Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/pc/text/mac_text/1990/nb900201

Text File | 1990-02-01 | 49.0 KB | 1,176 lines

(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00001)

APPLE LAYS OFF 90, ALAN LOREN RESIGNS}
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- Apple is beginning
the staff cuts announced earlier this month. Its Chicago Support
Center is being closed and 90 workers are being laid off.

Some of the workers may get new jobs with Apple, spokeswoman
Carleen LeVasseur tells Newsbytes, but the layoff is the
start of the announced cutbacks. She would not elaborate.

The most newsworthy staff cut originated in Cupertino, CA, where
Apple announced it has accepted the resignation of Alan
Loren as Apple USA president, effective immediately. He has been
replaced by Michael H. Spindler, acting president, also
chief operating officer and executive vice president.
Spindler had previously been president of Apple Europe and
is one of the original Apple Computer employees, first hired
in 1980.

Faced with disappointing earnings for its most recent quarter,
and high costs, Apple, under the direction of Chairman John
Sculley, is shuffling management and orchestrating layoffs.

Loren has refused to comment to the media, but speculation
has it that he was forced to resign by Apple senior management
for failing to live up to his promise. An expert in the field
of corporate management of computers and corporate computer
buying habits, Loren was hired by Apple in August 1988.

(Wendy Woods/19900131)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00002)

NEW FOR APPLE: NEW ADOBE TYPE MANAGER UPGRADE AVAILABLE}
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Within two
months of its initial release, there is now a new version of Adobe
Type Manager, and upgrades are free and will be shipped
automatically to all registered buyers of the program.

The new Version 1.2 offers improved character spacing, "bolding,"
support for Bitstream fonts, and a new application for printing
banners.

Slated for shipment this week, the new Adobe Type Manager (ATM)
addresses the annoying spacing problems experienced by users of
Microsoft Word 4.0. The old ATM printed inaccurate spacing both
on screen and on Imagewriter documents. Use of the bold option
for fonts is also far more graphic--the previous version barely
showed the difference between bold and normal print on-screen.

(Wendy Woods/19900131/Press Contact: LaVonn Collins, Adobe Systems,
415-961-4400)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00003)

CUTTING EDGE REDUCES PRICE OF 45MB REMOVABLE HARD DISK}
EVANSTON, WYOMING, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 26 (NB) --  Cutting Edge has
reduced the price on its 45MB (megabyte) removable hard disk for
the Macintosh to $1299 making the removable disk more of a viable
data storage alternative.

The removable disk is easily replaced with another disk when
filled creating virtually unlimited storage capacity. The Cutting
Edge unit is based on SyQuest technology with 20 millisecond
access speed and a 30,000 hour reliability rating.

In another announcement, Cutting Edge is currently in the process
of establishing distribution in Europe. During the next six
months, the company will be appointing distributors in Great
Britain, France, Sweden, West Germany, The Netherlands and Italy.
The company hopes to see international sales account for at least
10 percent of its business in 1990.

According to Ralph Fascitelli, vice president of marketing, the
European market for Macintosh products is growing very rapidly.
He says that Macintosh products have been relatively expensive in
Europe so there is a definite niche in the market for lower cost
items. Fascitelli also notes that US Macintosh users have been
receptive to lower price non-Apple products and he expects the
same situation to occur in Europe.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Ilene Slapin, RIS
Associates, 714-240-8985)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00004)

NEW PRODUCT: MAC-TO-IBM CONNECTIVITY FROM AVATAR}
HOPKINTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) --  New
additions to the MacMainFrame Series of Macintosh-to-mainframe
connectivity products have been announced by Avatar Corporation
to provide connectivity from the Mac to the IBM 3270 mainframe.

The new products provide connectivity for Coax, Token Ring and
SDLC physical networks. Tom Bogan, president of Avatar says the
products all provide access over any AppleTalk network so
Macintosh users on EtherTalk, TokenTalk or LocalTalk local area
networks (LAN) are all now able to use mainframe information in
desktop applications.

Ultimately, MacMainFrame products are expected to provide a range
of IBM mainframe connectivity options so that physical networks
are no longer barriers in Macintosh-to-mainframe communications.
This will allow MIS (management information systems) managers to
select their network topology before they choose their IBM 3270
services.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Heidi Palmer, Avatar,
508-435-3000)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00005)

MAI SEES SOME PROFITABILITY IN FIRST QUARTER RESULTS}
TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 25 (NB) --  MAI Basic Four,
a company that suffered severe financial difficulties in 1989 in
the wake of its unsuccessful attempt to take over Prime Computer
has reported a profitable first quarter (ended Dec. 31, 1989) for
fiscal 1990.

Even though revenue and net income declined when compared with
the first quarter of fiscal 1989, the 1990 first quarter results
represent a significant improvement in profitability over the
fourth quarter of last year.

Fred D. Anderson, president and chief operating officer of MAI
Basic Four noted that the company began shipping its new GPx
series of supermicrocomputers in December 1989 and the systems
are being favorably receive in the market. Anderson expects the
GPx series to make a significant contribution to continued
profitability in fiscal 1990.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Michael L. Veuve, MAI
Basic Four, 714-730-3033)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00006)

XTREE MOVES INTO CANADIAN MARKET}
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) --  XTree
Company, makers of disk management software, has launched a major
marketing offensive north of the border where the company has
opened a Canadian office, signed its first agreement with a
Canadian manufacturer's representative and hired Canadian staff
to handle telephone technical support to Canadian users in both
English and French.

