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/nb020894

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00001)

Novell Announces 1,000th Certified Engineer In UK 02/08/94
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Gary World
of WorldWire Communications, a UK networking specialist, has
achieved Novell's Certified NetWare Engineer (CNE) qualification in
the UK. Nothing unusual in that, except that, according to Novell, he
is the 1,000th networking professional in the UK to obtain the
qualification.

The qualification was introduced in 1989 as an internationally
recognized standard for professional people using computer
networks.

The CNE qualification applies to people who possess appropriate
knowledge of computer networking concepts and have practical
experience with operating Novell's NetWare systems software,
and who have passed a series of networking examinations, set
by the company.

"We are delighted to have reached this milestone in the UK.
Computer networking is the fastest growing segment of the IT
(information technology) industry and organizations relying on
their networks require the best available service and support
professionals. That is why the CNE qualification is so important,"
said Sanjay Upadhyaya, Novell's UK's education services manager.

Worldwire Communications is a Hampshire-based Computer Cabling
company specializing in integration facilities for customers across
Britain and Europe.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940208/Press & Public Contact: Novell UK,
44-344-724000)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00002)

Germany - Digital Mobile Phone Network Heading For Loss 02/08/94
BERLIN, GERMANY, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Detemobil, the digital cellular
operating arm of Deutsches Bundespost Telekom (DBT) has achieved
what many observers thought impossible -- making a massive loss
on a normally profitable mobile network. The company has announced
it expects to lose DM4,000 million this current year, although
company officials have refused to comment on 1993 figures.

The company attributes the projected losses as due to the cost of
setting up the network. Critics have pointed out, however, that such
investments are normally defrayed over several years. DBT has
replied that income during 1993 was DM3,000 million, a figure that
is expected to increase by around 30 percent during this year.

The D1 network, Newsbytes understands, has a hefty 500,000
subscribers -- about the same as Cellnet and Vodafone in the UK a
few years ago when they were reporting large profits, Newsbytes
notes.

Detemobil officials, meanwhile, claim that the problem of losses is
only temporary, with a break-even or profitable situation projected
as occurring in 1995. The company said that, during December, it
signed up 65,000 new subscribers, the highest monthly signup to
date. The company expects to double its users by the end of the
current year.

(Steve Gold/19940208)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00003)

UK - Toll Patrol Anti-Fraud Phone System Intro'd 02/08/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Mer Communications has
unveiled TABS Toll Patrol, an "expert system" telephone accounting
system that claims to also act as a security barrier to prevent
"crackers" gaining unauthorized access to "dial-in/dial-out"
services as well as the PABX (private automated branch exchange)
itself.

For the data to set up the expert system software, the company
claims it went to the experts -- phone phreakers and hackers.
According to Alon Aginsky, the company's president, call accounting
systems used to offer protection in the 1980s. Today, he argues,
MIS (management information systems) managers need more than
that.

"You really need a standalone unit. Call accounting is not enough.
If that's all you use, you're relying too much on one machine to do
more than one job," he said.

Aginsky added that, after discovering what phone phreakers and
hackers do on-line, and, perhaps more importantly, what they look
for, his programmers went away and created a real-time phone
fraud detection unit.

According to Aginsky, TABS is a standalone unit that works with or
without any call accounting system. It does not require any other
software or hardware to run - the company claims that all facilities
on the system can be accessed using pull-down menus.

In use, multiple call parameters can be set, including the dialing
codes (national and international) that employees can use. Out-of-
hours calls can be similarly restricted.

The $1,995 system also has an advanced CLI (caller line
identification) system to track back suspicious calls. British
Telecommunications is scheduled to introduce CLI on July 1 this
year across most of the UK.

Once set up, TABS Toll Patrol can be configured to update itself
automatically over the phone line or using a floppy disk.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940208/Mer Communications, 212-594-7871)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DEN)(00004)

Word For Word 6.0 Doc Converter For Mac 02/08/94
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Mastersoft
says it is now shipping version 6.0 of its Word for Word document
conversion utility software for Apple Computer's Macintosh
platform.

