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/nb930722

Text File | 1993-07-22 | 63KB | 1,406 lines

(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00001)

Supermac Earns Up Again, Alliance W/ Upstart Game Company 07/22/93
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Supermac
again announced record second quarter earnings and an alliance
with Rocket Science Games, a software company which
Supermac's former vice president of marketing Steve Blank
co-founded. The company also reported it is increasing its
investments in research and development (R&D).

Second quarter revenue was reported at $51.1 million, up 79
percent from the $28.5 million in similar quarter a year ago.
Net income rose more slowly than revenue, up 67 percent to $2.4
million compared with $1.4 million last year. Earnings per
share were 26 cents, on 9.1 million average shares outstanding,
compared with 20 cents, on 7.2 million shares outstanding in
the second quarter of 1992. The company credits record sales of
color publishing systems, shipments of digital video
products, E-Machines products, original equipment manufacturer
(OEM) shipments to Apple Computer, and increased licensing
revenues for its continued financial achievement.

Michael McConnell, president and chief executive officer said:
"We continue to increase our investment in ongoing product
development in order to turn R&D projects into marketable
products. An example of this is our Cinepak Technology, which
was licensed by a number of prominent firms including
Microsoft, Cirrus Logic, Sega, and Atari in this quarter. For
the quarter, SuperMac spent $4.2 million on research and
development, or 8.2 percent of revenues, compared to $2.2
million, or 7.9 percent, in the quarter a year ago."

Rocket Science, formed just a month ago, says its focus is to
develop a whole new type of compact disc read-only memory (CD-
ROM)-based game software which blends the storytelling
expertise of award-winning Hollywood scriptwriters with some of
the best programming talent in Silicon Valley. SuperMac
announced its alliance with the Palo Alto-based start-up
includes licensing agreement that gives SuperMac exclusive
access to any new video compression technology developed by
Rocket Science and an investment of an undisclosed amount in
Rocket Science which Supermac called "minor."

Michael McConnell, SuperMac's chief executive officer, said,
"The opportunity for CD-ROM-based video games was created by
SuperMac with its Cinepak video-compression software. We
spawned the market and, as the company has done in the past
with color publishing and digital video, we are announcing the
formation of an alliance with a strong software company to grow
the market." Supermac has alliances with Adobe, Kodak, Storm
Technology, Aldus, and EFI on the color publishing side and
Apple, Macromedia, Cosa, and Adobe on the digital video side of
things. In fact, Supermac developed the technology behind the
popular color publishing product Adobe Premiere and sold it to
Adobe.

However, McConnell is pointing to the Cinepak licensing
agreements with both computer software giants and entertainment
system companies as one of the indications of how far-reaching
the Cinepak video compression technology will be in the future.
The company also maintains the technology will offer the
capability to store a full-length digital movie on CD-ROM.

Sunnyvale, California-based Supermac describes itself as a
developer of graphics peripherals to the color-publishing,
digital video, and business productivity markets. The company
went public on May 15, 1992, completed a second offering on
February 25, 1993, and currently has approximately nine million
shares outstanding. Supermac reported 1992 revenues of $125
million.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930721/Press Contact: Deborah Doyle,
Supermac Technology, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Steve
Blank, Rocket Science Games, 408-541-5360)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00002)

Borland Earns Up - Sales, Expenses/R&D Cuts Credited 07/22/93
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Borland
announced it is moving strong onto the positive side of the
balance sheet with first quarter net income of $6.2 million, up
259 percent compared to net income of $1.7 million reported
in the same quarter last year. Borland says the results are due
in part to a focus on decreasing sales expenses as well as
research and development expenses.

First quarter revenue was reported as $123.4 million, a 7.5
percent increase from the $114.8 million recorded in the same
period of fiscal 1993. Borland has been struggling financially
since its purchase of database giant Ashton-Tate in 1991. It is
nearly two years past its originally announced introduction
date of dBASE for Windows, but has introduced Windows versions
of its other products and has repackaged its products for the
consumer retail market.

Philippe Kahn, chairman, president and chief executive officer
(CEO) of Borland International, said: "This quarter's results
reflect the market reception of Paradox for Windows, Quattro
Pro for Windows and dBASE IV version 2.0 for DOS. In addition,
we introduced the Borland Office for Windows, a software suite
that combines Quattro Pro, Paradox, and Wordperfect for Windows
in one package."

The company reported a 2.9 percent decrease in its selling,
general, and administrative expenses for the quarter from $69.2
million to $67.2 million. It has also decreased research and
development spending 13.3 percent from $17.8 million to $15.4
million.

Borland also reported an alliance with rival Lotus, to pair its
spreadsheet product Quattro Pro with the Lotus Mail product.
Lotus and Borland have been embroiled in a long-term legal suit
over similarities between Quattro Pro and Lotus 1-2-3. Borland
officials said the partnership was to meet demand on the part
of large corporate customers.

Investors appear to have taken the Borland earnings
announcement with hope. Borland's stock was up to twenty-two
and a half from a closing of twenty-one and three-eighths in
after hours trading yesterday following the company's earnings
announcement.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930721/Press Contact: Bonnie Johnson,
Borland, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00003)

StrataCom Net Up 40 Percent 07/22/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- StrataCom, a
designer of IPX FastPacket cell switching systems for private
wide area networks and public carrier frame relay services, has
reported that its total revenue for the first two quarters of
1993 was $35 million, an increase of 40% over revenue in the same
period in 1992.

Net income for the second quarter of 1993 was $1.8 million, an
increase of 78% from a net of $1.0 million for 2ndQ 1992, and for
the first two quarters of 1993 was $3.5 million, an increase of
130% from net income of $1.5 million for the comparable period in
1992. Per share earnings for the second quarter were 11 cents
versus 7 cents for the like period in 1992, and for the first two
quarters of 1993 were 21 cents, versus 11 cents for the like
period in 1992.

The company went public just one year ago with an initial public
offering of 2,375,000 shares.

StrataCom is in two of the hottest areas of high technology -- data
communications and multi-media. Its products support
data, voice, video and image transmission over the same digital
lines.

