Newsbytes - Internationa…ews 1983 May to 1994 June/Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1994 Edition - May 1983 - June 1994 - Wayzata Technologies (5045) (1994).iso/pc/text/mac_text/1992/nb920302

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

IMM Receives New Kuwaiti Telecom Orders 03/02/92
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) --
International Mobile Machines, which created the Time Division
Multiple Access, or TDMA, standard for cellular systems, should
be having a good time doing business.

TDMA, which was accepted years ago by the cellular industry, is
finally being deployed by McCaw, Southwestern Bell, and other
carriers, meaning license fees should start coming in from
suppliers. Also, the company's UltraPhone, which offers the
equivalent of wired telephone service using TDMA cellular
equipment, is turning into quite a hit overseas.

In the last few months the company has received firm orders for
UltraPhone gear from Mexico, the Philippines and Indonesia. All
are follow-on orders, meaning these nations are using the
equipment already and like it. Now the company has received
another such order from Kuwait, which it supplied with gear on an
emergency basis last year after the Gulf War. The company's
Kuwaiti distributors are Olayan Development and the A.H.
Alsagar & Brothers Company.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: IMM, Marcia A.
Bexley, 215-278-7831)


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

Bells Looking To Break Up Centel 03/02/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Ameritech and
Pacific Telesis have expressed interest in buying pieces of
Centel, the phone company which put itself up for auction. Bids
are due April 18. Ameritech owns Illinois Bell, whose phone
system surrounds Centel's own Illinois holdings.

Pacific Telesis previously said it was interested in bidding on
Centel's Las Vegas operations. The reports, if carried out, could
mean that Centel's wired phone operations are parceled out
along the lines of local Bell companies. That, however, would still
leave Centel's cellular and cable television operations unspoken
for. There, a bidding war is expected to develop, especially on
the cellular side.

While a breakup of the company now appears the most likely
outcome of the bidding war, it is also possible that another firm
will come in and bid on the whole package. That is complicated
by the fact that foreign firms cannot own U.S. telephone
companies, that long distance companies like MCI cannot own
local phone companies, and that cable companies like TCI
cannot own local phone companies.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302)


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

Bells Want Standards On ScreenPhones 03/02/92
RED BANK, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- The
research arm of the Bells wants to set a standard for screen-based
telephones, which firms like AT&T see as the best chance to
make home banking and shopping services a reality.

Bellcore has released a technical advisory called "Generic
Requirements for an SPCS to Customer Premises Equipment
Data Interface for Analog Display Services." The document,
numbered TA-NWT-001273, is not easy reading, but it proposes
required interface features Bellcore says vendors should meet to
support the introduction of new screen-based telephones into the
market.

Bellcore Director of Network-CPE Interoperability, Ronnie Potter,
said telephones with screens might also help sell services like
"call forwarding" and "three-way calling," as well as introducing
new services. The display gives the phone another way, other
than a voice on the other end, to send information to the phone
user.

The best known screen-based service today is "Caller ID," which
displays the number of a caller to the person being called. But
that is just one application of technologies which open data as
well as voice channels with each call.

Digital standards called ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Networks) call for residences to have two 64,000 bits-per-second
(bps) data channels, going from caller to callee and consisting of
voice, fax, data, or a combination of them, and a separate 16,000
bps signaling channel going the other way, whose contents
mainly remain undefined but which could be displayed on a
screen phone.

Bellcore created the document at the request of its owners, the
regional Bell Operating companies, who want to sell more
services like Caller ID and "call forwarding."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: Bellcore, Cynthia
Lucenius, 201-740-6468)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00004)

Bell Atlantic Testing Prepaid Money Cards 03/02/92
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- An
automated teller network known as the Money Access Service,
or MAC, is testing "stored-value" cards with Bell Atlantic phones
and other merchants.

The cards, called Moneypass cards, were given to over 4,000
employees who work in the company's main office. The company's
cafeteria, vending machines, post office, and gift shop will all
accept the cards, as will some Bell Atlantic pay phones.

Employees "load" the card with cash value at special cash-to-card
machines located in the building, using increments of $1, $5, $10,
and $20. Technology is currently being developed to allow for a
direct transfer of funds to the Moneypass card from a MAC ATM
card.

The units were developed by Debitek, a Tennessee company
whose president is Kiran Gandhi. Prepaid cards, mainly phone
cards, were initially a hit in Asia, where the NTT phone company in
Japan found that they also made excellent gifts, since they could
be embossed with a corporate or even individual logo. However,
a problem has developed because the cards are relatively easy
to counterfeit. As a result, they are now available only in low
denominations.

The Moneypass cards will be made of firmer plastic, more like
regular credit cards. A copying chain called Kinko's uses similar
cards, which can be "refilled" at dispensers by consumers who
add value to them by inserting them in one slot and placing bills
into another slot.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: Belle Gauvry, for
MAC, 215-851-9676)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(DEN)(00005)

Aydin Telemetry System To Use Motorola RISC-based VME 03/02/92
TEMPE, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Motorola Computer
Group has announced that Aydin Corporation has selected its M88000
RISC (reduced instruction-set computer)-based VME modules as the
platform for Aydin's Series 2000 telemetry data processing systems.
The three-year agreement is estimated to be worth $3 million.

