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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00001)

TGV Wins Digital Review's Target Award 02/10/92
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- TGV has
announced that they have received the Target Award for Excellence
from Digital Review magazine.

The Target Awards are presented annually by Digital Review
magazine based on a survey that the magazines does among its
readers. This year, the magazine surveyed 84,000 readers and
selected winning products in 39 different categories. TGV's award is
for the best workstation to Vax connectivity product.

"We are especially honored to receive Digital Review's Target
Award because it reflects recognition by those people who are most
important to us, our customers," said David Kashtan president of
TGV Inc. "We spend a lot of development time and energy building
improvements into Multinet. In fact, our software developers are
also our customer support team, so they can listen to our customer's
problems and gain a great insight into their needs. Receiving the
Target Award is a nice reward for us because it demonstrates that
our customers know that we listed to them."

(Naor Wallach/19920210/Press Contact: Tom Woolf, Media
Relations, 415-508-1554)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00002)

LCI Enhances Toll-Free Services 02/10/92
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) LCI International
has announced enhancements to its toll-free "800" service which
allows customers to receive calls from Canada as well as the U.S.,
over both switched and dedicated lines.

"This feature could be especially important to our customers who
operate in markets close to the Canadian border," said Thomas J.
Wynne, the company's president and chief operating officer.
"This service will allow these businesses to use one 800 number
to serve both American and Canadian customers."

LCI also offers simplified billing, with per minute charges and a
small monthly recurring charge. Canadian origination is available
for newly-assigned numbers and contributes to and receives volume
discounts on LCI International's Nationwide 800 service.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920210/Press Contact: LCI, Jim Fette,
614-433-9272)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00003)

Australia: Software Pricing Again Under Spotlight 02/10/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- A federal government
authority is set to put Australia's PC software industry under the
microscope, following more public disagreement between sectors
of the industry over import and pricing practices.

About six months ago the Prices Surveillance Authority (PSA) issued
a press release saying it believed Australian buyers were paying
grossly inflated prices for software, giving examples of markups of
more than 100 percent compared to US prices. At that time the industry
 quickly reacted with a number of defenses, but the matter lapsed into
limbo.

Now, the PSA has stirred again, and is saying the same sorts of things,
but it is unclear if any more has been done to substantiate their claims
or answer the industry counterclaims. For example, the Business
Software Association of Australia (BSAA) claims that the PSA
comparisons were between recommended retail prices in Australia
and mail-order prices taken from US magazines.

The PSA still claims an average markup of 70 percent, though this is
disputed by major distributors. Aldus was accused of having a price in
Australia of $1,307, while the United States price was $617. Aldus refutes
this, claiming list prices of $1,298 and $1,070 respectively (all in AUS$).

The protective umbrella used by distributors in Australia is the
Australian copyright act, which some claim allows them to monopolize
the import of products, labelling all "parallel" imports as illegal, or at
least "gray."

(Paul Zucker/19910210)


(EXCLUSIVE)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00004)

ToneTalker Uses Touch-Tone Phone To Talk To Deaf 02/10/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Carol Sanford has
trouble communicating with her teenage daughter. Not such an
uncommon problem, you might think, but in this case it isn't the
generation gap that is causing the problem, but the fact that
daughter Jill is profoundly deaf.

Fortunately, Carol is not your run-of-the-mill mother and she set out
to solve the problem, creating ToneTalker, a hand-held portable
device that lets anyone use a touch-tone telephone pad to send
text messages to a person with the ToneTalker.

The six-inch by three-inch by two-inch, battery-powered ToneTalker
picks up the sounds from a telephone handset via a simple
suction-cup magnetic pickup of the sort used to record telephone
conversations. But, instead of merely recording the touch-tone
beeps, ToneTalker converts them into a text and number display on
its built-in LCD (liquid crystal display) screen.

There is no hard-wire connection to the telephone so the device
can be used on a home- or pay-phone with equal ease. Also,
because it does not fit over the speaker, the telephone handset is
still completely operable and voice communication is not affected.

To send a message using ToneTalker you enter letters, numbers,
and punctuation using a very simple and easy-to-learn code. For
instance, to send any of the letters on the "2" through "9" keys
you first press that number, then either the "1", "2", or "3" to
indicate whether you intended the first, middle, or last letter
on the key. For example, to send "K" you would press "5" then "2".

To speed communication among friends, you can set up to 45
programmable macros for common messages, such as Jill's "14"
which generates: "Hello Jill, this is Mom".

Since a deaf person might well have trouble placing a call,
ToneTalker also indicates the presence of a dial tone or when
the telephone is ringing.

Newsbytes talked with Carol's daughter with the help of Carol's
signing, and we guarantee that she is very happy with the invention
that has given her the ability to hold private telephone conversations
which every teenage girl so desperately needs.

For further information contact Carol Sanford, 114 Ridge Road,
Jupiter, FL 33477. Telephone, fax, and TDD number is 407-746-9185.

Jill and Carol's ToneTalker business card has the device's number
codes for sending all non-custom signals.

(John McCormick/19920210)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00005)

CSU-N Update On Disabilities Conference 02/10/92
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- On March
18-21, the California State University, Northridge, will sponsor its
seventh annual conference, Technology and Persons with
Disabilities. The Conference Director, Dr. Harry Murphy, has
announced 19 three-hour pre-conference sessions covering such
topics as: how to become a technology consultant; how to write
grant proposals; and how the ADA affects technology.

Tuition charges for the pre-conference sessions held on March 18
are $50 per session or $100 per day (two sessions).

