Newsbytes - International Computing Industry News 1983 May to 1994 June

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(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00001) IBM, Hollywood Firm In MPEG Development Deal 01/07/93 YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- IBM and Laser-Pacific Media Corp., a Hollywood-based supplier of film, video, and digital sound post-production services for movies and television, have announced an agreement to develop video compression technology using IBM's Power Visualization System (PVS). The work will be based on the Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG) compression standards. The Power Visualization System is a supercomputer with parallel-processing architecture that allows very rapid processing of large amounts of digital-image information, according to IBM. While it currently uses other reduced instruction-set computing (RISC) technology, IBM plans in future to use the Power PC processor technology, on which it is working with Apple Computer Inc., and Motorola Corp., in the PVS. Laser-Pacific officials said they have made a multimillion- dollar commitment to the project in acquiring the PVS and related hardware. Laser-Pacific plans to use the software it develops to offer services to movie and TV production companies, Executive Vice-President Leon Silverman said. Intended to be fully operational by the middle of 1993, the compression operation will be based at a new facility to be located near Laser-Pacific's Hollywood headquarters. IBM may use the technology in products which it will market to other computer users, Silverman added. IBM spokesman Dennis Arvay said there is no set timetable for such products at this point, but he did say the technology is applicable not just to supercomputers, but to less costly workstations as well. Officials of the two firms said they expect their work to facilitate the emerging technologies of video-on-demand, compact-disk-based full-motion video, and other digitally distributed media. Current available MPEG encoding technology is slow and expensive, they said. A statement from the firms said MPEG implementation on the PVS is software-based, allowing more sophisticated parameter selection that leads to higher picture quality. Officials said the PVS system will also be more adaptable than hardware-based compression systems as standards change. (Grant Buckler/19930106/Press Contact: Dennis Arvay, IBM, 914-945-3471; Leon Silverman, Laser-Pacific Media, 213-462-6266) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00002) Interface Group Seeks Sell Out Of Comdex/Canada Space 01/07/93 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Computer show organizer The Interface Group, of Needham, Massachusetts, is hoping to sell all the exhibit space at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the first Comdex/Canada show in July. Spokeswoman Kim Pappas said the company has booked all of the convention center's exhibit space, making about 95,000 square feet of space available for exhibits. This would accommodate a little more than 200 exhibitors, she said, and more than 160 have already reserved space for the show, which is scheduled for July 13 to 15. Exhibitors already signed up include Borland International, Computer Associates Canada, Digital Equipment of Canada, Hayes Microcomputer Products, IBM Canada, Ingram Micro, Lotus Development Canada, Microsoft Canada, and WordPerfect Corp. Apple Computer is not on the most recent exhibitor list provided to Newsbytes. Richard Schwab, vice-president of The Interface Group, told Newsbytes earlier that he would "guesstimate" between 10,000 and 15,000 people will attend the show. The Canadian Computer Show, the country's largest industry event, attracts about 300 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors, according to figures from its organizers, Industrial Trade and Consumer Shows Inc., of Toronto. While it is the first show officially called Comdex/Canada, the 1993 show is in a sense a continuation of the LAN Expo and Windows World shows which the company ran simultaneously at the convention center this year. (Grant Buckler/19930106/Press Contact: Kim Pappas, The Interface Group, 617-449-6600) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00003) Boston Trade Show To Focus On Service, Support 01/07/93 YARMOUTH, MAINE, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Service News, a monthly newspaper that deals with computer and network service and support, has announced plans for a trade show and conference focusing on those topics. Systems Support Expo is scheduled for May 11 and 12 at the World Trade Center in Boston. Computer vendors Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NCR, and Novell will co-sponsor the show, said officials at United Publications, which publishes Service News. The organizers are aiming to sign up about 200 exhibitors for the event, said spokeswoman Christine Richards. Vendors will show products and services aimed at helping support computer and network users and maintain hardware. There will also be a help desk on the show floor, staffed by representatives of several vendors to deal with attendees' support problems. The conference program will be divided into three streams, said Becky Quinlan, a spokeswoman for the publisher's conference group. They will deal with hardware maintenance, network management, and the help desk. There will also be a series of seminars run by vendors - mainly the five sponsoring vendors - on topics such as outsourcing and putting together contracts, she said. Admittance to the show floor is free to those who register in advance, or $20 at the door. The conference program is $295, with a $20 discount for earlier registration. The seminar series will carry an extra charge, and one-day conference packages are also available, Quinlan said. (Grant Buckler/19930106/Press Contact: Christine B. Richards, United Publications, 207-846-0600, fax 207-846-0657; Public Contact: United Publications Conference Group, 207-846-0600) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00004) Canadian Phone Firms Not To Appeal Long Distance Ruling 01/07/93 OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Canada's telephone companies have decided not to launch a further appeal of the rules under which competing long-distance carriers will be allowed to connect to their networks. Just before Christmas, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled against the phone companies in an appeal of last summer's regulatory decision. While not challenging the basic idea of allowing competition in long-distance phone service, some of the phone companies had quarrelled with the way federal regulators had allocated the costs of connecting new competitors' networks to those of the existing phone companies. The phone companies said the terms gave an unfair edge to Toronto-based Unitel Communications Inc., and a coalition of BC Rail Telecommunications of Vancouver and Lightel Inc., of Toronto, both of which were given permission by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to offer competing long-distance service. The decision not to appeal the ruling further means work can start on connecting the new carriers' networks to those of the phone companies as soon as the carriers submit formal requests to do so, said John Morris, a spokesman for Bell Canada. It will take 12 to 18 months to provide equal access to the new long-distance services, meaning customers will be able to use the service they choose without dialing extra digits, Morris said. Some special services will take longer. Competitive long-distance services are already available in some major Canadian cities, but at present customers must dial extra digits to use them. The CRTC ruling affects all of Canada except the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where the telephone companies are owned and regulated by the provincial governments. Competition is expected in Manitoba, but the terms are under discussion. There is no sign at the moment that competition will be introduced in Saskatchewan. (Grant Buckler/19930106/Press Contact: John Morris, Bell Canada, 613-781-2443; Linda Gervais, Bell Canada, 613-781-3724) (NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00005) ****IBM Job Cuts Begin With New York Plants 01/07/93 POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- The process of cutting another 25,000 jobs from IBM's payroll - a target for 1993 which the ailing computer giant announced in December - has begun in upstate New York. IBM has announced plans to do away with as many as 3,500 jobs in plants in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and East Fishkill. In making the announcement, IBM also admitted that it will probably lay off employees this year, something it has never done before. IBM's Technology Products unit, which makes chips and electronic packaging devices, plans to cut 2,600 to 2,900 jobs in its East Fishkill and Poughkeepsie operations. The unit said it will offer incentives to employees to leave voluntarily and will try to help employees find jobs elsewhere in IBM, but if business does not pick up significantly, involuntary cuts will probably be necessary. Another 600 to 800 jobs will be cut from the Enterprise Systems operation in Kingston and Poughkeepsie. Enterprise Systems, which makes