Aydin said that telemetry systems require complex data analysis
with large amount of data, as well as high speed data transmission
rates. The Series 2000 systems will utilize Motorola's RISC-based
MVME187 single board computers, which operate in a variation of
the Unix operating system.

Aydin said the series 2000 systems will be used for
applications such as telemetry ground stations, real-time
acquisitions and analysis, and satellite command and control.
Operating as a ground tracking systems, they can be used for
receiving signals, recovering and processing data from various
sources including spacecraft, radar missiles, and aircraft.

According to Aydin, instrumentation configurations change from
mission to mission in a flight test situation, making modularity an
essential factor in a system's capabilities. The ability of the
Motorola equipment to meet those requirements was cited by Don
Anselmo, VP and director of marketing at Motorola, as the reasons
Aydin chose the Motorola equipment.

Aydin, based in Worsham, Pennsylvania, manufactures
telecommunications, data acquisition and display equipment
and systems, radars, and support components.

(Jim Mallory/19920302/Press Contact: Barbara Patterson, Motorola,
602-438-3576; Edwin Snyder, Aydin Corporation, 215-657-8600)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00006)

Aldus Picks New Engineering VP 03/02/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Aldus
has announced that Edware "Skip" Walter has been named vice
president of engineering. Walter will oversee all worldwide
engineering activities, including advanced technology, new
product development, and software quality assurance.

Walter, 42, joins Aldus after serving as managing partner of Value
Quest Group, a consulting group he founded in 1990. Prior to Value
Quest Group, Walter spent 14 years with Digital Equipment
Corporation in a variety of positions. He was engineering manager
for All-In-1, DEC's office productivity program.

"Walter brings to Aldus a unique combination of talents," said Phil
Herres, Aldus chief operating officer. Herres said Walter is "a
product visionary driven by customer requirements, and he's
committed to translating his visions into tangible products."

Herres said Walter will manage Aldus' continuing efforts to develop
industry standards, including the evolution of TIFF (tag image file
format), a graphics file format.

Walter will start in the new job on March 16, and will work out of
Aldus' world headquarters in Seattle, where he will report to Herres.

(Jim Mallory/19920302/Press Contact: Jill Miller, Aldus,
206-628-2352)


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

Zeos Buys Design Firm PC Tech 03/02/92
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 3 (NB) -- Personal
computer direct seller Zeos has announced that it has purchased
PC Tech Inc, a Minnesota-based engineering firm specializing in
the design of high-performance computers and system components.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to Gregory Herrick, Zeos chairman and chief executive
officer, the two companies have worked together on the
development of several Zeos products, including the recently
introduced line of Zeos upgradable personal computers. Herrick
said the two companies have also been working on other systems,
to be introduced later this year.

Herrick said Zeos management was very impressed with the
engineering design capabilities of PC Tech's staff, and said their
skills will enhance Zeos' ability to develop high quality, high
performance products.

PC Tech, founded in 1984, has about 22 employees, most with
engineering backgrounds. Zeos said PC Tech will operate as a
wholly owned, but stand-alone, subsidiary. PC Tech will continue
to provide contract engineering services to other companies.

(Jim Mallory/19920302/Press Contact: Rick Apple, Zeos,
612-633-5877)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00008)

Chicago Futures Exchanges Begin Electronic Trading Test 03/02/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- The Chicago Board
of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) have
announced that they have begun testing hand-held electronic trading
cards, designed to speed up transactions, assure greater accuracy,
and provide tighter surveillance of market activity.

As reported by Newsbytes previously, prototypes of the hand-held
electronic trading cards were first tested in parallel with the existing
system of hand written cards last May. The AUDIT (automated
data input terminal) system will now be tested in actual trading.

AUDIT transmits the trading data entered by the more than
7,000 traders on the floor to computers by means of infrared light
beams. The system automatically records the time of the trade as
well as other information that CBOT says will enhance their
surveillance capabilities without hurting timings.

Attempts to improve the procedures for recording and monitoring
trading was prompted when the Federal Bureau Of Investigation
revealed in 1989 that trading fraud was occurring at the two
exchanges .

Officials estimated the cost of the system at about $6 million, and
said it will provide a tamper-proof audit trail, recording each
transaction within 500 milliseconds. The Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (CFTC) requires that trades be recorded within 60
seconds.

A CFTC spokesperson said the commission is pleased with the
work done by the exchanges to improve the system. "We're hopeful
the system will do what the exchanges say it will. If it does, it will
provide a better audit trail. A better audit trail holds more appeal for
all segments of the market," said the spokesperson.

Potential suppliers have been narrowed down from 53 to just
Spectrix Inc, Synerdyne Inc, and Texas Instruments. "We'll take
it to the floor, and what works best is what we'll pick," said CBOT
first vice-chairman Dale Lorenzen.

The electronic system will be tested in the CBOT wheat pit and the
CME mark pit.

The Spectrix unit, first to be tested, uses a touchpad screen. The
Synerdyne system employs handprint recognition, converting the
user's handwriting to block letters within 80 milliseconds. The TI
system uses a touchpad screen and handprint recognition.

