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/nb930607

Text File | 1993-06-07 | 61KB | 1,354 lines

(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00001)

Time, TCI Get Serious About Cable's Telecom Position 06/07/93
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- The cable industry
has begun to get serious about its place in the "electronic highway"
race as the two largest players, TCI and Time Warner, have linked-up
to study what they'll need to join in the action.

All they'll say for now is "open architecture." The two cable
giants -- both of which recently set to begin major upgrades of
their systems, TCI aiming at 500 channels and Time Warner
concentrating on interactivity -- want to get equipment, software
and services which will run on both their systems.

Time Warner Cable head Joseph J. Collins said that both companies
have "a shared vision of the Full Service Network," which is Time's
word for its upgrade.

TCI's president, John C Malone, emphasized the compatibility angle.
"It is critical that these networks be compatible with each other so
people across the country can use them to simply and conveniently
access the services we will offer," he said.

Newsbytes notes that TCI has 10.2 million customers, while Time
Warner has 7.1 million.

The deal between the two cable giants puts added pressure on
cable industry suppliers, such as General Instruments and Scientific
Atlanta, to bring their offerings closer together. GI is working
with Intel and Microsoft on new boxes. Sci-Atl is looking for a
RISC chip to power its new boxes, and has reportedly been talking
to Silicon Graphics.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930607/Press Contact: Lynn Yeager, Time
Warner Cable, 203-328-0669; Bob Thomson, TCI, 303-267-5220)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00002)

Epson: ActionNote To Complement, Not Replace, NB Series 06/07/93
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Epson America views
its new ActionNote series of portable PCs as a complement to its
existing NB Series, and certainly not a replacement, an Epson
official told Newsbytes in a telephone interview.

Speaking with Newsbytes from the CES show in Chicago, Sanford
Weisman, Epson's product marketing manager for portable computers,
outlined the company's portable strategy, and responded to comments
from an analyst that were included in a Newsbytes story that ran
last week.

"I think there's merit to some of what he said, but not all of it,"
said Weisman, referring to observations by Randy Giusto, senior
analyst at WorkGroup Technologies. Giusto was quoted in last week's
story as saying that Epson seems to be introducing the ActionNote
series in piece-by-piece fashion, and that quick action should be
taken to fill out the new family to overcome a public perception
that the vendor hasn't kept up-to-date lately with the newest
industry trends.

The NB Series and new ActionNote family are targeted at entirely
different audiences, and sold through different channels, Weisman
told Newsbytes. The NB Series is aimed at the corporate market-
place, and marketed through traditional reseller channels, he
elaborated. The new ActionNote family, on the other hand, is
designed for the small business/home office market, and sold in
retail stores.

Computers in the NB Series are designed to be customized with
software, memory upgrades, docking stations, and other options to
meet the needs of particular corporate applications, said Weisman.

"We definitely don't consider the models in the NB Series to be
`old,'" he said. In fact, Epson just introduced a new model in
the series a couple of months ago, he said.

"And I'd say we're moving pretty fast with the ActionNote series,
too," he added. The first member of the family, the ActionNote
4SLC/25 notebook, was introduced in April. The second member, the
ActionNote 4000 subnotebook, was unveiled last week at CES.

"We're bringing out these computers one by one because we want to
give each model the attention it deserves," he told Newsbytes.
Models in the retail line are designed to offer the strong
price/performance, ease of use, and high reliability that consumers
and small businesses need, he explained.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930607/Press contact: Jan Marciano, Epson
America, tel [phone])


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

CES: Wireless Cable Net Ready to Go 06/07/93
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- At the Consumer
Electronics Show GM's DirecTv direct broadcast satellite unit
announced it has won distribution agreements with a number of basic
cable services.

Included are The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, C-SPAN,
C-SPAN 2 and E! Entertainment Television. The agreements bring
to 16 the number of basic cable networks that will be distributed
nationwide by DirecTv. In rural areas, DirecTv will be offered
through the National Rural Telecommunications Co-operative.

DirecTv will offer the cable networks itself elsewhere, along
with pay-per-view movies, sports, cultural, entertainment and
other programming.

To get DirecTv, viewers will need a special RCA branded satellite
dish, 18 inches in diameter, made by Thomson of France. The company
will use digital compression to fit up to 150 channels of services
onto a direct broadcast satellite starting in April, 1994. The
satellite dish package includes a decoder box and remote control,
and will retail for about $700. The system includes a proprietary
compression algorithm and will be incompatible with other competing
direct broadcast systems like Echosphere.

Other cable programmers who have agreed to make themselves available
via DirecTv are The Disney Channel, CNN, Headline News, TNT, TBS
Superstation, The Cartoon Network, USA Network, The Sci-Fi Channel,
TNN: The Nashville Network, CMT: Country Music Television, The
Family Channel, and two Canadian services -- Newsworld International
and Northstar. In addition, DirecTv has pay-per-view agreements with
Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, which includes
Columbia/TriStar releases, and Turner Broadcasting for titles from
the Turner/MGM library.

The high-power satellites for the system are already being built
by Hughes, and are based on the HS 601 model with 16 transponders
each. The first satellite is scheduled for a December 1993
launch, and the second launch is planned for summer 1994. Both
satellites will be placed in orbit by Arianespace.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930607/Press Contact: Linda F. Brill,
DirecTv, 310-535-5062)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00004)

 ****Hewlett-Packard Introduces Omnipage 06/07/93
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard
and Microsoft Corporation have announced the introduction of the HP
OmniBook 300 "superportable", a 2.9 pound 386 system that contains
Microsoft Windows, Word and Excel in read-only-memory (ROM).

According to the announcement, Hewlett-Packard has chosen to call
the new offering a superportable "because it gives users full-size-
PC convenience anytime, anywhere with no boot-up and no set-up."

Hewlett-Packard spokesperson Lucy Honig told Newsbytes that the
OmniBook 300 is available immediately. She also said: "Even though
the OmniBook has a full size keyboard and display, it is only 11.1
inches long and can easily fit in briefcases and pocketbooks. I
think that it is the perfect machine for on the go people who need
full computer functionality."

The OmniBook 300 is based on a 20 Megahertz (MHz) 386sxlv chip. The
unit contains 4 PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association) standard card slots, infrared, serial, parallel and fax/modem
ports and a built-in pop-up mouse.

