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/nb920730

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(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00001)

Data Translation Opens New Offices In Europe 07/30/92
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Data
Translation has announced that two more European subsidiaries
have opened their doors for business. The new companies -- in
France and Italy -- join the US company's existing operations
in England and Germany.

Data Translation SA is based in Annecy, France and has Philippe
Flament as its managing director. Fabrizio Bocci, meanwhile, is
the managing director of the company's subsidiary in Italy,
Data Translation SRL, which is located in Brescia.

According to Data Translation, around 50 percent of sales are
now generated by the company's non-US offices and the
company plans to boost that figure still higher.

Now head of Data Translation France, Flament began his career
with Hewlett-Packard, moving to Tektronix as a sales engineer.
Subsequently, he held managerial positions in sales at Matra
Datavision and McDonnell-Douglas, before becoming European
managing director for Alias Europe a manufacturer of three-
dimensional imaging products.

Bocci, the head of the company's Italian operation, spent seven
years in design engineering, technical support, and product
management for Silverstar, an Italian electronics distributor,
and FIAR, a manufacturer of vision systems. He was divisional
general manager for systems at Burr-Brown, Italy, before
joining Data Translation at SRL in recent years.

(Steve Gold/19920729/Press & Public Contact: Data
Translation UK - Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone])


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

New VMX Voice Processor Supports Hearing-Impaired 07/30/92
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- VMX has
added support for the hearing-impaired to its Integrated Voice
Processing platform. The support comes in the form of software
that supports Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf, or TDDs.

This allows companies to provide hearing-impaired callers with a
level of service that exceeds the requirements of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, VMX said. The ADA requires
telecommunications providers to give hearing and speech impaired
users equal access to services by January 1993. With VMX's TDD
support, companies can let TDD callers take advantage of
services like call processing, voice messaging, audiotext, and
integrated voice response.  Special system prompts can be
recorded as a second language, allowing TDD callers to move
around the system and gather information with a TDD terminal,
just as non-TDD users gather information with the telephone.

Meanwhile, Admax Computer unveiled entry-level and mid-level
voice processing and voice mail systems. The smallest unit, the
ADMAX SYSTEM/86 Model VP1, can handle as few as one port and
as many as 48. The larger ADMAX SYSTEM/86 Model VP2 can
handle up to 10,000 voice mail boxes and extensions.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920729/Press Contact: Ellen Pensky, VMX,
408/411-1166; Rock Romeo, Admax Computer, 603-881-4909
ext 37)


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

Australia Digital Sound System Bound For Hollywood 07/30/92
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- A locally
developed and produced digital audio post production system
is set to tackle the lucrative US market with an assault on
Hollywood.

EDI-Tracker, developed by Melbourne company EDI (Electronic
Digital Innovations), is currently being used in post-production
work on Richard Lowenstein's "Say A Little Prayer" and on
George Miller's "Lorenzo's Oil," starring Susan Sarandon, Nick
Nolte and Peter Ustinov.

Lorenzo's Oil was mostly filmed in Los Angeles last year,
and post-production is currently being undertaken in Australia.

EDI-tracker, according to audio expert Roger Savage, who
designed the system, "is a flexible tool for layering and mixing
sound effects, music and dialog. It enable the user to edit or
splice using a touch screen while its random access to a vast
library of sounds allows for greater quality control. It is a
user-friendly, intuitive system which was created from an
end-user's point of view rather than a technical one."

Savage claims EDI-Tracker can halve the dialog editing
process. It is priced from around AUS$55,000. It has already
been installed in several sites in Australia, and when
displayed at a recent show in Singapore was described as
"a great innovation". EDI-Tracker is being aimed by Savage
as a specialist product - "it is by no means a high turnover
item."

(Sean McNamara/19920729/Press Contact: Roger Savage,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00004)

Australian Govt's Partnerships Program May Return 07/30/92
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- The Partnerships
for Development Program (PDP) which has seen the Federal
Government negotiate research, development, and export
agreements with major international companies, may be
resurrected after the current scheme is phased out.

The PDP will be phased in as the current participants reach
their targets as set in their agreements.

The news came as DEC, one of the first to join the scheme,
winded up its involvement after the planned five years. Over
the span of their agreement with the government, DEC
pledged to achieve exports of AUS$100 million a year and
research and development (R&D) investment of AUS$25
million. DEC has surpassed these goals, with AUS$110
million in exports over the last year, and AUS$28 million
invested in R&D. Over the last five years, DEC has exported
goods worth AUS$238 million, including integration
services and locally produced telecommunications equipment.

The PDP, although not viewed unanimously as a huge success,
has nevertheless achieved what it set out to - increased
research and development investment in Australia and
increased exports.

The Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce (DITAC),
which was responsible for the program under Senator Button
(who developed the program), is currently investigating a long
term preferred supplier scheme similar to that used in the
telecommunications industry at the present time.

(Sean McNamara/19920729/Press Contact: Department of
Industry, Technology and Commerce, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00005)

Australia: Cambodian Telecom Deal Awaits UN OK 07/30/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- A contract worth
US$35 million. which will involve the installation of a
telecommunications network across Cambodia, has been
stalled waiting for United Nations approval.

The network will be essential for UN troops serving in
Cambodia as that country moves to a multi-party political
system.

The contract is a result of the Paris Peace Agreement signed
by all sides of the Cambodian situation last October. The
telecommunications element of the agreement calls for the
establishment of a commercial network, comprising radio,
microwave, and satellite links. Several stages of the
telecommunications project have already gone ahead, but
it is the installation of Stage Four which has been delayed
by the UN.

OTC Australia (formerly OTC International) has already been
named as preferred contractor for Stage Four, with details
of the equipment to be installed still to be decided.