Lise Lambert, senior VP of sales and marketing for Mastersoft,
says version 6.0 includes compound document converters (CDC)
and allows users of Apple's System 7 operating system to take
advantage of the features of Apple's Macintosh Easy Open
Software. A copy of Easy Open ships with each Word for
Word - Macintosh package.

Word for Word is a menu driven utility program that converts text
and graphics files between hundreds of formats. The company
says that Word for Word - Macintosh, supports over 8,000 possible
conversion combinations. The inclusion of Easy Open software
allows System 7 users to convert documents in any of three ways:
the independent interface; drag and drop; or double click on the
document icon.

Format-converted documents retain their original layout and
formatting, since Word for Word converts those features into
their equivalents in the new format. Suppose you prepare a DOS,
Windows or Macintosh document or spreadsheet on your computer
at home or while on the road. When you get to the office, the
same application software or hardware platform is not available.
Word for Word can convert to the platform and application format
you need.

To use Word for Word - Macintosh you need a Mac Plus or higher,
System 6.0 or higher, and one megabyte (MB) of system memory.
If you also want to use the Macintosh Easy Open software you
need System 7.0 or higher, and 2MB or more of memory. Word for
Word - Macintosh needs 6MB of hard drive space in order to install
the complete set of converters, although you can elect to only
install the ones you want.

In December Mastersoft acquired Advanced Software's Docucomp
document comparison technology. Mastersoft President Kent Mueller
says Mastersoft will enhance the Docucomp programs to take
advantage of Mastersoft's document converters. That will give
Docucomp the ability to compare documents prepared on any of
more than 100 document file types.

Mastersoft says it will release Windows, Macintosh and DOS
versions of the new Docucomp by mid-year. Docucomp compares
two versions of a file and shows all of the changes. The two
documents do not have to have been prepared with the same word
processing program. Using a split windows, Docucomp displays
both text files simultaneously.

As you cursor through one version the cursor in the other windows
automatically follow along. The way each change is highlighted on
the screen and in print is user-controllable. Docucomp provides a
comparison summary that shows the page and line number of each
difference and what the change (replacement, insert, deletion) is.

Word for Word - Macintosh has a suggested retail price of $149.
Currently Docucomp has a suggested retail price of $199.95 for
the DOS version and $179.95 for the Macintosh version.

Registered users of earlier versions of Word for Word - Macintosh
can upgrade to version 6.0 for $39.95. Version 6 for Windows and
DOS began shipping in December, 1993.

(Jim Mallory/19940207/Press Contact: Lise Lambert, Mastersoft,
602-948-4888; Reader Contact: Mastersoft, 602-948-4888,
fax [phone])


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

PictureTel Forms New Personal Systems Div 02/08/94
DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- PictureTel
has formed a new Personal Systems Division as it tries to push
videoconferencing into small business and work-at-home markets.
The head of the new division is Domenic J. LaCava, a veteran
executive who has also worked at Digital Equipment Corp., and IBM,
as well as Arthur D. Little.

The new unit will concentrate on selling standards-based systems
under the H.320 standard, said spokesman Ron Taylor, who
discussed it with Newsbytes. Among the products it will control
are the newly-announced PictureTel LIVE desktop family, the
VideoConnect, software series, and the Developer's ToolKit.

"I think it's a natural progression of where videoconferencing has
been headed for a number of years," Taylor told Newsbytes. "Take
a look at where the market was 7-9 years ago. It was in dedicated
rooms costing $250,000-$500,000. We've continued to introduce
systems that are standards-compliant, that cost significantly
less, as low as $13,000, and over the same course of time the
quality has increased significantly as well. Today that quality
and capability has been reduced to cards that can fit into an
existing PC."

Newsbytes asked Taylor about the digital services still needed by
PictureTel equipment, and their penetration in the small business
and work-at-home market. "It's not just ISDN (integrated services
digital network), it's any switched digital service, so whether it
comes from your PBX (private branch exchange) or Switched 56
or some other service, all that is available," he said.

But the market for ISDN, seen 10 years ago as the premier digital
service for the home market, is improving, he added. "In New England
many communities are offering ISDN service for either the same as
or not much more than regular phone lines -- $40 installation, $40
per month. From a cost standpoint the services have been tariffed
to provide access to residential users. That's not true everywhere,
but if you look at RBOCs (regional Bell operating companies),
implementation of ISDN it is becoming universally available. And
now France and Japan are almost 100 percent ISDN."

