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/nb920318

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00001)

New Product: Excalibur Client-Server Document Filing 03/18/92
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Excalibur
Technologies has introduced its first client-server document filing
and retrieval software system, PixTex/EFS ServerPlus.

PixTex/EFS ServerPlus combines client software that runs on a
personal computer under Microsoft Windows with a server
component for Digital Equipment Vax minicomputers running the
VMS operating system.

PixTex/EFS ServerPlus stores documents and images in the
electronic equivalent of a physical file room. Users can create file
cabinets, drawers, and folders to organize information, and the size
of the file room is limited only by disk space. New pages can be
added or removed from a document at any time, Excalibur said,
and documents can be moved to any folder in any cabinet.

The software provides a graphical user interface, the vendor said,
and can link to Digital's Rdb/VMS database manager for electronic
filing and retrieval of compound documents.

Four-way retrieval allows either free-form content-based or Boolean
queries, content-based queries on file room labels, database-style
queries, or file room icons. PixTex/EFS ServerPlus also allows
complete control of the OCR and scanning process, according to
Excalibur.

The software is suitable for medium-sized to large businesses, said
company spokesman Darrell Atkin. Excalibur also offers PixTex/EFC,
an off-the-shelf filing system for one or five users, that allows easy
migration to PixTex/EFS ServerPlus as an organization grows,
Atkin said.

System requirements include a VAX, VAXstation, or VAXserver,
running VMS operating system version 5.3 or higher,
DECwindows, Pathworks for DOS, and Rdb/VMS 3.1b.

Excalibur will provide warranty and remedial support, while Digital
will provide startup services, consulting services and
customization/integration services. PixTex/EFS ServerPlus is
available now. Prices are based on the size of central processor
used to run the server software. Prices begin at $33,100 on a
VAXstation 3100, $138,500 on a VAXstation 4000 Model 200, and
$345,600 on a VAX 9000.

Excalibur participates in DEC's Digital Distributed Software plan,
Atkin said, meaning Digital customers can order the Excalibur
software directly from Digital.

(Grant Buckler/19920318/Press Contact: Darrell Atkin, Excalibur
Technologies, 703-790-2110)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00002)

Accelerator Product Speeds Up Laserjet Output 03/18/92
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Output
Technology Corporation has introduced a laser printer accelerator
which it said can speed up throughput to a HP Laserjet priner as
much as 20 percent.

Called BetterYet IV, the accelerator is designed for use with HP
Laserjet Series II and III printers. The company said BetterYet
provides Laserjet III PCL-5 emulation, Postscript emulation,
autoswitching between the two emulations for network environments,
and an enhanced resolution of 600 by 300 dots-per-inch in both
modes. In the Postscript emulation mode an additional megabyte
(MB) of memory is required.

Output Technology's Joe Roberts told Newsbytes that the $999
accelerator, which consists of a board and a cartridge, can save
the user considerable money. Roberts said that since so many
advanced software packages require either Postscript or PCL-5
printers, the ability to make an existing HP printer emulate those
modes will delay the need to buy a new printer, which would cost
several times the cost of BetterYet IV.

"BetterYet IV provides HP Laserjet users the only way to fully
extend and enhance the life of their printers," said Output's John
Lugviel, VP of marketing/sales. Lugviel said a company will
preserve capital assets and leverage the significant investment
aleady made in their series II and III printers.

While BetterYet cannot speed up the page-per-minute rate of
the printer engine, it accelerates output by reducing the time
necessary to send the print file to the printer. That would make it
particularly useful for users who regularly print complex graphics
files. Some of those, depending on their complexity, can take
several minutes to send to the printer.

The expansion board for BetterYet installs in the optional I/O
(input/output) port, without unplugging the interface cables. The
cartridge is inserted into the left font slot, leaving the right font slot
free and the control panel fully functional.

Output Technology said BetterYet IV will be available in May, and
will be marketed through its distributors and VARs (value-added
resellers) including Ingram Micro and Tech Data Corporation.

(Jim Mallory/19920317/Press Contact: Linda Hemingway, Output
Technology, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00003)

Olivetti Offers Pro Laser Printer With Nat Semi Engine 03/18/92
MILAN, ITALY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Olivetti says it is
introducing one of the world's fastest PostScript-quality desktop
laser printers, the model PG404 with a National Semiconductor
32GX32 imaging processor engine.

Geared toward the professional single user, the company is saying
the printer offers affordablity and performance. Piero Peretti, Olivetti's
corporate marketing manager for Printers said: "What is most
remarkable about the PG404 is that it can deliver constant printing
speeds irrespective of the complexity of the printed page -- a crucial
requirement of high-quality printing."

Olivetti said professional users outputting complex documents had no
choice but to purchase a $10,000 laser printer to meet their needs for
the complexity of the document. However, a single user rarely needs
the speed those printers offer, at eight pages-per-minute (ppm).
Olivetti's new printer prints at four ppm but can still handle the
complex printing tasks of its more expensive counterpart.

The PG404 offers a high-speed 70 kilobytes-per-second (KBps)
interface that is three times the normal standard, Olivetti maintains,
as well as a Dynamic Line Buffer (DLB) that allows the user to operate
the host computer during a print run without interruption.

The new printer offers an economy run mode for draft copies that only
uses half the amount of toner and alternative fonts, Olivetti said.
Eight scalable (Bitstream Speedo) fonts are included and the PG404
supports Agfa Intellifont. Personal fonts, bit-mapped or scalable, as
well as personalized forms, which can be stored on an optional
random access memory (RAM) card, Olivetti maintains.

The printer's engine, the National Semiconductor 25 megahertz
(MHz) 32GX32 is one of the first 32-bit processors to incorporate
multiply hardware for complex multiplications, Olivetti added.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920318/Press Contact: Margaret Mehling,
National Semiconductor, tel [phone]; Danielli Comboni,
Olivetti in Europe, 39-2-8836-2122)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00004)

Trimble Adds Low-Cost Communication To Global Tracking 03/18/92
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Trimble
Navigation says it has signed a technology transfer contract with
Cellular Data Inc. (CDI) so it can offer vehicle tracking systems with
new, low-cost wireless communications.

