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/nb012594

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00001)

Nanao Intros Monitor With VL/PCI Adapter, Cuts Prices 01/25/94
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Nanao is
"ringing in 1994" with the announcement of the Flexscan F780iW, a
high-end 21-inch "green" monitor with an optional 64-bit adapter
for VL and PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. Also new
from Nanao are price cuts of $100 to $500 on all other current
monitors, a three-year warranty, and a limited-time rebate
program.

Providing 1600-by-1200 resolution, a maximum 80 hertz (Hz)
refresh rate, and .26 millimeter (mm) dot pitch, the new Energy
Star-compliant, 21-inch F780iW is targeted at use in imaging,
computer-aided design (CAD), and multi-windowed applications.

Equipped with new energy-saving features, "Auto-Power On/Off" and
"PowerManager," the new monitor is being offered with two editions
of a special version of the award-winning Matrox MGA-II 64-bit
graphics accelerator, designed for the VL and PCI bus. The 21-inch
monitor is priced at $3,999 when purchased alone, $4,699 when
purchased with a two megabyte (MB) video random access memory
(VRAM) VGA-II accelerator and a 2MB upgrade, and $4,999 with a
4MB VRAM card.

The F780iW can also be used with MacII/MacII-compatible video
cards, and with VGA (Video Graphics Array), SuperVGA, 8514/A,
TIGA, and ultra high resolution graphics controllers for
MS/PC-DOS PCs.

Under Nanao's new pricing policy for previously released monitors,
Nanao's F760iW, a 21-inch FST monitor, has been reduced from
$2,999 to $2,499. The F560iW 17-inch FST monitor has been
lowered from $1,699 to $1,599, the 550iW 17-inch FST monitor
from $1,599 to $1,399, and the 340iW 15-inch monitor from $899
to $799.

Nanao's T660i, a 20-inch Trinitron monitor, was formerly priced at
$3,299, and is now $2,799. The T560i 17-inch Trinitron monitor was
$2,199, and has been decreased to $1,999. Prices have been lowered
from $1,499 to $1,199 for the F550i 17-inch monitor, and from
$1,599 to $1,299 for the Model 6500, a 21-inch gray monitor.
A Macintosh universal adapter from Nanao is now priced at $15.

In addition, through March 31, 1994, Nanao is offering rebates of
$30 each on the F560iW and F550iW, $50 on the T560i, and $100
each on the F760iW, T660i, and F550i.

Nanao's new warranty policy extends a three-year warranty on parts
and labor, along with a one-year warranty on the cathode ray tube
(CRT), to all FlexScan iW models currently in use, effective
retroactive from date of purchase.

Also, any other Nanao model purchased on or after July 1 is
eligible for the three-year warranty. To obtain the new warranty,
owners must return their warranty cards and supply valid proof of
purchase.

In Nanao's new F780iW, the energy-saving AutoPower On/Off
capability monitors the video signal from the computer, the company
said. When the computer is switched on, the monitor powers up
automatically.

When the computer is shut off, the monitor automatically powers
down to a stand-by mode that consumes less than eight percent of
its total power for normal operation. By sensing the lack of a
horizontal or vertical video synchronization signal, the feature is
able to work with all VESA (Video Electronics Standards
Association) DPMS-compliant video systems.

The PowerManager feature in the F780iW interfaces with the
screen-saver software. With the Power Save button set to "on,"
PowerManager is automatically activated when the blank screen of
the screen saver appears. Power consumption during use of this
feature is also less than eight percent of total power consumption.
A copy of Berkeley Systems' After Dark with Ecologic is bundled
with each monitor.

The F780iW also incorporates magnetism compensation control;
ErgoPanel, an anti-reflective panel bonded onto the surface of the
tube; WideView, for displaying edge-to-edge images both
horizontally and vertically; and Dynamic Focus and Dynamic Beam
Spot Control System, for eliminating the halos around electronic
beam spots. Other capabilities include a 0.26 mm dot pitch Invar
Shadow Mask CRT and 45 to 100 kilohertz (kHz) horizontal and
120 Hz vertical scanning.

The F780iW complies with the Swedish MRP II and TCO (Swedish
Confederation of Professional Employees) guidelines for radiation
emissions. To achieve the best results for the 200 MHz
bandwidth the F780iW requires, Nanao uses a 13W3 connector, the
type most often used in workstations,

The Nanao version of the Matrox MGA-II provides faster VRAM, and
also brings a 200 MHz digital analog converter and refresh rates of
up to 120Hz, according to Nanao. The MGA 2MB accelerator with
upgrade option supplies 24-bit color at 800-by-600 resolution and
8-bit color up at to 1600-by-1200 resolution. The 4MB edition
provides extra speed and accelerated 24-bit color at up to
1152-by-882 resolution and 15-bit color at up to 1600-by-1200
resolution. The F780iW and special version of the MGA are both
shipping.

The company says that the Matrox MGA has earned more than 15
international awards since its release in May, 1993, including
Editor's Choice from PC Magazine UK & US, PC Professional
(Germany) and l'Ordinateur (France), and Best Product of the Year
from Byte Magazine and PC Magazine in the US.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940124/Reader Contacts: Nanao USA, 310-
325-5202; Matrox, 514-685-2630; Press Contacts: Brian Mast,
Nanao, 310-325-5202 ext 112; Mary Ellen Power, Matrox,
514-685-2630 ext 2605)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00002)

UK - Lotus Ships cc:Mail Group Pack 01/25/94
STAINES, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Lotus UK has
announced that it is shipping the Lotus cc:Mail Group Pack. According
to the company, the new package is a combination of its best-selling
electronic mail (e-mail) system with the Lotus Organizer personal
information manager (PIM).

According to Gavin Lennox, UK Brand manager for cc:Mail, the Group
Pack contains cc:Mail for Windows, cc:Mail for MS-DOS, Lotus
Organizer 1.1, and a 10-user license. Lotus claims that the package
is designed for both large organizations and small businesses in
particular because it contains an entry-level, one box messaging
"solution" and can be run on MS-DOS-based computers.

"Increasing demand from new users is helping fuel the growth of
local area network (LAN)-based e-mail. By providing a cost-
effective messaging solution including group calendaring, we are
bringing the productivity benefits of messaging to a much wider
audience as well as giving customers a growth path with the
industry's most scalable e-mail system," he said.

He added that, "As many customers will be familiar with the
SmartIcon interfaces adopted by both cc:Mail and Organizer, they
will find adopting the Group Pack a simple, progressive step."

Standard features in cc:Mail for Windows and cc:Mail for MS-DOS
include: spell-checking, private and public mailing lists, message
log, bulletin boards, as well as connectivity with cc:Mail users on
systems such as Apple Macintosh, Unix, and OS/2 directly.

According to Lotus, another key feature of the new package allows
the scheduling group meetings. The company claims that it
eliminates the need for multiple phone-calls or e-mail messages
to confirm with the others availability. This feature, Newsbytes
notes, runs on Windows exclusively.

Lotus cc:Mail Group Pack requires Microsoft Windows 3.1, four
megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and 6MB of hard
disk space; an IBM PC or compatible computer, 286-based or better,
a VGA (Video Graphics Array) monitor and a mouse. The cc:Mail for
MS-DOS client requires MS-DOS 3.1 or compatible network
operating system, and an IBM PC or compatible (8088/86 processor
or above). Pricing on the package has been set at UKP650 for up
to 10 users.

(Steve Gold/19940121/Press & Public Contact: Lotus UK,
44-784-455445)


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

Microbase Intros Windows Interactive Baseball Prgm 01/25/94
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- So you want to
be a baseball player or coach? Now Microbase Publishing, the
Phoenix, Arizona-based software publisher has announced
Play Ball!, a Windows-based interactive computer program that
features the strategies and insights of Alan Bannister, a former
Chicago White Sox shortstop and three-time All American
collegiate player during his days at Arizona State University.