mainframes, expects to be able to make those cuts through voluntary incentives and attrition. IBM also announced that the Technology Products group will move its headquarters from Somers, New York to East Fishkill, and the Enterprise Systems group will shift its head-office staff to Poughkeepsie and Kingston. About 200 employees will move as part of that change. Other groups in Somers, including the IBM Personal Computer Co., will not be affected, company spokesman Jim Ruderman said. At the beginning of the year, IBM had 9,200 employees in East Fishkill, 8,100 in Poughkeepsie, and 4,200 in Kingston. (Grant Buckler/19930106/Press Contact: Pamela Olson, IBM, 914-894-3534; Brian Doyle, IBM, 914-433-1500) (NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00006) CES Show: Creative Labs' 16-Bit Sound, Supermac Deal 01/07/93 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Creative Labs is announcing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, that it is shipping the promised 16-bit version of its popular sound card, the Sound Blaster 16 ASP. In a separate announcement the company said it has also just formed an agreement with Supermac, producers of the Video Spigot for Macintosh and Windows, to cooperate on developing future digital video products for the IBM compatible personal computer (PC) market. Creative Labs says the Sound Blaster 16 ASP is designed as a complete PC sound subsystem. It will work with Windows 3.1, OS/2.0, and DOS and offers sound quality of a compact disc (CD), also known as 16-bit sound. The board will allow users to connect and run a CD-ROM drive as well as connect a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) device such as an electronic keyboard. It also has a joystick port. (The MIDI interface offers MPU-401 UART and Sound Blaster modes.) Users need to be aware, however, that the CD-ROM interface is proprietary and will not necessarily support every drive available. Creative Labs sound products have been popular because of their ease of use in the Microsoft Windows environment. The software drivers required to playback sounds are built-in to Windows and easily selected by the user. For recording, a microphone is included with the 16 ASP. Recording features include: auto dynamic filtering to ensure low noise and clear recording; four-operator, 20-voice FM music synthesis; selectable sampling rates from five kilohertz (kHz) to 44.1 kHz; the 90db, a 16-bit compression/decompression (codec) chip used in professional digital audio tape (DAT) machines; an improved 10-channel stereo digital mixer with 32 by 2 decibel (db) steps, tone control, input/output gain control; and a recording input mixer. Software bundled with the package includes HSC Interactive, for authoring multimedia presentations; PC Animate Plus, an animation software; Monologue for Windows, a patented text-to- speech program; a Multimedia Encyclopedia CD from Software Toolworks; and utilities. The utilities include Creative Wavestudio, a Windows-based sound editor; Creative Soundo'le, a versatile voice and music recording application; and Creative Talking Scheduler. Wave Blaster, a daughter-board for the 16 ASP geared toward the professional audio market is expected at the end of the first quarter of 1993, Creative Labs said. Wave Blaster will add 32- voice wave-table synthesis technology and is exclusively licensed from E-mu Systems. The Sound Blaster 16 ASP is retail priced at $349.95. The Wave Blaster is expected to be retail priced at $249. Also announced was the company's agreement with Supermac. Creative Labs says that, under the agreement, it immediately assumes worldwide marketing rights to Videospigot for Windows, a recently announced PC video capture card. The company says it also gets perpetual license rights to the Compactvideo Codec used for both the Mac and PC Videospigots. The Compactvideo Codec is a compression/decompression scheme used to squeeze the video down 15:1 so it takes less physical storage space. Milpitas, California-based Creative Labs has already introduced a video product for PCs, Video Blaster, which the company says is geared toward more professional users, while Videospigot is an entry-level product. The company is saying it is pleased to gain the rights to the Compactvideo Codec and says the technology will be "instrumental in future product development." (Linda Rohrbough/19930106/Press Contact: Benita Kenn, Creative Labs, tel 408-428-6600, fax 408-428-2394) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00007) New Networking Printing Standard Set For NetWorld 01/07/92 PORTLAND, OREGON, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- At the upcoming NetWorld Boston, the Network Printing Alliance (NPA) will unveil and distribute a new software specification that outlines a standard way for network printers to provide feedback to end users and systems administrators. The new specification will allow end users to determine the precise status of print jobs, and systems administrators to obtain printer accounting or usage information, all without leaving their workstations, said Ron Smith, NPA co-chair, in an interview with Newsbytes. Smith is also manager of advanced controller development at Texas Instruments, a company that joined with Intel, Lexmark, and Insight Development to form the NPA in April, 1991. "Traditionally, capabilities like those described by P1284 have been available only on mainframe printers," Smith told Newsbytes. Recently, some print server and printing management software vendors have been providing a certain degree of feedback, but on most networks, end users are limited to getting print job information off the front panel of the printer, he added. Further, the software now in use is proprietary, meaning that its methodology can only be used with the specific vendor's printers, Smith remarked. In contrast, the NPA specification calls for a base set of printer- to-host commands that are independent of communication interface, printer description, and printer technology page description language, so they can be used with any printer or computer. The commands call for communications to be sent from the printer, to the server where the print queue is located, to individual workstations on the network, he said. Although the proposed software will be configurable to individual company needs, the graphical user interface (GUI) will be consistent from one platform to the next. "End users and systems administrators will no longer have to relearn the system each time a new printer is added," he explained. An earlier NPA document, a hardware specification describing a high-speed bidirectional printer interface, is being used as the basis for a standard now being written by the Institute of Electrical and Engineers (IEEE) P1284 working group. The NPA has not yet decided whether to team up with other standards groups on the new software specification, said Curtis Tirrell, product marketing manager for network printing at Intel and also an active NPA participant. Tirrill told Newsbytes that the NPA software specification calls for provision of much more information than the amount currently being sent by Intel's hardware print servers. "Right now, users of our NetPort print servers can find out whether a printer is off-line, on-line, or out of paper. But with the specification, there'll be an infinite number of possibilities, including error messages like 'out of paper' and 'paper jam,'" he said. Mike Bemis, vice president of Insight Development, the developer and distributer of the Mosaic line of print management software, informed Newsbytes that the specification carries benefits for vendors as well as users. "We'll no longer have to write a separate set of software for each printer," he commented. Committee participants will be on hand to meet with NetWorld attendees from 10 am to 6 pm on Wednesday, January 13 at the show in Boston. At that time, copies of the software specification will be distributed as well. The specification can also be downloaded off the Intel Forum on Compuserve (GO INTEL). A white paper summarizing the specification can be obtained by calling Intel's 24-hour FaxBACK service at 800-525-3019 (US and Canada). (Jacqueline Emigh/19930106/Press contact: Laura Gaittens, Hastings, Humble, Giardini Inc. for Intel, tel 503-221-1063) (NEWS)(IBM)(DEL)(00008) India: Reshaping The High-End PC Landscape 01/07/93 NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- The arrival of international giants is reshaping the landscape of the Indian computer industry. Between the exit of IBM in 1978 and its reentry this year, multinationals have made inroads into the country. The post-liberalization onslaught, particularly in the high-end desktop segment, is turning huge assembly lines and not-so-huge research facilities that once were assets into liabilities. This is forcing giants like DCM Data Products, PCL, and Digital Equipment to adapt to the role of traders. In the West, companies in financial trouble are closing plants, cutting jobs, slashing overheads, spinning off subsidiaries, and outsourcing work. Companies are therefore searching for greener pastures in which to sell products. India has become a prime target. Hewlett-Packard and Compaq are already in India. Within the next six months Dell, DEC, IBM, and Apple Computer will be here. The companies will be emphasizing