XTree and XTreePro are already shipping to Canada with
French/English onscreen prompts and documentation. XTreePro Gold,
the company's most recently announced product should have a
bilingual version ready in the near future.

Mark Cottam, national sales manager of XTree said the company is
seriously committed to the Canadian market. He added that XTree
wants it clearly understood that the company is not looking for
spillover from their US advertising and marketing efforts but is
directly going after Canadian business just as XTree has done in
Australia and Great Britain.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Therese Solimeno,
XTree, 805-541-0604)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00007)

HONGKONG: BULL HN MAKES INROADS IN CHINA}
WANCHAI, HONGKONG, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Bull HN has won contracts from two
important customers in China for high performance online transactions
processing systems.

China Travel Services' newly created data processing subsidiary, China
Travel Computer Services (CTCS), and Chu Kong Shipping have chosen Bull's
DPS 6 Plus super minicomputers to satisfy their demands for real-time and
resilient online transaction processing (OLTP) systems.

CTCS, faced with increasing demand for its services, including the
important Hongkong to Macau ferry service, opted for a quad processor DPS 6
Plus model 424 to handle, among other things, the issuing and reservation
of passenger tickets.

Edward Ling, assistant general manager of CTCS, says the company bought the
$600,000 system for its good price/performance ratio and its online
ticketing capabilities. "The Bull DPS 6 Plus fits perfectly into the
existing electronic data processing (EDP) environment at China Travel and
can easily handle the 10,000 daily transactions specified by the company,"
he said.

Until it installed the dual processor model 422, Chu Kong Shipping relied
on manual labor and a limited number of standalone and networked
personal computers to handle its data processing and ticketing needs.

Chu Kong has a $640,000 plan to automate and computerize every aspect of
its business. The company had originally intended to install an IBM system,
but, according to EDP department spokesman D.S. Lin, Bull HN's superiority in
online, real-time systems and ticketing tipped the balance in its favor.

(Norman Wingrove/19900131/Press Contact: Michael Dunn, Media Dynamics, +
852 838 3889, Fax + 852 838 0886)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00008)

GEAC FINANCIAL OPERATION GETS NEW BOSS}
MARKHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- Geac Computer,
based here, has appointed Frank Grywalski president of its United
States Financial Services Division.  The division, based in St.
Louis, Mo., sells and support Geac products for financial
institutions.

Geac, one of Canada's very few computer hardware makers outside
the PC range, sells hardware and software primarily to the
financial services sector and to libraries.

(Grant Buckler/19900130/Press Contact: Harrison Cheung, Geac
Computer, 416-475-0525)


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

HONGKONG SALES BUOYANT AS NCR REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS}
CENTRAL, HONGKONG, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Despite a slight downturn in NCR's
global revenue in the fourth quarter, record revenues and profits were
recorded in Hongkong for both the quarter and the full year.

NCR's fourth quarter global revenue was down one percent on 1988's same
period result of $149 million. The US dollar value of worldwide orders was
slightly down on the all-time record established for the same quarter last
year, but in local currency terms, orders set a new record.

Michael J.I. Lee, managing director (Hongkong), says: "Overall, 1989 was a
good year for NCR in Hongkong, with record revenues and earnings. The year
started very well but the summer months were quieter, due largely to the
turmoil in China. However, the last quarter has been very strong in terms
of incoming orders, which were up 25 percent over the same period last
year."

Lee says the Financial Systems Division was the major contributor to the
Hongkong company's 1989 results, with the sale of several 9800 mainframes
and more than 440 automatic teller machines taking NCR's market share in
this technology to almost 100 percent.

Local industry analysts observe that the Retail Systems Division also had
an excellent year, increasing the company's market share in point of sale
terminals to more than 75 percent.

According to Lee, more than 100 NCR Tower systems were installed in
Hongkong in 1989, with a healthy order book going into 1990. He says his
company will be introducing many new open systems products during the
current year, including computer systems, networking products and imaging
devices.

(Norman Wingrove/19900131/Press Contacts: Euan Barty, Euan Barty Assocs,
+ 852 529 0356 or Vivian Kung, NCR (HK), + 852 858 2478)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00010)

PIONEER TO SEEK $425 MILLION INVESTMENT IN EUROPE}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Nomura Securities has
announced it will handle the proposed offer of Pioneer to raise
$425 million in Europe over the next couple of months.

To raise the cash, Pioneer says it will sell a total of 12 million
shares, spread evenly between London, Paris and Frankfurt.
Pioneer closed Tuesday at $35.4 (5,140 Yen).

(Peter Vekinis/19900131)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00011)

MICROAGE SIGNS 170TH IBM-AUTHORIZED INDUSTRY REMARKETER}
TEMPE, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) --  MicroAge Computer
Centers has signed the 170th IBM-authorized Industry Remarketer
(IR) to their IBM IR Program. During the quarter ended Dec. 31,
1989, MicroAge set a record bringing 137 IRs into the program.

Under this program, IRs may purchase IBM products from MicroAge
and capitalize on MicroAge's value-added approach to marketing.
Through the program, MicroAge makes it possible for IRs to reduce
their inventory investment while, at the same time, providing
access to the IBM products needed by the IR.

Each product purchased from MicroAge by an IR must include an
approved vertical market software application. The IRs must agree
to market the systems to only one specific vertical market
category.

