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(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00001)

AUSTRALIA: HEWLETT-PACKARD REGAINS PDP AGREEMENT STATUS 12/17/90
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard (HP)] has
regained its status under the Australian Government's Partnerships
for Development Program (PDP) Agreement with new guidelines for its
Australian operations. The company's position under PDP was
threatened after it closed the Australian Software Office, a major
part of its original PDP Agreement.

Under the new guidelines, of which specific details are as yet
undisclosed, HP has re-affirmed its commitment to the program.
Broadly, the guidelines call for greater participation with local
software developers to help develop new products, as well as to
support overseas marketing efforts. Previously, HP's commitment
centered almost exclusively on the ASO and the telecommunications
market. When HP closed the ASO in September, its status under
PDP was put under threat, and the government gave them
six months to renegotiate the terms of the agreement.

The PDP was formulated by the government to address Australia's
current account deficit, and to help local industries develop
international competitiveness. Many multi-nationals' local
operations have entered into agreements with the government, which
stipulate what is to be done by the company, with specific exports
set for the term of the agreement.

(Sean McNamara/19901217/Press Contact: Bill Hilliard, phone in
Australia [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00002)

AUSTRALIA: IMAGINEERING/MICRO-D DEAL FALLS THROUGH 12/17/90
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The deal that set everyone
in Australian PC circles talking appears to be off. Ingram
Micro-D was to buy a large part of Australian PC distributor
Imagineering, but has now pulled out, saying inquiries into
Imagineering revealed impediments to the purchase. Australian PC
Week reports that this is a blow to the already troubled
Australian company.

PC Week's Thomas Golden reports that all may not be lost,
however, as the US distributor is still negotiating to purchase
just the relevant part of Imagineering, having less interest in
its telecommunications and other divisions.  Asian financial
backer First Pacific is reportedly still committed to the
company, and is not affected by the pull-back, according to
Imagineering's Seamus Gallacher. He said: "It did represent a cash
injection, but we certainly didn't have to have Ingram's
involvement to continue."

(Paul Zucker/19901217)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BRU)(00003)

REUTERS LAUNCHES EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ON-LINE NEWS DATABASE 12/17/90
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Reuters, the international
news agency, has introduced an on-line news service - EC REPORT -
which specializes on news about the European Community.  Simon
Alterman, who heads Reuters Brussels office, demonstrating the
system in Reuters' news offices not far from the European
Commission's headquarters, stressed that the database would not
only include news from the Community but "anything from around the
world that's relevant to the EC."

Agence Europe, the oldest existing EC newsletter, will be available
on EC Report in three languages, English, Italian, and French,
although English will be the principal language of the service.

The necessary software program runs on a standard IBM-compatible
personal computer. A key word search is used to interrogate the
news database, and the user can set up a customized clipping
service to automatically extract and save subjects of particular
interest.

At 24,000 Belgian Francs ($800) a month, the service is not cheap,
but Henry Manisty, Reuters general manager for the Benelux
countries, is convinced that the fast availability of news will
insure its success.

(Peter Jones/19901216)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TYO)(00004)

JAPAN: IBM/MAC LINKING SOFTWARE FIRM STARTED 12/17/90
FUKUOKA, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- SystemSoft has developed
software called Japanese IBM 3270 Emulator which makes
Apple Computer's Macintosh a terminal for an IBM mainframe
computer. Systemsoft will set up a new firm DataComm
Tool & Die in Tokyo this month to build a system
integration business based around the software, the Japan
Industrial Journal paper reports.

The new firm, capitalized with 10 million yen ($7,700),
is designed to satisfy corporate users' needs by integrating
the emulation software with communication boards to be
received on an OEM (original equipment manufacturing) basis
from Apple.

DataComm Tool & Die is reportedly planning to market the software
to major Japanese software houses, such as Japan Information
Processing Service and Software Research Center, which are
enhancing Macintosh system sales to corporate users.

SystemSoft had made the Mac its major business weapon since 1987
and its Mac-related products occupy 60 percent of its sales
forecast of 4 billion yen ($31 million) for this year,
according to the paper.

The company spokeswoman told Newsbytes that a formal announcement
would be made this month.

(Ken Takahashi/19901213/Press Contact: SystemSoft Corporation,
092-714-6236)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00005)

JAPAN: FORMAL RESEARCH INTO VIRUS PREVENTION 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The Information-technology
Promotion Agency or IPA, the affiliate of Japan's Ministry of
International Trade and Industry, has started research into
the development of applications to fight computer viruses.
The research is significant in that the new software would
be effective against all kinds of computer viruses, even new
ones, whereas existing vaccine programs are not.

As a first step, the agency is examining encryption
software based on identification information.
Although the research is currently on a basic stage, the
agency is planning to promote the software by making a pilot
model by next year.