Newsbytes pointed out that many states, including Georgia, have yet
to approve a residential ISDN pricing scheme. "From place to place
it will be different. Pricing won't become standardized for a
year or more. Each state public utility commission will tariff
according to what's given to them." Taylor added he expects
prices to stabilize within a few years.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940208/Press Contact: Ron Taylor,
PictureTel, 508-762-5178)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(ATL)(00006)

Senate Passes "Goals 2000" Education Bill 02/08/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- The Senate moved
toward passage of the "Goals 2000" education bill, but not before
it voted down a proposal to let low-income areas experiment with
education vouchers that could send some students there to private
schools.

The Senate voted 52-41 against an amendment by Dan Coats, an
Indiana Republican, and Connecticut Democrat Joe Lieberman which
would have set-up six pilot voucher programs, all in low-income
areas. The estimated cost of the program was $30 million. School
vouchers, in which parents get a set amount of money they can
spend on any school, have been discussed in conservative circles
for decades, but they have recently gained support among some
liberals as well. Senator Robert Kerrey, a Nebraska Democrat who
ran against President Clinton in 1992, was among those supporting
the Coats-Lieberman amendment.

The Senate also easily approved, 93-0, an amendment by Orrin
Hatch, a Utah Republican, prohibiting schools from conducting
non-academic tests on students without parental consent. And the
Senate voted 32-61 against an amendment by Florida Republican
Connie Mack which would have sent Goals 2000 money directly to
local school districts, bypassing state governments. An amendment
by Senator Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican, cutting off
funds to any school which distributes condoms or other
contraceptives to students without parental consent also lost,
34-59. That vote split along regional lines, with Southern
Democrats as well as Republicans in support of it.

The Goals 2000 bill was initially crafted by governors and former
President Bush after an education summit in 1989, to give schools
something to shoot for as they approach the year 2000. Among the
less-controversial goals are that children arrive at school
ready to learn, that high school graduation rates reach 90
percent, that students master challenging subject matter, that
all adult Americans be literate, and that every school be free
of drugs and violence.

But the bill also became a "Christmas tree" of proposals from
various interest groups. The 1995 budget proposed by President
Clinton February 7 earmarked $700 million for furthering the
goals of the bill.

With the passage of the bill in the Senate, the Goals 2000
program now goes before a House-Senate conference to iron-out
differences. The House bill would require states to develop
standards in areas like curriculum content, while the Senate bill
only encourages such standards. The Senate bill also includes
language encouraging a "moment of silence," a bow to school
prayer advocates.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940208)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00007)

ARDIS, Racotek To Work Together On Cable TV 02/08/94
LINCOLNSHIRE, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Racotek and
ARDIS, two mobile data companies which usually compete with
one another, have signed an agreement to cooperate in the cable
television service market.

Mike Fabbri of ARDIS told Newsbytes that, under the deal, Racotek
will create an interface between its RacoNet system, which works
on so-called specialized mobile radio frequencies, and ARDIS, which
works on similar frequencies. The two companies will also do some
joint-marketing of the "solution," urging cable repair-people to
use Racotek's system while out-of-doors and ARDIS indoors. The
result will be a system that allows dispatchers to link directly
with servicepeople whether they are in their vans or in customers'
homes.

Racotek's technology uses individual SMR licensed channels, on a
local level, and transforms them into digital networks that
transmit both voice and data signals. ARDIS, a joint venture
between Motorola and IBM, offers a national network of wireless
data service, using channels original licensed by the two
partners for their own service staffs.

The new service should be available by the end of 1994.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940208/Press Contact: ARDIS, Mike Fabbri,
708-913-1215; Racotek, Larry Sanders, 612-832-9800)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SFO)(00008)

SCO Intros "SCO OK" Branding Label 02/08/94
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Santa Cruz
Operation Inc., has announced a new labeling program for hardware
manufacturers, distributors, application developers, resellers, and
service providers of SCO's software.

