent coming from the acquired firms.

Catena has been involved in computer distribution and
information services for over 20 years in Japan. The firm
distributes IBM PCs and Apple computers.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931201/Press Contact: Catena,
tel [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00003)

Hong Kong - Microsoft Addresses Skills Shortage 12/02/93
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Microsoft has stepped up
Solution Providers, its partner branding program launched in June,
to cover the full spectrum of professional service partners. Solution
Providers are one of the main distribution channels for Microsoft
Windows NT, Windows NT Advanced Server and SQL Server, the company's
enterprise computing platform.

With the extension of Solution Providers to cover training and support,
the growing number of Hong Kong companies that rely on Microsoft
products to keep their businesses running will be able to look to
a single, consistent brand as a guarantee of high quality service,
Microsoft contends.

"Solution Providers are a key element of the Microsoft customer
service umbrella. While Microsoft is well positioned to provide
broad services such as product support and information services,
we believe our resources are best leveraged through partners when
it comes to delivering focussed and tailored services," said Fan Look,
marketing manager of Microsoft Hong Kong Ltd.

"For example, Microsoft customers typically use software products from
other vendors as well and our Solution Providers partners are far
better positioned than we are to provide the kind of multi-vendor
integration and support that customers are demanding."

The Microsoft Solution Providers program in Hong Kong now has over
20 participants offering systems integration, on-site support, and
training services. These companies have met Microsoft's
criteria for accreditation, including corporate references
and technical qualifications.

By joining the Microsoft Solution Providers program they commit to
meet specified performance levels, and in turn, get support
from Microsoft, ranging from subscription to the Microsoft
Developers Network and TechNet information services to joint sales
and marketing activities.

According to Look, the introduction of Microsoft Windows NT has
created many new business opportunities and as a result Microsoft
expects to double the number of Solution Providers in Hong Kong by
the end of next year.

"We already have a strong application skills-base covering banking
and finance and the garment industry. By working with Microsoft
through the Solution Providers program we gain access to training,
technical information and marketing support. As a result we are
now able to offer industry-leading solutions based on Windows NT
and industry standard hardware," said CK To, managing director of
WinClient Technologies Ltd.

WinClient is one of a growing band of systems integrators signed up
for the Solution Providers Program. Others include Asian
Electronics Ltd, Chevalier (Computer) Ltd, Data Systems Ltd, Expert
Systems Ltd, Netband Technology (Far East) Ltd, Pacific Technology
Ltd, System-Pro Computer Ltd, Universal Electronics Ltd, Winbliss
Technology Ltd and World Express Computer Systems Ltd.

Since implementing networked, enterprise-wide systems is more complex
than installing PC applications, Microsoft Hong Kong is also
recruiting Solution Providers to act as Authorized Support Centres
(ASCs). To date, local Solution Provider ASCs include Asian
Electronics, System-Pro Computers and Digital Equipment Hong Kong Ltd,
with other major computer system vendors in the process of joining.

To alleviate the problem of skills shortages Microsoft Hong Kong has
also been expanding its Authorized Training Centres (ATCs) under
the Solution Providers umbrella. Drake Training, the latest
Solution Provider ATC, joins the City Polytechnic, the Computer
Power Training Institute, System-Pro Computers and Swire Systems
Ltd in offering comprehensive training on Microsoft system and
application products.

"We're focussed on what we see as an important but as yet
unoccupied area of the market: Windows NT-based systems management
and developer training," said Sean Stone, general manager of Drake
Training.

"Windows NT-based client-server systems are a very viable option
and with the ability to build whole solutions around Microsoft
products we foresee significant demand in this area."

(Keith Cameron/19931123 Press Contact: Fan Look, Microsoft 852-804
4262)


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

Frog-Saving Software - "Compufrog" 12/02/93
MADRAS, INDIA, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- The Madras chapter of Blue Cross
of India has developed software which can serve as an alternative
to dissection and killing of frogs. Named Compufrog, this
menu-driven software has been designed to carry out experiments,
detailed examination, and study as well as show animated sequences to
explain the working of the organs of the frogs.

It is believed that millions of frogs are killed every year
worldwide to carry out experiments in laboratories in the name
of research and teaching.

By using Compufrog software, the same practical work and teaching
can be explained more easily to the students. Moreover, by
switching over to the use of computers from the existing method of
killing frogs for educational purposes, the software ensures that
the attitudes and lives of children forced to perform the
experiments on animals are not adversely affected. Most students
have to endure and participate in utmost cruelty towards animals.
An example of such an experiment is one when a live frog is pinned
on a dissection tray, its abdomen slit open and its heartbeat count
noted with the insertion of pins in different parts of its body
until it dies.

Blue Cross, a name synonymous with animal care, has been active
in the field of providing aid to abandoned and injured animals.
Compufrog is the first step toward showing compassion for the
hapless creatures. Blue Cross has plans to distribute the
software on a subsidised basis to India's schools and colleges and is
currently developing similar software on rats.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19931202)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00005)

Japan Telecom To Enter Cable TV Business 12/02/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Japan Telecom will launch
a cable television service, representing the first
time that a telephone company has entered cable in Japan.

Japan Telecom has an agreement with Japan Railway Construction
to lay out cables along the new Hokuriku bullet train tracks.
Some 120 kilometers of cable will be laid out along this railway,
which is under construction.

Japan Telecom will offer cable TV service to households along
these railways, a market estimated at about 12,000 people.
Actual service is expected to start in the fall of 1997.

Japan Telecom competes with Japan's dominant telecom
firm NTT, and the market is locked in the grips of a price
war. Japan Telecom's phone charges were originally less than
NTT's. However, NTT recently lowered its rates, and Japan
Telecom was forced to again drop prices to stay competitive.
Telecom firms are expected to experience an overall sales decline
and must seek out new markets and products to survive.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931124/Press Contact: Japan Telecom,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00006)

Microsoft To Telecast Free Seminars 12/02/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Thanks to Microsoft
you can get a free look at Microsoft's answer to all your business
problems next week.

Well, maybe not all your problems, and sure it's promotional for
Microsoft products.