Microbase says Play Ball! can help players and coaches improve
their hitting, pitching, and game strategies. Detail graphics and
text windows cover fundamentals like preparation, conditioning,
situational play, and drills for every position. The program also
has a playbook, famous quotes from baseball legends, a team
database, ball club addresses and stadium names, and a baseball
knowledge trivia game. "That part is pretty amusing," Microbase
spokesperson Stephanie Silverman told Newsbytes. Even though
the software includes a trivia game, Silverman stresses that the
program is a serious teaching tool suitable for players and
coaches from Little League to the majors.

Bannister says the software includes everything he learned
during his years in the majors, including throwing a change-up,
bunting, holding base runners, and blocking a curve in the dirt.

"Anyone who plays the game can learn from this program," says
the former major leaguer and now manager of the San Francisco
Giants Arizona rookie team. In 1979 he set an NCAA record with
90 runs batted in and 101 hits while playing for Arizona State.

The first draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973, Bannister
played seven positions over 12 years and appeared in 972 major
league games with several teams. He won the Lou Gehrig Award
in 1977. He will shortly be going on the radio talk circuit, said
Silverman.

Microbase spokesperson Stephanie Silverman says Play Ball! will
ship in early February and will have a suggested retail price of
$59.95.

(Jim Mallory/19940121/Press & Reader Contact: Microbase,
tel [phone] or 800-897-3637, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00004)

Hughes LAN Systems Intros Stackable Hub 01/25/94
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Hughes
LAN Systems has introduced the Enterprise Stackable Hub 1300,
designed for remote office sites and departmental local area
network (LAN) users who require the capabilities of a chassis-
based system, but want the economics offered by a stackable hub.

A company source told Newsbytes that the difference between a
stackable and chassis-based hub is that a stackable hub, "is not
usually modular. With a chassis-based, usually you can fit in a
number of different modules. A stackable usually means it is
one media type -- it will be Ethernet, or Token-Ring -- but you
usually can't mix." The 1300 is an Ethernet hub, said the source.

The company claims that the 1300 is one of the most reliable and
full-featured stackable hubs on the market for use in small- to
medium-sized Ethernet networks.

In announcing the product, Bobbi Murphy, Hughes LAN Systems' vice
president of marketing, said: "Stackable hubs offer customers a
great way to keep their networking costs down. However, we
believe that many of the features found in chassis-based hubs,
such as network redundancy, are equally as important for small
users. The 1300 includes many of these chassis-based
capabilities and extends their benefits to smaller sites,"

Newsbytes notes that, unlike passive network hubs, active
hubs are used to amplify transmission signals in various LAN
environments. They allow for increased cable length between
servers and workstations. The company source said that the
1300 does amplify the transmission signal.

The 1300 comes in 12- and 24-port models, and reportedly
allows organizations to connect departmental LANs and remote
sites to the enterprise network using standard RJ-45 Ethernet
ports or transceiver modules, which in turn support a variety of
physical media. As many as four Enterprise hubs can be stacked
together, allowing for as many as 96 user connections per stack.

Continued the source, "Another thing is that, in a stackable
hub, you can use a special wiring cable so you can string more
than one of these stackable hubs together."

With the 1300, the source also said that you can add an additional
12-ports, but you cannot add Token-Ring or FDDI (fiber distributed
data interface).

The 1300 allows for the establishment of redundant links to the
network backbone, which leads to increased network availability
and reliability. The hub also comes with software selectable
network security to prevent unauthorized network access, and
can be managed through a hub console port, via a remote Telnet
session, or by the SNMP (simple network management protocol)
network management station. Each hub includes a dedicated
network management processor and an embedded SNMP agent.

The Enterprise Stackable Hub 1300 is available now, with pricing
ranging from $1,995 for a 12-port model to $3,795 for 24-ports.

In August, Newsbytes reported that Hughes LAN Systems had
introduced version 2.2 of its ProLINC multiprotocol-connectivity
software and version 1.2 of ProLINC WINtools TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) connectivity software for the
Microsoft Windows graphical user environment. The new releases
were enhanced to support new versions of operating systems,
including Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 6.0.

In May, the company was part of a group of networking vendors
that announced their intention to form the Networking Technical
Support Alliance, or NTSA, which was designed to provide better
service and support for customers who implement and manage
multi-vendor networks. The organization's initial charter was to
"develop and implement processes and guidelines for multi-vendor
problem resolution."

(Ian Stokell/19940121/Press Contact: Becky Hettema,
415-966-7460, Hughes LAN Systems)


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

GI Denies TCI Converter Purchase Delay Reports 01/25/94
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- General Instruments
has taken strong issue with press reports that Tele-Communications
Inc. (TCI), would delay purchase of one million new set-top
converters from the company. But the firm's stock price fell sharply
anyway, and the prices of competitors fell as well.

Reports in "The Wall Street Journal" and the Associated Press
indicated that TCI would delay its purchase by up to a year. But
General Instruments said that the companies have been acting
under a schedule reported to the press months ago, and that
schedule remains in effect.

If there is a problem, the company said, it is that the Moving
Picture Experts Group-2, or MPEG-2, video compression standard,
has been stalled before the International Standards Organization.

While GI favors MPEG-2, the company said, "Market deployment
of digital compression is not being slowed by the resolution of
any remaining MPEG-2 technical issues," in part because the
company is offering "dual-standard" boxes using its proprietary
DigiCipher technology, which is close to MPEG.

In the next few months, customers of TCI and other major cable
operators will be offered new set-top converters capable of
handling far more channels, most of them pay-per-view channels.

Many services, like Cinemax, are already being compressed on
satellite feeds, and cable operators can transmit both
uncompressed analog and compressed digital feeds over the same
systems. As a result, new set-top converters which pick up the
digital feeds can be sold to the same customer base now receiving
analog, on an as-needed basis.

Some observers feel the slow pace of orders may have more to do
with the public's lack of willingness to buy lots of new services
than with the technology.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01124994/Press Contact: George Sard, for
General Instrument, 212-687-8080)


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

DataRace's Voice Switching For Multiplexers 01/25/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- At the ComNet
trade show, Data Race announced a new voice switching technology
for its multiplexers, and a new four-port multiplexer

The new feature, called Voice Switching, is part of the company's
new Mach DS plus line of voice/fax/data/LAN (local area network)
multiplexers, and essentially lets voice calls "ride along" a
fax/data or LAN call, creating a free long distance call, according
to the company. The voice calls are first compressed down to
4,800 to 13,000 bits-per-second (bps), then transmitted using a
system called FreeSpeech alongside data traffic.

The new four-port Mach DS multiplexer is a low-end to its product
line, and aimed at smaller branch offices. The company already
makes such multiplexers with from eight to 64 ports. They include
the Voice/Fax technology, and can be configured in a number of
different ways for voice, data and LAN traffic, at speeds up to
128,000 bps.

Using the system, the company said, up to four voice or fax calls
can share a channel, reducing long distance charges. They can also
be upgraded with modules for 56,000 bps digital lines, for
V.32terbo modems running at up to 19,200 bps, and for bridging
LANs.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01124994/Press Contact: Garrick Colwell,
Data Race, 210-558-1900


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TOR)(00007)

 ****Delrina Faces Lawsuit Over Fax Mailboxes 01/25/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- AlphaNet
Telecom Inc., is suing Delrina Corp., claiming the software vendor
stole its technology for providing a facsimile mailbox service
using personal computers.

Both companies are based in Toronto. Al Gordon, chairman of
AlphaNet, said his company worked with Delrina from mid-1992
until late last year, and showed Delrina technology it had
developed for a service that would let travelers have faxes sent
to a single number and retrieve them from their PCs.

The companies signed a formal agreement in December, 1992,
which included a promise that Delrina would not disclose
information it obtained from AlphaNet or use it without
AlphaNet's permission, Gordon said.

Last summer, he continued, Delrina asked to cancel the formal
agreement so that it could be rewritten to change some of the
details. AlphaNet agreed, understanding the cancellation to be a
formality, but "the promised re-draft never materialized," Gordon
said.