Stages One through Three saw the installation of: a Motorola
eight-channel high-frequency radio system to five locations;
another location for the Motorola system; and then a further
47 locations.

OTCA has included a "buy-back" option in their proposal, to
allow the use by Cambodia of the installed network once the
UN leaves after the country's first democratic elections in
almost 30 years (due next April-May). UN peace keeping
forces generally take their communications equipment from
countries when they leave.

(Sean McNamara/19920729/Press Contact: OTC Australia,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SYD)(00006)

Australia: AOTC "Needs" Pay Phone Price Increase 07/30/92
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- AOTC (Australian
and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation) has called
for the approval of its claim for a pay phone price increase,
claiming it faces a significant loss of revenue if the increase
is delayed or rejected.

The call came after the federal government referred the claim
to a broader investigation into pay phones. AOTC wants to
increase the cost of a local call from a pay phone from 30 to
40 cents (a local call from a subscriber phone is currently 25
cents).

Despite this, the Minister for Transport and Communications,
Senator Collins, has called on Austel, the Australian
telecommunications watchdog, to include the increase into
its broader investigation into pay phone announced earlier
this month. This investigation was set up to look into the
adequacy, location, and accessibility of public pay phone
services, especially for people without a private phone in
rural and remote communities.

AOTC currently operates approximately 35,000 public pay
phones throughout Australia, which accounts for around 40
percent of the pay phone market. Another 55,000 pay phones
are in private hands, and these have no form of government
control - a fact which has seen some private pay phone
operators charging AUS$1 for a local phone call. Austel is
not expected to release its report until December.

AOTC says that the delay has put a package put forward in
February out of balance. Long distance call costs have already
been reduced, while charging for directory assistance calls
and the pay phone increases have been put on hold.

AOTC expects to make a loss of AUS$67 million on pay
phones next year. The Australian Telecommunications User
Group (ATUG) claims, however, that the provision of public
pay phones is a community service obligation which is
already partially catered for in the agreement with the new
carrier, Optus Communications, and that AOTC should
realize where its profits and losses are.

"We are talking about an organization that last year made
AUS$1.3 billion after tax - and after paying its shareholder
(the government). So it's not in too much trouble," said ATUG
spokesman Alan Robertson.

(Sean McNamara/19920723)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00007)

Australian Gov't Telecom Costs Can Be Cut 10 Percent 07/30/92
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- The Australian
Federal Finance Department has found that the Federal
Government's annual bill for telecommunications services
of AUS$400 million could be cut by 10 percent - if the
Department can convince other departments to relinquish
control over their own telecommunications spending and
infrastructure.

At the moment, each of the 18 Federal Departments
and 150  Commonwealth agencies control their own
telecommunications spending. The Information Exchange
Select Committee (IESC) and the Telecommunications
Policy and Advisory Unit (TPAU) have found, however, that
savings in excess of 10 percent are possible by sharing
infrastructure, establishing common services, and
introducing new ways of doing business with the service
providers.

The TPAU hopes to appoint a consultant to help it develop
a "visionary" long term strategy. Even with the appointment
of such a consultant to come, the TPAU has claimed partial
success at improving the situation. It has organized the
adoption of AOTC's (Australian and Overseas
Telecommunications Corporation's) Netstream service,
which applies savings on a usage basis across all
departments and agencies for digital data services.

This alone has seen a saving of approximately AUS$4 million
per year for such services. The TPAU is currently organizing
with AOTC and Austel, Australia's telecommunications
watchdog, an agreement which will see savings of between
10 and 40 percent on voice communications, which account
for 70 percent of the total Government bill.

(Sean McNamara/19920723)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SYD)(00008)

Australia: JNA Wins AUS$2M Supermarket Contract 07/30/92
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Sydney-based JNA
Telecommunications has announced it has won a contract
with Fujitsu ICL Retail Systems worth AUS$2 million to the
company.

The contract will see the companies installing networking
equipment in the 500 stores Australia-wide belonging to
the Woolworths chain of supermarkets. The announcement
of the contract came on the eve of JNA's listing on the
Australian Stock Exchange.

The AUS$2 million share of the contract for JNA will see the
company installing 500 of the newly developed MegaPac-IX
network processors, which will be operational by December.
"Woolworths' order is our biggest so far, but negotiations
are ongoing with a number of other people," said JNA
spokesman Bill Hayne.

JNA was established in 1960, and the company designs,
supplies and supports communications systems. It has
recently been negotiating with six international carriers for
us of its high capacity network system, the AS200. The
decision to go "public" and be listed was made to raise
capital to offset debts run up developing the AS200. The
AUS$12 million share issue closed oversubscribed in late
June. Of the 27 million AUS$1 shares issued, 15 million
were kept by JNA founder and Chairman John Almgren, and
Peter Davies, JNA managing director.

(Sean McNamara/19920723/Press Contact: Bill Hayne,
[phone])


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

 ****Internet - Big On-line Story Of 1992 First Half 07/30/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JULY 30 (NB) -- Despite
problems, the Internet has expanded to become the major
on-line story of 1992 so far.

Joshua Harris of Jupiter Communications, who follows the
market, told Newsbytes that what was once a thin link
between academic computers has recently become a form of
glue holding all the commercial systems together. The half-
year was highlighted by news that Prodigy will offer some
access to the Internet, and that Sprint will link its services,
including its Sprintnet data network, to the system.

Internet still has problems, of course. There is a growing
shortage of addresses, and negotiations to come up with a new
addressing scheme are stalled. Even after an agreement is
reached, implementation will be very hard because of the loose
links between thousands of systems now attached to the
network. Then there's the problem of limited US government
funding for Internet activities, and the fear that it is losing
touch with its charter to link researchers.