Last year's conference had 2,000 participants with 225 speakers
and 102 exhibits.

For further information contact Dr. Harry Murphy, Conference
Director, CSUN, 18111 Nordhoff St. DVSS, Northridge, CA 91330.
The telephone number is 818-885-2578 or fax [phone].

(John McCormick/19920210)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(WAS)(00006)

TeleSensory's Free Video Of Video Magnifier For Visually Impaired 02/10/92
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) --
TeleSensory has produced an eight-minute videotape
demonstrating the uses of the company's solid state video
camera which enables visually impaired people to magnify such
things as letters, printed material, and hobby supplies.

The company says that their product can help more than two
million disabled Americans, especially the elderly with failing
eyesight, resume many normal activities such as reading the
paper and paying bills.

The tape, which is available free of charge, shows a camera
which enlarges printed material up to 60 times in either color or
black and white.

For more information call 800-227-8418, 415-960-0920, or fax
415-969-9064.

(John McCormick/19920210/Press Contact: Anne Leahy Jones,
TeleSensory, 415-960-0920)

(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00007)

Tandy To Open 11 More Computer City Stores in US, Europe 02/10/92
FORT WORTH, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) --  Tandy
Corporation has announced that it plans to open 11 more Computer
City superstores. The new locations will include two stores in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area, and one store in Europe.

Computer City stores sell several brand name PCs and peripherals,
including Apple, IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Tandy, in
superstores that range in size from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet.
As reported previously by Newsbytes, Tandy plans to open 12-15
stores annually for the next five years. Each store employs about 60
people.

In addition to Dallas-Fort Worth, other US locations planned are St
Louis, Baltimore, Seattle, Miami, Las Vegas, Tampa, Rochester, and
El Paso.  The chain's first European location is planned for
Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Europe is ripe for a computer retailing format like ours," said Alan
Bush, president of Tandy's Computer Supercenter International, Inc.

Bush said the new locations were selected based on income level,
education, and the established base of computer users in each
community.

(Jim Mallory/19920210/Press Contact: Fran McGehee, Tandy,
817-390-3487)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00008)

CompuAdd Cuts Prices On 386, 486-Based Systems 02/10/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- CompuAdd has joined
other IBM-compatible manufacturers in cutting its prices. The
company says it will reduce the price of its i486 and most
i386-based models from eight to 19 percent.

The company is also reducing the base price of its SS1+ SPARC
workstation by 15 percent.

"The new prices reflect a number of factors including competition,
lower technology costs, and manufacturing efficiencies," said
CompuAdd CEO Bill Hayden.

As reported by Newsbytes, both Dell Computer and Apple
announced price reductions of up to 38 and 37 percent respectively
recently. CompuAdd's John Pope said that the price cuts were not
in response to action by any single vendor. "Dell is one of many
companies we monitor, but to say that this is a response to one
company's pricing action would not be accurate," said Pope.

Pope claimed that even though CompuAdd's reductions were less
percentage-wise, its prices are in most cases still lower than its
competitors.

Pope was optimistic about 1992.  He said CompuAdd is expanding
its retail presence, international business is growing, and the
company is penetrating more Fortune 500 accounts.  Pope also said
CompuAdd is optimistic about re-winning the multi-million dollar
government Desktop IV contract.

CompuAdd was selected to provide nearly $4 million in 386- and
486-based personal computers under the US Air Force's Desktop IV
contract in November last year.  The government received a flood of
protests from losing bidders, and in January decided to reopen the
bidding.  No final decision has been announced.

As an example of the cuts, the 320nx notebook unit, configured with
two megabytes( MB) of RAM, a 60 MB hard drive and monochrome
monitor has been reduced to $1,995, a $200 reduction.

The CompuAdd 333 desktop, with 4MB of RAM, a 425MB hard drive,
and a VGA (video graphics array) monitor was reduced $790, to $4,395.
Overall the actual dollar reductions range from $200 to $800,
depending on the model and configuration.

(Jim Mallory/19920210/Press Contact: John Pope, CompuAdd, tel
512-250-2000, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00009)

CE Software Intros QuickMail for MHS 02/10/92
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- CE
Software Holdings has announced the development of a new
electronic  mail software package, QuickMail for MHS (message
handling services).

Quickmail for MHS is designed for use on Novell networks
equipped with Netware MHS. There are an estimated two million
users of Novell networks. One industry publication estimated
recently that Netware MHS is the messaging engine used by
about 65 percent of the PC mail market.

CE spokesperson Krista Roth told Newsbytes that Quickmail for
MHS will be demonstrated at the Novell both at Networld in
Boston. Networld runs February 11-13.  Roth said no information
was immediately available regarding pricing or availability.

(Jim Mallory/19920210/Press Contact: Krista Roth, Keith Lippert
Associates for CE Holdings, 212-838-3777)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00010)

Control Data Reports 1991 Net Loss Of $9.8 Million 02/10/92
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Control
Data Corporation has reported what it calls a "moderate" loss for
1991. The company says it experienced a net loss of $9.8 million, or
$0.24 per share, on revenues of $1.5 billion for the year ending
December 31, 1991.

The company said that apart from pre-tax net restructuring charges
of $12.1 million, it was modestly profitable for the year.  In 1990,
CDC reported net earnings of $2.7 million, or $0.05 per share, on
revenues of $1.7 billion.

CDC's fourth quarter showed a net loss of $15.2 million on revenues
of $402.9 million.  Fourth quarter net restructuring charges totaled
$17.5 million, relating to expense reductions made by its computer
products division.