The "branding" program is similar to the Novell "YES" identification
program in that all products and services will have the "SCO OK"
icon.

Vendors and resellers will also be able to place a logo at their
locations to indicate participation in the program and SCO will be
highlighting the new logo at all of its trade show appearances.

The company reports more than 420 computer systems, 8,000
applications, and 1,160 peripherals are compatible with the
SCO environment.

SCO says it is its intention to provide all of its customers with a
means of recognizing vendors and partners who have pledged to
support their SCO products with the "SCO OK" identification
program.

John Lehman, director of marketing communications, told
Newsbytes, "We talked with about 100 of our users and they will
by implementing the new icon as they upgrade and repackage
products. We will be participating in three shows in the third
week of March where SCO will begin its own display of the new
logo."

(Patrick McKenna/19940207/Press Contact: Elisheva Steiner,
Santa Cruz Operation Inc., 408-427-7252)


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00009)

Lotus Bundles 1-2-3 & Organizer At Special Prices 02/08/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Lotus
Development Corporation has announced two specially priced
packages that combine the 1-2-3 Release 4.01 for Windows
spreadsheet with the Lotus Organizer 1.1 personal information
manager (PIM).

Through May 15, 1994, existing users of 1-2-3, a qualifying
competitive spreadsheet, or Organizer 1.0, will be able to upgrade
to the two new releases for $149, saving as much as $395 off of
regular suggested retail prices.

New users will be able to buy the two packages for $595, saving $49
off what the products would cost if purchased separately, officials
said.

"This promotion provides an excellent opportunity for our customers
to buy two leading Windows applications at an attractive price, if
they act quickly," commented Jeffrey Anderholm, Lotus' director of
spreadsheet marketing. Both products help users to become more
productive, with powerful features that are easy to use, he noted.

1-2-3 Release 4 for Windows has been well received since its
introduction in June, 1993, gaining new users among Windows
spreadsheet users as well as among DOS users who are moving to
Windows, according to Lotus.

Strong sales are being achieved across all distribution channels,
including corporate resellers, retailers, and direct mail, the
company reported. Major accounts are citing the exceptional
usability and workgroup capabilities of the package.

1-2-3 Release 4 for Windows was awarded Best of Spring Comdex
1993 by Byte Magazine. In its August 23 issue, InfoWorld scored
the release a "7.8," its highest Windows spreadsheet ranking.

Lotus Organizer has become the market leader for PIMs, selling
more than one million units since its rollout in August, 1992,
officials added.

Organizer features an attractive, notebook-style user interface
indexed by colored tabs, according to Lotus. Users can point-and-
click to turn pages between the six sections used most often in
daily planning and organizing: Calendar, To-Do, Planner, Address
Book, Notepad, and Anniversary. Information in different sections
can also be "linked" for quick reference.

A package containing the standard 1-2-3 Release 4.01 and
Organizer 1.1 has a suggested retail price of $595 via the special
offer. A package containing upgrade versions of 1.2.3 Release 4.01
and Organizer 1.1 is $149.

Upgrades to Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4.01 are available to users of all
other releases of 1-2-3, as well as to users of qualifying
competitive spreadsheets. Upgrades to Organizer 1.1 are available
to users of Organizer 1.0. The offer is available through Lotus
authorized resellers or directly from Lotus at 800-TRADE-UP,
extension 9478, or in Canada, at 800-GO-LOTUS.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940207/Reader Contacts: Lotus,
800-TRADE-UP ext 9478, in US; 800-GO-LOTUS, in Canada; Press
Contact: Peter A. Cohen, Lotus Development, 617-693-1283)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00010)

Adobe Premiere 1.1 Upgrade Free To Registered 1.0 Users 02/08/94
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Adobe says
it is shipping an update to Adobe Premiere, the company's video
editing software program for Microsoft Windows.

The company says the biggest addition to the 1.1 version is the
ability to capture live video and audio to a computer directly,
instead of requiring a separate software utility program.

Adobe's Video Capture program requires a video capture board to
digitize live video to the computer directly from analog video
and audio signals from video cameras or laser disc players. Users
may specify options from a new Capture Options menu for control
over the capture type, frame rate, image size and format, and
audio format. In addition, TARGA and ADPCM compressed audio file
formats are now supported.

