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/nb930405

Text File | 1993-04-05 | 61KB | 1,310 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00001)

IBM's Black Tuesday Leaves Mark In NY State 04/05/93
POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- In the days
following the first layoff's in IBM's history, unexpected hardship and
pain was found throughout Dutchess County, New York area surrounding
the East Fishkill and Poughkeepsie plants where the layoffs occurred.

The layoffs, which occurred on Tuesday, March 30th, had been expected.
Employees had been notified of the day and were waiting only to
find on whom the ax would fall. On the actual day, 2,700 people
were told that it had fallen on them and, according to stories
told to Newsbytes, the reactions range from relief through
acceptance to anger and hostility.

One Big Blue employee who still has a job told Newsbytes: "I'm safe
now but I know that I was on the bubble until the last minute. I have
to protect myself and look for a job before my area gets hit again. My
wife has an excellent position outside of IBM and has even more time
there than my 20 years with IBM. I can't take a job in Burlington,
Vermont or North Carolina. So, I'll get the resumes out but I know
that there will be nothing in this area."

Another still-employed IBMer told Newsbytes: "My area hasn't been
affected but I have been personally. My wife is with IBM and, when her
area was to be cut back, she found a job with IBM in Austin. I applied
for a transfer to Austin and was told that I was 'too valuable to
lose.' Now, they know that my wife is moving next month and my house
is on the market but they still seem to think that I'll be willing to
stay here. I don't understand it. It should be obvious that either I
go to Austin with IBM or I go without IBM."

One IBMer whose husband is also employed by IBM, commenting on the
difficulty that married IBMers are having, said: "When I inquired
about a year ago concerning the chance that my husband and I would be
offered assignments in separate cities, I was told, 'IBM is not in the
business of breaking up families. We do everything possible to insure
that both parties receive assignment to the same place.' Well, that
policy is gone! I was told last week that all employees would be
treated individually. If the job makes more sense to be done in
Burlington or North Carolina, it will be moved there no matter what
the personal ramifications are to the person in the position."

"Maybe that's the way it should have always been or maybe not. It's
just very difficult when the rules change and you are caught in the
change," she added.

A local college teacher told Newsbytes that he was teaching a course
at IBM during the week before "Black Tuesday" and "I have never seen
such a bleakness. I mentioned that the point that I was talking about
would be important 'in the future' and someone in the class said 'we
have no future.' The remark led to a fairly deep discussion of the
depression throughout the firm. I understand the feeling but it was
difficult to behold."

The wife of a New York state policeman assigned to the area told
Newsbytes: "My husband was out in the woods half the night on Tuesday
looking for a runaway 10-year-old. He's the son of an IBM
employee and was afraid that his father was going to be fired. He
said that he didn't want to be home if his father came home
without a job so he ran away. When he heard the police and
police dogs, he became frightened and pushed further into the
forest. I don't even know if his father was let go but the whole
thing is so depressing."

A sporting goods store closed two branches early on the day of the
layoffs and early news reports stated that IBM had requested that the
store close early to avoid the possibility of distraught employees
purchasing guns. Both IBM and the store owner later denied that IBM
had requested the shut-down with the owner saying that it had been
totally his idea.

In the days following Black Tuesday, local churches and community
service organizations offered consulting services to families affected
by the layoffs and IBM's specially set-up out-placement services went
into operation.

Another still-employed IBMer told Newsbytes: "This action hit the day
before our new CEO took office. He should now take very careful
scrutiny of the top management that he has inherited. It is the firm's
management that got us into this mess and one new person isn't going
to change things. He has to start right at the top. I feel terrible
for the people who were terminated and I am angry that our management
ever let us reach such a position."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19930405)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00002)

Housekeeping SW For Ham Radio 04/05/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Ham Log is a program for radio
amateurs (hams). It automates the part of that hobby that many find
less interesting -- keeping a log of the calls made.

In most countries, the regulatory authorities require that amateurs
keep a list or log of all contacts they have on the air. But more than
that, many amateurs strive to make as many contacts as possible, and
in as many countries as possible, and if they are hoping to win awards
for these contacts, an accurate and complete log is essential. In
competitions, where they are racing against the clock to make these
contacts, the log is vital, yet it still takes time.

Ham Log is a PC software package that automates many aspects of
keeping a log, and provides much of the background data for which
hams would otherwise have to use books. Version 2 has just been
launched, and writer Robin Gandevia (callsign VK2VN) said he is ready
to hit the vast international market with his product. "On second
thought," he said, "I'll have to miss out on half of the hams in the
world because I can't speak Japanese and that's where half of the
world's hams are!"

Ham Log contains the following modules:

Six logs - for portable use, contests, special callsign, band, mode
and special awards.

Fast contest mode - used to add contacts quickly, checks to see
if station already worked, calculates contest points, and creates
reports.

QSL label printing - produces contact verification slips to send to
stations "worked."

Country information and statistics - as the user makes a contact,
they can see what contacts have been made to that country before,
what direction to point the antenna (beam heading), the local
time, zones IDs, and status for contests.

Foreign language support - translations of common phrases and
words for more than 150 countries. It even gives the right
words for the time of day ("Good morning, afternoon or evening").

General ham data. All the sorts of data that amateurs normally
look up in a book like the famous ARRL handbook.

Ham log works on almost any DOS PC. It costs AUS$57.50 in Australia
and AUS$70 (US$50) delivered to any other country. It can be ordered
on fax [phone] with Mastercard or Visa.

(Paul Zucker/19930405)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00003)

AT&T's New Internet Services 04/05/93
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- AT&T has
added support for Internet networks with a new directory
of available databases.

The services are a component of the InterNIC, which includes Network
Solutions of Herndon, Virginia, General Atomics/CERFnet of San Diego,
which provides information services, and AT&T. The three organizations
were selected by the National Science Foundation to provide
information services on both NSFnet, a backbone network on the
Internet which carries all system services, and the coming NREN
network.