This was the first company to actually ship communications
systems which support frame relay technology, the standard for
interoperability between local area networks.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: Sanjay Subhedar, StratCom
Inc., 408-294-7600)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(WAS)(00004)

Flat-Panel Display Maker nVIEW Shows 2Q Profit 07/22/93
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- nVIEW, a US-
based company that makes high-performance flat-panel projection
screens for use in presentations, has gone from a net loss of
nearly a half-million dollars in the second quarter of 1992 to a
net profit of a quarter-million in the second quarter of this
fiscal year.

nVIEW was one of those companies which said that it was prepared
to quickly move manufacturing operations overseas in the wake of
1991's Commerce Department implementation of punitive dumping
duties imposed on Asian-based suppliers of active-matrix liquid
crystal display (AMLCD) panels, which form the basis of most of
the company's products. After that extra cost was hit the
company, it moved its assembly operations to Canada because while
the flat-panel components themselves were subject to large tariff
charges, finished products incorporating the panels were not
affected.

That 1991 tariff was lifted during the second quarter of 1993, and
this allowed the company to return manufacturing to its Virginia
plant, reducing its costs.

Other reasons for the turnaround include the company's team-up
with Lotus Development to provide free Lotus Freelance Graphics
for Windows presentation software program with each nVIEW
ViewFrame Spectra C projection panel.

The company also introduced special prices to the education
market by as much as 30 percent below list price.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: James A. Kirkpatrick,
nVIEW, 804-873-1354)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00005)

InterVoice Sells Voice Response Apps Support To MCI 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- In the same week
when the company announced a major sale to an unnamed public
utility, Dallas, Texas-based InterVoice has also sold about
$300,000 worth of voice response hardware and software to MCI
Communications. MCI is already using InterVoice's RobotOperator
interactive voice response system to assist in processing collect
and third party calls.

MCI, which is based in Washington, DC, sees the use of
RobotOperators as a way to free up 800-number sales
representatives by eliminating the need for them to answer
routine questions.

InterVoice voice-response systems can support from six to
thousands of lines or ports.

With 1992 revenue of over $10 billion, MCI Communications
Corporation is the second largest distance provider in the United
States and has more than 60 overseas offices in 55 countries.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: Dorothy Botnick,
InterVoice, 214-454-8771)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00006)

Cincinnati Bell Telephone Bonds Downgraded 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Due to a continuing
deterioration in earnings, the Duff & Phelps Credit Rating
service has downgraded Cincinnati Bell Telephone bonds from AA+
to AA-, but reaffirmed parent company Cincinnati Bell's
Single-A rating.

CBT, which provides 838,000 access lines to the greater
Cincinnati metropolitan area, is asking the state of Ohio for a
rate increase amounting to $17 million, the company's first in
seven years. This is also the first attempt to gain a raise in tariffs
since Ohio passed a new law regulating public utilities.

Because CBT earnings have come in below street estimates, Duff &
Phelps discounts this rate increase as being insufficient to
support the higher bond ratings.

The reason that Cincinnati Bell isn't being downgraded is that
its other major subsidiary, Cincinnati Bell Information Systems,
is an unregulated information management and software business
which is showing considerable strength in overseas operations
after a recent restructuring.

Other operating divisions which provide some non-regulated
services include Cincinnati Bell Long Distance, Cincinnati Bell
Supply, Cincinnati Bell Directory, and Cincinnati Bell Cellular
Systems, a joint venture with Ameritech.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: James J. Stork, Duff &
Phelps Credit Rating, 312-368-3125)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00007)

Australia - Apple Tops PC Reliability Poll 07/22/93
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Apple has been rated as Australia's
most reliable computer brand, topping Australian Personal Computer (APC)
magazine's annual service and reliability survey. And APC is primarily
devoted to the IBM and compatible platforms.

It was rated marginally above AST, Compaq and Osborne (a locally
assembled brand that has been compared to Gateway 2000 in the US)
in the overall reliability section. Apple also topped the charts
for owners who would buy the brand again (97.7 percent), edging out
Osborne and Toshiba, and was equal at the top with Compucon for ease of
contacting product support.

Apple was rated second for satisfaction with product support, just
below Osborne.

More than 3700 APC readers answered the survey which covered printers
and monitors as well as PCs.

The bottom position on the reliability section went to Amstrad, with
a rating of 7.6 compared to Apple's 9.2. Amstrad also finished last
in the brand loyalty section with only 52 percent of respondents saying
they would be willing to buy a second Amstrad machine. Other companies
rating below average in this section included Commodore, NEC, Olivetti
and - surprise, surprise - IBM. IBM also rated poorly in ease of
contacting product support. It finished second last, one percentage
point above Amstrad. It also rated average on the question, "How
satisfactory was product support?"

An accountant quoted by APC commented: "It used to be company standard
that we buy IBM PCs. But with so many reasonable quality clones on
the market, and the likes of Compaq becoming price competitive, we're
now moving away from IBM. We find them overpriced for what they offer."

The survey was printed in July APC with a related report in the
February issue. (Editor's note: Unlike the US, magazines in Australia
and most of the world are generally published at the beginning of the
month on the cover, not two months earlier.)

(Computer Daily News, Australia/19930721)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00008)

VTEL Reports Increased Net Loss 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- VideoTelecom Corp.,
now VTEL, a videoconferencing products company, has reported a
net loss of $2,532,000 or 29 cents per share on sales of $6.3
million for the quarter ended June 30, 1993 compared to profit of
six cents per share on sales of $6.3 million for the second
quarter of 1992.

The company reported a net loss of $2,238,000 or 26 cents per
share for the quarter ended March 31, 1993 when the company took
in $5 million in revenues.

The company is in a market building stage, pursuing new products
with increased research and development spending and recently
expanding the sales staff which has resulted in increased sales
and a larger backlog of orders.

Rodney S. Bond, VTEL's chief financial officer, pointed out that
the company is concentrating on long-term growth, "With $20
million in cash and no long-term debt, we have the flexibility to
make such investments. As we discussed earlier this year, the
expected results of our aggressive sales staffing should begin to
mitigate losses in the third quarter of this year."

In the second quarter VTEL began shipping an enhanced version of
the software for its flagship MediaMax product which provides
enhanced audio quality, support for programmable camera presets,
and doubles maximum transmission speeds from 768 kilobits per
second to 1,544 Kbps.

(John McCormick/19930722/Press Contact: Alison Raffalovich, VTEL,
512-314-2720)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00009)

Spectrum Licenses Cellular Data Technology 07/22/93
MANHASSET, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Spectrum
Information Technologies has licensed its patented cellular data
communications technology to Apex Data, a leading builder of
portable data modems. Spectrum will get an initial payment and
ongoing royalties from the agreement which lets Apex incorporate
the proprietary direct connect cellular cables and software in
Apex hardware.

Cellular data communication is rapidly becoming as important to
many business users as voice communications and the ability to
link a laptop computer's modem or fax-modem to a cellular
telephone is increasingly required.

