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/1993/nb930303

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(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00001)

Mitsubishi Halts Large-Scale Computer Development 03/03/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Mitsubishi Electric has stopped
developing large-scale computers due to the industry's
downsizing trend. Mitsubishi will shift production to small
office computers.

Mitsubishi Electric had planned to develop advanced large-scale
computers but instead, has opted to put more effort into the
development and sales of small size office computers including
IBM-compatible Japanese personal computers.

Mitsubishi is currently selling the EX 800 family of large-scale
computers, receiving supplies of the most powerful model, the
EX 900, from IBM Japan on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
basis. Mitsubishi planned to develop its own advanced large-scale
computer, but it has scrapped that option not only due to a
downsizing trend but because of the industry's economic slump.

Mitsubishi will shift personnel from its large-scale computer
division to its small office computer division. It is expected
that about 120 employees will be moved to this division by the end
of this June.

Mitsubishi Electric reports it will continue to sell current
models, the EX 800 and the EX 900, as well as to provide support
to users.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Electric has developed a new type of a 16-megabit
static RAM (random access memory) which the firm claims consumes
39-percent less power compared with regular SRAM chips. Also,
this chip is about 10-percent smaller than existing chips.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930303/Press Contact: Mitsubishi
Electric, [phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TYO)(00002)

Motorola Shifting More Chip Design To Japan 03/03/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Motorola is planning to shift
part of its computer chip design work to Japan. The bulk of the
work will be designing custom-ordered ICs (integrated circuits)
for Japanese electronics products, including computers.

Motorola Japan is currently designing and developing about 20
percent of its chips in Japan and plans to raise the ratio to 30
percent within 2 to 3 years. Motorola Japan is currently selling
60 billion yen ($500 million) worth of products each year.
About 50 percent of the sales involve custom ICs. 40 percent of
the custom ICs are currently designed in Japan and the rest are
designed at overseas design centers. Motorola Japan wants to design
60 percent of the custom ICs in Japan in the near future.

This decision was made due to the increasing demand for custom-
made ICs in Japan.

Motorola Japan will increase the number of chip designers and
engineers by 50 to 70 in order to reach 200 staff handling this
assignment within a couple of years.

Motorola Japan will also design digital signal processors
in early 1994. The demand for these digital signal processors is
also increasing due to the popularity of small-size data devices.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930303/Press Contact: Motorola Japan,
[phone], Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00003)

Pen Expo Becomes Mobile World, Opens Today In Boston 03/03/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Pen Expo has
spread its wings to cover all types of portable devices, and the
newly expanded show, Mobile World, gets off the ground today in
Boston.

Wireless networks, notebooks, pen operating systems, PCMCIA, and
PDAs (personal digital assistants) are just a few of the mobile
technologies that will be shown and discussed, in 70 conference
sessions and a big exhibition area at the Hynes Convention Center.

Running Wednesday through Friday, the conference offerings include
10 keynote speeches, nine special product presentations, and three
panels, in addition to about 50 smaller sessions addressing
particular aspects of mobile computing.

Digital Consulting Inc. (DCI), the sponsor of Mobile World, has
designed the conference sessions to provide a realistic view of
mobile technologies, many of which are still emerging.

Keynote and panel topics include "Mobile Computing -- The Reality,
The Hype," "Mobile & Pen Computing Expose," and "Showtime for Pen
Computing."

The 40 smaller conference sessions are organized into seven "mix
and match" tracks: Pen Hardware Technology, Mobile Communications,
Developing/Programming for Pen, Enabling Technologies, Systems
Integration, Managing Mobile Technologies, and Keyboard Machines &
Personal Devices.

Subjects range from "Using PenPoint" to "The Fruitless Search:
Looking for the Perfect Wireless Network," and from "Will Wireless
Technology Unleash Groupware?" to "What Happens After Portability?"

The product presentation component of the conference will supply a
close-up look at actual hardware and software. In addition,
attendees will be able to talk candidly with top company officials
about upcoming plans. IBM, Fujitsu, Dauphin, Notable, Pen Pal
Associates, Spectrum, WACOM, and Kyocera will all take part.

Many more products will be on display Wednesday from noon to 6:30
p.m. and Thursday from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Mobile Computing Expo,
the exhibition arm of the show.

At 7:00 p.m. tonight, just after the show floor closes for the day,
the Boston Computer Society (BCS) Pen Computing Group will hold a
special meeting, open to members and nonmembers alike.

David S. Rose, president of Ex Machina Inc., will speak at the BCS
meeting on the topic, "Implementing Wireless Messaging Today."

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930303/Reader contact: DCI, tel [phone],
Press contact: Keith Todd, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(BOS)(00004)

 ****Markey Wants Govt Role In Global Telecom Highway 03/03/93
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- The Hon. Edward
M. Markey, chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance
Subcommittee, addressed the CompTel '93 convention in Boston
this week, calling for US government to play a limited but definite
role in establishing the national communications infrastructure of
the future.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who has served on the subcommittee for
the past 17 years, also stated his contention that the regional
Bell operating companies (RBOCS) should continue to be forbidden
from long-distance service until the local competition that is now
emerging becomes much stronger.

In speaking before the industry lobbying group, Rep. Markey
expressed confidence that the new Clinton Administration will work
with the committee in supporting these goals.

"The gridlock is ended and we now have a chance to move forward,"
stated Markey. "We've gone from a (President) who didn't know what
a grocery scanner was to a President and Vice President who not
only know what `PBX' stands for, but who know the capacity of
the one in the White House and who aren't happy with it."

The development of a national communications infrastructure demands
Congressional attention because the future infrastructure is too
important to the needs of business and consumers to be left to the
marketplace alone, the Congressman said.

"(But the government) should be confined to setting goals,
facilitating limited improvements in the network (and) funding
limited pilot projects. Beyond that (the) private sector should
be the primary means of meeting our country's communications
needs," he emphasized.

In Markey's own opinion, nationwide installation of fiber cabling
by the year 2015 should be an overriding goal for the new
infrastructure. Nationwide installation of digital
switching within the next five years should be a more immediate
goal.

The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Association),
a division of the Commerce Department, is the appropriate
agency to set telecommunications standards, he added. "But with
Ron Brown as (Secretary of Commerce) and Larry Irving as director
of the NTIA, once he has been confirmed, I am confident that the
agency can reach (these goals)."

For the time being, at least, the MFJ (Modified Final Judgment), a
court ruling that prevents the RBOCS from interexchange services,
should continue to stand, he said.

"However, (at) the point (when) the RBOCs no longer control the
bottleneck, when they face effective competition, we have to ask
ourselves whether these restrictions still make sense," he
maintained.

Government should also set standards that spur competition at the
local level, Markey suggested. "The next critical steps on
competition will come in the area of expanded interconnection," he
noted. Expanded interconnection would link the facilities of the
RBOCS to those of competing local carriers, the CAPS (competitive
access providers).

"The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) took an important step
last September on interconnection for special access and will
complete the ruling on switched access later this year. Both of
these steps were contained in MFJ legislation I first circulated
almost two years ago. So I am glad the FCC is moving ahead in this
area, and I will be pushing them to finish the job," he said.

"To achieve real local loop competition means...that when you pick
up the phone you reach the phone company of your choice -- the
same kind of competition we now have in the long distance area."