"The fourth quarter and year were disappointing because
satisfactory results in most of the information services businesses
and government systems were more than offset by the effect the
deteriorating economy and industry issues had on the automated
wagering and computer products businesses," said president and
CEO Lawrence Perlman.

Perlman said declining lottery ticket purchases throughout the US
resulted in a loss for CDC's automated wagering division.  He said
the same conditions that affected the rest of the computer industry
led to a loss for the computer products division.

CDC's credit agreement with financiers called for the company to
have break-even results for 1991, but the company was able to get
a waiver on that requirement. Until a new financing agreement is in
place, CDC has agreed not to retire any of its 8.5 percent convertible
subordinated debentures. CDC said it is discussing a new
agreement  with its banks.

Speaking about 1992, Perlman said the first half of the year
should be a challenge for the computer products division, since
traditionally the majority of its earnings are achieved in the
second half of the year.  That trend, said Perlman will probably be
exacerbated by the weak economy.

A statement released by CDC quoted Perlman as saying that the
company will continue to reduce costs and expenses. Asked by
Newsbytes if  those actions might include more layoffs, CDC
spokesperson Nancy Foltz admitted that was a possibility.
"We can't rule that out, but no business can," said Foltz.

Control Data's stockholders will hold their annual meeting on
May 6, 1992, in Minneapolis.

(Jim Mallory/19920210/Press Contact: Charlotte Fransen, CCDC,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

Compaq Says No New Products At Networld 02/10/92
HOUSTON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Compaq Computer
Corporation says it will demonstrate its newest products at Networld
in Boston this week.  However, the company told Newsbytes that it
will not be displaying any new products.

Compaq says its demonstrations at Networld will feature a broad
range of Compaq products, including the Systempro/LT PC file
servers, its Deskpro desktop PCs, Compaq System Manager, its
Deskpro M series, and several portables, in networked
configurations.

The Systempro/LT is a family of file servers designed for use by
small- to medium-sized workgroups. The M series consists of four
desktop units with upgradable modular construction.

System Manager is a monitoring system that provides system
management capabilities for PC-based network servers and
multi-user host systems.

Compaq says the 486c color transportable is ideal for portable
network analyzer applications, while the LTE Lite 20 and 25 feature
power conservation technology. Newsbytes reported on each of
these units as they were introduced.

Compaq says its products will be configured with software from
Banyan, Microsoft, Novell, Oracle, SCO. and other network software
vendors. The company said it will have members of its Novell Group
on hand to discuss its recent master business agreement with Novell.

(Jim Mallory/19920210/Press Contact: John Sweney, Compaq,
713-374-1564)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00012)

TDK To Produce Mini-Disk And DCC In Quantity 02/10/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- TDK says it will start producing
Mini-Disks and DCCs (digital compact cassette tapes) in quantity.
TDK will be the first firm to begin a mass production of these digital
media.

TDK is currently producing Mini-Disks at 100,000 units per month.
The firm will increase the production to 500,000 units per month
by the end of this year. TDK will also start producing DCC at the
rate of 100,000 units per month.

The Mini-Disks and DCC will be produced at TDK's Chikumagawa
plant in Nagano. TDK will spend 200 to 300 million yen (around $2
million) to beef up the plant for mass production.

Mini-Disk technology was developed by Sony. It uses a compact
disk with 6.3-centimeter diameter. It can rewrite digital data. The
DCC technology was developed by Matsushita and Philips. It can
also rewrite digital data and accepts regular analog music
cassette tapes.

TDK is also developing a nine-channel player-head for DCC,
and it may be supplied to Sony.

Meanwhile, Sony will also increase the production of Mini-Disks.
The firm will produce 300,000 to 500,000 units per month next
month, and two million units by the end of this year.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920210/Press Contact: TDK,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00013)

 ****Japan: 200 MB 2.5-inch Hard Disk Debuts 02/10/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Toshiba has developed a
200 megabyte (MB) 2.5-inch hard disk. Drives offering 180 MB
size are currently the largest in the industry.

The firm expects to ship this hard disk around March 1993 for
notebook-type personal computers.

Toshiba's latest 2.5-inch hard disk is based on the firm's 130-MB
version the MK-2124FC. The 200-MB hard disk measures 70
millimeters (mm) by 100 mm by 19 mm, and is compatible with
the 130 MB version.

Toshiba is already producing many 2.5-inch hard disks. The firm
has been shipping about 30,000 units of the 80 MB hard disk per
month at its Ome plant in Tokyo. Toshiba is also producing the
130 MB hard disk at this plant, and is preparing to add
the new production line for 200 MB 2.5-inch hard disks.

According to an industry source, Toshiba has already produced
a beta version of the 200 MB 2.5-inch hard disk. And the firm has
started talking with its customers for purchase orders.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920210/Press Contact: Toshiba,
[phone])
(EXCLUSIVE)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

 ****US West Arguments In Oregon BBS Rate Case 02/10/92
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Newsbytes
has  obtained a copy of US West's brief in a case involving a
Portland bulletin board operator, UC-205. The arguments of US
West attorney Steven Holmes indicate that phone companies are
currently subsidizing all hobbyist BBS (bulletin board system) use
and that charging all BBSs business rates is the only way to eliminate
that subsidy.

A copy of the brief was obtained from a BBS in Washington state
run by system operator Walter Scott.