Despite its strengths, Harris is personally ambivalent about
the  Internet. "It's a link that everyone can now deal with. It's
not a competitive network, it's something everyone can be a
part of. Because it's neutral everyone's starting to make it a
common interchange. It's gotten to the point where you have
to have access, but it's still not very elegant."

Harris personally has been surprised and impressed by the
elegance of the Sierra Network, a games system started by
Sierra OnLine. "The Sierra Network is the best thing out there
for gaming. I was playing it the other night, a multi-player
Red Baron game, flying a plane against three other guys. There
were great graphics, like Microsoft's Flight Simulator, and
there were three other guys doing the same thing."

If there's a bronze medal to be awarded for news in this
category, Harris gives it to ZiffNet, which is extending its
reach beyond CompuServe to Prodigy. The Ziff magazines'
network has taken its section of the market, for user support,
away from Bix. General Videotex' Delphi unit bought Bix from
McGraw-Hill, but still has only about 50,000 members, says
Harris. "They just took the subscribers, just like when a
magazine goes under."

At mid-year, Harris estimates, Prodigy has only about 800,000
paying users, although it claims 2.5 million, while CompuServe
leads the race with one million, followed by GEnie with
350,000 and  America OnLine with 170,000. Prodigy's future
remains in doubt. The company has taken to holding press
briefings only for reporters known to be friendly, refusing to
even send information to those who've written negative
stories. "If you wrote-off what they've spent to date, they
might make money, but I wouldn't invest in them," says Harris.
The company is unlikely to reach its goal of having over 10
million paid users by mid-decade, he feels.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920729/Press Contact: Jupiter
Communications, Joshua Harris, 212-627-1500)


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

Losses Continue At McCaw 07/30/92
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- McCaw
Communications, the nation's largest cellular system operator
and one of the closest thing to a "pure play" in the industry for
stock-pickers, continues to lose money.

The losses are called by continuing investments in its network,
and acquisitions of other carriers. Neither McCaw nor analysts
seem concerned about the losses, calling them normal for a
fast-growing business in a capital-intensive industry.

Since cash flow remains positive, and the numbers keep
rising fast, the company is considered a success.

For the quarter ending in June McCaw lost $85.6 million.
Analysts note that's far less than the $133.7 million lost
a year earlier.

More important, they say, revenues rose 25 percent to
$426 million from $342 million. In addition to its cellular
network, McCaw has the fifth-largest paging network in
the US.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920730)


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

Spectrum Forms International Unit 07/30/92
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Spectrum
Information Technologies, which makes equipment linking
cellular phones to laptop computer modems, has created
an international unit.

Chairman Dana C. Verrill will personally head the new
Spectrum International unit, which will develop worldwide
sales and distribution networks for the company and try
to expand its Computer Bay franchise network outside of
the United States.

Verrill noted in a press statement that his company already
has sales agreements in place for Mexico, Australia, and
Canada. "With the addition of Computer Bay as a franchise
sales organization, we believe Spectrum can enjoy dramatic
growth opportunities throughout the world."

Spectrum International has already reached an agreement
in principle to form a joint venture with CompuServ of
Belgium. Spectrum International, Europe, will be based in
Geneva, Switzerland. Distribution agreements for its
Axsys and Axcell cellular-modem links will also be
sought.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920730/Press Contact: Spectrum
Information Technologies, Kathy L. Bachand,
1-800-FOR-SPCL)


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

 ****Study Calls Bell Divestiture A Rip-Off 07/30/92
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- In a
conclusion he called "startling and disturbing," researcher
Bruce Kushnick charged that the public is being ripped-off
as a result of the 1984 break-up of the Bell System.

Kushnick's New Networks Institute, a telecommunications
market research and analysis firm based in New York, came
to that conclusion as Phase One of an ongoing project called
"10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Information
Age."

Kushnick charged that both Congress and the Federal
Communications Commission are making decisions about
the future of telecommunications "based on incomplete
and misguided information, and these decisions should
be reexamined."

Specifically, Kushnick recommends that Congress explore
the dismantling of the seven regional Bell companies created
by divestiture. Ironically, Pacific Telesis is considering
just such a break-up, between regulated and unregulated
entities, in a bid to increase the value of its business to
shareholders.

In his report, Kushnick charges that FCC statistics on local
charges are incomplete, and that in fact the cost of local
service has risen 315 percent since 1984, with New York
City charges have growing 553 percent since 1980.

The FCC claims such costs are up just 50 percent. Service,
Kushnick charges, has not improved. Kushnick said long
distance charges have gone down by 60 percent, but other
studies have charged that the decrease in long distance
costs represents only a reduction in the money paid by
long distance companies to access local networks.

Most damning, Kushnick charged that the regional Bells have
changed their mandate from supplying, "Universal Service at a
Reasonable Price" to pursuing a strategy which first serves
their investors.  $11.3 billion has been spent in the last three
years on foreign investments. Using their natural monopoly
positions, Kushnick charges these regional Bells are costing
consumers $5.6 billion in extra charges for toll calls, while
the average consumer bill shows over $125 a year in added
fees and expenses.

Kushnick came to his conclusion after examining actual
charges and payments of telephone bills from 1980-92.
Information was combined with data from over 1,600
separate documents, with sources including the FCC, the
Department of Justice, the Bells' own BellCore research
group, the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners, telephone company annual reports, tariffs,
and product literature.

Kushnick will now look at the future of the industry,
including the creation of a new telecommunications agency,
a plan for regional Bell divestiture of their local networks,
the creation of a universal fiber network, and the outlook
for new services based on area codes like 500, 600, and
(star)100.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19920730/Press Contact: Bruce
Kushnick, New Networks Institute, 212-837-7867)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00013)

UK: Epson Unveils Low-Cost Laser Printer 07/30/92
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HERTS, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Epson
UK has unveiled the EPL 4000, a six pages-per-minute (ppm)
laser printer that sells for UKP 799. According to the company,
the budget price does not mean budget performance -- the unit
is HP IIP-compatible and supports Microart printing.