(Jacqueline Emigh/19930202)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00005)

Northern Telecom Introduces Magellen Line 03/03/93
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Northern
Telecom, one of the two dominant telephone switch makers in the
US, created a new family of data network products under the
name Magellan. The product line is designed to work around the
world, and its first product is a networking switch called
Passport.

The Passport switch is a data complement to Northern's DPN 100
product, and can consolidate data, voice, and video on a single
network, offering frame relay services to companies to link
their local area networks. It is also designed to work under an
emerging fast-data standard called Asynchronous Transfer
Mode, or ATM. Competitor AT&T has signed agreements with Cisco,
a maker of routers, and frame relay switch maker Stratacom
designed to insure that ATM and frame relay remain compatible.

Passport is designed to handle the management of many types of
data traffic, including files which can be turned into voice or
multimedia at the other end of a call, and converts between frame
relay and cell relay -- the latter is a technique common in ATM.
Volume shipments of the new switch are due to start in about a
year.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930302/Press Contact: Northern Telecom, Lee
Williams, 919/992-3125)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00006)

Knight Ridder Buys Data-Star 03/03/93
MIAMI, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Knight-Ridder, a
newspaper chain which already owns Dialog, the largest online
library in the US, has bought Data-Star, the largest online
library in Europe. Terms were not disclosed.

The seller is Motor-Columbus AG, a Swiss engineering technology
firm.

Newsbytes discussed the deal with Knight-Ridder spokesman Frank
Hawkins, who confirmed the transaction has already been
completed. But he said the company has no plans to integrate
Data-Star into Dialog operations at the present time. "Initially
and for the foreseeable future the two companies will continue to
be run separately in Europe." He said the situation with Data-
Star and Vu/Text, which specialized in putting newspapers online
and has been slowly integrated into Dialog, is different.

"Vu/Text is a small company with a specialized niche. That made
it easy to integrate. But Data-Star is a big company with many
parallel functions and databases. It has its own separate sales
and marketing organization, and its own specific European
presence. All those things are valuable."

Knight-Ridder purchased Dialog in 1988 from Lockheed but has
since done little to change the company's corporate culture.
Hawkins said that is deliberate. "We have never replaced anyone
from Miami. After Dialog was purchased Roger Summit, their
founder, retired. But Knight-Ridder has never done any slash and
burn."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930302/Press Contact: Frank Hawkins, Knight-
Ridder, 305-376-3838)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00007)

IBM Japan's Multimedia Developers Club 03/03/93
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- IBM Japan has announced a
"Multimedia Developers' Club" will be established in April
to create quality multimedia software in cooperation with
other firms. IBM Japan will also provide technical information
to the member firms.

IBM Japan has been setting the stage for creation of the club
for promotion and development of software for its personal
computers since last year. Expected member firms include those
involved in motion picture, book, and music production, as well as
computer software and hardware firms. The club aims to provide
its members with the latest information on IBM's personal computers
as well as opportunities to exchange ideas on multimedia software.

IBM Japan intends to encourage production of business software
as well as game and entertainment titles. IBM Japan will hold
seminars and meetings to provide up-to-date technical information
to its members. Also, member firms will be able to purchase IBM
Japan's multimedia PCs at extremely low prices -- up to 45 percent
discount against the retail prices.

The annual membership fee for this Club is 100,000 yen ($830) for
corporate users, and 10,000 yen ($83) for individual users. In
order to get a membership, the prospective members must
take some introductory seminars, which will be held by IBM Japan.
It is expected that about 100 corporate members and 50 individual
members will get together at this club.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930201/Press Contact: IBM Japan,
Multi-media Developers' Club, [phone], Fax, +81-3-3546-
7302)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00008)

India - Software Training Lucrative 03/03/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Software is not the only way
to spell hard currency. As more and more are discovering, software
training too can rake in the dough (in this case dollars).

It was a small and hesitant beginning when NIIT, the premier training
institute in the country, tied up with Systems Education Center (SEC),
Singapore, in early 1991 to train the latter's professionals in the
Unix operating system, reminisces P. Rajendran, director, NIIT. After
Singapore it was Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Southeast Asia and
the Middle East.

"There is a demand for high-end courses like Unix system software
programming, Unix communications and networking, Unix
productivity tools, database management, or anything concerning
networking," explains Rajendran. "They (foreign clients) know that
for a similar course Western companies (in this case industrialized)
will charge at least three times more than we do."

NIIT has recently bagged an order from Pegi Advanced Technologies,
Malaysia, for training managers, users, and technical professionals.
Earlier, it had executed a national computer training contract for the
National Institute of Public Administration (Malaysia) Intan and
Mimos. Malaysia is the eighth Asian country where NIIT is conducting
training. The institute has set up an office in Singapore to identify
specific needs of the market and to scout for clients.

If NIIT is there, can Apple Industries be far behind? (Apple is the
second largest training institute in the country, and has nothing to
do with the makers of the Macintosh). Realizing the potential of
computer training in Middle East countries, Apple set up a joint
venture with Baharain-based Gulf Markets International. The new
company, Aptech Information Systems, will operate 10 centers in
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat and Doha. The Middle East centers
are expected to generate revenues worth Rs 10 crore ($3.33 million)
in the first full year of operations.

Apple is also setting up offices in London and Mauritius. While the
London office will look after the group's interests in Europe, the
Mauritius office will serve as the node for computer training ventures
in Africa. The company has been accorded "pioneer status" by the
government of Mauritius, which will give the company substantial tax
concessions and other benefits.

Smelling profit, Delhi-based India Education Centre (IEC) has opened a
training center in Nepal. Two more centers in Singapore and Mauritius
are also in the cards. As the vision and innovation of leaders pave
the way, many more may emulate the training track abroad.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930303)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00009)

UK - Microsoft Lures DOS Users To Windows 03/03/93
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Microsoft has
launched a trade-in program that aims to persuade its DOS
application users to migrate to the same package under Windows.

The program is a two-tier affair, with users of Microsoft applications
being offered a Windows version for UKP 99, while users of competing
DOS packages can upgrade to the Windows (Microsoft) equivalent for UKP
129. The scheme runs until the end of June this year.

So why extend an upgrade offer to the company's existing users? Surely
this is "preaching to the converted?"

"We want to make it easier for PC users everywhere to take advantage
of the benefits of working in Windows," explained Sean Orpen,
applications group marketing manager with Microsoft.

Orpen added that he is confident that the trade-in program will
provide the company's customers with an incentive to "re-evaluate
their character-based product portfolio and choose to move to the
Windows environment."

To take advantage of the trade-in promotion, customers buy either a
trade-in pack (for competing product users) or an upgrade pack (for
existing Microsoft DOS users) through their reseller. Users of
competitive products can opt for Word for Windows 2.0, Excel 4.0 for
Windows, Powerpoint 3.0 for Windows, Access 1.0 for Windows, Foxpro
2.5 for Windows or Project 3.0 for Windows.

Existing Microsoft users, meanwhile, can choose between Word 2.0 for
Windows, Excel 4.0 for Windows, Powerpoint 3.0 for Windows, Project
3.0 for Windows or Foxpro 2.5 for Windows.

As a sweetener, Microsoft is including a 50 percent-off training
voucher with its competitive upgrade packs.