Earlier license agreements had been signed with Megahertz
Corporation and AT&T Corporation, two other major suppliers of
portable data communications hardware.

Just last week Apex became the first company to be designated by
IBM as a "ThinkPad Proven" vendor certified to provide ThinkPad
notebook computer compatible hardware products.

Apex makes modems for notebook computers sold under the IBM,
Compaq, Toshiba, Zenith and AST brand names.

(John McCormick/19930722/Press Contact: Don Kessler, Spectrum
Information Technologies, 516-627-8992)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00010)

PacTel Cellular and US West Preview CDMA Service 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- San Diego cellular
phone users will get a chance to preview Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA) digital technology this fall thanks to a joint
effort involving service providers PacTel Cellular and US West
Cellular, CDMA's Developer QUALCOMM, and CDMA licensee Motorola.

The preview, which will be offered to about 300 participants,
will be used to evaluate the CDMA technology both from the
standpoint of performance and perceived advantages and
disadvantages as seen by the users.

CDMA is one of the competing standards being put forward for
advanced digital communications over cellular networks and the
technology received a big boost late last week when the
Telecommunications Industry Association adopted the QUALCOMM
digital cellular technology as the basis for an interim standard
known as IS-95.

McCaw Cellular and SW Bell had already adopted the older time
division multiple access (TDMA) digital cellular technology.

In-house CDMA technical tests were already being conducted by
PacTel, US West, AT&T, NYNEX, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, Bell
Mobility and GTE. PacTel and US West Cellular says that it
chose to extend its work to include field tests to solicit
customer feedback and validate CDMA systems engineering
deployment guidelines developed by Motorola.

(John McCormick/19930722/Press Contact: Amy L. Damianakes, PacTel
Corp., 510-210-3645)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MOW)(00011)

Borland, Computerland Sponsor Whiz Kids In Russia 07/22/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 JULY 22 (NB) -- The last round of US-Uzbek school
computer programming competition is underway in Tashkent, the capital
city of Uzbekistan. It was initiated by two computer corporations,
MBL/Computerland and Borland.

AltSoft company, as Computerland's Tashkent training center,
conducted several preliminary rounds in the youth programmers'
competitions in this Central Asian republic with the help of the
Uzbek Ministry of Education.

The tournament between regional "wonder children" and 12 school-age
children from New Jersey in the US was then organized.

This event illustrates the growth of regional activities for
major computer companies in the territory of the former Soviet
Union. While central areas are already saturated with hardware,
other markets are opening. For instance, MBL/Computerland during
the last two years, has opened 16 local offices -- two of them in
Taskent, one a commercial, the other a training facility.

In Asian republics, the main customer is still the government.
So, computer firms are inviting State companies and ministries to
support their presentation programs, as it was with the Uzbek school
computer Olympics.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930723/Press Contact: Bahadyr Maribov, Nail
Zainulin, MBL/ComputerLand Tashkent, tel. [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEL)(00012)

India - Paperless Exam System 07/22/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- To prevent cheating and leakage
of question papers, the National Informatics Centre, the India
government-owned organization responsible for collating information
from the district level upwards, has developed a computer-aided
paperless examination system (CAPES).

Initially the system will only test candidates appearing for myriad
government jobs. CAPES allows candidates to appear at any of the
30 NIC centres spread across 18 cities of the country, at the time
of their choosing.

All an examinee has to do is to log-in his roll number and answer
the set of objective type questions that pop up on the computer
screen. He can mark the right choice serially or he can skip
questions. At the end, just by pressing a key he can get back
to the unanswered ones. Also, there is a clock to tell him the
time left. The score is evaluated and transmitted to NIC's
headquarters, in New Delhi, for consolidation from all centers.
The system then shortlists the required number of candidates.

Questions of each subject are prepared with certain parameters like
difficulty level, grasp of concept and topic. Then they are keyed
in and transferred onto CD-ROMs. About 5,000 different questions
are thus stored on a 500 MB CD-ROM. Once the candidate logs
in his roll number, stratified random number generation comes into
play. It picks up different categories of questions from the pool
for each candidate. "No two candidate will get a similar question
paper but the variety and difficulty level will remain the same
in each set," says N. Seshagiri, director-general of NIC.

In each center, 10 terminals are connected to a 486-based system
with CD-ROM drive in the star LAN formation. The test for 10,000
candidates is conducted in four batches a day and is complete in
about three weeks. NIC recently used CAPES for recruitment of its
programmers.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930722)


(NEWS)(IBM)(WAS)(00013)

Microtest Debuts Innovative CD-ROM Networking 07/22/93
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Microtest has
introduced its powerful new Discport hardware which allows Novell
NetWare users to mount CD-ROM drives exactly like hard drives on
a network server. This means that Novell-based LANs can now
access CD-ROM databases using all of the standard Novell high
speed disk caching, drive mapping, and security features.

Accessing CD-ROM across a LAN has always been a challenge and the
goal of many companies, because of the impressive amount of data
which can be stored on even a small bank of CD-ROM drives or a
single CD-ROM changer.

Computer Select and Support on Site from Ziff Desktop
Information, as well as Novell's own Novell Support Encyclopedia
are important candidates for mounting on large networks because
they offer significant network and other software support
databases.

Because it connects directly to LAN cabling, Discport eliminates
the need to connect CD-ROM drives directly to the file server or
to each individual network workstation. Discport seamlessly
integrates with Novell Netware and needs no redirector or TSR
loaded on the workstation, essentially turning the CD-ROM drive
into a separate server.

The VHS tape-sized Discport adapter connects to thin Ethernet or
10BASE-T networks and uses a SCSI connector to daisy chain
external CD-ROM drives. It is compatible with Netware 3.11 and
Netware 4.0, and takes just minutes to install, with, according
to the company, no network downtime during installation.

Discport will debut at Interop Fall in San Francisco, August 25-
27 and should ship to dealers before then. Estimated list price
is just under $700.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: Gina Kilker, Microtest,
602-952-6400)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00014)

NetManage Intros New Internet Access Tools 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- NetManage's new
NEWTNews is a new Windows tool providing users of the Chameleon
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) for
Windows software family to access, read, or post Internet messages
using a click-and-point GUI (graphical user interface).

Chameleon TCP/IP's remote access capability has been enhanced
with the addition of the Point-To-Point protocol and support for
serial speeds as high as 115,000 bits per second.

NetManage's Point-to-Point implementation includes support for
TCP/IP header compression (VJ header compression).

The company says that these new features dramatically increase
transmission speeds over the latest high performance modems and
therefore improve the performance of applications such as
NEWTNews and e-mail either over the Internet or when dialing into
TCP/IP corporate networks.