The Directory of Directories is similar to listings in telephone
books. It lets a novice user of Internet-linked networks learn
where information and resources are located, including computing
centers, network providers, information services, other
directories, library catalogs, even training services. It's
linked through wide area information service (WAIS), Archie,
Telnet, anonymous FTP or electronic mail. Access using Gopher, a
menu-driven program created at the University of Minnesota, will
be available in July. All resource providers are asked to send
along their listings for inclusion in the new directory.

The new database service, called InterNIC, provides information
on material contributed by the NSF, communications documents that
relate to the NSFnet, and collections of data or databases
supplied by other individuals and organizations. The latter group
pays a monthly fee for its listings based on the size of the
file, but users are not charged for the information.

It must be emphasized that InterNIC and the Directory of
Directories are basic to all users of the Internet. AT&T's
hostings of the services give it a major place at the table as
Internet access is expanded, especially as the NREN research
network, which could send data at speeds of over 1 gigabit per
second, gets rolling.

The main server for the new services is at an AT&T network operations
center where administrators are available between 8 AM and 8 PM
eastern on weekdays.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930405/Press Contact: Shelly London, AT&T,
908-221-4355)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00004)

UK - Master Centers For Network Fax 04/05/93
MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Andest Communications has
announced plans to appoint a series of "preferred resellers" to handle
Multifax, its network fax software. The main aim of this new tier of
resellers -- to be known as Master Centres -- is to give PC users the
confidence that the company claims they need to be able to go them for
help with the product.

Tony Sellers, Andest's managing director, said this new tier of
resellers, numbering between five and 10, will be the only way
in which Multifax will be sold and supported in the UK. Since
its launch in September of last year, Sellers claims that
response to the package has been good.

"Multifax offers a great opportunity for dealers to add value to their
services, and it will stimulate extra sales of hardware and software
to network users, making it an even more profitable option for
dealers," he said.

Master Centres will receive full training and technical support, as
well as marketing support, advertising material and sales leads from
Andest. In return, Andest is asking the reseller to have a number of
resources available to demonstrate and support Multifax to/for the
client.

These resources include Novell authorization and access to a certified
network engineer, as well as a Novell Netware System supervisor on
staff, a dedicated Multifax support person, and an in-house network
running Multifax.

Andest claims that Multifax is cost-effective in networked fax terms.
The package costs under UKP 50 per users, giving every user on the
network their own fax machine, with benefits including automatic
polling and near letter quality output. "With Andest supplying the
Multifax know-how and the Master Centres the networking expertise,
users get the specialist support essential for network applications,"
he said.

(Steve Gold/19930405/Press & Public Contact: Andest Communications -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00005)

UK - Apple Computer "Color Tour" 04/05/93
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Apple UK has teamed
up a variety of other companies -- Adobe, Agfa, Efi, Kodak, Letraset,
Linotype-Hell, Scitex, Supermac and Xchange -- to stage the "UK Color
Tour."

The aim of the color systems road show, which will tour the UK in
late April, is to demonstrate the facilities of Macintosh computer-
based technology to reproduction houses, graphic artists, advertising
agencies, newspapers, and magazines.

The April road show, which visits Harrogate (19/20), Edinburgh (22/23)
and London (26/27/28), also aims to update existing Mac users with the
facilities available in terms of color display and printing
technology.

Announcing the roadshow, Emilia Knight, Apple Computer UK's publishing
marketing manager, said areas to be covered on the tour include:
printing and publishing trends; outlining changes in printing
techniques; key hardware and software developments; and the benefits
of integrating the Mac into the traditional color market.

"Apple has consistently been at the forefront of publishing
technology, anticipating each new wave of development. We're delighted
to have the opportunity to share some of the many exciting solutions
being developed for this sector," she said.

The road show comes in the wake of a highly eventful few
months when Apple has unveiled its first color printer
and color scanner, as well as Colorsync, its first color matching
software.

Colorsync is a package that will be shipped with all Apple color
products, as well as selected third party hardware and software. The
package claims to allows users to maintain the consistency of the
color image throughout the publishing cycle from on-screen imaging to
printer output stages.

(Steve Gold/19930405/Press & Public Contact: Apple Computer UK - 081-
569-1199)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00006)

Mac Powerbook Keypad Now Doubles As A Calculator 04/05/93
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Kensington has
updated its external keyboard for the PowerBook with software
that lets the keyboard behave as either an adding machine or
calculator.

Developed in close collaboration with Apple Computer,
Kensington's NoteBook KeyPad offers a calculator-style layout
with mathematical function keys, arrow keys, and 15 function
keys that aren't found on the PowerBook keypad.

The KeyPad's new Adding Machine Software program features two
windows for performing numeric functions: the Adding Machine
window and the Calculator window.

The Adding Machine window enables users to carry out quick,
repetitive functions and automates such tasks as tax and
percent. The Calculator window is geared to simpler,
calculator-style input.

Both windows permit customization of decimal point placement,
rounding, and item count. An on-screen paper tape displays
entries as they are performed. Operations can be started, saved
with paper tape files, and a user can return to them later.

The user can copy and paste, format, and print the paper tape
files. Information can be imported from or exported to such
programs such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.

The enhanced version of NoteBook Keypad is also equipped with an
ADB passthrough that lets the user chain ADB devices. The
upgrade is available for $149.95, and the original, hardware-only
edition has been reduced in price from $149.95 to $119.95.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930405/Press contact: Mary Shank,
Kensington, tel [phone], ext 3328)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00007)

Sierra, Nat Semi's New Chip Set 04/05/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Sierra Semiconductor
has developed a chip set that supports the Digital European Cordless
Telecommunications (DECT) standard. The chip set resulted from a joint
development effort with National Semiconductor.

According to Sierra, the chip set interfaces at ARi1 (Advanced Radio
Interface-1) which defines the signaling protocol between the radio
transceiver and the digital processing portions of a DECT system.

The company says that the combined chip set was designed to meet the
"emerging demand for terminal and base-station equipment" and will
enable the future development of DECT products that are portable with
extended operating times.

Included in the new DECT offering is the baseband integrated circuit
(IC) from Sierra - the SC14400 - and four chips from National
Semiconductor - the LMX2216, LMX2240, LMX2320, and LMX2410.