There are two models in the line, a 40 megabyte (MB) system with a
recommended list of $1,950, and one that contains a 10MB flash disk
with a suggested price of $2,275. Options include Fax/Modem
Communications Pack ($379); 2MB RAM expansion ($179); and AC/DC
adapter ($99). The Operating System supplied with the system (MS-DOS
5.0) contains the DoubleSpace function of MS-DOS 6.0 and, according
to Hewlett-Packard, doubles the capacity of the built-in hard disk
and flash cards.

Software supplied with the OmniBook 300 includes Microsoft Windows
3.1, Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0, Microsoft Excel 3.1, Laplink
Remote Access, HP Phone Book, HP Appointment Book, and HP Financial
Calculator. Purchasers of the optional Fax/modem PCMICA card also
receive Microsoft Mail 3.2, WinFax LITE and DynaComm.

Announcing the OmniBook 300, Lewis E. Platt, Hewlett-Packard
president and chief executive officer said: "The HP OmniBook 300
superportable is a product of our version of a new age: that of
pervasive computing."

"With the superportable, HP and Microsoft are creating an exciting
new category of portable personal computing that emphasizes more
than size and weight. For years, people have been making computers
smaller and lighter, we're the first company to design a mobile
system specifically designed for convenience of use while on-the-
go," he said.

Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO, added: "We are pleased to have worked closely
with HP on the development of the OmniBook 300. HP has produced a
great piece of engineering; the size, weight and battery life are quite
phenomenal. What's more, the OmniBook is the first machine with ROM-
based versions of Microsoft Word and Excel, the most popular applications
for Windows. HP's OmniBook 300 is truly a 'Windows machine'."

The battery consumption referred to by Gates has been estimated for
nine hours of use for flash card systems and 5 hours for hard disk
systems. The OmniBook utilizes a rechargeable battery pack. Honig
told Newsbytes that, in the event of an emergency, 4 AA alkaline
batteries can power the flash card model and 4 lithium batteries can
power the hard disk model.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/Press Contact: Lucy Honig,
Hewlett-Packard Company, 503-750-2038/19930607)


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

Australian Study Shows Telecommuters More Productive 06/07/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Telecom Australia has released
the findings of its first study of telecommuting in Australia. It
reveals that the workers are more productive, happier and healthier.

Telecommunting is working from home or nearby place, instead of
travelling to the traditional place such as an office. It usually
involves the use of computers, fax machines, modems and other office
communication devices.

The Telecom study took 31 workers who lived in various parts of the
country and set them up with suitable home office areas. They were
required to work without children in the house. They all kept daily
diaries and met other telecommuters regularly to discuss problems
and ideas.

Productivity rose by 18 percent on average, while anxiety decreased
by around 15 percent. Sick-leave was lower, possibly due to the fact
that they were able to work at their own pace, and could start later
in the day if they woke up feeling unwell. Most respondents reported
a saving of money though savings in travel were partially offset by
increased household costs such as power.

They became more self-reliant and most said they had developed a
better control of their lives. 10 percent reported feelings of
isolation and some admitted to taking photographs of their work
colleagues home to keep in their work area while others said they
needed to chat with their colleagues on the phone to keep up their
accustomed social interaction. Some reported that they tended to
work much longer hours.

(Paul Zucker/19930607)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

Wireless Call For Copy 06/07/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- If you're a reporter or
editor who's sent stories without wires, Bill Frezza of Ericsson-GE
wants to honor you.

In a mass MCI mailing to over 25 leading technology reporters,
Frezza opened the bidding for what he calls the "12 apostles" award.
They'll go to the first 12 journalists who have submitted for
publication "a news story, article, or column via wireless Email.

"The publication can be a newsletter, daily, weekly, monthly, or on-
line magazine. The article need not be about wireless communications
but must have been submitted wirelessly," Frezza wrote. Nominations
should go to Jim Opfer, who heads the RadioMail user group known as
RMUG, at the Internet address [e-mail]. Nominations must
be received by June 10th, and winners will be announced June 14 at
the group's regular meeting in Atlanta.

What do they get? A nice certificate, of course. Good reporters are
never for sale. Oh, and RMUG will send out a press release with your
name on it. The meeting of the group will be held at 8:30 PM on June
14 at the Atlanta Hilton, the evening before the Electronic Mail
Association convention opens, Frezza told Newsbytes.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930604/Press Contact: Bill Frezza, Ericsson-
GE, 201-588-4265; email; [e-mail]: Send Entries to:
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

BellSouth, Cox Close To Pact On Yellow Pages 06/07/93
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- BellSouth spokesmen are
denying published reports they have a deal with Cox Enterprises,
owners of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, to deliver Yellow Pages
information and classified ads by telephone and computer.

"There is no deal," insisted BellSouth spokesman Bob Morrow to
Newsbytes. "I wouldn't have anything more to say at this time."

Still, the two companies, which remain bitter rivals in public, have
been co-operating more and more in private for some time. The public
rivalry was over the issue of telephone company delivery of
information, something Journal-Constitution editor David Easterly
fought hard as head of the American Newspaper Publisher Association,
and something BellSouth head John Clendenin finally won recently.

Beneath the surface, the companies have a long history of co-
operation. Cox was the biggest customer of BellSouth's TUG gateway
in the late 1980s. The two companies had to work together so the
Journal-Constitution's 222-2000 free audiotex operation could reach
5 million callers per year.

More recently, the paper has tried, and failed, to reach a mass
market with an online service called Access Atlanta. The two
companies have also co-operated in the successful fight to win Cox
the number 511 in Atlanta, a so-called "N11" number like the 911
emergency, 411 directory assistance, or 611 repair service numbers,
through which the paper hopes to begin a low-cost audiotex service.
Cox also won preliminary approval from Florida regulators to use 511
in Palm Beach, Florida, and BellSouth wants to open the use of "N11"
throughout its nine-state service region.

Both companies also have projects they'd like the others' help
on. BellSouth has recently become a big booster of the ScanFone,
a screen-based telephone offering transaction services, and
newspaper classified ads could help it reach the market. And Cox
head James Cox Kennedy, in a recent speech to the Atlanta Press
Club, emphasized his view that future journalism jobs will come
more in "repackaging" information than new reporting.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930607/Press Contact: Bob Morrow, BellSouth,
404-529-8169)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00008)

AT&T Japan Links With ASCII On Network Resale 06/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUN 3 (NB) -- Japan ENS-AT&T and ASCII
Corporation has signed an agreement regarding their respective
network arrangements in Japan. Terms of the agreement call for ASCII
Corporation to distribute AT&T's telecoms network which links with
the Internet, in Japan.