One trader, who participated in the earlier testing of prototypes,
said the Spectrix system seemed the most reliable, and worked
best with the antenna system suspended above the trading floor.
He also expressed some concern about traders with limited
computer literacy, saying "they may be left behind."

The complete system at both exchanges is expected to be fully
operational by 1994.

(Jim Mallory/19920302/Press Contact: Jo Ann Serpe, CBOT,
312-435-3500)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00009)

Aldus Hosts International Developers Conference 03/02/92
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Aldus
has announced that its 1992 international developers conference
will be held April 13-16 at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in
Seattle.

Various presentations and roundtable discussions will be held
which Aldus said will help developers expand their product's
connectivity with Aldus products.  Information about co-marketing
opportunities with Aldus will also be available.

"Developers will receive information on new technologies, such as
Aldus Additions, and learn about revisions to existing technologies,
such as TIFF (tag image file format) and OPI (open prepress
interface)" said David Cloutier, director of Aldus third-party
marketing.

Conference discussions will cover such topics as Aldus Additions,
TIFF, and connectivity.  The Additions track will include tips on
Additions technology and three different forms of Additions, as well
as tips on how to write an Addition, and discussion of command
and query mechanisms, macros, and Aldus marketing support.
Attendees will also have an opportunity to talk one-on-one with
Additions engineers.

The TIFF track will include a technical presentation on new
components of TIFF 6.0, including increased support for color
and the JPEG compression technology. There will also be an
opportunity to meet with TIFF engineers.

Connectivity subjects will include a preview of an upcoming
revision to the text import/export mechanism and support for new
tokens, the new Aldus image-import mechanism, and information
on the new interface that allows developers to work with the Aldus
Freehand file format on the Mac and in the Windows environment.

The fee for the conference is $595, which includes sessions,
materials, and meals. A second attendee from the same company
pays $495, as do members of the Aldus Developers Association.

For more information about the seminar, contact Aldus at
206-233-7419, or fax [phone].

(Jim Mallory/19920302/Press contact: Pam Miller, Aldus,
206-628-6594)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00010)

TGV Reduces Prices On Software Line 03/02/92
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- TGV has
decided to align its pricing structure more closely to that of Digital
Equipment Corporation's. One result of this realignment is that
prices on some TGV products have been reduced by up to 15
percent.

TGV is the maker of TCP/IP products for the VAX/VMS environment.
The company's products include MultiNet, Multinet NFS Client, and
Multinet NFS Server. Effective immediately, their pricing structure is
equivalent to the structure that DEC is calling Digital Distributed
Software Licensing Architecture (DDSLA).

"We decided to align Multinet's pricing with DEC's pricing
architecture to make budgeting and administration easier for our
customers," said Stuart Vance, marketing manager for TGV. "Many
of our customers buy TCP/IP connectivity when they install or
upgrade their DEC hardware and software. By using the same
pricing strategy for our software, it makes it that much easier for
these customers to include Multinet when they are budgeting for
new DEC equipment. We believe that aligning our pricing strategy
with DEC's is the right marketing move."

Under the new pricing structure there are ten levels for each
product. The levels start with the VAXStation series and extend up
to the VAX 94xx family. For Multinet pricing begins at $1,200 per
node and goes up to $24,000 per node. Pricing for Multinet NFS
Client starts at $480 and goes to $9,600. Pricing for Multinet
NFS Server starts at $360 and goes up to $7,200. Annual support
fees are separate but follow the same tiered approach.

(Naor Wallach/19920302/Press Contact: Tom Woolf, Media
Relations, 415-508-1554)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(ATL)(00011)

AT&T Completes Teradata Purchase 03/02/92
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- AT&T's NCR
subsidiary has completed buying Teradata for about $500 million
in AT&T stock. Teradata specializes in selling computers for
applications that require a lot of data analysis, with customers
including phone companies, retailers, bankers and brokers.

In brief remarks to shareholders, Teradata chairman Kenneth W.
Simonds said: "While there is a bit of sadness in bringing this
chapter of Teradata to a close, there is also a great excitement
in joining forces with NCR.  I'm convinced that our combined
strengths will enable us to be a major factor in the information
technology industry." The company will be folded into NCR's
Large Computer Products division, with its marketing made part
of NCR's United States Marketing Group.  The Teradata name
will be retained for its relational database product.

It should be noted that press releases on the buy called this an
NCR acquisition, although NCR is a division of AT&T. It is yet
another indication that NCR is retaining its identity as the
computing unit of the larger company. Whether NCR, now the
fifth-largest computer vendor in the U.S., can grow fast enough to
fulfill  AT&T's dream of becoming a balanced computer-
communications company remains to be seen.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: Robert Farkas,
NCR, 513-445-2078)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00012)

Puerto Rican Cellular System Spun-Off 03/02/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Cellular
Communications bought most of the remaining stock of its Puerto
Rico unit, Cellular Communications of Puerto Rico, then spun it
out as a separately-traded company on the over-the-counter
market. The moves complete a deal announced February 13.

As part of the deal, shares in the new CCPR were distributed to
CCI shareholders of record February 27, on a ratio of one share of
CCPR for each six shares of the parent, including convertible and
convertible preferred stock. Trading in CCI stock was briefly
halted while the deal was done.