However, if you want to know more about Microsoft's products, you
can sign up for two no-cost Microsoft seminars to be telecast
consecutively on December 9, 1993. The Microsoft Business Solutions
Telecast is a three-hour program that will be beamed to hundreds of
sites worldwide and will probably be seen by about 20,000 according
to Microsoft.

BST features a keynote address from Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill
Gates, and offers case studies of real Microsoft customers who
use Microsoft products.

There will also be demonstrations of Microsoft Office and Windows NT
applications. Microsoft VP for worldwide sales and support will wrap
up the session by holding a live question and answer session with
viewers.

The telecast will be seen outside the US in three languages, and in
Europe it will be broadcast on transponder 47 on the Astra satellite
system. For more information contact Microsoft Corporation.

(Jim Mallory/19931202/Press contact: Bev Auld, Microsoft
Corp,206-882-8080; Reader contact: Microsoft Corp, 206-882-8080 or
800-426-9400; For info about receiving the telecast outside the US:
303-743-9554)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00007)

Japan - Worldwide Postal Ministries Link Up 12/02/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of Posts
& Telecommunication says it will participate in Post Net, a
project of the United Postal Union, in December. Through this
network, the Ministry plans to link with Postal Ministries in
over 20 countries via electronic mail, fax, and an express mail
tracing system.

Post Net was created by United Postal Union in cooperation with
the International Air Telecommunication Association. The Union is
preparing to add faxing, computer-based data communication, and
an express mail tracing system by April, 1994. Eventually, the
Union hopes for the support of all of Union members, and to
establish e-mail with 186 countries around the world through
this network.

The express mail tracing system will enable users to know the
location of their express mail, wherever it was shipped,
worldwide.

The Japanese Posts & Telecom Ministry will install terminals
to access this system in local postal offices in Japan. The
Ministry is planning to link Post Net with the its
domestic telecommunication network called the P-net later.

The only hurdle that the Japanese Ministry must mount before
this plan can be implemented is the fact that Japan has a VAN
(value added network) agreement with only 25 countries. This
means that the Ministry can connect with only these countries at
present.

The International Air Telecommunication Association
registered for an international VAN service license in Japan in
May.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19931124)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00008)

Hong Kong - Digital Veteran To Head Operations 12/02/93
TAI KOO SHING, HONG KONG, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Philip J. Curran
has been appointed general manager of Digital Equipment Hong
Kong Ltd.

A 17-year Digital veteran, Curran most recently completed a
six-year assignment as managing director of Digital Equipment
Thailand and Digital Equipment Solution Services Thailand.
Under Curran's leadership, Digital Thailand achieved its
overall business goals every year and has today become one of
the largest revenue producing countries in the Asia Region.
Markets in Thailand for the company include financial services,
banking, manufacturing, education, telecommunications and
government.

According to Edmund J. Reilly, president and managing director
of Digital's Asia Region, "Phil Curran has been in Asia for many
years, including six years managing the finance and administration
side of the Japan operation. His move to Hong Kong will bring his
leadership qualities and expertise to this fast-growth area.
He will continue to be a member of our Asia Management Team."

Curran, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University
of Massachusetts and an MBA from Boston University, has worked
at Digital since 1976 in a variety of executive positions. His
14 years' experience in Pacific Rim countries includes periods
in Australia and Japan as well as Thailand.

(Keith Cameron/19931124 Press Contact: Bonnie Engel, Digital,
852-8053510)


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

SGML '93 Conference To Be Held In Boston Next Week 12/02/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- SGML '93, a
comprehensive conference on the current status and use of the
Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), will be taking place
in Boston most of next week.

Sponsored by the Graphic Communication Association (GCA), the event
encompasses everything from poster sessions, product demos, and an
overview for SGML novices to advanced discussions on the technical
ins-and-outs of applying the emerging document interchange
language.

Speakers will include Yuri Rubinsky, president of SoftQuad and
conference chair, along with Dr. Charles Goldfarb of IBM, Ludo van
Vooren and Eric Severson of Avalanche Development, David Sklar of
Electronic Book Technologies, and industry luminaries from DEC,
Intel, Intergraph, Texas Instruments, and dozens of other
companies.

Activities will start out Sunday, December 5 with two preconference
tutorials: "Just Enough SGML," for SGML beginners, and "SGML
Database Migration."

The conference rolls into full swing on Monday, December 6 with
presentations that include "SGML Year in Review," "Reports from the
Front," and a pair of panels: "Archetypical Early Adapters?
Documentation of the Computer Industry," and "Multi-Company SGML
Application Standard Development Process."

A meeting of the International SGML Users' Group is scheduled
to be held Monday evening from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, the conference sessions will diverge into two separate
tracks. Attendees taking the Novice Track will hear talks with
such titles as "Welcome to the Burning Issues," "SGML System
Evaluation and Selection," and "Looseleaf and Structured Text."

Topics on the Expert Track will consist of "HyTime: Today's
Toolset," "SGML Transformers: Five Ways," and "A New Semantic
Delivery Language," to name a few.

Both tracks will continue Wednesday and Thursday. Highlights for
novices will include "The Whirlwind Guide to SGML Tools," "Database
Models for Managing SGML," and "What Just Happened? Novice
Question and Answer Session."

Experts will be able to brush up such areas as the ISO 12083
announcement, the conversion of legacy technical documents into
interactive electronic manuals, and the attachment of processing
information to SGML data in large systems. Attendees will also
hear reports from the SGML Open Technical Committees.

Wednesday afternoon at 3:00, vendors will deliver product
announcements. A series of "Product Table Top Demonstrations" will
come immediately afterward, from 3:45 to 9:00 p.m.

SGML '93 will wrap up Thursday afternoon with lunch and a closing
keynote by Michael Sperberg-McQueen of the Text Encoding
Initiative, plus an SGML Open general membership meeting and
reception.

The conference will be followed on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. by meetings of the SGML Open Technical and Marketing Working
Groups.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19931202/Reader and press contact: Tanya Bosse,
Graphic Communications Association, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00010)

Shuttle Crew To Repair Myotic Hubble 12/02/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- As NASA faces media
reports that the FBI has run a successful sting operation against
agency purchasing management, the Space Shuttle Endeavor was
launched Thursday morning on a mission to repair the nearsighted
Hubble Telescope in what scientists say is the most technically
ambitious mission since the moon landings.