Also, the agency is doing research into AI (artificial
intelligence) vaccine software, which would learn new types of
viruses and resist them. The agency intends to make
available the result of the research to software houses to
reduce the attacks of computer viruses.

(Ken Takahashi/19901213)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00006)

NEC TO ACCELERATE SUPERCOMPUTER SALES IN EUROPE 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- To promote its supercomputer
SX-3, what it claims is the world's fastest, NEC has organized
a special task force to support and market it in Europe and
Japan.

In Europe, NEC will set up SX Technical Center as a business
division of its western Germany subsidiary, staffed by five
or six employees, by mid-January. On the other hand,
in Japan, it has integrated the SX business, previously
conducted by two separate divisions, into one as a special
task force for marketing and technical support of the
SX-3 supercomputer. A sales promotion division in Japan
has already been started with 20 staff members.

NEC plans to install 30 units of the SX-3 supercomputer in
Europe, 10 units in the U.S., and total of 120 units
worldwide in the next four years. These sales and
technical support centers are designed to achieve this
goal.

Meanwhile, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that NEC has won a bid
to install its supercomputer for a planned weather information
center in Brazil. NEC plans to apply software made for the
Japanese Meteorological Agency in order to forecast weather
a week to a month ahead and expects practical use for
agricultural and other environmental issues in this key
place on the earth.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19901213/Press Contact: NEC Corp., 03-798-6511)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TYO)(00007)

ORACLE BEEFS UP JAPANESE PRESENCE 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- U.S.-based leading Unix
database software maker Oracle will make another launch into the
Japanese market, the Nikkei Industrial Daily newspaper says.
The Japanese subsidiary established in 1985 in Japan has
distributed its application programs through Japanese
agents. The subsidiary, however, has taken a Japanese president
and gathered 20 development and sales staff members. It plans
to open new office at Shibuya, Tokyo, in the beginning of the new
year.

Oracle plans to release a Japanese version of its relational
database software program for IBM RS6000 WS (workstation) soon;
the company's current version is for Sun Microsystems' WSs.
It is also developing the Japanese version for the WSs of
YHP or Yokogawa Hewlett-Packard, the paper says.

(Naoyuki Yazawa/19901213)


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

HIGH TECH AND ANCIENT FOOD MEET WITH SAS 12/17/90
WESTERN, HONG KONG, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) has installed Version 6 of SAS System
software to control data access, management, analysis and
presentation.

IRRI, which has been using SAS System for more than eight years, has
implemented the new version on an IBM mainframe, a Digital Equipment
VAX minicomputer and an IBM PS/2 personal computer.

The software is used to support various research projects within the
institute. A key application is the evaluation of field trials on new
rice varieties. Using SAS modules for data management and analysis,
quality control and operations research, IRRI scientists analyse
information on plant yields, resistance to disease, and the results
of soil experiments and pest management programmes.

"SAS is an all-round tool that gives the user a lot of flexibility,"
said IRRI's Computer Services Chief, Dr George Krajcsik. "It can link
to database systems such as Oracle, and is compatible with most
presentation and graphics software."

Version 6 of SAS System offers 125 built-in applications grouped into
modules. They provide data entry, retrieval and management; report
writing and graphics; statistical and mathematical analysis; business
planning, forecasting and decision support; project management and
operations research; quality improvement and applications
development.

"IRRI is one of the most intensive SAS users in the region," said
Nigel Gasper, general manager of Hong Kong based SAS Institute Ltd.
"By moving to Version 6, which is designed for use by non-
specialists, the researchers will be able to develop applications
more easily and achieve results faster."

Philippines based IRRI is one of 13 research centres around the world
that form the Consultative Group of International Agricultural
Research. Set up 30 years ago, IRRI occupies 300 acres of land on the
University of the Philippines campus at Los Banos, south of the
national capital, Manila, where it works to improve rice strains.

(Norman Wingrove/19901214/Press Contact: Nigel Gasper, SAS,
+ 852 540 3160; HK time is GMT + 8)

(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

GLOBAL SERVICE DUE TO DEBUT NEXT YEAR 12/17/90
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- A Brooklyn
entrepreneur who started with a small bulletin board plans to
launch a global information service next year which he says
should reach 80 countries. Bruce Kamm of Metro Online calls his
vision Global Interconnect and it will run under the NAPLPS
videotex standard pioneered by Bell Canada's Alex gateway and by
Prodigy.

Each national service on the Global Interconnect network will
offer a version of Kamm's own Metro Online service, with online
chat, a sports service with online ticketing, an electronic mall,
an entertainment service, job searching, real estate, and city
guide. The main board in Brooklyn, with 32 lines, is an ASCII
text service which also offers Newsbytes, online forums, and
databases on restaurants, ski areas, and help for people with
disabilities.