(Steve Gold/19930303/Press & Public Contact: Microsoft - Tel: 0734-
270001)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00010)

 ****Novell Netware 4.0 Due Next Week 03/03/93
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Novell has revealed it will
formally announce Netware 4.0, the long-awaited major upgrade to its
network operating system, on Wednesday March 10 in the UK. Plans call
for a parallel US launch to also take place on that date.

Although Novell is officially keeping quiet about the launch, industry
sources in the UK have confirmed that beta copies of the network
operating system have been circulating for several months.

The heart of Netware 4.0 is a redesigned directory service -- the
Netware Naming Services (NNS) feature seen in Netware v3.11 has been
replaced by Netware Directory Services (NDS). The enhanced directory
feature allows network administrators to control exactly which
facilities a user may have access to, rather than a complete
subsystem.

Other enhancement in Netware 4.0 over earlier versions include a
single log-in facility for multiple servers, as well as greatly
improved security features. Support for OS/2 and Windows clients on a
network has also been improved.

Some developers have criticized the X.500 directory naming facility.
One developer who Newsbytes contacted, who wished to remain
anonymous, said that the version of Netware 4.0 which will be unveiled
next week will include the standard X.500 directory-naming feature,
but this is being enhanced for future versions.

Many of the features of Netware 4.0 are expected to position the
network operating system as a direct competitor to Microsoft Windows
NT, which is also expected to be unveiled later this month.

(Steve Gold/19930303)


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

Ameritech Files Market Opening Plan 03/03/93
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- The lines were drawn
as Ameritech filed its historic plan to open its local market to
competitors with the Federal Communications Commission. Under the
plan, Ameritech would allow competition in its local markets, in
exchange for being allowed to offer cable television and long
distance services.

Other regional Bell companies will be looking closely for
reaction to the plan, which also asks for much looser regulation
on its rates in exchange for letting opponents into its offices.
NYNEX already has a plan to let local competitors like Teleport
"co-locate" their equipment with its telephone switches, while
Pacific Telesis has proposed splitting itself between regulated
local and non-regulated wireless units.

Long distance companies are generally against the plan. AT&T's
position, re-stated in Chairman Robert Allen's letter to
shareholders on the day of the Ameritech filing, remains that
local competition must come first before the 1982 Bell break-up
decree provisions keeping Ameritech out of long distance or
manufacturing are lifted. MCI has pointed out that Ameritech's
Michigan Bell unit continues to fight for in-state long distance
monopoly powers even as its parent claims it wants to compete.

An Ameritech spokesman, contacted about the MCI statement, referred
Newsbytes to Michigan Bell, although the company's own plans call
for the Michigan network to be absorbed into a new division under
the control of the parent company.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930302/Press Contact: Steve Ford, Ameritech,
312-750-5205; Jim McGann, AT&T, 202-457-3942)


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

 ****Cellular News, Trends, Products 03/03/93
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Over 11 million people
now have cellular phones, the industry said at its annual
convention, as new products adapted for use on wireless networks
were introduced.

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association reports
that the number of customers nationwide grew 46 percent during
1992, with $2.5 billion invested and over 8,000 new jobs
created. Total revenues were $7.8 billion.

But early this year the industry was stung by charges that hand-
held phones caused cancer. One new device deals with the
perceived threat. Quantum Laboratories of Renton, Washington said
it has rushed to market a $50 device called Cellguard, consisting
of molded plastic which covers the phone's antenna and fits over
the earpiece. Versions are available for most major phones, and
the company claims it reduces emissions aimed at a user's head
by 97 percent. Inventor Greg Gratias told a news conference he
got the idea while installing radio equipment near two microwave
dishes, which emitted high levels of radiation. He said his own
tests did not show cellular emissions exceeding allowable levels,
however. There is a slight reduction in phone performance while
using the Cellguard.

Despite the scare, new hand-held phones are emerging from
vendors. The latest, from Qualcomm Inc., offers both analog
service and digital service under its Code Division Multiple
Access, or CDMA, scheme. Only US West has announced formal
support for CDMA, with the industry having endorsed a competing
system called Time Division Multiple Access, or TDMA. The
Qualcomm phone weighs 12 ounces, and will be available later this
year.

Qualcomm also announced a single-chip modem for CDMA systems,
replacing an earlier three-chip model. The new chip is an
application specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, containing all
the software needed to add data communications to a CDMA device.
It is slightly more complex than the Intel 80386 chip, the
company said.

Data Race of San Antonio said it has an agreement to supply
modems to Eo, makers of the AT&T Personal Communicator. The
14,400 bit/second data modems will use the V.32bis modulation
scheme, and incorporate a 4 page per minute fax modem under Group
III standards. It supports both V.42 and MNP-4 error correction.
"We're helping develop a V.42 standard for cellular, which is
under evaluation by standards-setting committees," said Data Race
spokesman Garrick Colwell. "We believe MNP's proprietary nature
limits its use."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19930302/Press Contact: Cellular, Stephen
Stribley, 800/767-6077; TVX, Ted Waibel, 800/728-1708; Qualcomm
Thomas Crawford, 619/597-5715; CTIA, 202-785-0081; Data Race,
210-558-1900)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00013)

Colorado To US West - Service Poor, Can't Use Fax, Modems 03/03/93
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- The Colorado Public
Utilities Commission has told phone service provider US West that
it must reduce rates for rural customers in two eastern Colorado
counties until it can improve service to the area.

The ruling is a result of a complaint filed against US West by about
1,400 residents of Washington and Yuma counties, who still have
party lines that keep them from having modern services such as
answering machines, fax machines, and computer modems.

One resident told The Denver Post, "Rural communities depend on
telecommunications and computers to survive, to transmit college
courses to local students or keep our hospitals in contact with the
latest research. We have none of that."

The PUC found that US West has violated several regulations
governing quality of service, and ordered rate reductions totalling
at least $115,000 until the problems are corrected. The inadequate
service reportedly includes sudden disconnections, lost volume,
excessive static, and poor repair service. The commission ordered US
West to upgrade the party lines to single-party lines by the end of
the year.

"The evidence did show that these US West customers have endured
inconveniences, impediments to business communications, and health
an safety dangers that would not be tolerated by their counterparts
in urban areas," one commissioner told The Denver Post. Some of the
lines in the area were installed shortly after World War II.

The commission said it would monitor US West records to assure
compliance with rules that require bill adjustments when service is
interrupted for more than eight hours. It said it would hold another
hearing in December to determine if US West had complied with the
ruling.

This isn't the first time US West has had problems because of its
rural service. In 1990 the company agreed to refund about $50 to
each residential customer in Weld County because of the quality of
service in that area.

(Jim Mallory/19930303)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00014)

Wordperfect Ships Interim Mac Release 03/03/93
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation says
it is now shipping an interim release of Wordperfect for Macintosh
which includes Grammatik 5.

In January 1993 Wordperfect announced it had obtained the rights to
Grammatik, a grammar and style checking program, through the
acquisition of Grammatik publisher Reference Software.
"Wordperfect's acquisition of Reference Software makes a lot of
sense because the Grammatik product has established a good
reputation in the writing community and is widely accepted by other
software companies," according to Chris La Tocq, an analyst at
research firm InfoCorp. La Tocq says the new writing tools for the
Mac will help push the edge of what writing means. He believes
that's what software users want.