While Puerto Rico is wealthy by the standards of Latin America,
it is still poor by U.S. standards, holding many of the risks
associated with Latin America business. Splitting those risks
from the former parent company is expected to make both
companies' stock more appealing, either as an investment or an
outright acquisition target as the cellular industry consolidates
among the seven regional Bell companies and a few outsiders
such as McCaw Cellular and GTE.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: Richard J. Lubasch,
CCI, 212-906-8440)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

OCTEL Introduces New Voice Processor 03/02/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Octel has
introduced the Octel XC1000, a new voice information processing
system designed to be a link to big business' private branch
exchanges.

The device offers 144 ports and can handle 672 hours of stored
messages, and is designed for Fortune 1000 companies.

The new device can be called through a single telephone number,
usually a company's main number, and callers can then be routed
to the message base using extension numbers. The system can
handle up to 30,000 mailboxes.

It is separate from a system being aimed at voice mail service
bureaus and other voice information providers, but uses similar
architecture. Customers will be able to link three of the units into,
what is called, a "super-system," using a fiber backbone, by the
end of the year.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: Octel
Communications, Barbara Burdick, 408-945-3245)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014)

TelMex Reports Huge Profit 03/02/92
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- TelMex, which was
privatized a year ago and is now run in part by Southwestern
Bell of the U.S., has reported a huge profit of $2.3 billion for all
of 1991, nearly double the previous year's figures in real
terms.

The company's stock price has been rising sharply on both
U.S. and Mexican exchanges for months, in anticipation of higher
profits, but the final figure was still a pleasant surprise, and
many U.S. stock-pickers are keeping the company on their "buy"
lists.

The profits jumped, the company said, despite price rises of just
6.8 percent during the year. The main reason being that about
700,000 lines were added to service, bringing the total to 6.25
million. Also, cellular service sales doubled to 70,000 users. The
company has cellular licenses throughout the country, but all of
them compete with private consortia, which are presently building
their systems.

The company was privatized in December, 1990, based on a
promise to improve service, and the company has been trying to
respond, in part, by providing cellular-based wire-type phone
service in rural areas using the International Mobile Machines
Ultraphone system.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302)


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

GTE Wants Higher Rates In Florida  03/02/92
TAMPA, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Claiming it has not
had a general rate increase in 11 years, GTE Florida asked state
regulators for a "test period" on which it could base a rate
increase request later this spring. The last change in GTE rates
came in 1990, and that was a slight decrease based on benefits
from the 1986 Federal Tax Reform Act.

Peter Daks, the company's regional vice president, said in a
press release that cost reduction efforts and increased demand
let rates stay stable despite annual inflation of 4.4 percent
over the last decade, but that now slower growth and competition
are mandating higher rates.

The company blamed investments in fiber lines and new switches,
FCC rules mandating that charges be shifted from inter-state to
intrastate carriers, and a set-aside of funds for post-retirement
health care for the request. Once the application is filed, public
hearings request would probably be held this fall.  A decision on
any request could come in December.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920302/Press Contact: GTE Florida, Jan
Morris, 813-224-4433)


(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00016)

 ****IBM Comments On OS/2 "Mixed Signals" 03/02/92
JEFFERSON VALLEY, NY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 3 (NB)  --  A senior
IBM executive, speaking under the promise on anonymity,
commented to Newsbytes  concerning recent conflicting news
reports about the positioning of the soon-to-be-released OS/2
version 2.

In a New York Times article of February 29th entitled "Software
Detente for IBM," Times technology writer John Markoff, quoted
IBM  software officials as withdrawing somewhat from head-to-head
competition with Microsoft's Windows in its marketing of the new
version of OS/2.

In the lead paragraph of the article, Markoff states: "IBM has quietly
retreated from its loudly announced plan to battle the Microsoft
Corporation for leadership of the personal computer software
industry. IBM's decision to avoid thrusting its OS/2 program into
direct competition with Microsoft's Windows means that Microsoft
can count on the continuing allegiance of hundreds of computer
makers and software publishers, and millions of users."

The article quotes Fernand B. Sarrat, the IBM executive in charge of
marketing of OS/2, as saying: "Windows is a very successful
product and I accept that. I'm not going to buck the trend of Windows.
I want to ride with it."

One day after the Times piece, an Associated Press article "IBM
readies big software push," painted a picture of a very aggressive
roll-out of OS/2 in direct competition with Windows, saying "Armonk-
based IBM is preparing for a battle with Microsoft Corp. whose
phenomenal success with its Windows software has been a thorn in
IBM's side."

The AP article concludes with  a direct contradiction of the Times
piece, saying: "Contrary to recent reports, IBM has no plans to back
down in pitting OS/2 against Windows, the sources said, speaking
on condition of anonymity."

Newsbytes' source said: "The Associate Press story is accurate.
We plan to market OS/2 as the best available system for this type of
computer. Version 2 has been getting very good reviews and we
expect it to do very well. I think that the quotes reported in the
Times piece reflect a change in tone rather than in substance. Our
earlier comments such as 'DOS better that DOS and Windows
better than Windows' were more a matter of the style of Sarrat's
predecessor than of Sarrat who is much more low-key."