MicroAge is one of four reseller organizations selected by IBM to
offer this program to independent IBM personal computer IRs.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Colleen M. Parker,
MicroAge Computer Centers, 602-968-3168 x 2256)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00012)

TECHNOLOGY COMPANY FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 29 JANUARY, 1990}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Technology
company financial results this week include:

[] ALLOY COMPUTER reported losses of $977,000 on sales of $8
million in its fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 1989. The
results are an improvement over the same period last year when
losses were $1.7 million on sales of $6.5 million. Alloy has
been selling products for PCs and recently began targeting
networking products. The PC peripheral market has lately been
under heavy pressure with lower profits throughout the industry.

[] PATHE COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEMS lost $272,000 on revenues of
$1.39 million in its fiscal 1989 which ended on Dec. 31, 1989.
The figures do not compare well with those from 1988, when the
company reported losses of $71,000 on sales of $1.63 million.

[] WARNER COMPUTER SYSTEMS announced losses of $238,000, despite
record sales of $26.62 million, for its fourth quarter ended
Dec 31, 1989. For the full year, however, the company was in
the black to the tune of $1.32 million. Warner provides computing
services for insurance companies and trades on the New York Stock
Exchange.

[] ALTOS COMPUTER announced plans to repurchase 2 million
of its 10.8 million outstanding shares on the open market. Altos
feels that the price of its stock, currently standing at $5.25
represent only half of the company's net worth. Latest annual
sales of Altos products stand at $140 million.

[] MCI earned $101 million on revenues of $1,710 million for its
fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 1989. For the year as a whole,
the company reported profits of $529 million on revenues of
$6,470 million. The figures, though impressive, were below
analyst's expectations, causing the company's shares to fall
$3.125 to $31.25.

[] SOUTHLAND COMMUNICATIONS reported losses of $1.44 million on
revenues of $6.03 million for its year ended Oct. 31, 1989.
The figures are an improvement on 1988 when the company generated
a loss of $1.80 million on revenues of $4.02 million.

[] DIGI INTERNATIONAL reported earnings of $944,000 for its first
quarter ended Dec. 31, 1989, while sales were $4.5 million,
up from $3.0 million for the same period last year. Digi produces
data communications products and trades on Nasdaq under the
symbol DGII. The company's shares closed at $9.25 Friday, Jan. 26.

[] CONCURRENT COMPUTER CORPORATION lost $2.2 million on sales of
$89 million in its second quarter ended Dec. 31, 1989. The
company has blamed a restructuring cost of $3 million caused by
its merger with Masscomp more than a year ago.

(Peter Vekinis/19900131)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00013)

US STOCK MARKET REPORTS FOR FIRST HALF OF WEEK}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Stocks were
mixed for the first three days of the week starting Jan. 29, 1990
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stood at 2538.29 at
1pm EST, Tuesday.

Among the many technology movers for the week, MCI
Communications reported less than favorable earnings and fell
$3.125 to $31.25. MCI trades in the OTC (Over The Counter) market.

Several stocks followed MCI's lead also falling. Microsoft ended down
25 cents at $91.25 with Intel Corporation down by 50 cents to
$37.75. Seagate Technology, moving up following reports
that the company will report better than expected earnings,
closed Tuesday at $16.875, a rise of 75 cents. Apple Computer
also rose 75 cents to end Tuesday at $34, while Sun Microsystems
finished up 12.5 cents at $19.125.

On the big board, AT&T moved down by $1.75 to $37.75. IBM and
Motorola both fell, even though they announced their wireless,
electronic data network linked to computers. IBM slid 50 cents to
$96.75. On the American Exchange, Amdahl Corporation closed
slightly lower by 12.5 cents to $15.125.

(Peter Vekinis/19900131)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00014)

EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS FOR FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Technology stocks fared
mixed with the FT-100 index falling by 6.9 points on Tuesday
following a rise of 14 points on Monday.

Trading in London concentrated on mining operations, thus very
little change was reported on technology stocks.

In Frankfurt, prices were mixed with the FTZ index up 1.35 points
ending Tuesday at 1,812.9. Siemens closed the day up 2.2 at
DM 736. In Amsterdam, Philips closed slightly higher at Fl 43.

(Peter Vekinis/19900131)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00015)

ELIMINATING THE SHRINK-WRAP VIRUS, NEW GUIDE OFFERED}
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- A study designed
to help software developers prevent the release of virus-ridden
software is being given away free to Software Entrepreneur's Forum
members.

The new study, developed by Michael Budiansky of Bear River Associates
in Berkeley, CA, was commissioned by the Software Entrepreneur's
Forum and the Software Development Council's Virus Task Force.

The study reviews a range of considerations and techniques that
software developers must consider before releasing their products
into the market, and includes ten specific measures that must be
taken to eliminate virus infestations. One method is to install
a virus detector within the software itself, another is to lock the
write-protect tabs on distribution disks.

Software Entrepreneur's Forum is a nonprofit group with 500 members.
The Software Development Council is a confederation of seven
regional software trade associations, including the Software
Entrepreneur's Forum, which serve a total of 2,000 software
companies.

To reach SEF call Ed Niehaus at 415-626-0651 or Michael Odawa
at SDC, 415-381-2650.