The contract is to incorporate CDI's narrow band cellular packet data
technology into Trimble's Global Positioning System (GPS) products
which use digital signals and satellites to track a vehicle anywhere
on the planet and transmit information back to a control dispatch
operation concerning the vehicle's real-time location (to within 100
feet), speed, direction, and fuel level.

Trimble says its vehicle tracking systems are designed for use by the
public transportation industry, public safety and emergency vehicles,
commercial freight operations, and intelligent vehicle highway
systems.

Under the terms of the agreement, Trimble will pay CDI for the
worldwide non-exclusive license of CDI's cellular packet data
transmission technology for incorporation by Trimble into certain of
its GPS position location and automatic vehicle location products.

Trimble says the CDI network is a relatively low-cost communication
option, delivering packet data on a narrowband data channel
inserted between the voice channels of existing cellular voice
networks. By using the same frequencies to provide a second
service and capitalizing on the existing cellular infrastructure, the
deployment and maintenance costs of CDI's cellular are significantly
less than those of other wireless data networks -- and the savings
can be passed on to customers, Trimble maintains.

Trimble offers global positioning systems for other applications than
vehicle tracking. Forest rangers, ocean-going ships, even the allied
forces in Desert Storm have used Trimble's portable, global
navigation devices.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920318/Press Contact: Sandra Bateman,
Trimble Navigation, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00005)

Logitech Offers New Trackman - Ergonomic, Thumb-Controlled 03/18/92
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Logitech has
announced a new Trackman stationary desktop mouse with a design
it claims conforms closely to the human hand and a thumb-operated
track-ball.

The mouse offers a three-button configuration, but does not need as
much desktop space because it does not need to be moved about,
Logitech says. The ergonomic shape is angled to conform naturally
to the shape of the hand, Logitech maintains, and the trackball is
reminiscent of the thumb-operated track ball offered on the Apple
Powerbook laptop computer.

The new Trackman is 1.53-inches high, 5.35-inches long, and
5.5-inches wide, but does not take up anymore deskspace than its
size because the user does not need to move it, Logitech adds.

Mouseware software utilities, which allow the user to assign "hot
keys" to one or two of the three Trackman buttons for commonly
used Windows functions, is included with the mouse. The
Mouseware software also offers over 30 menus for non-mouse-
based applications, Logitech added. Sensitivity adjustment and
ballistic drivers to slow down or speed up cursor movement are
also included.

Logitech says the Trackman is available now at retail outlets
and is priced at $139.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920318/Press Contact: Betty Skov, Logitech,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00006)

SIGCAT To Sponsor CD-ROM Conference 03/18/92
RESTON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- SIGCAT
(special interest group, CD-ROM applications technology) the
government/private sector user's group which has been at the
forefront of CD-ROM standards development, has announced that
it will sponsor its first separate conference at a cost to attendees
of $160, including lunch and coffee breaks for a three-day
conference of CD-ROM related discussions and seminars.

SIGCAT, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey and headed by
Jerry McFaul, has held regular meetings for several years at the
Reston, Virginia, headquarters auditorium, and participated in
other major conferences, but this is the first major separate
effort of SIGCAT.

Federal Computer Week alluded to the budget cuts as a major
reason for this conference - indicating that SIGCAT needs to
raise some money to continue its pioneering work in bringing
CD-ROM technology to the government and private sector.

Nevertheless, this conference looks to be a major event, with a
number of well-known participants from inside and outside the
government scheduled to speak and lead conferences.

This will be a two track conference, with one focusing on
government applications and the other on technical questions
involved in the production of CD-ROMs.

The SIGCAT'92 National Conference and Educational Symposium
on CD-ROM is scheduled for April 27 through 29, 1992, and will be
held at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. There are also some field-
trips on the schedule.

To register send $160 to: Office of the Comptroller, A807
Administration Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(John McCormick/19920318)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00007)

CBEMA FCC Certification Format Promoted 03/18/92
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- CBEMA, the
Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturing Association, has
announced that the Federal Communications Commission has
endorsed the use of a standard reporting format for FCC personal
computer certification applications which was developed by the
CBEMA.

This comes at the same time that the FCC has begun a crackdown
on uncertified computers being built and sold around the country.

FCC certification is required for any computer sold in the United
States, which must be shown to not produce unacceptable
electromagnetic interference to radio and television reception
either in a home or office environment.

While it is legal to own and use uncertified equipment, the FCC
can impose massive fines on anyone selling such computer
hardware.

CBEMA represents U.S. information technology manufacturers and
suppliers who employ more than 1.2 million people in the U.S. and
generate about five percent of the U.S. gross national product (a
measure of all goods and services produced in the country).

(John McCormick/19920316/Press Contact: Maryann Karinch,
CBEMA, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00008)

AT&T Puts Annual Report On BBS 03/18/92
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) --
AT&T posted a text version of its annual report on "AT&T News
On-Line," a bulletin board system it has been running for the media
over the last year.

AT&T News On-Line runs on the Unix operating system, and offers
a database of press releases, corporate information, and now the
annual report. It is reached through a PC and modem using
parameters of seven data bits, one stop bit and even parity, at
speeds of 1,200 and 2,400 bits-per-second. Slower modems need
to dial 908-221-8088, with faster modems dialing 908-221-2701.

The system presently contains more than 500 press releases
issued within the past 12 months.  Releases and announcements
are placed on AT&T News On-Line immediately, often before
they become available through sources like the PR Newswire.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: Andrew Myers,
AT&T, 908-221-2737)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

Mexican Boom Becomes Focus Of US Presidential Debate 03/18/92
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- The Mexican
economic boom, which kicked into high-gear after Grupo Carso
and Southwestern Bell bought the nation's TelMex phone authority
in late 1990, has become an issue in the U.S. elections.

Former California Governor Jerry Brown attacked the "fast track"
negotiation of a U.S. free trade pact with Mexico, both in ads
and during a debate with rivals Bill Clinton and Paul Tsongas.
Clinton's reply was that "fast track" authority represents more
Congressional input into treaty-making than before, and he
would not necessarily support the deal President Bush now
seems likely to offer.