Fidonet sysops are up-in-arms over the case, comparing it to
Southwestern Bell's attempt to raise rates in Texas in 1988, and
GTE's successful effort to impose business rates on some Indiana
sysops last year. They claim that US West plans to bring its
Community Link gateway service to the city and wants to first
"kill off the competition" with rate hikes aimed at the same
hobbyist market its gateway would serve.

At a hearing in December US West witness Jeff Pennington, the
company's regulatory manager and commission liaison. focused
on tariff language describing residential service as primarily
"domestic" -- the tariff language actually reads "domestic and
social." A brief filed January 14, by attorney Steven Holmes,
continued this line,  stating that it is irrelevant to ask whether
a BBS is seeking payment for its services, that even the United
Way pays business rates, and that any benefit to people outside
the home coming from the use of the phone line should make it a
business line.

Quoting the tariff, Holmes writes that: "Business rates apply...
in general, at any place where the substantial use of the service
is occupational rather than domestic. Residence rates apply in
locations where customers reside and substantial use of the
service is domestic and not for the purpose of conducting business."

The brief continues: "What is anticipated by the company in the
term 'domestic use' is that the use be confined to the subscriber,
his immediate family and members of his household. In other
words, a domestic setting."

Since outsiders are calling a BBS, in other words, it is by definition
a business. The brief continues to state that residential rates are
subsidized, by 44 percent, in order to further the public-interest goal
of universal phone service, while business rates merely make up
the company's cost of doing business.

"There is no evidence that the Legislature intended that BBS
service providers should have their hobbies subsidized by other
ratepayers," Holmes continues. "By charging Mr. Wagner business
rates, moreover, US West enhances its ability to provide services
to true residential users regardless of income level."

Holmes' conclusion: "Residential rates are set with the ordinary
household in mind, and cover the expected domestic use of that
household. These rates are not set to cover incoming transmission
of information and outgoing transmission of information that is
not for the customer's own benefit. Mr. Wagner's service is
basically a 'pass through' that allows considerable network use
at subsidized rates. Under these circumstances, Mr. Wagner's
position that he is entitled to residence rates is inconsistent
with Oregon law and policy. This commission should order that Mr.
Wagner's BBS services are not a domestic use and that Mr. Wagner
must pay US West's business rates as appropriate under its tariff."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920210/Press Contact: Walter Scott, 206-363-
6883; BBS, 206-364-2139)


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

 ****America Online Going Public 02/10/92
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- America Online has
informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that it plans to
sell two million shares to the public at a price of $9-11 per share. The
sale would be managed by Alex. Brown & Sons Inc. and Robertson,
Stephens & Co.

America Online first made a name for itself running services for
specific computers, like AppleLink, and later merged those
services into its current offering when the sponsorships ended.

It recently began trying to make deals with newspapers to sponsor
localized versions of itself, and has an agreement with the Chicago
Tribune to that effect.

The company will be prohibited from discussing its business in
detail for the next few weeks due to SEC "quiet period" regulations
preceding an initial public offering.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920210/Press Contact: America Online,
703-893-6288)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00016)

Datapro Survey Calls Satellites Top Military Issue 02/10/92
DELRAN, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- A survey by
Datapro taken at two military conferences and trade shows
indicates that satellite communications is currently the hottest
issue.

Tim McElgunn, a Datapro analyst, said it is the potential
benefits that are at the heart of the interest. "Satellite
communications' inherent benefits, together with continuing
advances in mobile and digital communications capabilities,
provide users with a powerful combination of network availability,
security and flexibility," he said in a press statement.

Satellites were chosen first from a pre-listed selection of 22 topics
which attendees might find having an impact on their organizations
this year. Satellites were chosen by 21 percent of respondents.
Linking local area networks was chosen by 14 percent of
respondents, while network management issues were cited
by 12 percent. Over 200 attendees participated in the Datapro
poll.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920210/Press Contact: Datapro, Gerald J.
Arcuri, 609-764-0100, ext 2360)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00017)

Motorola NAMPS Cellular Wins New Support 02/10/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Motorola's
Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service, or NAMPS, an
extension to the current analog cellular standard, has won key
support from two regional Bell companies.

Bell Atlantic said it will test NAMPS in Pittsburgh as the heart
of a microwave-based personal communications network, or PCN,
trial. PCN licenses could be let by the Federal Communications
Commission in the next few years, and the regional Bells are
attempting to find ways to integrate it with their current offerings,
despite a pronounced FCC preference that PCN be used as
competition.

The Bell Atlantic test will provide users with a single personal
telephone number using Motorola's Personal Phone Service 800
technology and hardware. The idea is that users will carry the
mobile phones and Bell Atlantic's intelligent network will be able
to find them as they move around.

Meanwhile US West NewVector, that company's cellular operation,
has endorsed NAMPS and urged the Telecommunications Industry
Association to accept it as a standard.

President John DeFeo called it "a solid, viable technology that can
handle the startling growth of cellular telecommunications" in a
press statement. Validation as a standard would let cellular
operators implement it, expanding their system capacities without
having to go to the expense of using digital techniques. DeFeo is
a member of the board of directors for the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association and said he will urge
fellow directors to endorse N-AMPS technology as an industry
standard.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920210/Press Contact: Karen Ann Kurlander,
Bell Atlantic, 908-308-7552; Motorola, 708-632-6024; Bernadette
Anderson, U S WEST Cellular, 206-562-5754)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00018)

Canada: Systemhouse, BCE Agree On Partnership 02/10/92
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Major
Canadian systems integrator SHL Systemhouse and BCE, the
Montreal-based holding company that controls Northern Telecom
and Bell Canada, have reached agreement in principle on a
strategic partnership. The two companies had announced they
were talking only a few days earlier.