Other new features include: the ability to import a series of
still images as a single video clip; the option of specifying
custom output data rates for compact disc read-only memory (CD-
ROM) playback; elimination of recompression time for faster movie
building when no changes in the output video format have been
requested; the ability to select color palettes for consistent
colors throughout a movie; user control over the position of the
preview window for easier editing; optimization of movie building
to save time and disk space by saving only the first frame of
each image when working with still images displayed on a video
track over a period of time; and the inclusion of Microsoft Video
for Windows 1.1 Runtime Software.

Upgrades to Adobe Premiere 1.1 are free to registered users of
the 1.0 version and will be shipped automatically, the company
said. Adobe is encouraging those who have not registered to do so
and is providing a toll-free number to encourage registration.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940208/Press Contact: Sonya Schaefer, Adobe,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Public Contact, Adobe
Premiere Registration, 800-833-6687)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00011)

Fingerprint Reader To Provide Positive Identification 02/08/94
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- A Florida
company says it will develop and market a low cost digital finger
image reader that can provide positive identification and help
eliminate various types of fraud.

The National Registry Inc. (NRI) says it has formed Biometric
Sensing Corporation to develop, produce, and market a low cost
device that can collect, process, match and transmit digital finger
image data. When used for credit card authorization, the software
can be programmed to withhold an authorization code unless
positive (identification) ID of the card user is verified.

NRI says the product, called Microreader, has potential use in
applications that require positive identification and can control
insurance, voter and credit card fraud as well as provide positive
identification for applications like computer access and medical
records security.

Microreader captures an analog picture of a finger, then converts
the picture into a digital image. NRI software codes the image,
which is stored in a database where it can be retrieved and
matched against other fingerprints. Microreader is about the size
of current credit card scanners and incorporates an optical reader
to capture the finger image.

NRI spokesperson Keith Jue told Newsbytes that Microreader will
have a higher degree of accuracy than earlier fingerprint matching
technology. He says Microreader has never experienced a Type 1
error, in which the reader does not properly identify the subject.
The rate for Type 2, in which the ridges of the finger have been
worn down and are difficult to read, is one to two percent. The FBI
estimates the odds of two individuals having the same fingerprint
are one in 10 billion.

NRI says it expects the first Microreader prototype to be ready by
the third quarter of 1994 and production quantities to ship by early
1995. NRI has funded the project for $1.2 million to cover initial
design and development costs, and says it will commit additional
funds as needed. Jue says Microreader is expected to have a
suggested retail price of $200 to $400 including the software. The
software will be embedded in a chip installed in the device.

(Jim Mallory/19940208/Press Contact: Keith Jue, National Registry
Inc., 813-573-3353; Reader Contact: National Registry Inc.,
813-573-3353)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00012)

Dell Intros New File Servers 02/08/94
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Dell Computer Corp.,
has announced two new computer server lines, along with some
high performance peripheral devices and a suite of network-
specific services.

The Poweredge SP is a server line designed for small to medium-
sized networks, while the Poweredge XE line will support more
compute-intensive applications in mid-sized and large
organizations.

Features include both 486 and Pentium-based models, Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus technology, monitoring of
system component ambient temperature, replacement of
components without shutting down the network, and error
checking and correcting memory.

Dell says its LANsolve suite of products and services
complements local area network (LAN) products and
services to support customers beyond the purchase cycle.

Dell's Businesscare program is a three-year service plan the
company says is designed for its advanced systems customers.
Businesscare provides next-business-day on-site service and
parts, around the clock toll-free telephone support, and
guaranteed response times.

LANsolve puts the responsibility for network setup and
configuration with Dell. The program includes preinstalled
network cards and operating systems software, user-ready
PCs and automated network configuration.

Dell says the SP line pricing starts at $4,598, while XE model
prices will begin at $6,851. Both lines are scheduled to ship
later this month.

(Jim Mallory/19940208/Press Contact: Lisa Rohlf, Dell Computer
Corp., 512-728-4100; Reader Contact: Dell Computer Corp.,
800-289-3355)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00013)

CA Announcements Focus On Data Access 02/08/94
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Computer
Associates International Inc., has announced new database-access
products and ported client/server database products to Unix in
moves the company said were aimed at giving customers more open
access to their data.