Microart is Epson's name for a toner transfer system that the
company claims avoids any blurring. The system uses very
finely ground toner to ensure an even distribution of print on
the page.

Announcing the printer, Epson officials point to the six ppm laser
engine and compared it to similarly priced printers that work at
four ppm. The higher print speed means that the first page starts
rolling out of the machine within 20 seconds of "dumping" the
image from the PC.

Unusually for a budget laser, the EPL 4000 comes with serial
and parallel interfaces as standard features. This, the company
claims, allows it to be linked to two PCs at once -- an optional
third PC input is available.

Other standard features include 14 fonts and 512 kilobytes
(KB) of memory, expandable in 512KB or two megabyte (MB)
increments to 5.5MB. An IC (integrated circuit) card slot
allows Adobe Postscript to be added to the printer quickly
and easily, with access to 35 scalable Postscript fonts.

Announcing the printer, Mark Vagg, Epson's product manager
for non-impact printers, said that the EPL 4000 is compatible
with Epson FX and LQ printer emulations.

"We see the EPL 4000 as a first time laser for those making a
technology change from either daisywheel or dot matrix. The
user will, however, find no compromise with its six ppm true
laser quality output," he said.

To encourage users to consider switching from dot matrix to
laser printers, Epson is offering a free guide to potential
purchasers of the EPL 4000. "What you should know before
buying a laser" is available by calling toll-free on
0800-220546.

(Steve Gold/19920730/Press & Public Contact: Epson UK -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00014)

AST Europe Mirrors US Price Cuts 07/30/92
BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- AST
Europe has announced major price cuts on its range of PCs.
The cuts, which range up to 29 percent, follow closely in the
wake of the 40 percent-plus cuts applied to the company's
US range of machines.

Graham Hopper, AST's general manager, said that the
European  price cuts take effect immediately. "This is not a
new departure for ADT. We have consistently led the way
forward in achieving aggressive prices without
compromising quality. At AST, our success is built on
keeping overheads such as manufacturing and cost of sales
low. This has enabled us to offer customers a price and
quality balance that our competitors have difficult
matching," he said.

Example price cuts are: the Premium Exec 386SX/20 notebook,
which falls 29 percent to UKP 995. All of AST's notebooks are
being bundled with a free internal fax/modem, which helps to
soften the fact that UK pricing on AST's portables is a lot
higher than in the US, where a 47 price cut took place.

Elsewhere in AST's range, pricing has been cut by lesser
amounts. The Bravo 3/25s Windows 3.1 bundle has been cut
by 19 percent to UKP 995. The equivalent system based on a
33MHz 486 chipset, the Bravo 4/33 Windows 3. bundle, has
been cut by 20 percent down to UKP 1,595.

(Steve Gold/19920730/Press & Public Contact: AST
Europe - Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00015)

Artisoft Moves European HQ To The Netherlands 07/30/92
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Artisoft
has announced plans to move its European headquarters to
the Netherlands, reducing its former UK-based European HQ
down to a country-specific office.

Dave Hallmen, Artisoft's vice president of sales and
marketing, said that the European market is expanding very
quickly. Over the last year, he said, sales had increased to
the point where a move to the Netherlands was a logical step.

"Having the facility to centralize all of Artisoft's business
functions, including assembly and fulfillment operations, at the
new European headquarters will allow the company to react
more quickly to the European market and speed up order
response times," he said.

The new European headquarters will be headed by Robert
McKinley, who was promoted recently to become director of
North American sales. McKinley takes up his new position
when the new Euro-HQ opens in September.

Dave Ball, Artisoft's UK marketing director, explained that
the UK office will now be able to concentrate on UK sales.
Despite the recession, he claims that the market for sales
of Lantastic (Artisoft's peer-to-peer networking system)
are up for grabs.

"We believe that there is still huge potential that is almost
untapped within the small and medium-sized business
community. It will be Artisoft UK's task to exploit this
market," he said.

Ball claims that the first year of the company's UK
operations has been very successful, meaning that Artisoft
needed a method meeting the growing demand for Lantastic.
"The new European structure gives us the ability to get
product to market much more efficiently than was
previously possible," he said.

(Steve Gold/19920730/Press & Public Contact: Artisoft
- Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00016)

Dynatek Launches RAIDER Disk Array 07/30/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- DynaTek
Automation Systems has launched a redundant disk array
subsystem, RAIDER, at the PC Canada/LAN Expo show in
Toronto.

The subsystem uses the redundant array of inexpensive disks
(RAID) concept, in which data is stored on more than one of an
array of disks so that if one disk fails, all data is still
available and the computer system can keep running. Dynatek's
twist on this concept is to use completely self-contained disk
units that snap into a multi-disk chassis. Each disk unit
contains its own independent power supply, a spokesman
explained.

A failed disk can be pulled out of the chassis and replaced
with a new drive in a matter of seconds, the spokesman said.
A self-powered array controller is also built into the
subsystem.

According to Dynatek, the RAIDER subsystem can be set up to
support RAID Level 0, 1, 3, or 5 (various ways of distributing
data across multiple disks to provide different levels of
security). It is compatible with Small Computer Systems
Interface (SCSI)-2 connections.

The RAIDER subsystem is available in six configurations
providing from 1,320 to 8,000 megabytes (MB) of effective
formatted storage capacity. Each configuration uses six
separate disk drive modules. The subsystem is shipping now.