The deal calls for Systemhouse to take over the operation of Bell
Canada's data center and to provide systems integration and
outsourcing services to Bell Canada customers. The companies
also plan to create a joint venture to sell computer systems and
services to the telecommunications industry worldwide.

The companies said earlier that the deal would involve
Systemhouse buying some assets of Bell Canada for cash. BCE in
turn is to pay C$12.75 per share in cash for enough Systemhouse
shares to give it 60 percent ownership of the company. BCE currently
has a 25-percent stake in Systemhouse.

A major impetus for the deal is Systemhouse's keen interest in the
business of outsourcing, in which a services company such as
Systemhouse operates a client's information systems on its behalf,
said company spokesman John Owens. Bell Canada is a major
potential customer for such services. A multi-year outsourcing
contract with Bell could potentially be worth a billion dollars or more,
he said.

BCE's involvement with Systemhouse dates back to 1987, when it
loaned money to Kinburn Technology, a holding company that
formerly controlled Systemhouse, to help it buy Computerland
Canada, the Toronto-based firm which operates Computerland
retail franchises in Canada. Kinburn defaulted on the loan in 1990,
leaving BCE with its 25 percent share in Systemhouse.

The deal also calls for BCE to have a quarter of the seats on an
expanded Systemhouse board of directors. Currently BCE is
represented by two out of 10 directors on the Systemhouse board.

SHL Systemhouse reported revenues of C$700 million in 1991.
It has more than 3,000 employees.

BCE, Systemhouse, and Bell Canada have signed a memorandum
of understanding on the deal and must now conclude operating
agreements before the deal can go ahead, officials said. The deal
must also be approved by the directors and shareholders of the
companies and by regulators.

(Grant Buckler/19920210/Press Contact: John Owens, SHL
Systemhouse, 613-238-6648)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00019)

Computervision Claims First With CAD For NT 02/10/92
BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) --
Computervision claims that its DesignView 3.0 is the first computer-
aided design software to run on Microsoft's new Windows NT
operating system. Demonstrated in a prototype version with NT
at the Comdex show in Las Vegas last October, DesignView 3.0
is now in beta testing and will be available at the same time as NT
itself later this year, a company spokeswoman told Newsbytes.

DesignView is a two-dimensional parametric computer-aided design
package, currently offered for DOS and Unix. The Windows NT
version will offer the same functionality as the existing versions, said
Doug Fosdick, product manager at Computervision.

Fosdick said porting the Designview software to Windows NT was
a fairly simple task. "It was done in a fairly fast period of time
and there were no real surprises or no real headaches," he told
Newsbytes. Fosdick added that Computervision had strong support
from Microsoft in the porting process -- Microsoft was keen to have
DesignView running on NT in time to demonstrate it at Comdex.

Getting the prototype NT version of Designview working took one
developer less than two weeks, Fosdick said.

The different versions of Designview are binary database
compatible so that drawings can be moved among the different
platforms on which the software runs, Computervision said.

Designview can also export information to CADDS 5, the
company's line of integrated computer-assisted engineering
and computer-aided design and manufacturing software.

(Grant Buckler/19920210/Press Contact: Sharon Israel,
Computervision, 617-275-1800, ext 5907)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00020)

Digital Reorganization Reaches Engineering Operations 02/10/92
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) --
Ongoing reorganization at Digital Equipment has reached the
company's engineering operations. Formerly divided by product
lines, Digital's engineering teams will be reorganized into hardware
and software groups, company spokeswoman Nikki Richardson
told Newsbytes.

Digital is downplaying the news, emphasizing the fact that the
company has been reorganizing for two years and questioning the
news judgment of media outlets that have covered the latest step in
the process (these include the Wall Street Journal and major news
wire services). Richardson said the changes in engineering were
simple "one of the last pieces of the reorganization to fall into place."

Reorganizing the engineering operations, which include research
and development, will mean some further job cuts, Richardson said.
The restructuring "will eliminate parallel efforts and encourage more
standardization in the products," she said. No specifics were
available on the number of jobs to be cut or the amount of money
Digital hopes to save.

On February 7, the Wall Street Journal reported that Digital could
save as much as $400 million by reorganizing its engineering and
research teams. Richardson called that number "speculation."

Since September, 1989, Digital has reduced its payroll by 12,450
people through early retirement and other severance incentives
and layoffs. This figure does not include normal attrition,
Richardson said.

Richardson also confirmed that Digital may begin building some of
its own personal computer products. All DEC's PCs are currently
built for it by Tandy and Olivetti. When PC sales volumes reach a
certain "critical mass," Richardson said, Digital plans to build
some of the machines itself, although it will continue buying some
hardware from Tandy and Olivetti as well.

(Grant Buckler/19920210/Press Contact: Nikki Richardson, Digital
Equipment, 508-493-6369)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00021)

DECUS Canada User Group Schedules Meeting 02/10/92
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- The Canadian
chapter of the Digital Equipment Computer Users Society (DECUS)
is holding its 25th anniversary gathering in Calgary February 10 to 14.
Canada's largest computer user group, DECUS expects some 700
delegates for the annual DECUS Symposium this year.

The keynote speaker at this year's symposium is Canadian futurist
Frank Ogden. Described by the Financial Post as a "twentieth-century
visionary," and sometimes known by the nickname "Dr. Tomorrow,"
Ogden studies trends and technology from a Vancouver houseboat
laden with electronic equipment. He will speak at an invitation-only
"executive breakfast" as well as addressing the general assembly
of delegates.