Mexico's booming stock market, which went bust in the early
1980s, is the heart of the boom. The Bolsa's value more than
doubled in 1991, and is still rising. The nation has brought in
nearly $10 billion in direct investment, much of it through
American Depository Receipts -- stock-like instruments which are
traded on U.S. exchanges. TelMex ADRs have been rising rapidly
in price, but still remain on most stock-pickers' buy lists. The
Televisa media company recently wiped out its corporate debt with
a stock issue, which included ADRs.

ADRs have long been popular with European and Japanese
companies, but they are different than stock. The pay dividends
equal to those paid to domestic shareholders, and meet U.S.
regulatory requirements for financial reporting, but ADR holders'
rights are limited. Most offer either no voting rights on corporate
changes, or only limited rights in case of a sale of merger.

Despite the returns to investors, TelMex itself remains heavily
criticized. Many businessmen must buy cellular phones to have
any link with the outside world, and most prefer the faster-service
of private consortia which compete with TelMex. The company
itself has a huge order backlog -- it can take years to get a
dial tone -- but investors see this as an advantage, thinking
that TelMex has subscriber line growth prospects which U.S.
companies no longer have.

But there are risks, as GTE has learned since leading a group
which bought CANTV of Venezuela for $1.8 billion earlier this year.
A failed coup, followed by persistent rumors of further trouble,
have many Venezuelans wondering whether GTE's was a good
investment.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

Wireless Ad Net For Grocers Announced 03/18/92
CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) --
Silentradio has put together an agreement to create a wireless ad
network which will first aim at grocery stores. The company, which is
planning to merge certain assets with Site-based Media, signed a
deal with the NBC television network and Fleming Companies
grocer wholesalers to built the network.

The new company, to be called On-Site Media, will install the
systems, but plans to get more money from selling advertising
used on it.

The new system will deploy LEDs (light emitting diodes) and video
systems which can deliver original programming and ad information.
Here's how it works, a spokesman told Newsbytes. Video monitors
will be installed in stores, two per aisle, showing pictures -- but no
sound -- about products. Display boards installed near check-out
counters will complement the pictures, perhaps offering special
deals.

On-Site Media will try to get the sales system into stores, first
grocery, but later other types of stores, then sell advertising on
the new network. A spokesman insisted that  there is no sound in
 this system. "We found for a variety of reasons that people don't
want that," he said.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: Silentradio,
John Nesbett, 212-838-3777)


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

Southwestern Bell Service Links Centrex To PBXs 03/18/92
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Southwestern
Bell has announced PBX Plus, a version of its Centrex-based Plexar
service aimed at businesses which already have their own private
phone switches, or PBXs.

PBX Plus allows Southwestern Bell to handle additional needs for
PBX service, through its own equipment, when an existing switch is
overloaded. Simply tie new lines to the service when the switch is
at capacity, the company said.

To introduce the new service, the company will host a seminar on
the technology, in conjunction with Northern Telecom, which
supplies it with its own switches. TeleTech '92 takes four hours.
The first such seminar will take place in Tulsa, which now is
exclusively served by SW Bell digital switches.

Potential applications include voice lines, telemarketing
centers, or links between PBXs. For telemarketers, the service
offers real-time reporting, so users can adjust staffing on the
fly and get maximum productivity. The service also lets
businesses extend calling center operations to locations not
served by current systems -- sales agents could be put in their
homes, for instance.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: Scott Hilgeman,
Southwestern Bell, 314-247-4613)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00012)

CA Updates Graphics Packages 03/18/92
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Computer
Associates has announced enhancements to three graphics
packages for various computer systems. The updates affect the
packages CA-Vivid, CA-Tellagraf, and CA-Disspla.

CA-Vivid release 2.5 adds speed keys, which the company said
allow users to move quickly back from advanced levels in the
program to the main menu. It also adds printing support for several
high-level graphics devices. CA-Vivid is a presentation graphics
package that runs under the All-in-1 office automation system on
Digital Equipment VAX minicomputers. The new release is available
now, a company spokeswoman said.

CA-Tellagraf release 7.1 offers users of the CA-DB, CA-Datacom, and
IBM DB2 database management systems direct access to their data
using the structured query language (SQL). CA-Tellagraf runs on VAX
minicomputers and on IBM mainframes with the MVS operating system.
It uses graphics information from databases, spreadsheet programs,
and financial systems. Release 7.1 is just entering beta testing, the
spokeswoman said.

CA-Disspla creates graphs, charts, maps, and two- or
three-dimensional designs. Release 11.0 is available now. Just
entering beta testing is a new C-binding option that allows
programmers using the C language to add graphics to their programs
by invoking routines written for C. A similar option for FORTRAN
programmers already exists, Newsbytes was told.

(Grant Buckler/19920318/Press Contact: Mary Keating, Computer

(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00013)

 ****Microsoft Ships Windows 3.1 03/18/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Perhaps
trying to steal a march on IBM, Microsoft said that it will start shipping
Windows 3.1 today, and expects to ship at least one million copies
to US stores and directly to customers by April 6, when the product
officially goes on sale.

IBM is expected to begin shipment of its OS/2 release 2.0 at the end
of March.  Microsoft and IBM are competing for the most popular
operating system. IBM has said that OS/2 release 2.0 will run
Windows, DOS programs, and specially tailored OS/2 software.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and other Microsoft executives publicly
are discounting  the challenge by IBM, pointing out that OS/2 failed
to gain much momentum in the five years it has been on the market.

"They've used this term 'Better Windows than Windows' to
describe OS/2 2.0. They've put forth the big claim, perhaps to be
later known as the big lie," Gates reportedly said. "We have orders
 for very close to a million right now.  So by the time we ship the thing
we will be well over a million," said Gates.

Microsoft said it has virtually cornered the market on floppy disks
in order to have enough to produce copies of Windows 3.1.

The company said it has mailed 1.7 million copies of an order form
for the 3.1 upgrade to existing Windows registered users. The
upgrade will cost $49.99, which Gates said is the price the upgrade
version is expected to cost in retail outlets.  "Anybody that is actively
using Windows will eventually upgrade," said Gates.

For PC users who do not already have Windows, 3.1 will sell for
about $100, said Microsoft.

In an unusual arrangement, Microsoft said it has already started
delivering the software to Federal Express Corporation for
individual customers who have already ordered the upgrade, but
the overnight shipper will wait until April 6, the official sale date, to
deliver the packages.