(Grant Buckler/19920730/Press Contact: Barbara Mighton,
Dynatek, 416-636-3000, fax [phone]; Public Contact:
Dynatek, 416-636-3000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00017)

Interface Group Plans Comdex/Canada Show In 1993 07/30/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- International
computer show producer The Interface Group plans in 1993 to
run its first Comdex/Canada show. The announcement makes
Canada the third country currently hosting a Comdex event.

Interface runs two Comdex shows in the United States -- the
annual "fall" show in Las Vegas is North America's largest
computer show -- and recently launched a South American
Comdex in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In the past the company has run European shows in Amsterdam
and Paris, a Japanese Comdex, and an Australian version. All of
those shows were discontinued because the computer
distribution model in those areas did not lend itself to what
the shows set out to do, said Richard Schwab, vice-president
of The Interface Group.

While Comdex in the United States has traditionally been
seen as a show for computer resellers rather than for user
organizations, Schwab said the Canadian show will be aimed
at both groups. He said a key reason for launching the
Canadian show was exhibitors' desire to reach ultimate
buyers as well as dealers and distributors, meaning they need
more regional shows to get closer to those customers.

Comdex/Canada will grow out of the LAN Expo and PC Canada
shows now run by The Interface Group. Next year's event, to be
held July 13-15 at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Center,
will have three parts: LAN Expo, Windows World, and Corporate
Computing.

Schwab said his "guesstimate" of attendance at the 1993
Comdex/Canada would be 10,000 to 15,000. Attendance at
this year's LAN Expo and PC Canada, which ran July 28-30,
was estimated at 5,000 to 7,000, he said.

(Grant Buckler/19920730/Press Contact: Kim Pappas or
Cheryl Delgreco, The Interface Group, 617-449-6600;
Public Contact: The Interface Group, 617-449-6600)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00018)

 ****IBM, Lexmark File Another Laser Cartridge Suit 07/30/92
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Fresh from
winning a lawsuit against LaserTek for selling refilled laser-
printer toner cartridges in boxes bearing the IBM logo, IBM
and spinoff Lexmark International are now suing the company
that made the boxes.

IBM and Lexmark have accused California-based Graphic
Technologies of violating IBM's trademark rights and
copying its packaging design. According to the suit, Graphic
Technologies also deceptively sold refilled one-time-use
IBM LaserPrinter toner cartridges.

IBM and Lexmark have asked US District Court in Los Angeles
for a preliminary injunction that would make Graphic
Technologies and its principals cease using the IBM trademark,
change their packaging and clearly label their products to
avoid confusion among dealers and consumers. They also
seek monetary damages.

Joe Frazer, a spokesman for Lexmark, said the issue is the
misrepresentation of the refilled cartridges as new IBM
products.

He added that Lexmark and IBM believe this practice to be
widespread, and not limited to the companies named in
lawsuits so far. But Frazer said he "couldn't really say
whether there will be other (lawsuits)."

Lexmark, a former division of IBM, develops and markets
IBM LaserPrinters and IBM LaserPrinter toner cartridges
under exclusive license from IBM.

(Grant Buckler/19920730/Press Contact: Brian D. Doyle,
IBM, 914-765-6432; Joe A. Frazer, Lexmark, 606-232-6906;
Public Contact: IBM, 914-765-1900)


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

New For Networks: 16-Port Concentrator 07/30/92
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- At the
LAN Expo/PC Canada show here, Richmond Hill, Ontario-
based Pure Data introduced a 16-port Ethernet concentrator,
the PDC8023A-T16.

Like Pure Data's eight-port Ethernet concentrators, the new
unit comes with the company's standard link integrity LEDs
(light emitting diodes), reversed polarity detection and
correction, jabber lockup protection, and automatic
partitioning of bad segments, officials said.

The small unit is well suited to desktop use and smaller
offices, the manufacturer said, and complies with IEEE 802.3
standards. Both 110-volt and 220-volt models will be offered.

The concentrator carries a five-year warranty, and is
supported by a 24-hour bulletin board service, a technical
services hotline, Pure Data's CompuServe Information Forum,
and a product exchange program, the company said.

Priced at C$1,295, the PDC8023A-T16 concentrator is due
to be available in mid-August, a company spokeswoman said.

(Grant Buckler/19920730/Press Contact: Ann Orr, Pure Data,
416-731-6444, fax [phone]; Public Contact: Pure Data,
416-731-6444)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00020)

Sigma Data To Resell Australian Token Ring Cards 07/30/92
NEW LONDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Sigma
Data is a company that specializes in PC upgrades. If you need
a 386 to replace your aging AT, or you need more memory, or
a larger capacity hard disk, then that's the kind of stuff that
you can get from Sigma Data. Now, the company is foraying
into the network interface card business.

Sigma Data has established a relationship with an Australian
engineering firm - Hypertec. Hypertec has designed, and is
manufacturing, the Token Ring card, while Sigma Data will be
responsible for marketing and supporting the cards in the US.

Hypertec and Sigma Data are actually going to be marketing two
cards: the HyperRing Classic is an eight-bit bus interface Token
Ring card; while the HyperRing MC is a 16-bit bus Token Ring
interface card. Both cards work in the ISA (Industry Standard
Architecture) bus.

Sigma Data claims that the cards are very compatible with the
IBM network interface card. The company points to the use of
the exact same chipset as the one that IBM uses as proof of
that.

The Hypertec cards do offer one technical advantage over the
equivalent IBM card. The HyperRing cards support both shielded
twisted pair wiring as well as unshielded twisted pair wiring.
Both types of wiring are supported via a D9 STP connector
that is provided on-board. The cards have a socket on board
that accepts standard IBM Remote Program Load ROM chips
which can eliminate the need for either a workstation disk
or a disk drive to be used.

The HyperRing cards sport a price tag of $855 and are
shipping now. The company offers a two year warranty on
all of their products.

