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/1994/jan_feb_94/nb011894

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

Alternet Cuts Pricing 01/18/94
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Alternet, a
service which uses the phrase "uunet" in its addresses, has cut
its prices for starting and maintaining 56,000 bits-per-second
(bps) service.

The 56Pak is a bundle of equipment and services aimed at bringing
small and medium-sized businesses into its Internet-linked
network. It includes a Telebit NetBlazer router, a 56K CSU/DSU
(Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit), wide area network
installation coordinated by AlterNet's engineering staff, and the
first six months of service, all for $5,995, or $6,995 if you have
to go through a Sprint or WilTel point of presence, of which there
are over 450 nationwide.

AlterNet has 15 points of presence of its own across the US, in
major business centers like Atlanta, Dallas, New York and
Washington, and has a number of hubs in the San Francisco Bay
Area.

The company estimated its new bundle will save $4,000 from
its previous costs, "And you have to consider the installation
charge as well as equipment purchased separately," noted
spokesman Mike Bynam.

Companies which do not need the equipment and engineering help
in the 56Pak can get their $2,000 start-up fee waive if they buy
a six-month service contract at $4,770 for those local to an
AlterNet hub, or $5,970 for Sprint or WilTel access. Those prices
include local telephone costs, for which AlterNet seeks
competitive bids.

AlterNet was launched in January 1990 and now claims to be the
largest and most experienced Internet access service catering to
business users. Its backbone is based on the emerging
ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) standard, and customer
connections are not subject to acceptable-use policy restrictions
on commercial traffic.

"We also have a dial-up plan," noted Bynam. "It's called
AlterDial. You can buy that in a dial-up version or dedicated
version. It's also called SLIP or PPP access -- that's the link
level protocol used to connect with a modem. Your speed is based
on your modem capability -- 14,400 bps to 20,000 bps. AlterDial
is very good if you want to create an electronic-mail network
and send text. But once you start transferring large files, like
pictures, your operations can get congested if you have a dial-up."

(Dana Blankenhorn/01113994/Press Contact: AlterNet, Michael
Byman, 703-204-8077, e-mail [e-mail]; Customer
Contact: 703-204-8000 or 800-4UUNET4, email: alternet-
[e-mail].)


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

Resource Partners Improves Fax Network 01/18/94
WAKEFIELD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Resource
Partners has announced an upgrade to its network faxing system,
called Fax Resource.

The new system can operate on any server-based or peer-to-peer
network and supports both DOS and Windows-based word processors
on operations such as merging of multiple documents.

Standard configurations support up to 32 fax lines and custom
configurations can support hundreds of lines. Both manual and
automatic routing are available, as are forwarding and plain
paper printing of incoming faxes. "Archives" of incoming and
outgoing faxes are saved, so pages from them can readily combine
into new faxes. Also supported are page annotations, completely
custom cover pages and other features, says the company.

Best of all, according to the company, is the pricing. New Fax
Resource Network Fax software is available starting at $1,295
for 250 users, plus $1,000 per additional 250-user license. Fax
network cards for standard ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
slots are $995 each. One is required for each phone line.

The system also supports up to four off-the-shelf Class-2 modem
cards per server. A working model of the software, without
hardware, is available at no charge for those who want to test it.

Each Fax Resource Network Fax server can support up to six
separate lines, and multiple servers combine to support larger
line arrays. A user can broadcast a single fax over all lines at
once, if circumstances require it, and find the connection
results for all calls reported in the system's statistical and
journal logs.

The fax server can be a relatively inexpensive 386SX PC with as
little as 1 megabyte of memory and a monochrome display.
Incoming faxes can be routed to any combination of locations
on the network and outside fax numbers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01113994/Press Contact: Louise Horton, Resource
Partners Inc., 603-522-9500; Martin Winston, tel [phone];
fax [phone], Newstips; Customer Contact: Resource Partners,
Meadow Street, Box 689, Wakefield, NH 03872; tel [phone];
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00003)

Identity Launches Multimedia Products 01/18/94
RICHARDSON, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Identity
Systems Technology has introduced two multimedia products for
use with IBM-compatible PCs.

The new products are an internal CD-ROM drive and interface
board, and a complete kit to turn your PC into a multimedia
system. The kit includes a dual-speed CD-ROM drive, a 16-bit
stereo sound card, stereo speakers, and an assortment of
multimedia software. Titles include: Compton's Family Choice, a
selection of 18 education and games titles; Compton's Multimedia
Encyclopedia; and Compton's Software Jukebox, a collection of
four games.

The CD-ROM drive being sold with its interface card, or as part of
the multimedia kit, has an average access time of 350
milliseconds, a 64 kilobyte (KB) buffer, and a 16-bit PC/AT bus
interface. It can also play audio CD without any additional software,
and is tray-loaded, eliminating the need for a disk caddy.

The Identity 16-bit stereo sound card shipping in the multimedia
kit is compatible with standards such as Microsoft Windows
Sound, SoundBlaster Pro II, and Adlib. It includes: a 20-voice,
four-operator Yamaha OPL3 synthesizer for a large choice of
instrument sounds and effects; and has a MIDI (musical instrument
digital interface) interface that is Sound Blaster-compatible.

Inputs include microphone, stereo line-in, and CD audio interface.
There is a game port compatible with standard PC joysticks, and
a built-in stereo amplifier and mixer for up to five sources plus
bass, treble, and master volume controls.

The CD-ROM drive and interface board has a suggested retail
price of $299, while the multimedia kit is $499.

(Jim Mallory/19940114/Press Contact: Alan Weinkrantz for
Identity Systems, 210-820-3070; Reader Contact: Identity
Systems Technology, tel [phone],
fax [phone]/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00004)

Exabyte Intros "Leading Edge" 8MM Tape Drive 01/18/94
WEST DRAYTON, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Exabyte
has launched Mammoth, a new eight millimeter (mm) tape drive that
it claims pushes out the boundaries of the technology involved.

The new 5.25-inch half height 8mm tape drive offers four times
the native storage capacity and six times the transfer rate of the
company's EXB-8505 8mm cartridge tape subsystem, a half height
drive that began shipping a year ago and will continue to be sold.

The drive records data to a density of 183 million bits-per-square-
inch, which translates in 20 gigabytes (GB) of native capacity,
which can be pumped onto or off the tape at three megabytes (MB)-
per-second. High speed searches are possible at speeds of up to
188MB-per-second. Continuous recording at 10.8GB are possible
using the drive, the company claims.

Mammoth also features a switchable data compression system that
can take the above data capacities and speeds and double them. With
this technology, Exabyte claims that the new drive substantially
exceeds the performance of digital audio tape (DAT) drives.

"This exciting 8mm announcement validates our commitment to 8mm
technology and underpins our leadership role in continually providing
a comprehensive range of tape storage solutions to satisfy our
customers' ever growing performance requirements," explained Peter
Behrendt, Exabytes' chairman of the board, who added that SCSI-2
(small computer system interface type-2) equipped Mammoth offers
a secure growth path to customers who need faster transfer rates
and the facility of storing more data on a single small cartridge.

Exabyte has warned potential buyers that they may have to wait
awhile for the new drive to ship to end users in the UK. Planned
availability has been pencilled in for the fourth quarter of this
year, at which time pricing will be announced.

(Steve Gold/19940114/Press & PUblic Contact: Keith Johnson,
Harvard Public Relations for Exabyte, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00005)

Oracle Ships Oracle7 For Windows NT 01/18/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Oracle, which claims to be
the world's third largest independent software vendor, has announced
it is now shipping Oracle7 Server for Windows New Technology (NT).

According to Oracle, the company's Oracle7 NT Server provides
support for symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) machines of between
two to thirty processors.

The package also contains networking support for Microsoft local
area network (LAN) Manager and TCP/IP (Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol) networks; as well as providing
support for DOS, Windows 3.1, OS/2 2.0 and Windows NT clients. The
software can coexist with any Oracle Server. Plans call for the
package to support Novell's IPX/SPX (Internetwork/Sequenced
Packet Exchange) networks in the near future.