In anticipation of 3.1 hitting the streets, Microsoft shares rose
$3.75 to $128 in over the counter trading yesterday.

(Jim Mallory/19920318/Press Contact: Marty Taucher, Microsoft,
206-882-8080)


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

 ****Cellular Phone Industry Grew 43 Percent In 1991 03/18/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Despite the U.S.
recession, the number of cellular phone subscribers grew 43
percent in 1991, a figure the industry's trade group called
"remarkable." There were 7.6 million subscribers to cellular
phone service at the end of the year, up from 5.3 million a year
earlier.

Continuing a historical trend, the second half of the year proved
the industry's strongest, with subscribership jumping 1.2 million
or almost 20 percent.  Subscribership had grown 1.1 million
during the first half. The rise in customers during the second
half is equivalent to the addition of 196,182 new cellular users
every month, or 6,400 every calendar day.

Revenues were also way-up. The $3.1 billion reported in service
revenues for the second half of the year was a record for any
six-month period, and the resulting total for the entire year,
$5.7 billion, set a new annual record. Capital investment for the
year was $2.4 billion, less than half the year's total revenue.
Carriers also reported a 23 percent increase in employment, from
21,382 to 26,327.

For the year, the average cellular phone call increased slightly
in length, from 2.2 minutes to 2.38 minutes.  The average monthly
bill dropped from $80.90 as of December 31, 1990, to $72.74 as of
December 31, 1991.

Growth should remain strong in 1992, analysts predict. New,
lightweight phones are declining rapidly in price, and could pose
a challenge to wired phones for many homeowners who move
around a lot. Phone company services which can transfer calls to
cellular phones on demand, creating "personal phone numbers,"
should also increase demand. And the industry expects to get
complete nationwide coverage this year, and quickly follow that with
nationwide roaming schemes, so users can take calls anywhere.

There are, of course, challenges. Much of 1991's growth came in
"new build" areas of rural America which had never been offered
service before. Urban systems face new costs for digital
cellular systems under TDMA standards, in order to accommodate
new users. The declining value of monthly bills indicates that
many users are willing to budget their use of the gadgets when
calls cost about 35 cents per minute, sending or receiving. The
industry hopes to cut through this with budget calling plans
costing users as little as 20 cents per minute, on each end of
the call, and with new voice information services.

The FCC, meanwhile, wants competition to force prices down. It
approved a move by Fleet Call to use its Specialized Mobile Radio
frequencies to offer the equivalent of cellular service in six
cities, and will likely do the same thing for other licensees of
technology from Racotek of Minneapolis. The FCC is also pushing
to license frequencies for microwave-based cellular services,
called PCN, and it is possible existing carriers may be prohibited
from owning those systems. In fact, it may be that cable
television companies, which could carry the landline portion of
calls on their existing infrastructure, could prove the biggest
threat long-term. By buying into PCN, something TCI, the largest
operator, is testing with McCaw Cellular, then handling the
landline portion of calls, cable operators could threaten the
monopoly of the Bell companies which were guaranteed at least
half the cellular franchises, and which quickly bought-out most
of the rest.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: Norman Black,
Cellular  Telecommunications Industry Association, 202-785-0081)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00015)

 ****Windows 3.1: What Will It Do For You? 03/18/92
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) --
Microsoft is stressing that the Windows 3.1 product is more of an
upgrade than the version number indicates. They say this should
have been dubbed Windows 4.0, but that designation had already
been reserved for the next iteration of the popular interface program.

Microsoft said that a lot of what you will see in Windows 3.1 is
user-driven. Windows 3.1 was reportedly tested by about 12,000 beta
testers, and the company said it also took into account the input
from users of 3.0 who called or wrote its product support center with
recommendations. They also conducted a usability test program,
and gleaned suggestions from those testers.

Microsoft says 3.1 will be easier to install, thanks to a feature
called "Express Setup." The program supposedly also runs
significantly faster, and the company is also stressing greater
reliability. That is a reference to the fact that 3.0 users ran into
quite a few Unrecoverable Application Errors, the dreaded message
that tells the user that Windows and the application being run did not
want to coexist. With 3.1, there is a reboot feature that allows
the application your running to be restarted without having to
restart Windows.

Other features being hyped by Microsoft are TrueType scalable fonts,
and an improved File Manager. The developers said they found that
by making two simple changes, viewing of a large directory tree
could be twice as fast. They made the plus signs that indicate that
a directory had subdirectories optional, and rewrote one algorithm.
According to Microsoft, a directory tree of 64 directories with five
sudirectories each can now be displayed in eight seconds,
compared to the 16 seconds it took in version 3.0.

File copying is also reportedly faster. Microsoft said that to copy
64 files to a floppy disk now only takes two seconds compared to the
30 seconds it took in version 3.0. There is also a floppy disk "Quick
Format" command, which can be interrupted if you change your mind.

Most Windows users have heard about "drag-and-drop" by now. To
create a new program item to represent an application, you just drag
the application's file icon from File Manager and drop it onto
a group in the Program Manager. The same principal applies to
printing. All you need to do is drag a file icon onto the Print Manager
icon.

TrueType allows users to create fonts "on-the-fly," and you also get
the same fonts on-screen as you do at the printer. TrueType allows
the user to create a font in the desired size and style, rather than
having to store separate bitmap files for each size font.

Microsoft says it has developed a new universal printer driver,
called Unidrv, which is a single, printer-independent driver that
supplies all of the common code, such as memory management,
Print Manager commands, support for basic Windows device driver
interface calls, and TrueType support. With Unidrv, Microsoft says
printer manufacturers will only have to write a small support table of
specific paramaneters for their printer to ensure that the printer
works "efficiently and effectively with Windows."

Microsoft says it has already sold over nine million copies of
Windows.

(Jim Mallory/19920318)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

State Phone Regulators Increasingly Aggressive 03/18/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A, 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- While the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission moves to deregulate the
telephone industry, state regulators are stepping up their
activities.