Metro Online, Kamm's company, plans in 1991 to emerge as a host
service bureau using ASCII text, NAPLPS and the teletel standard
used by Minitel. NYNEX' Info-Look gateway has made Kamm a
convert to NAPLPS. Services there include an online auction
house, and chat lines for gays and women. The bulk of Metro's
teletel usage comes through NYNEX. "They're promoting it very
heavily, they do a monthly mailing that's easy to understand,
they're creating tremendous consumer awareness,"  says Kamm.
The most successful Minitel service Kamm has is Club Garcon,
a gay chat service.

Kamm also has high praise for NYNEX's free usage promotion. "The
usage on our three best services during that period went up by a
factor of 10. Right after that period, for the whole following
month, it stayed high -- 300% on one, 600% on another. It then
started to drop off, but the second month was still twice the
original, and we maintained a permanent 50% increase. In contrast
US West's free usage program used different services, in
rotation. Everyone called the free services, and generated a lot
of traffic, but there was no retention.

Kamm expects Global Interconnect to come online in mid-January.
It will work a little like Minitel. "You'll call your local
number and connect to a directory. If you select Metro, you
select a continent and city."

All services have the same look and feel. "We'll also
have real time language translation and other
services for business," Kamm says, and a service called The Bermuda
Thinktank, which he calls "the first, live, worldwide think
tank." The first cities to go online with Metro will be Tokyo,
Paris, San Francisco, Montreal and New York. Each local operator
will advertise its own services in its own city, and distribute
software.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19901214/Press Contact: Bruce Kamm, Metro
Online, 212-860-3436)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00010)

UK: SONY SLASHES NEWS WORKSTATION PRICING 12/17/90
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Sony
Microsystems has slashed 25 percent off the price of its entry-
level RISC workstation, the News 3410.

With immediate effect, the workstation - equipped with 8MB of
RAM, 240 MB hard disk and a 19 inch (1.024 x 800 pixel) monochrome
monitor - drops in price from UKP 9,520 to UKP 6,990. The color
monitor-equipped version of the same system falls from UKP 10,870
to UKP 7,990.

Why the price cuts? According to Steve Boniwell, UK marketing
manager with Sony Microsystems, the time is now right for a
marketing push for the machines.

"In 1988, when Sony first entered the European workstation
market, it was important to establish a sound sales and support
base. Now that our entry-level RISC machines have proved their
worth, we can embark on the second, more aggressive, phase of our
marketing strategy," he said.

(Steve Gold/19901213/Press & Public Contact: Steve Boniwell, Sony
Microsystems - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00011)

US COMPANY TO BUILD CELLULAR SYSTEM IN BYELORUSSIA 12/17/90
VESTAL, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- CommStruct
International has signed a joint-venture agreement with the Ministry
of Posts, Telecommunications and Informatics of the Byelorussian
Soviet Socialist Republic to construct and operate a cellular
phone network in Byelorussia. It's the first deal between a
republic in the USSR and a private western country for a cellular
phone system. Previously a number of U.S. companies, including
US West and Millicom, have announced such deals in Eastern
Europe.

As a 50 percent partner, CommStruct will arrange for an initial
investment estimated at $7 million to introduce service in mid-
1991 to approximately 4,000 residential and mobile customers in
the city of Minsk.  When completed, the system in the Minsk
region will have the capacity to serve in excess of 200,000
customers. Byelorussia S.S.R. has a population of 10.2 million.

Cellular systems are crucial in Eastern Europe and the Third
World because the wired phone system is in such disarray. In the
Minsk region alone the wait for a phone is usually 10 years as
the waiting list has over 700,000 names.  With a cellular network
in place, a portion of this pent-up demand would be served
immediately.

Ivan Gritsuk, minister of posts, Telecommunications and
Informatics of the Byelorussian S.S.R., addressed this fact in a
press release. "With a cellular system, we will be able to
achieve in months -- rather than years -- a telephone capacity
able to serve our growing commercial and residential
requirements."

In the U.S., CommStruct is known for designing and building
cellular systems for others, including NYNEX, Bell Atlantic and
PacTel. The company also installed the first cellular system in
Zaire, Africa in the capital city of Kinshasa; other
international projects include sites in Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman
Islands, Antigua, Grenada and the British West Indies.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19901214/Press Contact: James Lewis, CommStruct
International, 607-786-8724)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BRU)(00012)

EUROPEAN IT METHODOLOGY GETS ADDITIONAL FUNDING 12/17/90
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The European Commission
and the Public Procurement Group have agreed on funding a new
phase of Euromethod, a project to develop a common terminology
and structure to harmonize the wide variety of methodologies
currently in fashion throughout Europe.

Euromethod wants to be the answer to a proliferation of methods
such as DAFNE, MERISE, SDM, SSADM, MEIN and others and will
integrate the best of all these worlds.

The members making up this important task force are: British
Telecom, CGI of France, Datacentralen of Denmark, Eria/Ceninsa
(Spain), Finsiel/Italsiel (Italy), Instituto Nacional de
Administracao (Portugal), Sema Group (France), Softlab (Germany),
and Volmac (Holland).