In what many see as a make or break mission for NASA - one which
Mission Commander Richard Convey admitted could be viewed as a
test of whether astronauts can maintain and service a space
station - NASA mission specialists will spend a total of five
days making outside repairs to the Hubble Telescope which was
first launched from a Shuttle mission back in April of 1990 and
subsequently found not to have been tested to see if it actually
worked.

That failure, following on the total loss of a shuttle and crew
just a few years earlier in the fiery explosion of the Challenger
on January 28, 1986, and such other notable problems such as the
loss of the $1 billion Mars Explorer, has caused an increasing
undercurrent of complaints from Congress and the public over the
large budgets of this federal agency which lately doesn't seem to be
able to do much right.

Despite the obvious danger to NASA's budget and perhaps its
actual existence which would be posed by any failure in the
current mission, Mission Director Randy Brinkley told a news
conference Wednesday that he was not worried about this being a
do or die mission for NASA.

Meanwhile, NASA has reportedly been the target of an FBI sting
operation where agents posed as corrupt contractors who offered
bribes and kickbacks to award contracts. CNN is reporting on
Thursday morning that the results of the Justice Department probe
have gone to a grand jury which may bring criminal indictments.

(John McCormick/19931202/)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00011)

 ****Captain Kangaroo Scolds Violent Vid Games 12/02/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- At a press conference
held in Washington on Wednesday, beloved children's program
pioneer Bob Keeshan, known to tens of millions as Captain
Kangaroo, joined two Senators in criticizing the graphic violence
found in some video games. Mr. Keeshan said this violence is
interactive, resulting directly from the action of the player,
making it far more threatening than mere passively viewed violence
seen on television and in movies.

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D. Conn.) and Herbert H. Kohl (D Wisc.)
joined Captain Kangaroo in calling for voluntary labeling of such
violent programs and suggested that if the publishers don't take
action on their own that Congress will.

Specifically cited in the Wednesday press conference were two
SEGA games, Mortal Combat, and another which shows graphic abuse
of women.

There have been increasing calls for television networks to label
programs according to their violence level and even demands from
some Senators for physical devices built into TV sets which
parents could set to block such programs.

(John McCormick/19931202/Press Contact: Senator Lieberman 202-
224-4041 or fax [phone], Sen. Kohl 202-224-5653)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00012)

A Modem With a Seat Belt 12/02/93
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- "Road Warriors" -
people who spend a lot of time on the road and need to connect their
portable computers to various types of telephones - may want to
consider a unique line of modem products from Unlimited Systems
Corporation.

USC offers its Konexx line of computer-to-telephone interface
products that can hook you up to just about any type phone situation
you could encounter in today's world of digital, PBX, key, hotel,
cellular, international, and public pay phones.

The Konexx Konnector Model 109 is a simple device designed for use
with a desktop computer that plugs into the handset jack of a
telephone and provides a standard RJ-11 connection for any type
modem, including line-powered types. It features automatic switching
between voice and data modes, which makes it ideal for people who
dial voice calls then need to send data. The 109 supports data
transfer rates up to 14.4K bps. It comes with an AC adapter and has
a suggested retail price of $139.

The Konexx Konnector Model 112 is designed primarily for portable
applications. It connects into the handset jack on the telephone and
provides an RJ-11 connection for any modem except line-powered
types. It operates on an internal 9-volt battery, supports baud
rates up to 14.4K and has a suggested retail rice of $149.

The Konexx Koupler Model 204 is the successor to the original Konexx
device first reported on by Newsbytes at Comdex 1991. The Model 204
resembles a telephone handset with rubber ear and mouth pieces. The
user places the Model 204 against the telephone handset to be used,
fastens the two together securely by means of the Velcro "seat
belt," and plugs the Koupler into the PC's modem. The rubber mouth
and ear pieces swivel for a good fit on different type phone
handsets, and the unit will even work with a cellular phone. The
Model 204 is powered by a 9-volt battery that the company says will
provide up to 30 hours of modem time. This unit also works with baud
rates up to $14.4K and sells for $149.

USC also markets their Model 305, designed specifically for portable
computing or even PDA (personal digital assistants). It physically
resembles the Model 204 but connects to the PC via an attached cord
with a 9-pin serial connector. Model 305 includes a 2400 baud
data/9600 baud fax modem with the acoustical coupler and is powered
by a 9-volt alkaline battery that USC says will give the user up to
six hours of modem operation. Windows and DOS-based communications
software to send faxes and data is included. Suggested retail price
for the Model 305 is $299.

A Konexx Kit includes the Model 204 acoustical coupler, a 7-foot phone
cord, alligator clip adapter, duplex adapter, Merlin phone adapter,
spare 9volt battery, combination Phillips-standard screw driver, and
a custom carry case for $279.

(Jim Mallory/19931202/Press contact:Erica Swerdlow, EBS Public
Relations for Unlimited Systems Corp, 708-520-3300; Reader contact:
Unlimited Systems Corp, 800-275-6354 or 619-622-1400, fax
619-550-7330)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00013)

Business Expense Software For Newton Messagepad 12/02/93
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Business expense
reporting software Expense It! for the Newton Messagepad personal
digital assistant (PDA) is shipping from accounting software
developer State of the Art. The new software package allows the
capture and recording of travel, entertainment, and other
business-related expenses for export to desktop computers or to
be printed in expense reports.

The company said expenses can be organized by trip, event,
project, or time period and reports allow for compliance with US
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines. Pop-up lists let the
user personalize the product by entering names of restaurants,
airline carriers, hotels, car rental companies, and other
preferences. The software can also export to State of the Art's
other accounting software packages, the company added.

Expense It! is available on a floppy disk for $139.95, but
additional hardware is needed to connect the Newton to a desktop
computer for transfer of the software to the unit. However, the
software also comes in the Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA) credit-card sized format,
which can be inserted directly into the Messagepad, for a retail
price of $159.95.