WP Corp says Grammatik 5 for the Mac is integrated into the
Wordperfect installer, allowing users to utilize the grammar and
style checker after closing a Wordperfect file. WP spokesperson Dave
Terran told Newsbytes Grammatik will be accessible from one of the
Wordperfect pull-down menus in the next upgrade, although apparently
exactly which menu hasn't been decided yet. Terran said the upgrade
is scheduled to ship in the third quarter.

The company says Grammatik works by breaking words down to their
roots. The word-root information allows Grammatik 5 to perform a
parts-of-speech analysis so the grammatical context of the word is
identified. Once that's done Grammatik suggests alternatives. Users
can choose from several writing styles, including general, business
letter, memo, report, technical, documentation, proposal, journalism,
advertising, or fiction. There's also an electronic bookmark feature
that allows the user to stop proofreading in the middle of a
document, then resume at that same point later.

The interim release, designated Wordperfect 2.1.3, also integrates
Stuffit, a compression/decompression technology from Aladdin Systems
that reduces the number of Wordperfect program disks from seven to
four including the Grammatik disk. The files automatically
de-compress during the installation process, Terran said.

Wordperfect 2.1.3 for Macintosh runs on any Macintosh computer
equipped with a hard drive. You'll need at least 1 megabyte (MB) of
system memory if you're using System 6.0.5 or higher, or 2 MB with
System 7. Users of version 2.1 can upgrade to version 2.1.3 for
$16, while version 1.0.x and 2.0.x users will pay $89. The suggested
retail price for Wordperfect 2.1.3 for new users is $495.

(Jim Mallory/19930303/Press Contact: Dave Terran, WP Corp,
801-228-5013; Reader contact: Wordperfect Corp, 800-451-5151)


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

4 More Players On Microsoft's Sound Bandwagon 03/03/93
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1993 M
AR 3 (NB) -- Microsoft announced
week that four more PC makers are now shipping computers that
incorporate the Microsoft Windows Sound System and several other
hardware makers plan to join that list before the end of the year.

Dell Computer Corporation, DFI, Inc., Gateway 2000, and Tri-Star
Computer Corporation say they are all shipping personal computers
that are Windows Sound System-capable, while Dataexpert Corp, Epson
America, and Intel Corporation plan to ship similar systems by
the end of 1993.

Microsoft also announced that the Windows Sound System now has
better support for game sound with the inclusion of SoundBlaster
compatibility. According to Bob McBreen, Microsoft hardware
accessories group product manager, while Windows Sound is targeted
primarily at business users Microsoft wants to satisfy customer
requests for more extensive compatibility with DOS-based games. To
do that, the company says it will provide a software upgrade at no
charge to gamers who are registered users of the Windows Sound
System.

According to Microsoft, several game development companies,
including Sierra On-Line, say they will write future versions of
their game software to take advantage of the Windows Sound System.

In order to entice more hardware makers to incorporate Windows Sound
System functionality into their systems, Microsoft is now shipping
the Windows Sound System OEM Distribution Kit, or ODK. The kit is
available at no charge to any OEM that has licensed Windows Sound
System software. The ODK gives PC makers the ability to customize
the Sound System software to match their hardware. The kit provides
support for a variety of audio hardware configurations, such as
system board implementation or add-in cards, and a range of audio
choices from digitized sound to the more complex digital and
synthesized sound.

The Windows Sound System is a software-hardware combination that
provides audio capability for Microsoft Windows. Potential
business applications for sound include voice annotation of
documents, audible proofing of spreadsheet numbers and terms, and
even the execution of common computing commands by voice instead of
from the keyboard.

(Jim Mallory/19930303/Press contact: Beverley Flower, 206-882-8080;
Reader contact: 800-426-9400)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00016)

Systemhouse And Warburg, Pincus Close Deal 03/03/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Systems integrator
SHL Systemhouse Ltd., and E.M. Warburg, Pincus, & Co., a New York
private banker, have announced the closing of a deal that gives
Warburg, Pincus a minority stake in Systemhouse.

Announced in late February, the deal gives Warburg roughly nine
percent of Systemhouse, or 4.5 million shares, in exchange for a
payment of about C$40.5 million (US$32 million), a company
spokesman said.

Systemhouse said it will use the proceeds of the deal to finance
new capital assets it needs for long-term contracts, and to
increase its working capital.

Warburg, Pincus has a portfolio of investments in information
technology companies focused on open systems and client/server
computing, officials said. These areas are a significant part of
Systemhouse's business.

SHL Systemhouse has more than 4,000 employees and reported 1992
revenues of nearly C$750 million.

In January BCE Enterprises Inc., of Montreal, parent of Bell
Canada and Northern Telecom Ltd., sold its 25.6-percent interest
in Systemhouse to an assortment of investors.

Systemhouse also recently announced the purchase of AST TransAct
Ltd., a provider of computer services to the financial services
industry, based in London.

(Grant Buckler/19930303/Press Contact: Harry Schlough or Paul
Damp, SHL Systemhouse, 416-366-4600; William Janeway, Warburg,
Pincus, 212-878-9387)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00017)

IBM Device Driver Kit For OS/2 03/03/93
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- A new Device Driver
Development Kit (DDK) for OS/2 will let independent hardware
vendors and developers take advantage of the 32-bit architecture
of Version 2.0 and future releases of IBM's OS/2 operating
system, the company said.

While older device drivers will work under OS/2 2.0, a company
spokesman explained, new drivers created especially for the
32-bit system can provide performance improvements.

"The OS/2 DDK is important for hardware vendors who want to
maximize the performance of their products in a 32-bit operating
environment, as well as software developers who need to fine-tune
their 32-bit OS/2 applications," said Lois Dimpfel, director of
the Boca Raton, Florida, programming center run by IBM's Personal
Software Products division, in a prepared statement.

IBM said the new kit also provides tools for testing all
mandatory functions of printer and display drivers.

Available on CD-ROM, the OS/2 Device Driver Development Kit
contains drivers for Presentation Manager displays, virtual
video, entry- line video handlers, printers (Postscript and
plotters), pointing devices, compact disk read-only memory
(CD-ROM) drives, and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
devices.

The 50-megabyte beta kit also includes detailed on-line display
driver documentation, on-line display test-tool information, and
on-line SCSI documentation, according to IBM.

Developers can obtain the DDK for just a nominal shipping and
handling charge by calling IBM at 407-982-4239, the spokesman
said.

IBM's also announced that OS/2 2.0 has been awarded the Computer
Language Jolt Cola Award for Product Excellence. The award is
given annually to a product that has had a major impact on
programmers in the past year and that represents important
concepts for future software development.

(Grant Buckler/19930303/Press Contact: Rob Crawley, IBM,
602-438-8521 (Mar. 3) or 914-642-5364 (after Mar. 3); Public
Contact: IBM, 407-982-4239)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00018)

CA, NCR Ally To Put Unicenter On System 3000 03/03/93
DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Unicenter, the systems
management software from Computer Associates International
of Islandia, New York, will be available on NCR Corp.'s System
3000 computers some time next year as a result of an alliance
just announced by the two firms.

CA is to port Unicenter -- already available on a variety of Unix
and other systems -- to the System 3000 running Unix System V
Release 4. A beta-test version of the software is expected to be
ready by year-end, CA spokesman Bob Gordon said.