international brand names, quality, and longevity of product and after-sale service. HCL HP - a joint venture between the country's top computer manufacturer, Hindustan Computers Limited, and Hewlett-Packard - is pricing its Vectra PCs 20 percent higher than similar systems. Compaq is asking for a 25 percent premium. But some analysts question whether the companies can continue with premium pricing. The fact that, despite high prices, Compaq and HCL HP are flying high, shows the Indian customer is ready to pay more for quality products. However, Bikram Dasgupta of Pertech Computers Limited (PCL), marketers of Dell machines in the country, feels that once "image consciousness and novelty" wear off, premium costs will be difficult to maintain. Once the major players are established, analysts are predicting that the market will be driven by competition and price cutting. In an effort to survive, local manufacturers are likely to improve quality control, customer support, and reduce costs. Industry pundits are predicting that premium PCs will capture about 20 percent of the market. However, the premium which now currently hovers around 25 percent will come down to about ten. The lifting of physical restrictions and the lowering of customs tariff may result in the market being flooded with unbranded clones. However, analysts are predicting that in six months time, even for the premium market, "core competency" as management gurus would have it, will not be computer technology, but distribution and marketing. In advertising, HCL HP may talk about precision engineering, Digital Equipment India may harp on bundling MS Windows with DEC PCs, and Modi Olivetti may mention the Open Systems advantage, but it is worth watching how these vendors will be refurbishing their marketing forces. (C.T. Mahabarat/19930106) (NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00009) Indo-US Mission Termed Information 2000+ 01/07/93 NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- The Indo-US Sub-commission is putting the finishing touches to a series of projects under the rubric of "Information 2000+." For the next several years the sub-commission's activities will focus on this multi-program initiative aimed at exploring rapidly developing information and communication technologies and assessing their impact on the lives of Indians and Americans at the dawn of the 21st century. According to the sub-commission, Information 2000+ aims to offer a breadth of knowledge that can be used as the basis for making informed choices and a judicious use of the resources available. Designed and developed by leading authorities in the fields of information and communication from both countries, the programs will apply information technology to traditional areas of Indo-US cooperation: arts, science, education, and media. Information 2000+ will be inaugurated in New Delhi in March with an interdisciplinary symposium titled "The future of the Mind; The mind of the future." (C.T. Mahabarat/19930107) (NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00010) UK: AST Power Premium Range Gets "Best Buy" Award 01/07/93 LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Computer Shopper's January 1993 issue has given AST Research's Power Premium range of machines its coveted "Best Buy" award. The monthly magazine, published by Dennis Publishing in the UK, asked its readers which machines they considered to offer the best value for money - AST Research topped the poll. According to Graham Hopper, the company's general manager, the award recognizes AST's quality and reliability, as well as the Power Premium's general success here in the UK PC marketplace. "Strong graphics performance and the capability to upgrade to faster technology have been key differentiators of the Power Premium in the UK market," he said. Announcing the award, Diane Charlton, Computer Shopper's editor, said that the Power Premium range of machines has gained a rapid acceptance in the UK marketplace. "They clearly have a lot of fans among Computer Shopper readers, especially for reliability," she said. Computer Shopper's award is backed up by industry figures from several of the UK computer market research companies, which show AST as having between eight and 12 percent of the UK market. Depending on which set of figures are under the microscope, AST is second or third in PC sales in the UK, placing it slightly ahead of IBM in unit sales terms. AST's sales in the UK appear to have been due to a highly aggressive pricing policy, coupled with a strong reseller presence, Newsbytes notes. The company has ensured that its US products have been released quickly in the UK, contrasting sharply with companies such as Dell and Zenith, which have introduced an appreciable delay in shipping new US-launched machines in the UK and Europe. (Steve Gold/19930107/Press & Public Contact: AST Research - Tel: 081-568-4350) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00011) UK: Mobile Phone Sales In Decline 01/07/93 NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- December 1992 figures on subscription levels from Vodafone, one of the UK's two mobile phone operators, show that sales of phones are slackening off. In addition, the figures also show that large numbers of subscribers are leaving the network. According to Vodafone, in December 1993, 28,580 connections were made to the network, but Vodafone's overall subscriber base increased by just 12,420. The same story is illustrated in the fourth quarter figures, which show 88,399 new subscribers connected to the network, but an increase of 40,414 to just under 800,000 for the company's mobile phone subscriber base. The figures confirm many analyst's fears that the recession has taken its toll on sales of mobile phones. Some industry experts point to the new consumer (budget) subscriptions that Cellnet and Vodafone announced towards the end of the year, but figures from the cellular phone industry (source: Cellnet) suggest a migration rate of only 10 percent between the full rate (business tariff) to the consumer (budget) tariffs. The Vodafone figures appear to show that new signings to the Vodafone network are being offset at the rate of two thirds by customers leaving the service. This is referred to in cellular phone circles as the "churn rate." Only a few years ago, the accepted churn levels were around 25 percent. This figure appears to have more than doubled. Vodafone's senior executives have nothing to cry about, however. During the fourth quarter of 1992, the company claimed it had maintained its market share of 53.8 percent, and had beaten Cellnet with a healthy 57.7 percent of new connections of mobile phone networks. (Steve Gold/19930107/Press & Public Contact: Vodafone - Tel: 0635-33251) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00012) 3Com's Boundary Routing Technology A Trend-Setter? 01/07/93 MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- 3Com is claiming great things for its new "Boundary Routing" network technology, just unveiled by the networking giant. According to officials with 3Com, Boundary Routing, an open architecture network technology, will be adopted by the networking industry as a new standard for remote office interconnection. So what is Boundary Routing? Basically, it is a software development that allows a standard router, installed at a central point, to manage a lesser technology (and therefore cheaper) router at a remote site. The idea is that a central hub on the network can act as a manager and supervisor for all nodes on that network. John Hart, 3Com's chief technical officer, reckons that Boundary Routing can save 50 percent of the cost of remote routers. In addition, he argues, the complexity of the remote router is greatly reduced. "Our research shows that 80 percent of remote sites need only one interconnect - to the central site - making much of the function of a conventional router superfluous to those sites and adding an administrative burden which most companies cannot afford," he said. "Boundary routing provides that single connection, enabling customers to grow the number of remote site connections without increasing the complexity or demand upon administrative resource." Hart claims that the market for Boundary Routing is virtually unlimited. "Any company wishing to connect remote sites to a corporate network should be investigating the possibilities of reducing costs and complexity without sacrificing any function," he said. Plans call for 3Com to submit its Boundary Routing specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) this coming September. Anticipating its adoption as a standard, 3Com is offering the technology on a licensed basis to third party companies. 