State of the Art says distribution agreements with Apple
Computer, Ingram Micro, and Merisel will enable Newton users to
obtain Expense It! through a variety of sources. These include
mail-order catalogs aimed at Macintosh users and retail outlets
both in the US and internationally.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931201/Press Contact: Geri Schanz, State of
the Art, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00014)

Promark Branches Out Into Educational Games 12/02/93
NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) --
Promark Software Inc., which has built its business on mail
management software, is launching a new line of business with the
release of an educational geography game. The new MicroClas game
will be sold through the National Geographic Society and other
distribution channels worldwide, and Promark plans more games
using the same core technology over the next few months.

MicroClas teaches geography by having students fit geographic
pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. For instance, in the United
States version, the game presents individual states and asks the
student to place them where they belong, then add other features
such as state capitals and major rivers.

Promark also has versions of MicroClas for Canada, Australia, the
United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, said John Henry,
president of the company. All these will be available January 1,
at a price of US$39.95 (C$50).

The National Geographic Society has signed a deal with Promark
giving the society exclusive rights to sell the US version of
MicroClas worldwide. National Geographic will also have
non-exclusive rights to sell versions of the software for other
countries, but Promark will sell those versions through other
channels as well, Henry said.

Versions are being developed for South America, Africa, and Asia,
the company said.

According to Promark, the core technology used in MicroClas will
be easy to adapt to other games that use graphics in similar
ways. Within the first six months of 1994, Henry said, the
company plans to release about 20 more packages dealing with
geography, biology, history, and mechanics.

Having spent about a year to develop the core of the software,
Promark can now create a new game based on it in only a week to
10 days, he said.

Promark is 20 years old and for the past seven years has sold
software used to produce mass mailings. The company said it will
continue selling and enhancing that product line while expanding
its new games business. The firm has 12 full-time employees and
annual revenues of about $1 million, Henry said.

(Grant Buckler/19931202/Press Contact: John Henry, Promark
Software, 604-988-2051, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00015)

Unitel Questions Regional Telcos' Cost Allocations 12/02/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- As hearings into the
way Canadian telecommunications are regulated continue, Unitel
Communications Inc., of Toronto is claiming Canada's regional
telephone companies are making local service look more expensive
than it really is.

Unitel maintains that the regional telephone companies, members
of the Stentor consortium, are allocating too much of their costs
to local service and to subscriber access, and understating what
it costs them to provide long-distance service -- the area in
which they compete with Unitel -- said company spokeswoman
Stephanie MacKendrick.

Data Stentor has presented to the CRTC shows its cost of
providing long-distance service to be slightly less than half
that of AT&T in the United States, and slightly more than half
that of MCI and Sprint, other US long-distance carriers,
MacKendrick said.

She also pointed to Stentor's allocation of about $120 million of
costs associated with an alliance with MCI to the subscriber
access category.

In the decision last year that allowed Unitel and others to
compete with the regional telcos in providing long distance
service, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) said long-distance competitors must pay the
regional phone companies a contribution for local service, which
in Canada has long been subsidized by long-distance rates. Unitel
maintains that by misallocating costs, its competitors are
inflating this contribution while at the same time clearing the
way for "predatory pricing" of their own long-distance services.

To stop this, MacKendrick said, Unitel wants the CRTC to impose
price caps on local telephone service, forcing the telephone
companies to apply more of their productivity gains from new
technology to bringing local rates down.

Unitel is not calling for American-style separation of local from
long-distance carriers, as in the breaking up of the old AT&T
that created the regional Bells and today's long-distance-only
AT&T. "We're not advocating it because we think there's probably
less drastic things that you can do," MacKendrick said, but she
added that if those less Draconian measures are not taken soon,
divestiture might be necessary in the long run.

Unitel is also seeking several other regulatory changes,
including greater portability of toll-free 800 numbers. At
present, an 800 customer in Canada can change carriers and keep
the same number, but cannot have more than one carrier provide
service using the same 800 number. MacKendrick said this makes it
difficult for customers to try Unitel's service without
transferring all their business right away, and prevents
customers from guarding against network problems by splitting
their business across carriers.

(Grant Buckler/19931202/Press Contact: Stephanie MacKendrick,
Unitel, 416-345-2482)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00016)

DEC Offers `Service In A Box' 12/02/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- With its eye
on personal computer users frustrated by the finger-pointing they
encounter when trying to get software support, Digital Equipment
has launched a comprehensive software support offering
called Service In A Box.

Unveiled during the recent COMDEX/Fall show in Las Vegas, Service
In A Box offers PC users 24-hour, seven-day support on more than
400 software packages, including Microsoft's Windows and
major applications from a number of vendors, for a flat annual
fee.

DEC will sell the package for a list price of $99, said Cheri
Wissinger, US mass merchandising marketing manager at DEC. It
will also be offered through retailers, whose prices may vary.
Digital has not announced any retail distribution agreements for
the package yet, but is talking with a number of candidates,
Wissinger said.

Customers who buy the package will be able to make unlimited
calls to a toll-free support line, where support specialists will
tackle problems with any of the supported software. They will
also get access to an electronic bulletin board where they can
exchange questions and information, DEC said.

Hardware repairs are not included, but the package does provide a
coupon for $25 off the cost of hardware repairs at any DEC
service depot, and it promises a fixed labor price for repairs.

DEC is currently offering the service only in the United States,
Wissinger said.

(Grant Buckler/19931202/Press Contact: Cheri Wissinger, Digital
Equipment, 508-467-5996; Public Contact: Digital service,
800-PC-BY-DEC or 800-722-9332)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00017)

GTSI Adds Everex On GSA Schedule 12/02/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Government Technology
Services Inc. or GTSI, of Chantilly, Virginia, a major supplier
of personal computers and software to government agencies, has
announced that the company will add Fremont, California-based
Everex Systems computers to the products it offers to federal
buyers on its General Services Administration and other
government contracts.

Specifically, GTSI will add the powerful STEP MP Multiprocessor
server systems to its offerings. These computers, which are used
as network file servers, can be equipped with one to six
Intel processors and provide performance beyond that offered by
minicomputers just a few years ago.