"The release of the Oracle7 Server for Windows NT represents a
milestone in the database industry, providing users with the
multithreaded architecture of Oracle7 on Microsoft's powerful new
32-bit operating system -- a combination which will offer a robust
environment for mission critical applications, said Neil Morgan,
Oracle's desktop marketing manager.

According to Morgan, because of the scalability of the operating
system across multiprocessors and Oracle's proven performance in
SMP configurations, Windows NT and the Oracle7 Server for NT,
"is the first combination to offer users the chance to employ the
same operating system and database from the desktop to the
data center."

Oracle said that Oracle7 features a multithreaded server and a
shared structured query language (SQL) which the company claims
reduces memory usage and enables Oracle to support more users
with the same amount memory on the server.

The package also has features such as stored procedures, database
triggers, transparent distributed query and update facilities, as
well as ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard
declarative referential integrity. Oracle7 Server for Windows NT
is available immediately and prices start from UKP2,799 for an
eight user license.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940114/Press & Public Contact: Oracle UK,
44-344-860066)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00006)

UK - HP In Maintenance Contract With Gateway 2000 01/18/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Hewlett-Packard (HP)
has announced it has been chosen by Gateway 2000 for its PC
maintenance arrangements in UK and Ireland.

"We are delighted that Gateway 2000 Europe selected HP for its
hardware support contract and look forward to working with them
in what should be a fruitful partnership," commented Brian Rolfe,
Gateway 2000's UK sales support manager.

According to Rolfe, the agreement forms part of the company's
strategy to provide comprehensive multi-vendor support across the
industry. Terms of the contract call for HP to operate as a sub-
contractor to Gateway 2000 Europe, which will also provide
support to customers via phone for the lifetime of the hardware.

Gateway 2000, the US PC manufacturer, set up in the UK last year.
The company, which has its factory and administrative headquarters
in Dublin, Ireland, sells as in the US, via a series of "off the
page" adverts, with a toll-free number and money-back guarantee
to entice potential purchasers into buying from the direct-sell
specialist.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940114/Press & Public Contact:
353-1-797-2000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00007)

UK - AST Intros New Portable Comms Collection Range 01/18/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- AST Europe has announced
its new Comms Collection, which it claims is a powerful, high
performance communications bundle.

The bundle combines the performance of AST's PowerExec
and Bravo NB Notebook ColorPlus ranges with PCMCIA (Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association) fax modem
technology from Pace Micro Communications.

The AST's color notebook claims to work well with Pace's new
Microlin NB 32Plus, a V32bis, 14,400 bits-per-second (bps)
PCMCIA Type II fax modem card supplied with WinFax, DosFax,
and COMit software.

According to AST, the Microlin NB range carries a full five years
warranty. The AST Comms Collection offers free subscriptions to
CompuServe and Almac.

Con Mallon, product marketing manager for the company said that the
AST PowerExec ColorPlus is well known for its PCMCIA compatibility,
high performance and a wide range of power-saving features, while
the Bravo NB ColorPlus supplies good value alternative without
compromising the color depth, brightness and response.

"We want to bring high performance communications technology
within the reach of the mobile professional. Portable computing is
becoming increasingly accessible and, by marrying these leading
technologies, we are offering professional users an unprecedented
and powerful communications solution," Mallon explained.

The new range of machines starts from UKP2,745 and will start
shipping on February 25.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940114/Press & Public Contact: AST Europe,
44-81-232-5000; Pace Micro Communications, 44-274-532000)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00008)

India - VXL Steps Up Terminal Exports 01/18/94
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Less than a year after
terminal manufacturer VXL Instruments Pvt. Ltd., floated a
subsidiary in the UK, it claims its terminal exports have reached
$240,000 (about R75 lakh).

Exports will be the thrust area for the company in the coming year
as it gets ready to set up an Electronic Hardware Technology
Park (EHTP) at Electronics City. EHTP is a scheme promoted by
the Indian government to facilitate export-oriented units with
concessional imports.

Interestingly, the EHTP's focus will be more on monochrome monitors.
Says J.R. Mundkur, director, VXL Instruments, "It may look as though
VGA (Video Graphics Array) mono monitors are passe in the west.
But there is still a very big market for them."

Unlike its initial forays into exports, where the company mostly
restricted its sales to the UK, it is now looking at East European
countries, and even the United States. When the company entered
the UK last year, the first few months were spent on building an
image in the market.

With the IEC safety certification and Cisper-22, an EMI/EMC
certification, VXL will now be in a better position to attract
distributors in Europe. "We have been receiving a number of
enquiries and we have also lined up a couple of distributors,"
said Mundkur.

Over the next year and a half, the company proposes to ship over
100,000 monochrome monitors. To meet its targets, VXL will be
stepping up its production capacity from 40,000 terminals to
120,000 terminals. To partly finance its expansion program, the
company is going public in early January.

For the manufacture of mono monitors, it recently signed a deal
with On-lite, a Taiwanese company. Under terms of the deal,
On-lite will transfer tooling technology to VXL.

While mono monitors figure largely in its export plans, the company
is also scouting for new markets for its terminals. The latest
versions of its ASCI/ANSI terminals and graphic terminals are now
ready for launch. With these, Mundkur reckons, the company will be
effectively able to address its customer needs, both in the domestic
and overseas markets.

The company says that over 60 percent of its domestic sales were
through its OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Wipro
Infotech and Modi Olivetti. The company plans to concentrate more
on the end-user market this year. Even in the UK, the bulk of its
revenues came from the governments National Health Service.

Though VXL has had plans to enter the X-terminal market for
sometime, it will be late 1994 before the first of its products
will be ready.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940118)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00009)

Wordperfect Extends WP 3.0 For Mac Upgrade Pricing 01/18/94
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corp., says
it has extended the $59.95 introductory upgrade pricing period for
Wordperfect 3.0 for the Macintosh until March 15, 1994.

The company says sales of WordPerfect for Apple Computer's
Macintosh platform have doubled since the release of version
3.0. Product Marketing Manager Dave Harding says sales of full
packages are exceeding upgrades at present.

Wordperfect 3.0 for Macintosh supports the features of Apple
Computer's System 7 Pro operating system.

Wordperfect 3.0 for Mac users can access Grammatik 5, the
grammar checker; and Wordperfect Office 5.0 directly from the
Wordperfect button bar. For example, a user can send and
receive electronic mail through Office, while in Wordperfect
by clicking on the appropriate button.

The upgrade also provides more compatibility with Wordperfect
6.0 for Windows. The Mac version includes the same 25
Bitstream TrueType fonts found in the Windows version, and
since Wordperfect 3.0 files can now be opened directly in
Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS and Windows, users no longer need to
export files to the 6.0 format.

Wordperfect 3.0 for Mac has a suggested retail price of $495
and runs on any Macintosh computer with a hard drive, two
megabytes (MB) of memory on PCs running System 6.0.7 or
higher or 4MB on systems running system 7.x.

(Jim Mallory/19940114/Press Contact: Dan Cook, Wordperfect
Corp., 810-228-5014; Reader Contact: Wordperfect Corp.,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

UK - Oki Intros Dot-Matrix 24-Pin Printers 01/18/94
SLOUGH, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Oki Systems
(UK) has announced two new 24-pin dot-matrix printers -- the
ML385 and 386 series. The company claims that the units have
been produced in response to customer demand for a durable,
medium-volume printer.

The printers are billed as suitable for the small office or as a
departmental printer dedicated to tasks such as multi-part
printing, and are both able to provide letter-quality printing at
90 characters-per-second (cps), or in utility mode at 270 cps.

The ML385, which costs UKP499, is a standard carriage width,
while the ML386 is a wide carriage version costing UKP599.