The agreement will also allow both companies to interconnect their
networks this coming fall, so allowing inter-system electronic mail
and interactive online sessions.

Japan ENS-AT&T, a subsidiary of AT&T, started the Internet
connection service in Japan in November 1992. To date, the Internet
has been accessed via AT&T's Spin network. With this new agreement,
ASCII will distribute Spin on behalf of AT&T, allowing a much wider
population to gain access to the Internet.

As in the US and Europe, the Internet is widely used by researchers
and engineers at academic sites across Japan, as well as some
commercial organizations. According to ASCII, the Internet now hosts
more than 10 million users in 120 countries around the world.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930607/Press Contact: Japan ENS-AT&T,
[phone], ASCII, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

IDB-Vyvx Sign Co-operation Agreement 06/07/93
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- WilTel's Vyvx unit
has signed a five-year agreement with IDB's IDB Broadcast unit to
provide video backhauls.

The two companies have already been in business for some time.
IDB has used Vyvx' systems extensively to deliver pictures of
Major League Baseball games from stadia to networks, for
insertion of commercials.

IDB, however, is best known for its network of satellite teleports,
which it uses to provide backhauls for professional football, hockey
and basketball games. The two firms emphasized that there is no
exclusivity in this deal -- IDB will still be free to use satellites
when appropriate.

Vyvx' network now has points of presence in over almost 60 cities
in the United States and Canada, including all cities with major
league sports teams. IDB said the Vyvx network provides cost-
effective service on delivery of signals from point to point,
while satellites are best when a signal is going to many points
at once.

The agreement also means the two companies will work closely with
local phone companies to link stadia with Vyvx' local points of
presence. This "last mile" problem is key to delivery of the 45
million bit/second services Vyvx has depended on for its
business.

But that may not be necessary in the future. In April, the two
companies said they will buy digital video compression systems
from Scientific-Atlanta based on the Moving Pictures Experts
Group, or MPEG standard. MPEG could allow the delivery of
digitized, broadcast-quality video on much slower lines.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930607/Press Contact: Kevin Inda, WilTel,
713-547-1014)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00010)

 ****Sega Versus Nintendo; The Battle Continues 06/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUNE 7 (NB) -- As has happened in the US, the
battle for the hearts and minds of the games players of the world is
continuing in Japan, with Nintendo and Sega taking clear sides in
what is fast becoming a battle for incredible profits.

Sega has announced its has signed Michael Jackson to promote the
game machine's software, while Nintendo has countered by cutting the
price of its games machine for the first time.

Rather than "do a Pepsi" with Michael Jackson and use the rock star
to promote the games system, Sega is going several stages further
and plans to use him in its games. The games giant has already
conducted the video shoots necessary to capture his image for
incorporation in the games.

Plans call for Sega to use Jackson in two of its arcade games that
run on the AS-1 console in the arcade. Two flavours of Michael
Jackson games are available -- Scramble Training, a space rocket
simulation, and Megaro Police 2154. Both games feature 3D effects
and have Michael Jackson's video images in the background.

According to Sega, both games are so-called virtual reality programs
and will debut in arcades in Japan and the US towards the end of the
month.

The development of these two games has not meant at Sega has rested
upon its laurels, The company has been trying to beef up its
management his past few months, taking on board William White
Junior, a specialist in advertising.

White is the fourth highly visible recruit to the Sega stable -- the
games giant has already hired a former franchise department store
man, a bank executive and a Honda-man.

Nintendo, meanwhile, has announced plan to slash pricing on Gameboy
and Famicom games systems. The Famicom is better known as the NES
System in the West. Plans call for the Gameboy to fall in price by
around 20 percent to 9,800 yen ($90), while the Famicom will fall by
more than 30 percent to the same price as the Gameboy.

According to Nintendo, the price cuts are due to economies of scale
in production. To date, 9.87 million Gameboys have been sold in
Japan, while more than twice that amount -- 18.3 million -- of the
Famicom have been sold in Japan until the end of March of this year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930607/Press Contact: Sega
Enterprises, [phone], Fax, [phone], Nintendo, +81-
75-541-6111, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00011)

Hewlett-Packard To Use NETstor's Mass-Storage Software 06/07/93
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- NETstor and
Hewlett-Packard (HP) have signed an OEM agreement that calls for HP
to incorporate NETstor's hierarchical on-line mass-storage software
as an integral part of HP's OpenView storage management systems.

The deal reportedly calls for NETstor to port its Hierarchical
Storage Management (HSM) software family to the HP 9000 product line
and integrate the software with HP's OpenView OmniBack and HP
OpenView Operations Center system management applications.

Announcing the deal, NETstor VP and general manager Russell
Bengston, said that HP and Digital Equipment Corporation are the
only open systems manufacturers to sign OEM agreements with HSM
suppliers.

HSM software will offer all applications on network nodes virtually
unlimited on-line storage capacity through an automatic and
transparent migration of files between magnetic disks and optical
disk libraries. The software manages on-line storage for the HP
Apollo 9000 series 700 and 800 systems and client disks with
capacities from 20 gigabytes to more than a terabyte (one billion
bytes).

OpenView is an integrated network and system management system for
multivendor distributed-computing environments, and includes a group
of management applications from HP and other vendors. HP claims that
OpenView is currently installed in more than 20,000 networks
world-wide.

HP said it expects to ship HP OpenView OmniStorage in the second
half of the year, and it will be marketed and supported by HP's
world-wide organization. It will also be available from NETstor to
VARs (value added resellers) and ISVs (independent software
vendors).

(Jim Mallory/19930607/Press contact: Gregg Juettner, NETstor,
612-890-9367, Dave Kroll, Hewlett Packard, 408-447-0985)


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

Computerland Introduces Chinese Language Computing 06/07/93
QUARRY BAY, HONG KONG, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- ComputerLand, the global
PC retail chain, has unveiled plans to include a newly developed
Chinese language computer interface free with every ComputerLand PC
sold in Hong Kong and China.

The new interface, Chinese Star, turns MS-Windows into a fully
compatible Chinese language computer environment, complete with both
simplified and traditional character sets in a variety of different
fonts. Keeman Wong, product marketing & development department
manager for ComputerLand, believes that Chinese Star will offer real
benefits to locals users.