3Com officials say they expect the bulk of third party activity, initially at least, to concentrate on the cost savings of Boundary Routing technology. (Steve Gold/19930107/Press & Public Contact: 3Com - Tel: 0628-890670) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013) ****Scanfone Home Shopping Terminal Making Headway 01/07/93 HERNDON, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- The US Order ScanFone is making headway in its bid to become the home shopping terminal of choice. Two phone companies, Ameritech and Bell Atlantic, have begun offering the units to customers in selected areas, and the company's president told Newsbytes he is confident he will get future deals. Bell Atlantic's Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Companies became the second regional Bell unit to offer the ScanFone, rolling it out in the Washington, DC metro area this week. The phone rents for $11.95 per month, and includes a small screen that displays instructions which guide users through transactions. There is also a slot which can take bank ATM cards or credit cards, and an electronic "wand" which scans bar codes, allowing items to be selected for purchase from product catalogs. It can handle bill payments, catalog ordering, or banking functions. So far a dozen catalog outfits, plus the Safeway grocery chain, have agreed to be part of the Washington roll-out. Safeway's participation is interesting because past efforts to get people to shop for groceries by computer failed. Safeway is charging $9.95 per order for home deliveries through its Shopper Express service. In other regions, chains which offer home delivery take orders directly by phone. What is most interesting about the ScanFone is that it can interact directly with bank card systems and write checks, meaning consumers can use it for bill-payments to anyone. In Washington, the ScanFone is tied to the Most ATM network. While US Order has not yet said how many people are using its ScanFone, the company has indicated it may have broken through the "techno-geek" barrier which has kept computer-based systems like Prodigy from reaching a mass market. Single parents and older people who are computerphobic are among the heaviest users of the service in Detroit, where it is offered by Michigan Bell, the company said. Fraser Bullock, president of US Order Inc., told Newsbytes that the phone companies involved put their labels on the phones, so the unit is sold as the "Bell Atlantic" ScanFone in Washington and the "Michigan Bell" ScanFone in Detroit. He termed Detroit's acceptance of the units "excellent," adding, "We hope to be able to expand within the two Bell regions, and we're in discussions with other Bell companies for their regions." The decision to work closely with regional Bell companies is deliberate, he added. "The Bell companies have a superb relationship with the customer in their home, and our services are delivered over a screen telephone, so it's a natural fit. We also want to add more and more services to the system, and the Bell companies are a good fit in that way." Ease of use, along with wide application, are the keys to ScanFone's potential success, according to Bullock. "The merchant does not have to be signed up on our system. We can pay any commercial enterprise in the US. In essence you're creating an electronic check. To access the phone, there is a password, and that acts as the signing of the check. There's a separate set of transactions using a PIN (personal identification number), for functions that get into the Most ATM network -- you can use your ATM and Pin number, then access your checking account to see your balance. Shortly we'll let you transfer funds. Most is in Washington. We're working with other ATM networks." (Dana Blankenhorn/19930107/Press Contact: Novell, Kelli Christensen, 801-429-5933; AT&T, Laura Williams, 908-658-2604) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00014) ****US Losing Telecom Lead, Claims USC Study 01/07/93 WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Another new study has been released indicating US phone companies are losing their technology edge. However, narrowing the gap may prove controversial, as at least one major firm is planning to use a Japanese supplier. The University of Southern California Center for Telecommunications Management studied the networks in 24 industrial nations and found the US lags in areas like switching from analog to digital technology, and installing fiber cable. Nations like Japan, the United Kingdom, and Singapore write off and replace equipment twice as fast as most US carriers, said the study. Regulation based on free market principles was blamed, and promotion of technology purchases was encouraged. The study's authors expressed hope the incoming Clinton Administration can change things around. Commerce Secretary designate Ron Brown supported that view in his confirmation hearings. He urged a new partnership between government and business, especially in such high technology fields as telecommunications. But the move toward higher technology by local phone companies may give an advantage to foreigners. After evaluating almost 10 major equipment suppliers, Nynex has decided to buy broadband switching systems from Fujitsu to deliver high-speed data services, video, and distance learning. Specifically, Fujitsu's FETEX-150 switching system will be evaluated in a trial this year for such applications as frame relay, switched megabit data services, and cell relay, using a technology called asynchronous transfer mode, or ATM. It is the first major deal for Fujitsu in the US, which previously had been testing its high-end switching systems with BellSouth and other regional Bells. Spokesperson Betsy Ricci of Nynex told Newsbytes that the company usually selects more than one vendor in a technology, "but so far this is the only one" for broadband switching. "This was the result of a competitive bidding process where many companies submitted proposals, and we went through a 'request for proposal' process. The decision was based on that process. It wasn't done because this is a Japanese company. We wanted a platform that would serve our short term needs for our data customers and fit in with our strategic plan for advanced services." The commitment to Fujitsu, however, is neither total nor cast in stone, Ricci emphasized. "We're still formulating our deployment plans. The agreement does not talk about any specific number of switching systems." (Dana Blankenhorn/19930107/Press Contact: Betsy Ricci, Nynex, 914-644-5014) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015) Anti-Fraud Systems Becoming Standard Switch Equipment 01/07/93 NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- As a Los Angeles man was charged in that city's first case of cellular phone fraud, Computer Sciences and Ericsson signed a deal which could make software that works against fraud a standard feature in cellular switches. Gabriel Fadida was accused of using a phone with a chip identifying it as someone else's phone to make calls. Cellular phones rely on chips embedded in them to identify callers for billing purposes, but the chips are easy to reproduce. However, software aimed at solving the problem could soon become a standard feature in cellular phone switches. Cellular phone fraud costs up to $1 million a day. Computer Sciences signed a joint agreement with LM Ericsson, the world's largest supplier of cellular switching systems, which will let Ericsson sell Coral System Inc.'s FraudBuster system. FraudBuster uses artificial intelligence techniques to monitor calling patterns of cellular subscribers, so potential fraud can be stopped quickly. "Bringing fraud control into the heart of the network is the fastest and most efficient way to stop crime," said John Sidgmore, president of CSC's telecommunications business unit, in a press statement. Ericsson will offer the system as part of its Telecommunications Management and Operations Support platform, which integrates many cellular operations - such as network traffic monitoring and subscriber marketing - on the same system. By putting FraudBuster on TMOS, Ericsson said, fraud cases that could take days to track with other systems can now be spotted in seconds. (Dana Blankenhorn/19930107/Press Contact: Computer Sciences Mary Rhodes, 310/615-1737; Ericsson, Kathy Egan, 212/685-4030) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00016) ****MacWorld: Apple's Diery Colors Bright Future For Mac 01/07/92 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Apple Computer has introduced five new products that it hopes will help continue to differentiate the company's desktop products from its competitors in the PC clone industry. Speaking to an appreciative audience of Macintosh devotees at the MacWorld trade show, Apple Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing Ian Diery heralded the products' use of color and imaging technologies as two factors that demonstrated Apple's innovation over its PC competitors. Contrasting the company's business strategy with that of the PC industry's clone manufacturers, Diery's keynote address claimed that Apple competes with innovation while the clone manufacturers compete on price. Diery stated that the clone business model saps innovation out of the market. Noting Microsoft's dominant market share in the PC industry, he said that Apple's chief rival has no incentive to innovate. "That's why (Microsoft is) only talking about NT as a high-end server environment," he said. To demonstrate Apple's innovation, Diery introduced five new products. The company's new products include four printers and a scanner. They are the Color Printer for $2,349, the Color One Scanner for $1,349, the LaserWriter Pro 600 for $2,099 and 630 for $2,529, as well as the StyleWriter II for $359. Diery said that the introductions are the first in a series of new product announcements. "We will introduce more new products in 1993 than in the last two years combined," he