(Naor Wallach/19920730, Press Contact: Walter Chapin,
Sigma Data, 603-526-6909)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00021)

New For Mac: Claris MacProject Pro Project Mgt 07/30/92
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) --
Continuing several trends that it has undertaken lately, Claris
has announced plans to release a major new upgrade to the
venerable Macintosh Project planning program MacProject. The
new version will be known as MacProject Pro.

Aside from the naming convention trend (MacDraw Pro,
FileMaker Pro) this product will also be shown for the first
time at the MacWorld Expo next week.

MacProject Pro contains well over 100 new features and
enhancements. One of the major changes in the program is that
it has been completely written by Claris engineers.

Of all of the new features and enhancement, Claris pointed to
two as being of the most importance to potential users. First,
Claris has added one more way in which a project can be
started. Should the customer desire, he can begin with an
outlining form where a brainstorming of ideas would lead to
the logical segmentation of the project. Only once the project
logic is complete will the project be transferred to the more
standard view. This feature is optional. If the project creator
is already familiar with MacProject, or with other project
management tools of a similar ilk, then that user can start
putting the project in to the program in the older more
traditional, ways.

A second major new enhancement area was in the addition of
the ability to more fully customize reports and charts. Claris
has found that one of the major unanticipated uses of
MacProject is to create presentation to others. Many times
the level of detail present in a project is too much for the
presentation and users had to resort to other tools and
reenter data to accomplish their tasks. To solve this problem,
Claris is introducing many new features that have to do with
customizing the views and reports that MacProject Pro can
generate.

MacProject Pro will be shown at Claris' booth at the MacWorld
Expo that will be held in Boston next week. The program is
scheduled to begin shipping in the fall. The program will retail
for $599. Upgrades from previous versions of MacProject will
be available for $99. Users of other project management
program will be able to switch to MacProject Pro for $199.

(Naor Wallach/19920730/Press Contact: Kevin Mallon, Claris,
408-987-7227; Public Contact: 408-987-7000)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00022)

Japan: Sharp Develops Hybrid Word Processor 07/30/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Sharp is claiming that
it has developed a "unique" Japanese word processor, that
can switch between a word processor mode and a DOS/V-
compatible personal computer mode. It also has almost all
the necessary features to be a personal business organizer.

Sharp's so-called "hybrid" word processor is claimed to be
a first in the industry. It is part of the firm's "Shoin" word
processor family, and is called the "Shoin Pasocom"
(personal computer).

The device is equipped with a Japanese and English word
processor, a scheduler, an address book, a card file, a
calculator, a spreadsheet and an automatic letter-writing
feature. It has also a capability called "personal desk
publishing mode," which the company claims provides
type-setting for newspapers and books.

The most unique feature is the switcher between the word
processor and the personal computer. The device will take
you to the personal computer mode with a single switch of
a button from the menu. The personal computer mode will
provide the compatibility to IBM's DOS/V-based programs.

The Shoin Pasocom is a portable-type unit that can be
carried around. A quality 400-dpi (dots-per-inch) printer
and a ten-key pad come with the machine. It also has four
kinds of Japanese and English fonts, super-outline fonts, a
750,000 word artificial intelligence dictionary, DOS/V
operating system, and a 640 by 480-dot LCD (liquid crystal
display). The display supports IBM's VGA mode.

There are four versions available: from a floppy disk-only
to an 80 megabyte (MB) hard disk version. The floppy disk
version costs 330,000 yen ($2,650), and the 80MB hard disk
version costs 590,000 yen ($4,700).

The Shoin word processor family has been one of the best-
selling Japanese word processing machines in Japan.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920730/Press Contact: Sharp,
[phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00023)

IBM Japan Links With Kuroda Electric On Memory 07/30/92
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- IBM Japan has signed an
agreement with Kuroda Electric concerning the sales of IBM's
semiconductor chips. The agreement calls for Kuroda Electric
to market IBM Japan's memory chips.

To start, Kuroda Electric will sell a four-megabit dynamic
RAM, which is currently manufactured at IBM Japan's Nosu
plant in Shiga Prefecture. According to Kuroda Electric, the
firm has already received chip purchase orders from
about 20 Japanese electronics makers.

IBM group wants to sell about 10 percent of total shipment
of the chips to other firms in five years. This is a big change
since IBM was producing the products for the group firms
only, and the firm was not selling them to other firms. IBM
Japan will not produce any application specific chips, but
in the near future, the firm will sell logic integrated circuits
(ICs).

Kuroda Electric has been a major firm concerning the sales
of electric parts and products, especially the sales of printed
circuit boards. The company has also been selling liquid
crystal displays (LCDs). The firm has the sales of 51.5 billion
yen ($410 million), and a profit of about 1.2 billion yen ($10
million) for fiscal 1991.

Kuroda electric plans to list its stocks on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange in about three years. IBM Japan has been sounding
out other electronics parts dealers concerning similar
sales agreements.

Meanwhile, IBM Japan has welcomed Seiko-Epson as a
member firm of its Open Architecture Developers' Group. As
a member of this group, Seiko-Epson will develop and sell
DOS/V-based IBM-compatible personal computers in the
near future. Seiko-Epson has also been selling NEC-
compatible personal computers. The firm was producing
IBM PC/AT-compatible PC in the US, but due to the current
recession, the firm has recently stopped the production.

(Masayuki Miyazawa/19920730/Press Contact: IBM Japan,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(SYD)(00024)

Australia: Air Force Training Simulator Upgraded 07/30/92
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- The RAAF (Royal
Australian Airforce) has upgraded its simulator at the
Edinburgh Base to cut training costs for new pilots.

The simulator, based on IBM RISC 6000 technology, gives
trainees training on the PC3 Orion maritime surveillance
aircraft.