"By including MS-DOS, MS-Windows 3.1 and Chinese Star with every
ComputerLand PC, we have made personal computing truly versatile to
users in Hong Kong," said Wong. "Local users will no longer be
confined to English computing, and English printing," he added.

The Chinese Star interface was created by Suntendy, a team of
software development experts based in China, with a focus on ease of
use, speed and compatibility.

The software is unique in that it allows you to select from a variety
of input methods, including Canjei, phonetic, pinyin, zhuyin, Big 5
internal code and a telegraph code.

The Big 5 internal coding scheme is one of the most popular schemes
outside of the PRC. "It enables Chinese Star to work with files created
by other Chinese software," explained Wong. "However, the software
also supports other methods and even allows users to define their
own input methods to give maximum flexibility and ease of use."

To maintain ease of use, Chinese Star can display keyboards for each
input method on the computer's screen, allowing users to easily
select Chinese characters with the mouse.

Chinese star supports both simplified and traditional Chinese
characters and can automatically translate traditional characters,
switching between them to meet each user's specific need.

The basic version of Chinese Star comes with four traditional
character outline fonts, Song, Fang-Song, Kai and Hei, and one
simplified character font, Song. Additional fonts can be purchased
as required.

"Chinese Star comes with several character fonts, which can be
output by any printer supported by Windows," Wong said. "It does not
matter what sort of printer you have, Chinese Star will do the for
you."

Chinese Star enables most standard Windows packages, including word
processors, spreadsheets, and databases, to use a mixture of English,
simplified and traditional Chinese characters.

"Chinese Star is a revolutionary product that allows versatile, speedy
and user friendly Chinese language computing under Windows without
problems of having to install special hardware," Wong said. "It is
one of the first solutions to provide both simplified and traditional
Chinese, as well as English character support for Windows."

"With ComputerLand's backing and strong support, and Chinese Star's
ease of use and functionality, we believe it will provide extra value
to many PC users," he added.

"By including a copy of Windows and Chinese Star with every
ComputerLand PC sold, we are bringing Chinese Language computing into
the general public for the first time." .

ComputerLand has exclusive international distribution rights to Chinese
Star, and will distribute the PRC, Hong Kong, Asian USA and Europe.

(Brett Cameron/19930607/Press Contact: Keeman Wong, ComputerLand, Tel:
[phone], Fax [phone];HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00013)

 ****NCR Announces New Server Line 06/07/93
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Claiming to be taking a
more aggressive posture in the computer market, NCR Corporation has
announced a new line of NCR Unix-based file servers that it claims
cannot be matched in price, performance and functionality.
Microsoft's recently announced Windows NT is also supported in some
environments.

The newly announced 3500 family of file servers will offer symmetric
multiprocessing, using from one to 32 Intel 486 or Pentium
microprocessors per system, and will include NCR's fault tolerant
LifeKeeper FRS software to provide automatic failure detection and
recovery.

The NCR 3575 is designed as a corporate data center server which can
use from two to 32 Pentium processors when that chip becomes
available later this year. The systems are scheduled to ship in the
fourth quarter of this year.

The 3570, also scheduled to ship in the fourth quarter, and supports
from two to 16 Intel 486 50 megahertz (MHz) microprocessors, and is
upgradable to Pentium technology.

The 3555 server, which was introduced in mid-May, is designed for
mini-data center operations performing on-line transaction processing
using from two to 16 Pentium processors.

The 3550 is a departmental or enterprise server NCR says can
accommodate from two to eight 486 processors, and is upgradable to the
Pentium chip.

The NCR 3525, which was also announced in mid-May, is NCR's
entry-level Pentium based server, designed for online processing
applications, and can support up to eight Pentium chips.

The company is also introducing the NCR 3520 mini data center server,
which supports as many as eight 486 50MHz processors and is
immediately available, and the 3410, a single processor server using
an Intel 486SX or 486DX/2 chip. The cost of the 3520 ranges from
$75,000 to $500,000. NCR spokesperson Heather Heeter told Newsbytes
that pricing on the other models has not been set at this stage.

(Jim Mallory/19930607/Press contact: Heather Heeter, NCR Corporation,
513-445-2311)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00014)

Intel, Microsoft Sponsor Computer Buyer Readership Study 06/07/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Chip maker Intel and
software giant Microsoft have announced plans to sponsor a
comprehensive media research study to determine readership behavior
among the computer-buying public. The information could then be used
to target specific publications for computer product advertising.

Microsoft claims that the study, expected to cost about $2 million,
is designed to measure media behavior among a broadly defined
audience of computer-related "purchase influencers" for business and
home computer users. The study is expected to reach about 10,000
people who make the buying decision on computer systems, software,
peripherals, and networking products. Generally that will include
readers of computer-related and general interest publications, as
well as viewers of broadcast and cable television programs.

Microsoft also claims that several leading industry publishers have
also pledged support. Participation in the study is open to all
publishers, manufacturers, and advertising agencies. Compaq Computer
Corporation and Digital Equipment Corporation are among the hardware
makers taking part in the project.

Microsoft Marketing VP Gary Gigot said that the study should help
the industry determine the most efficient communications channels
for reaching customers. According to Intel VP of Corporate Marketing
Dennis Carter, "We all gain -- PC consumers, manufacturers, and
publishers -- when the market is better educated about our
technology and products."

The study will be conducted by IntelliQuest, an Austin. Texas-based
market research firm that's had extensive experience in the high-
tech field. The pilot phase will kick off this month, with initial
funding provided by Microsoft and Intel as well as publishers CMP,
IDG, and Ziff Davis. Companies interested in participating can
contact Microsoft.

(Jim Mallory/19930607/Press contact: Erin Carney, Microsoft,
206-882-8080; To participate: Ann Redmond, Microsoft, 206-936-6567)


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

 ****IBM Recalls L40SX Laptops Due To Heat Problem 06/07/93
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- IBM is recalling the
PS/2 L40SX laptop computer from users because of a potential problem
with overheating caused by a battery short circuit.

In about 15 cases, all in Europe, L40SX batteries have been found to
have short-circuited by a metal object such as paper clip and the
resulting heat has been enough to melt a hole in the case of the
machine, explained Mike Quinn, a spokesman for IBM Canada Ltd. in
Markham, Ont.