This is the first TCP/IP applications based completely on
the Windows Dynamic Link Library and not a TSR (terminate and
stay resident) package. Chameleon 3.11, priced at $400 for a
single user license, is a suite of application packages including
Telnet, FTP, SMTP/Mail, NEWTNews, TN3270, TFTP, Ping, Bind,
Finger, Whois, and SNMP.

(John McCormick/19930721/Press Contact: Donna Loughlin,
NetManage, 408-973-7171 or fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00015)

Fujitsu, Ricoh To Link Office Machines 07/22/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Fujitsu and Ricoh say they
will both make compatible and sell each others' office equipment.
These products are Ricoh's multiple digital copier called the
Imagio series, and Fujitsu's best-selling Japanese word
processor the OASYS series. Both firms are seeking ways to
interconnect these devices.

Ricoh's Imagio is equipped with a floppy disk drive, and
functions as a computer printer, a fax machine, and a regular
copier. At a glance, it looks like a copying machine, but due to
these other functions, it is far more versatile.

Fujitsu and Ricoh will jointly develop an interface to
connect Imagio with Fujitsu's OASYS word processor in order to
enable users to feed printed documents into the word processor.
The read-in data can then be processed with the word processor, and
can be printed out again or transmitted to fax machines.

Fujitsu is planning to bundle Ricoh's Imagio with the OASYS word
processor for future sales.

Fujitsu has in place a strong sales network which is expected to
help increase sales of the Imagio series. Fujitsu does not have
copy machines on its sales list and in turn, should benefit by the
alliance.

Ricoh has already developed a similar interface for Hitachi's
word processor, which means that the development of this interface
should be accomplished easily for Fujitsu and Ricoh.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930722/Press Contact: Ricoh, +81-3-
3479-3014, Fujitsu, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00016)

Japan - NTT Subsidiary To Offer Stock To Public 07/22/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- NTT Data Communications, a 100-
percent subsidiary of NTT, will list its stocks on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange next year. NTT's President Hitoshi Kojima has been
quoted as saying that NTT Data Communications wants to list stocks
by the end of 1994.

NTT Data Communications used to be part of NTT's data
communication department, but it was separated from NTT in 1988
to become an independent firm. The firm's fiscal 1992 sales were
433.5 billion yen ($4 billion), and net profit was 10.2 billion yen
($93 million).

According to Kojima, the firm will be able to list its stocks
much earlier than was expected -- only five years since the
firm was created. NTT's executive want to avoid risks to
stockholders as they are still reeling from the plunging NTT stock
price. NTT stock skyrocketed and the price tripled just after the
stock was listed. However, it dropped sharply, and now costs less
than half its original price.

Japan's telecommunication market was deregulated in 1985. Since then,
a number of telecom firms were created, including NTT and NTT Data
Communications. Other private telecom firms are also preparing
to list their stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Daini-Denden, which
is backed by Kyocera, will list stocks this September. Japan
Railway's Japan Telecom is also planning to list its stocks.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930722/Press Contact: NTT Data
Communications, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(MOW)(00017)

Russian US$1 Billion Telecom Project 07/22/93
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Russian and German companies
are to invest up to 1 billion US dollars in a telecom project
linking 50 different cities during the next year, the Russian
communications ministry announced.

The development of the new network will allow extended phone
and data services to operate in the country over digital long
distance trunk lines.

The consortium of three or four large German telecom companies will work
out the US$600 million financing, while the rest of funds will come
from Russia, according to Russian Telecommunications Minister Vladimir
Bulgak.

German companies will receive part of the fees paid for network usage
for an undisclosed period of time.

(Kirill Tchashchin/19930722)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00018)

Still No FTC Decision In Microsoft Case 07/22/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Microsoft
Corporation revealed late yesterday that the Federal Trade Commission
decided not to issue an administrative complaint against the
software company, but apparently intends to continue its
investigation.

Microsoft Corporation has been the subject of a 37 month non-public
investigation, based at least in part on complaints by its
competitors. Most recently the FTC has reportedly been examining
Microsoft's per processor licensing procedures and whether the company
designed some of its software in a manner that precluded customers
from using rival operating systems. A Microsoft spokesperson
explained to Newsbytes that Microsoft negotiates a per-processor
price with each PC maker who wishes to use Microsoft's operating
system software. Under that contract the computer maker pays
Microsoft for each PC that uses the particular microprocessors
included in the contract. For example, a manufacturer could choose
to contract for only machines that use a 486SX chip, or could cover
all their machines. The license gives the manufacturer the right to
include Microsoft's operating system with the hardware. Microsoft
does not authorize sale of its disk operating system (MS-DOS) unless
it accompanies a computer, except in the case of upgrades.

A Microsoft spokesperson told Newsbytes the company received no
further indication from the FTC as to the status of the investigation,
so assumes the case is still open.

A prepared statement provided Newsbytes by Microsoft late Wednesday
said, "The company is gratified that after an exhaustive and
conscientious review, the commission has determined that these
allegations regarding Microsoft's business practices don't justify
issuing an administrative complaint." A Microsoft spokesperson told
Newsbytes the company doesn't know what other action still might be
taken against it.

Legal sources say if the commission decided a company has engaged in
unfair competition it would begin a complaint process heard by one or
more administrative law judges. Whatever decision that panel reached
would be subject to appeals which could last for several years. The
FTC could also decide to file suit against the company in federal
court.

Microsoft Vice President of Law and Corporate Affairs William Neukom
said Microsoft will continue to introduce new products and develop
technologies. Said Neukom, "Microsoft is committed to the development
of open platforms like MS-DOS and Windows and spends more than
three times the national average on research and development, thus
creating opportunities for independent software developers worldwide."

That statement could refer to another Microsoft story Newsbytes
reported earlier this week. The company said its consulting
business would spend more time helping independent software
developers and value-added resellers. That could be interpreted as
a move to diversify applications development, lessening the company's
vulnerability to more anti-trust charges.

The traditionally tight-lipped FTC said yesterday it would have no
announcement on how it deals with enforcement cases, one of which
is said to involve Microsoft. The commission won't even confirm
publicly that it is investigating Microsoft's business practices.

A majority of the five FTC commissioners have to agree on a decision
in order to proceed with a formal complaint against a company. At its
February meeting the panel reportedly tied, with two commissioners
voting in the affirmative, while two others voted "no." A fifth
commissioner reportedly excused himself due to conflict of
interest. It's not known what that conflict is.