Announcing the printers, Graham Lowes, product marketing
manager with Oki, said that the arrival of new printers comes in
the wake of Oki making substantial gains in the dot-matrix market,
despite the fact that the dot-matrix market as a whole is declining.
Overall, across Europe, Oki claims to be third largest by volume and
second largest by value.

"There was a wide gap between the price and performance of our
entry-level products and the top of the range. Rather than include
features that did not add any great value, the ML385 and 6 series
have been engineered to fill that gap by delivering specific
functions that users have demanded, at an exceptional price," he
said.

BIS, the market research company, predicts that the mid-range
24-pin (181 cps to 280 cps) sector of the dot-matrix market will
represent 20 percent of the total dot-matrix market by 1995.

(Steve Gold/19940114/Press & Public Contact: Oki Systems (UK),
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00011)

Sigma Designs Adds ReelMagic MPEG Titles 01/18/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Just a week
after saying that its ReelMagic MPEG (Motion Picture Experts
Group) multimedia CD-ROM controller would support Philips' CD-I
(Compact Disc-Interactive) format, Sigma Designs Inc., has
announced five new software titles for its the product.

ReadySoft, Software Toolworks, Tsunami Media, Interplay
Productions, and Sierra On-Line all plan to release interactive
CD-ROM titles based on Sigma's ReelMagic technology. The company
says that the first of these titles are expected around February or
March.

In announcing the forthcoming products, Thinh Tran, chairman and
chief executive officer of Sigma Designs, said: "Sigma recognizes
that an exceptional hardware product such as ReelMagic can only
be successful if there is substantial software content. We are
working hand-in-hand with the industry leaders in PC entertainment
and educational software to ensure that the end-user has a wide
variety of the latest, greatest and most technologically advanced
titles for ReelMagic."

According to Sigma, ReelMagic is an new MPEG multimedia playback
controller  which allows "ordinary PC systems to deliver full-
screen, full-motion, full-color video combined with CD-quality
stereo sound - all from a standard CD-ROM drive."

Sigma maintains that ReelMagic allows compressed MPEG software
content to be decompressed in real time and played back at 30
frames-per-second (fps), the same playback speed that is used
with today's home TV.

The new titles for ReelMagic include: Software Toolworks' "20th
Century Video Almanac, which includes coverage of the 20th century
in full-color video from the 1916 World Series to Woodstock;
Sierra On-Line's "Police Quest4: Open Season," a murder mystery;
Tsunami Media's "Man Enough;" Interplay Productions Inc.'s "Lord of
the Rings Enhanced CD-ROM;" and the "Space Ace" science-fiction
adventure game from ReadySoft.

ReelMagic carries a suggested retail price of $449, and comes
bundled with an adventure game and a five-year warranty on parts
and labor.

Just a week ago, Newsbytes reported that Sigma's Reelmagic
CD-ROM Upgrade Kit for PCs would also play CDs in the Philips
CD-I format, which would allow PC users to  play CD-I game and
educational titles on their PCs, along with movies and music
videos as well.

Sigma announced in October that the Reelmagic Upgrade Kit would
offer PC users the ability to play back movies. The company also
announce at that time that it would support the VideoCD format,
which is being backed by a consortium of hardware manufacturers
including C-Cube, Philips, JVC, Goldstar, Commodore, and Samsung.

In November Newsbytes reported that Dell Computer had committed
to offer the Reelmagic board pre-installed option on its high-end
PCs. Sigma also announced at the time that Radius, known for its
video display products, would develop a version of the board for the
Apple Macintosh.

(Ian Stokell/19940114/Press Contact: Letty Dupuy,
510-770-2673, Sigma Designs Inc./PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00012)

 ****Newsbytes LA Bureau Hit By Quake 01/18/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Less than
one mile from the epicenter of the recent 6.7 earthquake in the
San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, Newsbytes' Los Angeles
Bureau is ridding out the terrifying after shocks of the quake.
The quake hit at 4:31 am Monday morning and news sources are
now confirming a whopping 200 or more after-shocks have
occurred since the original quake.

So far 34 are confirmed dead, 15,000 are homeless. But it is
not over yet as after-shocks, some occurring as few as five
minutes apart, are a continual reminder that another quake of
the same magnitude could strike again. Several large after-
shocks have struck repeatedly since yesterday, one as large as
5.5 on the Richter scale. Even as this report is written, low,
rumbling after-shocks are causing concern and hindering work
efforts.

In addition to the dust cloud that arises after the larger
after-shocks, such as the 4.7 shock at 7:38 PST this morning,
the landscape is changing. Reports are the San Gabriel
mountains, bordering the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley area
on the East, are a full one foot (12-inches) taller than they were
before the quake yesterday.

Several areas in the West end of the San Fernando Valley are
without power and water services. Those who have water are not
only cautioned to conserve, as incoming water supplies have
been damaged, but to boil the water before drinking as it could
be contaminated. Los Angeles is estimated to have a five to
seven day supply of water, unless water supply lines can be
repaired.

Newsbytes has first hand reports that bottled water is selling
for as much as six dollars a gallon, compared to normal prices
of less than a dollar. Also, fist fights have broken out at a
local convenience store over battery prices. For the most part,
however, a spirit of community has risen and neighbors are
helping each other find missing pets, sharing supplies,
blankets, provisions, and comfort. Emergency services are
overwhelmed and all available personnel have been called in to
help in hospitals and emergency shelters. Crumbled cinder block
walls, used heavily in the Valley for privacy, are down
everywhere. Crumbling fire places, down and arcing power lines,
and charred homes are common sights in walking through local
neighborhoods.

Many residents have chosen to sleep outside on their front
lawns or in their automobiles, weathering the frequent after-
shocks there to avoid falling structures and the power lines
found mostly in the backyards of Los Angeles homes. Thousands
of apartment dwellers moved into their automobiles and drove
to local baseball fields and other open areas to ride out the night.

Many apartment buildings are built with parking underneath, a
combination that has proved fatal for some Northridge residents.
Several apartment dwellers have told Newsbytes they do not
intend to go back to their dwellings until this is over.

Such underneath or tiered parking structures have proven to be
extremely dangerous. California State University at Northridge
has lost a parking garage structure and a popular mall,
Northridge Fashion Center, has been ravaged and its parking
structures have collapsed. Rescue crews were able to save a
parking-lot sweeper operator trapped under eight feet of
concrete in the Fashion Center structure after a grueling eight
hours of effort.

But the biggest tragedy has been at the Northridge Meadows
apartments, which is one story less now, as the upper two
stories literally fell into the parking garage beneath,
crushing not only the cars parked there, but residents of first
floor apartments. As of 8 am this morning 16 are confirmed dead
in the apartment collapse and rescue workers are still searching
for possible survivors.

Most businesses are closed, but the few that are open are doing
a booming business. Fatburger in Sherman Oaks was one of a
handful of restaurants open yesterday and reported customers
were waiting over an hour to purchase a hamburger. Soft drinks
were not being sold due to the concern over the purity of
water, but the restaurant was serving hot drinks such as coffee
and tea.

More businesses are expected to be open today, with power
restored in some areas. Damaged freeways are all over the area
causing some commuters a five hour or longer drive to work.
Residents are being advised to stay home whenever possible and
schools are closed. A dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed and
extra police patrols and elements of the national guard were
assigned last night to protect businesses in the area.

Restoration work has begun, despite the big question -- when
will the quaking end? After the last 28 hours, no one expects
the danger will be over quickly and it appears LA residents
will simply have to wait it out.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940118)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00013)

DEC Restructures Territories 01/18/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Partly in
response to passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and partly for convenience, Digital Equipment Corp., has
made Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean part of a new
Americas Area sales territory. Those areas were formerly part
of DEC's Asia Pacific Americas region.

Russell Gullotti, who was head of DEC's US sales operations,
becomes president of the new Americas Area. He will continue
reporting to Edward Lucente, vice-president of worldwide sales
and marketing.