(Eric Dauchy/19901214)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BRU)(000136)

CONCURRENT ENGINEERING TAKING CENTER STAGE 12/17/90
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The Bournemouth
Polytechnic is organizing a three day international conference on
Concurrent Engineering and Electronic Design Automation. The
conference is sponsored by the European Commission and other
international institutions.

Sa'ad Medhat, conference chairman, said that the main theme of
the conference will be the application of design automation tools
throughout the product design cycle, leading to implementation of
concurrent engineering. The conference will examine techniques
and application methodologies and will include 90 oral
presentations.

Giving a definition of the subject, Medhat said: "Concurrent
design is the ability to take multiple product parameters into
consideration concurrently through the sharing of analytical
information among disciplines. With this concept, engineers can
immediately predict the impact of design decisions on downstream
aspects of a product's design, manufacturability, and
performance."

In the case of electronic systems, the greatly increased hardware
complexity, he said, made possible by LSI requires the use of
design automation tools. The increased power and sophistication
of tools currently available allows us to place the VLSI design
process as one part of a single, multi-discipline, integrated
design cycle. This cycle allows design integration from initial
conceptual description through fabricating and packaging. It is
the use of VLSI design automation tools, in the context of open
architecture design environment, which provides the thrust of the
planned conference.

(Eric Dauchy/19901214/Press Contact: Sa'ad Medhat, Bournemouth
Polytechnic, +44-202-595.494)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00014)

3COM ANNOUNCES TCP/IP, LAT FOR CS TERMINAL SERVERS  12/17/90
ADMIRALTY, HONG KONG, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- 3Com Corporation has
announced dual-protocol Connection Service software that provides
cncurrent, customizable access to TCP/IP and LAT based minicomputers
for the 3Com CS line of terminal servers.

The new software lets terminal and PC users concurrently access
minicomputers running the industry standard TCP/IP protocol and
Digital Equipment Corporation's Local Area Transport (LAT) protocol.
The software also contains features allowing it to be tailored to
specific business requirements, says 3Com.

The TCP/LAT Connection Service is the latest product in 3Com's line
of terminal server software for the CS/2000, CS/2100 and CS/1
terminal servers. Connection Service products currently available
provide access to minicomputers running TCP/IT, Open Systems
Interconnect (OSI) or Xerox Network Systems (XNS) protocols.

The TCP/LAT Connection Service software adds two new features to the
existing single-protocol TCP/IP Connection Service: the Serial Line
Internet Protocol (SLIP) and the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP). SLIP enables TCP/IP to run over serial lines, such as those
used by personal computers for remote access to minicomputers via
modem. Remote connections via SLIP appear local to the user.

3Com says its LAT implementation is licensed directly from Digital to
insure compatibility. It is based on LAT 5.1 specifications and
contains the key features required for LAT connectivity, including
reverse LAT. Reverse LAT allows a minicomputer to initiate a session
connection. With this feature, a host application could initiate a
session to print on a terminal server-attached printer.

"Direct licensing ensures that our LAT implementation will be
compatible with all Digital systems and peripherals," said William
Messer, 3Com's general manager, Asian Operations. "By adding its
network management system and user interface features, 3Com has
provided a straightforward approach to incorporating the LAT protocol
within its terminal servers."

The new CS software will be available in the first quarter of 1991.

(Norman Wingrove/19901214/Press Contact: Marshall Gabin, 3Com,
+ 852 529 0356; HK time is GMT + 8)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00015)

JAPAN: ISDN TELECOM BOARD DEVELOPED BY MYTEC 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Mytec, a Tokyo-based manufacturer
of data telecommunication devices, has developed a multiple ISDN
(Integraged Services Digital Network) board for personal computers.
With this telecommunication board, it can hook into NTT's ISDN
digital network called INS NET64, and create a mini-local area
network with different types of computers.

The board can be equipped with NEC PC-9801, Toshiba J-3100
and the AX PCs, which are the IBM-compatible Japanese
personal computers. The list price of the board will be
398,000 yen ($3,060), and will be released on January 7.
Mytec hopes to sell 100 units per month.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/1217/90/Press Contact: Mytec, 03-5609-9811)


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

JAPAN: NEC PC-VAN NETWORK TOPS 200,000 MEMBERSHIP 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Japan's largest personal computer
network, "PC-VAN," has topped over 200,000 memberships. It is less
than 5 years since the network started the service under
NEC's wing in Japan in 1986.

NEC has started providing overseas packet switching network
services to link with various international networks such as Tymnet
of British Telecom and SprintNet of the US and PPS of Hong Kong.
NEC will also provide an additional 20 access points throughout Japan
by the end of December.  As a result, the total number of
domestic access points will be 96. Moreover, 24-hour user
support service will be started next April.