Involving advanced training in radar, electronic warfare,
acoustic  warfare and doppler effect, the simulator provides
trainees the basic skills needed in anti-submarine search
and destroy missions.

The simulator is the result of collaboration between the RAAF,
IBM  Australia and the Adelaide branch of Aspect Computing.
The system comprises of an IBM RISC 6000 server with 10
workstations running the Ada language and connected by an
Ethernet network. All the equipment was manufactured at
IBM's Wangaratta plant in Victoria.

It is expected the simulator will pay for itself very quickly.
Despite the AUS$680,000 cost of the system, in-flight training
using an Orion aircraft costs approximately AUS$10,000 an
hour.

The graphical interface, the student database, simulation
scenarios impractical in real-life training (with editing
possible during the scenario), and monitoring of up to four
simulations by one instructor, are just some of the
advantages the RAAF claims to have seen in the system.

The system is adaptable to simulate other aircraft as
well. "It's a very attractive alternative to the expensive
purpose-built simulation systems that are currently
available," said Squadron Leader Mark Ryan, commanding
officer of the Training School at the base.

(Sean McNamara/19920730/Press Contact: Department
of Defence (Air Office), [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00025)

Australia: Micro Byte Computer Brand Returns 07/30/92
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Australian
consumers will soon see the return of the Micro Byte
brandname on locally-produced computers, after an
announcement by Terran Computers. Micro Byte entered
receivership in June 1990, and was bought by Terran in
March 1991 for an undisclosed sum.

The computers featuring the Micro Byte badge, a range of
386SX and 486-based systems, are part of Terran's new
Lyrebird range of IBM-compatibles.

Micro Byte has been absorbed by Terran and will act as
its PC marketing and distribution company. Terran currently
has around 160 dealers throughout Australia. The systems
bear little resemblance to the original Micro Byte machines,
which were aimed at the lower end, and this change reflects
Terran's main target market, the "quality" market.

Terran used Compaq computers as their role-model when
designing the Lyrebird computers, purchasing and examining
Compaq machines during the design process. "We need to
offer the same quality and performance (as a Compaq) at a
better price - that's our benchmark," said Peter Nunn, Micro
Byte's managing Director.

Terran is currently competing against "name-brand" PCs
such as IBM and Compaq, as well as a large number of
South-East Asian manufactured clones. However, using
robotic assembly lines, and VLSI (very large scale
integration) chips, the company is able to erode the
advantage of cheap labor these clone-makers enjoy.

(Sean McNamara/19920730/Press Contact: Peter Nunn,
[phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LAX)(00026)

Stac's Investors File Class Action Suit 07/30/92
CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- While
Stac's third quarter earnings ending June 30 were up, its
stock holders have filed a class action suit against the
company claiming they were misled about the company's
performance by statements from the management. Stac
makes hardware and software to compress data and offer
IBM and compatible personal computer users more disk
space.

On July 21, the day after the earnings announcement, Stac's
stock dived $3 per share to close at $5.50. Reports claim
the drop was due to disappointment after analysts predicted
the company would announce earnings of about $3.5 million
(14 cents a share). The company's stock has been steadily
falling in price from a high in May of around $14 a share to
the current price of just over $5 a share.

On July 20, Stac reported earnings of $2.76 million (11 cents
per share) up from $895,000 (4 cents a share) a year ago. The
company's revenues are up from the $3 million reported last
year to $10.1 million this year.

The class action suit names the company and officers and
directors Gary W. Clow, Douglas L. Whiting, Robert W. Johnson,
and Arthur J. Collmeyer.

According to Stac the suit alleges that the defendants misled
the plaintiffs concerning the financial condition and prospects
of the company. Also, the suit includes claims for violation of
the federal securities laws, Stac added.

Carlsbad, California-based Stac denies there is any validity to
the suit. Stac's president and chief executive officer, Gary
Clow, said in a prepared statement: "It is unfortunate that
suits such as this one have become routine in today's world.
Stac has consistently fulfilled its disclosure obligations to
its investors, and we intend to continue to do so."

The company is also currently embroiled in a suit with a new
competitor, Integrated Information Technology (IIT) over IIT's
Xtradrive coprocessor card. The coprocessor card reportedly
speeds up the data compression process and Stac claims the
IIT card is a copy of its own coprocessor card.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920730/Press Contact: John Witzel,
Stac Electronics, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00027)

Cray Announces New C++ Supercomputer Compiler 07/30/92
EAGAN, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Cray Research
has announced the Cray C++ Compiling System version 1.0, a
supercomputer object-oriented version of Unix System
Laboratories' C++ Language System 3.0.1, that operates with
the existing Cray Standard C Compiler. Cray says the new C++
Compiler runs on all the company's supercomputer systems
from its entry-level CRAY Y-MP EL system to its high-end
CRAY Y- MP C90 system.

The growing movement toward object-oriented software
development is spreading to the supercomputer community,
Cray claims.

Object-oriented programming is a technique for programming
that allows a developer to build an application by first
building reusable pieces that perform functions, then linking
the pieces together. Once the fundamental pieces for an
application are built, they can be reused in other applications
or by other programmers to speed up application development.

Like most C compilers, the Cray C++ Compiling System includes
"class libraries" or blocks of ready-made software code for
programmers to incorporate in their code for doing standard
operations like input/output streams and complex numbers, the
company said.

Cray says the new C++ compiler is solid and points out the
C++ code is running successfully on its Y-MP system, on
workstations, and the company's massively parallel
computers.

Last month, the Cray announced Cray Research IRIS Explorer,
an object-oriented application building environment based on
Silicon Graphics' IRIS Explorer software product which was
written in C++.