Quinn said that, while all incidents to date have been in Europe, he
knows of no significant difference between the battery hardware sold
there and that used in L40SX machines in the rest of the world. At
any rate, he said, IBM is "going the extra mile" and recalling the
machines all over the world for repairs.

The company is notifying customers and dealers on its records of the
recall. L40SX owners can contact IBM or their dealer for further
information. Until the machines are repaired, IBM is advising users
to remove the batteries and use the PCs only on AC power.

Quinn said 150,000 L40SX laptops have been sold, and noted that
the reports of problems affect only one hundredth of one percent
of those. He added that IBM stopped making this model in February
of this year.

(Grant Buckler/19930607/Press Contact: Mike Quinn, IBM Canada,
416-474-3900)


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

Most Telesat Mobile Creditors Approve Plan 06/07/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Telesat Mobile
Incorporated, the bankrupt Canadian mobile satellite communications
firm, has obtained most creditors' approval for its reorganization
plan. Several conditions must still be met, including court
approval.

Telesat Mobile, which is 80-percent owned by domestic satellite
carrier Telesat Canada, needs more money to meet increased costs.
In early April, the company announced plans to file a proposal
under Canada's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act after failing to
find the financing it required.

Telesat Mobile's proposal depends on equity funding from BCE, the
holding company for Bell Canada and Northern Telecom. BCE, which is
also Canada's largest company by revenue, is to put C$120 million
into Telesat Mobile and gain 100-percent control. Telesat Canada
would receive preferred shares in exchange for its holdings in the
company, according to Robert Ferchat, chairman and chief executive.

The plan also relies on a commitment by the federal government's
Department of Communications to prepay Telesat Mobile for future
services and through other commitments.

The Department of Communications had already agreed to put C$120
million into Telesat Mobile, Ferchat said, and C$22 million of that
has been received. Telesat Mobile is now asking the department to
spread its remaining contribution over two years and turn over the
money before the company's satellite is launched, rather than
spreading the contributions over three years.

The proposal also depends on some creditors accepting deferred
payments or cancellation of contracts, Ferchat added.

Telesat Mobile provides mobile satellite (MSAT) technology, used
largely for communication among trucks and other moving vehicles.
The company currently uses rented satellite capacity, but has
admitted there have been transmission quality problems and it
needs the new technology to be used in its own satellite, which
is now due for launch in the fall of 1994.

(Grant Buckler/19930607/Press Contact: Robert Ferchat, Telesat
Mobile, 613-736-6728 ext. 2105)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00017)

Donnelley, Cincinnati Bell Research Electronic Yellow Pages 06/07/93
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Cincinnati Bell and
R.R. Donnelley and Sons, a printer of catalogs, newspaper inserts,
magazines, books, directories, and computer documentation, say they
have signed an agreement to conduct joint research on an electronic
Yellow Pages product for business-to-business applications.

The two companies plan to release a prototype electronic yellow
pages later this year which will allow users to locate services by
name, address and phone number as well as by business category and
geographic area.

Donnelley Manager of Electronic Media, Dan Dunne, claims that the
prototype will feature catalog-type information, advertisements,
pricing, and maps. "Users will be able to select a product from the
yellow pages categories, view pictures relating to the product,
generate pricing, and dial into an online service to order
products," he said.

The system will use software from Geosystems, a company that
provides maps, locational software, digital map data, marketing
support systems, and other application-specific geographic
information services.

"With our GeoSystems technology, users not only are able to look for
a desired product or service, they can also locate the closest
provider or view all locations where the products or services are
located," explained GeoSystems President Barry Glick.

Dunne told Newsbytes that the prototype will enter beta testing
sometime this fall. Pricing is not yet available. Dunne said that
the online service will initially be accessible with a personal
computer. The company may release a CD-ROM version later.

(Jim Mallory/19930607/Press contact: Dan Dunne, R.R. Donnelley and
Sons, 312-326-8070; Larry Lux, Cincinnati Bell, 513-397-5781)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00018)

Twenty Indian Companies Participate In Singapore Informatics 06/07/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JUNE 7 (NB) -- Almost 20 Indian companies
have revealed they are likely to participate in Singapore
Informatics '93, a technology show that will held in Singapore from
October 14 to 17 this year.

According to Johnny Kwan of Times Conferences and Exhibitions (TCE),
the company that is organising the show, the event will have an
Indian pavilion for the first time this year. "It will provide an
opportunity to Indian companies to do business in Singapore," he
said.

Plans call for an international information technology (IT)
recruitment fair to be held in parallel with the show. This will,
Kwan said, allow companies to recruit international talents spanning
several fields, as well as allowing Singaporean managers to take on
a more regional role.

The Singapore Informatics show is organised every alternate year by
the Singapore Federation of the Computer Industry. It attracts an
annual participation of more than 1,000 exhibitors and more than a
million visitors.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930607)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00019)

 ****Fujitsu & Sun To Develop Compatible Operating Systems 06/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUNE 7 (NB) -- Fujitsu has signed an agreement
with Sun Microsystems in California, terms of which call for both
companies to pool their resources in the workstation software
market-place.

According to Fujitsu, the agreement also calls for both companies to
make their operating systems compatible with each other. This will
allow Fujitsu's DS/90 7000, which normally runs Unix applications,
capable of loading and running Sun Solaris 2 operating system.

Both companies' workstations are based around the Sun reduced
instruction set computing (RISC) technology. Despite this
commonality, the specifications of both machines are radically
different, as is the norm in the Unix market-place.

Recently, however, Sun's Solaris operating system has opened its
doors to Unix System V release 4 for the first time. As a result,
binary data on both operating systems can be made compatible.

An interesting spin-off of the inter-company agreement is that the
ICL DRS 6000 series of workstations will be able to run Sun's
applications. ICL is Fujitsu's subsidiary in the UK.

According to sources close to both companies, there is another deal
in the offing between Fujitsu and Sun. Plans call for Fujitsu to
supply Sun with Cobol85, a business applications development
utility, on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis. Using
this software, Sun workstation users should be able to adapt a
number of Fujitsu applications for use on their machines.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930607/Press Contact: Fujitsu, +81-3-
3215-5236, Fax, [phone], Sun Microsystems, +81-3-3221-
7228, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00020)

IBM Japan Forms Software Association 06/07/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUNE 7 (NB) -- IBM Japan has created a new
software association for its Open Architecture Developers' Group
(OADG). The aim of the not-for-profit organization is to encourage
the development of DOS/V-compatible PCs.