Sierra maintains that its chip performs the signal and voice
processing functions of the DECT system. It is claimed that the device
performs all the burst mode logic functions specific to the DECT
standard, as well as scrambling, encryption, error correction and G.
721 ADPCM (adaptive differential pulse code modulation) transcoding.
Also, the device has a general purpose interface that allows system
designers to choose their own microprocessor and codec.

National says its chips integrate the radio frequency, synthesizer,
and baseband functions of the DECT radio transceiver into silicon.
They feature a single-conversion receiver and direct modulation
transmitter architecture.

The SC14400 is packaged in an 80 pin QFP package, with the price aimed
at less than $10 in volume. National's chip set is currently in
preproduction with high volume production set to begin as soon as
possible. According to the company, the pricing will vary based on
features and package options. However, in quantities of 1,000, pricing
for the chip set is $31.75.

Sierra Semiconductor and National Semiconductor began their
codevelopment work together in January, 1992.

(Ian Stokell/19930405/Press Contact: Lawren Farber, 408-263-9300,
Sierra Semiconductor)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00008)

Australia - Govt Balks At "Tapless" Digital Phones 04/05/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- As Australia waits for its third
mobile phone operator, Arena GSM, to start operations, the whole
concept has hit a snag. The new service is to be digital, and
difficult to "tap" and Australia's ASIO (Australia Secret Intelligence
Organization) and other law enforcement agencies have halted
proceedings.

The difficulty stems from the question of the agencies' rights to be
able to listen to telephone calls. Because GSM is a digitally encoded
signal, it will be unintelligible to anyone listening with a scanner.

While not impossible to decode, it would need sophisticated methods,
and certainly wouldn't be open to casual listening by anyone. Of
course, like any normal wire-based system, the calls could be tapped
officially at telephone exchanges, but this needs assistance -- the
Aussie secret services prefers to operate on its own in this area.

As a result, the introduction of GSM is being delayed while the
various organizations sort out what they want. There is even talk that
the phone companies should supply a method for authorities to listen
to any call they like. Both Telecom and Optus had hoped to introduce
their services before Arena can establish itself in September.

(Paul Zucker/19930405)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00009)

ITS & Micom Sign Asian Distribution Agreement 04/05/93
WAN CHAI, HONG KONG, 1993 APR 5 (MN) -- International
Telecommunications Services (ITS) has been appointed distributor
for the range of Micom Communications' data communications
products in the Asia Pacific region.

Terms of the agreement call for ITS to sell and market Micom's new
generation of Marathon data/voice servers, NetRunner data/voice
internetwork nodes, LAN bridges, remote terminal servers, statistical
multiplexers and the complete range of X.25 pads and switches.

Announcing the deal, Barry Bonnet, ITS' managing director, said that
Micom offers the industry's wides range of data, voice, fax and local
area network (LAN) technology products and services.

"This agreement allows us to provide small and medium sized companies
as well as divisions of large enterprises in the region cost effective
solutions to their network, data and voice communications," he said.

According to Micom, the company's Marathon data/voice network server
and NetRunner data/voice internetwork nodes use a combination of four
proven technologies -- fast packet multiplexing, speech compression,
data compression and fax demodulation -- to combine up to 40
asynchronous data channels, 10 synchronous data channels and eight
voice/fax channels over line speeds from 9,600 bits per second to 128
Kbps.

"In recent years, the high capacity and reliability of high speed E1
and E3 communications lines have made these the dominant means of
integrating large volumes of voice and data traffic on private
networks of large companies," explained Del Willis, Micom's director of
international sales.

"However, the high cost of E1 and E3 circuits, and the complexity of
the equipment required to use them, has priced this solution out of
the range of most small-to-medium companies which tend to rely on the
public telephone network for inter-office phone calls and low-speed
leased data lines for transporting computer information," he said.

"In many places, the issue is not so much price as sheer
unavailability of high-speed lines. Where circuits are in short
supply, sophisticated multiplexing techniques help to maximize
bandwidth utilization. Micom addresses this market by offering
moderately priced devices that enable any business to combine data,
voice, fax and LAN traffic over lower speed, more affordable
communications lines," he added.

(Brett Cameron/19930405/Press Contact: Wayne Merrick, ITS, Tel: +852-
831 0506;HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MOW)(00010)

Russia - Young Programmers Competition 04/05/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- The Russian "Junior Programmers"
was held in Troisk recently and, by all accounts, was a great
success. Sponsored by IBM and several Russian software houses, the
event took place between the 24th and 29th of March.

Young programmers, ages 14 to 17, gathered in Troisk from
all over Russia. Tasks that required completion included the
coding of a high-level language program, which was then tested,
before being evaluated by a number of professionals who acted
as judges for the event.

According to Vladimir Dudochkin, the manager of the event, the
winners of the competition received prizes from IBM, as well
as Elco and Triskak, two Russian software companies, plus chance
to compete in a parallel event taking place in Argentina this
fall. The real prize, of course, is that the winning programmers
are invited to work for the sponsors of the event.

Dudochkin told Newsbytes that the sponsors were willing to invest in
the event, since it is a relatively easy opportunity for them to
scoop up young and creative programmers in the Russian computing
world.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930405)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00011)

India - Confusion Over Cellular Phone Tenders 04/05/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- The Indian Office of
Telecommunications has a problem on its hands -- how to issue
licenses for cellular phone services in four city areas:
Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras.

The problem stems from a recent High Court decision in Delhi that
indicted the Office of Telecommunications over the way in which
it is making its choice of licensees. The chairman of the
telecom commission, Mr. H. P. Wagle, wants to use the court
decision to force the telecom office to change its plans on
the award of licences, whereas the other members of the
commission have advised against this action.

The Delhi court decision ruled that the telecom office should
increase the number of service licences from two to three for Bombay
and Delhi. The whole affair, understandably, has put the entire
issue of which firm gets which licence up in the air.