DEC decided the new structure would be more logical partly
because of trade treaties -- such as the NAFTA which on January 1
created a free-trade area including the United States, Canada,
and Mexico -- and partly because of factors such as time zones,
said Nikki Richardson, a DEC spokeswoman. She said the change
was "only a realignment" and will have little effect on anyone
outside DEC.

The recent departure of Ken Copeland as president of Digital
Equipment of Canada Ltd., was not related to the change,
Richardson said. Copeland stepped down as president and chief
executive of the Canadian subsidiary effective January 1, to be
succeeded by Ronald Larkin, former managing director of Digital
Equipment Corp. (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

(Grant Buckler/19940118/Press Contact: Nikki Richardson, DEC,
508-493-6369)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00014)

Cognos Aims PowerHouse Series 7 At Client/Server 01/18/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Continuing a move
toward the client/server computing market, Cognos Inc., has
announced PowerHouse Series 7, a new version of its application
development software that increases support for third-party
database software and improves the software's ability to give
applications graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

PowerHouse Series 7 will let Cognos' customers build applications
that work directly with database management systems from Sybase
Inc., and Oracle Corp., said Robert Ashe, vice-president of the
PowerHouse business unit at Cognos. PowerHouse already supported
Borland International Inc.'s Interbase standard and the database
systems provided by vendors of several minicomputers on which
PowerHouse runs.

That is one of the key changes in the new release, Ashe said, and
the other is improved GUI support in conjunction PowerHouse
Windows 1.2, the personal computer software that Cognos offers to
tie in PC clients with PowerHouse applications on proprietary
minicomputers and Unix systems.

Earlier, Cognos took a major step into the client/server game by
announcing plans for Axiant, client/server development software
that builds on PowerHouse. Ashe explained that PowerHouse
Windows is intended to provide a "thin client" graphical front-end to
PowerHouse applications that run primarily on the server. Axiant,
which will incorporate PowerHouse and PowerHouse Windows
functions, will be used in future to build applications that rely
more heavily on the client's processing power.

While only a minority of Cognos' customers are actually building
client/server applications today, all of them are studying the
technology and pressing vendors such as Cognos to start providing
the tools they will need to move into it, Ashe said. "There's an
immediate need to address client/server strategically," he said.

PowerHouse Series 7 is available now for a variety of Unix
systems including Sun Microsystems Inc.'s SunOS and Solaris,
Santa Cruz Operation Inc.'s SCO Unix, and IBM's RISC/System 6000
machines, as well as for proprietary systems from Data General
Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and IBM.

Oracle Version 7 support is due in the third quarter of this
year. Prices for development licenses start at about C$4,750 or
US$3,500, depending on the number of users or the model of the
hardware.

(Grant Buckler/19940117/Press Contact: Roberta Carlton, Cognos,
617-229-6600 ext 2446; Wendy Rajala, for Cognos, tel 905-338-
8532, fax [phone]; Public Contact: Cognos, 613-738-1440)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00015)

Canadian Cable Company Eyes UK Telephones 01/18/94
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Groupe Videotron
Ltee., a Canadian cable television operator, is hoping for a license
to offer local telephone service in the City of London and
Westminster, United Kingdom.

Videotron, which has cable television services across Canada and
in the UK, already provides phone service along with cable
television in several British communities and in about 40 percent
of greater London, said Jean-Paul Galarneau, a company spokesman.
Canadian telecommunications regulations keep the company out of
the telephone business at home, but in the UK, cable television
providers can offer local telephone service.

Initial ventures into telephony in the UK, starting about three
years ago, have gone very well, Galarneau said, so Videotron
applied to the British government to offer service in the City of
London and Westminster, which together make up the commercial
core of greater London. He said the company is optimistic it will
receive permission any day.

In addition to cable television and telephony, Videotron has been
a Canadian leader in interactive television services, offering a
service called Videoway that lets cable TV subscribers choose
from a menu of tailored news packages and, for example, pick
camera angles on sporting events.

Videotron is not the only Canadian company to turn to the British
market for a chance to combine cable television and telephony.
BCE Inc., the holding company that controls regional telephone
carrier Bell Canada, is a joint-venture partner with Videotron in
London, and also has an interest in an American company, Jones
Intercable, with which it operates services in the UK.

(Grant Buckler/19940117/Press Contact: Jean-Paul Galarneau,
Groupe Videotron, 514-985-8837)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00016)

Aldus Intros HomePublisher For Mac 01/18/94
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Aldus Corp.,
has introduced Homepublisher, an entry-level page layout program
for Apple Computer's Macintosh platform,

Aldus says Homepublisher includes its Personal Press 2.0
application, more than 50 professionally designed document
templates, 12 Truetype fonts from Bitstream, 100 home and
small business Clickart images from T/Maker, and 25 sheets of
specialty paper from Paperdirect.

Mark Myers, Aldus product marketing manager for Homepublisher,
says the components combine with the Personal Press application
to give users everything they need to produce newsletters,
brochures, flyers, calendars and other documents.

Homepublisher automates much of the page layout process by
offering the user a selection of more than 50 auto-create
templates. Each template presents the user with a series of
prompts regarding the type of publication they are designing,
how they want it to look, and the steps needed to create the
document that includes the user's choice of text and graphics.

Once the user has made the necessary choices, the program
creates, builds, and cleans up the document so its ready to print
in a few minutes, according to Aldus. Homepublisher supports
two- and three-column text and a table of contents. A preview
feature allows the user to see the results of most actions before
the changes are incorporated into the publication.

There is also a copy-fitting feature that automatically adjusts the
font size and spacing of text to fit copy into a user-designated
space, and the autoflow feature adds pages to the document to
accommodate a complete block of text regardless of the length.

Aldus has also incorporated some of its Additions technology
into Homepublisher to extend the program's capabilities for
specialized tasks. Additions do much of the work for trickier
tasks such as creating enlarged and dropped capitals at the
beginning of paragraphs, formatting bulleted text, and enlarging
text embedded into quotes.

Homepublisher works with Apple Computer's System 7 operating
system and supports Balloon Help, Apple Events, Subscribe,
Truetype, and 32-bit addressing. System requirements include a
Macintosh equipped with at least two megabytes (MB) of system
memory, System 6.0.5 or later, and a hard drive. Aldus recommends
4MB of memory. A color monitor is required for color work.

Aldus estimates the street price (the price you can expect to pay)
will be under $50. Registered owners of Personal Press version
1.01 can upgrade to Homepublisher for $24.99 direct from Aldus.

(Jim Mallory/19940118/Press Contact: Mark Myers, Aldus
Corp., 619-558-6000 ext 5246; Reader Contact: Aldus Corp.,
tel [phone] or 619-558-6000, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00017)

QMS Intros Office In A Box 01/18/94
MOBILE, ALABAMA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- QMS Inc., a
company best known for its line of printers, has announced QMS
2001 Knowledge System, a "complete office" in one box.

QMS 2001 Knowledge System is a software-hardware
combination that provides just about all the tools you need
to run an office -- including a scanner, copier, fax machine,
data communications, and printing.

The system is available in two configurations. With the basic
unit, you provide the Windows-based PC and connect the 2001 to
it via provided cabling. You also get a data/fax modem board for
installation in your PC and all necessary software. If you do not
have a PC, or are ready to upgrade to a 486-based system, the
2001 is also available with the CPU (central processing unit)
integrated into the device, a keyboard, mouse and monitor
attached via cable and all software including Windows.

QMS Director of Corporate Communications Ann Strople told
Newsbytes the 2001 can handle data and fax at up to 28,800
bits-per-second (bps). Strople said the system includes a digital
copier and a gray-scale scanner. The copier allows the user to
crop, import images, append other documents, enlarge, add
watermarks and other functions not available on conventional
standalone copiers.

Copying capabilities include optical character reader (OCR) and
flat bed scanning. QMS says it has no specific plans to provide
color copying or printing for the 2001, but that is a possibility
since the company already markets a line of color printers.