NEC wants to sign a total of 500,000 memberships by the end of
1992. Meanwhile, Japan's second largest PC network, "NIFTY-SERVE,"
is keeping up with PC-VAN.  NIFTY boasts 150,000 memberships at
present.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19901217/Press Contact: PC-VAN c/o NEC, 03-454-
6909)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00017)

INFORMATION SOLUTIONS SIGNS VAR AGREEMENT WITH MOTOROLA 12/17/90
ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Information
Solutions (ISI) has signed a Value Added Reseller (VAR) agreement
with Motorola and made its first sale under the pact.

David R. DeYoung, president of ISI, told Newsbytes that under the
VAR agreement, ISI would package its software products with
Motorola's Delta 8000 Series hardware for sale to the
transportation, hospitality and general office markets.

In addition, ISI may make hardware-only sales to customers with
software already in place.  The first such sale occurred recently
when a long-time ISI customer contracted for multiple Motorola
systems to a value of around $250,000.

ISI, with its Transportation Management Control (TMC) line of
software, is currently one of the nation's leading providers of
software to the transportation market. The company provides "open
system" UNIX-based software solutions to customers in
transportation, hospitality and commercial markets. As a
single-source systems integrator, ISI provides applications
software, hardware, service and support.

(Peter Jones/19901216/Press Contact: Information Solutions,
Eva Plucheck-Foltz, 303/694-9180 or Pfeiffer Public
Relations Inc., Jay Pfeiffer, 303/623-1169


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00018)

STARWARS ON FAMICOM: GEORGE LUCUS AND JVC 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Japan Victor Corp. (JVC)
has signed an agreement with Lucas Arts Entertainment concerning
the production of game software for Nintendo's best selling Family
Computer. Under this agreement, Lucas will produce the game software
dubbed "Starwars," while JVC will market the software.

The first version of the three game series will be sold
around April in the US and about two months later, it will be
sold in Europe and Japan. The software will be a mixture of
role-playing and shooting. The list price of this Family Computer
software is expected to be US$50 (6,000 yen). The software for
the Super-Famicom, a 16-bit version of Family Computer, will be
sold in 1992. Lucas will also make the personal computer-
versions of the software, which will be sold through JVC.

JVC entered the Family Computer business five years ago and raked
in 3 billion yen this year. With the tie-up with Lucas, JVC hopes to
double the sales next year.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19901217/Press Contact: JVC, 03-241-6311)
(NEWS)(GENERAL)(NYC)(00019)

COMPUTER FACTORY ANNOUNCES LOSS FOR YEAR 12/17/90
ELMSFORD, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The Computer
Factory, a national chain of 63 computer stores, has announced that it lost
$16,691,000, or $1.93 per share, on revenues of $365,320,000 for the
fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 1990.

The announced loss compares with previous year's earnings of $3,131,000,
or 35 cents per share, on $369,002,000 in revenues. In announcing the loss
and decline in revenues, Computer Factory President Jay Gottleib said
"The decline in sales stemmed from softness in the retail computer market
and from reduced purchases by our corporate customers -- particularly in
the banking and finance industry." Gottleib further noted that the
company's lower margins resulted from price concessions made by the
company to meet competition, reduce inventory levels and provide
additional reserves for obsolete and slow moving inventory.

COMPUTER FACTORY's fiscal fourth quarter loss amounted to
$6,263,000, or 72 cents per share, on revenues of $67,632,000 as
compared to a loss of $3,365,000, or 38 cents per share, on revenues of
$89,926,000 for the fiscal 1989 fourth quarter.

On November 16, the Computer Factory entered into an agreement,
subject to stockholder approval, with CompuCom Systems of Dallas,
Texas which calls for CompuCom to acquire COMPUTER FACTORY in a
cash merger at $4.50 per share, "subject to adjustment in certain
circumstances." Computer Factory spokesperson Phil Duva told Newsbytes
that the just-reported losses will have no effect on the agreed upon $4.50
price.

Duva also told Newsbytes that the necessary legal filings for the SEC in
conjunction with the proposed merger are nearing completion and that it is
expected that the stockholder vote will take place in mid-January.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19901217/Press Contact: Phil
Duva, Computer Factory, 914-347-5000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00020)

LOTUS ANNOUNCES RUSSIAN VERSION OF 1-2-3 12/17/90
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Lotus
Development has announced that it will, by the end of 1990,  ship a
fully translated Russian version of Lotus 1-2-3 in the USSR. The Lotus
product will be distributed through VNIPI StatInform, a government
agency.

Announcing the release of the Russian version, Steve Crummey, senior vice
president of Lotus' International Business Group, said: "The Soviet market
represents both a significant opportunity and a challenge for Lotus.
Currently there are an estimated 300,000 PC users in the Soviet Union. As
the price of PCs in the USSR drop and their availability increases, the
number of users is expected to grow significantly. At the same time, the
country's economy is in upheaval and conducting business under these
conditions is difficult, especially for a foreign company.  VNIPI
StatInform's existing infrastructure will assist us in making this transition
easier."