Other speakers include: Ron Tencati of the United States' National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space
Flight Center and Ray Kaplan of the University of Arizona on
network security; David Mehren of Integra Systems on systems and
performance management; Bruce Ellis of Vastek on the Vax VMS
operating system and software support; and James Gursha of
Rocket Science, Inc., on database management, cluster
management, and networks.

Altogether, the symposium will present nearly 200 speakers in
20 full-day seminars, organizers said.

(Grant Buckler/19920210/Press Contact: Phil Parks, Interact
Communications for DECUS, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00022)

XTree Company To Intro XTreeNet 2.07 At NetWorld 02/10/92
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) --
XTree Company, the makers of XTree, XTree Gold, and
XTreeNet are preparing an upgrade to XTreeNet that they will be
showing at their booth in the Networld show that will be held this
week in Boston.

XTreeNet 2.07 allows a network administrator to completely control
any hard disk on the network. This helps the network administrator
no longer has to run around and delete and copy certain files to
allow the network to operate efficiently. With XTreeNet, the network
administrator can remain at his workstation and perform those kinds
of operations remotely.

With XTreeNet the network administrator can view and manipulate
files on any workstation on the network. These capabilities are
only limited by the security protections that are assigned to each
workstation. Happily, this allows users to conceal certain files
and to ensure that some files are suitably private.

The administrator can copy, delete, or edit any file. He can also
search a group of files by wildcard characters throughout the
network if necessary. The company claims that anyone who is
familiar with XTree's other products will be instantly familiar with
XTreeNet since it uses the same user interface as the others.

XTreeNet runs on any IBM PC compatible with MS-DOS version 3.1
or higher. It requires Novell Netware version 2.1 or higher. The
basic package is called Advanced AFT/386 and that will retail for
$495. Additional copies per server can be purchased for $100. Users
of XTreeNet version 1.0 can upgrade for $149 plus a shipping fee of
$4.95. Users of XTreeNet version 2.0 can upgrade for $49 plus the
shipping fee of $4.95.

XTree will be showing this product as well as all of their other
networking products at Networld in booth number 430.

(Naor Wallach/19920210/Press Contact: Michael Cahlin, XTree
Company, 213-658-7866)


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

Accton To Intro New Ethernet Adapter Cards At Networld 02/10/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Accton
Technology will be showing two new products at the upcoming
Networld show to be held in Boston. The two products are Ethernet
adapter cards for PCs.

Known as the EtherCombo 16 and the EtherCombo 32, the two cards
share the same internal architecture and features sets. They differ
in the kind of bus for which they are designed. The EtherCombo 16
is designed for the standard AT bus (also known as ISA - Industry
Standard Architecture), while the EtherCombo 32 is targeted towards
the EISA (Extended ISA) bus.

Both cards are designed around Accton's new EN50903 chip. This
proprietary chip was designed by Accton to meet the higher speed
needs of today's networks. The company claims that it is a full 16-bit
chip to allow for the best possible performances. It also was
designed to perform the most demanding parts of the translation
between Ethernet and a bus so that performance is increased in that
way as well.

The chip is compatible with Novell's NE1000 and NE2000 cards, it is
also compatible with Western Digital's WD8003EB chip. Together,
this means that most software written for those cards or chips will
operate with no problems on Accton's device.

Another feature shared by the two cards is that they both support all
three kinds of connectors for Ethernet cables on them. Each card has
an AUI connector for thick wire Ethernet, a BNC connector for thin
wire Ethernet and an RJ45 connector for unshielded twisted pair
(UTP) wiring. Accton claims that this gives their card the advantage
of being able to work in any Ethernet installation without choosing
among different kinds of models. It also provides of larger
production runs which translates to reduced costs to the customer.

The EtherCombo 32 will retail for $675. The EtherCombo 16 for $239.
Both boards will be shown at Accton's booth at Networld. The
boards will begin shipping in March.

(Naor Wallach/19920210/Press Contact: Tom Woolf, Media
Relations, 415-508-1554)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00024)

 ****IBM, Corporate Software Join To Promote OS/2 02/10/92
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 Feb 10 (NB) -- IBM and
Corporate Software have announced an agreement to promote the
upcoming release 2.0 of IBM's OS/2 operating system. The Canton,
Massachusetts-based supplier of PC-related products and services
will work with IBM on marketing programs and services related to
OS/2.

OS/2 2.0 is still scheduled to be available in March, IBM
spokesman Rob Crawley told Newsbytes.

When OS/2 2.0 is released, Corporate Software will work with IBM
to conduct seminars across the United States. The seminars will
introduce the new release to large corporations and demonstrate
its capabilities on the desktop.

Corporate Software will be a single-source provider of OS/2 2.0
software products and related services, the companies said.

Other Corporate Software offerings will include: an interactive
evaluation program for technical staff; on-line information
services, including technical information, patches and available
OS/2 32-bit  applications; a compatibility lab the testing hardware
and software in the OS/2 2.0 environment; and on-site technical
sessions to help information systems staff support end users.

IBM and Corporate software said they will also work together on
advertising, direct marketing, and public relations related to OS/2.

While the agreement with Corporate Software focuses on selling
OS/2 to large organizations, IBM has also announced measures in
recent months aimed at promoting OS/2 for use in smaller
businesses. Crawley said the company is not focusing strictly on
large accounts in marketing OS/2. "We intend to explore all
opportunities to make OS/2 2.0 available wherever DOS is
available," he said.