The Indian Ministry of Finance has begun looking at ways to solve
the whole affair. Legally, the MoF is on shaky ground in trying to
deal with the matter, since it telecom service provision does not
come within its overall remit. The MoF argues that it must solve the
matter, since, if the licences are not awarded quickly, then foreign
investors may lose interest.

Currently, Newsbytes understands there are several options open to
government officials when it comes to dealing with the matter of
awarding cellular phone licences. As well as the above-mentioned two
choices, the government could call for another round of tenders for
the contracts. Alternatively, an appeal to the Indian Supreme Court,
the highest court in the land, could be engineered.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930504)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00012)

India - New ATMs 04/05/93
BOMBAY, INDIA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Applied Electronics (Aplab) has
announced the development of two new types of automated teller machine
(ATM) for use inside and outside of banks. The first ATM is known as
the Instacash, while the second is branch teller automator.

Plans call for both types of machine to be installed in Indian banks
some time this month. Unlike ATM cards in the West, the Aplab cards
include an on-board integrated circuit (IC) in preference to a
magnetic stripe. Company officials claim that, since the IC card was
developed specifically for ATM use, it offers a much higher degree of
security than normal cards.

Of the two types of terminal, the branch teller automator (BTA) is
the most innovative. Instead of the customer tapping in his or her
code into a keypad as with a normal ATM, the BTA allows the user to
control a keypad but, instead of cash, a debit cheque is
produced on the cashier's side of the counter. This allows the
cashier to continue servicing the customer's needs, rather than
retire in favor of an ATM.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930504)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

 ****Iridium Wins Over Japanese Investors 04/05/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- An investment company
called Nippon Iridium has announced it will coordinate money from 20
major Japanese firms in Motorola's $3.4 billion Iridium project, press
reports from Japan indicate.

Motorola director of communications, John Windolph, who acts as the
project's US spokesman, would neither confirm nor deny the report, but
other sources indicate it's accurate. The company is reportedly on-
track toward its goal of raising $1.7 billion in equity for the
project by its announcement, with Motorola holding just a 10-15
percent stake. The rest of the capital will be borrowed.

Among the companies expected to join Nippon Iridium when it's formed
are DDI, one of the firms competing with KDD for international
telecom traffic, Mitsubishi, Kyocera and Sony. Kyocera and Sony are
both investors in DDI. Earlier, the company said it already has $800
million committed, and Newsbytes' Moscow bureau reported that
Khrunichev Enterprise of Russia will launch a third of the satellites
and invest directly in the project.

Motorola is presently working to put together a consortium by mid-year
which will fund the launch of 66 low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites
which could provide mobile phone service to handheld units around the
globe. A number of other groups are trying to offer similar services,
often limited geographically or technically, Windolph acknowledged.

The chief competitor is Inmarsat, which already funds maritime
satellite services. "We have offered to lease Inmarsat Iridium system
capacity on an exclusive basis in international waters and airspace,
and on a non-exclusive basis over land," Windolph said. "They have
said they'll continue to look at the offer as an option, but have not
yet taken a decision."

At the CeBIT trade show in Germany, Inmarsat officials said they
are working with Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland on
crucial technology, but that Motorola's system might be another
option. The group calls its satellite phone system Inmarsat-P,
but Inmarsat has not decided whether to use LEOs, geo-stationary
satellites or intermediate orbits. Motorola insists that only LEOs
can provide service to handheld devices -- it would take too much
power to reach higher satellites.

Both Inmarsat and Iridium are looking at figures indicating there
could be 100 million digital cellular phone users by the end of the
decade, and if only 1 million sign up for a satellite enhancement,
such a service can turn a profit. The satellite-directed services,
however, are expected to cost around $2 per minute, about what
airplane phone calls cost, so both Iridium and Inmarsat have promised
they'll offer automatic hand-offs to land-based cellular networks
where available.

Windolph said he cannot comment directly on financial negotiations
because "Iridium is doing a private equity placement which prohibits
disclosure of participating entities based on non-disclosure with all
investors." He promised a formal announcement of consortium members
"before the end of the first half of the year," at which point Iridium
will go from being Motorola's dream to a separate company, probably
based in the Washington, D.C. area.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930405/Press Contact: John Windolph, Motorola,
202-371-6880)


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

MCI Videophone Wins FCC Approval 04/05/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- The MCI videophone
has won FCC type approval, meaning it can be sold in the US. The
announcement gives the phone a solid backing in what is sure to become
a head-to-head fight with AT&T's videophone.

The same phone is already on sale in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore
and Japan. It is made by GEC-Marconi of the United Kingdom. At a
retail price of $750, it costs significantly less than AT&T's
videophone, which retails at $999 after a price cut earlier in the
year. Some analysts have called sales of the AT&T unit disappointing,
but AT&T insists that thousands have been sold and it is pleased with
the product's progress.

One reason for the slow sales might be that the two phones are
incompatible, meaning you can't see someone on an MCI videophone
if you're calling from an AT&T unit. Both parties in any
conversation must be using a videophone to see one another in any
case, but requiring that the phone on the other end be of the same
brand is a hardship most buyers don't want to face.

In the past, both AT&T and MCI have made noises about making the two
phones compatible, but nothing has come of it yet. Both videophones
work on standard analog phone lines, using digital compression
technology to send a small, still picture of a caller every few
seconds.

Both MCI and AT&T say their analog videophones do not compete
with videoconferencing systems, which require digital phone
lines to work. PictureTel and Compression Labs are the leaders
in that market. Compression Labs produced the compression
algorithm used in the AT&T videophone.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930405/Press Contact: Pam Small, MCI, 202-
887-3000)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

US Wins Trade Fight With Korea 04/05/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- US trade representative
Mickey Kantor claimed the first success for his new get-tough trade
policy, as Korea allowed AT&T bid on a telecom contract.

The US had threatened trade sanctions unless Korea, under a 1992 trade
pact, unless that country let AT&T bid on the $100 million contract
for digital switches, which it still may not win. Kantor said the US
is being systematically shut-out of the market by state-owned
Korea Telecom, which refused to list AT&T as qualified bidder on the
deal despite 10 years of manufacturing experience in a joint venture
with a local firm.