NCR and CA said they will work together on marketing and sales.

According to Computer Associates, CA-Unicenter addresses
fundamental systems management needs such as automated production
control, security, data center administration, resource
accounting, and storage management.

NCR's System 3000 is a seven-level family of general purpose,
scalable systems ranging from pen-based notepads to massively
parallel systems. All use Intel processors.

CA will also port CA-DB, the underlying database for Unicenter,
to NCR systems, and the agreement provides for porting other CA
software, such as the CA-IDMS and CA-DATACOM database management
systems, to NCR hardware. CA currently offers its Masterpiece
Series financial software and CA-Classic Open human resource
package for NCR systems.

CA-Unicenter is currently offered for Unix versions running on
Data General, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Pyramid, Sequent, and Sun
systems, and for IBM's OS/2 operating system and Novell's
NetWare local-area network operating system.

(Grant Buckler/19930303/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391; Chris Stellwag, NCR, 513-445-4178)


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

Corel Signs Three More SCSI Alliances 03/03/93
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Corel has
signed alliances with three more companies for its CorelSCSI
software, bringing the total number of such relationships to
nine. CorelSCSI is driver software for the Small Computer Systems
Interface (SCSI), an increasingly popular way of attaching
peripherals such as compact-disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives
to personal computers.

Corel and NCR of Dayton, Ohio, announced that CorelSCSI
will work with NCR's SCSI Device Management System (SMDS)
software and its 53C810 Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
and SCSI controller.

Corel and Rancho Technology of San Jose, California,
announced that Rancho will ship CorelSCSI with its All-in-One
SCSI kit, and will ship a tailored version of Corel's CD-ROM
software in its CD-ROM SCSI kits.

Acculogic, of Orange County, California, will include CorelSCSI
with its EISApport 32-bit SCSI host adapter, which the firm said
is the first SCSI host adapter to use NCR's 53C720 chip.

Corel has similar alliances with Always Technology, Adaptec,
Buslogic, Data Technology, Distributed Processing Technology, and
Future Domain.

More such alliances can be expected, Corel spokeswoman Janie
Sullivan said, though no specifics are available. "We are always
looking for greater opportunities," she said.

Rancho's RT10-All-in-One Kit includes an eight-bit SCSI host
adapter for the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an
internal SCSI device cable, device drivers, software utilities,
and CorelSCSI. It comes with a five-year warranty.

Corel is also providing Rancho with CD-ROM software for its new
CD-ROM SCSI kits. The first is the RT10-CDR, which includes an
eight-bit host adapter, an internal SCSI device cable, and
software.

The new RT10-All-In-One kits carry a suggested list price of
US$299. The new RT-10-CDR kits will have a suggested list price
of US$79.

Acculogic's EISApport board is a 32-bit, bus master SCSI host
adapter for 386 and 486 IBM-compatible PCs with the Extended
Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. It supports
synchronous SCSI bus data transfers at speeds to 10 megabytes per
second and asynchronous data transfers at up to 50 megabytes per
second, the company said. The board has an on-board diskette
controller and an integrated processor.

Available from Acculogic's distributors worldwide, the EISApport
board with CorelSCSI will start shipping in March with a list
price of US$599 US.

According to Corel, the CorelSCSI software, with Data
Technology's SCSI host adapters, allows all major SCSI
peripherals to work with DOS, Microsoft Windows, Novell NetWare
file servers, and OS/2 systems.

CorelSCSI also includes tape back-up software, CD-AUDIO, multi-
session support for Kodak Photo CD, as well as other utilities
that let the user customize the performance of the SCSI
peripherals.

Corel will continue to offer CorelSCSI by itself for US$99 or
C$119. Sullivan would not reveal what percentage of CorelSCSI
sales are accounted for by bundling deals and what portion are
stand-alone sales.

(Grant Buckler/19930303/Press Contact: Janie Sullivan of Corel,
613-728-8200, ext. 1672)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00020)

NetFrame Parallel Client/Server Superservers 03/03/93
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- NetFrame
Systems has introduced the C/S (Client/Server) family of
multiprocessing parallel superservers optimized to support
client/server applications.

Sue Jensen, spokesperson for the company, told Newsbytes
that the C/S superservers are a "completely different
approach than the one taken by PC or mini-mainframe vendors.
What this parallel architecture allows you to do is run
industry-standard, shrink-wrapped software in a
mutiprocessing parallel server. Other vendors cannot
do that, they either use proprietary software or they don't
offer the multiprocessing support. (With) a PC-based vendor
you just couldn't run two applications with different
operating systems in the same box."

In addition she said that the NetFrame architecture, "allows for
multiple operating systems, such as NetWare, Unix, and Windows
NT to run within the same system. No other vendor can do that.
(Additionally), our system is architected from the start to be
a server, rather than a single-user PC, or terminal-oriented
minicomputer."

The NetFrame Client/Server family of superservers includes the
NF200C/S, NF250C/S, NF400C/S, and the NF450C/S. The systems
are based on the company's Multiprocessor Parallel Server
Architecture (MPSA).

In introducing the systems, Enzo Torresi, president and CEO of
NetFrame, said: "NetFrame was the first company to announce
and ship superservers in 1989. We continued our leadership in
this market by being the first to deliver fault tolerant
superservers in 1992. Now we're strengthening our leadership
position with the introduction of the NetFrame C/S family."

According to the company, users can add parallel application
processor engines and I/O (input/output) processors to increase
the power of the system. Application processor engines are
486/50 megahertz (MHz), or Pentium-based, with up to 128
megabytes (MB) of memory.

The company also claims that the C/S systems can grow through
additional application processor engines that run shrink-wrapped
NetWare, and NLMs (NetWare Loadable Modules) from Novell,
Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and others.

Jensen said the target market for the C/S products, includes
"companies with business-critical LANs (local area networks)
that are considering, or implementing client/server."

Jensen told Newsbytes that the price of the C/S system starts
at $29,950 and ranges upwards from there, depending on the
configuration. An upgrade kit is available for the C/S family,
and that starts at $12,950.

In terms of competition in the marketplace, Jensen claimed that
there are few direct competitors for the company. "NetFrame
doesn't really have much competition yet, except at the low-end
there are a few (companies) that do show up that are PC-based
server vendors."

(Ian Stokell/19930303/Press Contact: Marcia Mason,
408-434-4128; or Sue Jensen, 408-428-4229, both of
NetFrame Systems Inc.)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00021)

3Com NetBuilder WANS, Intos EtherLink Cards 03/03/93
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- 3Com
claims it has added new functionality to its NetBuilder
internetworking family in order to more efficiently utilize
wide area networking (WAN) links. This includes a range of WAN
services for the remote office internetworking market. The
company has also announced pricing and availability for three
new members of the EtherLink III Parallel Tasking family
of adapters

According to the company, these enhancements, delivered
through software for the NetBuilder family, include 3Com's
Boundary Routing System Architecture, data compression
for major bridging and routing protocols, X.25 connection and
gateway service, and low-speed line support.

The company claims that Boundary Routing enables customers
to add five to ten times more remote site connections without
adding administrative resources, complexity, or risk. In doing
so, it maintains the advantages of routing for the WAN backbone,
including efficient data traffic management, efficient WAN link
utilization, and availability of multiple paths.