GTSI already carries Banyan, Oracle, and Santa Cruz Operation
(Unix) network products, but the addition of the Everex
multiprocessor servers greatly enhances the power of the high-end
systems GTSI can supply without going through the complex and
time-consuming process of negotiating specific contracts with
each agency.

GTSI's current offerings include 23,000 software and hardware
products as provided by 350 manufacturers. The company has GSA
Schedule A and B/C contracts as well as providing computers under
the Navy DoD Companion, NASA SEWP, Senate Office Automation, and
Desktop IV contracts.

(John McCormick/19931202/Press Contact: Carter B. Cromley, GTSI,
703-631-3333, X 1035)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00018)

First Software To Connect Zoomer To PCs Debuts 12/02/93
LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Palm Computing
has made available Palmconnect, the first product to link the
Zoomer personal digital assistant (PDA) to IBM-compatible
personal computers (PCs). Palmconnect ships with intelligent
software for moving data between the PDA and a PC and a serial
cable.

The software allows for the backup and exchange of information
between the Zoomer and the PC or an electronic organizer such as
the Casio BOSS. In addition, the Palmconnect software includes
the same technology as the Zoomer so both ink and text are
compatible between the PC and the PDA.

One of the main concerns for PDA users, getting information into
the address book on the PDA from their desktop PC, is handled
nicely by the software. Joe Sipher, product manager at Palm
Computing, said an intelligent import allows any ASCII comma-
delimited (also known as comma separated values) file to be
imported. The user is allowed to set the order the information
comes in from the imported file so the name, address, city,
state, phone, and other information end up in the correct places
in the Zoomer's Palmaddress application.

In addition, the Palmconnect software is a standard DOS
application, but works under Microsoft Windows. An icon is
included so the application can be launched in a fashion familiar
to Windows users.

The serial connection cable that comes with the Palmconnect
package is 5 feet in length and has both a 9-pin and a 25-pin
serial (RS-232) interface converter.

Retail price for Palmconnect is $129. The product is currently
available in Radio Shack and Casio retail outlets that carry the
Zoomer PDA as well as directly from Palm Computing.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931202/Press Contact: Nancy Blake, Eastwick
Communications for Palm Computing, tel [phone]; Ed Colligan,
Palm Computing, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public
Contact, Palm Computing, 800-881-7256)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00019)

Compaq To Include Phone Directory On CD-ROM 12/02/93
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- American Business
Information Inc., has teamed up with Compaq Computer Corporation to
include its 11 Million Businesses Phone Directory on CD-ROM with
some of Compaq's recently introduced Presario models.

As its name implies, the CD-ROM is a listing of more than 11 million
businesses in the United States and Canada. "This single CD-ROM
provides a desktop US and Canadian business directory assistance
database," according to ABI VP of Optical Products Bill Chasse.

Chasse says the directory allows you to find businesses and phone
numbers in seconds, and reduces phone costs by eliminating
directory assistance charges.

The company says that in addition to the phone directory being
bundled with Compaq Presario PCs, it will also offer two additional
CD-ROM titles to Compaq buyers at substantial savings. The titles
include a 9-digit ZIP Code directory and a Health and Medical
Industry Directory.

(Jim Mallory/19931202/Press contact: Bill Chasse, ABI, 402-593-4595;
Reader contact: American Business Information, 402-593-4500)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(MSP)(00020)

Powerlaunch II For The Macintosh 12/02/93
AURORA, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Interealm is
shipping PowerLaunch II v1.1 for the Macintosh, a Macintosh desktop
launching agent (DLA) that allows users to store applications,
documents, control panels, desk accessories, sounds, and any
other "double-clickable" file on a series of icon palettes.

The company says files launched from within PowerLaunch II can be
configured to temporarily modify the Macintosh's sound and video
settings or even hide other open windows, as the file is launched.
This is much faster for the user than having to select each control
panel, modify these settings, launch the file, and reset the settings
upon program termination, the company says.

PowerLaunch II also features group launching and auto-launching
capabilities. Group Launching allows "groups" of files to be launched
together. Auto-Launching allows files or "groups" of file to be launched
at predetermined times for purposes such as timed backups.

"Most users find that PowerLaunch greatly increases their productivity
by allowing access to many different types of files, quickly, and
easily. If you are the type of user that finds Finder navigation too
sluggish, hierarchical Apple menus a pain, and other palette programs
too 'square' for your tastes, then PowerLaunch is the product for you,"
said Roby Sherman, president of Interealm.

PowerLaunch II will run on any Macintosh series computer with 2MB of
RAM and System 7 or later. The commercial, list price of PowerLaunch
is $35. PowerLaunch II and other Interealm products are available
directly from Interealm and also distributed in the US, Canada, and
worldwide through the internet, American Online, and AppleLink.

Interealm claims it is one of the few remaining publishers committed
to the shareware and freeware philosophy of software distribution
and marketing.

For more information about Interealm or its products, contact the
company at Interealm, P.O. box 110177, Aurora, CO. 80042.
Voice : [phone]; Fax : [phone]. Internet :
[e-mail]

(Wendy Woods/19931202)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00021)

Germany - Digital Mobile Net Data/Fax Services 12/02/93
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Mannesmann Mobilfunk, the
telecoms subsidiary of Mannesmann, the German conglomerate, has
announced plans for its D2 digital cellular phone network to offer
mobile data and fax facilities some time during the first quarter of
the New Year.

According to Peter Mihatsch, Mobilfunk's general manager, this makes
the D2 network the first digital network in the world to offer true
data and fax facilities. He said that, even though the new services
may not begin operations in January, as was previously expected,
"when they begin they will be available everywhere."

Mihatsch added that the reason for this was that the digital nature
of the network allowed fax and computer data to be routed anywhere
on the network, just as if it were a digital data voice call.