C and C++ are popular languages for software development by
professional software developers because they are widely
supported, and applications written in the languages can be
"ported" or moved to other hardware platforms. C and C++ have
been called by some the "assembly language" products of the
90's.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920730/Press Contact: Chris Malecek;
Mona, Meyer, McGrath & Gavin for Cray Research; tel 612-
832-5000; fax [phone])


(CORRECTION)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00028)

CORRECTION: New Book Offers How-To For Virus Creators 07/30/92
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) --
Newsbytes quoted Virginia Beach, Virginia-based computer
consultant Roger Grimes on July 17, 1992, as saying the
computer virus problem accelerated when computer antivirus
software developers McAfee Associates, (Santa Clara,
California) started offering a cash reward to those offering
new virus strains to the company.

McAfee's Chief Operating Officer Bill McKiernan said,
"McAfee Associates has never offered a reward of any sort
for sending a computer virus, new or otherwise, to the
company for analysis. We will provide the infected party
with an updated copy of our software to remove the virus
if they request it."

McKiernan also added, "The 'cash reward' myth is a
complete fabrication and completely untrue."

Newsbytes apologizes for any inconvenience this
may have caused.

(Linda Rohrbough/19920730/Press Contact: Aryeh Gorestsky,
McAfee Associates, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00029)

 ****Major Apple Moves: Mac Price Cuts/Discount Powerbooks 07/30/92
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- The San
Francisco Examiner reports that Apple Computer will cut prices
on several Macintosh models in August and reports, along with
trade publication MacWeek, that Apple will introduce a line of
multimedia Macintoshes, one with a CD-ROM drive, in October.
Meanwhile,  Apple is selling its least powerful Powerbook, the
100 Model 4/40 through warehouse discounter Price Club.

Apple refuses to comment on the price cut and new model
reports. The Examiner says Apple will bring out a new version
of the Powerbook this fall.

The original Powerbook 100 4/40 is being sold en-masse
through  Price Club outlets, a series of 70 membership-only
warehouse  stores throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada. The
store does not give out prices on the phone, and Apple said it
does not have the price that Price Club has set for the
Powerbook either.

Apple spokeswoman Betty Taylor calls the Price Club venture,
"a limited experiment." She says Apple wants to gain new
experience with retail channels, and this is an opportunity to
test this one. Dell Computer has been selling large numbers of
its computers through Price Club.  According to a recent
Dataquest study, warehouse outlets will account for 35 percent
of business sales and 47 percent of all home personal computer
sales by 1995.

Taylor says the Powerbook 100 4/40 model was taken off the
official dealer price list earlier this month and it is no longer
being carried by Authorized Apple dealers.

Meanwhile, Newsbytes has learned that Apple will announce
an extension to System 7 which will "help with ease of use for
the Macintosh in certain markets," on August 3, the day before
Macworld is to begin in Boston.

(Wendy Woods/19920730)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00030)

India: Software To Help Handicapped Write 07/30/92
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1992 JUL 30 (NB) -- Adaptive technology
extends another ray of hope for people, whose physical
handicap, and not their lack of intellectual abilities, has
denied them access to computers. A software product,
developed at Indian Institute for Research in Information
Sciences (IRIS), affiliated to the computer training industry
leader, NIIT, enables a physically handicapped person to
write, who is otherwise unable to wield a pen or type
on a keyboard.

Christened I-Write, the package is claimed to be adaptable
to any kind of disability other than blindness.

A few months ago, a similar communication aid was
developed at the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, jointly
set up by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (which Newsbytes reported in
March 92).

Compared to the earlier aid, where the user had to tap on
the keyboard in order to access the computer, I-Write also
offers the option of movement or sound, with a light sensor
or microphone.

In the former, the task is achieved by breaking the sensor
beam of light (the source of which can even be a ceiling light),
while the microphone can be tapped or the user could even
blow on it, sending the required signals to the computer.

This package, in contrast to the earlier aid, lays more
emphasis on ability to write, rather than to serve as a
communication aid. It displays only the alphabets, numbers
and punctuation marks in six rows. Moreover, the recent
package is also equipped with a vocabulary of commonly
used words, which can be altered using the add word option.

The package has been developed by a three member team of
J.R. Issac, P. Sen, and Supriya Rao Patwardhan, attached to
the IRIS. They propose to enhance this software, so that a
physically handicapped person can also be taught
programming.

The I-Write software permits the intelligent mind of a
handicapped person to overcome the physical handicap and
to write on computers. The person can now write a poem, a
letter to someone or even solve problems using computers.
The person can use a computer by a simple one touch system
that lets him enter an alphabet, a word, or a number and
helps print whatever is written.

The moment the user logs on, the monitor displays the
alphabets, numbers and punctuations in six rows. The cursor
moves row by row and enables the user to make the
appropriate selection. The cursor movement itself can be
slowed down to levels at which the user feels at ease.
Moreover, the package is also equipped with a "vocabulary
of commonly used words," which can be altered as the user
desires.

Speaking to Newsbytes, Isaac, an ex-professor of computer
science at IIT Bombay, summed up the benefits of this
software: "When we interact with the spastic children, what
comes across is their fierce desire to be independent. And
that is precisely what our I-Write tries to offer them."

Available on the platform of the BBC microcomputer (which
happens to be still in use in many government schools here)
and IBM PC and compatibles, the system's price tag varies
between Rs 3000 ($100) and Rs 6000 ($200), depending on
the version and interfaces coming with it. A plan to install
the software at all the NIIT Computerdromes is in the
pipeline.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19920728/Press Contact: Prof. J.R. Isaac,
IRIS/NIIT, 8 Balaji Estate, Sudarshan Munjal Marg, Kalkaji,
New Delhi 110 019; Tel: [phone];
Fax: [phone]; Tlx: 031-75286)