said. Despite the products' focus on printed documents and color, Diery's speech emphasized Apple's vision for desktop imaging. The color products include Apple's Color Sync technology which automates matching the colors of scanned images with those of the original image. Color Sync is one means to simplify the more arduous tasks of providing clear images on a computer. "Quality and simplicity will drive imaging in the '90s," said Diery. Apple is also providing CD-ROMs for its products that support the Eastman Kodak Company's PhotoCD program. Using the program, Kodak customers can have their 135 millimeter (mm) film developed into a CD. "Our support for PhotoCD makes all 35mm cameras input devices for the Mac," Diery noted. Apple sees its customers having access to millions of still and moving pictures. However, delivery of photographs and moving pictures has been a major stumbling block to the long-promised new graphics frontier. To address one delivery bottleneck, Diery said that he expects network capacity to increase "10,000 times what we have today." Apple is also seeking to increase distribution by CD-ROM to increase availability of images. Diery claimed that only one million CD drives were in place by the end of 1992. "There are not enough people with CD-ROMs for developers of multimedia applications," Diery said. Apple will support the needs of the CD-ROM developer community by shipping more drives as standard features on some Macintosh models, he said. (Chris Sandlund/19930107) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00017) ****Aldus Announces Version 5.0 Of Pagemaker 01/07/93 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Aldus Corp., in a product announcement viewed by about 800 people at a New York hotel and by an estimated 2,200 in other cities via satellite that included video and animation, has announced that it will release a new version of its popular desktop publishing program Pagemaker. The company said version 5.0 of Pagemaker for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Computer's Macintosh platform will ship during the first half of 1993. The two versions are nearly identical, and Aldus says the program will offer more than 100 new features and enhancements. Aldus President Paul Brainerd told financial analysts following the product announcement that the company expects the first revenues from the new release to come in the second and third quarters, with most of that coming from current Pagemaker users buying upgrade kits. He said that in the past half of the registered Pagemaker users upgrade to the newest version within a year of its release. Aldus says about one million copies of Pagemaker have been sold since the product's introduction in 1984. About half of those have registered their software. Aldus spokesperson Pam Miller told Newsbytes that Aldus has signed a joint technology agreement with Eastman Kodak to use the film and photo technology company's color management tools. Miller said Aldus hopes to have that technology incorporated into Pagemaker soon by mid-year. "We will support a variety of color management tools," Miller said. Aldus is developing an open architecture strategy that will use an applications program interface (API) that will make calls to a variety of color systems, according to Miller. Aldus Director of Publishing Products Dave Roberts told the British news service Reuters that the company has achieved its goal in catching up to Quark Express, a Pagemaker competitive product. Brainerd told Reuters he hopes to catch up to Quark in market share with Pagemaker 5.0 and regain market share lost to Quark when Aldus releases what Brainerd called "Pagemaker 5.X," referring to a future version of the program. One of the biggest added features will reportedly be Pagemaker's ability to integrate with other software, with import and export filters for Kodak's Photo CD, DXF files, Wordperfect graphics and Metafile/PICT conversion. Pagemaker will also include support for object linking and embedding (OLE) as a client application on Windows as well as on the Macintosh, a font mapper which identifies a publication's missing fonts and then substitutes other available fonts between both Windows and Mac files, and linking to the new TWAIN standard for direct scanning. TWAIN is an imaging application program interface (API) formulated by Hewlett-Packard, Aldus, Caere, Eastman Kodak, and Logitech. It was designed to permit easy integration of software and scanners, video boards, and cameras. EPS files can also be embedded in the publication. The EPS files can be left out of the publication with the link being maintained for updating. Aldus says the two versions of Pagemaker are so similar that IBM-compatible and Macintosh users will receive the same user manuals. Other new features, which Roberts says are in response to customer requests, include a control palette which is new to the Windows edition and updated for the Mac, to allow precise placement and sizing of both text and graphics on the page. The palette will be visible in both layout and story editor modes in order to set text and paragraph attributes such as font, style, size, baseline shift, indents and alignment. Numeric positioning and "nudge" buttons are also provided. Document designers will now have the ability to zoom in and magnify any portion of the page up to eight times normal size, assign custom line weights from 0.1 to 800 points and specify separate line and fill attributes. The company says it has also completely rewritten the Postscript printing code to provide faster printing, including background printing, although the speed is still dependent on the hardware platform used and the complexity of the file. Users will also now be able to print non-consecutive pages in any order. Crop, registration, and plate identification have also been added for use by printers. Some new custom print options are also now available, providing the ability to define and save print settings and simultaneously send multiple files with different settings to an output device. Using Aldus Additions technology, end users will be able to work with more than 20 Additions that will be included with Release 5.0, and will be able to create their own Pagemaker scripts. Third party developers can use the technology to create Additions that give Pagemaker additional capabilities. Running headers and footers have also been added, and a kerning Addition is available to provide proportional spacing of characters. There is also the ability to produce process-color separation of text and graphics and import CMYK, TIFF, DCS, and ES images. A "drag-and-drop" feature allows text and graphics to be moved between open publications, and a Library palette will store frequently used images which can be added to a document using the "drag-and-drop" method. System requirements for the Windows edition of Release 5.0 include Windows 3.1 or later and Windows-compatible hardware with four megabytes (MB) or RAM, an 80MB hard drive, a high- resolution graphics card, and a mouse. On the Mac, you'll need System 7 or System 6.0.7 with Finder 6.1.7 and a Mac II, Quadra or SE/30 with 5MB-8MB of RAM and an 80MB hard drive. Aldus says the Windows version will ship first, with the Mac version following about 30 days later, but declined to be more specific about the shipping date except to say it would be in the first half of the year. Pagemaker 5.0 carries a suggested retail price of $895. Buyers who purchase Pagemaker 4.2 for the Mac or 4.0 for Windows after January 1, 1993 will be eligible for a free upgrade once the program ships by returning their registration card with a dated original proof of purchase. Earlier buyers can upgrade for $150 except for those who upgraded to Release 4.2 for the Macintosh. They will be able to upgrade for $75. (Jim Mallory/19930107/Press contact: Pam Miller, Aldus Corporation, 206-628-6594) (NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00018) MacWorld: Aldus Intros Superpaint 3.5 01/07/93 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- One of the new products for Apple Computer's Macintosh platform being shown at this week's MacWorld Expo in San Francisco is SuperPaint 3.5 from Aldus Corporation. Among the new features of the upgrade being shown are support for QuickTime, Kodak's Photo CD, and direct scanner support through TWAIN. Pressure sensitive tools and new paint and draw plug-in tools and brushes have also been added. The pressure-sensitive tool support is available even though the user does not have a pressure-sensitive tablet. Pressure controls the flow of the ink, spray can, and paper choice using tools like the Magic Marker, a calligraphy brush, Twister, a variable-size eraser, a texture brush, and smudge and charcoal tools. There is also a new Copy Brush tool that allows the user to select any scanned image as a reference, then either paint a copy of modify the image's appearance by applying one of the visual effects included in the program. Aldus has also added a color clarity filter to further enhance Superpaint's existing-image enhancement capabilities. Support for Eastman Kodak's Photo CD technology allows Superpaint to import pictures from Photo CD at specified resolution or frames from a Quicktime movie. The program will carry a suggested retail price of $199 when it ships in February 93, Aldus spokesperson