In October, Delrina announced the creation of a communications
services division that it said would, among other things, market
fax mailbox services. The company also announced alliances with
MCI Corp., in the United States and Worldlinx Telecommunications
Inc., in Canada to provide fax services linked with its WinFax
software.

Gordon said his company's agreement with Delrina kept AlphaNet
from entering the PC fax services market from June, 1992, until
October, 1993. He added that he now suspects Delrina was
negotiating with others all the time that its agreement with
AlphaNet was in place.

AlphaNet is seeking an injunction to prevent Delrina offering fax
mailbox services as well as unspecified damages.

Delrina issued a statement saying the action is without merit and
there is no basis for any of the claims made. In the statement,
Dennis Bennie, chief executive of Delrina, said AlphaNet's claim
was "clearly a case of sour grapes." Delrina said the relationship
with AlphaNet was concluded "for various business reasons."

AlphaNet offers fax mailbox services. Its Innfax service provides
in-room fax services to major business hotels, and its Followfax
service lets travelers use a single fax number and retrieve
their faxes remotely. Followfax PC is a version of Followfax that
lets customers use personal computer software to pick up their
faxes, and uses the technology involved in the dispute with
Delrina.

Delrina sells forms processing and fax software.

(Grant Buckler/19940125/Press Contact: Al Gordon, AlphaNet
Telecom, 416-923-2222 ext 222; Michael Abramsky, Delrina,
tel [phone] ext 2606, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00008)

Stentor Adds Flexibility To Megastream Service 01/25/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Stentor, the
consortium of Canada's regional telephone companies, has
announced a new option for its Megastream digital network
service.

Megastream Flex Net adds network options and flexibility to the
existing Megastream service, Stentor said. It will give customers
new network configuration options and the ability to use
bandwidth more efficiently, according to the vendor.

The option will be available to all Megastream customers at no
extra cost, said company spokesman Graham Young, but Stentor
expects it to appeal primarily to medium-sized and large
organizations, including not only businesses, but government
departments.

Major financial institutions, departments of the federal
government, and at least one provincial government, and several
high-technology companies have already tested the service.

Like Megastream, which Young described as the Cadillac of
Stentor's data services, Megastream Flex Net will be available
from Stentor members companies in medium and large centers
across Canada.

The new service uses the Mainstreet family of telecommunications
products from Newbridge Networks Corp., also of Ottawa.
Newbridge's 3600 Mainstreet Bandwidth Manager, 3612 Mainstreet
Narrow-Band Multiplexer, 2700 Mainstreet Data Termination Units,
and 4602 Mainstreet Intelligent NetworkStation will be used to
provide the service, officials said.

Stentor also announced it has signed on as a member of the
Telecommunications Information Networking Architecture
Consortium (TINA-C), a worldwide group that is working on
telecommunications software standards.

(Grant Buckler/19940124/Press Contact: Dudleigh Coyle, Stentor,
613-781-1229; Graham Young, Stentor, 613-785-2843; Jim
Marshall or Sandra Plumley, Newbridge Networks, 613-591-3600)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00009)

India - Compsoft Launches PDA Software 01/25/94
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Following the Penconnect
series of communication products, Compsoft Services (P) Ltd.,
associate of US-based Compsoft Services Inc., has released for
the world market wireless and wireline communications software
for personal digital assistants (PDAs).

The software, set on PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association) card, is claimed to be the first series
of products to go with General Magic's Magic Cap Communicators.
General Magic is a consortium formed by AT&T, Apple, Motorola,
Philips, Matsushita, Sony and 14 software companies to develop
PICs.

Present releases on the Magic Cap platform consist of two
products: Magic Connection and Magic Genie. Magic Connection
provides connectivity to General Magic's PDAs through terminal
emulations and file transfers. Apart from interactive sessions,
users can even have applications running on the IBM System/370
and System/390 platforms, and with other IBM, HP, DEC and Sun
systems. The other product--Magic Genie--is an intelligent agent
that acts like a personal executive assistant to the user. It
provides a generic interface to users in order to access
information provided by such on-line services as CompuServe
and America Online.

Today, the key players in the PDA operating systems arena are: EO
(AT&T) with PenPoint, General Magic with Magic Cap, Microsoft
with Winpad, and Apple Computer with Newton OS.

Compsoft has targeted its products at the PenPoint and the Magic
Cap platforms. In mid-1992, the company released three products:
PenHost, PenASCII, and PenAPPC based on PenPoint.

According to Trilok Manocha, president of Compsoft Services, the
packages have already been bought by more than 120 customers,
including: Motorola and Aetna of the US; Ferru Software AG of
Switzerland; Stylus of France; Financial Systems Ltd., of New
Zealand; and a number of IBM locations.

The company is also exploring the Winpad platform for porting its
products. PenPoint provides a notebook metaphor to the end-users.
The applications running on PenPoint reside on a page in the
notebook, and accept inputs from an electronic pen. Magic Cap
provides a desktop metaphor to end-users, and takes inputs from
a stylus and the user's finger.

Compsoft Services, based in the Noida Export Processing Zone, near
Delhi, is a 100 percent export-oriented company. Ironically,
Compsoft launches its mobile communications software while there
are few PDAs in India. Even when the company launched PenPoint
products in 1992 there were few pen products. However, the Magic
Cap communications products are not targeted at the Indian market.

Without a wireless network and no PDAs around how did Compsoft
develop these wireless software? "Following the background
technological information from hardware manufacturers, we
simulate the environment. And after developing the software, we
bring it to our support center in North Carolina in the US to finally
integrate with the hardware," explained Manocha.

Compsoft's Magic Cap products have already started shipping,
and US-based Notable Technologies will market the products
worldwide.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940125)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00010)

Commander EIS 4.0 Adds Essbase, More Ease Of Use 01/25/94
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Comshare has
unveiled Commander EIS 4.0, an update that adds a high-capacity
server, more powerful multi-dimensional database analysis, and
new ease-of-use features to the company's local area network
(LAN)-based executive information system (EIS).

In an interview with Newsbytes, Rick Crandall, president and CEO,
said the new edition integrates Essbase, a multi-user client-server
software product that Comshare has licensed from Arbor. Also as
part of the newly announced deal, Comshare has agreed to resell
Essbase as an application development tool for custom decision
support applications.

Comshare introduced the first client-server release of Commander
EIS, version 3.0, last fall. The integration of Essbase brings a
high-capacity server, as well as an open interface to
multi-dimensional and structured query language (SQL) data sources,
according to Crandall. Like the previous version, Commander EIS
4.0 also provides access to legacy databases running on MVS, VM,
DEC, and Fujitsu hosts, through Comshare's long-standing "System
W" interface.

Crandall told Newsbytes that managerial users will see the effects
of Essbase in enhancements to Comshare's Execu-View feature that
strengthen and simplify the ability to "slice and dice" data pulled
from enterprise-wide data sources, for analysis from myriad
perspectives.

As a server component in Commander EIS, Essbase replaces
Comshare's own Commander Prism, Crandall said. Commander Prism,
though, can still be used as a viewer for Commander EIS, and will
also remain available on a stand-alone basis and as an integrated
component of Comshare's Commander Budget.

The server software for version 4.0 will be initially available for
OS/2 and Windows, with support for Unix platforms to follow later
in 1994, Crandall noted. The server will support the Oracle,
Sybase, SQL Server, and DB2/2 relational database management
systems, in addition to legacy databases. Client software for
Commander EIS 4.0 will run on Microsoft Windows.

On the client side, Comshare will now offer the ability to access
Commander EIS directly from Excel and Lotus 1-2-3, Newsbytes
was told. In addition, support has been added in version 4.0 for
cc:Mail and MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface)
messaging specifications, for integration with enterprise
electronic-mail networks.

Also new is the ability to add voice annotation and still pictures
to Commander EIS's multi-dimensional spreadsheets, in a manner
somewhat similar to multimedia mail, the CEO said.