Newsbytes understands that the D2 network covers around 80 percent
of Germany, including most of former Eastern Germany. Plans are in
hand to have roaming agreements with at least 12 other countries
around the world. Roaming agreements allow users of one country's
network to place outgoing calls on another network, with calls
billed back to their home country network.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931202/Press & Public Contact: Mobilfunk - Tel:
[phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00022)

Compaq Opens For Business In Poland 12/02/93
WARSAW, POLAND, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Compaq has formed a new Polish
subsidiary based in Warsaw. The new operation -- the 29th in
Compaq's growing list of non-US subsidiaries -- is known as Compaq
Computer Spolka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia and will supply,
service, and support all the company's range of machines.

To date, all of Compaq's PCs and peripherals were routed through
third-party distributors in Poland. During the third quarter of this
year, however, the company saw sales in Poland of its hardware rise
by more than 170 percent, with unit shipments rising more than 240
percent.

Andreas Barth, senior vice president of Compaq's European, Middle
Eastern and African operations, said that the changes in Poland over
the last few years have enabled Compaq to set up a complete
operation in Warsaw.

"With the restructuring of the country's economy and the need to
advance the information technology infrastructure, distributed
client-server networking has become pervasive in Poland," he said.

(Sylvia Dennis/19931202/Press & Public Contact: Compaq Computer GMBH
- Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


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

Lotus UK Publishes Report On Future Of Software Sales 12/02/93
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Lotus Development
Corporation has published "Harnessing the Potential of Groups," a
report on how major corporates are concerned that they will lose
sight of their customers.

According to Lotus, the survey involved more than 100 UK and multi-
national organizations, each employing in excess of one million
people and with a combined turnover of UKP 140,000 million.

Organizations such as the Institute of Directors, Rank Xerox, the
Confederation of British Industry, British Gas, the Sema Group and
the Institute of Management, were asked to identify how groups and
teams are being used to tap people's potential and deliver "what the
customer wants."

Dr Colin Coulson-Thomas, the author of the report, said that
organizations were asked to rank the importance they place on the
contribution that groups made to achieving corporate objectives. At the
top of the objectives list were the ability to deliver customer
satisfaction, achieve total quality and overcome departmental
barriers.

"The role of managers is increasingly defined in terms of
empowering, enabling and supporting groups and teams. Yet the
reality of corporate life does not always match these aspirations
and intentions. There is a danger that groups or teams are focusing
excessively on their internal dynamics at the expense of their
external customers," he said.

Nigel Thomas of Lotus, which commission the report from Coulson-
Thomas, said that there is an increasing responsibility on
management to ensure the successful implementation of groups and
teams.

"Companies should be concentrating on providing all the tools,
techniques and approaches to ensure that groups are focused upon
tasks that relate directly to the delivery of customer value and the
achievement of business objectives," he said.

Executive summaries of "Harnessing the Potential of Groups," are
available free of charge from Lotus Customer Services division on
[phone]. Full copies of the report cost UKP 95.

(Steve Gold/19931202/Press & Public Contact: Lotus UK - Tel: +44-
784-455445)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00024)

Mitac To Open UK Production Plant 12/02/93
TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Mitac's UKP4
million computer production facility, which has been under
construction this past year, officially opens for business in
Telford, England next on December 13, at which time it will start
manufacturing the company's Europe-bound desktop PCs.

In parallel with the opening, Mitac has just started shipping its
new 4021 series of modular notebooks. According to John Clarke,
sales manager for the company's portable division, the new plant
will eventually handle portable and monitor production, but probably
not for another six months or so.

"The new plant will mean that we can manufacture all of our desktop
PCs without the need to import the parts from Taiwan, add in the
disk drives and assemble them in the UK. There are considerable
advantages for us with local manufacture," he said.

The new factory will have a monthly production capacity of 20,000
computers. Some 30 percent of Mitac's expected 1993 revenues of
$11,000 million will be from Europe, the company claims.

Mitac claims that the primary reason for opening a plant in the UK
is that Europe is a major sales area and, in order to take advantage
of the unified European marketplace, the company has established a
plant here to meet rising European demand for products.

Clarke told Newsbytes that the eventual plan is to move all
European-bound production of all products to the Telford facility,
certainly within the next year. Currently, he said, the new 4021
series of portables, which tip the scales at around the 6.6
pounds mark, are imported as components into the UK for assembly and
local configuration.

"The new portables met with an excellent reception from interested
parties in the UK. They're highly desirable. That's why five of the
nine sample machines we had over from Taipei were stolen," he quipped.

The new machines are VESA local bus-equipped and come PCMCIA slots,
as well as modular, removable screens and hard disks. Pricing for a
high-specification 486DX machine with a colour active matrix screen,
has been set at UKP 2,700, which Clarke called "highly competitive."

(Steve Gold/19931202/Press & Public Contact: Mitac UK - Tel: +44-
952-207200)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00025)

NYNEX Consolidates NYNEX Name 12/02/93
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- NYNEX joined
Ameritech and Bell Atlantic in junking the names of its operating
units in favor of emphasizing the NYNEX brand.

Gone will be New York Telephone and New England Telephone, the
company said. Instead it will launch a new ad campaign in its New
England and New York territories under the slogan "NYNEX Right
Now." Mary Alice Williams, one of the original CNN anchors, who
later had a short stint at NBC and now heads her own marketing
agency, will be featured on the new ads.

The seven regional Bell companies were all formed in 1984 out of
smaller operating units in what had been the Bell System. US West
was the first to junk these operating units and reorganize in a
centralized structure, soon after the break-up. In the last year
both Ameritech and Bell Atlantic have made similar moves. The
irony here is that the regional Bells' names do not pre-date the
1984 break-up while many of the older operating units, like New
York Telephone, have long histories in customers' minds. But,
since New York Telephone wouldn't play well in New England, or
vice versa, the new companies all chose more generic-sounding
names on their creation, and those names became identified
brands.

NYNEX isn't yet going as far as US West, however, or even
Ameritech, which wants to organize the provision of services
around market segments rather than geographically. In New York,
the company will have the same three market areas it has today,
covering Manhattan, the rest of New York City, and the rest of
the state. In New England the company will be organized into two
market areas -- one for Massachusetts and one for the other five
states in the area. Delivery and support functions, corporate
planning, and mergers and acquisitions will all be centralized,
however. As with Ameritech, the names New England Telephone and
New York Telephone will be retained for regulatory purposes.