Xenia Moore told Newsbytes. Moore said registered owners of Superpaint 3.2 will be able to upgrade to version 3.5 for $25, which includes shipping via Federal Express. Registered users of older versions can upgrade for $45 including Federal Express shipping. (Jim Mallory/19930107/Press contact: Xenia Moore, Franson, Hagerty & Associates for Aldus Corporation, 619-457-4490; Reader contact: Aldus Corporation, 800-888-6293, ext 2) (NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00019) Microsoft Claims FoxPro Fastest DBMS 01/07/93 REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- According to Microsoft, its FoxPro database version 2.0 is the fastest data base management system (DBMS), with an overall performance score of 9.7 out of a possible 10 in National Software Testing Laboratories (NSTL) performance tests. Microsoft says FoxPro 2.0 outscored Borland's Paradox 4.0, Borland's dBase IV 1.5 and Microrim's R:Base 4.0. Paradox reportedly got a 9.1, dBase IV a 5.9, and R:Base a 4.4 on the same set of tests. Not only does FoxPro claim to be the fastest DBMS, but according to Microsoft database architect David Fulton the soon-to-be-released FoxPro 2.5 will be even faster. "Thanks to new extensions to the exclusive Rushmore query optimization, FoxPro 2.5 is up to three times faster than FoxPro 2.0 on multiuser and multitable operations," said Fulton. Microsoft had said previously that it expected it to ship in the first quarter, and Microsoft spokesperson Cindy McKendry told Newsbytes that the $495 upgrade is expected to ship by the end of January. According to information provided by Microsoft, the NSTL report said FoxPro performs faster than Paradox on nearly all transaction tests, and faster than Paradox or dBase on simple queries. The report recommends FoxPro for its "Xbase file compatibility and superior tools for developing complex forms-based applications and reports, especially for uses in a position to use a mouse to design applications visually." The Software digest Ratings Report dated December 1992 reported that NSTL recently re-tested multiuser database programs to expand upon previously published results in an effort to more accurately reflect the performance of each product. The December report quoted NSTL as saying, "Test results presented in this issue supersede those presented in Software Digest Ratings Report 9.2. The tests presented here compel NSTL to retract its earlier characterization of Paradox 4.0 as faster than FoxPro 2.0." In November 1992, Microsoft announced FoxPro 2.5 for both Windows and DOS, saying the product would ship early this year, and would offer cross-platform portability and forward/backward compatibility. (Jim Mallory/19930107/Press contact: Cindy McKendry, Waggener Edstrom for Microsoft, 503-245-0905; Reader contact: Microsoft Corporation, 206-882-8080 or 800-426-9400) (NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00020) MacWorld: Wordperfect Intros Version 1.2 Of Works 01/07/93 OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Wordperfect is showing Works 1.2 for Apple Computer's Macintosh platform at Macworld Expo in San Francisco this week. The company says the new release includes improvements to the recently-acquired Beagleworks program for the Macintosh. Works includes a word processor, database, draw and paint programs, communications software, and a spreadsheet with charting capabilities. The program works with Apple's System 7 and features In-Context Editing, which allows users to change linked data from any module without leaving the active module. Other features include Wordperfect and Letterperfect import using document conversion technology licensed from Mastersoft, the company that markets Word For Word Professional and Word For Word for Windows. Works also has built-in virtual memory, a tool bar shared within each module, and support for the "publish and subscribe" feature of the Apple operating system 6.0.5 or higher. Works word processor includes automatic and irregular text wrap, custom character and paragraph styles, multiple headers and footers, a graphic ruler, mail merge, and multiple column capabilities. The spreadsheet has an automatic sum tool, cell shading, in-cell editing, and a maximum size of 256 columns by 16,384 rows. In the database module users can create almost 17,000 records per file and each record can have up to 256 fields per record. Users can choose from seven specialized field types, use background pictures, select up to six selection rules per layout, and choose from a built-in functions list for calculations. Wordperfect says the communications module offers editable log-in scripts, text and XModem file transfers, a phone book, and a capture text capability. The Draw and Paint modules offer the standard choices of line, arc, text, rectangle, rounded rectangle, oval, polygon, and freehand shapes. Object shape can be changed, a fatbits editing mode for detailed image editing is included, as well as 13 painting tools. Works will run on any Macintosh platform with a hard drive, a modem, and one megabyte (MB) of system memory under System 6.0.5 and 2MB under System 7.0.X. Works caries a retail price of $249. Wordperfect spokesperson Nancy Pomeroy told Newsbytes a special price of $99 is available for degree-seeking college and university students and for teachers and professors at all levels. If you purchased BeagleWorks before October 16, 1992, you can upgrade by buying a new set of disks for $6. A free upgrade is available for Works purchased after that date. Wordperfect says users of MacWrite II, WriteNow, or any Macintosh Works package can trade up to Wordperfect Works for $99. BeagleWorks had carried a $299 price tag, but Wordperfect spokesperson Dave Terran told Newsbytes at the time the BeagleWorks acquisition was announced that the price would be reduced. Wordperfect acquired BeagleWorks from Beagle Brothers in October, 1992. It was the company's only product, and Beagle Brothers President Mark Simonsen joined Wordperfect as director of development for Works. Simonsen is still with Wordperfect. (Jim Mallory/19930107/Press contact: Dave Terran, Wordperfect Corporation, 801-228-5013, fax 801-228-5077; Reader contact: Wordperfect Corporation, 800-451-5151 or 801-228-5000) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00021) Supermac, Kodak Announce Strategic Relationship 01/07/93 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- SuperMac Technology Inc., and Eastman Kodak have announced a strategic relationship designed to market computer-based color imaging products for graphic artists, photographers, publishers, and prepress professionals. Under terms of the agreement, SuperMac has licensed Kodak's Shoebox Image Manager, Photo CD Access, PhotoEdge, and the Photo CD Acquire Module for Adobe Photoship software for use in its own software packages. SuperMac has also introduced a new product family, the PhotoSpeed Photo CD starter kits. A kit for professionals, called PhotoSpeed Pro, will include Shoebox and the Photo CD Acquire module. PhotoSpeed will bundle Shoebox and the PhotoEdge software. Both PhotoSpeed kits will include a CD-ROM drive, and use a 24-bit color graphics card that integrates image processing acceleration and color graphics acceleration on large screen color displays. Both products have tools for image manipulation, and the images can be compressed. PhotoSpeed kits come with CD-ROM disks that contain stock photo images and textures. The company says it will also include Kodak's Photo CD Access software with all its new Thunder II graphics cards. Also, its Thunder II HDTV card, which offers 1,920 by 1,080 picture element (pixel) resolution, will support the HDTV (high definition television) mode of Kodak's Photo CD file format in full resolution. Kodak and SuperMac say they will jointly promote the advantages of Photo CD-based color publishing through cooperative marketing programs. Kodak's Photo CD technology provides for the storage of photographic images made with conventional cameras on a CD-ROM disk. Several recent Newsbytes stories have reported on companies introducing imaging software that can use the Photo CD technology. Images stored on Photo CD disks can also be displayed on television monitors or computer systems equipped with a Photo CD-compatible CD-ROM drive. "This is just the first step in our relationship with SuperMac, as together we unlock the high end color imaging market," said Georgia McCabe, Kodak's director of commercial markets for CD imaging. PhotoSpeed has a suggested retail price of $3,999, while PhotoSpeed Pro has a $4,999 price tag, and will be available in March 1993 for Apple Computer's Macintosh platform. A Windows version is expected to follow. (Jim Mallory/19930107/Press contact: Deborah Doyle, SuperMac Technology, 408-773-4446; Paul McAfee, Eastman Kodak, 716-724-6404; Reader contact for Eastman Kodak: 800-242-2424, ext 53) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00022) MacWorld: New Products Address Video Production Needs 01/07/93 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Continuing the development of more sophisticated video editing tools for the Macintosh, Abbate Video Inc., and Avid Technology Inc., has introduced separate products that could automate much of the drudgery of video production. Avid's Media Suite Pro speeds the process of editing industrial