Currently in field test, Commander EIS 4.0 is slated for commercial
availability in March. Pricing is $85,000 for the full Commander
EIS application, including server software and support for 25
users. Additional users can be supported at $500 per desktop.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940124/Reader Contact: Comshare, 313-994-
4800; Press Contacts: Ricia Hughes, Comshare, 313-994-4800;
David Copithorne, Tim Hurley or Nick Berents, Copithorne & Bellows
Public Relations for Comshare, 617-252-0606)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00011)

IBM Starts Small Manufacturer Events In NY, Jan 27 01/25/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- On January 27 in
New York City, IBM will co-host "Beyond Survival to World-Class
Competitor," one of a series of new Small Manufacturer Initiative
(SMI) events expected to expand to a total of 40 to 60 sites
throughout the US.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Karen Morano, SMI program
manager, said that IBM's new SMI program is designed to help
smaller manufactures climb the "technological ladder" and
become more competitive on the global level.

This week's event in Brooklyn will be the third of three SMI
pilot sessions, Morano added. Also this week, IBM will map out
plans for the expanded series of events, to be presented
nationwide over the coming year.

Each individual event teams a local college and government agency
with IBM's RISC System/6000 Division, she told Newsbytes. The
curriculum was created by IBM, with input from the government-
funded Northeast Manufacturing Technology Center as well as from
one of IBM's customers, a small metal fabricator called PDQ
Manufacturing Inc.

Areas covered include such topics as: ISO (International
Organization for Standardization)/9000; how to integrate
manufacturing operations with the use of technology; locally
available programs for helping manufacturers to be competitive;
and IBM in relation to small manufacturers.

For this Thursday's event, IBM is partnering with New
York City Technical College and the New York City Industrial
Technology Assistance Corporation. The program will be held
at the Brooklyn-based technical college from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Admission is $35, payable either in advance or at the door.

The earlier pilot events took place at Three Rivers Community
College in Norwich, Connecticut, and at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York.

The new SMI events benefit small manufacturers by providing them
with technical knowledge and needed contacts, Morano said. Larger
manufacturers in the US and abroad have already moved into
state-of-the-art hardware and software, but smaller companies
have tended to lag behind, she added. Many small manufacturers,
for instance, are still using PC-based manufacturing production
systems, rather than more powerful Unix-based systems. "For their
own survival, these companies must become more competitive,"
Morano asserted.

Government benefits from initiatives such as SMI by having private
enterprise shoulder some of the responsibility for training small
manufacturers in new technologies, the program manager maintained.
This need is becoming particularly important with the fading of the
national defense industry. "Government is very good at putting
together (training) facilities. They're looking to the private sector
to bring in the technologies," she explained.

IBM plans to donate one or two RISC 6000-based systems to each
site where an SMI event is held, Morano said. The local colleges
will also gain from the establishment of a curriculum that can
serve as a model for college courses, particularly on the subject
of IS0/9000, she added.

For its part, IBM says it will benefit from the opportunity to market
products and services to small manufacturers, and to become more
familiar with the needs and interests of the market. With prices
of RISC-based hardware and software now at levels that are
affordable to businesses of almost any size, small manufacturers
constitute a new target market for IBM RISC System/6000 Division,
Newsbytes was told.

The small manufacturer market is much bigger than many people
might think, pointed out Morano. There are 13,000 manufacturing
companies with fewer than 500 employees in the New York
metropolitan area alone, according to ITAC, a New York City
outreach program launched by the New York State Science and
Technology Foundation in 1990, and one of IBM's partners in the
upcoming New York City event.

Talks to be given on January 27 include: "Integrating Your
Operations Using Technology," by Professor John Meuller, New York
City Industrial Technical College; "Programs in New York City to
Help Small and Mid-Size Manufacturers to Be Competitive," by Sara
Garretson, executive director of ITAC; and "IBM's Commitment to
the Small Manufacturer," by Ed Shroeder, general manager, IBM
Metropolitan Trading Area.

Also on the agenda for the day are presentations on: "How to Remain
Competitive," by Scott Hutchins, president of PDQ Manufacturing;
"ISO/9000," by Mohammed Nobani, EtQ Management Consultants Inc;
and "Revitalizing the Manufacturing Process," by Jim Clark,
computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) consultant.

For more information about the SMI series, or to register for
"Beyond Survival to World-Class Competitor," call SMI at
800-898-4426.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940124/Reader Contact: Small Manufacturers
Initiative, 800-898-4426; Press Contacts: Pam Preston or Joshua
Weinberg, Technology Solutions for IBM, 212-505-9900)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BOS)(00012)

Alpha Teams With Capital Cities, Begins Ad Campaign 01/25/94
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- In its
first partnership with a software vendor, the Capital Cities/ABC
media giant will become a minority partner in Alpha Software
Corp., producers of the PC-based Alpha Four database and Bravo!
presentation graphics/multimedia software packages.

For its part, Burlington, Massachusetts-based Alpha will receive
large-scale advertising exposure on all Capital Cities/ABC-owned
TV and radio stations, and in its newspapers and trade publications.

Capital Cities/ABC owns the ABC Television Network, eight
television stations, 18 radio stations, and eight radio networks.
The company also publishes daily and weekly newspapers and trade
publications, provides cable TV programming, and is partnered with
international broadcasters in program production, distribution
ventures, and broadcast and cable TV services overseas.

The agreement between Capital Cities ABC and Alpha Software was
reached through Capital Cities Capital, a subsidiary of Capital
Cities/ABC designed to promote innovative consumer product and
service companies through exchanges of media advertising.

In a related move, Alpha Software has retained an advertising
agency for help in a new national consumer push. The hiring of New
York's Jordan McGrath Case and Taylor Inc., as advertising agency
of record follows a review of a number of New York and Boston
agencies, officials said.

Alpha's pact with Capital Cities/ABC is aimed at increasing the
software vendor's strength in distribution and the retail chains.
The vendor's new media campaign will attempt to enhance brand and
product awareness while attracting consumers through new and
existing channel outlets.

According to Mary Conti Loffredo, an analyst with International
Data Corporation (ID), more and more software companies are trying
to break into the consumer marketplace as computing becomes
increasingly commonplace in the home.

"Alpha Software is known for developing products that are highly
functional, but very easy to use. Putting substantial resources
behind their efforts should push the company into the forefront of
this new era of computer marketing," Loffredo added.

Said Richard Rabins, co-chairman of Alpha Software: "This is a
very exciting opportunity for us, opening the door to a whole new
base of customers that are ideal targets for our products."

Noted George Cain, president, Capital Cities Capital: "We chose
Alpha Software because of its exceptional products and unique
understanding of where software marketing is heading in the
1990s."

Alpha Four, an award-winning menu-driven relational database
management system (RDBMS) for the PC, is designed to let users
customize sophisticated database applications without programming.
The product boasts an installed base of over half a million users,
according to Alpha.

Bravo!, a $79 package for Windows released last October, is aimed
at "quick and easy" creation of slides, overheads, and interactive
animated/multimedia presentations.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940125/Reader Contact: Alpha Software, 617-
229-2924; Press Contacts: Barbara L'Hereux, Alpha Software Corp.,
617-229-2924 ext 210; Mike Brewer, Brodeur & Partners for Alpha,
617-894-0003)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00013)

Bells Take Restructuring Charges 01/25/94
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- NYNEX and BellSouth
both took huge one-time hits for job cuts that resulted in quarterly
losses.

BellSouth lost $276 million, but would have made nearly twice
that without the one-time charges, for cutting staff by over
10,000 by 1996. The company, which serves the nine states of
the US Southeast and has cellular, paging, and international
operations, also took out costs from a Florida rate case which
will result in lower rates, and some other charges. Still, the
company's stock price rose, as analysts said that, without the
charges, earnings exceeded expectations, and praise rained down
from the markets for BellSouth's willingness to "bite the bullet"
on the costs.