Known as the Application Product Association, the group consists of
several Japanese software and peripheral equipment manufacturers and
suppliers.

The association consists of 19 firms including Lotus, Just Systems,
ASCII, Strategic Research Institute, Software Japan, Softbank,
Borland, Aiwa and Advanced Peripherals. According to the group,
around 3,000 application programs for IBM's DOS/V operating system
have been developed, and more are expected once the association gets
off the ground.

Newsbytes notes that the number of applications for DOS/V has
tripled over the last year. Around 200 types of DOS/V-based PCs and
1,300 types of peripherals for use with the machines have been
developed.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930607/Press Contact: Open
Architecture Developers' Group, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00021)

Tata-IBM Secures Hong Kong Bank Order In India 06/07/93
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Tata Information Systems
Limited (TISL), the IBM-Tata joint venture, has secured a Rs 25
crore (around $8.3 million) order from the Hong Kong Bank for its
AS/400 machines.

Terms of the contract call for TISL to supply its top of the line
AS/400 Model F95, launched world-wide last February, making Hong
Kong Bank the first Indian customer to obtain the machine. The
minicomputer comes equipped with OS/400, the AS/400 line's operating
system, as well as set of CASE tools and a data encryption package,
plus several other utilities.

The AS/400 F95 series is an extremely powerful machine. According to
IBM, a single machine is capable of supporting more than 1,000 users
simultaneously.

Plans call for the various branches of HK Bank to be linked up to a
central server version of the AS/400 machine. The bank claims that
this will allow it to offer a smooth and uninterrupted flow of
information to its customers, as well as implementing an electronic
funds transfer system at a later stage.

TISL notes that the order is not a part of the $75 million world-
wide deal that the Hong Kong bank has already signed with IBM, but
is actually a new account for the company.

The AS/400 range of machines, which were launched in the late 1980s
as a replacement for the System 3x range of minicomputers, are an
international best seller, having sold over two million systems.
Newsbytes notes that, if Big Blue's AS/400 systems division were
spun off from IBM, it would be the second largest computer company
in the world -- after IBM, of course.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930607)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00022)

 ****Intel Claims $1 Billion In Damages From AMD 06/07/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- The
industry's longest-running soap opera continues with Intel
now seeking at least $1 billion in damages against Advanced
Micro Devices, following last week's court ruling which
overturned an earlier decision giving AMD a legal "right" to
manufacture 386-compatible processors.

While AMD claims that Intel has no legal basis to demand
any damages, Intel is saying that the $1 billion represents
the revenue that it lost once AMD 386 chips began appearing
on the market.

A number of suits are still pending between the two
companies concerning AMD's cloning of Intel 386 and 486
processors. The court proceedings, documented extensively
by Newsbytes over the years, seem to resemble a tennis
match, with one of the companies winning one decision, only
to have it overturned at a later appeals court.

If Intel ever managed to make such a claim stick, it would almost
certainly signal the end of serious competition in the 80X86-
compatible market, the chips that power IBM-compatible personal
computers. As noted previously by Newsbytes, semiconductor
manufacturers require huge investments in capital to fund research
and production operations.

According to a report in the San Jose Mercury News, on Friday, a
three-judge panel overturned a previous arbitrator's decision to
give AMD a license to make and market 386-compatible processors.
According to the  decision, the arbitrator "exceeded his powers."

The San Jose Mercury News estimates that AMD has sold $874 million-
worth of 386-compatible processors since June, 1991.

(Ian Stokell/19930607)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00023)

Novell Intros NetWare Global MHS X.400 OEM Dev't Kit 06/07/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- The
importance of the X.400 protocol in the messaging market has
been highlighted by Novell's introduction of an X.400 OEM
Development Kit. The kit is designed to allow Novell's original
equipment manufacturing partners to provide X.400 messaging
systems for its NetWare platform.

According to Novell, Retix is the first company to partner with
Novell, and provides messaging between X.400 and Novell's
message transport (NetWare Global MHS) environments.

The X.400 OEM Development kit includes the Novell Protocol
Access Module, which, according to the company, integrates with
NetWare Global MHS and its directory to support the use of X.400
as a routing and transport service.

Announcing the kit, Arvind Agrawal, vice president and general
manager of the Messaging Products Division for Novell, said: "These
solutions help to further extend interoperability for customers of
public data networks and other OSI (Open Systems Interconnection)-
based messaging environments which use X.400 as their messaging
standard. Just one X.400 connection can service many network users
which reduces cost, improves management and provides full service to
all client applications."

Retix is said to be the first OEM partner to provide a NetWare
loadable module (NLM)-based X.400 system for NetWare Global MHS.

The importance of X.400 was highlighted by James Neiser, associate
vice president of marketing, Retix. Said Neiser, "X.400 is critical to
effective communications on a global basis. Together, Retix and
Novell are working to provide standardized messaging protocols
for world-wide messaging."

Retix plans to market its X.400 for NetWare Global MHS through
the Novell channel on a world-wide basis with Novell-approved
packaging. It is set for availability within 60 days, priced at
$6,995.

Novell claims that Firefox Group and Hewlett-Packard are
also considering providing X.400 links to NetWare Global MHS.

The X.400 OEM Development Kit includes the Novell X.400
Protocol Access Module, the OSI transport software, and the
programmer's reference manual. Available immediately, the kit
can be ordered under an OEM licensing agreement through a
Novell OEM sales representative.

(Ian Stokell/19930607/Press Contact: Sacha Wallace,
408-321-1525, Novell Inc.)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00024)

Madge Intros NetWare Adapters; Marketing Deal With Novell 06/07/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Madge Networks
has introduced the Smart 16/4 Bridgenodes line of network cards,
designed for high performance source route bridging and routing
with Novell's new NetWare Multiprotocol Router 2.1 (MPR) software.

The two companies have also announced a joint marketing program
for NetWare MPR 2.1 that involves joint distributor and reseller
promotions, direct mail, and a 16-city North American seminar series.

According to the companies, the Madge Smart 16/4 Bridgenodes,
coupled with Novell's NetWare MPR 2.1, provide a software-based
bridge/router combination for Token Ring that offers network
"administrators superior performance and functionality for a
fraction of the cost of traditional router products."