Strople said the QMS 2001 is upgradable, and she expects QMS
and value added resellers to develop additional functions such as
voice-mail management, video conferencing, and the ability to
read received faxes over the phone.

Strople stressed the compactness of the system, a box which
replaces three other devices competing for office space. "The
small footprint is very comfortable for a small office," she said.

The QMS 2001 Knowledge System with a PC has a suggested
retail price (SRP) of $6,999. The basic unit, which attaches to
your own PC, has an SRP of $3,999. Both units are shipping now.

(Jim Mallory/19940118/Press Contact: Jennifer Polanski, A&R
Partners for QMS, 415-363-0982; Reader Contact: QMS Inc.,
800-523-2696 or 205-633-4300/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00018)

Tektronix Intros New Printers 01/18/94
WILSONVILLE, OREGON, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Tektronix
Inc., has announced two new Phaser thermal transfer color printers
that provide 600 by 300 dots-per-inch (dpi) output resolution.

The company says both printers use its proprietary Tekcolor
Supercell 600 technology to provide output that approaches the
quality of continuous-tone dye sublimation printers but at a much
lower cost and higher speed.

Designated the Phaser 220i and Phaser 220e, both units can print
at two pages-per-minute (ppm), offer network connection options,
and  utilize patented Colorocoat technology to allow printing on
most laser papers.

Other features include optional dual paper trays, a large capacity
paper tray, and automatic ink-level sensing to minimize printer
maintenance and operator attention.

Tektronix says a 1993 International Data Corp. study showed that
80 percent of managers considering buying a color printer will
connect that printer to a network. The IDC study reportedly says
that color printers have a higher user-to-printer ratio than
monochrome printers, not a surprise since color systems are
more expensive.

Both printers provide standard parallel, serial and Appletalk
ports. The 220i adds Novell Netware and Apple Ethertalk support
when equipped with a $695 Ethernet option. TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) support is also available for
an additional $295. All ports and protocols are active
simultaneously, allowing print jobs to be processed as received
without having to reconfigure the printer for each job.

Both units include Postscript Level 2 page description language,
and both support Hewlett Packard's Graphics Language (HP-GL)
and Printer Control Language (PCL5) for monochrome and
Truetype fonts.

Built-in color tables for customized output are provided by
Tekcolor Dynamic Correction and to simulate press colors for
graphic arts applications. Both systems are Pantone certified,
providing process color simulation of Pantone colors for use of
Pantone-licensed applications.. The Phaser 220i has 10
megabytes (MB) of memory which can be expanded to 14MB. The
Phaser 220e has an 8MB memory.

The 220i includes 39 Adobe type 1 fonts, three PCL fonts, and
support for Truetype fonts. An optional hard disk drive can be
added to hold additional fonts. The 220e comes with 17 Adobe
Type 1 fonts, which can be expanded to 39 with the additional of
an optional font single inline memory module (SIMM).

Suggested retail price for the Phaser 220e is $3,995, while the
Phaser 220i sells for $5,995. Both units are immediately available.

(Jim Mallory/19940117/Press Contact: Jennifer Jones, Tektronix,
503-685-3150; Reader Contact: Tektronix, tel [phone]
or 800-835-6100, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00019)

Washington Post & Oracle Team Up On Multimedia 01/18/94
REDWOOD SHORES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) --
Oracle Corp., has announced that it has teamed up with The
Washington Post Company to jointly develop and market
multimedia software and services the two companies say will
bring electronic publishing and advertising to the nation's
proposed information highway.

A letter of intent has already been executed and the two
companies say they expect a definitive agreement to follow
later this year, along with specific product announcements.

Oracle publishes software to provide rapid access to large
amounts of digitized text, images, audio, and full motion
video. The software runs on personal digital assistants (PDAs),
personal computer, workstations, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, and massively parallel systems.

No specific product information was available, but The
Washington Post company, through its new Digital Ink electronic
publishing subsidiary, says it will help develop the new products
that will combine text, audio, and video. They are intended to run
on personal computers, advanced television systems, and
portable devices such as PDAs.

The Post publishes newspapers and magazines, and owns broadcast
and cable television stations. It also owns a majority interest in
American Personal Communications, a company which recently
received a Federal Communications Commission license to develop
low cost digital telephone services in the Washington-Baltimore
area.

Oracle says it has rewritten and expanded its software to
accommodate the multimedia elements and the new software will
be officially unveiled in a worldwide television news conference
this week. The presentation will include a demonstration of the
interactive services under development with The Washington
Post Company.

(Jim Mallory/19940117/Press Contact: Dick Brass, Oracle Corp.,
206-954-1986 or Donald Brazeal, The Washington Post Company,
202-334-7330; Reader Contact: Oracle Corp., tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00020)

Apple & Money Magazine Intro Personal Finance Mac 01/18/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Money magazine
and Apple Computer have unveiled a multimedia Macintosh aimed at
giving consumers a "complete computing solution" for home and
financial management.

The new Macintosh Performa 560 Money Magazine Edition features
Macintosh multimedia hardware, along with 19 preloaded software
packages worth more than $1,900 MSRP (manufacturers suggested
retail price), officials said in announcing the product.

The software includes popular personal finance and organizational
programs such as WealthBuilder by Money magazine, Quicken,
MacInTax, Willmaker, and Personal Recordkeeper. Also bundled are
interactive educational programs such as the 21-volume New Grolier
Multimedia Encyclopedia CD-ROM and the Time Almanac CD-ROM, as
well as entertainment programs that include the World Tour Golf
CD-ROM and Monopoly.

Among the other software offerings are: the ClarisWorks integrated
database, word processing and spreadsheet package; the Databook
Pro/Touchbase Pro Bundle for calendaring and address book
capabilities; an introductory subscription to the America OnlineSM
interactive information service; a special Money version of the
After Dark screen saver; and MacLink Plus/Translators Pro, a
program designed to let users exchange information easily with
MS-DOS and Windows files.

Multimedia hardware on the Performa 560 Money Edition includes a
Sony Trinitron color monitor, a 160 megabyte (MB) hard disk, an
internal double-speed CD-ROM drive, built-in stereo speakers,
digital sound and microphone, and a send/receive fax modem.

"We're pleased to have worked with Apple to present a multimedia
computer that combines the ease-of-use of the Apple Macintosh
technology with the practicality and value of personal-finance and
planning programs. Our readers demand that they get their money's
worth. With the Performa Money Edition, they will," said Bill
Myers, publisher of Money magazine.

Noted Keith Fox, vice president and general manager of the Apple
USA Consumer Division: "Apple is breaking new ground in its
consumer marketing with the Macintosh Performa Money Edition.
Money's expertise in defining the needs of personal-finance users
has helped us to provide a very compelling solution."

The Macintosh Performa 560 Money Edition is priced at $2,199.
Available in the US only, the system can be purchased directly
through Apple via a 24-hour toll-free phone number,
800-351-6111, and nationwide at selected Circuit City stores.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940118/Reader Contact: Apple,
800-351-6111)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00021)

Qualcomm Posts Profit For Quarter 01/18/94
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Qualcomm,
best known for its Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA, digital
cellular technology, earned a $5 million profit for the quarter
ending last month, in large part due to its OmniTracs vehicle
tracking service.

The company, in which Pacific Telesis and NYNEX hold substantial
stakes, added that its earnings will continue to be rocky due to
the "the amount and timing of receipt of CDMA license fees and
royalties."

The company's stock price has been rocky too -- during 1993 it hit
a high near $90 per share, then plunged to near $50, in large part
due to concerns over future CDMA royalties.

Early in the 1990s a rival digital scheme, Time Division Multiple
Access, won a commitment from the cellular industry's trade group
and a number of major carriers, including McCaw Cellular.
Southwestern Bell also committed to TDMA upgrades and bought the
required equipment.

During 1993, Qualcomm won its first CDMA endorsements, most
importantly from US West, and signed manufacturing licenses, most
noticeably in Korea, to produce dual-standard CDMA phones, which
also get analog signals.