(Jim Mallory/19930722/Press contact: Mary Ann
Allison, Waggener Edstrom, 503-245-0905)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00019)

Lotus Reports Quarterly Results, Buys UK Firm 07/22/93
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corp., has reported a slight year-over-year increase
in net income from operations in the second quarter, but a
quarterly loss due to the cost of acquiring Approach Software
Corp. The company also announced that its Lotus Consulting
Services Group acquired Database Management Sciences, a British
consulting firm.

In the quarter ended July 3, Lotus reported net income from
operations of $15.2 million, or 35 cents per share. That is a two
percent increase over net income of $14.9 million, or 34 cents
per share, in last year's second quarter.

In June, Lotus bought Approach Software Corp., of Redwood City,
California, the privately held developer of Approach 2.0 database
software for Microsoft Windows. A substantial portion of the
acquisition cost, $19.9 million, was recorded as a charge against
second quarter earnings, resulting in a net loss of $4.7 million,
or 11 cents per share. The charge reflects the write-off of
purchased research and development, Lotus officials said.

Revenue for the quarter was $235.8 million, up seven percent over
sales of $220.3 million in the second quarter of 1992.

In the first six months of 1993, Lotus' revenue grew three
percent to $462.8 million from $447.4 million in the first half
of 1992. Net income from operations was $27.5 million, or 64
cents per share, a 23-percent drop from $35.7 million, or 81
cents per share, in the first half of 1992. Net income after the
acquisition charge was $7.6 million, or 18 cents per share, for
the first six months.

"Results for the quarter exceeded our expectations as all of our
key product groups achieved or exceeded their revenue targets,"
said Jim Manzi, Lotus' president and chief executive, in a
prepared statement.

Lotus' Consulting Services Group (CSG) also announced the
purchase of Database Management Sciences (DMS), a UK-based
consulting firm that specializes in client/server computing. The
fifth acquisition for the consulting group, the purchase of DMS
will bolster Lotus' consulting presence in the UK. The group
already had an office in London, said Victor Cruz, a spokesman
for Lotus.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. DMS has about 30
employees, all of whom will join Lotus, Cruz said.

Within the past year, Lotus Consulting Group has acquired
Vanguard Business Solutions of San Francisco, Re/Aims of Dallas,
Soma Inc., of Toronto, and Pavosoft of Germany. The company also
set up operations in the Asia/Pacific region. It has a number of
offices in Europe and North America, Cruz said.

With the acquisition Lotus CSG will take over DMS'
subscriber-supported publication Client-Server Consultant. Lotus
plans to make the monthly journal available worldwide.

(Grant Buckler/19930722/Press Contact: Bryan Simmons, Lotus
Development, 617-693-1697; Kay Waxman, Lotus Development,
617-693-1540; Victor Cruz, McGlinchey & Paul for Lotus,
617-862-4514)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00020)

 ****Hitachi Unveils Double-Speed CD-ROM Technology 07/22/93
HAYES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- One of the biggest
problems facing multimedia PC users is the speed, or rather, lack of
it, that data can be read from a compact disc read only memory (CD-
ROM) drive into a computer. Now Hitachi, claiming to have solved the
problem, has announced a CD-ROM drive that runs at double speed.

Double speed CD-ROM drives are nothing new in the data storage
industry. Many drive suppliers have been using double speed motors
to ensure that data can be pumped at twice the speed into the PC.
The problem is that such data speeds can only be achieved in short-
term bursts, with the actual data flow on a continuous basis
difficult to sustain.

Hitachi's CDR1900 is a double speed drive that is compatible with
multi-session photo technology -- essentially the downloading of
still images from the disc into the PC -- yet still runs at double
speed. The company claims that the UKP 680 drive is ideal for use in
data intensive applications as well as computer animation.

The drive is a stand-alone unit that uses a technique known as
reduced stroke access to boost continuous data transfer speeds to
300,000 bytes per second. This data transfer speed is maintained by
using an optimized "look ahead" 128,000-byte caching system.

In order to protect the drive against dust and data transfer errors,
the CDR1900 uses a triple safeguard system to ensure that the drive
spins smoothly. There is an automatic pickup lens cleaning (ALC)
mechanism that keeps the lens clear of dust. There is also a double
door facility to prevent any dust entering the drive, whether it is
empty or full. The chassis is claimed to be airtight to also prevent
any dust getting inside the unit.

Despite the complexity of the drive's construction, it can be
connected to a simple PC XT or better, using industry standard
architecture (ISA) or Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus
connectors. Up to eight drives can be daisy-chained together for
access to more than 5,000 megabytes (MB) of in-line data storage.

As supplied, the drive comes with all installation DOS software for
the PC, as well as a short length bus card.

(Steve Gold/19930722/Press & Public Contact: Hitachi New Media -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00021)

Visa Intros Anti-Fraud Card Technology 07/22/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Visa International
has revealed it expects its newly introduced anti-fraud technology
that detects counterfeit credit cards to prevent $20 million in
losses this year.

Fraud is a major problem for the credit card industry. Last year
worldwide losses due to card fraud totalled $1,180 million for all
Visa and Mastercard branded credit cards. Visa card issuers lost
$125 million due to counterfeit card fraud last year

According to Visa International, the industry has responded with a
wide range of schemes to prevent the illegal use of credit cards.
Citibank last year began digitally imprinting cardholders'
photographs on its standard cards. In the UK, National & Provincial
Building Society and Royal Bank of Scotland have introduced similar
schemes.

Visa's new technology, known as card verification value (CVV), was
secretly launched in April of this year. The San Francisco-based
Credit Card Association claims that the technology, which checks a
card's magnetic stripe for alterations, prevented $3.4 million in
counterfeit losses in April and May alone.

A spokesman for Visa International is quoted as saying the Visa
group expects to prevent as much as $20 million in counterfeit
losses in 1993 through use of CVV technology. Under CVV, the three
magnetic stripes on the back of Visa cards are encrypted with a
numeric value, which is transmitted from EFTPOS (electronic funds
transfer at point of sale) machines at the time of purchase to the
cardholder's bank for verification.

If the strip has been altered, the transaction is cancelled and the
credit card account is shut down.

So far, about 230 million of the 304 million Visa cards in
circulation in the US contain the encryption, but only 10,000
merchants have credit card terminals than can detect the CVV coding.
Plans are in hand to introduce CVV coding on Visa cards issued in
the UK and Europe later this year.