The Madge Smart 16/4 Bridgenodes Token Ring cards contain a
source routing application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip
which supports the high speed source route bridging function of MPR.

The company says that the NetWare MPR is software that runs on a
NetWare server or stand-alone PC and allows network administrators
to connect separate local area networks (LANs) while routing up to
four different protocols, including Internetwork Packet Exchange
(IPX), Internet Protocol (IP), AppleTalk, and Open Systems
Interconnections (OSI).

The new version of the NetWare MPR supports source route
bridging, which is designed for interconnecting rings in Token Ring
environments. The company claims that the Smart Bridgenodes
allow users to install up to six adapters in the server/PC
platform which can connect up to six separate Token Rings.

Three versions of the cards are offered: the Smart 16/4 AT
Bridgenode, designed for Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
systems; the Smart 16/4 EISA Bridgenode, designed for
Extended ISA; and the Smart 16/4 MC32, designed for Micro
Channel Architecture (MCA) bus architectures.

Madge says that the products come with special Open Data Link
Interface (ODI) drivers based on its Fastmac technology. The
Bridgenodes are also equipped with 256 kilobytes (KB) of
on-board RAM for faster frame buffering.

The two companies have also developed a joint marketing
promotion through their distributors. Also, from July 1, 1993,
through September 30, 1993, the companies maintain that
resellers can receive a $250 discount from participating
distributors when they purchase two Madge Bridgenodes and
one NetWare MPR 2.1.

The Smart 16/4 AT Bridgenode is available immediately at
a cost of $1,045, the Smart 16/4 EISA Bridgenode is priced
at $1,395, and the Smart 16/4 MC32 Bridgenode costs $1,395

(Ian Stokell/19930607/Press Contact: Marina Donovan Ekman,
408-383-1420, Madge Networks Inc.)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00025)

 ****New Mac Color, Low-End Powerbooks & Software 06/07/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Apple
Computer has announced a new top-of-the-line color Powerbook
and a new low-end Powerbook that costs twenty-five percent
less. The company has also announced the program File Assistant
for keeping files between the Powerbook and the desktop
synchronized.

The color Powerbook 180c is the top of the line and offers a
256-color active matrix display, a wider viewing angle, and the
new 640 by 480 picture element (pixel) format adds an extra 80
lines.

If connected to a large monitors the Powerbook can display the same
content displayed simultaneously on both screens, known as video-
mirroring. A dual display mode presents the option of displaying one
set of images on the Powerbook and a different set on the external
display simultaneously.

Like the Powerbook 180, the 180c is equipped with the Motorola
68030 processor running at 33 megahertz (MHz), an Apple
Superdrive (allowing the user to read floppy disks formatted in
MS-DOS and OS/2 systems in addition to Macintosh computer
disks), a full-size keyboard, video out, sound in, and sound
out.

Apple boasts the Powerbook 180c is the only notebook computer to
offer built-in networking and built-in expansion which allows users
to connects to as many as six external devices, such as scanners,
hard drives and CD-ROM players, at one time. Battery life is low,
with 1 to 2 hours predicted, but Apple says power conservation
software Everwatch can help extend the battery life.

Three models of the 180c are available, each with 4 megabytes
(MB) of memory and either an 80 or 160 MB hard disk drive. One
model offers a built-in PowerBook Express Modem. System 7.1 is
also pre-installed on the hard disk. The 180c measures 9.3
inches high by 11.25 inches wide by 2.34 inches deep and weighs
7.1 pounds. Retail price for the 180c 4/160 with built-in modem
is $4769, Apple said.

On the low end, Apple announced the Powerbook 145B with a 40 MB
hard disk at a retail price of $1,649. The company claims the
145B offers the same speed and performance at less than half
the price of its top of the line Powerbook 170, the top of the
line Powerbook in October of 1991.

The 145B has a Motorola 68030 processor working at 25 MHz, 4 MB of
memory, a Superdrive floppy disk drive, a backlit Supertwist liquid
crystal monochrome display, sound-in and sound-out ports, and built-
in ports for attachment of peripherals such as printers, CD-ROM
drives, and scanners. The notebook offers 2 to 3 hours of battery
life and has System 7.1 pre-loaded on the hard disk.

For users with both Powerbooks and desktop Macintosh Computers,
Apple announced the PowerBook File Assistant application. The
main function of the software is to help people using both a
desktop and a notebook computer keep information on both
computers synchronized. However, the software also offers tools
for battery-life management, deferred printing, and automatic
server remounting.

The File Assistant automatically ensures files on both a
customer's PowerBook and desktop Macintosh computer are updated
when the user connects the machines, Apple maintains.

"PowerBook users who also work frequently on another machine --
either in their office or at home -- have told Apple that
having a simple mechanism to ensure consistency between files
would be of tremendous value to them," added Randy Battat,
Apple's vice president of Portable Computing.

Updates to files can be manual and prior versions of documents
can be kept, depending on how the user sets up File Assistant,
Apple added. A database helps avoid synchronization problems,
such as making extra copies of documents already updated, whose
name has been changed or which have been thrown away
intentionally. The product's retail price is $79.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930607/Press Contact: Jennifer O'Mahony,
Apple Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00026)

Wordperfect UK Offers Upgrade Path To WP 6.0 For Dos 06/07/93
ADDLESTONE, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Wordperfect UK has
confirmed it will be launching Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS on the 28th
of this month, in parallel with the US parent operation.

As a result of the planned launch, Wordperfect UK is offer v5.1
users a free upgrade "window" to version 6.0. Users who buy v5.1
between now and the 28th of July, 1993, will be able to upgrade to
v6.0 for free.

To take advantage of this upgrade offer, users are asked to send in
their proof of purchase for v5.1 as well as date of purchase,
together with a check for UKP 6-00 plus local tax to cover handling.
According to the company, applications must be received within 60
days of the launch of v6.0 to qualify for the offer.

David Godwin. Wordperfect UK's general manager for sales and
marketing, said that the company has received a huge amount of
advance orders for Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS. "The upgrade window will
be a popular alternative," he said.

(Steve Gold/19930607/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect Corporation
- Tel: [phone]; fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00027)

Dataease Brings Backs Ghosts Of The Battle Of The Atlantic 06/07/93
ILFORD, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Dataease has revealed it
is playing an integral part in the Merseyside Museum's commemoration
of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Plans call for the museum's Battle of the Atlantic gallery to house
data and a pictorial roll of honor for vessels lost in the North
Atlantic, with the information extracted from the Warloss database.