NYNEX, which serves New York and New England, announced similar
results, a loss of $1.6 billion caused by job cuts. In NYNEX's
case, the cuts come to 16,800 jobs -- most analysts had said
NYNEX had the largest overhead among the regional Bells. Without
the charges, NYNEX would have reported a profit of about $360
million for the quarter, slightly more than a year earlier. As
with BellSouth, revenues were up slightly. All told, the regional
phone companies have announced 63,000 job cuts in a the last few
weeks.

Southwestern Bell, meanwhile, said its profits jumped 10 percent
to $385.9 million for the quarter, on a revenue hike of 6.5
percent. That is the kind of result NYNEX and BellSouth hope to
duplicate in future years, as they demand that regulators let
them recapture the gains of automation while they continue to
cut jobs.

Southwestern Bell said it had excellent results from its cellular
business, and during the quarter it announced two major moves
into cable television, completing the purchase of a system in the
Washington, DC suburbs and announcing a partnership with Cox
Cable, the nation's sixth largest cable operator. The company
said that its continuing success is due to its efforts to diversify,
with nearly one-third of its earnings now coming from outside
its regulated monopoly in Texas and nearby states.

In its Washington area, Southwestern Bell will go up against
Bell Atlantic, which has asked the US Justice Department for
permission to let it offer phone services through cable
operations owned by TCI, which it is in the process of acquiring.
Bell Atlantic's filing estimated it could offer competitive local
phone service in about 30 major cities, with 40 million potential
customers.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01125994)


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

US Robotics Adds To LAN Line 01/25/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- At the ComNet
trade show, US Robotics added three new products to its line of
products for local area networks (LANs). The company calls the
product line Shared Access. The new products are a fax server,
a communications server, and a LAN modem, all of which will be
available in March.

The Shared Access Fax server provides inbound and outbound
network-based fax capabilities for Novell networks, under both
Ethernet and Token Ring designs. The Shared Access LAN modem
2.0 is a two-port dial-up router, for transparent LAN-to-LAN
links and remote access for mobile users under the TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocols used
on the Internet. The Shared Access COM server is a 486-based
computer that can be used for remote control, mail routing, modem
sharing, and other applications. The last two products replace
existing modems and servers in the company's product line.

US Robotics said the fax server supports an unlimited number of
users and includes both hardware and software under both MS-DOS
and Microsoft Windows, from Optus Software Inc. It supports the
CAS applications programming interface for compatibility
with applications like WinFax Pro, and the FAXBios API, for
direct faxing from programs like Word Perfect.

Users of other popular LAN mail programs like cc: Mail and Microsoft
Mail can use the server's MHS compatibility. The product has two
ports, and is upgradable to new standards including a 28,800
bits-per-second (bps) scheme that could deliver 12 faxed pages
per minute. It will carry a price of $2,495 for Ethernet versions,
$2,795 for Token Ring.

The new LAN modem is a two-port dial-up router which replaces a
conventional modem in the product line. It supports Internet
Protocol dial-in from applications like Novell's LAN Workplace
and NetManage's Chameleon. It also supports remote node access,
and includes dynamic access switching, for "on-the-fly" switching
between remote node and remote control during the same
connection. It will list at $1,995 for the Ethernet version and
$2,495 for Token Ring.

The COM server provides two ports on a 486-based computer,
replacing a single port 386-based system in the product line.
It supports a variety of LAN communications software, including
remote control, mail routing, and modem sharing products. It
includes a V.32 terbo modem running at 19,200 bps, but is
ready for the V.34 or V.Fast standard. USR will download software
for V.34 onto a read-only memory flash chip on the product when
the standard is finalized. It lists at $1,995 for the Ethernet
version and $2,495 for Token Ring.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01125994/Press Contact: Lauri Lentz, US
Robotics, 708-982-5230)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00015)

More On New Ziff-Davis Interchange Network 01/25/94
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Ziff-Davis
Interactive followed on from its announcement of a new on-line
service, tentatively titled Interchange, by announcing some of the
third-party information providers who will be on it.

The Interchange Online Network, or Interchange as described by
Z-D Interactive President Michael Kolowich, is the working title
for a Windows-based service commercially available in the fall.

Hardware requirements for users will be stiff -- a Windows 3.1-
based 386 or faster machine with a 9,600 baud modem. But that
is what the market is currently providing, Kolowich says, and by
designing for a high-end system, the company hopes to provide a
better service than it can on its ZiffNet text services,
available through CompuServe and Prodigy.

In addition to using current Ziffnet content, the service will
also make available other Ziff-Davis content like a reference
library of over 1,000 publications under license from its
Information Access Co. The service will feature a "Companies
Online" section which, unlike current forums handled by vendors,
will feature brand graphics from over 75 vendors from the start.

Interchange will run on a cluster of Digital Equipment Corp.,
Alpha-based servers at Ziff's offices in Cambridge, with access
through existing packet networks to reach about 95 percent of
the US with a local phone call. Macintosh access is expected
in 1995, the company said.

Among the third-party publishers supporting the new network
are InfoWorld, which is a key competitor to Ziff's own PC Week
magazine. Also Starwave, established last year by Microsoft co-
founder Paul Allen, will offer a sports-related on-line service.
Reuters will provide its news services, and PC Quote its stock
services. Grolier will provide its encyclopedias, and Weather
Services Corp., will provide weather information. The Kiplinger
Organization, a newsletter publisher, which has been available
on Prodigy since 1990, will also offer its titles through the
new Ziff service.

Ziff also addressed the question of advertising. It will take
ads, but is still working on how to incorporate such ads in a
non-intrusive way. Those interested in the company's Early
Release program, a form of beta-testing, should call
1-800-595-8555.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01125994/Press Contact: Ziff-Davis
Interactive, Lisa Landa, 617/252-5211)


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

AT&T Raises Business Rates 01/25/94
BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- AT&T
has filed a rate hike of four percent covering its long distance and
toll-free services to business customers. The company said the
rate hikes are part of an effort to align prices with costs.

The hikes were filed on January 14 and 21, and should become
effective January 28 and February 1. The company also announced a
"restructuring" of domestic and international basic rates aimed
at offering small businesses volume discounts. Those changes
could become effective March 1, pending approval by the Federal
Communications Commission.

In the recent past, approval of AT&T rate hike requests has been
fairly automatic, and its major competitors have usually matched
the hikes in short order. However, most analysts note that basic
rates are just a starting point, with most people using some form
of calling plan offering lower rates.

AT&T spokesman Ruthlyn Newell said the company most recently
filed for a 3.9 percent increase in business rates last July,
and a rate increase for residential customers, filed in November,
is still before the FCC.

(Dana Blankenhorn/01125994/Press Contact: Ruthlyn Newell,
AT&T, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00017)

 ****Wordperfect Cuts 1,000 Jobs Despite Sales Boom 01/25/94
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corp.,
says sales are booming, but it is still reducing its workforce by
more than 1,000 employees.

The software company, publisher of the world's best-selling word
processing program of the same name, says it is cutting the 1,025
jobs as part of its restructuring to adapt to changing market
conditions in the software industry. The cuts represent 17 percent
of Wordperfect's worldwide workforce. All but 100 of the jobs are
in the U.S.

Wordperfect spokesperson Hank Heilesen told Newsbytes the
cuts were to make the company proactive. "We're looking down
the road to the time when software prices will be dropping even
more. We're placing ourselves in a position to be competitive." He
said the affected employees will depart this week, but will
receive 60 days of salary and benefits as well as access to the
facilities of a career resource center.

While exact numbers have not been released yet, Wordperfect
says it expects 1993 to be a record year, estimating sales will
top $700 million. That is a 20 percent increase in sales over 1992.

(Jim Mallory/19940125/Press Contact: Hank Heilesen,
Wordperfect Corp., 801-228-5035; Reader Contact: Wordperfect
Corp., tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00018)

 ****Unisys Revenues Down Again, But Profits Up 01/25/94
BLUE BELL, PENNSYLVANIA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Unisys Corp.,
has reported a decline in revenues again this year, but managed a
modest increase in profits. Though still adjusting to changes in
the computer industry, the company seems to have recovered from
financial struggles early in the decade.