videos produced by corporate video departments. Priced at $9,995, the application is well within the price range of companies seeking to bring video production in-house. Media Suite Pro's four add-in boards digitize video images and sound for storage on a Mac's hard disk. Although Avid uses the JPEG compression algorithm, the company still recommends a minimum two gigabytes (GB) of hard disk space for thirty minutes of video. After Media Suite Pro digitizes the images, video editors can use the application's cut-and-paste software to instantly move between sections of video and quickly reverse edit decisions. This "non-linear" editing is a boon to editors used to waiting for tape decks to spool through a tape. Editors also do not have to send their output to tape to view it in real-time. Media Suite Pro's accelerator cards use compression techniques to get around the bandwidth limitations of the NuBus to display full screen, full-motion video on the Mac. Because of the number of add-in cards, the Media Suite Pro requires a Macintosh IIfx or a Quadra with 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM. Avid is targeting those users in the corporate video world who want to sit in front of a monitor in "on-line" sessions to creatively choose which segments of tape to use. However, the company does not provide an ability to log tape and create edit lists. These "off-line" chores are essential for managing large video projects such as documentaries or multiple part interactive educational videos. Because the final product is high-quality video produced in professional studios, producers of these projects use off-line editing to reduce the costs of expensive studio time. Abbate's upgrade of its Video Toolkit should appeal to these production managers. For a $279 price, Abbate supplies a tape logging system that can be linked to the time coding on a video tape and an ability to control external consumer video equipment such as the Sony Video Walkman and commercial camcorders. Abbate has targeted support of consumer video products. Although it does not directly support the SMPTE time code used in professional video productions, Abbate does support Sony's consumer video equivalent, the RC time code, and provides an extrapolation technique to link the two. The upgrade also allows users to create QuickTime productions by supporting any QuickTime-compatible digitizing boards. "Several of the vendors at MacWorld used our system to create their QuickTime movies," said Abbate principal Philip Palombo. Because the application can run on a PowerBook, editors are using the system in the field, Palombo noted. "We have customers who are using the Video Toolkit to watch the dailies from a project," he said. "They use our product to control a Hi-8 camcorder and a Sony Video Walkman to create rough cuts of the film while sitting in their hotel rooms at night." (Chris Sandlund/19930107) (NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00023) Network Management To Quadruple, Demand Keen in Europe 01/07/93 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Sales of network management systems will quadruple from $3.9 billion in 1992 to $15.8 billion in 1998, and the demand for these products will be especially keen in Europe, according to the results of a new study. Network management revenue growth will proceed steadily and strongly, exceeding 23 percent for each year through 1998, according to the study, "LAN/WAN Network Management Software, Services and Systems Markets." Market Intelligence, author of the report, attributes the rise to dramatic increases in connections between LANs (local area networks), WANs (wide area networks), along with the shift to multivendor environments and the need for interoperable systems. Network management software and "intelligent" hubs will show the mightiest success, the survey projects. Software will balloon from 10 percent of total US network management revenues in 1992 to 19 percent in 1998. Meanwhile, the share for hubs will expand from 19 percent to 27 percent. Outsourcing will maintain the largest portion of the network management market, although its dominance will decline as other segments come to the fore. LANs are being installed in Europe at an even faster rate than in the US, so vendors face major opportunities in that market, the study emphasizes. On a global basis, the role of interexchange carriers in outsourcing will be boosted by the introduction of frame relay and other public data services, according to the report. As the networks of many businesses come to consist of multiple LANs linked together by WANs, provision of services by a single outsourcing vendor will become increasingly inadequate. Carriers with international services will have major strategic advantages with European companies in need of WAN management, because many of these firms want to outsource management of international networks that link LANs in Europe to LANs in the US. Entry barriers to the network management software market are relatively low worldwide, the survey notes. Currently, performance differentiation is more significant than price competition in this segment, but as the decade moves on, pricing will play an increasingly significant role. At the same time, network management software will come to incorporate ever greater degrees of artificial intelligence. Businesses around the world are turning away from single-vendors as a means of supply, and are refusing to be locked into proprietary systems of any kind, the survey emphasizes. Although a lack of standardization has allowed some major vendors to develop de facto standards around their own equipment, companies that come up with products that work seamlessly with other vendors' offerings will experience growing advantages. Yet, these very advantages carry a down side, as well. Market Intelligence also predicts that the emergence of "fully open systems" late in the 1990s will eventually reduce demand for network management systems. (Jacqueline Emigh/19930107) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00024) MacWorld: Webster Computer Shows New Software 01/07/93 SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Webster Computer Corp., is showing a new software product at their booth at the MacWorld trade show being held this week in San Francisco. The new program is a control program that is used with Webster's MultiPort Gateway product. The MultiPort Gateway is a device that allows the customer to take an Ethernet connection and connect it to four different Localtalk connections. In this way, the speed of the Ethernet is fully used and exploited. Traffic through the MultiPort Gateway can flow in both directions. MultiPort Gateways already have on-board a SNMP (simple network management protocol) agent that is MIB-II compatible so that many network management stations can get information from it, as well as configure and manage it. The new MultiPort Manager software will allow network administrators who do not have network management stations to also configure and manage MultiPort Gateway devices. Multiport Manager software runs on Macintosh computers. The software is not intended to be a full network management system. Its sole purpose is to control Multiport Gateways and without those devices the software is practically useless. For this reason, Webster is including the software with all shipments of Multiport Gateways but is not planning to sell it separately. Those customers who currently own a Multiport Gateway will be able to purchase the software for $95. Multiport Manager software will run on any Macintosh from a Plus on up that has a minimum of one megabyte (MB) of RAM and supports System 7. The Multiport Manager software is slated to begin shipping in February of this year. (Naor Wallach/19930107/Press Contact: Tom Woolf, Woolf Media Relations for Webster, 415-508-1554/Public Contact: Webster Computer, 408-954-8054, 800-457-0903) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00025) MacWorld: Pastel Intros Multiuser Version Of DayMaker 01/07/93 NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Pastel Development is showing a new version of their personal organization and calendar program called DayMaker at the MacWorld show being held in San Francisco this week. The new program is officially called the DayMaker Multi-User Pack. Essentially, this new program gives the user all of the functionality of the original DayMaker 2.0. The main addition to the program is that it is sold in bundles for more than a single user. Technically, however, the changes are much more profound. With a Multi-User Pack it is now possible for DayMaker users to access multiple user's time sheets side by side. It is also possible for the user to direct the program to find time slots when several people are available to schedule meetings. The program goes further in that it will notify the person who is scheduling the meeting whenever any of the prospective attendees reschedule that time slot. The final major new capability is the ability to create public calendars that would be available to selected groups on the network. This works well for the scheduling of conference rooms, or for people who wish to adopt an "open door" policy. The Multi-User Pack will work with any network operating system. It is System 7-compatible and acts in peer-to-peer communications mode so