3Com's new X.25 connection service permits NetBuilder to act
as an X.25 gateway, which allows Ethernet LAN-attached terminals
or hosts to talk via X.25 to an X.29 host or terminal. Using X.25
users can establish up to 128 Telnet sessions

The company also says that it now supports the lower line
speeds typically used in foreign countries for WAN connections.
3Com also claims it supports the ability to group two low-speed
lines as a single logical connection to ensure reliable connectivity
between sites. The company says the second line can either be
used for backup, or to increase overall packet throughout.
NETBuilder will reportedly detect when one line has reached a
pre-set threshold, and forward additional traffic over the second
link.

The new enhancements are delivered in 3Com's NetBuilder
software release 6.0. The software will ship during the first
quarter, 1993, at prices ranging from $250 to $2000, depending
on the software features provided and the hardware supported.

The three new members of the EtherLink III Parallel Tasking
adapters are the EtherLink III 16-bit combo adapter for ISA
(Industry Standard Architecture) PCs, the EtherLink III 32-bit
EISA (Extended ISA) adapters, and the EtherLink III 16/32-bit
Micro Channel adapters.

The company claims that the EtherLink III Parallel Tasking
boards are targeted at users in need of "top performing adapters
that are easily installed and aggressively priced." The EtherLink
III 16-bit combo adapter is available immediately and priced at
$225 each per single quantity and $199 each in a five pack.

The EtherLink III 32-bit EISA adapter also is currently available
at $349 each in single quantities and $299 each in a five pack.
The EtherLink III 16/32-bit Micro Channel adapter will be
available in March, 1993, and is priced at $349 per single
quantity and $299 each in a five pack.

(Ian Stokell/19930303/Press Contact: Krista Passarelli,
408-764-5436, Donna Stein, 408-764-5960, 3Com)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00022)

Media Vision Ships Products To Compaq In OEM Deal 03/03/93
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Media Vision
has begun shipping OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
products to Compaq Computer -- Compaq is using its Pro AudioSpectrum
16 add-in sound card in a "personal computer to be announced in
the near future."

Paul Jain, Media Vision's president and chief executive officer,
said: "The key to success in our business is to have major
personal computer companies use our products on an OEM basis.
The Pro AudioSpectrum 16 has been, to date, the leading 16-bit
sound card in the retail market and is also gaining momentum in
the OEM channel."

Media Vision is focusing much of its efforts on the multimedia
markets for its products. Other OEMs that the company has
agreements with include NEC Technologies, Sony, and Philips.

Abigail Johnson, spokesperson for Media Vision, told Newsbytes
that, "Media Vision is in registration for a secondary public
offering. We cannot comment beyond what is in the press
release."

Just this week Media Vision announced plans to acquire
Pellucid Inc., a company developing graphics and video accelerator
engines, highly integrated chip sets, PC board products,
and proprietary software.

(Ian Stokell/19930303/Press Contact: Abigail Johnson,
415-802-1851,Roeder-Johnson Corp.)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00023)

UK - Microcom Carbon Copy For Windows 2.0 03/03/93
WOKING, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Microcom UK has unveiled
Carbon Copy for Windows 2.0, an updated version of its remote PC
package to take account of local area networks (LAN). The company
claims that the package fully supports LAN topologies.

The software technology behind Carbon Copy for Windows 2.0 has been
enhanced to allow the package to run between two PCs linked either by
modem or a network link, with each PC running under either DOS or
Windows, across its own network. This flexibility, Microcom claims,
allows the package to be run under a variety of situations.

"CC for Windows 2.0 fulfills two primary needs of individuals and
businesses: remote access and remote support. Mobile professionals,
telecommuters and remote offices require easy-to-use remote access to
corporate LANs and office PCs, whereas technical support providers
need cost-effective connections to clients running either Windows or
DOS. Carbon Copy/Win 2.0 meets these needs," explained Martin Perry,
European general manager with Microcom.

Speaking with Newsbytes at today's launch in London, Mark Stoever,
Carbon Copy product manager with the company, said that this new
version is a major advance over v1.0.

"With v1.0 it was very much a modem to modem link. This version allows
a variety of connections. We realized when we launch v1.0 in December
if '91 that we need LAN connectivity, so we've been working on the
technology since then," he said.

Two aspects of the package's usage have been enhanced since 1.0. The
first is in the area of data compression, the second is in remote
control of Windows applications.

"Our data compression algorithms can now compress down to seven times,
subject to the files being handled. That speeds things up, even on
slower modems," Stoever said, adding that the Windows screen imaging
has also been enhanced to ensure that a Windows screen is transmitted
as efficiently as possible.

"We've also introduced increased memory caching for use with Windows
applications running remotely. This speeds things up as well," he
said.

Shipment? In the US the package is already shipping, with UK
production having started earlier this week. UK shipment is expected
within the next few weeks, Stoever told Newsbytes.

Carbon Copy for Windows 2.0 sells for UKP 145, with existing users
being offered the chance to upgrade for UKP 45. In use, the package
supports the Asynchronous Communication Server (ACS) network standard,
using NCSI, NASI and INT14 application programming interfaces (APIs).

In plain English, this means that the package can run over a wide
variety of network topologies, with a network of PCs gaining access to
a pool of modems.

(Steve Gold/19930303/Press & Public Contact: Microcom UK - Tel: 0483-
740763)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00024)

UK - Canon BN22 Bubblejet Notebook 03/03/93
WALLINGTON, SURREY, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Canon (UK) has launched the
BN22 Bubble Jet Notebook, a portable computer with a built-in micro
bubblejet printer. Pricing on the unit will be confirmed nearer
shipment date, which is expected in the second quarter of this year.

The BN22 features an 80486 microprocessor running at 25 megahertz
(MHz) with 4 megabytes (MB) of memory, plus a choice of hard disks,
ranging from 85 to 180MB.

According to the company, by combining bubblejet technology and
"mechatronics" -- precision mechanics with electronic control -- Canon
has produced a printer so small that it is neatly concealed within the
case of the notebook. The printer whirrs out copy at an impressive 116
characters a second (fast for a bubblejet) working to 360 dots per
inch.

The notebook comes with a clip on single sheet feeder that holds up to
10 sheets of paper, with the paper feed path running under the
keyboard of the unit to prevent paper jams. This "flat" paper path
allows the printer to handle different stationery, including projector
film and envelopes, the company claims.

The PC side of the BN22 is a VGA backlit LCD monochrome screen unit
plus a full size keyboard with 85 keys. A handheld two button
trackball mouse for use with Windows (pre-configured and installed on
the machine) is also supplied.

Taking a leaf out of Toshiba's book, the BN22 has six power management
features to conserve battery power by setting various delay options.
These include doze, suspend, lid close, CPU speed, display and screen,
all of which can be set using DOS and Windows utilities.

Two option slots are available on the BN2, Canon officials say. These
slots will handle PCMCIA version 2 peripheral cards. A PCMCIA version
2 data/fax modem will be launched in the third quarter of this year.
Battery life on the machine is estimated at up to four hours from a
single set of nicads, although printer use does decrease this time.

(Steve Gold/19930303/Press & Public Contact: Canon UK - Tel: 081-773-
3173; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00025)

Thermal Transfer Color Printer Less Than $1000 03/03/93
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Fargo
Electronics has announced a thermal transfer color printer for less
than $1,000 that works IBM-compatible personal computers
running Windows 3.1 or higher.