In the year ended December 31, Unisys reported net income of
$565.4 million, or $2.31 per fully diluted common share, on
revenues of $7.74 billion. That compares to net income of $361.2
million, or $1.40 per share, on revenues of $8.42 billion in 1992.

The net income figures for both years include special items.
Excluding these, net income in 1993 was $361.3 million, or $1.48
per share, and net income in 1992 was $296.2 million, or $1.04
per share.

In the fourth quarter, the firm had net income of $117.7 million,
or 46 cents per share, on revenues of $2.1 billion, compared to
net income of $101.2 million, or 43 cents per share, on revenues
of $2.26 billion in the fourth quarter of 1992.

Unisys expects the shrinkage in revenues to stop in 1994, said
spokesman Peter Hynes, with revenue increasing slightly this
year. Unisys forecasts strong growth in commercial computer
sales, he said.

Sales in Europe and Japan continued weak in 1993, while sales in
the Americas and Asia were strong. Hynes said there is no sign of
a turnaround in the European and Japanese markets yet, but Unisys
is hoping for one by mid-1994.

Analyst Tom Willmott, vice-president of The Aberdeen Group in
Boston, said Unisys has been the most successful of the old-line
computer vendors at keeping proprietary systems alive while
cutting costs to remain profitable. In the longer term, he said,
the company's success will depend on its ability to bring out new
products in areas such as client/server technology, creating new
sources of revenue as the mainframe market erodes.

Unisys' client/server sales remained weak in the fourth quarter,
as in the first three quarters, but Hynes said orders for Unix
systems grew. Unisys launched new client/server products early
in fourth quarter, after creating a client/server business unit in
September, and hopes this part of its business will begin to pick up.

Unisys also said its operating income grew to 9.5 percent of
revenue in 1993, from 8.6 percent in 1992, and cash flow from
operations was more than $1 billion. The company cut its net
debt by more than $500 million, officials said, and its
debt-to-capital ratio is down to 29 percent from a peak of more
than 60 percent in 1991.

During the year, Unisys eliminated the post of president -- Reto
Braun departed that role in August to join business forms maker
Moore Corp., in Toronto -- and reorganized into three major
divisions.

(Grant Buckler/19940125/Press Contact: Peter Hynes, Unisys,
215-986-6948)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00019)

Compuadd Intros New Color Notebook 01/25/94
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Compuadd Corp., has
announced the Compuadd Escort 450 Colorpro, the first in its new
Escort family of color notebook systems.

The Colorpro 450 has a 9.5-inch 640 by 480 resolution 256 color
active matrix display and is powered by an Intel 486DX2-50
megahertz (MHz) microprocessor. Other features include a 340
megabyte (MB) Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard drive, 4MB
of system memory which can be expanded to 8MB or 20MB, one
3.5-inch floppy drive, one Type 3 or two Type 2 Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot for
peripheral devices or application software, and a carrying case.

The motherboard, or main circuit board, of the 6.5-pound Colorpro
450 includes a serial and parallel port, a mouse port, a connection
for an external VGA (Video Graphics Array) monitor, a receptacle
for an external keyboard, and jacks for business audio speakers.

An optional 14,400 bits-per-second (bps) fax/data modem for
$349, and a clip-on port replicator for $89 are available from
Compuadd. Memory expansion cards cost $199 for 1MB or $349 for
2MB. Also available is a Xircom Combo local area network (LAN)
adapter card for $399.

The 84-key keyboard built into the unit has the directional arrow
keys in an inverted "T" layout in the lower right hand corner, and a
PS/2 style trackball is centered below the space bar. Compuadd
says the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery should run the
system for up to two hours, and audio and visual low-battery
warnings are provided.

The Escort 450 comes with MS-DOS 6.2 operating system
software, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Closeup 4.0,
a Compuserve on-line service starter kit, and AMIDiag Lite.

The company says it plans to introduce dual-scan color and
monochrome models of the Escort series in February 1994.

(Jim Mallory/19940125/Press Contact: John Pope, Compuadd, 512-
250-2000; Reader Contact: Compuadd Corporation, 512-250-2000
or 800-627-1967)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00020)

Computers Vital To Winter Olympics 01/25/94
LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- When the athletes,
officials, journalists, trainers, judges, dignitaries and official
visitors gather in Lillehammer, Norway, for the 1994 Winter
Olympic Games, more than 2,000 personal computers will be in
use to keep them - and millions of television viewers around the
world  - up to date about every event almost as it happens.

Journalists, athletes and officials will be able to consult a multi-
lingual computer screen, often with a touch of a finger, to learn
the results of a bobsled race, the biography of an athlete, or the
weather forecast for an event.

However, behind the scenes, other activities will also be tracked
via computer. Officials will be able to determine the location of
a competitor, issue credentials to the 40,000 visitors expected
to be present, and schedule support personnel for any of the 13
venues. Dubbed Info 94 and Games Management, the two systems
will even provide such information as dust concentration in the
air and the ozone levels.

Police security is also being aided by computers. Called the Police
Operational System (POS) and installed by Chicago, Illinois-based
Andersen Consulting for the Olympic Police, POS will continually
update an electronic map that will help police keep tabs on all
reported incidents as well as know where the closest available
officer is who can be dispatched to the scene. That is made
possible because each patrol car is equipped with a global
positioning system (GPS) that tells the computer via satellite
where the unit is located.

That system will not be dismantled when the games are over. It is
being expanded to operate in 54 locations throughout Norway
within the next three years and officials say its use can reduce the
need for police patrols by as many as 500 officers, but still improve
police response time.

The games computer system software was developed by
Andersen Consulting for the 1992 games in Albertville and reusing
the software has saved about $9 million, according to Petter
Standal, director of information technology for the event. More
than 30 translators will convert the information into the three
official 1994 Winter Olympics languages, Norwegian, French, and
English.

(Jim Mallory/19940125/Press Contact: Jim Calabrese, Andersen
Consulting, 312-507-2058)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00021)

Visual Cybernetics To Acquire Northgate Computer 01/25/94
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Northgate
Computer Systems says it has entered into an agreement to be
acquired by Visual Cybernetics Corp.

The agreement calls for Visual to acquire 100 percent of the
issued and outstanding capital stock of Northgate's wholly owned
subsidiary, Northgate Computer Systems Inc., for approximately
10 percent of Visual's capital stock.

Northgate Computer Systems makes personal computers, and
introduced its 486DX2 66 megahertz-powered notebook computer
with local bus video and a Pentium-powered notebook system at
last fall's Comdex trade show in Las Vegas.

Visual says its newly formed subsidiary, Northgate Technologies
Corporation, has entered into a worldwide distribution and
licensing agreement with Northgate Computer Systems under
which Northgate Technologies will be the sole distributor and
supplier of computers and related products sold under the
Northgate brand name.

Visual Chief Operations Officer Mujahid Bashir says Northgate
Computer Systems generated about $63 million in revenues for
1993. "In 1994 we anticipate that Northgate Technologies will,
through adequate funding, introduction of innovative products
and aggressive marketing, generate revenues of $100 million and
will be profitable."

Visual spokesperson Maggie Buerger told Newsbytes that no
specific information is immediately available about what new
products the company will introduce. Buerger said Northgate
will remain in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and does not plan any
personnel layoffs.

Northgate Technologies will reportedly have nine million common
shares issued and outstanding. Visual says it anticipates
distributing shares of Northgate Technologies to its shareholders
of record as of February 15, 1994, in the ratio of one share of
Northgate for every ten shares of Visual held. Both companies
plan to apply for a listing on NASDAQ during the current quarter.

(Jim Mallory/19940125/Press contact: Maggie Buerger,
516-883-4944)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00022)

 ****IBM Reports Profitable 4 Qtr 01/25/94
ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- IBM is back in the
black. Coming back from several consecutive quarters of losses,
what was once the world's most profitable company managed to
chalk up net earnings of $372 million, or 62 cents per common
share, in the fourth quarter of 1993. That compares with a $45
million net loss (eight cents per share) in the fourth quarter of
1992.