The switches AT&T was bidding to provide, however, are made in the
US. Until recently AT&T held 20 percent of the Korean switch market,
but as Korea has tried to boost its domestic producers that share has
fallen to about 5 percent.

Korea has been anxious to create its own domestic telecom equipment
industry, and has been reluctant to open its domestic market as a
result. Recently, it decided to leapfrog most installed digital
cellular technology in a bid to create a higher-technology
alternative, licensing the CDMA technology from Qualcomm. Korean
companies will now build low-cost CDMA phones which could then be
exported. Qualcomm gets low-cost equipment supplies it can use
to compete for contracts against the TDMA scheme endorsed by the US
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.

According to Kantor, Korea waited out the threat of sanctions
until the last week before they were to take effect, then agreed
to cave-in, under threat that its products would be barred from the
US otherwise.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930405)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

Antoinette Cook Expected to Head FCC 04/05/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- The on-again, off-
again nomination of Antoinette Cook to head the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) is apparently on -- again.

Cook, staff council for the US Senate subcommittee on communications,
had been heading the lists of prospects for the job during the
Clinton transition. Her stock fell back when press reports indicated
that her dealings on a radio station might not pass ethical muster.
But officials who joined the President at the Vancouver summit with
Russian President Boris Yeltsin said privately her name was expected
to be placed before the Senate for confirmation soon.

Cook, 36, is the step-daughter of Vernon Jordan, who helped head the
Clinton transition. Jordan, unlike codirector and now Secretary of
State Warren Christopher, has not joined the government and remains an
attorney in private practice in Washington.

As chair, Cook, 36, is expected to take another look at the
deregulation policies of the Bush Administration. She was considered
instrumental in helping pass the cable reregulation bill through
Congress last year. She has been said to favor the Fairness Doctrine,
a rule dropped under Bush which required broadcasters to offer
opposing points of view. But her views on telecommunications issues,
such as deregulation of the regional Bell companies and dropping the
"dominant carrier" provision against AT&T, which requires it to submit
detailed paperwork on rates, is unknown.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930405)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00017)

British Telecom Wins Eurocontrol Contract 04/05/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- British Telecom (BT) has
won its largest-ever European packet data network (PDN)
services contract. The contract, for an unspecified sum, calls for BT
to provide Eurocontrol with a pan-European digital data network for
the next five years.

Eurocontrol, the Brussels-based air traffic management agency, will
use the data network to switch data across Europe. The company is
currently implementing the central flow management unit (CFMU)
project, which will eventually allow flight data to be routed to all
29 European states.

This will, Newsbytes notes, allow airports to have access to a
European overview of all flights in planning progress, rather
than rely on the airport's or country's radar network.

According to BT, the first phase of the contract, which runs up to
September of this year, will cover the installation of the backbone of
the GNS network in 10 sites across Europe. Between 1993 and 1997, BT
plans to install data links between 150 sites around Europe as part of
the contract.

Announcing BT had won the contract, Ian Adam, BT Europe's country
operations manager, described it as "a major contract win" which would
allow BT to demonstrate its capabilities across Europe.

(Steve Gold/19930405)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00018)

Germany Gives Digital Mobile Phone Contract To Nokia 04/05/93
HELSINKI, FINLAND, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Deutsche Bundespost Telekom
(DBT) has awarded the installation contract for Germany's E-Plus
digital phone network to Nokia, the Finnish telecom company.

According to DBT, the contract, which has a net worth of DM 150
million ($100 million), will involve the installation of the core
network to the E-Plus service, prior to the formal launch of the
network early next year. The core service will cover the cities of
Berlin and Leipzig, although a rapid roll-out across Germany is
envisioned.

Within its first two years of operations, E-Plus will cover around 60
percent of Western Germany and 88 percent in Eastern Germany, with a
98 percent coverage target set for the end of 1997.

As reported previously by Newsbytes, the E-Plus network is a
consortium of several companies, including Bellsouth, Thyssen, Veba
and Vodafone, as well as a number of smaller investors.

(Steve Gold/19940593)


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

WinSense V1.2 PC/Windows Optimizer 04/05/93
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- SoftLogic
Solutions says it is now shipping version 1.2 of WinSense, its
Microsoft Windows optimization program.

First introduced in November 1992, WinSense fine tunes the user's
Windows environment based on user and system profiles. The
program allows the user to make changes to the numerous Windows
settings options using a dialog process and offering choice lists.
Once the choices are made, WinSense automatically modifies the .ini
file, selecting the correct command syntax. WinSense also has an
editor that can be used to edit the Windows .ini files.

SoftLogic President Cliff Pratt told Newsbytes that the program
developed out of SoftLogic's frustration in dealing with Windows .ini
files. "Trying to find the right .ini file, and getting the syntax
right, even for software gurus, is nightmarish at times," he said. The
company spent several thousand hours researching possible .ini file
settings when developing WinSense.

Features added to the newest release includes Named Backups, which
allows the user to have a numerous sets of different Windows settings
options saved under user selected names, and implement those settings
when desired. There's also a Compare feature that lets the user
identify the individual Windows option settings that are new or
different comparing any two sets of .ini files. Named Backups is
analogous to a DOS user having different config.sys files available
for selection at bootup time, Newsbytes notes.

Pratt told Newsbytes that the program is installed under DOS, not
Windows, in order to accurately determine available hardware and
memory resources. Other features, like modem baud rate, and the DOS
and Windows applications in use, are provided by the user. WinSense
lets the user set his or her choices regarding appearance,
performance, networking, and printing using a series of menus.

An automatic backup system keeps a record of the changes, which lets
you try different setups without losing the original configuration.
Pratt claims that the program will keep nine days of backups, and
unlimited number of backups during each day.

A New User Preference/Customization feature allows WinSense users to
operate in an expert mode and limit the scope of editing
capabilities, tailoring the program's menus to eliminate some
options. The company says that this feature is popular with technical
support personnel and MIS directors, who can give a user some
latitude in changing the Windows configuration, such as colors, but
prohibit them from changing critical features like network settings.