Release 2.0 of the OS/2 operating system, designed for systems
using the Intel 386SX and newer microprocessors, can run multiple
DOS, Microsoft Windows, and 16-bit and 32-bit applications
simultaneously, side-by-side, on the same desktop. OS/2 2.0
also features a redesigned graphical user interface (GUI).

(Grant Buckler/19920210/Press Contact: Keith Lindenburg or Rob
Crawley, IBM, 914-642-5363; Howard Sholkin, Corporate Software,
617-828-7727, ext 1177)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00025)

StorageTek Announces Advanced Disk Array Storage 02/10/92
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Storage Technology
has announced Iceberg, claimed to be the world's most advanced
disk array storage subsystem. The company also announced
commitments from more than 140 customers to purchase Iceberg
subsystems with a total value of more than US$150 million.

StorageTek, which is represented in Hong Kong exclusively by COL
Ltd.,also outlined plans to provide tape and disk storage products by
the mid-1990s that will attach to most mainframe, midrange, and
networked computer systems.

A fault-tolerant disk array storage subsystem for the huge IBM
AS/400 market and other midrange platforms, and the next
generation of StorageTek's market-leading robotic tape library
were demonstrated for the first time at the Iceberg announcement.

"Iceberg represents a new era in on-line storage and the Extended
Storage Architecture (XSA) on which it is based will be the foundation
of StorageTek's products into the next century," said Dennis Persson,
marketing manager for StorageTek at COL. "With Iceberg, a company
will have access to business-critical data 24-hours a day, seven days
a week. When a disk in an Iceberg subsystem fails, the subsystem will
heal itself while continuing to work at near-peak efficiency. Disk
failures will no longer be crippling events for computer users."

Iceberg safeguards information through a combination of software
and hardware features. By spreading data over all the disks in the
subsystem, it can reconstruct the information on a failed disk from
redundant data on other disks. Additionally, the subsystem
automatically activates a spare disk and reconstructs the failed
disk so that full data integrity is maintained. Traditionally, the only
way to assure on-line data protection was to double the number
of disk drives and make two copies of all information.

Further safeguards are provided by Iceberg's physical design.
Each potential point of hardware failure has a backup, including the
cooling systems, power supplies, emergency batteries, cables,
electronic cards, data paths, and operator panel. Iceberg also has
an expert system to predict and avoid potential problems before
they affect operations.

In a future release, StorageTek plans to deliver XSA/Snapshot Copy,
which will enable the storage subsystem to make copies of data in a
matter of seconds. Snapshot copies will be used to back up data
while on-line processing continues without interruption. With
traditional disk subsystems, on-line data is taken off-line - often for
an hour or more - while a backup copy is made.

Outboard data compression and compaction techniques will typically
allow up to three times more data to be stored in the same space as
with traditional disk architecture. These techniques, previously
unavailable in large-system disk storage, will be used automatically
by Iceberg. They also help to cut Iceberg's power and cooling
requirements to one-third those of traditional disk subsystems, said
Persson.

XSA/Nearlink, also planned for a future release, will connect Iceberg
to StorageTek's Nearline robot tape library. The 4400 Automated
Cartridge System (ACS) uses robotic technology to automatically
store and retrieve as many as 6,000 magnetic tape cartridges.

Iceberg is scheduled for beta testing during the second quarter of
1992 and for product shipment in the third quarter. Minimum
configuration is 64 megabytes (MB) of cache and 32 Hewlett-
Packard 5.25-inch disks, providing 100 gigabytes (GB) of data
storage. The maximum configuration has 512 MB of cache and
spreads 400 GB of data storage across 128 disks.

(Norman Wingrove/19920210/Press Contact: Dennis Persson,
COL, + 852 798 4798)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00026)

Microsoft To Show Windows 3.1 At Forthcoming UK Show 02/10/92
READING, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced details of its activities at the Windows Show, which
will be held at London's Olympia 2 exhibition hall from February
18 to 20. Amongst the several attractions of the event will be the UK's
first showing of Windows 3.1.

Other features of the event include a strong focus on Microsoft's
Pen Windows operating system, as well as a number of multimedia
products, including the recently released Multimedia Beethoven:
The Ninth Symphony.

Visitors to the show, which Microsoft is promoting heavily, will
also be able to look at the Microsoft suite of Windows
applications, including Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0, Excel,
Project 3.0, Works, Powerpoint, and Publisher. Plans call for
Microsoft to demonstrate MS-Mail for Networks, the company's
electronic mail package, in addition to the Microsoft Office,
which incorporates Mail, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

A Windows conference will run in parallel with the actual show.
This will cover issues of importance concerning the corporate
implementation of Windows. The conference is divided into five
streams: Windows - behind the icons; developing applications with
windows; migrating to Windows; Windows communications in a
corporate environment; and networking with Windows.

Registration and further information on the show and associated
conference can be obtained on 0256-704177. Registration for the
show is free of charge, while the delegate price for each stream
in the conference is UKP 159.

(Steve Gold/19920207/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft UK,
0734-270001)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00027)

UK: Dowty Communications In Contracts With Czech Banks 02/10/92
WATFORD, HERTS, ENGLAND, 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Dowty
Communications has revealed that it has secured orders from the
two major banks in Czechoslovakia. The orders are worth almost
UKP 900,000 in total.

The first order from the state bank, Statni Banka Ceskoslovenska,
called for Dowty to design, supply and install an X.25 network to
link the bank's clearing center in Prague with its three main
branches around the country. The order for phase one of this
project was worth UKP 350,000 to the company.