The VNIPI StatInform was formally known as the All-Union Research,
Development and Project Institute of the Statistical Information System of
the USSR State Committee for Statistics and has more than 5,000
employees. In addition to reselling the Russian version of Lotus 1-2-3
Release 2.2, the Institute will work with Soviet computer manufacturers to
bundle 1-2-3 with Soviet-produced computers. Its director, J.A. Micheev,
commented on the Lotus entry into the Russian market, saying: "Lotus fully
understands the business climate and the cultural differences of our market.
By developing a full language version that allows users to work in their
language  Lotus has met the needs and demands of the Soviet market."

Lotus also announced that it has named Leningrad International
Management Institute (LIMI) as the first Lotus Authorized Training Center
in the USSR. Dr. Anton O. Artemyev, deputy director of programs for
LIMI, said of the agreement: "We are excited to be working with Lotus, the
leading vendor of business software solutions worldwide. The
establishment of the first Lotus Authorized Training Center in the U.S.S.R.
is an important initial step in training the growing number of PC users in
the Soviet Union."

Lotus further announced that it will open a Soviet sales office in the first
quarter of 1991 and that the office will be managed by Jane Kitson, who
was recently appointed business development manager for the USSR.

Rebecca Seel, Lotus spokesperson, told Newsbytes that, while Lotus is
excited about its entry into the Soviet market, it is proceeding with
caution. She said: "We are quite aware of the difficult state the Soviet
economy is presently in. We are committed to the long haul here and our
entry into the market is predicated on this long range commitment." Seel
also told Newsbytes that this is the first time that Lotus had worked with a
state agency as a distributor. She said that the previously announced
Eastern European language versions of 1-2-3 are all being distributed
through private commercial enterprises.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19901217/Press Contact:
Rebecca J. Seel, Lotus Development Corp., 617-693-1579 )


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(SYD)(00021)

AUSTRALIAN DEVELOPER CLAIMS SYSTEM IS AGAINST INVENTORS 12/17/90
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Justin Walsh, an
Australian inventor, says he has spent the last year in vain,
trying to get support for what he claims is a unique way of
connecting PCs that can normally not be linked. He said he has
been thwarted by government departments, vendors, developers and
venture capitalists.

Walsh's product is a hardware "disk" that fits into a diskette
slot in place of the diskette, and uses the read/write head and
electronics to interface to the PC. The other PC can be connected
via an identical device or more standard serial or parallel
cables, allowing the machines to swap data.

He said he got so desperate trying for development assistance in
Australia, he started looking overseas. "I contacted the British
Technology Group ... they got back to me immediately, and sent a
complete data package showing what they were and how they could
help me." Walsh told Newsbytes. He said it was a shame that a
country like Australia with a trade deficit problem couldn't even
find the wherewithal to support local inventions likely to
bring-in export dollars.

(Paul Zucker & Graham Phillipson/19901217)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(NYC)(00022)

AT&T-NCR:NCR SUES; AT&T STARTS PROXY WAR 12/17/90
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- NCR has announced that
it has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Dayton charging that AT&T's
filings with the SEC in conjunction with its attempted takeover
of NCR are "false, manipulative and misleading." The suit charges
AT&T's filings violate both the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
and SEC rules."

An NCR spokesperson told Newsbytes that the suit seeks to force AT&T to
amend its filings to include statements acknowledging AT&T's failures in
the computer business, the poor performance of mergers in the computer
industry and that AT&T had previously falsely indicated that it may be
willing to wait 18 months to complete a business combination. It also asks
the court to validate NCR's anti-takeover defense protections provided
under a Maryland law being challenged by AT&T in another court.  An
AT&T spokesperson told Newsbytes that it had no comment on the NCR
lawsuit.

AT&T spokesperson John Skalko told Newsbytes that AT&T is filing the
necessary papers with the SEC to begin a proxy battle for control of NCR.
AT&T will attempt through such a proxy fight to have NCR stockholders
vote to elect a new board of directors that would negotiate with AT&T and
remove NCR's anti-takeover provisions. Under the papers filed, AT&T
will seek proxies for a special shareholder meeting and for the regular
annual meeting scheduled for April 17. To force a special stockholders
meeting, AT&T will have to convince holders of at least 25 percent of
NCR's stock to request such a meeting.