(Wendy Woods/19900131)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00016)

SPA OFFERS FREE KIT TO ELIMINATE UNINTENTIONAL SOFTWARE PIRACY}
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- The Software
Publishers' Association (SPA) has announced that it will make
available to U.S. and Canadian companies, a free set of self-audit
guidelines to assist those executives who are concerned about
possible copyright violations.

Last year alone the SPA initiated more than 30 lawsuits against
corporations that it alleges were using pirated software, and
SPA Executive Director Ken Wasch says that, while the SPA will
continue to use legal enforcement, "...the kit responds to the
request of many corporate users for guidance on how to get legal
and stay legal."

The self-audit kit includes suggested corporate software
policies, a sample memorandum to employees, and information about
the current copyright law. It is available free of charge to any
corporation submitting a written request on company letterhead
to: Self-Audit Kit, Software Publishers' Association, 1101
Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 901, Washington, D.C. 20036.

The SPA has more than 550 members, including many leading
software publishers.

(John McCormick/1990131/Press Contact: Jodi Pollock, SPA, 202-
452-1600)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00017)

NETWORK NEWS: NOVELL INTROS NETWARE REMOTE MGMT FACILITY SOFTWARE}
PROVO, UTAH, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) --  Novell has introduced
NetWare Remote Management Facility software designed to allow
network managers to install, upgrade, maintain and backup
distributed NetWare 386 servers from a centralized location. The
product includes distributed server console software that allows
desktop PCs to execute console commands through the NetWare
internet facility or through asynchronous connections.

Novell's Remote Management Facility will be available in the
second quarter at a suggested retail price of $1,995.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Susan Lider, Novell,
408-747-4366)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00018)

ETHERNET SNIFFER HAS NEW MONITORING CAPABILITIES}
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) --  Network
General has added new capabilities including alarms for network
malfunction notification, statistics for network performance
analysis and report writing utilities to its Sniffer network
analyzer.

These capabilities will be available at no extra charge when the
next generation of Sniffer software is released. The new alarms
are both audible and visual for individual stations or the entire
network. Alarms for individual stations provide threshold levels
defined by network managers for up to 1,024 stations. The alarms
alert network managers to non-operational stations, over-use of
network bandwidth, error frequency beyond defined thresholds and
excessive idle time.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Jay Weil, Network


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00019)

NETWORK NEWS: SUPPRESS THOSE SURGES WITH BNC}
NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31(NB) -- Electronic
Specialists Inc. has expanded its line of Network Protection
Products with the release of its BNC-Net series.

The products were designed for BNC coaxial spike, surge and
interference network problems. The BNC-Net configurations
installs directly on the equipment to be protected. Its 3-stage
line-to-shield and shield-to-ground spike suppression design,
maintains maximum protection for all possible disruptive
modes. Prices start at $60. Call 508 655-1532.

(Lori Bragg and Computer Currents/19900119)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SFO)(00020)

MICROSOFT GETS BIGGEST-EVER WINDOWS CONTRACT FROM AIR FORCE}
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Microsoft has
just captured a massive contract,worth $25 million over the
next four years, under which it will supply the U.S. Air Force
with enough copies of Windows to fill the screens of 200,000
PCs.

The deal, won through a $750 million contract bid with Unisys,
which will supply the hardware for the government, represents
the biggest single win for Microsoft Windows and
Windows-based applications. Boasts Bill Gates, Microsoft
chairman and founder: "The Microsoft Windows graphical interface
brings new productivity to users everywhere, and we are
excited to see the government select these products."

(Wendy Woods/19900131)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00021)

AGRICULTURE COTTONS TO EDS SYSTEM}
HERNDON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- Electronic Data
Systems (EDS) has announced the recent signing of a five year
contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture worth $10
million. The contract is for document preparation, data entry,
problem resolution and loan research to support the Agriculture
Department's price support program and is actually for one year,
with four one-year options.

EDS has been supplying this service to the federal government
since 1982.

(John McCormick/1990131/Press Contact: Randolph V. Dove, EDS,
703-742-1511)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(HKG)(00022)

BICC DATA NETWORKS LAND AUSTRALIAN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEAL}
WANCHAI, HONGKONG, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- BICC Data Networks has won a
contract to supply the Australian Department of Defense with Fiber
Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) products worth more than $1 million.

This is BICC's first FDDI sale in Australia and its second defense contract
in the Asian region in the past three months.

The deal came about as a result of the Australian Defense Department's
commitment to the implementation of open systems and consists of eight
ISOLAN (International Standards Organization local area network) FDDI
to Ethernet Bridges connecting a number of fiber-based Ethernets together
in a secure site-wide network.

The FDDI will be installed in two phases, the initial stage being BICC Data
Networks' HIWAY high speed backbone product. The initial equipment will be
replaced free of charge with BICC's ISOLAN FDDI system as soon as the
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) FDDI standards are ratified.

(Norman Wingrove/19900131/Press Contact: Dannie Francis, MDL, + 852 838
3889, Fax + 852 838 0886)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00023)

SECOND INTEL 486 BUG FOUND}
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- A second design
flaw found in the Intel 486 chip has caused another delay in
shipment of 486-based machines.

Intel says the latest bug, which affects EISA systems (extended
industry standard architecture), can be fixed by manufacturers in
a "work-around" scheme involving a minor component switch. Intel
contends this "fix" will not require replacement of the 486
chips already installed in computers.