WinSense also has a hot-link to online help where the user can get
an explanation for each of the automatic recommendations that
WinSense makes. Pratt claims that WinSense is the ideal tool for
making changes to Windows configuration. "We've created an easy, fail-
safe system to access, control, and edit every Windows option to
achieve optimal performance," he said.

WinSense has an introductory suggested retail price of $49.95 which at
present is scheduled to end April 15th but may be extended. The
company also publishes Software Carousel, Cubit, Disk Optimizer Tools,
DoubleDOS, and Memory Miser 386. Registered owners of WinSense will
automatically receive a free upgrade to version 1.2.

(Jim Mallory/19930405/Press contact: Cliff Pratt, SoftLogic,
603-627-9900; Reader contact: SoftLogic, 800-272-9900)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00020)

Egghead Stores To Carry Magazines 04/05/93
ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Software retailer
Egghead Software says it plans to sell an assortment of computer-
related magazines in its 205 North American stores.

The company said that the magazines, which include Byte, Computer
Buyer Guide, Computer Gaming World, PC Computing, and Wired, are
already stocked in its East Coast stores, and will be available in the
remainder of the outlets by late April.

Egghead spokesperson Megan McKenzie told Newsbytes that the innovation
was one of the first acts of new Egghead President Tim Turnpaugh. "He
cut through the red tape and said we should do it," according to
McKenzie, who told Newsbytes customers have been asking for the stores
to carry magazines.

Other publications that will appear in the Egghead stores are Computer
Gaming Review, Computer Shopper, MacWorld, MacUser, PC Magazine, PC
Novice, PC World, and Windows Magazine. Individual store managers will
also be able to order other titles that they feel meet the needs of
their local customers.

(Jim Mallory/19930405/Press contact: Megan McKenzie, Egghead
Software, 206-391-6266; Reader contact: Egghead Software,
800-344-4323)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00021)

MoneyCounts 7.0 Business Edition 04/05/93
HIAWATHA, IOWA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Parsons Technology has
begin shipping MoneyCounts 7.0 Business Edition, a financial
software package for small business owners that keeps track of
their payables and receivables.

MoneyCounts 7.0 can print invoices and statements, print checks, and
forecast cash needs similar to the Personal Edition of the program.
The program comes with five sets of customizable charts of accounts,
including general business, farm, and rental property. The check
entry and invoice screens resemble the printed documents for easy
entry, and a Quick Find feature makes its easy to locate an
individual transaction.

The program includes more than 30 reports for information, such as
actual, budgeted, or actual versus budgeted financials, open
invoices, aging reports, and a cash receipts forecast. There are
also about two dozen three-dimensional graphs and charts to visually
depict financial conditions.

The accounts receivable module includes an automatic state and local
sales tax calculator, and invoices can be printed on blank paper or
pre-printed forms. The accounts payable module allows expenses to be
assigned to specific accounts, and checks can be printed on pin-feed
or laser printers. Eight customizable check styles are available.
The program also includes a reminder utility, an address book and
mail list manager, and math and financial calculators. Records are
password-protected.

MoneyCounts 7.0 Business Edition carries a suggested retail price of
$89, and has a minimum system requirement of an IBM-compatible PC
with 640 kilobytes of system memory and a hard drive.

(Jim Mallory/19930405/Press contact: Joan Dyal, Parsons Technology,
319-395-9626; Reader contact: Parsons Technology, 319-395-9626)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00022)

Digital To Move Out Of Maynard Mill Complex 04/05/93
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- In a move
reminiscent of selling the family homestead to pay the bills in
hard times, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) has announced plans
to move out of the historic mill complex where the company was
founded.

DEC said that employees will begin moving this summer from the 156-
year-old Maynard Mill complex to other office space the company owns
in Maynard. Digital expects to vacate the complex within two years,
company spokeswoman Nikki Richardson told Newsbytes.

DEC began operation in 1957 in 8,600 square feet of rented space
at the multi-building, 11-acre site. In 1974, Digital purchased
the entire complex. Currently about 2,100 employees work there,
down from a peak of about 3,000 a few years ago.

Richardson said that the move is part of the second phase of Digital's
review of its facilities worldwide. In the first stage the company set
out to move from leased to owned facilities wherever possible. Now it
is rationalizing its use of space it owns itself.

The mill complex, built for manufacturing, has gradually been turned
into office space, she said, and it is not well suited to that
purpose. The many buildings are not an efficient arrangement for one
large company, she added.

Digital's headquarters staff will be moved to another company-owned
building in Maynard, while other employees working at the mill site
will move to other locations, mostly in eastern Massachusetts.
Richardson said no jobs are expected to be lost as a direct result of
the move, although "downsizing will continue, but that's a separate
issue."

The company has appointed a mill program manager to work with the
town of Maynard and the state to consider future uses for the
site. Digital may or may not sell the property, Richardson said.

The complex was built as a woolen mill in 1847 by Amory Maynard
and William Knight. It supplied woolen cloth, blankets, and
flannels to the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Purchased by the American Woolen Company in 1899, it continued
operating as a woolen mill until 1950.

(Grant Buckler/19930405/Press Contact: Nikki Richardson, Digital
Equipment, 508-493-6369)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00023)

Canada - BC Tel Seeks Rate Increase 04/05/93
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- BC Tel, the
telephone company serving British Columbia, has applied to federal
regulators to increase its local telephone rates by C$3.15 to C$4.15
this spring.

The application is for an interim rate increase effective May 1.
BC Tel said it plans to file for a general rate increase this
summer. The interim application would boost residential rates by
C$4.05 to C$4.15, and business rates by C$3.05 to C$4.15, the company
said.

The increase is needed mainly because of a regulatory decision
last year opening up long-distance telephone service to
competitive operators. Two companies -- Toronto-based Unitel
Communications Ltd. and Vancouver-based B.C. Rail
Telecommunications -- have been given permission to compete in
long-distance service in British Columbia.

"Long-distance revenue will naturally be decreasing as we lose
market share," said Tricia Wunsch, a spokeswoman for BC Tel. As a
result local service, which traditionally has been subsidized by
long-distance rates, must start paying its own way, she said.