CA announced CA-Visual Express, CA-Visual Express servers, and
first customer shipments of interfaces for its CA-IDMS and
CA-Datacom database management systems that comply with
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standards.

Visual Express is a client/server access tool. It will work with
IDMS, Datacom, or any data source compliant with ODBC, said Marc
Sokol, vice-president of product strategy at Computer Associates.

CA also announced Visual Express servers that provide access to
other data sources such as IMS and VSAM files and to data in
systems complying with the structured query language (SQL)
standard.

Speaking to reporters in a teleconference from the company's
annual Information Management Conference in Atlanta, Sokol said
these moves make up "the final step in providing complete open
access to the data in these corporate repositories."

The company also said it is porting both IDMS and Datacom to
popular variants of Unix, starting with Hewlett-Packard Co.'s
HP-UX. Datacom is now available for HP-UX, the company said, and
in beta testing for IBM's AIX. IDMS is in beta for HP-UX and an
AIX version is to follow. CA also plans to release the software
for Data General Corp.'s version of Unix in future, Sokol said.

The Unix versions of Datacom and IDMS are compatible with their
mainframe and PC counterparts and allow immediate portability of
application code and database structures, the company said.

(Grant Buckler/19940208/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391; Ilona Mohacsi, Computer Associates,
516-342-2542; Public Contact: Computer Associates,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00014)

WordPerfect Creates Canadian Div 02/08/94
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- WordPerfect Corp., is
moving toward creating a full-fledged Canadian operation. The
company, which has had little presence in Canada in the past, has
announced creation of a Canadian division responsible for sales,
marketing, and distribution, and is planning offices in the
Toronto area and in the province of Quebec.

For the time being, WordPerfect's new 58-person Canadian division
will remain based in Orem, said Stanley Weiss, general manager of
the unit. But over the next three years it will gain more
independence, and the long-term plan is to move the operation to
Canada.

By the middle of this year, Weiss said, WordPerfect plans to have
a new office somewhere in Quebec -- three locations are being
considered, he said -- to provide French-language service to
users, dealers, and distributors in that largely French-speaking
province. The company is also planning to set up an administrative
office in the Toronto area soon.

Early priorities are to speed up order processing and the
shipment of WordPerfect products to Canadian customers, Weiss
said. The company also hopes to put more emphasis on marketing
and advertising in Canada.

"We feel we've probably been missing out on a lot of opportunities,"
Weiss told Newsbytes. He noted that Canada is the company's third-
largest market, after the United States and the United Kingdom, but
admitted WordPerfect has in the past treated the country like a
"51st state."

WordPerfect has the equivalent of about 200 full-time people
working on the Canadian market in its US operations, Weiss
said, but this has been largely made up of people who spent 10
percent of their time on Canada. Over the next three years, the
company plans gradually to separate the operations until the
"vast majority" of those dealing with the Canadian market are
concerned with Canada exclusively. As that happens it will become
possible to move more of the Canadian division into Canada, Weiss
said.

(Grant Buckler/19940208/Press Contact: Stanley Weiss,
WordPerfect, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00015)

Correction - MCI's 10 Mil "Friends & Family" Members 02/08/94
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- A recent
Newsbytes story about MCI Communications Corp., may have
contained some misleading information, according to an MCI
corporate spokesperson.

The story reported that MCI had recently completed a licensing
agreement with Stentor, a  consortium of Canadian telephone
companies, and a deal with British Telecommunications (BT) PLC
that will offer services to local service providers worldwide.

MCI spokesperson Jim Collins told Newsbytes the Stentor agreement
was signed in 1992, and that the deal with BT will offer services to
multinational corporations, not the local service providers.

The story also reported that MCI had teamed with BT to build a
trans-Atlantic fiber optic cable that can operate at transmission
speeds as high as 2.4 gigabytes per second and can handle up to
150,000 simultaneous phone calls per fiber pair.