The Warloss database was developed using Dataease, a relational
database package, by Valian Associates. It contains definitive
information on all ships lost during the two world wars.

"We were briefed by the World Whip Society, one of the leading
global maritime research groups, to research and create the
definitive database of ships lost during the two world wars,"
explained Ian Stockbridge of Valian Associates, the company that
worked on the database.

"Given the monumental task of gathering the data relating to the
losses, we looked for ease of use, ability to run ad-hoc reports and
the use of choice fields allowing standardisation. Looking at all
the options on the market, Dataease stood out as the obvious
choice," he added.

The database currently consists of 10,000 records of Allied and
Neutral ships lost in WWII and another 8,000 from WWI. Five years
after the project started, the database has been expanded on
dataease Express and nearly 900 photos added.

The database holds comprehensive information relating to each loss -
-- full details of the ship itself; ports and convoy; date, position,
cause of loss and casualties. The information relates not only to
those ships lost during enemy action, but also to marine losses and
vessels scuttled as blockships.

(Steve Gold/19930607/Press & Public Contact: Dataease - Tel: 081-
554-0592; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00028)

Fulcrum Announces Major Push Into Europe 06/07/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Fulcrum Technologies, which
claims to be a market leader in text retrieval software, has
announced plans to expand its European operations.

Initially the company will add up to 12 new value added resellers to
handle its product in Europe -- the company's products are handled
at present by ICC Information, along with Context, which provides
CD-ROM (compact disc, read only memory) and online publishing
products plus servers. Towards the end of the year, the company will
open a UK office, which will complement the group's existing offices
in the US and Canada, as well as in Rome, Italy and Paris, France,
in Europe.

Announcing the plans, Peter Eddison, the company's vice president
for corporate marketing, said that market conditions indicate that
the European market is rapidly accepting the new Fulcrum Searchtools
products.

"We expect that European revenues will double in each of the next
few years due to our expansion strategy. We're actively looking for
companies who can provide Fulcrum-based solutions to the UK market,"
he said.

Fulcrum claims that it has more than 25 business partners in Europe
who, along with partners in the US such as Hewlett-Packard, Sun
Microsystems and Interleaf, have installed products in tens of
thousands of end user sites.

(Steve Gold/19930607/Press & Public Contact: Fulcrum Paris - Tel:
[phone]; fax: [phone])


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

Tetra Announces Plans To Attack Large Systems Marketplace 06/07/93
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- Tetra has
announced its plans to concentrate its development and marketing
resources on increasing its share of the large business system
market-place in the client-server arena, both at home in the UK as
well as overseas.

Speaking at a presentation with JSB Computer Systems to launch a new
multi-tasking Windows interface, developed jointly by Tetra and JSB
for Tetra 2000 and Chameleon 2000, Paul Wheaton, Tetra's sales and
marketing director, said that, while Tetra is best-known as a Unix
software house, around 25 percent of the company's revenues now
derive from DOS products.

"With the increasing demand for large corporate DOS networks, we
have committed Tetra's development team to working on products for
the client server market-place and to further strengthening Tetra;s
high-end DOS products," he said.

"Chameleon 2000, our new flagship product which was released in
October last year has been a resounding success. We have now sold
more than 90 systems to the value of UKP 2.5 million with 40 percent
of sales coming from overseas, particularly in continental Europe,"
he added.

Wheaton said that the availability of Chameleon 2000 over Informix
Online RDBMS (relational database management system) has increased
the average user count on these systems ranging from 48 users to the
largest, to date, of a 256 user system in Czechoslovakia.

"So, for the rest of 1983, our development and marketing strategy
will be designed to move Tetra firmly up-market, providing solutions
in finance, distribution and manufacturing which are more cost-
effective than those of our competitors," he said.

"We believe that we now have the product range to compete at the
high end and, more importantly, we have an effective and
professional reseller channel, both at home and overseas, which
gives Tetra a major advantage over most of the other suppliers in
that sector of the market," he added.

(Steve Gold/19930607/Press & Public Contact: Tetra - Tel: 0628-
770939)


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

 ****Kaleida, Motorola, Sci-Atl Plan Multimedia Via Cable 06/07/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUN 7 (NB) -- The IBM/Apple
Computer joint venture, Kaleida Labs, has announced with Motorola
and Scientific-Atlanta plans to deliver interactive multimedia to
home consumers. The three companies said they plan to offer the
software and hardware to provide new, consumer-oriented cable
television that includes entertainment, shopping, information, and
education.

Kaleida will offer as its multimedia programming language,
Scriptx to the effort. The company has attempted to make
Scriptx an open standard. In May Kaleida announced it offered
the specifications of Scriptx to the Interactive Multimedia
Association (IMA) for consideration for development of
programming language standards for multimedia.

Scientific-Atlanta will be the one to use Scriptx for the
creation of interactive services and the delivery of these
services using home terminals and networks it manufactures. A
new interface that will allow cable television companies to deliver
data or business-quality video to users was just announced last week
by Scientific-Atlanta. The new Model D9700 interface can take up to
20 compressed video signals over a standard DS-3 or T-3 trunk link
moving data at 45 million bits per second (Mbps).

Scientific-Atlanta will also develop terminals, networks and
servers containing Kaleida's software technology, through which
interactive programming services will be offered. The companies
confirm that the first terminals should ready for delivery in
the summer of 1994.

Motorola's end of the deal is to provide microprocessor
technology based on the reduced instruction set computing
(RISC) PowerPC architecture. The Powerpc microprocessor has
been under development in a deal between IBM, Apple, and
Motorola. Apple recently announced its next generation
Macintosh computers would contain the Powerpc microprocessor.

Kaleida boosts object-oriented Scriptx is device-independent.
Nat Goldhaber, president and chief executive officer of Kaleida
explained the implications of the deal between three companies.
"This relationship means Kaleida's Scriptx will be present on a
full spectrum of hardware, from the most advanced workstations
and desktop computers to cable television terminals, games and
entertainment machines.

Not only does this bring the power of a computer to the consumer for
the price of a "set-top converter," it also vastly broadens the
market opportunity for multimedia content developers."

(Linda Rohrbough/19930607/Press Contact: Kim Criswell, Criswell
Communications for Kaleida, 510-549-7016, fax [phone],
Diane Samples, Kaleida, tel [phone])