(Steve Gold/19930722/Press & Public Contact: Visa International -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00022)

AT&T Shuffles Executives, Posts Quarterly Results 07/22/93
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- AT&T has
announced executive moves aimed at accelerating the pace of the
company's globalization and its growth in new markets such as
multimedia.

The company also announced financial results for its second
quarter, showing a modest increase in both revenues and net
income.

The management changes, effective August 1, give two senior
executives joint responsibility for speeding the globalization of
AT&T's business, and formalize the involvement of Robert M.
Kavner in moving the company into the multimedia market.

AT&T also recruited Richard W. Miller, the former president and
chief executive of Wang Laboratories Inc., to be its new chief
financial officer.

About 25 percent of AT&T's revenue comes from outside the United
States today, company spokesman Walter Murphy said, but NCR, the
computer company AT&T bought in 1991, contributes a large part of
that.

Details of the management shuffle:

Victor A. Pelson, 56, currently group executive responsible for
communications services, will become executive vice-president and
a member of AT&T's board of directors. Pelson will chair the
company's global operations team and be responsible for the
effectiveness of worldwide operations.

William B. Marx, Jr., 54, currently group executive responsible
for AT&T Network Systems Group, will become executive
vice-president of AT&T and chief executive of the Network Systems
Group. He will also be accountable for AT&T's worldwide
purchasing operations and global manufacturing planning.

Pelson and Marx will jointly take responsibility for accelerating
the globalization of AT&T's businesses. They will oversee the
global integration of AT&T's individual business strategies and
the creation of responsive regional and country operations,
officials said.

Jerre L. Stead, 50, chief executive of NCR, also becomes
executive vice-president of AT&T. He will work with Pelson and
Marx to use NCR's worldwide presence to speed AT&T's
globalization.

Richard A. McGinn, 46, currently senior vice-president for
marketing and strategic planning at AT&T Network Systems, will
become president and chief operating officer of AT&T Network
Systems, reporting to Marx.

Kavner, 50, currently group executive for communications
products, will become executive vice-president of AT&T and chief
executive of the Multimedia Products and Services Group. Heading
this renamed and refocused group, he will take charge of
strategic cross-business initiatives. This formalizes a role
Kavner had already been playing in creating alliances between
AT&T and various Silicon Valley firms, Murphy said.

Alex J. Mandl, 49, currently group executive and chief financial
officer, will succeed Pelson as executive vice-president and
chief executive officer of the Communications Services Group.

Miller, 52, will join the company as executive vice-president and
chief financial officer, succeeding Mandl.

AT&T reported second-quarter net income of $1.044 billion, or 77
cents per share, on revenues of $16.316 billion, compared with
net income of $961 million, or 72 cents per share, on revenues of
$15.845 billion, in last year's second quarter.

AT&T said it chalked up strong gains in products and systems,
particularly network telecommunications equipment, and in
financial services and leasing operations. Financial services
revenues grew nearly 39 percent. Revenues from long-distance
calling were about even with the 1992 quarter, although calling
volumes rose about five percent, officials said.

The results for the quarter include a $287-million provision for
previously announced restructuring, offset by a $217 million
pre-tax gain in other income from the sale in June of AT&T's
77-percent stake in Unix System Laboratories and miscellaneous
credits. Most of the restructuring costs are for the expected
costs of network re-engineering and previously announced staff
cuts in operator services through 1995.

NCR, while still feeling the effect of weak overseas markets,
posted a revenue gain of $61 million to $1.811 billion, but
operating income fell from $98 million a year ago to $27 million.
The figures include sales of NCR products to other units of AT&T.

In the first six months of 1993, the company's net income,
excluding the one-time effect of accounting changes for
post-retirement benefit expenses and income taxes adopted last
quarter, was $2.040 billion, or $1.51 a share, on revenues of
$32.035 billion. For the same period last year, net income was
$1.844 billion, or $1.39 a share, on revenues of $31.220 billion.

(Grant Buckler/19930722/Press Contact: Ellen Zundl, AT&T,
908-221-5017; Dick Gray, AT&T, 908-221-5057; Walter Murphy, AT&T,
908-221-6900)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00023)

Cypress Semi Profits Up 47% 07/22/93
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Increased demand
for ever-cheapening personal computers may have led some PC
manufacturers to the wall, but for some semiconductor suppliers,
it has led to huge increases in revenue. Now Cypress Semiconductor
Corp., has reported that revenue for its second quarter, ended June
28, 1993, were $74.8 million, an increase of seven percent from the
$69.7 million for the first quarter 1993, and an increase of 14
percent from the $65.8 million reported for the second quarter 1992.

Not only that, but net income for the second quarter 1993 increased
a sizeable 47 percent to $3.6 million, or $0.10 per share, compared
to net income of $2.4 million, or $0.07 per share for the immediately
preceding quarter, and a net loss of $1.7 million or $.04 per share
for the second quarter 1992.

The company says that the sale of its SPARC microprocessor
subsidiary, Ross Technology, has been completed, effective at the
close of the company's second quarter, with definitive agreements
having been approved by the Cypress and Fujitsu boards of directors
for a sale price of $21.8 million.

Cypress says it has also acquired the minority interests of its two
other product subsidiaries, Aspen Semiconductor and Multichip
Technology, which are now 100 percent wholly owned by the
company. The acquisitions and the divestiture of Ross are included
in the second quarter results and amount to a pre-tax gain of $0.4
million.

In announcing the results, Cypress President and CEO T.J. Rodgers,
said: "Our revenue and profit growth continue, based on the success
of our restructuring efforts. Our numbers show significant
improvement, even with the inclusion of the Ross Technology results.
Each of our six product divisions was profitable in the quarter."

Continued Rodgers, "Our financial condition, as reflected in the
balance sheet remains strong, with a cash balance of $74.8 million
and zero debt. During the quarter the company repurchased 655,000
shares of our common stock for $6.7 million. Our planned employee
reductions continued, and we ended the quarter with 1,218
employees, compared to 1,394 at the end of the first quarter, and
1,945 in mid-1991."

In May, Newsbytes first reported on Fujitsu's intent to purchase the
Ross Technology SPARC microprocessor subsidiary from Cypress.
While Cypress says it will help during the transition, the company
had previously blamed losses on the Ross Technology end and said
it will not develop any more SPARC products. Cypress blamed in part
its Ross Technology operation for millions in losses reported in 1992.

Rodgers concluded, "With the sale of Ross, Cypress has successfully
refocused on its core competencies of high-performance
programmable logic and memory integrated circuits."