IBM managed the profit despite a one percent drop in revenues in
the quarter, to $19.4 billion.

For the full year, though, IBM turned in a net, after-tax loss of
$8.0 billion or $14.02 per common share -- worse than the $6.9
billion or $12.03-per-share loss in 1992. Revenues for the year
were $62.72 billion, down from $64.52 billion in 1992.

The $8 billion loss in 1993 included an $8.9 billion
restructuring charge taken earlier in the year. IBM said it
earned $148 million from operations before taxes, and
essentially broke even on operations after taxes.

In a prepared statement, IBM Chairman Louis Gerstner said the
"Results of the work we are doing on our strategic priorities
will become clearer to our customers in 1994."

IBM said its revenues from the United States grew nine percent in
the fourth quarter, while European revenues fell one percent and
revenues from Asia dropped four percent.

Also in the fourth quarter, hardware sales revenue fell 5.4
percent relative to the fourth quarter of 1992, and software
revenue fell 3.8 percent, while services revenue rose 31.9
percent. Maintenance, rentals, and financing revenues also fell.

While over-all hardware sales were down, personal computer sales
rose strongly, officials said, and revenue from the company's
RISC System/6000 workstations and servers was also up.

Tom Willmott, vice-president of The Aberdeen Group in Boston,
said that while IBM's personal computer business remains under
competitive pressure, the company has produced some very
successful products in the past year.

As cost-cutting efforts continued, IBM's worldwide workforce
stood at 256,000 people as of the end of 1993, company officials
said. That was down about 45,000 from a year earlier, not
including employees of IBM's Federal Systems Co., which was sold
late in 1993 to Loral Corp., of New York. That sale is expected to
close early this year, and about 10,000 employees will leave IBM
with Federal Systems.

William Milton, an investment analyst who follows IBM for Brown
Brothers Harriman in New York, said IBM's fourth-quarter profit
derived mostly from cost cutting. He also noted that the fourth
quarter is usually strong for IBM, and maintaining profitability
in the seasonally weak first quarter could still be a challenge.

However, Milton said he is forecasting a small profit for the
company in the first quarter and expects it to turn in a 1994
profit in the neighborhood of $2.15 per share.

Willmott said IBM faces the same major challenge as other
companies that once built their businesses on mainframe sales,
and must make the transition to newer product lines. Though this
is "a gigantic problem and a gigantic transition," he said,
"they're beginning to stabilize that situation." He praised IBM
for "using creative approaches to bring new products to market,"
and said he is optimistic about the company's ability to get back
on course.

IBM's board of directors also announced a dividend of 25 cents
per share, payable March 10 to shareholders of record as of
February 10.

The company said that after restructuring charges, it generated
a positive cash flow from operations in 1993, primarily due to
improved fourth-quarter performance.

(Grant Buckler/19940125/Press Contact: Rob Wilson, IBM,
914-765-6565)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00023)

UK - Digital Pathways Intros Ethernet/Token Ring Servers 01/25/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Digital Pathways has
announced the CentrumRemote 3000 series of Network Access
Servers for Token Ring and Ethernet network access.

According to the company, the 3000/T and the 3000/E series are
part of a new family of products, based on advanced hardware
architecture, that are the first remote access servers to support
the security standard proposed by the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF) for internetworking with systems from a variety of
independent suppliers.

"Remote network access is one of the fastest growing areas of
internetworking and security is a key consideration for
organizations across all industries," explained Roger Lewis,
Digital Pathways' managing director. "The new CentrumRemote
3000 architecture integrates well with DP's own Defender front-end
network security solutions and will assist us in keeping pace with
the demands of the marketplace."

According to Lewis, the new IETF-based security systems integrate
easily into existing environments and will allow customers to
protect business-critical applications with state-of-the-art
security technology.

The new CentrumRemote products incorporate an i960 RISC (reduced
instruction-set computing) processor which Lewis claims has been
designed to process data faster than 386-based products. In
addition, an expanded memory capacity of five megabytes (MB)
makes the family of products (DP claims) scalable to meet future
internetworking needs.

So how does CentrumRemote work? In a general sense, Newsbytes
notes that the server operates as normal, with only the input/output
(I/O) ports differing between models. Each model can be reconfigured
by slotting different I/O cards in and out as required.

Because of the wide number of networking possibilities,
CentrumRemote pricing varies widely. According to Digital Pathways,
the Ethernet system (the 3000/E) starts at UKP3,450 for a four port
system, rising to UKP4,450 for an eight port system and UKP6,225
for a 16 port system.

Token Ring versions (the 3000/T series) are slightly more expensive
at, respectively, UKP4,450, UKP5,450 and UKP7.225 for four, eight
and 16 port configurations.

(Steve Gold/19940125/Press & Public Contact: Digital Pathways.
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00024)

UK - Cray Claims Speed Records With New SuperPAD 01/25/94
WATFORD, HERTS, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Cray
Communications is make some bold speed claims with its new Series
8000 SuperPAD (Packet Assembler Disassembler). The company
claims that the device can run at speeds of up to two megabits per
second (Mbps) with a packet throughput of more than 600 packets
per second.

According to Cray, the SuperPAD has been designed with flexibility
in mind, being capable of connecting to integrated services digital
network (ISDN), 64,000 bits per second (bps), and frame relay
networks.

So what can you do with the SuperPAD? Quite a lot Cray claims. The
device is designed to provide standalone network access or act as
part of an X.25 network. Installed on an X.25 network, the SuperPAD
interfaces with slower speed network devices, translating data
protocols and speeds up or down as required.

One interesting feature of the SuperPAD is that is has been designed
to act as a fallback in the case of main network failure. Built-in
software balances loads between network resources and, if one or
more links go down, the load continues to be balanced, rerouting
over ISDN nets if required.

Exact pricing of SuperPAD is difficult to pin down, Cray claims,
owing to the variety of configurations. The company describes the
device as price competitive, particularly in network backup
situations.

(Steve Gold/19940125/Press & Public Contact: Anne Harding,
Cray Communications, 44-923-258000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00025)

NEC Extends UK Notebook Range With Versa E Series 01/25/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- NEC UK has announced the
launch of the Versa E series of notebook PCs. The company claims
that the new notebook is designed to deliver the power and
performance which meets the needs of the "most demanding
mobile executive."

The series of machines is based around Intel's new i486DX2 SL (low
power) microprocessor which runs at 50 megahertz (MHz). NEC says
that this makes the machines capable of handling the most complex
of applications and performance can be enhanced by installing a
large hard drive at the time of purchase or after, as required.

Key features of the Versa E series an a brighter active matrix thin
film transistor (TFT) screen plus an integrated tracker ball. The
machines start from UKP3,795.

Steve Finnemore, NEC UK's product marketing managers, said that
demand for notebook PCs had been stimulated by the Ultralite
series being launched on this side of the Atlantic.

"NEC has developed the new Versa E series to provide an unrivaled
notebook computer for all types of mobile business user. As well as
retaining the level of modularity, which has set the Ultralite Versa
Series apart from its competitors, the Versa E improves on speed
and display quality," he said.

According to Finnemore, the machine has an ergonomically designed
track ball, plus the ability to allow users to change their own
hard disk, upgrade their memory and rotate the color display by 180
degrees for presentations as required.

As supplied, the basic model in the Versa E series comes with four
megabytes (MB) of memory, upgradable to 20MB internally using the
high speed local bus 32-bit memory slot. User-removable hard drives
vary in size from the basic 209MB to 340MB.

Other features of the new notebooks include: nickel metal hydride
(NMH) batteries, capable sustaining five hours of continuous use,
the company claims; and Doubletime, a facility whereby the floppy
drive can be replaced by a second battery to boost battery life by
100 percent.

One interesting feature is the Port Replicator, which is billed as a
low cost alternative to a docking station. The Replicator links to
the notebook with a single connector that "decodes" into five on the
Replicator module.