He continued: "Sarrat's tone reflects our corporate approach. We
are more cautious now with statements than we were at this time
last year. I think that it is better to set expectations at a level which
you can over-achieve than to err in the other direction."

The Newsbytes source also commented on the comments of some
analysts that the firm's recent reorganization, coupled with the
implementation of a much more demanding employee evaluation
program, has created a form of paralysis. He said: "The criticism,
unfortunately, has some foundation. The institution of the new
review policies caused great concern and uncertainty throughout
our work force. I think that much of the uncertainty has been put to
rest as the various units pass through their first review process. I
think, therefore, that the so-called 'paralysis' is largely over and
that we are getting on with the revitalization of the company."

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920302)


(NEWS)(IBM)(NYC)(00017)

IBM Intros Device For Those With Motor Difficulties 03/02/92
WHITE PLAINS, NY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 3 (NB)  --  IBM has
announced the introduction of KeyGuard, a molded plastic keyboard
overlay intended to assist persons with poor motor coordination.

KeyGuard attaches to IBM keyboards and can be use with the IBM
Personal System/2, Application System/400, and RISC System/6000.
It is priced at $80 with a volume price of $720 for quantities of 20. It
is available immediately and may be ordered by calling 1-800-426-
3388 or, for persons using Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf
(TDD), 1-800-426-3383.

Announcing the new product, Walt Nawrocki, manager, IBM Special
Needs Systems, said: "With the advent of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, many companies may want to see how the
KeyGuard can help them in accommodating an employee with
motor coordination problems. Additionally, in a busy office where
a lot of keying is done, the design of the KeyGuard minimizes
accidental keystrokes."

KeyGuard is the eighth product in the IBM Independence Series of
Solutions for People with Disabilities. Information on other products
in the series may be obtained by calling the IBM Special Needs
Information and Referral Center at 1-800-IBM-2133.

(Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19920302/Press
Contact: Barbara Steinberg Cerf of IBM, 914-642-5469)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00018)

Cognos Ships PowerHouse Windows 4GL 03/02/92
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) --
Cognos is now shipping PowerHouse Windows, a client/server
version of its fourth-generation language (4GL).

The first version of PowerHouse Windows works with a combination
of personal computers running Microsoft Windows and Hewlett-
Packard HP 3000 minicomputers running the proprietary MPE/iX
operating system. Character-based terminals can also be used with
the system, Cognos said.

Cognos said PowerHouse Windows is the first Microsoft Windows-
based client/server tool to provide full read-write capabilities to
Hewlett-Packard's Allbase/SQL, TurboImage, KSAM, and MPE file
and data management systems. It also supports Borland's
Interbase database management system.

The vendor said PowerHouse Windows is fully compatible with
earlier releases of the 4GL, which is available for midrange systems
from Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment, Data General, and IBM,
running proprietary operating systems and Unix, as well as for
personal computers.

Cognos also sells other application development tools that work
with PowerHouse. They include the PowerDesigner integrated
computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tool, the InQuizitive
report writer, the PowerPlay desktop reporting and analysis tool,
and PowerHouse Architect for automating application maintenance
documentation and prototyping.

This summer Cognos will offer a client/server version of PowerHouse
for Unix systems, including the HP 9000 Series 800 servers and
Series 700 workstations that run the HP-UX operating system, as
well as Digital Equipment, IBM, and Sun Microsystems hardware,
company spokesman Jay Fiore said.

Versions of PowerHouse Windows for Digital's VMS operating
system and for IBM's OS/400 operating system on the AS/400
midrange line are also planned, Fiore said, but no release dates
are being announced yet.

PowerHouse Windows for MPE/iX is available now. A minimum
configuration with one full development license and 10 PowerHouse
Windows runtime seats is priced from $5,900 to $42,200 for current
PowerHouse users, and from $19,900 to $298,500 for new customers.
Price varies with CPU (central processor unit) size.

(Grant Buckler/19920302/Press Contact: Jay Fiore, Cognos,
617-229-6600)


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

Cognos, DCS Sign Distributor Agreement 03/02/92
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) --
Software developer Cognos has signed a distributor agreement
with DCS Software and Consulting of Dallas, Texas. DCS will sell
Cognos' PowerHouse applications development software for
DOS-based personal computers and the IBM AS/400
minicomputer.

Initially, DCS will sell the software in its existing agent territories,
the companies said. Eventually, the relationship will broaden
throughout North America and include IBM's RISC System/6000
computer platform and Cognos' computer-aided software
engineering (CASE) tools.

In a prepared statement, DCS president and CEO Henry Garland
said: "The purpose of this partnership is to mutually expand
relations with clients who are evolving from non-IBM platforms
using PowerHouse or expanding into computer-aided
programming."

PowerHouse was first released for Hewlett-Packard minicomputers
running that company's proprietary MPE/iX operating system.
Cognos has since added versions for other proprietary operating
systems, including those of Digital Equipment and Data General as
well as IBM, and for Unix and DOS.

Company spokesman Jay Fiore said the Hewlett-Packard version
of PowerHouse is still the largest seller, but the AS/400 is "a very
large potential marketplace for us."