Still the bug will cause a delay in shipment for both Hewlett-
Packard and Compaq, which had planned to ship 486-based models
in early February. Hewlett-Packard has said the bug will delay
shipments one or two weeks. Compaq has not said when its
shipments will start, but simply says they will be in the "first
quarter."

Last fall, Compaq engineers discovered a flaw in the 486
involving certain mathematical procedures, which has since been
corrected by Intel.

(Wendy Woods/19900131)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00024)

AST ADDS FEATURES TO BRAVO/286 SYSTEM}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 22 (NB) --  AST Research has
added new features including expanded memory support, 640K RAM
(random access memory) and MS-DOS 3.3 on all models of its entry-
level Bravo/286 computer system with a third drive bay being
added to one model.

Standard features of the Bravo/286 now include 8-MHz, zero-wait-
state processing, 640K RAM up from 512K, expanded memory
capability, four expansion slots, one serial port and one
parallel port. The third drive bay is standard on the 40MB Model
45 and optional on the other models. The third drive may be added
to computers for existing customers using a $50 upgrade kit.

Genelle Trader, director of entry-level systems at AST says the
expanded memory capability and additional RAM and driver storage
will enable users to have increased flexibility for database,
spreadsheet and other desktop applications.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Deborah Paquin, AST
Research, 714-727-7960)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00025)

NETWORK NEWS: NEW LAN ADAPTERS FROM WESTERN DIGITAL}
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) --  Western Digital
has announced two Ethernet twisted pair local area network (LAN)
adapters based on the latest media access specifications for how
the overall IEEE 802.3 standard should work in conjunction with
certain types of wiring and transmission speeds.

The two adapters are the EtherCard PLUS 10T for AT and XT
compatible systems priced at $349 and the EtherCard PLUS 10T/A
for Micro Channel compatibles at $399. The two share a common
architecture with Western Digital's EtherCard PLUS family
providing an identical software interface. Both are surface mount
boards that use Western Digital's integrated LSI LAN controller
devices and are completely software compatible with the company's
coaxial Ethernet adapters allowing use of all existing software.

(Janet Endrijonas/19900131/Press Contact: Lynda Orban, Western
Digital, 714-757-4234)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00026)

NEW FOR IBM: BITSTREAM FONTS FOR EXCEL AND WORD}
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 19 (NB) -- Bitstream
has released its Bitstream Starter Kit for users of Microsoft
Excel for Windows and Word for Windows. The kit allows users
to quickly generate fonts by providing, low hard disk requirements
and customized character creation.

Fonts that are created for different applications but share the same
specification, are generated once and shared by the applications to
allow for the saving of hard disk space.

Features include a Fontware 3.0 installation kit, eight typeface
outlines and screen and printer fonts in varying type dimensions.
The kit works on Excel and Word for Windows utilizing any IBM
compatible. It is $25. Call 617/497-3493.

(Lori Bragg and Computer Currents/19900119)


(NEWS)(IBM)LON)(00004)

NEW FOR IBM: SOFTKLONE LAUNCHES MIRROR II PLUS}
NEWBURY, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Softklone UK has launched
Mirror II Plus, a mid-range communications package for the IBM
PC. The package, which costs UKP 119, neatly straddles the gap
between Mirror II at UKP 89 and Mirror III at UKP 179.

Like Mirror III, Mirror II Plus supports MNP class 5 error-
correction and data compression, a feature that Mirror II does
not. The new package also features Mirror III's enhanced viewdata
terminal emulations, with full color and graphics card support.

Interestingly, Softklone UK says that Mirror II Plus is
compatible with Mirror III add-in packages such as French Minitel
terminal emulations, CEPT/Streama/Via secure printing protocols,
and Wyse WY50/DEC VT-220 terminal emulations.

Softklone UK came under fire in the UK computer press last year
when it announced Mirror III. Many saw the package as too
expensive for an upgrade to Mirror II, which does not feature MNP
error-correction. As a result, many PC users turned to cheaper
MNP-equipped PC communications software such as Micropack's
Odyssey and Messiter Software's Transsend Plus.

(Steve Gold/19900131/Press & Public Contact: Kathy Bruce,
Softklone UK, Tel: [phone])


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

MOTOROLA, IBM DEVELOP RADIO DATA SYSTEM}
SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- A network
based on radio waves was announced by Motorola and IBM through a
joint venture called ARDIS.

Motorola, which dominates the market for radio-controlled pagers,
is making the terminals, and IBM is providing the service, for a
wireless transmission system now covering 90% of the country using
IBM antennas and the IBM Information Network. Data will move over
the network at 4,800 bits/second.

Repairmen and truckers are the main markets for the system that will
compete with a satellite-based scheme put out by Geostar of
Washington, D.C. The Geostar system offers nationwide coverage and
a vehicle locator service, but doesn't offer as much transmission
bandwidth. The system will also be competing with cellular modems
from companies like Spectrum Cellular of Dallas, which can be used
with any cellular phone system in the country. Those systems, however,
are expensive and cost 33-38 cents per minute to operate.

ARDIS will begin full commercial operation in early April, in
more than 8,000 U.S. cities and towns in all 50 states. The joint venture
will be headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, a suburb of Chicago.

Motorola designed, manufactured and installed IBM's radio data
network in 1983. It is already used by 16,000 IBM and 2,000 ROLM
service personnel.