The company said this is the first thermal transfer color printer
priced lower than an inkjet, comparing the suggested retail price
of $995 for its Primera Color Printer with Hewlett Packard's Deskjet
550C inkjet printer. It also says the Primera costs about one-third
that of competitive thermal transfer color systems. One Compuadd
store sales person told Newsbytes that while the suggested retail
price of the H-P Deskjet 550C is higher than the Primera at $1099,
his store sells the H-P printer for $749. Fargo spokesperson
Michelle Reimers told Newsbytes that the street price of the Primera
ranges from $650 to $800. Many computer retailers sell hardware and
software for less than the manufacturers suggested retail price. The
actual selling price depends on various factors in effect at the
time of sale such as dealer incentives and market demand, and is
known as the "street price."

Fargo, best known for its bar code printers, says the Primera uses
the same thermal transfer technology used in its bar code units. The
company expects the market for desktop color printers will triple to
more than $2.8 billion in 1995 from about $987 million today. BIS
Strategic Decisions, a research firm, reportedly estimates the use
of color printers will grow about 27 percent annually over the next
five years.

Fargo says that in addition to the low initial cost, the Primera is
also less expensive to operate, with a cost-per-page of $0.45. A
full page takes just over two minutes to print. The company says
that compares to four to seven minutes for the same page printed on
an inkjet printer.

The Primera does not include PostScript support, multiple resident
fonts, or large amounts of memory. The company says it was able to
eliminate PostScript support because the Primera is a Windows
GDI-compatible printer and supports the TrueType fonts used by
Microsoft Windows. The Primera has one internal font, a Letter
Gothic 12 point. DIP switches allow selection of international
characters. A Windows driver is provided with each printer.

"We use the computer power of today's PCs and the Windows
operating system to perform all the complex, processor-hungry
and RAM intensive tasks," according to Mark Strobel, Fargo VP
of sales and marketing.

The Primera can print on letter and A4 size paper and
transparencies, and uses a wax-based thermal ink ribbon for color
applications. Fargo spokesperson Michelle Reimers told Newsbytes the
printer ships with a three-color starter ribbon that's good for 30
printed pages. Replacement three-color ribbons are good for 115
prints, while the four-color ribbon will make 80 prints. An optional
monochrome ribbon is also available for $39.95, which will make 400
prints. Additional three or four color ribbons sell for $45 each.
The paper tray will hold 50 sheets of paper.

(Jim Mallory/19930303/Press contact: Michelle Reimers, Fargo
Electronics, 612-941-9470; Reader contact: 800-327-4622)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00026)

India - Court Rejects Cellular Award To 8 Firms 03/03/93
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- The Delhi High Court has set
aside the government's decision to grant provisional licences to
operate cellular phones to eight firms.

Delivering a 96-page judgement, the two-judge bench also directed
the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) to reconsider the bids
of Hutchison Max Telecom Ltd and India Telecomp Ltd, which had
been rejected by DOT.

The court rejected DOT's contention that Hutchison Max had not
submitted a proper compliance statement and was thus liable to
be rejected. The court allowed the company's plea that a few words
were inadvertently omitted in the compliance statement due to
typing error and that the same was brought to the notice of DOT
and a proper compliance statement submitted to it well in time.

The court said that DOT's decision to ignore the company's
clarification and ignore the bid was "arbitrary, irrational and
even whimsical." The court directed DOT to reconsider the
company's contention that its compliance statement was in order.

In the case of India Telecomp Ltd (IXL), the court allowed the
company's plea that DOT had wrongly calculated the data
relating to rentals and had given it less marks than were due.
The judges directed DOT to "consider afresh the grant of
licence to the petitioner (IXL) after evaluating marks for
rental on the basis that the figures for deposits from
subscribers given for Delhi and Bombay were cumulative."

The High Court decision is a godsend for Hutchison as it
will get Bombay, the city projected to have the highest number
of potential cellular customers. IXL, however, is unlikely to
gain much, though it will have the moral satisfaction of having
forced DOT to reconsider its bid. This is because its rankings
will not change in Delhi and Bombay even after revaluation
of marks for rental.

Similarly in Madras, both the selected companies -- Sterling
Cellular Ltd and Skycell Communications Ltd -- are ranked
higher than IXL.

However, the selection of Hutchison Max Telecom Ltd., for
Bombay could lead to the ouster of Tata Cellular Pvt. Ltd.,
from Delhi. This because BPL Systems and Projects Ltd --
which obtained higher marks than Tata Cellular -- may have
to be shifted to Delhi.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19930303)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00027)

AmCoEx Index of Used Computer Prices 03/03/93
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) --  IBM and
Motorola are attempting to reinvent the microcomputer industry.
Their new CPU chip, the PowerPC, is currently being shipped in
limited quantities for development purposes. Large quantities
are expected to be available within the next year.

The two companies jointly developed the new chip in hopes it will
replace Intel's 486 and Pentium chips as an industry standard.
IBM and Apple are reportedly ahead of schedule on the Taligent
operating system for the new chip. It has been rumored that this
operating system will incorporate the best features of the Macintosh
and OS/2 systems. If this is true, the new chip and operating system
may be the first to run all Macintosh and Windows applications on a
single platform. If all of this functions well in a powerful
computer at a competitive price, Intel and Microsoft will be
faced with substantial competition.

While the home computer market has never lived up to the
expectations  of the industry, it was a major contributor to
the success of the  Macintosh LC II last year. During 1992,
more Macintosh LC II's were sold than any other single model of
computer. According to Apple, more than half of these systems were
purchased for home use. Fewer than one fifth were used in business
and less than one fourth were used in schools.

As expected, Apple unveiled its largest new product introduction
last month. This timeframe was chosen to mark month the 10
millionth Macintosh computer was sold. The new models provide more
color and power at lower prices than ever before. The new Centris
line of mid-range computers is expected to have the greatest
impact on the value of used Macintoshes. The Centris 610 uses
a 68040 chip and carries a list price of only $1859. Resale
values of used Macs may not fall immediately, however, due to
limited availability of the new machines. Component shortages have
plagued most major manufacturers recently.

As profit margins have been squeezed in the computer industry,
some manufacturers have turned to the laser printer market for greater
margins. While Hewlett-Packard and Apple have been the leaders in this
market, Compaq is increasing its market share. Until now, over 80% of
the engines in all of these printers were made by Canon. Xerox has now
entered the printer engine business. This competition should force
prices lower. For example, the latest Apple printer will use the Xerox
engine. Its list price is only $819, or $1079 with PostScript.

 The following prices are for February 26, 1992.

                                Avg.    Avg.