In Ohio, the Public Utilities Commission, which is fighting Ohio
Bell on the terms of offering the controversial Caller ID
service, which displays callers' phone numbers as they call,
took-off after the alternative operator business. The commission
issued a warning against so-called "Tubby Phones," "Profit
Phones," and "Compact Coin Phones," which look like regular
desktop units, except they have a coin slot.

The PUC said the phones are attached to business lines and are
thus subject to regular business phone tariffs. They do not offer
privacy, since they are sharing a line the business uses, they
charge 25 cents for three minutes of local calling, not 25 cents per
local call as the tariff states, and they charge for directory
assistance calls and calls to operators which are free to regular
pay phone users, The bottom line is that if you install one of these
phones, the PUC said, the regulators might disconnect your
service.

In Georgia, the state's Public Service Commission remains angry
at Southern Bell. As previously reported by Newsbytes, the PSC
required free, per-line blocking of the controversial Caller ID
service, the first state to do so, while denying per-call blocking,
which the FCC is pushing. The PSC took another swipe at
Bell and the FCC by demanding that Southern Bell's new
MemoryCall service be put in a separate subsidiary from the
parent company. The FCC recently ruled that it, not the state, has
the right to regulate voice mail services like MemoryCall,
prohibiting Southern Bell from demanding information on how
it is priced.

In Washington, meanwhile, demands by Rep. Jack Brooks to
regulate the Bells' entry into the information business
intensified. Brooks wants to drag FCC chairman Al Sikes and
Justice Department antitrust head James Rill into his House
Judiciary subcommittee. The Bells call Brooks committee a
"kangaroo court" which is doing the bidding of their
adversaries, mainly newspapers and long-distance firms like
AT&T.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318)


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

International Phone Update 03/18/92
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- The strategic
nature that links phone service to national economic growth is
becoming clear worldwide.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have all moved to own and
operate their own satellites, rather than just renting transponder
space on Indonesia's Palapa birds. Singapore is moving ahead
despite a recent agreement with Indonesia to help it improve its
phone infrastructure -- Singapore's is light-years ahead.

Shinawatra of Thailand will launch its first Thalandsat in
1993, and claims its neighbors will get better service than with
Asiasat, Palapa, or Intelsat because of the new bird's location.

Malaysia will launch its Measat series of satellites in 1994,
using them in part to monitor illegal logging of its forests.
Singapore is also interested in launching its own satellites, and
with over $2 billion in cash Singapore Telecom can afford it.
All these nations, by the way, are buying satellites from GM-
Hughes of the U.S.

Elswhere, Teletas of Turkey, about 40 percent owned by Belgian
interests, said it will open a joint-venture called Komtel to
make phone equipment in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic in
central Asia. And the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development will hold a conference late in this month concerning
converting formerly Soviet military operations into civilian
telecommunications industries. Japanese officials and corporate
representatives will attend the talks.

In Latin America, Telmex said it may triple its dividend, setting
off another wave of stock purchases. The stock's American
Depository Receipts now cost over $55 in the U.S., despite a
move by the Mexican government to sell its remaining stake in the
company later this spring. Mexican inflation continues to fall,
making the dividend more important. Also, Chile's CTC Cellular
said it will increase its capacity 50 percent this year, to 45,000
users, and introduce voice mail services. The company is also
looking into expansion to Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru,
Bolivia, and Paraguay. CTC is owned by Telefonica de Espana of
Spain as well as the state and individual investors, who buy its
ADRs on U.S. exchanges.

Finally, Mauritius signed a deal with Alcatel of France to
install a telephone network in the northern African nation.
Mauritius is a former French colony.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

Autodesk Pushing Business-Buying BBS 03/18/92
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- American
Information Exchange, a subsidiary of Autodesk, is pushing ahead
with its on-line service devoted to the sale of business
information and consulting services. The system is due to go
on-line in the middle of the year.

The company said computer industry figures such as Esther Dyson,
Doug Engelbart, Portia Isaacson, Mitch Kapor, Patricia Seybold,
and Amy Wohl have all signed as information sellers on the system.
Charter accounts cost $50, and a $5 monthly fee is waived for the
rest of 1992, while $50 is credited toward connect charges.

AMIX is designed to be the world's first marketplace for sellers
and buyers of information products and consulting services - the
first on-line system that actually lets people exchange money.
Anything that can be stored electronically can be bought and sold
on AMIX: sound, text, graphics, templates, and software. Pre-
packaged information can be updated and repriced easily, often
by the seller. Autodesk says AMIX provides an efficient electronic
marketplace for consulting services.

The company insists it will not compete with Prodigy, CompuServe,
or GEnie. AMIX does not offer static databases for keyword
searching, as do Dialog, NEXIS and LEXIS, nor does it offer stock
quotes and similar information, as does Dow Jones. Instead, AMIX
creates a marketplace for updateable information, expert's
opinions, customized information products, and follow-up
consulting work, said the company.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: AMIX, Gayle
Pergamit, 415-856-1234 ext 206)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

Knight-Ridder/Tribune Signs With Three More Distributors 03/18/92
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Knight-Ridder/
Tribune Business News said it has signed three more agreements
with distributors. Newsnet, Mainstream Data, and Individual will
all resell the company's news stories, which are culled from
newspapers owned by Knight-Ridder and the Tribune Companies.

Previously, the service signed-up Comtex Scientific, owners of
the Newsgrid service, Desktop Data, and Dialog, which is owned by
Knight-Ridder.

Among the sources for data on the new service are the six papers
owned by Tribune, including the Chicago Tribune, five papers
affiliated with the company, and 42 Knight-Ridder papers,
including The Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the
Detroit Free Press, the San Jose Mercury News, the Chicago
Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, The Charlotte Observer, The
Orange County Register, and The Journal of Commerce.

Same-day, full-text articles are promised, as well as items
from the Knight-Ridder Financial News service.

The Knight-Ridder offerings are expected to become crucial to
on-line users if, as expected, UPI goes under next month.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920318/Press Contact: Knight-Ridder/
Tribune Business News, Robert L. Harris, 202-383-6134)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00020)

Xerox To Distribute Dell Computers In 19 Countries 03/18/92
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) - Dell Computer
has announced that Xerox will market Dell's personal computers
in 19 countries. The deal puts Dell into the Latin America market
virtually overnight.