The new campaign also represents the first major move by Williams
in the role of corporate spokesman. She had been considered a
major asset at CNN before leaving for NBC, but her pregnancy and
a failed news magazine called "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" faded
her star quickly, many believe. In the weeks leading up to this
announcement, she defended her decision to enter the marketing
arena, saying she would work only for organizations she feels
are credible.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931202/Press Contact: Glen Brandow, NYNEX,
914-644-7633)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00026)

AT&T Confirms Job Cuts 12/02/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Blaming MCI and
automation, AT&T confirmed that it will have to cut thousands of
jobs at its long distance unit next year. It will cut hiring,
offer incentives to employees who leave, and force lay-offs as a
last resort.

Some moves had been expected after the head of its long distance
unit was replaced, and AT&T acknowledged that it continues to
lose market share. It now has an estimated 60 percent of the long
distance market, and its "i Plan" calling plan has been termed a
disappointment next to MCI's highly-successful "Friends and
Family" plan.

Some cuts were expected anyway. The fact is that today's highly
computerized, fiber-intensive networks don't need as many
employees to maintain them as older networks. Voice response
technology has improved dramatically, so there's less of a need
for operators than in the past. AT&T had earlier announced the
intention of cutting up to 4,000 operator jobs by early 1995, and
consolidating those operations into fewer service centers. The
company's consumer communications services unit has about 32,000
employees.

But it's now becoming clear that, without job cuts, AT&T will be
unable to meet its goals of 10 percent annual earnings growth.
And the strength of its management may now be open to criticism.
The company has already announced plans to cut 7,500 jobs at its
NCR computer unit. Chairman Robert Allen thought he put those
criticisms to rest by acquiring NCR after a takeover fight and,
later, acquiring McCaw Cellular in a friendly deal earlier this
year. But the latter deal is now being challenged by regional
Bell companies who charge it violates the 1982 consent decree
which broke up the Bell System.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931202)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00027)

 ****Cable Modem Shakes Online Industry 12/02/93
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- The
demonstration of a modem running at 10 megabits per second over
cable television lines shook up the industry at its annual
Western Show.

Because it comes at the end of the industry's fiscal year, when
capital budgets are being set, the Western Show has long been one
of the industry's main technology showplaces, alongside the
National Cable Television Association show itself.

The focus of the excitement was really a simple demonstration of
technology which General Instrument Corp., a leader in supplying
set-top converters and other equipment to cable operators, and
Intel plan to bring to market next year. To serve customers with
the new modems, a General Instruments spokesman indicated to
Newsbytes, cable operators will merely need to feed a digital
line from a major phone company into their cable head-ends, and
connect it to one of their existing channels. Many operators
already have, or are planning, such links in order to get into
the alternative access business, moving calls from large
businesses to long distance networks. Teleport Communications
Group, the leader in this business, is now owned by five cable
operators.

While Zenith has had a similar product available for some time,
cable companies are comfortable dealing with General Instruments,
and they're further impressed by Intel, the leading supplier of
chips, in the deal. With 31 percent of US homes now owning at
least one PC, they also see that the online market is moving into
an area they're familiar with serving. The companies estimated it
will cost consumers about $500 to buy and install such a modem,
with the first buyers likely to be telecommuting engineers and
computer programmers who need fast-access to data and programs on
corporate mainframes.

At the show Comcast and Viacom, both major cable operators, said
they would field-test the technology next year. Online services
like America Online, Prodigy, and CompuServe, all announced they'll
support the new modems with versions of their services at the
higher speed. Prodigy was the first into this market, and has a
test of its services planned with Cox Enterprises' San Diego
cable system already. Online services are very interested in
cable because, while they have about four million customers among
them, cable has 60 million customers. Prodigy is especially keen
on the market because many consumers have complained its service
is slow at the 9,600 bit/second speed available on most PC modems
used on phone lines.

The cable modem was just one of many computer-related
announcements at the Western Show. Time Warner joined the group
of cable operators which own Teleport, the largest alternative
access company, which should make most major US cable systems
cable modem-ready in short order, since those systems will be
used to offer services to business customers anyway. Scientific/
Atlanta and Motorola joined with Kaleida Labs in launching a new
chip called Malibu, which they'll put into set-top converters
accessing interactive systems. S/A and Hewlett-Packard both said
they'll begin supplying set-top converters to Tele-Communications
Inc., the largest cable operator, and H-P will begin delivering
printers that work with video images to Time Warner for its full
service network in Orlando. Finally Eastman Kodak said
its Picture Exchange, an online imaging service which allows for
the sharing of photos over cable, is now operational.

The one warning note was given by America Online President Steve
Case at a Western Show news conference. While joining Intel and
GI in a test of the new cable modem, and working directly with GI
on services for interactive television, he warned that the
financial impact from all this won't be apparent for 3-5 years.
"We are investing early in these new technologies because we
believe they represent the future and will move interactive
services into the mainstream," he said in a press statement
released at the news conference.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19931202/Press Contact: General Instrument,
312-541-5030; Pam McGraw, America Online, 703-883-1675; Intel,
John Thompson, 408/765-1279)


(NEWS)(IBM)(MSP)(00028)

Disk-Based Shakespeare Books For $4.95 12/02/93
MAHAFFEY, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Covered Bridge
Classics, a division of John A. McCormick, Inc., is offering
the first of a series of new computer-based books, created and
written by Beth Goldie.

The initial hypertext "DiskBook" in the English 101 series
is: "A Midsummer Night's Dream - Annotated," by Beth Goldie,
Copyright 1993, John A. McCormick, Inc., $4.95. A DiskBook
is created and read on a computer and can't be printed on paper
because of its unique way of presenting information known as
"hypertext."

"A Midsummer Night's Dream - Annotated" contains the complete
original text of the play, along with definitions of unusual
words and phrases as taken from the Oxford English Dictionary and
other sources. Character names are highlighted when they first
appear in the play so readers can quickly see an explanation of
just who the player is and what his or her relation is to other
characters.