The NEC Versa series is available in the UK and Europe immediately.
Newsbytes understands that similar product availability schedules
are being announced in the US.

(Steve Gold/19940125/Press & Public Contact: NEC UK,
44-81-993-8111)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00026)

Poland Announces "Counterfeit-Proof" Currency 01/25/94
WARSAW, POLAND, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- After years of seeing high
technology increasingly allowing forgers to color photocopy its
banknotes, the Polish government has announced a series of subtle
changes to its currency to prevent this fraud taking place.

Many color copy manufacturers, because of the high risk of their
copiers printing copies of currency notes, have incorporated digital
image recognition circuitry in their machine's electronics. On the
Canon range of color copies, for example, any attempt to copy
dollars, sterling, or most major European notes results in either no
copy being made or a blacked out paper imprint being produced.

Unfortunately, the Polish Zloty is not a major currency and, until
the recent issue of high value notes recently, has not been a target
for forgers. The fact that the Zloty is now a full exchangeable
currency, and that the dollar has fallen from favor in Poland,
means that forged Zloty notes are currently an effective medium of
exchange.

According to the Polish authorities, the incidence of forged notes
being discovered in active circulation has increased dramatically in
the last few years, forcing the government to look at redesigning
the notes to prevent forgery by color copier.

As an interim measure in the last few years, the Polish government
has implemented a fluorescent imaging system on to the paper the
Zlotys are printed on. This has enabled shopkeepers and others
wanting to check for forgeries to use simple fluorescent lamps near
their cash tills to detect problem notes.

This new redesign involves the use of complex printing technology to
produce notes that look similar to the old ones, but whose markings
are far more intricately woven, thanks to the use of carefully
crafted printing plates.

As an added precaution, the new Zloty notes will have a specially
marked stripe with the stylized initials NBP (National Bank of
Poland) on them, as well as being specially embossed.

The anti-fraud process is a staging post to the expected reissue of
the complete range of Zloty notes some time this year (the exact
date is being kept quiet to forestall the black market economy).
This will involve the replacement of the standard Zloty with the
New Zloty, which will be worth 1,000 old units.

The change has been forced on the Polish government, Newsbytes
notes, by the rampant inflation of the 1980s, which saw the
currency devalue at the rate of thousands of percent every year,
meaning that, today, a million Zlotys are worth around $50.

Under the New Zloty system, 1,000 NZ will be worth around $50,
allowing Zloty millionaires to be worth something once again, now
that the Zloty has stabilized in the foreign exchange markets.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940125/Press & Public Contact: National Bank of
Poland, 48-2-625-6303)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(LON)(00027)

EC May Block French Govt Aid To Bull 01/25/94
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- After weeks of intense
behind-the-scenes negotiation, the French government may be
forced to withdraw plans to rescue the troubled Cie des Machines
Bull computer company with a planned FF 2,500 million investment.

Sources in the French press are now talking openly that the European
Commission (EC) wants to block the French government's planned
investment, on the grounds that it is against the EC's free market
competition rules.

Karel Van Miert, the EC anti-competition manager, is expected to
announce the results of his investigation in the Bull rescue by the
French government this week, possibly as early as Wednesday, but
the signs do not appear to be in Bull's favor.

Some sources are suggesting that van Miert may announce a major
investigation into previous investments by the French government
into Bill. To date, Bull has received more than FF 11,000 million
into its coffers from the French government.

EC officials are now privately blaming the French for going ahead
and making a series of interim cash investments during 1983 without
seeking approval from the EC. What appears to be upsetting the EC is
that the French government apparently has encouraged France
Telecom, another state-controlled company, into investing FF4,500
million into Bull, drawing on France Telecom's profitable operations.

In a recent edition of Le Monde, the French daily newspaper, van
Miert is quoted as saying that, whether the investments were legal
or illegal, plans for any state investment in companies within the
European Community must be submitted for approval by the EC.

EC officials are playing down what could happen if the payments to
Bull are found to be illegal under EC legislation. Although,
strictly speaking, the EC could instruct Bull to hand back its
investment, such action could force sections of Bull to be sold off
at best, or the company wound up at worst, analysts do not expect
such serious action.

What is likely, Newsbytes notes, is that payments already made to
Bull will be allowed to stand, but future investment by the
government will be barred except with the express permission of
the European Commission in Brussels.

(Steve Gold & Sylvia Dennis/19940125)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00028)

D&B Creates Indian Software Export JV 01/25/94
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- The financial information
services giant, Dunn & Bradstreet Corp., of the US, has entered the
Indian market. Last month, a 100 percent export-oriented Dunn &
Bradstreet Satyam Software Pvt. Ltd. was launched in partnership
with Satyam Computer Services Ltd., with an initial equity of
about $1 million.

The new company reportedly becomes the largest joint venture
between a US and Indian company in the software exports area.
D&B has decided to base their Asian operations in India, and a
holding company, The Dunn & Bradstreet Corporation (India) Ltd.,
has been set up at Bombay. The company plans to sell its financial
credit rating, market research and related information services
in India.

The tie-up with Satyam Computer Services is its first major
venture in the software field worldwide. The joint venture will
provide dedicated software services to all D&B subsidiaries.
Work has already begun at the Madras development center which
is being equipped with a satellite link that will connect to Dunsnet,
D&B's worldwide private network.

Last year, D&B management met with all the prominent Indian
software companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro
Infotech, and PCS, before deciding to go with Satyam for the
venture.

According to the application filed with the (FIPB) Foreign
Investment Promotion Board, this venture is expected to generate
$40 million worth of software exports in five years. "The technical
expertise needed to develop D&B's software is an excellent match
with the Indian engineers," said C. Srini Raju, the CEO of D&B
Satyam Software.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940125)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00029)

Electronic Arts In Interactive Deal With AFTRA 01/25/94
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- Electronics
Arts, a major producer of interactive software, has signed a
deal with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
(AFTRA) to establish a formal relationship covering the use of
talent both on and off-camera.

With the proliferation in multimedia titles, an agreement for
the use of professional talent has been developing for several
years. The agreement is the first venture into interactive
software production for AFTRA.

The deal covers all performing categories, including voice-overs,
and establishes a minimum salary for day players of $485.
Realizing that this a new market, AFTRA states it is willing to
develop new approaches that will be workable for a new industry
with very different parameters and needs from the traditional
entertainment fields.

Speaking to Newsbytes, Dick Moore, director of communications
with AFTRA, stated, "We are interested in establishing new
relationships with the software industry and not concerned so
much with past productions. It is our intent to bring professional
standards and talent to the software industry."

Electronic Arts wanted to develop an agreement that would
facilitate the use of AFTRA talent. Jeanne Golly, director of public
relations for the company, told Newsbytes, "This agreement gives
a clear basis for the use of professional talent and will be
further clarified as the relationship with AFTRA grows."

(Patrick McKenna/19940125/Press Contacts: Dick Moore, AFTRA,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Jeanne Golly, Electronic
Arts, 415-513-7742)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(TYO)(00030)

Japanese Ministry Plans Multimedia Support Center 01/25/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 JAN 25 (NB) -- The Japanese Ministry of
International Trade and Industry (MITI) says it will begin work
on a multimedia support center this year. The center is intended
to help in the development of multimedia-related software
and hardware.

The center will consist of three major operations involving a
multimedia database, software usage, and software production.
The center will offer various software resources, which will
be a combination of computer programs with motion pictures
and sound.

The center will be made available to software makers, the
electronic publishing industry, and movie producers.

The ministry has already obtained a budget for the center --
reportedly about 900 million yen ($8 million). The project will be
steered by the Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA),
which is an affiliate association of the MITI.

The ministry is currently choosing the site for the center.
It is said at least 10 local governments are eager to offer
construction sites. The decision for the site location is
expected in early February. It will likely take three to four
years before the center becomes fully functioning.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19930125/Press Contact: IPA,
81-3-3437-2301)