CDMA is also expected by many to be the digital system of choice
for personal communications services (PCS) networks, after the US
government auctions the necessary frequency licenses later this
year. But questions continue to be raised, not just about PCS'
place in the market, but about CDMA.

Qualcomm also faces a legal challenge to its CDMA patents this
year from Interdigital Communications, holder of TDMA patent
rights. TDMA is further boosted by GM's Hughes division, which
has offered a version of the technology called Enhanced TDMA, that
claims 15 times the capacity of analog cellular, against 10 times
analog capacity for CDMA.

In his statement on the earnings, Qualcomm President Harvey White
emphasized two points: the company's purchase of Motorola's
CoveragePlus vehicle location business, which is being converted
to the OmniTracs system; and the decision of J.B. Hunt, the
nation's largest publicly-traded truckload and dry van carrier,
to use OmniTracs. The company now has over 250 large truck fleet
customers for the service, which tracks vehicle locations not
only for security reasons, but to increase driver productivity.
The service is also being expanded into Latin American markets
through new satellite contracts.

Total revenue for the quarter, which ended December 26, was up
over 70 percent to $53.67 million from $30.18, with systems
revenues, mainly OmniTracs, rising over $12 million, and CDMA
license and development fees jumping to $9 million from less
than $1 million. That figure, as White noted, remains the most
vulnerable segment of the income statement. In early morning
trade January 18, Qualcomm stock was trading at $51 per share
under the symbol QCOM.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01118994/Press Contact: Thomas Crawford,
Qualcomm, 619-658-4820)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00022)

 ****California Quake Highlights Telecom Networks 01/18/94
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Television,
computer, and cellular networks combined to bring details of the
devastating southern California earthquake to light.

The quake measured 6.6 on the Richter scale and was centered in
Northridge, 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. By way of
comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta quake in the San Francisco Bay
Area measured 7.1 on the scale, which is logarithmic in nature.
That means the San Francisco quake was 50 times more powerful
than the one in Los Angeles, but since the LA quake was centered
in a densely-populated area, property damage there was more
severe. By the afternoon after the quake, 43 percent of the
region's residents were still without electricity, and hundreds
of thousands more were without water or gas service. Those who
had water service were told to boil it before drinking.

Internet users with phone service quickly began relaying information
over Usenet Newsgroups, with those outside and inside the zone of
devastation sharing personal stories and fears. A typical message,
shown to the Atlanta bureau late Monday, came from a Texas
businessman who had previously lived in the danger area, describing
the magnitude of the quake and the damage in simple terms. This
message was delivered via Internet to a local area network in
Atlanta, then printed and hand-delivered to the bureau.

CNN, again, turned out to be a big winner in this disaster, but
that was a matter of luck as much as anything else. The company's
top anchors and even Turner Broadcasting Chairman Ted Turner had
been in Los Angeles the previous evening to attend the Cable Ace
awards, and were still in town when the quake hit at 4:30 am
local time. Thus, top talent was quickly mobilized at the
network's Los Angeles bureau offices, which fortunately were not
damaged, and other top reporters were put into the field, along
with LA bureau staff members, to report on the quake.

The area's cellular networks, meanwhile, performed yeoman
service, especially in areas hardest hit by the quake, which
centered in the San Fernando Valley north of the city's center.
Cellular service, which is delivered via a network of "cell
sites," mostly on utility poles, remained in place, and while
traffic was heavy throughout the day, those who needed to call
and could reach a mobile phone did get through.

Through all these networks, news both large and small regarding
the quake reached, not only the mass of people outside the area,
but specific individuals worried about families and friends.

Beyond that, major consumer services pitched in to help start the
healing process. Prodigy began a free bulletin board service on
the quake, handling about 4,000 messages in the first six hours,
and CompuServe and America Online offered special "chat" services
through which victims could talk through their experiences, and
through which people outside could share them. Some reporters
also stayed on-line to monitor the traffic. The on-line services
also acted as "ham radio" operators, relaying messages from
people in the earthquake zone to people around the country and
the world.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01118994)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00023)

America Online Reaches 550,000 Members 01/18/94
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- America Online said
that at the end of 1993 it had passed the 550,000 subscriber
mark, an increase of over 145 percent from a year earlier.

The company, which is the only major consumer on-line service to
be publicly traded, on the symbol AMER, also announced major new
bundling deals with Dell Computer and US Robotics, which will
offer America Online software and start-up kits with their
hardware products.

Dell said it would pre-install the Microsoft Windows version of
America Online's software on all computers it sells through
consumer channels. US Robotics said it would expand its bundling
agreement with America Online to include its entire line of
consumer modems.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01118994/Press Contact: Jean Villanueva,
America Online, 703-883-1675; Reader Contact: 800-827-6364)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00024)

 ****MTel Executive Kidnapped, Released 01/18/94
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Spokesmen for
Mobile Telecommunications Inc., have confirmed to Newsbytes
details of a bizarre kidnapping involving one of the company's
top executives.

On January 13, Jai Bhagat, currently head of the company's
NationWide Network unit, which is using an FCC "pioneer's
preference" license to build a wireless, two-way messaging
service, disappeared, along with his wife and daughter.

Police latter said that Kenneth Fay Neal, 43, had kidnapped the
three and forced Mrs. Bhagat to withdraw over $500,000 from a
local bank before releasing her and the child. By this time,
however, police had been alerted. Neal wound up driving for hours
around the Jackson area with Bhagat, who was blindfolded, with
police close behind. Finally, Neal stopped at a supermarket,
where he was confronted by police. He fired one of his two guns
at the officers, who returned the fire. Neal was killed.

Later, Neal's brother-in-law, who now lives in Dallas but
previously lived in Jackson, told reporters that his sons and
Bhagat's sons were friends, which may have triggered the
kidnapping.

The man, Brian Peay, also told reporters that a business deal with
lengthy litigation had recently fallen through for Neal, and that
Neal, a Vietnam veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress
syndrome, a psychological problem common to veterans which can
led to severe depression and attacks of panic. These details were
confirmed to Newsbytes by MTel spokesmen, who said the company
would have no formal comment on the case.

Before taking command of the NationWide Network, Bhagat was
executive vice president of MTel, and many in the industry
considered him the man in charge. He is considered one of the
leading figures in the nation's fast-growing paging industry. He
was never formally chief executive of the company, however, and
former IBM executive Bernard Puckett had been named to that
position less than a week before the incident. On the business
side, MTel had recently been forced to cut prices sharply,
leading to a steep drop in its stock price.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01118994/Press Contact: Dana Kindel,
for MTel, 212-614-5163)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00025)

PS/2, ValuePoint Lumped Together In IBM Shuffle 01/18/94
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- The IBM Personal
Computer Co., has put its PS/2 and PS/ValuePoint models together
in one marketing group in the United States. Company officials
said the move is aimed at sharpening IBM's focus on commercial
buyers and giving customers a single point of contact.

The nameplates on PS/2 and ValuePoint computers will not change,
but internally both lines will become part of a new commercial
desktop brand, said company spokeswoman Liz Arends. Formerly, an
organization called the premium brand handled PS/2 machines and a
value brand group sold the ValuePoint.

Arends said that while the two product lines have quite different
architectures -- ValuePoint PCs use the Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA) system bus while the PS/2 line uses IBM's
Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) -- they sell to the same
customers.

With the shuffle, she said, a sales representative visiting a
customer will be able to sell both lines, so customers will not
have to deal with different people depending on which models
they want.

Arends said IBM does not plan to rationalize the two product
lines by eliminating similar models, because the different
system buses make the models quite different even when their
specifications are otherwise quite similar.

Stuart Cohen, former head of the PS/2 group, will be in charge of
the new commercial desktop brand. Angelica Horaitis, who had
headed the ValuePoint group, recently moved to take over IBM's
consumer brand group, which is responsible for the PS/1 product
line.