                                Buyer's Seller's

 Machine                        Bid     Ask     Close   Change

 IBM PS/2 Model 30/286          450     675     500     +75

 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z 30M         300     650     475     +25

 IBM PS/2 Model 55SX 60M        650     850     700     +75

 IBM PS/2 Model 70 60M          700     900     800     -100

 IBM PS/2 Model 80 70M          800     1100    925     -100

 Clone AT 20 Mg                 250     575     300     **

 Clone Notebook 386SX, 40 MB    650     900     775     +50

 Clone 386/SX 40M, VGA          400     750     675     +75

 Clone 386/25 40M, VGA          500     900     775     +100

 Clone 386/33 40M, VGA          700     1150    900     +25

 Clone 486/25 80M, VGA          1000    1450    1375    +100

 Compaq SLT/286 20M             400     1000    650     +25

 Compaq LTE 286 40M             650     1000    850     +100

 Compaq Portable II 20M         200     500     300     **

 Compaq Portable III 40M        300     650     450     **

 Compaq Deskpro 286 40M         250     500     350     +50

 Compaq Deskpro 386/20e 100M    700     1500    1050    -100

 Macintosh SE 20M               450     900     600     -25

 Macintosh SE/30 40M            1000    1500    1000    -250

 Macintosh II 40M               1000    1550    1225    -100

 Macintosh IIcx 80M             1500    2100    1500    -150

 Macintosh IIci 80M             1700    2400    2275    **

 Mac Quadra 700 200M            1900    2600    2450    -150

 Mac Quadra 900 160M            4500    6000    5100    -100

 Mac PowerBook 140 80M          1300    1625    1500    +50

 LaserWriter Plus               600     1200    700     **

 LaserWriter IINT               900     1450    1100    -25

 Toshiba 1200XE 20M             500     950     700     -25

 Toshiba 1600                   550     900     675     -50

 Toshiba 2000                   850     1300    1100    -150

 Toshiba 3100SX                 800     1300    900     -50

 Toshiba 5200                   1200    1750    1500    +50

 HP LaserJet II                 500     950     800     +50

 HP LaserJet III                850     1225    1175    **

 John Hastings is the president of the American Computer Exchange
Corporation. The American Computer Exchange matches buyers and sellers
of used microcomputer equipment. For more information contact the
American Computer Exchange Corporation at [phone].

(John Hastings/19930303)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00028)

 ****Home Computer Use Up, Says Survey 03/03/93
CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- If you're
spending more time at your computer these days, you're not
alone. A new survey says home personal computer users are
spending more time in front of their computers and are using
more applications software than ever before.

Half of the 2,500 respondents to the California Research
Tabulations survey on behalf of Packard Bell said they spend
more than ten hours a week at the computer, an increase from
the thirty percent reported in 1991. Users who are at their
home computers more than 30 hours a week, termed "power users"
by the survey, have increased to nearly ten percent.

What are all these people doing with their computers? Word
processing was the number one activity reported by over fifty-
seven percent of the respondents. Personal finance and business
applications rated number two at twenty-eight percent, while
entertainment software followed closely at twenty-seven
percent. Spreadsheet use was up to twenty-one percent, but
database software use was up significantly to over sixteen
percent. And for the first time the survey listed
telecommunications software as significant enough to be listed
at over fifteen percent.

Most of the respondents are doing personal activities (forty-
two percent) and the next largest group is performing business-
related activities (thirty-seven percent). Twenty-one percent
of those surveyed are using the computer for school work.

When buying a computer four out of five respondents said
features and price were number one, seven out of ten said
reliability, and three out of five cited the warranty as an
influencing factor. Only one out of five went by the
recommendation of a friend in their computer purchase.

Those surveyed said they are planning to purchase peripherals
or expand their computer systems in the next twelve months.
Number one on the list was additional random access memory
(RAM). Other items in order were a laser printer, a math
coprocessor, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a
larger hard disk, and a modem.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930303/Press Contact: Philip Little, Bohle
Company for Packard Bell, tel [phone]; Packard Bell, tel
818-886-4600, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00029)

Informix To Release Open Platform Database Tools 03/03/93
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- The trend
these days is to build applications quickly that can access
information in any database no matter where it happens to be and yet
protect the integrity of the data. Informix says it will
introduce this year a suite of open platform software
development tools that will allow users to talk to any database
on any platform.

Four new products make up the open tools software suite, and
they are Informix-Viewpoint, Informix-Dba, Informix-
Hyperscript, and Wingz. The Informix-Viewpoint and Informix-Dba
are companion products and each requires the other. The
Informix-Dba product is for management information systems
(MIS) database administrators to build "superviews" and
"supersets" of a database for end users. Informix-Viewpoint is
for the end user who can access the superviews and supersets
created by the MIS administrators.

The Informix-Hyperscript product is geared toward developers
and is described as a graphical, open development tool with
screen and menu painting tools, a spreadsheet, built-in
structured query language (SQL) support, and a graphical
debugger. Wingz, the company's spreadsheet product, is also
being released in a new version.

Informix says in delivering these tools it will be the first to
deliver a gateway for IBM's Distributed Relational Database
Architecture (DRBA) and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
bridge for access to a range of database servers. The company
says its new tools suite will offer the ability to handle
business applications from decision support to on-line
transaction processing (OLTP).

Informix says Microsoft Windows platform versions of the new
Informix-Viewpoint and Informix-Dba will be released in April
while Informix-Hyperscript and the new version of Wingz will
come out in May. In addition versions for the Unix Motif
graphical user interface and for the Macintosh platform will be
out by the third quarter of 1993.

(Linda Rohrbough/19930303/Press Contact: Brenda Hansen,
Informix Software, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Sun Readies Digital Consumer Devices 03/03/93
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1993 MAR 3 (NB) -- Sun
Microsystems says the announcement of its development of a
personal digital assistant (PDA) device is premature. The
company did confirm, however, the existence of a new company
called Firstperson.

Code named project Green internally at Sun, the work on the new
digital devices began in December over two years ago, about the
same time Sun Labs was started. Now project Green has been
moved to the new spin-off company, Firstperson, which is to be
headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

While prototypes of a device have been shown to companies with
which Sun wishes to create a partnership, Sun representatives
told Newsbytes an actual product is at least two years away.
The focus of Firstperson is to continue development work on a
product which Sun describes will "integrate digital data."

"Calling it a PDA is too narrow," said Sun public relations
representative Cindy Moc. "The technology will apply to a broad
range of devices, including PDAs." Sun doesn't want to market
the product itself, but has been seeking other companies which
are strong in the areas of consumer electronics. Reports are Sun
has been talking to Japanese, French, and German consumer
electronics firms, but Sun will not say who those firms are.

Wayne Rosing, a former Apple computer executive and former
president of Sun Labs, is now president of Firstperson. James
Gosling, a preeminent programmer for Sun has moved to
Firstperson and unconfirmed reports are Shu Ling, one of the
nation's experts in digital signal processing and a former
researcher for AT&T Bell Laboratories is now at Firstperson as
well.

The dream of integration of digital data in portable devices
for consumers is one being pursued by several companies. Apple,
in conjunction with AT&T, Motorola, Sony, Matsushita, and
Philips Electronics, has formed a new company General Magic to
develop the devices and has been showing its PDA, the Newton,
at trade shows. IBM has a similar device integrated with a
cellular phone it was demonstrating at the Winter Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Tandy and Casio also showed
a working prototype of their partnership development of a
digital consumer electronic device called Zoomer at the CES.

However, Sun, which specializes in workstation computers, has
kept its entrance into the foray a secret until now. Company
representatives say Sun isn't trying to be secretive, it is
just attempting to avoid the accusation it is marketing
"vaporware."

(Linda Rohrbough/19930303/Press Contact: Cindy Moc, Sun
Microsystems, tel [phone], fax [phone])