In a statement to Newsbytes, an NCR spokesperson responded to the AT&T
proxy move, saying: "Our board of directors has met and, after carefully
considering AT&T's  $90 per share cash offer, has found it to be grossly
inadequate and unfair  The board has further stated that it would be willing
to discuss a merger at a price of $125 per share which is a full and fair
price but AT&T has not been willing to do this. Should AT&T actually
launch a proxy contest, we are certain that our stockholders will support
our protection of their interests. If AT&T is not willing to pay a fair value
for the firm, it should really just go away and leave us alone."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19901217)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00023)

EC DIRECTIVE ON SOFTWARE PROTECTION BEING DEFEATED 12/17/90
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- The UK Government's
controversial proposed amendment to the European Community's
(EC's) directive on software protection has been defeated.

Had the amendment to Article 5bis of the EC directive gone
through, it would have made the analysis of software and reverse
engineering of software for the purpose of developing competing
products illegal, something that many in the European computer
industry are against, since they claim it breaks the rules of
open competition.

The main opponents to the amendment were members of the European
Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) whose membership list
includes Apricot Computers. ECIS is claiming victory over the UK
Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the
issue.

On hearing the news, Dr. Peter Horne, managing director of Apricot
Computers, congratulated the EC working party on their sensible
decision.

"The rejection of the amendment is an important victory for
supporters of open systems over the manufacturers who would still
like to lock their users into proprietary architectures. I am
obviously proud that Apricot played a major role in opposing the
DTI's proposal," he said.

Despite the victory, Horne said it does not give manufacturers
carte blanche to simply "clone" existing packages. "Inter-
operability is the only question at stake here - reverse
engineering is only permitted if the resulting product is
recognizably different from the one analyzed," he said.

While the ECIS and Apricot are pleased with their victory
regarding the amendment, Horne said that any celebration may be
premature. "We're not out of the woods yet. There are a number of
statements in the text of the directive which remain slightly
ambiguous and ECIS has legal representation working on these
points at the moment," he said.

(Steve Gold/19901217/Press Contact: Apricot Computers - Tel: 021-
456-4040)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

UK TECHNOLOGY NEWS ROUND-UP - 12/17/90
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Here is a round-up of
telecom news items from the UK.

[] CIX, the Compulink Information eXchange (Tel: [phone]) is
still waiting for the installation of its X.25 packet data
network Pad to allow X.25 data network calls from around the
world.

[] COMPUSERVE subscribers in Europe can no longer use the
Sprintnet network to access the service. Callers attempting to
log in are now met with a referral to the Compuserve helplines.

[] MERCURY DATA NETWORK SERVICES (Tel: [phone]) is changing
its tariffs of both dial-up and direct access packet data network
subscribers. Starting January 1, 1991, dial-up data calls to non-UK
destinations will be billed on the basis of volume only. Direct
access subscribers can opt to remain on time plus volume tariffs,
or the new volume charges, which are claimed to be at least 10
percent less than those of British Telecom's

[] MERCURY COMMUNICATIONS is offering its UK subscribers an
extended period of cheap rate calls this Christmas and New Year.
From Christmas Eve through to January 2, all calls are to be
charged at cheap rate.

[] REUTERS (Tel: [phone]) has added four MNS analysis
services - gatewayed from the McGraw-Hill network in the US - to
its real-time network in London. The four MNS services give a
global view of what is happening in the world's currency markets,
according to Reuters.

[] SPRINTNET has upgraded its London dial-up port to 9600 bits
per second with V.42Bis error-correction and data compression.
The upgrade means that subscribers to Sprintnet can place packet
data network calls at speeds of up to an effective speed of
30,000 bits per second or more when using the 071-973-1030 port.

(Steve Gold/19901217)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00025)

UK: DELL REPLACES USER'S KEYBOARDS FREE OF CHARGE 12/17/90
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Dell Computer
Corporation's UK office has taken the unusual step of issuing
replacement keyboards to an unspecified number of its customers
as a result of identifying potential faults with the units.

According to Dell, the numbers involved are small, but still an
unacceptable number to both Dell and the un-named keyboard
supplier. The potential fault does not involve any risk to the
user and a minor design alteration has now overcome the problem.

Dell UK is currently in the process of contacting relevant
customers directly - drawing on its marketing information held on
computer - and advising them of the potential problem.
Replacement keyboards are then being sent out, with a facility to
return the existing keyboard.

(Steve Gold/19901217/Press & Public Contact: Dell Computer
Corporation - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00026)

LAWSON SETS UP BUSINESS IN THE UK 12/17/90
CHERTSEY, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Lawson, a US
private software house, has opened its first international office
in London, as well as announcing plans to open a European office
in early 1992.

The company's London office is headed by Barry Fuller, who joins
the company from McCormack and Dodge, the financial services
group.

In North America, Lawson lays claim to being a specialist in
packages across the financial, materials management,
distribution, personnel and retail software markets. The company
specializes in software for IBM mainframes and mid-range platform
systems.

"In the US, Lawson is recognized as one of the industry's
strongest software companies for advanced technology combined
with ease of use. Now the founders feel the company has a strong
enough foundation to make the move into Europe starting with the
UK," said Fuller.