In approving applications to compete in long-distance service
last June, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) said it did not believe long-distance
competition needed to result in local rate increases. However,
the regulatory body did not guarantee that no rate increases
would be allowed.

In announcing its applications, BC Tel pointed out that its local
rates have not been raised since 1985.

A few days before the BC Tel application was made public, Bell
Canada, the regional carrier serving Ontario and Quebec, was
denied an interim rate increase. However, Wunsch said BC Tel's
situation differs from Bell's because Bell already has an
application before the CRTC for a general rate increase in
September, while BC Tel will not be able to get a decision in
time for a general increase to take effect this year, and "we
require rate relief this year."

(Grant Buckler/19930405/Press Contact: Norm Blain, BC Tel,
604-663-5027; Tricia Wunsch, BC Tel, 604-432-2663)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00024)

Canadian Product Launch Update 04/05/93
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- This regular
feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further
details for the Canadian market on announcement by international
companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week: IBM's
CICS and MQSeries announcements.

IBM Canada Ltd. launched CICS OS/2 Version 2 (Newsbytes, March
31) at the same time as its US parent company. The new version
will be available in Canada in September. Prices start at C$5,055
for the server, C$205 for the client, and C$1,005 for the
stand-alone version.

IBM Canada also unveiled the MQSeries "middleware" products
designed to aid in client/server application development. To be
available in Canada in September, the products will vary widely
in price depending on the hardware supported.

IBM Canada also expects CICS client software for Apple Computer's
Macintosh to be available here by year-end.

(Grant Buckler/19930405/Press Contact: Anne Hay, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00025)

Turbo Cache/Swap Card For Sun Computers 04/05/93
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Ceram has
announced TurboCache, a data cache and swap local device for Sun
Microsystem computers based on the company's TurboCard solid state
storage device. The company says TurboCache can provide up to 50 times
faster data access than a mechanical disk and is more economical than
upgrading a system's main memory.

According to Ceram, TurboCache not only provides faster data access,
but also improves local performance and reduces network traffic
generated from the client by as much as 99 percent. By caching the
operating system and applications from a data server, the
administrative overhead of the individual clients is removed, and the
reduced network load improves network scalability. Since the device is
also used as a high speed swap device, dependence on memory upgrades
is reduced or eliminated and the performance of data intensive
applications is improved.

Ceram says it has signed a licensing agreement with Pittsburgh-based
Interstream to include a copy of eNFS/Cache with each copy of
TurboCache as a option, and will sell Turbocache unbundled for use at
existing eNFS/Cache and Andrew File System sites.

TurboCard capacities range from 40 megabytes (MB) to 960MB, and
configuration size depends on user application. Base configurations
of TurboCard and TurboCache with eNFS start at $2,030 per client.

(Jim Mallory/19930405/Press contact: Scott Currier, Ceram,
719-540-8500, fax [phone]; Reader contact: Ceram, 719-540-8500,
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00026)

UnixWare On Unisys Hardware 04/05/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Univel, a
partnership between Novell and its newly acquired Unix System
Laboratories, has signed a marketing deal with Unisys.

The deal calls for Unisys to ship UnixWare as the operating system for
a new line of Intel-based systems to be announced later this spring.
The new systems are part of the Unisys U 6000 series.

A major high-end operating system battle is looming between
Unix and Microsoft's not-yet-released Windows NT.

According to the companies, UnixWare was chosen for its "advanced
Unix SVR4.2 system capabilities, seamless integration with NetWare
network services and ability to deploy thousands of custom, semi-
custom and personal productivity applications."

Announcing the deal, Joel Appelbaum, Univel president and chief
executive officer, said: "With UnixWare, Unisys customers
have a robust, easy-to-use version of the popular Unix
operating system optimized for NetWare environments."

The companies claim that, because UnixWare is based on Unix
System V release 4.2, it brings "mission-critical features such
as high reliability, multitasking, security, ease of installation,
enterprise administration and backup and recovery to critical
transaction-processing and decision support applications."

Speaking of UnixWare, Hugh Lynch, president of Unisys Computer Systems
Product Group, said: "UnixWare helps advance Unisys' long-standing
commitment to both Unix and NetWare. UnixWare provides Unisys clients
with an economically-priced, advanced operating system that gives them
transparent access from the desktop to multiple networked computing
resources throughout the enterprise."

UnixWare for the new Unisys desktop systems is intended to be
available beginning in the second quarter of 1993.

In March Newsbytes reported that Univel was one of six major Unix
vendors that had allied together in the face of impending stiff
competition from Microsoft's Windows NT. The companies pledged to
develop common standards for Unix and a compatible graphical user
interface. The move is also designed to give users of Unix more
flexible network protocols. The other five vendors involved are IBM,
Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Unix Systems Laboratories, and the
Santa Cruz Operation.

(Ian Stokell/19930405/Press Contact: Melanie King,
408-729-2342, Univel)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00027)

Video Seven Audio Board Uses ENSONIQ Chipset 04/05/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- A month after
announcing that it had developed faster drivers for its Win.vga
Super video graphics array cards, Video Seven says that its
Media FX audio board for PCs and Windows-systems, set for
a May launch, will use the new Soundscape chipset from ENSONIQ.

The company says that the new chipset uses wavetable sampling
technology to capture the sound quality of 128 actual musical
instruments. It then "integrates with Video Seven's software-intensive
design approach to deliver an attractive price/performance in high-
quality 16-bit audio boards."

Announcing the inclusion of the board, Jack Konrath, Video Seven's
director of marketing, said: "Unlike low-cost audio boards now on the
market that rely on FM synthesis to blast a range of tin-horn sounds,
Media FX will move audio boards to true CD-music quality authoring and
reproduction."

ENSONIQ is involved mainly in digital sound technology and
professional digital musical instruments. Speaking about the deal,
Malcom Walter, ENSONIQ general manager of the Multimedia Division,
said that Media FX will be the PC industry's first audio board to use
its advanced chipset. "We fully expect Media FX to stimulate the
expanded use of audio boards in multimedia authoring and playback for
business audio, entertainment and games applications."