ARDIS is being designed to support most common computer protocols.
Users should will be able to employ their existing equipment and applications
software, or select almost any supplier's computers and data
terminals for use on ARDIS.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Bob Walz, Motorola,
708-576-6609)


(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(LON)(00028)

COMPUSERVE FORUM LAUNCHED IN EUROPE}
BRISTOL, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Compuserve, the US online
network, opened for business in Europe on Feb. 1. Operating
out of offices in Berne, Switzerland and Bristol, England, the
service is available on a local country basis throughout most of
Europe. Details of the new access numbers can be obtained by
typing GO EUROPE on the Compuserve system.

The Bristol office, headed by UK General Manager Andrew Gray,
is responsible for UK and Irish subscribers, while the company's
Berne offices are responsible for the rest of Europe.

Compuserve Forum, as the service is known in Europe, is 65
percent owned by Radio Suisse, which runs the Datastar bibliographic
database service from Berne. H&R Block, Compuserve's parent
company in the US, has the remaining 35 percent of Compuserve
Forum's shares.

As in the US, Canada and Japan, Compuserve access is provided on
a host-paid basis, meaning that all access charges--excluding
telephone call charges--are added to the subscriber's bill. In
Europe, access is provided through the Istel network in the UK,
the Telepac network in Switzerland, and the Infonet network
throughout the rest of Europe.

Access is also available via the Swiss X.25 data network,
accessible via the usual European data networks such as Transpac
in France, Itapac in Italy and Iberpac in Spain, as well as
Mercury MPDS and British Telecom PSS in the UK.

Access via all these methods costs a basic $12-50 per hour (the
same as in the US) plus a $9-50 per hour network surcharge.
Despite the $22.00 an hour access charge, this rate is
significantly lowere than the $40-plus an hour that subscribers
previously had to pay to access Compuserve from Europe. In
addition, the $10 a month foreign account handling surcharge is
abolished, effective Feb. 1, for European subscribers to the
service.

(Steve Gold/19900131/Press & Public Contact: Compuserve Forum
(UK), Tel: [phone]; Compuserve Forum (Switzerland), Tel:
[phone])


(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(LON)(00029)

COMPUSERVE HAS AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR EUROPE}
BRISTOL, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Although this week's launch
of Compuserve Forum in Europe is relatively low-key, plans are
to begin heavily marketing the service by the time summer
comes around, according to Andrew Gray, the company's UK general
manager.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Gray said that plans
are to operate a number of European-specific areas of
Compuserve, including local language e-mail and European vendor
support forums, on the Radio Suisse computers in Berne.

These computers, which also run Radio Suisse's Datastar service,
will initially act as a local switching center between the
various European country networks that carry Compuserve (Istel in
the UK, Telepac in Switzerland etc.). By the summer, the
software will have been developed to the point where European
subscriber logons will be handled by the Berne computer, handing
the "job" to and from Compuserve's 20-plus PDP-10 computers in
Columbus, OH.

"As far as subscribers are concerned, the call transfers will be
seamless. The Berne computers will form part of the network of
Compuserve computers in Columbus, OH," Gray said.

The Radio Suisse computer development is interesting since, when
the European area on the Datastar computers switches into
operation, it will run on a variety of IBM computers such as the
AS/400, feeding into a main DEC VAX computer, which will act as
the interface with the DEC PDP 10 series of computers at
Compuserve's Columbus, OH headquarters.

Gray told Newsbytes that Compuserve Forum in the UK will be
selling starter kits at UKP 29-95 ($45). Similar prices are being
charged by Compuserve Forum's Swiss offices. The starter kit
contains a user ID and password, user guide--worth $15--and a
$25 usage credit to the new account.

Plans have also been made to sell the starter kits through computer
retailers and bookstores, much as in the US. In addition,
Compuserve plans to bundle the starter kits with computer
products, as the company has done in the US.

By the end of the year, Compuserve's European subscribers will
also be billed in their local currency, either from the Berne,
Switzerland or the Bristol, England office.

Effective immediately, subscribers to Compuserve in the UK have
access to two toll-free lines--0800-289378 for sales; 0800-
289458 for support--in addition to the normal Bristol office
number. Non-UK subscribers must call the Compuserve Forum offices
in Berne, Switzerland.

As Newsbytes goes to press, the first of three batches of
explanatory letters are being posted to Compuserve's European
subscribers. In the letter, Maurice Cox, executive vice president
of Compuserve, and Heinz Ochsner, managing director of Radio
Suisse, detail the changes.

(Steve Gold/19900131/Press & Public Contact: Compuserve Forum
(UK), Tel: [phone]; Compuserve Forum (Switzerland), Tel:
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00031)

US SPRINT TESTS VOICE RECOGNITION TRAVEL CARD SERVICE}
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- US Sprint
is testing a voice-activated Fon card that will be offered to
some US Sprint customers in the second quarter of this year.

Advertising for the features was launched during the telecast of
the Super Bowl Jan. 28, as a travel service called Sprint
Card. To use the voice-activated system, a customer will register
his or her voice pattern and a password with US Sprint. This will
enable the system to recognize each individual card user and
prevent unauthorized use of the card. Eventually the only number
that will have to be dialed will be the "800" number needed to access
the US Sprint voice-activated network.

One feature mentioned in the TV ads will be spoken speed-dial,
a pre-registered "voice phone book" in which customers can list
frequently called numbers, activating the phone book when they
speak into the phone. "US Sprint customers will access the
network, say the name of the person or place they wish to call,
and their calls will be dialed automatically," explained Larry
Lake, senior vice president of product management. "The caller
simply will say, for example, 'call home.'   The system will
recognize the telephone number associated with that spoken command
and dial the call."