Just what is so special about these books? While
traditional print books can only provide additional information
about words or paragraphs through the clumsy use of footnotes, a
hypertext book lets readers highlight any significant word or
sentence and, if desired, obtain further information about that
portion of the text.

Each book in the English 101 series also contains a guide to the
life of the author and notes concerning the plays.

The English 101 series is expected to eventually include all of those
classic plays, novels, and poems which are read by high school
and college students, beginning with 12 major Shakespeare plays.
Future DiskBooks will include original mysteries, science
fiction, computer tutorials, novels, and more college- and high
school-oriented course aids, including introductory books on
astronomy, physics, chemistry, and psychology.

DiskBooks are supplied on 3.5-inch floppy diskettes which
are the present industry standard. The books can be read on any
MS-DOS based (IBM, Tandy, etc.) computer, including the laptop
and notebook computers so popular with students.

A number of other companies are attempting to enter this same
market, but the publisher believes that DiskBooks are unique
because of their low price and the ability to access the
information without the need of a hard disk drive or a computer
fast enough to support Windows.

Because these books concentrate on just the text of literary
works, which were originally published without any illustrations
of any sort, they can be kept small enough to fit on one high-
density floppy diskette. DiskBooks are priced so low (some
comparable books on diskette cost as much as $30) that students
can easily justify their purchase for just one course and then
erase the program and text to gain a blank $2 high-density floppy
diskette.

DiskBooks differ from traditional publications such as Monarch
Notes because they include the entire text of the original
document along with special comments and other annotations.

Covered Bridge Classics was formed to provide low-cost publishing
services in all fields. Because of the low cost of digital
publishing, the company can publish books which traditional
publishing companies either can't afford to produce because of a
limited market, or won't publish because of their controversial
Covered Bridge Classics is actively seeking authors who wish to
take advantage of this new publishing technology.

DiskBooks can be ordered directly from the publisher, John A.
McCormick, Inc., RR #1 No. 99, Mahaffey, PA 15757, or through
an electronic bulletin board, at 814-277-6337, seven days each
week from 8 p.m. East Coast time to 6 a.m. at 814-277-6337. The
electronic bulletin board system also includes sample DiskBooks
which can be downloaded and run. John McCormick is also the
Washington bureau chief for Newsbytes.

(Wendy Woods/19931202/Press Contact: 814-277-6476)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00029)

UK - Micom Integrated Data/Voice Server 12/02/93
GUILDFORD, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- Micom Europe has
announced Sprinter, a data plus voice networking server that
integrates remote office data/voice communications. The company says
that the system allows the addition of free phone and fax facilities
on top of new or existing data or local area network (LAN)/wide area
network (WAN) connections at a breakthrough price point of UKP
1,350.

Using Sprinter, Micom says that any UK organization seeking to
generate new cost savings can now eliminate office-to-office long
distance voice and fax calls by using Sprinter.

According to a recent IDC study, transmission costs over leased
circuits can represent as much as 35 percent of a company's total
networking budget. By running voice or fax over under-used data
lines, companies can achieve savings that pay off equipment costs
usually with 12 to 18 months, the study says.

"Any company with an hour of phone/fax calls a day will pay for
their Sprinter connection within a year, if not less," explained
John Hammond, International manager for Micom Europe.

"For almost three years, Micom has offered data/voice integration
solutions at a very affordable level. Today, with the announcement
of Sprinter, literally any company can justify adding the unit as it
pays for itself in a matter of months," he said.

So how does the Sprinter work? By using speech compression, dynamic
bandwidth allocation and silence suppression technology, Micom
claims. Since most voice conversations are 60 percent silence, voice
conversations can be compressed down. Fax calls, meanwhile, use
modem tones confined to a specific part of the audio spectrum.
Again, these can be compressed down. The resultant data is then
interleaved with the existing data stream and the full bandwidth
allocation used.

Micom is not giving out prices on the Sprinter, preferring to quote
potential users on a total system installation price. The company
claims that the actual cost of the Sprinter is quite modest.

(Steve Gold/19931202/Press & Public Contact: Micom - Tel: +44-483-
451969; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00030)

Typing Short Cut Software For Wordperfect Users 12/02/93
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 DEC 2 (NB) -- If you're a
Wordperfect for DOS user who would like to speed up your typing,
Electronic Ink has a product for you. The company has introduced
Flashforward, a memory-resident software package that works with
Wordperfect to allow the user to just type one or two letter
versions of words and have the entire word automatically typed
with the correct formatting.

The company calls the abbreviations short versions and offers
twelve built-in, such as the names of the longer months of the
year. For example typing "jan" and the space bar automatically
produces "January." Flashforward resides in high memory once
installed, so it doesn't conflict with Wordperfect, and users can
add their own short versions of commonly used words to the
program, company officials said.

The company has reported long-time Wordperfect users who have
installed Flashforward have been able to increase their speed up
to 30 percent. The speed comes from cutting down keystrokes.
Statistically, even cutting down the typing of the word "the" can
produce results as "the" accounts for 7 percent of the words
typed daily.

While the program is capable of tracking thousands of short
versions, company officials say the optimum number is between 50
and 100. Commonly misspelled words can be added to the list as
well and Wordperfect macros can be renamed so fingers can be kept
on the home row for faster typing. The product can also be used
for formatting text and for adding endings to words, such as
typing "t" and getting "tion."

A Wordperfect for Windows version is being planned, company
officials said. A Microsoft Word version is unlikely, as
Microsoft has introduced similar functionality in its latest
version of Word 6.0 for DOS.

Flashforward works with Wordperfect for DOS versions from 5.0 to
6.0 on IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 and compatibles, requires 640
kilobytes (K) of random access memory (RAM) and DOS 2.0 or
higher. The product is available from Berkeley, California
headquartered Electronic Ink for $129 and comes with a 30-day
money-back guarantee.

(Linda Rohrbough/19931202/Press Contact: Taylor Milsal,
Electronic Ink, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Barbara
Marsh-Wetherell, Marsh-Wetherell Market Relations for Electronic
Ink, 510-933-1907; Public Contact, Electronic Ink, 800-653-6826)