Fuller went on to say that the push into Europe coincides with
the company's decision to port its packages into the Unix
environment, as well as release a number of Computer Aided
Software Engineering (CASE) packages.

(Steve Gold/19991217/Press & Public Contact: Lawson, Belair
House, Chertsey Boulevard, Hanworth Lane, Chertsey, Surrey,
England KT16 9LZ - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BRU)(00027)

HUGHES AIRCRAFT WINS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BID IN GERMANY 12/17/90
FULLERTON, CA, U.S.A., 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- Germany has awarded a
$5.75 million contract to Hughes Aircraft Co. for new air traffic
control equipment, mainly at sites in what used to be the German
Democratic Republic.

Hughes, a subsidiary of GM Hughes Electronics, will supply 36
TracView systems for use in airport towers and approach control
units under the contract to Bundesanstalt fur Flugsicherung, the
German government department with responsibility for air safety.

The TracView system provides air traffic controllers with a
real-time, full-color digitized display of aircraft detected by
multiple radars feeding into the towers and centers.  It will
replace existing old equipment to provide new capabilities.  The
system uses Hughes proprietary software, and runs on commercial,
off-the-shelf, computers.

Seven TracView systems will be installed in Leipzig and three in
Dresden. Two systems will be installed in Saarbrucken, in
what was West Germany.

The remaining 24 systems will be installed in five additional
towers, approach control units and a training facility following
completion of site surveys.  The remaining sites will be
operational by mid-1991.

Hughes TracView systems have been operational as flight following
units in Saarbrucken and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for
most of 1990.

(Peter Jones/19901216/CONTACT: Dan Reeder,Hughes, [phone].)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BRU)(00028)

CCD COLOR SCANNER FOR MAC DTP 12/17/90
THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- SmarTwo PS, a
professional color scanner for Macintosh-based desktop publishing
systems, was introduced at the Seybold European Publishing
Conference.

"SmarTwo PS is a fully professional, 32-bit, color scanner that
provides a combination of high quality, speed, and ease of use
not available before to DTP," says Chanoch Biran, corporate vice
president of Scitex Entry Systems division.

The tabletop unit scans color transparencies in 35mm, 6 x 6 and 6
x 7 cm formats at "very high speeds," according to Scitex. Images
can be scaled from 20 percent to 1,700 percent (35mm originals)
or up to 850 percent (for other formats), providing a final
output of up to 660 x 660 mm. Added Biran: "The built-in computer
converts RGB to CMYK eliminating cost, time, and quality loss of
post-scan processing often needed with current DTP scanners."

File format can be selected from EPSF, TIFF, DCS, and two Scitex
formats, PS Image and HandShake CT. The file can be exported to
PageMaker, QuarkExpress, Design Studio, Adobe PrintShop,
Colorstudio, Scitex V.I.P/2 and Visionary.

The scanner operates with an 8MB RAM Macintosh, at least 80 MB
hard disk, a 24- or 32-bit video card and a color monitor.
Commercial deliveries are set for the second quarter of 1991.

(Eric Dauchy/19901214/Press Contact: Chanoch Biran, Scitex, +32-
2-642.1511)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00029)

MOTOROLA JAPAN BEEFS UP JAPANESE PLANT 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- President Rick Younts of Motorola
Japan told the press that the company will build a plant to produce
semiconductors. The plant will be built in Sendai, northern Japan,
at the cost of 80 billion yen ($6 billion).

At the new plant, Motorola is expected to produce the most advanced
32-bit chip as well as a chip for a high definition television (HDTV)
jointly with Toshiba. Motorola's relationship with Toshiba is already
close enough -- they have a chip-making joint venture dubbed "Tohoku
Semiconductor" in northern Japan.

Meanwhile, Motorola Japan has hired an ex-Toshiba man as its
vice president. President Younts has hinted that he will retire
soon and Isamu Kuru is expected to be replacing the current
President around next April.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/121790/Press Contact: Motorola Japan, 03-
440-3311)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00030)

MOTOROLA JAPAN BEEFS UP JAPANESE PLANT 12/17/90
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 DEC 17 (NB) -- President Rick Younts of Motorola
Japan told the press that the company will build a plant to produce
semiconductors. The plant will be built in Sendai, northern Japan,
at the cost of 80 billion yen ($6 billion).

At the new plant, Motorola is expected to produce the most advanced
32-bit chip as well as a chip for a high definition television (HDTV)
jointly with Toshiba. Motorola's relationship with Toshiba is already
close enough -- they have a chip-making joint venture dubbed "Tohoku
Semiconductor" in northern Japan.

Meanwhile, Motorola Japan has hired an ex-Toshiba man as its
vice president. President Younts has hinted that he will retire
soon and Isamu Kuru is expected to be replacing the current
President around next April.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/121790/Press Contact: Motorola Japan, 03-
440-3311)