(Ian Stokell/19930722/Press Contact: Pat Verderico,
408/943-2754, Cypress Semiconductor Corp.)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00024)

 ****Apple Talks About Newton Messagepad Launch 07/22/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Apple
Computer has officially announced the first Newton personal
digital assistants (PDAs) will be launch the day before
Macworld in Boston on August 2, at 10:30 am in the Boston
Symphony Hall. The first Newton, officially dubbed the
Messagepad, is rumored to be available for sale to Macworld
Boston attendees for prices ranging from $699 to $899 depending
on whether or not the unit is modem equipped and has special
software.

The company has been reluctant to talk about the Newton up
until now, but losses of $188 million in its second quarter may
have Apple betting on Newton sales to get back in the black.
Macworld allows purchases on the show floor by attendees and
Macweek reported Apple is readying 2,000 Newtons for sale at
the show. The unit's manufacturer, Sharp Corporation, may also
have a Newton Messagepad work-alike for sale at Macworld. Apple
hopes to sell as many as 1 million Newtons over the next year
and Macweek reported the company has ordered 60,000 units per
month from Sharp.

The Messagepad is retangular-shaped and designed to be
handheld. It is almost all screen, with holes for a speaker on the
bottom right, and a pen holder on the right side that holds a
special "flattened" pen, instead of a round pen one would
expect. The unit offers a permanent menu at the bottom of its
screen with icons that feature different functions. From left
to right, the icons are: Rolodex cards labeled "Names," a
calendar page labeled "Dates," an empty box labeled "Extras,"
up and down arrows in the center, an arrow in a spiral shape
labeled "Undo," a magnifying glass labeled "Find," and a light
bulb labeled "Assist."

A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)
slot in the top of the Messagepad allows for extra storage space
or applications to be used with the unit.

Five applications on Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association (PCMCIA) were announced at Digital
World in June for the Messagepad, but Apple is not confirming
which, if any of the five applications will be available for
the launch in Boston. The five are: the Fodor's 94 Travel
Manager, which offers interactive maps for directions, dining
and lodging tips and prices, places to go, and things to do;
the Fortune 500 Guide to American Business, with information on
chief executive officers, sales, and profits of the top 500
businesses, and business forms with twelve templates ranging
from personal finance to sales; Word Games, such as crossword
puzzles, cryptograms, and find-a-word games; and Mystery Games,
with graphical rendering of an interactive crime scene with
clues so the user can figure out who committed the crime.

In addition, a storage card with 1 megabyte (MB) of memory is
expected to be priced at less than $200 while a 2 MB version
could be around $250, according to Macweek sources. Apple
promised wireless communications and that appears to be coming
in the form of a Motorola Messaging Card for pages and
electronic mail and is expected to cost consumers around $250.

In demonstrations of the Messagepad, the phrase, "lunch Dave
Tuesday" was translated by the unit into text and then the only
person whose first name was Dave in the "Names" Rolodex, for
example Dave Hathaway, was displayed. When the name was
confirmed by the user, the calendar turned to the next Tuesday
at 12:00 pm and filled in "Lunch Dave Hathaway." If the user
confirmed the lunch date, the Messagepad would save the
information. The Messagepad also had attractive animations sure
to delight consumers. One was an animation of a cloud that
"poofs" away a mistake, while in another a document for
deletion was wadded up like a piece of paper and tossed into an
on-screen trash can.

Newsbytes saw the unit display several error messages in
demonstrations and once the Messagepad locked up completely and
had to be turned over and the back opened so it could be reset.
But Computer Intelligence analyst Dan Ness said he understands
the handwriting recognition is superb and has heard about no
problems with the Messagepad. Apple said the product's "Golden
Master" -- or final software image -- was just released to
Sharp Corporation in the last two days for the beginning of the
product's manufacturing.

When Newsbytes asked if this was cutting things a little close
for a Macworld Boston launch, Apple public relations
representative Frank O'Malley said: "Manufacturing can be a
very exciting thing." O'Malley confirmed the time schedule was
tight, but says he's been assured the Messagepads will be ready
in time.

Apple is not releasing retail pricing information, but did
confirm three models of the Messagepad will be available. The
models will include one without a modem, one with a modem only,
and one with a modem and the Newton Connection Pro Kit. The
Connection Pro Kit includes software and a cable kit to allow
data sharing between the Messagepad and a desktop or notebook
computer.

A special Newton support phone line will be available for
Messagepad purchasers and Apple says an instructional video
tape is included with every Messagepad. An interactive tour is
included with the PDA as well. Retailers will have the
Messagepads as soon as Apple can get them out, but Apple did
not say whether or not the retailers would have Messagepads
concurrent with the Boston launch.

Apple won't talk much about specifics concerning the new PDA.
"We have very few surprises left. We'd like to save them so we
have something to say at the launch," O'Malley said.

Today was also the first day that Apple stock climbed a bit,
ending its free-fall through the last two weeks, up .50 at 1 pm
EDT to 26.750 per share.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930722/Press Contact: Frank O'Malley, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00025)

 ****Shared Whiteboard App For Windows 07/22/93
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Future Labs has
released TalkShow, a product billed as the first shared whiteboard
application to be available for Windows.

In an interview with Newsbytes, John Chua, president, emphasized
that TalkShow allows desktop document conferencing among multiple
users over standard phone lines, as well as over ISDN and LAN
connections.

Chua told Newsbytes that the software allows up to ten users to
share, access, and annotate high resolution full-color drawings,
photos, spreadsheets, and other documents, while talking about the
Windows- or DOS-based documents on the telephone.

"The technical challenge in developing TalkShow involved finding a
way to transmit high resolution images over low-speed lines," the
company president commented.

To meet that goal, Future Labs created a proprietary compression
scheme that is incorporated into TalkShow. Unlike JPEG and some
other standard compression schemes, the proprietary scheme supplies
lossless compression, with no image degradation, he said.

TalkShow comes with simple-to-use annotation tools, including arrow
pointers, freehand pencil, lines, circles, rectangles, colored
markers, text, and eraser, according to Chua.

Users can save changes made to documents during a desktop document
conferencing session, and transfer files during the session.
A built-in communications program provides support for Hayes-
compatible modems, ISDN links, and NetBIOS-compatible networks.

Chua told Newsbytes that Future Labs will be announcing a Windows
NT version of TalkShow at some point in the future.