no server is required. Sites that have an installed electronic mail system should rest easy as DayMaker makes no demands on the system and is compatible with them all. DayMaker Multi User Packs are available now. A five-user pack retails for $495.95 while a 10-user pack goes for $850.95. (Naor Wallach/19930107/Press Contact: Wendy Handler, Handler Communications for Pastel, 914-591-4926/Public Contact: Pastel Development, 212-941-7500) (NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00026) New For Mac: cc:Mail Remote For Macintosh 01/07/93 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Lotus Development has announced that they have started shipments of cc:Mail Remote for Macintosh version 2.0. The name is somewhat misleading as this is the first appearance of the product (i.e. there is no version 1.0). Lotus spokespeople told Newsbytes that the name was selected to show the close compatibility between this program and cc:Mail for Macintosh version 2.0 on which the new program is based. cc:Mail Remote for Macintosh's biggest change is in its ability to operate remotely using a modem. This allows the software to access any cc:Mail server and collect the messages that have accumulated for the user. This capability is available to a user regardless of the kind of computer that may be acting as a host to the cc:Mail server. "The ability to communicate remotely is a critical function for PowerBook users," said Neil Selvin, Apple's director of marketing for portable computing. "We are sure that many of the 400,000 PowerBook users will rely upon cc:Mail Remote as an important tool for connecting PowerBooks into multi-platform environments." "Lotus' strategy is to provide transparent communication among different platforms, and the addition of the Macintosh computer to the cc:Mail Remote family is an important milestone in our cross- platform effort," said Rex Cardinale, vice president and general manager of Lotus' cc:Mail division. "Apple has achieved impressive success with its PowerBook line, and many PowerBook users have asked us for a remote cc:Mail solution. We already have a large backorder for this product." cc:Mail Remote for Macintosh is available now. It retails for $295 per machine. Lotus has also announced plans for making it available in 11 different languages aside from English over the course of the early part of 1993. (Naor Wallach/19930107/Press Contact: Diane Horak, McGlinchey & Paul for Lotus, 617-862-4514/Public Contact: Lotus Development, 617-577-8500) (NEWS)(IBM)(PAR)(00027) Swiss IBM Markets Multi-Language Computer 01/07/93 PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Switzerland is a country where four languages are spoken. So it is only logical that IBM Switzerland should be the first to market a computer that "understands" different languages. IBM Switzerland will begin marketing the Speech Server Series in 1994. This computer is capable of speech recognition in French, German, Italian, English, or Spanish (even though people do not speak the latter two languages in Switzerland). The Speech Server Series can recognize 20,000 spoken words. Although this is only a small percentage of the number of words a human being uses - which is on average about 300,000 - IBM is optimistic about its success. Speech Server can take dictation at 70 words per minute in any one of these languages, and has a 95 percent rate of success for recognition. The computers run on IBM's RISC System/6000 and are aimed at the markets that involve large numbers of relatively standardized documents, like healthcare professionals, law enforcement officials, and researchers. While the choice of Switzerland is logical for a polyglot computer, the computer does not recognize Swiss Romande, a dialect used only in Switzerland by a large percentage of the population. (Andrew Rosenbaum/1993/08/01/Press Contact: Lee Hecht, IBM Europe, Tour Pascal, La Defense 7 Sud, Cedex 40, F-92075 Paris La Defense, France, tel 331-47676000) (NEWS)(TELECOM)(PAR)(00028) Siemens In Greek Telecommunications Controversy 01/07/93 PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Greece, which has one of the least-developed telecommunications infrastructures in Europe, has awarded a contract to the German electronics giant Siemens AG. The contract appears to have has embroiled the Munich-based company in controversy. The Greek Telecommunications Office - a government agency which runs the country's public network - last month awarded Siemens the lion's share of a 40 billion drachma ($198 million) contract to remake the country's public network. The Swedish LM Ericsson AB got a part of it too. However, Siemens' competitors for the contract, which include AT&T, and Northern Telecom, say that they were unfairly treated in the contract bidding. Both companies are considering filing complaints with the Commission for the European Community. The political conflict in Greece has rendered the controversy even more complex. A Greek politician has accused the Telecommunications Office of tailoring the specifications so that Siemens would be favored for the contract. The matter is under investigation currently by a Greek judge. Telecommunications Office Director M. Dimitris Kouremenos has rejected the charges, saying that all the specifications for the contract were technically determined. Siemens and Ericcson both entered the Greek telecommunications market in 1989. Under the previous Socialist government they won contracts that were heavily contested later. Several key officials of that Socialist government have been convicted on political corruption charges. Greece has always lagged behind the rest of the EC for telecommunications services. Analysts say that these delays will only hold up the country's ability to improve its telecommunications services. (Andrew Rosenbaum/19930108)/Press Contact: M. G. Hafner, Siemens, AG, 4989-722-25700) (NEWS)(BUSINESS)(PAR)(00029) PC Clonemaker Chooses Africa To Rival Far East 01/07/93 PARIS, FRANCE, 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- A former Los Angeles-based PC clonemaker has chosen Lagos, Nigeria, as the site that he hopes will rival Southeast Asia as an electronics producer. Micro Business Systems - Africa's largest mass-producer of IBM clones, kicked off this year in Lagos, with the goal of manufacturing 2000 systems every month. "This is the largest computer manufacturing company in Africa," said Director Raghid Keir, who learned computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before starting his own clonemaking concern in 1985. Keir came to Africa in 1992 with the purpose of applying what he had learned in LA to a developing nation. Keir thinks that Africa will be able to follow the model of Taiwan and Korea, producing machines even cheaper than those made in Asia. He also sees himself as better-positioned than companies in those countries to export to Europe. Keir declined to say how long it will take his African start-up to rival the other producers in the developing world. (Andrew Rosenbaum/19930108/Press Contact: Raghid Keir, Micro Business Systems, Apapa, Lagos, Nigeria) (NEWS)(TRENDS)(SFO)(00030) ****Comptons To Rent CD-ROMs In Video Stores 01/07/93 CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 JAN 7 (NB) -- Comptons NewMedia has launched a marketing first -- the company will allow its CD-ROM titles to be rented in video stores. Major Video Concepts of Indianapolis says it will rent 20 Comptons titles, ranging from children's books to historical compilations, to an electronic cookbook. Specific titles include: Jazz, a Multimedia History; World View; USA Wars: Civil War; 1992 Guinness Disc of Records; Sleeping Beauty; Mega Movie Guide; Information USA; and Compton's Multimedia Golf Guide. Major Video Concepts operate 17 video rental stores throughout the US. "Our goal is to make CD-ROM software as ubiquitous as videos in today's society," said Norman Bastin, senior vice president and general manager of Compton's NewMedia. "We do not have the preview and marketing avenues of movies in theaters or radio for music. We believe that rental is an excellent way for the consumer to use and experience a product before buying. Our research shows that the correlation of VCR owners and PC owners is very high, making this an excellent distribution source." Although software rental is illegal without approval from the software publisher under current law, Comptons says it has obtained these rights and will provide Major Video Copncepts special discs and packaging earmarked for rental only. Apart from these specially marked discs, software rental is still not allowed by law. In another announcement, Comptons NewMedia announced that it will ship fifty new CD-ROM titles in the first quarter of this year that feature M.O.S.T., an operating system technology capable of allowing the discs to run on DOS, Macintosh, Windows, and Sony's new multimedia player machines. Compatibility between various platforms has been a stumbling block in the way of more widespread use of CD-ROMs, suggests Tom McGrew, Compton's vice president of sales. He claims that "by offering a title on a single CD-ROM that can run in several different operating systems, we can streamline the number of (discs) retailers need to stock of that particular program. This frees them up to widen the variety of titles they offer." (Wendy Woods/19930107)