Newsbytes notes that this was the first X.25 network installed
for a bank in Czechoslovakia. In addition, the network was
installed in just four months, which Dowty claims is an extremely
short time scale.

Phase two of the Statni Bank project will involved extending the
network to several other banks in Czechoslovakia, with work
commencing later this month.

Dowty was also chosen by Komercni Bank, the largest commercial
bank in Czechoslovakia, to supply an X.25 network to link its eight
main branches in the country.

The UKP 530,000 order was awarded in a 14-way tender which
included Eurotel, the consortium formed between the local PTT,
plus US West, and Bell Atlantic.

Dowty Communications was chosen by Komercni Bank because
of its good local knowledge of Czechoslovakia. According to a
spokesman for the bank, Mr. Zaloudela, Dowty was awarded the
contract "because they demonstrated excellent team work and
were really enthusiastic about getting our business. The
proposals they made were of an extremely high standard and
showed in-depth knowledge of our market."

(Steve Gold/19920207/Press & Public Contact: Dowty Case,
0923-258444)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00028)

AST Pres. Accompanies Congressman To US/Mex Trade Talks 02/10/92
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- AST, who has
set up an office in Mexico and is very interested in the Latin
American market, is sending its President Safi Qureshey with
other businessmen who are going with California Congressman
Christopher Cox to Mexico to discuss trade relations with the
United States.

Birtcher Equities, Chapin Medical, O'Melveny and Myers, and
CH2M Hill are also sending company officials to the trade talks
with Cox, Congressman for the 40th Congressional District. The
meetings are to discuss the North American Free Trade
Agreement with President Salinas and other top Mexican
government officials.

Cox said: "The U.S. is Mexico's biggest export market and we
are the largest exporter to Mexico. While the U.S. and Mexican
governments can strengthen the relationship by freeing trade
barriers, it will be private enterprise which will drive the process
of free trade."

AST says it entered the Mexican market in 1989, recently opened
the subsidiary AST de Mexico S.A. de C.V., and has established
a warehouse and distribution center in Mexico City for faster
response to distributors in Mexico. AST recently won a bid for
300 computers from the Banca Cremi, a large bank in Mexico to
support its automation efforts.

AST also announced further U.S. price reductions on its
computer line to allow resellers to compete with direct mail
marketers. The company's warranty program is also a competitive
edge, and an exceptional one as well, says Los Angeles Computer
Society president and computer consultant Allan Greenberg.

Greenberg, who bought his AST notebook used, but still under
warranty, is on his fourth AST notebook computer as he has had
hardware problems with the other three. Each time AST sent a
replacement with no questions asked. "The Executive Care Plan
just about makes up for the poor quality of the notebooks I've
had," Greenberg said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920210/Press Contact: Deborah Paquin, AST
Research, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Peter Alen, Office of
Congressman Cox, tel [phone]); Allan Greenberg, Los Angeles
Computer Society, 310-576-1310)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00029)

 ****IBM Licenses Sitka's Pen-Based Networking Products 02/10/92
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Sitka, an
independent subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, has announced its
new peer-to-peer pen connectivity products for connectivity
between Penpoint, DOS, Macintosh, and Unix environments is
available to third party developers. Also, Go Corporation and
IBM have already licensed the new technology.

The technology allows developers to incorporate in software
applications the ability for users of pen-based computers to
share data with other computer platforms in a manner that
appears seamless to the user. M. Kathy Vieth, vice president,
tablet systems, entry systems technology for IBM, said: "IBM
believes that the availability of networking software technology
solutions is imperative to the success of the pen computing industry."

Sitka says Pentops and Pencentral are the first mobile network
products for third-party developers who are building pen computing
applications.

Deborah D. Triant, president and chief executive officer of
Sitka said: "We believe that pen computing has spawned the
need for a complete mobile network that provides users with the
ability to instantly and effortlessly connect their pen system
to any other mobile or deskbound system, at any time, from any
location."

Last year Sitka and Go jointly developed Pentops, the client
version of its pen-based network offering, which is now with
every copy of Go's PenPoint operating system. Both Pencentral
and Pentops together are necessary for connectivity for mobile
computer users needing to access and share files, Sitka said.

Third party pen-based developers can contact George Fan, the
pen product marketing manager at Sitka for more information on
developer's products at 510-769-9669.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920210/Press Contact: Rebecca Fuller, Sitka,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LAX)(00030)

Octel Intros Auto Information For Voice Mail Users 02/10/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 FEB 10 (NB) -- Octel claims
it is the first to introduce audiotex capability to allow voice mail
subscribers to have pre-selected information automatically
deposited into their voice mail box.

The new capability allows for users to subscribe to information
on topics of interest, then current information on those topics
is automatically deposited into the user's voice mailbox and is
accessible to the user anytime. The user knows what information
awaits by listening to an opening information message listing,
and can then listen, skip, save, or delete the messages.

For example, a user can select the topics of sports and
business news, then during the day, news items on those topics
would be automatically added to the users voice mailbox.
The old system required the user to dial a separate number to
retrieve the information.

Octel says the new application is an extension to the company's
Infotex application software for telephone service providers
and business end-users. The original Infotex was introduced
last fall, Octel said, and gave voice information processing
users up-to-date information by calling a specified number.

Octel says the new application will be demonstrated at the
annual Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
(CTIA) show in New Orleans.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920210/Press Contact: Barbara Burdick,