The 19 countries are located in South America, Central America,
and the Caribbean, and include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Dell PCs should be available through Xerox in some of the
countries within 30 days, and in all 19 within 60 days, according to
Andrew Harris, Dell's senior VP for international operations.  Xerox
will carry Dell's full line of notebook, desktop and floor-standing
systems, including the 325NC color notebook and is 486-based
systems.

According to Patrick Martin, President of Xerox Americas Customer
Operations, the Dell systems will be "aggressively priced."  The two
companies will coordinate to provide consistent pricing and service,
according to Martin.

Dell already operates in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany,
France, Sweden, Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, and
Norway.  The company said international sales account for about 35
percent of its total sales.

Xerox has been operating in the Latin American market for 30 years,
and has more than 10,000 employees there.  Xerox's Tom Abbott
told Newsbytes that the company is the largest reseller of IBM's
PS/2 line of PCs in Latin America, and will continue to sell the IBM
systems.  "The addition of Dell's products allows Xerox to meet
virtually all of our customers' desktop systems needs," Martin said.

In addition to the IBM PS/2 line, Xerox also markets publishing
machines and software, copiers, local area networks, laser printers,
fax machines, engineering systems, scanners, and supplies in the
region.

(Jim Mallory/19920318/Press Contact: Michele Moore, Dell
Computer, 512-343-3535, or Tom Abbott, Xerox, 203-968-3378)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00021)

Macnorthwest Expo To Feature Latest Multimedia Technology 03/18/92
PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- The Northwest's
largest Apple Macintosh computer hardware and software show will
feature multimedia products, according to organizers of
MacNorthwest.

The show opens for two days at the Oregon Convention Center in
Portland on April 27th, and will be held in conjunction with a
Macintosh-related conference featuring Dr. David Nagel as the
keynote speaker.  Nagel is a senior executive at Apple Computer
who helped engineer Apple's joint venture with IBM Corporation,
and who now leads Apple's development of next-generation
consumer electronics products.

The two-day conference, also sponsored by Chemeketa, is titled
"Communicate: Technology for the Information Age."  It will feature
45 sessions and workshops demonstrating Mac technology applied
to corporate training, business communications, and education.
Workshop leaders will be from Apple, Digital, Chemeketa, The
Computer Store, and Oregon State University, as well as other
organizations.

The show, sponsored by Chemeketa Community College, will
include more than 50 organizations displaying their newest products,
including Apple, Broderbund, the Computer Store, Egghead Discount
Software, Farallon Computing, Lotus, MacSolutions, Microsoft,
Spyglass, Tektronix, and WordPerfect.

Organizers say conference topics will include how to use Mac's with
mainframes and PCs, creating artwork by computer, the use of
CD-ROM drives for multimedia, and copyright protection for
electronic media.

Nagel's keynote speech Monday at 9 a.m. will include a multimedia
entertainment presentation using video, animation, and original
music.

For registration or additional information contact Chemeketa
Community College at 503-399-3923.

(Jim Mallory/19920318/Press Contact: Mark Levenson,
Levenson Company, 503-452-4046)
(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00022)

 ****New Product: NCR Unveils System 3170 Notebook 03/18/92
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- NCR has launched its
System 3170 notebook computer. The company described the new
model as being 30 percent lighter, 25 percent smaller, and 50
percent faster than the existing NCR Safari NSX/20 notebook.

NCR also said the System 3170 offers a comprehensive set of
mobile communications features aimed at travelling sales and
service people and professionals. The new model does not
replace the NSX/20, which will remain on the market, company
spokeswoman Jeni Cozart said.

The System 3170 uses Intel's low-power 386SL processor, with a
25 megahertz (MHz) clock speed. It weighs 4.9 pounds.

The new notebook is available in two models. One version has an
80 megabyte (MB) hard disk, two MB of RAM, and an integrated
2400/9600 bits-per-second (bps) data/fax/cellular modem. The
second version has a 120 MB hard disk, four MB of memory, and
an integrated 14,400/9600 bps data/fax/cellular modem.

The 3170 also uses the emerging PCMCIA notebook expansion
standard for memory and I/O (input/output) cards, NCR said, with
an integrated credit-card expansion slot and a new integrated
"FingerMouse" pointing device. It comes with a one-year warranty
on hardware and software and a hardware and software support
hotline.

The 80-megabyte model, due to be available in April, will have a
suggested retail price of $5,399. The 120-megabyte model will be
available in May, Cozart said, and the price has not yet been
announced.

The NCR System 3170 will be sold through the NCR direct sales,
distributor, value-added reseller, system integrator, and dealer
channels.

(Grant Buckler/19920318/Press Contact: Jeni Cozart, NCR,
513-445-5648)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00023)

New For Mac In UK: Claris Unveils Claris Office 03/18/92
UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Claris
has announced the immediate availability of Claris Office, an
integrated suite of office software comprising of Claris Resolve
(spreadsheet), Macdraw Pro (graphics and slide presentations),
Filemaker Pro (database), Macwrite II (word processing) and CE
Software's Quickmail 2.5 (communications).

According to Richard Kiely, Claris UK managing director, Claris
Office has been created in response to customer demand for an
all-in-one office package.

"Customers have frequently asked: 'What's an office without a
database?' and we've responded with Claris Office which includes
Filemaker Pro, the number one database manager for the Mac.
Claris Office delivers an office solution with the best price,
performance and features in the U.K. Mac marketplace," he said.

Kiely went on to say that Claris Office helps round out the
company's product offering for business. "At the entry level for
smaller business is Clarisworks, the new number one choice for
integrated software. It represents perhaps all the Mac software a
small business should need -- word processing, graphics,
spreadsheet, charting, database, and communications -- all in
one tightly integrated package," he said.

"However, as those small businesses grow and become larger
and more sophisticated, it's logical to assume their software
requirements grow with them. Thus, we've introduced Claris Office
to meet those needs and requirements," he added.

Claris Office retails for UKP 595. Claris says that this represents a
saving of UKP 485 on buying the component packages
separately, which would cost UKP 1,080 at recommended retail
price, although that is likely to be lower if purchased through
discount outlets.