Another feature will be message call delivery.  If a caller
receives a busy signal or no answer, he can leave up to a two-
minute message that will be delivered automatically.  Message
delivery starts at the time selected by the caller and attempts
to deliver the message will be made every 15 minutes for three
hours. This will compete with a new AT&T service called
VoiceMark, now being tested in Atlanta. The AT&T service,
however, only allows 1 minute messages.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Terri Dunn, US Sprint,
816/276-6241)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00032)

SIEMENS PBX RECEIVES CERTIFICATION FROM AT&T}
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- Siemens
Information Systems announced that its Saturn PBX has met
compatibility standards for use with AT&T's ISDN (Integrated Services
Digital Network) Primary Rate Interface (PRI), running at up to
1.544 megabits/second.

The AT&T PRI certification is an element of the Siemens ISDN
networking package for Saturn systems, which also includes the
Siemens CorNet networking protocol. CorNet provides
interconnection with other ISDN PBXs and the public ISDN network.
This means Saturn users will be able to take advantage of
AT&T PRI features such as calling number identification,
sometimes called Caller ID, and call-by-call service selection,
which provides improved trunking efficiency.

AT&T services that work with PRI and are now available to Saturn
users include Megacom and Megacom 800, Accunet Switched Digital
Services, and Software Defined Network.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Melodie Shute, Siemens
Information Systems, 407/997-3666)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00033)

PAC BELL SLATES TEXPO '90 FOR MAY 2-4 IN ANAHEIM}
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- The latest
in telecommunications is slated to appear at Texpo '90, a trade
show sponsored by Pacific Bell, held this year at the Anaheim
Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, May 2-4.

Last year's show featured a variety of futuristic exhibits, including
a demonstration of "virtual reality," teleconferencing, remote
library card catalog and document retrieval, and a method by which
a modern house's appliances and systems could be remotely controlled.

More information on Texpo can be had by calling 1-800-44-TEXPO or
415-542-4033.

(Wendy Woods/19900131)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00034)

MICHIGAN BELL EXPANDS SECURITY OPERATIONS IN DETROIT}
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- Michigan Bell
is increasing its Scan Alert Service in the Detroit area using
equipment from Versus Technology of Trenton, New Jersey.

The system monitors installations continuously via telephone lines
without affecting regular phone service. An additional 43
central offices in the Detroit area are getting equipment to
offer the service, starting in February.

Other Ameritech companies, including Indiana Bell and Wisconsin
Bell, offer the same services.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Richard Haff, Versus
Technology, 609-586-4091)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00035)

UK: MERCURY ADDS NEW UKP 4M EXCHANGE TO ITS NETWORK}
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Mercury Communications has
brought a new Northern Telecom DMS digital exchange into service
in Bracknell in the UK. The UKP 4 million exchange will handle
the increased traffic from the Thames Valley area business
community.

The new exchange--the seventh in Mercury's UK network--forms
part of Mercury's planned UKP 15 million investment in new
digital exchange capacity this year, and is intended to help
the company keep pace with its 150 percent growth record.
According to Mercury, the exchange is only part of a total
planned investment for 1990 of UKP 1,300 million.

Mercury currently operates a full digital communications network
in the UK with more than 2,600 km of fiber optic cable, 2,000
km of trunked microwave, and 12 national and international
digital switches in service.

(Steve Gold/19900131/Press Contact: Susan Harley, Mercury
Communications, Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00036)

CASE APPOINTS NEW MASTER DISTRIBUTOR IN INDONESIA}
SINGAPORE, S.E. ASIA, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Communications specialist CASE
has appointed PT Infokom Internusa as its master distributor in Indonesia.

Singapore-based strategic development manager, Simon Naylor, says the
Indonesian market offers tremendous potential for CASE, especially in the
field of wide area networks, local area networks, modems, statistical
multiplexers, X.25 equipment and message handling systems, as well as some
of the company's latest products such as Megabeam and Faxswitch.

Naylor says there is explosive growth in the Indonesian market and the
appointment of PT Infokom, one of the country's leading PABX (private
automatic branch exchange) suppliers, puts CASE in an ideal position to
take full advantage of the situation.

Indonesia is at present pursuing a multi-billion dollar five-year plan to
improve its communications infrastructure, with an emphasis on rural areas.
Main activities in progress include ISDN, submarine cable and microwave
projects, plus the installation of 1.4 million telephone lines, more than
15,000 line units for telex and a packet switch network serving over 1,000
installations.

Current users of CASE Communications services and equipment in Indonesia
include Citibank and Bank of America and the company expects the customer
base to widen dramatically over the next few years.

(Norman Wingrove/19900131/Press Contact: Mike Dunn, Media Dynamics, + 852
838 3889, Fax + 852 838 0886)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00037)

NEW PRODUCT: DATA SWITCH INTRODUCES NEW MATRIX SWITCH}
SHELTON, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- Data Switch
has announced Universe, a new distributed matrix switch platform
offering metropolitan-area separation between front-end processors
and modems, intelligent multiplexing at T-1 speeds of 1.544
megabits/second, central management with IBM's NetView interface,
and a redundancy feature to help with disaster recovery.