The current version requires a 386- or 486-based IBM-compatible PC
running DOS 3.3 and Windows 3.1 or higher. Shipping now, the
package retails for $199. Multiple license agreements are also
available.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930722/Reader contact: Future Labs, tel 408-
973-7228; Press contacts: Kathleen Ping, Future Labs, tel 408-973-
7228, or Anne Devine, Interim Communications for Future Labs, tel
408-287-7980)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00026)

Scitex In Class Action Suit 07/22/93
HERZLIA, ISRAEL, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- It seems that whenever a
company's earnings for a quarter are down, the lawsuits are
bound to follow. Now Scitex Corp., has had a class action
complaint filed against it and a principal company officer.

A company spokesperson told Newsbytes that the suit is "the
result of the press release the company issued last week, which
was that they expect to fall short of analysts estimates for the
second quarter."

According to the company, the suit alleges "violations of provisions
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rules promulgated
thereunder, in connection with certain reports concerning the
company's results of operations for its second fiscal quarter
ended June 30, 1993."

The complaint has been filed in the United States District Court
for the District of Massachusetts. The company says it is aware of
one further class action complaint, on similar grounds, filed against
it in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of
New York.

In a prepared statement, the company says that it, "and the other
defendants believe the claims asserted to be without any merit,
and intend to defend the suits vigorously."

(Ian Stokell/19930722/Press Contact: Laura Wilker,
212-838-3777, Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00027)

Honeywell, AT&T Control Homes Remotely 07/22/93
PARSIPPANY, N.J., U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- In an effort to
expand the telephone paging market, Honeywell Inc., has agreed to
sell and install AT&T's Partner Communications System with its
TotalHome integrated home control system nationwide.

In announcing the deal, Steve Arnholt, director of home automation
and security for Honeywell, said: "AT&T's Partner system provides
telephone-based paging throughout the home and expands the
capabilities of the automated home by offering features and
functions ordinarily found on business telephones."

The TotalHome System allows homeowners to control temperature,
home security, appliances and lighting from either a wall panel in
the home, or remotely by calling through the Partner system.

Concerning the deal, Jim Cowan, marketing director for AT&T
Global Business Communications Systems, said: "Home automation
is not in the future - it's now. The combination of the TotalHome
system with our Partner system is a natural. Many of our business
customers already use the Partner system in their homes because
it has the flexibility to help them operate a home office,
telecommute, or manage a business from home. Now it can help
them manage their home systems as well."

The Partner Communications System is designed for use by small
businesses, people working out of the home, and residential
customers who want additional features and lines not available
on residential telephones. The system provides such features as
hold, transfer, three-way conferencing, automatic dialing and
speakerphone. It expands from two lines and six extensions to
four lines and 12 extensions and allows users to connect fax
machines, modems, answering machines and cordless telephones
directly to the system without the need for expensive adaptors.

(Ian Stokell/19930722/Press Contact: Ritch Blasi, 201-581-6947,
AT&T; or Anne M. Drake, 612-954-4592, Honeywell Inc.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00028)

MCI Opens National TeleRelay Center For Deaf 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- MCI is set to open its
first dedicated national center for telecommunications relay
services for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing consumers all
across America, on July 26.

The center will be located in Indianapolis. The National MCI
TeleRelay Center will offer a choice to TeleTypewriter (TTY) and
voice customers who make interstate and international long
distance calls using relay service.

TTY users just have to dial 1-800-374-4TTY and voice users dial
1-800-947-VOICE from anywhere in the United States to reach
an MCI person, who will relay conversations between TTY users
and standard voice phone users by alternately verbalizing the
typed TTY text from one party and then typing the spoken word
from the other.

MCI Telerelay service will be available 24 hours a day, every day,
and there is no limit on the length or number of long distance calls
that can be placed. There will be no charge for MCI Telerelay
service, with calls being billed at MCI's basic domestic and
international long distance rates.

(Ian Stokell/19930722/Press Contact: Kate Fralin, MCI,
800-436-9749)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00029)

Australia - Government IT Spending Down 9% 07/22/93
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- Latest figures released
in the Australian Commonwealth Government Gazette show a decline in
federal Information Technology (IT) spending for the year ended
June 1993. But the number of contracts issued, increased.

Norman Kemp, editor of CST Technology, reports that the federal
government spent AUS$583.8M, or nine percent less than the previous
year. The number of vendors, however, increased from 16,231 to 19,147.
According to Kemp, one of the main reasons for the decline in
expenditure was the completion of the first phase of the Australian
Taxation Office re-equipment and re-development project where $62M
less was spent than the previous year. He also said uncertainties
about outsourcing and the future of various departments caused
postponements of expenditure during the election campaign in the
beginning of the financial year.

The two departments which showed substantial increases in expenditure
were Defence with $169.6M and Employment Education and Training with
$54.1M. Although IBM held on to its previous year's position at top
of the list of companies doing government business with revenues of
$86.8M generated from 1,835 contracts, Australian companies also
did well. Computer Power came in second with $35.2M generated from
276 contracts.

Other Australian companies with revenues above $5M included: Osborne
with $18.6M (sixth in the list), BHP IT with $8M, Aspect with $5.5M,
Protech with $5M, and CSA with $5M. Kemp said the greater number of
contracts indicated that the government was paying less for its IT
products while the supply had remained fairly constant. He also
said that the good showing of Australian companies showed the trend
for local and overseas companies to supply product jointly through
the Partnerships For Development program.

(Computer Daily News - Australia/19930721)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00030)

Ameritech Offers Schools Discounted ISDN 07/22/93
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 JUL 22 (NB) -- The more than 350
colleges and universities in Ameritech's Great Lakes region
service area are now eligible for the purchase of heavily
discounted ISDN bridges through the new Networking On-Demand for
Education (NODE) program which offers base transmission speed of
128 kilobits per second (Kbps). This will make it easier and more
economical for off-campus students and faculty to access
networked computer systems.

Schools in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin will
be eligible to purchase Combinet's Everyware family of on-demand
ISDN bridges as prices as low as $495. Data compression
techniques will increase the virtual data transmission speeds
over the system to as much as 200 Kbps or more.

This cost structure puts ISDN hardware in the same price range as
high-end 14.4 Kbps dial-up line modems, but cuts data transfer
times by as much as 10 times.

The companies say that installation times for the Everyware
bridges will be as little as 10 minutes and that they are
compatible with PC, Macintosh, and X terminals. X is the Unix
graphical user interface standard comparable to Windows in the
MS-DOS arena, but X can even be implemented on a DOS machine
using Quarterdeck Office System's DesqViewX multitasking
operating environment.

Chicago-based Ameritech is a full-service communications provider
in the Midwest and has some overseas operations. Sunnyvale,
California-based Combinet pioneered on-demand networking
technology.

(John McCormick/19930722/Press Contact: Judith Myers, Ameritech,
708-248-2156)