(Steve Gold/19920318/Press & Public Contact: Claris UK ,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00024)

UK: Microsoft Announces Windows 3.1 Upgrade Plans 03/18/92
READING, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Microsoft
UK has announced plans to offer a free upgrade to Windows 3.1 for
customers buying version 3.0 between now and version 3.1's
expected shipment early next month. The offer is to prevent
potential buyers "hanging on" until version 3.1 begins shipping.

Unusually for an upgrade offer of this type, Microsoft is
extending the offer to include all buyers of Windows 3.0 who
bought their copy with the Microsoft mouse. Eligible registered
users of Windows 3.0 should contact the Microsoft upgrade center
on 081-893-8000 before the end of June for further details.

"This offer allows customers to purchase Windows at the time
which suits them most, in the knowledge that they can upgrade
free of charge to the latest version of Windows as soon as it
becomes available," said Mark Edwards, Microsoft's Windows
product manager.

"Windows 3.1 is a significant upgrade and is certain to play a
pivotal role in companies' IT strategies as Windows becomes
the standard graphical platform for the PC," he added.

Current users of Windows 3.0 who are not eligible for a free
upgrade under the above offers are being asked to pay a nominal
fee of UKP 45 to upgrade. All registered users are being notified
of the upgrade scheme.

(Steve Gold/19920318/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft UK,
0734-391123)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00025)

 ****MCI Mail Opens International Access Ports 03/18/92
WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- MCI Mail has signed a
deal with the CSC Infonet packet data network. This means that
subscribers to MCI Mail can now log on from 27 countries around
the world on a local call basis, rather than having to place an
international dialled or expensive prepaid packet data call to
the US dial-up ports for the service.

MCI surcharges its subscribers at the rate of 50 cents a minute
when accessing via Infonet. The charge is fairly hefty, but
nowhere near the $50 an hour that Compuserve charges its
subscribers for access via Infonet.

Infonet has dial-up network nodes around the world and is,
arguably, one of the most successful in getting its network
installed in the more unusual countries. Perhaps more
importantly, the log-on procedure for Infonet-linked on-line
services is relatively simple -- keying in C at the "number" prompt
and MCI,MAIL at the "center" prompt takes you straight to the
normal MCI Mail ID prompt.

MCI Mail is calling the Infonet method of access MCI Mail Global
Access. According to Jerry DeMartino, vice president of sales
and marketing for the company, accessing MCI on a local basis
is now as easy around the world as it is in the US.

"MCI Mail Global Access represents our continuing commitment to
our international users. They are an important and fast-growing
segment of our customer base and we are happy to provide them
with high quality, simplified international access at a competitive
price," he said.

"This represents just one of several value-added features we will
be adding to MCI Mail this year to address the needs of today's
trans-national businesses and world travellers," he added.

To access information on the global network access for MCI Mail,
subscribers should key in "HELP PHONES INTERNATIONAL"at
any "Command" prompt. Subscribers can also contact MCI Mail
toll-free (where available) on 800-444-6245. The direct dial number
for information is 202-833-8484.

(Steve Gold/19920318/Press & Public Contact: MCI Mail,
202/833-8484)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00026)

Photonics Intros Infrared LAN Connections For Laptops 03/18/92
CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Photonics
and Triumph-Adler AG made a joint announcement at the Cebit
show being held this week in Hannover Germany. In this
announcement, the two companies disclosed that they are working
towards the incorporation of Photonics' infrared LAN (local area
network) technology into the Triumph-Adler (TA) laptop computers.

Photonics explained to Newsbytes that they believe their technology
is unique in that it uses a diffuse infrared beam which bounces off
various furnishing in a typical office and thereby does not need to
be pointed at any specific site. Rather, a single PC can act as an
"access node" and receive transmissions from any portable that is
within a 30 by 30 foot areas from it.

Each portable has a card in it and a transceiver which mounts
externally. These are not large devices as the whole thing takes an
area of two by two inches. The portable computer software registers
itself with an access node that it identifies in its vicinity.
From then on, all transmissions that are intended for it as a node
are broadcast by that access node. Should the portable move to a
different location that is served by a different access node, the
registration procedure allows the old node to learn of its
whereabouts and forward packets to it via the new access node.

An access node is simply a PC that has a transceiver mounted
externally and a network interface card that attaches it to the
backbone wire of the LAN. Photonics will be shipping Novell
Netware 386 drivers with their devices.

At this time, Photonics is only announcing the upcoming availability
of this technology with TA portable computers. TA is a part of the
Olivetti Group. TA is expecting to be selling their laptop computers
beginning in September in Germany.

There is no current commitment to offer these computers with the
Photonics devices in the US. A Photonics official did hint to
Newsbytes that they are planning on making this technology
available to other major computer manufacturers and that some
US action should be seen around the fall time.

Photonics charges about $50 per device to its OEMs (original
equipment manufacturers) who purchase these in quantities of
1,000 to 300,000 units. Photonics expects that a retail price for their
devices would be in to $100 to $150 range.

(Naor Wallach/19920318/Press Contact: Dawn Nielsen, Photonics,
408-370-3033)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00027)

Sierra Offers Shares To Raise Money For New Products 03/18/92
COARSEGOLD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Sierra
On-Line is raising funds for product diversification, possible
purchases of other complementary businesses, and to expand its
on-line network by publicly offering 1,500,000 shares of its common
stock at $17.25 per share.

The company says of the total share sold, 1,375,000 shares were
sold by the company and 125,000 shares were sold by selling
stockholders. After the offering, Sierra says it expects to have
6,888,000 outstanding shares.

Sierra has been making heavy investments in new technology for
new products. The company last year spent over $1 million on
three new titles, including Ecoquest an undersea ecology-oriented
adventure game.

Sierra has also started "construction" of on-line multiplayer
amusement parks where users on-line can join electronically for
dates or group activities. The adult park, "Larryland," is named
after the famed game-character, Leisure Suit Larry.

Sierra On-Line and Dynamix, its wholly owned subsidiary, publish
entertainment and educational software for IBM personal
computers (PCs) and PC-compatibles, Apple Macintosh, and
Commodore Amiga computers

(Linda Rohrbough/19920318/Press Contact: Bruce E. Grant,
Sierra On-Line, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00028)

Dolch Offers New, Portable Multimedia Hardware 03/18/92
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 MAR 17 (NB) -- Dolch
Computer Systems, known for its high-end presentation and field
durable computer products has announced three new offerings
geared toward multimedia. They include a color stand-alone
monitor that doubles as an overhead projector, conversion of video
signals into video drivers for computer monitors, and the addition
of video compression and playback to Dolch portable computers.