Video Seven says that the Media FX audio board is now available
for review.

In March Newsbytes reported that Video Seven claimed it had developed
faster drivers for its Win.vga Super video graphics array (VGA) cards
for computers with VGA monitors. At the time the company claimed that
the software drivers offer 20 to 50 percent better performance in
Windows than its previous drivers.

(Ian Stokell/19930405/Press Contact: Jack Konrath,
510-656-7800, Video Seven)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00028)

Alliance Aims At Multi-Chip Processor Modules 04/05/93
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- The Center
for High Performance Computing (CHPC) has teamed up with IBM and
Motorola, to develop multi-chip processor modules for high-powered
computers.

The center will work with the military products operation,
semiconductor products sector of Motorola and the technology
products division of IBM to build modules using Motorola's 88110
processors with the accompanying 88410 and 62110 chips and IBM's
multi-chip module technology and C-4 manufacturing technology.

The modules are meant for use in CHPC's Lynx massively parallel
real-time multi-processor, which are being built for the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). There is also potential for
future commercial applications, said Jim Crocker, project leader of
the Lynx program. The agreement gives all three parties the right to
market the technology for commercial applications, he said.

The Lynx system is being designed to fit on a small printed circuit
board, about six inches by nine inches, for embedded and mobile real-
time distributed applications.

The center said it will deliver a small number of the four-processor
Lynx computers to DARPA in the fourth quarter of this year, under a
Department of Defense development program. The design of the module is
"probably 98 percent done" already, Crocker said.

The center was created by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in
November, 1991, to do research and development in the technologies for
high performance computing and transfer its expertise to industry.
CHPC provides real-time, distributed high-performance computing
technology for flexible manufacturing, health care, defense,
environmental resource management, and imaging applications. While
operating within WPI, it is independently funded, Crocker said.

(Grant Buckler/19930405/Press Contact: Tom Probert, CHPC,
508-624-7400; Public Contact: Jim Willcox, CHPC, 508-624-7400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Apple Joins Windows Market; Offers Printers, Scanners 04/05/93
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Microsoft Windows
users can expect to see printing and scanning hardware for their IBM
or compatible personal computer (PC) offered by Apple USA. The
company, a division of Apple Computer, says it is working with major
distributors to recruit resellers into a new program it is calling
Apple Authorized Peripheral Dealers (AAPD) to sell its products into
the lucrative Windows market.

Apple boasts that it is the leading vendor of Postscript language
printers and plans to begin by offering three printers and a scanner
through the AAPD program. The newest product is the Apple Laserwriter
Pro 600 for Windows, a 600 dot-per-inch (dpi) workgroup laser printer
retail priced at $2,099.

Two other printers are offered as well: the Apple Personal Laserwriter
NTR for Windows, geared toward individuals or a small workgroup of
Windows users with a suggested retail of $1,369; and the Laserwriter
Select 310 for Windows for use by a single individual and priced at
$1,079 retail. Also offered will be the Apple Onescanner for Windows
at a suggested retail price of $949.

Each printer will be offered with forty Windows-compatible Truetype
fonts Apple says it licensed from popular font maker Bitstream. The
company says it will also offer an on-site service warranty at an
additional charge with each printer and scanner sold through its new
Apple Assurance customer support program.

Microsoft has shipped approximately fourteen million copies
of Windows version 3.1 since its introduction in April of 1992.
Microsoft claims that it is currently selling over one million
copies of the graphical user interface (GUI) each month.

Apple Computer filed suit against Microsoft over the Windows
interface, but each specific complaint it has brought against
Microsoft was dismissed last year in pre-trial hearings, though the
suit itself is still pending. Bill Gates, co-founder and chief
executive officer at Microsoft, said last week that he expects the
Apple suit to be resolved. Apple's formation of its AAPD to sell into
the Windows market appears to be an informal declaration of its intent
to discontinue pursuit of the suit.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930405/Press Contact: Lisa Byrnes, Apple
USA, tel [phone]; Rene Austin, Regis McKenna for
Microsoft, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Apple To Offer Ability To Automate Tasks Across Apps 04/05/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 APR 5 (NB) -- Custom
applications and automation of routine tasks, including support for
voice recognition technology, is the goal of Apple Computer's
introduction of the Applescript Developer's Toolkit for the Apple
Macintosh computer.

Apple says that commercial software developers will be able to
incorporate scripting capabilities into their applications which in-
house developers, consultants, and systems integrators will be able to
use to create specific automated routines for customers.

The company says that its goal is to make all applications in the
Apple environment able to interact and for those interactions to be
recordable so routine tasks can be automated. Apple has been working
on this idea since 1989 and its work with third-party developers
caused it to define its Open Scripting Architecture (OSA) standard
announced in May of 1991.

A result of the OSA standard, the Applescript Developer's Toolkit
offers Applescript runtime software and a script editor. The runtime
software allows users to run scripts on their own system and the
editor allows recording and change of Applescript scripts. Technical
documentation, sample scripts, and a sample Applescript-aware
application are included. In addition, a prototype version of the
Japanese script dialect is available in addition to the English
version. The company says it is licensing the runtime software and
script editor to commercial software developers.

Apple claims that nearly twenty applications, including products such
as Microsoft Excel 4.0 from Microsoft, Filemaker Pro 2 from Claris,
and Pagemaker 4.2 from Aldus already include support for Applescript.
Nearly thirty more companies have announced support for Applescript in
their applications including graphics software maker Corel,
spreadsheet development company Lotus Development, database software
developer Oracle, and word processing software developer Wordperfect.

An Applescript Runtime Kit will also be offered to individual users
for running scripts on their own systems. The Runtime Kit is a subset
of the Developer's Toolkit and will be offered at a lower price. The
Applescript Developer's Toolkit is $199 and the Runtime Kit is $20.
Shipments of the new scripting products will begin at the end of
April.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930405/Press Contact: Jackie Promes, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact US
800-282-2732, Canada 800-637-0029, International 716-871-6555;
Applescript Licensing for commercial developers 408-974-4667)