DCS will complement the PowerHouse software with its own
CASE consulting services, along with other horizontal utility
software products for the AS/400. These services include
asynchronous connectivity, file compression, and systems
mirroring, among others.

(Grant Buckler/19920302/Press Contact: Jay Fiore, Cognos,
617-229-6600; Trish Miller, DCS Software and Consulting,
214-458-9711 ext. 143)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00020)

Japan: "Karaoke" Game Machine Debuts From JVC/Sega 03/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Japan Victor (JVC) and
Sega Enterprises have jointly developed a game machine with
a "Karaoke" feature, which produces orchestrated background
music from a compact disk. The machine will be released on
April 1 from both firms.

JVC and Sega's multiple purpose game machine is called the
"Wonder Mega." It is based on Sega's best-selling game machine
the "Mega Drive." The new machine can be hooked into a
television set to play three-dimensional graphic games.

Interestingly, the machine can also be a Karaoke machine with
graphics pictures on a television set. The software has been
developed by JVC, which has a huge collection of music titles
under its wing. The Karaoke user can sing along with the
background music by looking at the song script, which is shown
on the TV screen. Some graphic pictures are also displayed on
the screen. The pictures change every 10 to 15 seconds. So, this
is a low-end version of a laser disc Karaoke machine.

The price is said to be reasonable for game and Karaoke features.
JVC will sell the machine at 82,800 yen ($660), while Sega will
sell the machine at 79,800 yen ($640). Both are the same, but
extra an Karaoke kit is coming with JVC's machine.

The machine will be manufactured by JVC and will be supplied to
Sega on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920302/Press Contact: JVC,
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00021)

 ****Matsushita/AT&T To Sign Pen-type PC Dev't Deal? 03/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Matsushita Electric and
AT&T are said to be close to signing of an agreement on the joint
development of a pen-type personal computer. It is expected
that both firms will create a joint venture for this pen-type computer.

Matsushita is also hammering out the talks with California-based
game software maker Electronic Arts concerning joint development
of a multimedia personal computer.

Matsushita Electric and AT&T have been discussing the details
of the agreement at present, and the official announcement is
expected to be made soon. Both firms has already agreed in
principle to jointly develop a pocket-size pen-input personal
computer, which is equipped with a radiowave data transmission
device.

The pen-input system will be based on the operating system
developed by Go Corporation of California. An industry watcher
says both firms are thinking of licensing this pocket pen-type PC
to other firms.

Meanwhile, talks to develop a next generation multimedia personal
computer is going on between Matsushita and Electronic Arts. The
new PC will be equipped with a CD-ROM, and the resolution of the
screen image will be almost comparable with that of a high-definition
TV. It is also said that Matsushita is thinking of incorporating motion
pictures into game software since Matsushita has huge software
assets, which were taken over from buy-out of MCA.

As part of this deal with Electronic Arts, Matsushita is said to be
considering the purchase of the equity of the San Mateo Software
Group, which was recently created by Electronics Arts.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920302/Press Contact: Matsushita
Electric, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00022)

Japanese Ministry Decides Radiowave Usage Fee 03/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Japan's Posts and Telecom
Ministry has released a report on charging the fee on the usage of
radiowaves. The Ministry wants to submit this report to the Diet
session, and expects the law to be enacted in April 1993.

The discussion on charging fees to radiowave users has been
going on for a couple of years. The decision came recently due to
the crowded usage of radiowaves in Japan. The Ministry says
there is a scarcity of radiowaves, and the problem will become
serious over the next few years, especially due to increasing usage
by mobile phones. Also, there are so many illegal radiowave users.

So, the Ministry wants to create a radiowave control system to
watch illegal users. Also the Ministry wants to set up a system
to issue and process appropriate license system. The radiowave
fee will be used for these purposes.

The Ministry expects to collect a total of 8.9 billion yen ($70
million) from radiowave users in fiscal 1993 provided that the law
passes the Diet. Among others, the major users will be NTT
(1.1billion yen/$8 million), NHK (300 million yen/$2 million), and
private TV broadcasting firms (300 million yen/$2 million).

The total fees will jump up to 10.4 billion yen ($80 million) by
fiscal 1995 due to the increased usage of mobile phones.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920302)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00023)

Adobe Develops New Japanese Fonts 03/02/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Adobe System Japan, a
subsidiary of Adobe in the U.S., has developed two new Japanese
fonts jointly with Japan's major printing maker Morisawa.

The fonts are based on Postscript. Both firms have been
cooperating with the development of Japanese fonts for several
years, and have developed a total of seven kinds of Japanese
fonts so far.

Adobe System Japan and Morisawa's latest fonts are Midashigo
MB31 and Midashigo MA31. Both are mainly used for headline
letters. The price is 99,000 yen ($760) each. The fonts will be
released by both Adobe and Morisawa in Japan by June.

These fonts can be used on Postscript printers, and can also be
installed on personal computers.

Morisawa is a major printing firm in the Kansai region, which is the
Western part of Japan. There is another major printing firm called
Shaken in Japan. Shaken dominates the Eastern part of Japan,
including Tokyo.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920302/Press Contact: Adobe Systems
Japan, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00024)

Multimedia To Teach French At Canadian University 03/02/92
GUELPH, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- With help from
IBM Canada, the University of Guelph is setting up a multimedia
laboratory to help teach French as a second language. The lab is
part of IBM's Project for Language Learning and Multimedia
Applications (LLAMA).