Called PRISM (PRojection and Integrated Stand-alone Monitor) the
stand-alone monitor is a seven-pound color panel that lays on an
overhead projector or can be converted to a monitor with the addition
of a snap-in backlight. The PRISM can display still or full-motion
video output from IBM or compatible personal computers (PCs) and
Macintosh computers, or NTSC video, Dolch said.

The PRISM will fit in a briefcase, Dolch added. Its dimensions are
15.2-inches long, 12.5-inches wide and only two-inches thick, and it
connects to a conventional computer video output port.

Dolch is also offering compression for video built into its P.A.C.
computers. A hardware module, the symmetrical compression/
decompression option utilizes the JPEG standard algorithm
running at video rates for full motion video and audio compression
and storage to the system disk.  Dolch says the compression rates
are user selectable from 8:1 up to 150:1.

Because the compression ratio is selectable through firmware
quantization and Huffman tables, the JPEG option can accept
video/audio input from a variety of sources, including NTSC, PAL,
and CCIR 601, Dolch added.

Dolch is also offering a DVI video controller option that the company
says can handle signals from industry standard DVI sources and
convert them to digital RGB in the VGA format. The controller is
capable of driving 256 colors to TFT (thin film technology) displays
and is backward compatible with EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules
graphics standards.

The DVI video controller is available for DOS, Unix, and OS/2
operating systems, Dolch added.

The company says it is demonstrating the new products live at trade
shows throughout this month, and all the products are available as
part of the company's lightweight, portable multimedia product line.

Milpitas, California-based Dolch says it has been designing and
manufacturing portable computers since 1987. The company was
founded by Volker Dolch, a German interested in the development
of microprocessor instrumentation.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920318/Press Contact: Steve Fritz, Dolch
Computer Systems, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(HKG)(00029)

Digital Wins Philippines' Largest Workstation Contract 03/18/92
MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Digital Equipment
Filipinas has won a US$3.5 million contract to supply Unix-based
workstations to the Social Security System (SSS) of the Philippines.
The order is the largest workstation contract to be awarded in the
country.

With more than 12 million members and assets worth US$2.5 billion,
SSS provides financial assistance to the public through loans,
pensions, medical and maternity benefits, and employee
compensation. It employs more than 3,300 people in 10 regional
and 256 provincial offices located throughout the country.

"SSS plays a key role in the development of local capital markets
which provide the Philippine economy with long term funds," said Dr.
Kaizad Heerjee, Digital Asia's open systems manager. "With Digital's
distributed systems, SSS staff will be able to process claims and
release checks onsite, while actively participating in vital national
infrastructure projects."

The Digital workstations will be used to downsize and distribute head
office applications to SSS's regional offices through a network of
Unix-based systems. SSS's Chief Executive Officer, Renato Valencia,
noted that the new units will speed up processing time for
transactions such as maternity and sickness benefits, pensions and
salary, especially for members living in outlying provinces.

"Under the present system, the processing and release of benefits to
SSS members sometimes takes three to four weeks," said Valencia.
"With the new system, the initial target will be to process transactions
within a fortnight."

Under the contract, Digital will deliver 72 ACE-compatible systems
comprising: 55 workstations (54 DECstation 5000 model 125
workstations, and one DECstation 5000 model 120); nine X-Window
terminals; three DECsystem 5500s; and five DECsystem 5100s.
Digital will also provide implementation support, drawing on its
extensive experience of wide area networking projects.

The DECsystem 5500s will be installed at head office to handle
communications with the SSS mainframes, while the DECsystem
5100s are earmarked for use as application development systems.
The DECstation 5000 model 120 will be used as a dedicated
network management system.

The remote workstations will be networked with the head office
mainframes and will access central Oracle databases to extract the
information necessary to process membership applications, claims
and payments at the regional offices. SSS applications currently
reside on IBM 3090 and 4381 mainframes running MVS, with PCs in
use at the regional offices.

"This contract, which was won against stiff competition from other
vendors, confirms Digital as the major force in open systems in the
Philippines," said Butch Marking, general manager of Digital
Equipment Filipinas. "By adopting open systems, SSS will be able to
maximize the use of distributed databases, centralized registration,
and paperless transactions."

In competition with nine other vendors, Digital successfully carried
out application and connectivity benchmarks aimed at testing the
throughput of the new workstations in an Oracle environment, as well
as demonstrating their connectivity to the IBM systems via Systems
Network Architecture (SNA) and the industry standard TCP/IP
protocol.

Valencia said the pilot phase of the project is now in operation,
with workstations installed in Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, and Naga.
Additional workstations are scheduled for installation in the other
regional offices of the SSS soon. Valencia said the long term plan
of the SSS is to further decentralize operations down to city and
provincial levels, using innovative information technology systems.

(Norman Wingrove/19920318/Press Contact: Walter Cheung,
Digital, + 852 805 3533)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00030)

Novell Launches Developer's Program In Asia 03/18/92
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1992 MAR 18 (NB) -- Novell has
launched a Professional Developers' Program (PDP) in Asia to
promote its Netware operating system as a development
platform.

"Third party development of application software is critical to the
continued growth of network computing," commented Novell
regional director, Andrew Lai. He said the program's main goal is to
encourage application software development that takes advantage
of the features of the Netware operating system, through incorporation
and utilization of Novell's development tool -- application
programming interfaces.

"To ensure that application software exists to meet the diverse
needs of network computing users, Novell believes it is important to
encourage vertical market application software development in
order to provide complete system solutions to the user," said Lai.

Under the program, registered PDP members will have direct
access to development tools and technical support. First level
technical support for standard "Red Box" development tools will
be provided free of charge by Novell's regional headquarters in
Hong Kong.

In addition, all PDP members may have the opportunity to be
listed in an application catalogue of Novell third party software
developers.

(Norman Wingrove/19920318/Press Contact: Clara Shek, MDL,
tel [phone], fax [phone])