(Grant Buckler/19940118/Press Contact: Liz Arends, IBM,
914-766-1004)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00026)

 ****DEC Debuts Energy Star PCs, Notebooks, DTP Systems 01/18/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp., has finally jumped on the Energy Star bandwagon
with five new personal computers that comply with the US
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) energy-saving guidelines.
The company also launched five new notebook computers and four
systems tailor-made for desktop publishing.

The five new DECpc LPv+ models are the first the company has
built to comply with the Energy Star guidelines from the EPA.
Machines that meet the guidelines started appearing in the spring
of 1993. The rules say a PC system and its monitor should each
consume no more than 30 watts of power when in sleep mode. DEC
says its systems use 26 watts for the PC and monitor combined in
sleep mode.

In sleep mode, a PC that is not actually being used, turns off
components such as the display and the hard disk drive to save
power.

The new DECpc LPv+ models all use Intel Corp. 486 processors,
ranging from a 25 megahertz (MHz) 486SX to a 66 MHz 486DX2.
Standard equipment includes four or eight megabytes (MB) of
memory, eight kilobytes (KB) of internal cache and external cache
up to 256 KB, local-bus video, and a 170MB or 350MB hard disk drive.
The machines are designed to accommodate processor upgrades, DEC
added. Prices range from $1,049 up to $2,169. The DECpc LPv+
models are available right away, worldwide, DEC said.

DEC's five new notebooks include: two with monochrome screens,
two with dual-scan passive-matrix displays, and one with an
active-matrix color display.

The four DECpc 425 SE models use a 25 MHz 486 chip and offer a
choice of monochrome or dual-scan passive matrix 9.5-inch display
and a choice of 120MB or 170MB hard drive. All models come with
a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
(PCMCIA) Type III expansion slot, 4MB of memory, and a built-in
trackball. The monochrome models weigh 5.5 pounds and measures
8.5- by 11.7- by 1.5-inches, which the dual-scan color models are
6.2 pounds and slightly thicker at 1.7 inches. These models are
available now, the vendor said.

The DECpc 433 SLC has a 33 MHz 486 chip, a 200MB hard drive, a
PCMCIA Type III slot, an external SuperVGA display adapter, and a
9.5-inch active-matrix color screen. An external docking station
and docking port are options, DEC said. The 6.8-pound unit
measures 8.5- by 1.5- by two-inches, DEC said. The 433 SLC is due
to be available in February.

Active-matrix color screens have been in short supply in recent
months, causing some vendors to have trouble meeting demand for
their color notebooks. While Soucy would not say where DEC is
getting its active-matrix panels, he said DEC believes it can
deliver the machines. "We're very confident. We have a supply of
these now and we're confident we can get them." He acknowledged,
however, that "we're part of the industry" and the company could
not rule out being affected by a major industry-wide shortage of
the active-matrix panels in the future.

DEC claims the monochrome and passive-matrix notebooks run two-
to three-hours on a battery charge and the active-matrix model can
run for as much as five hours. These are puzzling figures as
active-matrix screens consume more power than passive-matrix or
monochrome ones.

When Newsbytes questioned the numbers, Soucy said the five-hour
battery life of the active-matrix model assumes "normal usage,"
in which the machine would be idle some of the time and able to
use built-in power management features to conserve power. A
figure of 6.5 hours battery life for this model, quoted in a DEC
press release, was an error, he added. However, Soucy also said
the two- to three-hour figure given for the monochrome and
passive-matrix machines reflected "normal usage."

He did say the machines were built by different engineering
groups and each made its own decision -- subject to company
standards -- on the battery-life figures to quote for its
machines. Notebook batteries typically last about three hours
of actual use, without taking into account the use of power
management when the machine is idle.

All the models come bundled with the DOS 6.2 operating system,
DoubleSpace file-compression software, and Microsoft Windows.

DEC also launched a group of four mini-tower PCs using the 66 MHz
Intel 486DX2 processor and set up for desktop publishing. They
use the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) system bus
and come bundled with SuperMac Thunder/24 Graphics and Adobe
Systems Inc., software, plus a choice of Aldus PageMaker or
QuarkXPress desktop publishing software.

The two basic models (one with PageMaker and one with
QuarkXPress) each come with a 525MB hard disk, 32MB of memory,
128KB of external cache, and a 17-inch monitor. Each costs
$8,989. The top-end models each have a one-gigabyte drive,
256KB of external cache, a small computer systems interface
(SCSI) compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, and a
19-inch monitor. They list for $11,999. All four models are
available now in the United States and Canada, DEC said.

(Grant Buckler/19940118/Press Contact: Greg Soucy, DEC,
508-496-8152)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00027)

Object World - IBM's SOM Is Stepping Stone To Taligent 01/18/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- IBM's System
Object Model (SOM) is a stepping stone for developers to Taligent,
according to Anthony W. Brown, brand manager for IBM's Object
Technology Products, in one of a series of briefings that IBM held
with press and analysts at Object World Boston '94.

"SOM helps the developer get started on building class objects, and
also supplies a degree of future portability to Taligent," Brown
explained, in the meeting with Newsbytes.

SOM, an object-oriented programming language for building,
packaging, and manipulating binary class libraries, provides upward-
binary compatibility to Taligent, according to Brown. The IBM
product is also designed to support multiple platforms and
multiple programming languages. Due to the technology's "language
neutrality," developers who work in procedural languages such as C,
as well as object-oriented languages like C++, can quickly begin to
create objects, he said.

"And that's important, because if Taligent were to ship today,
about 60 to 70 percent of programmers would be unable to use it,"
Brown remarked. Most programmers still lack the high-level
object-oriented skills that Taligent requires. "But just about all
programmers can use SOM," he noted.

SOM is packaged together with the SOM Compiler and a set of
supported frameworks, or class libraries, in a product called the
SOMobjects Toolkit. Available now for AIX and OS/2, SOMobjects
is scheduled to ship for Microsoft Windows later this quarter, and
for HP-UX and MVS later this year. Current pricing is $365 for the
OS/2 edition and $585 for AIX.

The SOM Compiler allows developers to describe the interface for a
class of objects in the CORBA-compliant Interface Definition
Language (IDL), according to Brown. Developers can then implement
the methods in their preferred programming languages.

SOM also supports language neutrality through several other
methods, he said. The technology provides bindings -- or language-
specific macros and procedures for implementing classes -- for C
as well as C++.

SOM allows objects to be accessed through three different types of
"method resolutions." One type, called "offset resolution," is roughly
equivalent to the C++ "virtual function" concept. Another, called
"name-lookup resolution" is similar to the technique used in
Objective-C and Smalltalk. A third, called "dispatch-function," can
be used with languages that require special entry or exit sequences.

In addition, five leading suppliers of object-oriented tools --
Digitalk, ParcPlace, Watcom, Objective, and Metaware -- plan to
incorporate SOM and one of its supported frameworks, DSOM
(Distributed System Object Model), into their products.

DSOM, which offers a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker
Architecture)-compliant Object Request Broker (ORB), currently
supports distribution of objects within a workstation or across a
local area network consisting of OS/2 systems, AIX systems, or
both.

Programs written to DSOM or any of the other application frameworks
in SOMobjects -- the Interface Repository, Persistence Framework,
Replication Framework, or Emitter Framework --- will have upward
binary compatibility with the application frameworks for Taligent,
Newsbytes was told.

SOM also provides interoperability with other vendors' products,
Brown maintained. IBM and Apple have each agreed to use SOM to
package and execute compound document objects for the OpenDoc
cross-platform software architecture.

In June, IBM, HP and SunSoft announced an agreement in which IBM's
SOMobjects, HP's Distributed Object Management Facility (DOMF), and
SunSoft's Project DOE (Distributed Objects Everywhere will share a
set of common distributed object interfaces for application
creation, management and use across multiple computing
environments.

The pact with SunSoft is based on a gateway approach, said Brown,
but IBM and HP went a step further with an agreement to integrate
SOM, DSOM and DOMF into a "common framework for distributed
computing."