The LLAMA project involves colleges and universities in the
United States and Canada, chosen for leadership in using
instructional technology to teach foreign languages. Guelph is
one of two Canadian universities to join the project. The other
is the University of Calgary.

IBM said the LLAMA project's goals are: to coordinate software
development for language instruction; to establish a sense of
collaboration among key institutions; to provide tools for faculty
to adapt technology to their own needs; to provide applications in
the instruction of language and culture; and to provide knowledge
to other institutions.

IBM has given the university three IBM Personal System/2
multimedia computers, valued at about C$45,000. Each includes
a video disk player.

Leonard Adams, chair of Guelph's department of French studies,
told Newsbytes the university will use some existing educational
software as well as a package called Ziconte, developed by
University of Guelph professor Dana Paramskas and Donna
Mytlarski of the University of Calgary. Ziconte uses multimedia
technology to see a word, hear it spoken, and watch it being
pronounced simultaneously on the same screen, Adams said.

The Guelph program will be monitored for its effectiveness in
teaching language. One of its major thrusts will be to lower the
dropout rate in French studies. More than 50 percent of the
students who complete the beginner's level in French do not
continue.

The multimedia PCs have already been installed at the university,
Adams said. Additional videodisk players are still to come.

(Grant Buckler/19920302/Press Contact: Leonard Adams,
University of Guelph, 519-824-4120, ext. 4891)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00025)

Another Acquisition Expands Sulcus Hospitality Group 03/02/92
GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) --
Sulcus Computer Corporation has announced an agreement in
principle to acquire Squirrel Companies of Atlanta. The producer
of touch-screen point-of-sale systems is to become part of Sulcus'
Hospitality Group, which sells systems to hotels and motels.

Sulcus is to pay up to $15 million in cash, stock and options for
Squirrel. The Atlanta company will keep its own name and operate
as a separate entity within the Sulcus Hospitality Group, a
spokesman for Sulcus said.

Squirrel shareholders will receive upon closing 256,778 Sulcus
common shares, which will equal Squirrel's net worth, and the
remaining payments, up to a total of $15 million, will be
determined by earnings contributions, on a non-dilutive basis.

Squirrel currently has more than 1,800 customers on four
continents, such as the Hilton International hotel chain, and
ChiChi's Restaurants. Revenues exceed $5 million annually,
officials said.

In a prepared statement, Jeffrey S. Ratner, Sulcus chairman and
chief executive officer, said the acquisition was as important as
last year's buyout of Lodgistix, of Wichita, Kansas, which also
now makes up part of the company's Hospitality Group.

Squirrel's technology is able to work with Sulcus' existing
property management systems, the company said. It ties together
in-room hotel service, restaurant and bar operations, poolside
sales, golf, and gift shop purchases. Its touch-sensitive flat
screen, which can be wall mounted, contains a credit-card reader,
permitting all transactions to be charged immediately to the
appropriate guest.

In late February, Sulcus announced an agreement in principle to
acquire NRG Management Systems of Stafford, Texas, which
produces automated guest-room energy management systems
for hotels and motels.

At the time of the Lodgistix acquisition last March, Sulcus claimed
a 30 percent market share in the hospitality systems business, and
stated a goal of reaching 40 to 50 percent. The spokesman could
not provide a more recent figure.

(Grant Buckler/19920302/Press Contact: Jeffrey S. Ratner, Sulcus
Computer, 412-836-2000; Dave Dennison, The Wall Street Group
for Sulcus, 212-888-4848)


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

UK: Amstrad Takes A Stake In Telecoms Company 03/02/92
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Amstrad, the UK-based
computer company, has announced it has taken a 29.5 percent
stake in Betacom, a telecommunications company.

Betacom is best-known for its wide range of budget consumer
telephone equipment, ranging from low-cost single-price telephone
instruments to small office private automatic branch exchanges.
The company has launched a range of new products in the past
six months, giving it a solid share of the UK telecommunications
marketplace.

Amstrad is the process of buying 8.25 million shares at 18 pence
each from Canon Street Investments, plus 935,000 shares from Alan
Sugar, Amstrad's chairman, who has a personal stake in Betacom.

Announcing the share deal, Sugar said: "We believe that there
will be many opportunities for cooperation and synergy between
the two companies."

In 1990, Betacom reported pre-tax losses of UKP 2.44 million on
sales of UKP 16.58 million. Sources in the telecommunications
industry suggest that the company has made something of a
comeback in 1991, although full year figures have yet to be
released by the firm.

(Steve Gold/19920302/Press & Public Contact: Amstrad,
0277-228888)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00027)

Ericsson Wins Contract For Hungarian Mobile Phone Net 03/02/92
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Ericsson has
announced it has been successful in securing a major second
order from Westel, the Hungarian mobile phone company.

Westel is a joint venture company, partly owned by US West and
the Hungarian Telecommunications Company. Terms of the
contract calls for Ericsson to continue its position as an exclusive
supplier of cellular phone equipment to Hungary.