Data Switch also introduced the Liberator, which can incorporate other
vendors' older installed matrix switches in the Universe
architecture. Non-distributed switches supported by the Liberator
include the IBM Model 3728; the Bytex Autoswitch 240 and 480 and
Unity 10 and 30; and the Dynatech CTM series.

Universe will be available in April, and Liberator, will be
available in the third quarter, both at about $320 per port.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Linda L. Bachmann,
Data Switch, 203-926-1801)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00038)

NEW PRODUCT: PEER NETWORKS TO MAKE COMPUTER FOR DATA COMMUNICATIONS}
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- Peer
Networks, a start-up company, is building a specialized network
computer that can more effectively link dissimilar computer
networks found in Fortune 500 companies.

The computer is based on a new hardware technology invented by founder
Dr. David Chung that the company claims specifically addresses many of
the problems plaguing corporate data communications. The architecture
supports hundreds of processors operating in parallel--efficient
parallelism was discovered to be possible just last year at Sandia Labs
in New Mexico.

Peer is scheduled to ship its first network computer during the
second quarter of 1990.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19900130/Press Contact: Walt Fischer,
PEER Networks, 408/727-4111)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00039)

AT&T DEMONSTRATES FIRST DIGITAL OPTICAL COMPUTER}
HOLMDEL, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) --  An experimental
machine using photons (light) rather than electrons (electricity)
to perform computing operations has been demonstrated by AT&T
Bell Laboratories scientists after five years of work. This
initial machine only runs at 1 MIPS (million instructions per
second. This is far less than many desktop personal computers but,
since many different frequencies (colors) of light can potentially be
used in an optical computer, later machines could process
thousands of times more information.

With electronic computers reaching the limits of their possible
speeds in supercomputers because of the time electricity takes to
move between components, an optical computer could run as fast or
faster than a CRAY supercomputer because, although light
travels at the same speed as electricity, it can carry more
information.

The main limitation on personal computers at the moment is the RF
or Radio Frequency radiation generated by high clock frequencies.
This should not be a problem with photonic computers.

(John McCormick/1990131/Press Contact: Michael Miller, AT&T,
201-564-3836)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(HKG)(00040)

CABLING STRATEGY VITAL, SAY HONGKONG LAN EXPERTS}
WANCHAI, HONGKONG, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- BICC Data Networks (BICC-DN), the
makers of ISOLAN (International Standards Organization local area networking)
systems, have warned that network managers need to start planning for
fiber optic cabling to the desk.

Jim Bristow, Far East sales manager for BICC-DN, says having a cabling
strategy is critical, especially for companies moving into new premises.
He warns that the future of local area networking will be centered on a
demand for a higher and higher bandwidth and therefore, fiber optic
technology. A vital consideration for regional networking managers is what
sort of cabling their business should employ - the 10-16 million bits per
second bandwidth offered by twisted pair or the 100 Mbps available from
optical fiber.

Bristow says that although the obvious initial choice might be between
shielded twisted pair (STP) and unshielded twisted pair (UTP), because of
their accessibility, other considerations are important. "UTP is
susceptible to crosstalk from other services serving the same multicore
cable and, to reduce security problems, care must be taken not to mix
services within these cables. STP, on the other hand, is ten times as
expensive per meter as UTP and it seems that only staunch IBM accounts
and the very cautious are currently implementing STP cabling. While twisted
pair is generally considered to be the universal cabling system for office
distribution, it is really only a short term solution; the longer term view
really must be fiber to the desk."

(Norman Wingrove/19900131/Press Contact: Dannie Francis, + 852 838 3889,
Fax + 852 838 0886)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(WAS)(00041)

PRIME ADDS TWO NEW 50-SERIES SUPERMINIS}
NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 29 (NB) -- Prime Computer
has announced the new single-processor 6450 and dual-processor
6650 computers as well as a price reduction on the 6150 line.

Both systems handle the same number of users but allow more of
the maximum number of users to be online without slowing down the
performance as compared to earlier models in the line. The 6450
will support 15 percent more simultaneous users without degradation of
performance, while the 6650 handles up to a 29 percent increase in users
still maintaining performance.

Both systems are now shipping and will support up to 512 directly
connected users or nearly 1,000 on an Ethernet network. The base
6450 system contains 32 MB (megabytes) of memory with two 817 MB
hard disks and sells for $471,000, while the faster 6650 has
twice as much memory and sells for about $770,000.

(John McCormick/1990131/Press Contact: Lisa Litant, Prime, 508-
655-8000, X7651)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00042)

EMPRESS TO SUPPORT X WINDOW INTERFACE}
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1990 JAN 30 (NB) -- Whatever the
outcome of debates over the Unix user interface, Empress Software
expects to be in the right camp. The vendor of Empress database
software has announced that it will support the X Window
interface standard.

John Kornatowski, president and co-founder of Empress, said X
Window is "firmly established as a standard," though he admitted
actual users remain scarce.  "It'll take a year or two before
there's a reasonable volume of users," he said.  But whether the
most popular graphic user interface (GUI) for Unix turns out to
be the Open Software Foundation's Motif, AT&T's Open Look or
something else, Empress expects X Window support to keep the
company in a good market position.

Empress showed a prototype of X Window capability for its
database software at the Uniforum show in Washington, D.C.
Hewlett-Packard also showed the capability on Caseware, a
development program based on Empress.

(Grant Buckler/19900130/Press Contact: John Kornatowski, Empress
Software, 416-922-1743; Cathi Fradin, Empress Software, 301-231-
9393)