Then, a couple of weeks ago, HP took out a 15 percent share in
Taligent, Brown recalled. In exchange, Taligent will share its
technology with HP, and HP will receive a seat on the Taligent
board on the directors. "And I'd say the (HP) endorsement is a
great recommendation for Taligent," the IBM brand manager
concluded.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940118/Reader Contact: IBM, 800-342-6672;
Press Contact: Gary Baker or Joshua Weinberg, Technology Solutions
for IBM, 212-505-9900)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00028)

Object World - DEC Presents Plans For OLE & COM 01/18/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 18 (NB) --  ObjectBroker
2.5, a new edition of DEC's development software that will
integrate Microsoft's object linking and embedding (OLE), is now
set to ship this spring. The first implementation of Common
Object Model (COM), a new cross-platform technology under joint
development by DEC and Microsoft, will arrive in another revision
of ObjectBroker, targeted for delivery this fall, Newsbytes has
learned.

DEC and Microsoft provided preliminary information on COM and a
planned port of OLE to ObjectBroker in an announcement last
November. However, Newsbytes obtained a timetable and other
new information from DEC officials.

Mary Ann Slavin, ObjectBroker development manager for DEC,
told Newsbytes that OLE will make its debut in ObjectBroker 2.5,
an update to a product formerly known as ACA Services. A DEC
spokesperson added afterward that Digital intends to deliver
ObjectBroker 2.5 this spring. But, he said, initial implementation
of COM will occur in a future edition of ObjectBroker, probably
to ship this fall.

Earlier, in an interview with Newsbytes at Object World, Daniel
A. Gilfix, senior product manager for DEC's Networks Engineering
Group, said that ObjectBroker 2.5 will comply with the Object
Management Group (OMG)'s CORBA (Common Object Request Broker
Architecture) 1.1. ObjectBroker 2.5, he noted, will also add
Windows NT support -- on both Intel and Alpha AXP hardware --
to the nine multivendor platforms already supported: Windows,
Macintosh, DEC Ultrix, SunOS, HP-UX, IBM's AIX, DEC OSF/1,
VAX/OpenVMS, and Alpha AXP/OpenVMS.

While DEC's current ACA Services comply partially with CORBA,
ObjectBroker 2.5 will be fully CORBA-compliant, according to Al
Cooley, marketing manager for distributed object computing.
ObjectBroker 2.5 and future upgrades of the product will compete
with several other major implementations of CORBA, including
OpenDOC, IBM's Distributed System Object Management (DSOM),
Hewlett-Packard's Distributed Object Management Facility (DOMF),
and Sun's Project DOE (Distributed Objects Everywhere).

ObjectBroker is designed to allow easy exchange of data among
multiple DEC and non-DEC platforms, the DEC officials told
Newsbytes. The upcoming COM implementation is aimed at furthering
that goal by giving users and developers access to objects on any
supported platform.

The DEC/Microsoft team effort will use a protocol based on the Open
Software Foundation (OSF)'s Distributed Computing Environment
(DCE) to allow communications between ObjectBroker and OLE,
Slavin reported. "But the key word here is 'based.' The OSF's RPC
(remote procedural call) protocol does not use the same data types
as the OMG CORBA protocol. So we're extending the RPC," Newsbytes
was told.

In an intermediary step, the port of OLE, ObjectBroker will become
an "OLE listener," Slavin added. The DEC software will "listen" to
Windows and Windows NT for OLE commands, and then
translate these into CORBA-compliant commands. "In Version 2.5,
though, Object Broker will simply be acting as an 'OLE using'
application, just like any other 'OLE using' application. We won't
be making any modifications," she explained.

At Object World, DEC demonstrated a live OLE data link between a
Windows NT client and OSF/1 and Windows NT servers. An Excel
spreadsheet on the client was shown receiving real-time data
updates from a custom stock ticker application operating on both
servers. "To prove that the ability for ObjectBroker and OLE to
interoperate is real, you could adjust the settings on the stock
ticker application-- from 'bullish' to 'bearish' market conditions,
for example -- and see those changes reflected (in charts and
graphs) on the spreadsheet," Cooley told Newsbytes.

The OLE port was also mentioned, as "OLE/DDE (dynamic data
exchange) integration," in DEC's announcement of ObjectBroker
2.5 last October. The ObjectBroker product centers around
implementation-independent brokering, for responding to
requests for object services, along with a single, cross-platform
application programming interface (API) for shortened
development time, officials said.

Other key capabilities include script servers, for accessing
applications without the need for source changes, and a feature
called "network-wide capability registration and invocation," for
software re-use together with improved access to applications.

Aside from OLE integration, CORBA 1.1 compliance, and Windows NT
support, ObjectBroker 2.5 will also bring the new ability to make
ObjectBroker calls from within Visual Basic, according to DEC.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940118/Reader Contact: DEC, 800-344-4825;
Press Contact: Richard Price, DEC, 508-486-5198)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00029)

Information Resources Div Renamed IRI Software 01/18/94
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Information
Resources has quietly renamed its software products division IRI
Software. The business intelligence systems (BIS) specialist claims
that the name change reflects the growth in sales of BIS software.

The name change means that the $320 million sales division can
effectively branch out as a near-separate entity, Newsbytes notes.
According to Gian Fulgoni, IRI's chairman and CEO, the market has
clearly validated the company's software approach.

"The opportunity is right to elevate our software business to a new
level. The name change achieves several objectives. First it gives
credit to the role software plays in our overall business. Second,
it creates greater autonomy for this organization of 1,000
employees worldwide. Finally, it more effectively focuses our
identity within the software industry," he said.

Jeff Stamen, the man who has led IRI Software's business through
the last five years, will assume the title of president of the
operation. He claims that the company's success story is one
of the better kept secrets of the software industry.

"This new identity will give us more visibility as a leading
software company. It certainly underscores IRI's commitment to
our business and represents a logical step in our evolution," he said.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940118/Press & Public Contact: IRI Software,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00030)

 ****Wordperfect UK Unveils New Support Programs 01/18/94
ADDLESTONE, SURREY, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 18 (NB) -- Wordperfect
UK has announced an extended customer support program which
kicks of on February 1.

The changes parallel similar revamps which Newsbytes
understands will be taking place in the US and mark a change in
emphasis toward chargeable support services, though Classic
Service, as the no-fee support system is now known as,
continues to be available.

Augmenting the Classic Service are, what Wordperfect terms, its
Priority Service, plus Corporate Silver, Gold and Platinum Services.
According to David Godwin, general manager for sales and marketing
with Wordperfect UK, providing free technical support for more than
eight years on both sides of the Atlantic "has been a marvelous
part of our company's history."

Godwin claims that, worldwide, Wordperfect has answered more
than 60 million questions from its users. "With these new support
programs, we will continue to provide outstanding free technical
support to our registered users for a substantial period of time
between projected upgrade releases and will also provide fee-based
support options for users with more technical needs," he said.

Under Wordperfect UK's new support programs, registered users
in the UK will receive 180 days of free support for business
applications and 90 days free support for workgroup applications.
According to Wordperfect, the additional fee-based options offer
priority access on a per-incident basis, or a variety of annual
contracts for large accounts.

To qualify for the free Classic Service program, customers must
register with Wordperfect UK. Customers who are not registered
can do this by completing their registration card attached to the
Certificate of License, which comes in all Wordperfect software
packages. After the initial 90/180 day free Classic Service period
has started (normally 90/180 days after the first support call),
free service is still available via automated services, including
the fax-on-demand Infoshare fax service, and the Wordperfect BBS.

The Priority Service, meanwhile, aims to offer access to senior
technicians on a pay-per-incident basis with Wordperfect. The
service is available to holders of most major credit and charge
cards on a central number.

The Premium Service is pitched at major account customers who
can now choose from three options -- silver, gold and platinum --
depending on their needs.

(Steve Gold/19940118/Press & Public Contact: Wordperfect UK,
tel [phone], fax [phone])