Specifically, the contract calls for Ericsson to supply and
install new exchanges for two cities in Hungary, as well as radio
base stations for most of Hungary. By the time the contract is
completed by the end of the year, the Hungarian mobile phone
network will be twice as large as before.

Westel anticipates that, come the end of the year, it will have
signed up 20,000 subscribers to its mobile phone network in
Hungary. There is still room for expansion however -- by the end
of the year, the network will still only cover half of Hungary.

Westel's cellular phone network went live last October, making
Hungary the first Eastern Bloc country to get its own mobile
phone system.

(Steve Gold/19920302)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00028)

UK: Tetra Signs Five-Year Deal With Hewlett-Packard 03/02/92
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Tetra
has signed a five-year original equipment manufacturer (OEM) deal,
which calls for Tetra's 2000-ix range of business and accounting
software to be ported to Hewlett-Packard's 9000/800 series of
Unix-based computers.

Plans call for both companies to establishing a joint marketing
program to promote sales of the software through HP's reseller
network in the UK. As part of the agreement, Tetra will receive
advance license fees on software sales which are expected to be
worth several million pounds.

Announcing the deal, Paul Wheaton, Tatra's sales director, said:
"I am delighted that this new agreement allows us to extend our
relationship with Hewlett-Packard still further."

Commenting on the agreement for HP, Phil Lawler UK value-added
business manager with the company, said: "Our open system range
is by some margin the broadest in the industry and we see the
marketplace recognizing this with an increase in demand.
Consequently, we are delighted by this agreement with Tetra that
makes available to customers a winning combination of two
market leaders."

Tetra 200-ix is a business and accounting system designed for
Unix-based multi-user systems. The package consists of sixteen
modules which integrate to cover almost all aspects of business
administration.

(Steve Gold/19920302/Press & Public Contact: Tetra,
0628-770939)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00029)

 ****Intel Files Patent Suit Against Chips & Technologies 03/02/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- Intel has
filed two complaints in the Federal District Court of Northern
California against Chips and Technologies, alleging five violations
of Intel's 386 chip patents and one violation of its 387 math
coprocessor chip patent.

The chips, the brains and foundation of the newest IBM and
compatible personal computers, represent a huge portion of the
total computer market. Intel, accused repeatedly of having a
monopoly and under investigation last year by the Federal Trade
Commission, has been the leader in the market. Now however, the
chip giant, along with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Chips and
Technologies and others are all battling over market share. AMD
alone claimed that it expected to ship two million chips by the end
of 1991.

Intel and AMD have been in the courts since 1990. Intel filed
against AMD in 1990, settled with AMD in 1991. Then, also in
1991, AMD filed a $2 billion suit against Intel and won an
arbitration decision of $15 million in damages last week. While
the decision is expected to be appealed, the fight seems to
have turned now to focus on Chips and Technologies.

In a scrappy, soap-opera reminiscent style that's becoming the
norm in these battles between chip manufacturers Chips says it
"vehemently" rejects Intel's allegations. Chips and
Technologies President and Chief Executive Officer Gordon
Campbell said: "Intel should learn from history: the age of the
microprocessor monopolies is over."

Chips maintains Intel is seeking a temporary restraining order
preventing it from conducting normal business with customers,
software developers, and manufacturing sources.

Chips however, has had a suit against Intel charging Intel
infringed on four of its patents. Intel has also asked the court for
a declarative judgement that it has not infringed upon those four
Chips patents.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920302/Press Contact: Gavin Bourne, Chips
and Technologies, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Pam
Pottace, Intel, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Dataquest: Michelangelo Virus Could Cost Millions 03/02/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 2 (NB) -- The
Michelangelo virus is one of the most disastrous viruses ever, with
damages from the scheduled attack of the virus on March 6
possibly mounting into millions of dollars, says Dataquest software
analyst Peter Francis.

The Michelangelo is one strain of at least a thousand known
computer viruses -- rogue programs that hide themselves and
could eventually destroy the data on a user's computer. The
current publicity surrounding the Michelangelo virus has to
do with the fact that two computer manufacturer's, Leading Edge
and Computer Sales Professional, discovered the virus was
on hard disks of systems shipped during December of last
year.

Despite the current publicity however, 81 percent of viral
infections still occur by transfer of a floppy disk from an
infected computer to an uninfected one, Dataquest maintains.

The Michelangelo is known to strike an infected computer each
year on March 6, the anniversary of the birthday of the artist.
Market research company Dataquest says occurrences of the
virus have skyrocketed from 756 in 1990, to more than 2,500
occurrences in 1991.

At the beginning of 1991, two other viruses -- the "Stoned" and
the "Jerusalem" -- accounted for the majority of computer virus
infections, Dataquest says. The good news is reports of
incidents of outbreaks of Stoned (aka the "Marijuana" or "New
Zealand") and Jerusalem (aka "Israeli" or "Friday the 13th") have
showed a marked decrease in the later part of last year and the
early part of this year.

Decreases in the two viruses could be accounted for if the
viruses have simply run their course, if they have been
effectively handled by virus prevention software, or if they
are waiting to be reintroduced as new strains, Jill Falk of
Dataquest said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920302/Press Contact: Mary Hind,
Dataquest, tel [phone], fax [phone])