MCI says the TAT-10 transoceanic cable was completed in the third
quarter of 1992 and a second cable, the TAT-11, was completed in
November 1993. The construction of both cables involved not only
MCI and BT, but AT&T and other companies. "It takes a lot of
companies to build these cables," said Collins.

Newsbytes regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding that
may have arisen as a result of the original story.

(Jim Mallory/19940204/Press Contact: Jim Collins, MCI,
202-887-3320)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00016)

 ****Microsoft Says "Chicago" Still On Schedule 02/08/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Reports to the
contrary, "Chicago" should still ship to the end user by the end of
the year, a Microsoft spokesperson told Newsbytes.

"We are committed and hopeful to a shipment by the end of the year,"
said Microsoft spokesperson Collins Hemingway in response to an
inquiry from Newsbytes about reports that the beta version of the
next edition of Windows would be delayed until April or May of next
year.

Those reports prompted at least one financial analyst to lower
his Microsoft rating from "buy" to "short-term hold." The selling
price of Microsoft shares dropped $0.75 to $80.50, apparently
at least partially due to that analyst report.

The beta version is the final test version of software which many
software publishers provide to a large number of users to see if
any problems crop up that were not found during development testing
or by developers during their test cycle. Once "bugs" noted during
beta testing are corrected the product is usually considered ready
for shipping to market.

Hemingway told Newsbytes that the company has always planned
to ship the first beta version of "Chicago" in February or March.
However, he pointed out that the product is in the hands of over
5,000 developers and Microsoft is more interested in producing a
solid product than meeting arbitrary milestones. Problems that
arise during beta testing could conceivably cause a second beta
version to be shipped. The developer release of "Chicago" shipped
in December 1993, which Hemingway says was on schedule.

(Jim Mallory/19940208/Press Contact: Collins Hemingway,
Microsoft Corp., 206-882-8080)


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

Compadd Intros P60p Pentium Workstation 02/08/94
AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Compuadd Corp.,
has announced the introduction of a computer workstation that is
powered by Intel's 60 megahertz (MHz) Pentium microprocessor.

The new system is designated the Compuadd P60p Pentium, and
will be available later this month in desktop, minitower, and tower
models. The P60p comes with eight megabytes (MB) of system
memory, which can be expanded to as much as 128MB; a 256
kilobyte (KB) cache memory; a ZIF socket for upgrade to the
Pentium P66 overdrive processor; and a 425MB IDE (Integrated
Drive Electronics) hard drive with Type-3 controller.

Also included is: one 3.5-inch high density floppy drive that can
recognize floppy disks up to 2.88MB density; 2MB of video memory;
a 14-inch .28 Super VGA monitor; and a dual speed CD-ROM drive.

for adding additional peripherals Compuadd has included seven
drive bays in the desktop and minitower and nine bays in the tower;
seven expansion slots (two 32-bit, five 16-bit ISA (Industry
Standard Architecture), and one shared PCI (Peripheral Component
Interconnect/ISA).

Two buffered serial ports and one EPP/ECP bi-directional parallel
printer port, a 101-key keyboard with an AT-style DIN connector,
and a two button serial mouse, are also included. The P60p includes
auto detection of memory size and auto configuration of IDE hard
disk drives.

Compuadd is shipping the P60p with MS-DOS 6.2, Windows for
Workgroups 3.11, Closeup 4.0, a Compuserve starter kit and
diagnostics software installed. Compuadd provides one year of
on-site service for the P60p. The front panel contains an LED
(light emitting diode) indicator for drive activity, a lock, and the
power and reset buttons.

The case can be opened by releasing the thumbscrews. The P60p
uses a 200 watt power supply in the desktop and minitower
models, and a 300 watt power supply in the tower model.

Compuadd says the desktop and minitower models in the standard
configuration will sell for $2,999. For the tower unit add an
additional $150.

(Jim Mallory/19940208/Press Contact: John Pope, Compuadd, 512-250-
2000; Reader Contact: Compuadd Corp., tel 512-250-
2530 or 800-627-1967, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00018)

CA Offers Realia II Workbench For OS/2, Test Option 02/08/94
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Computer
Associates International Inc., has beefed up its CA-Realia II
Workbench software development offering with a new version for
the OS/2 operating system and an option said to make it easier to
compile test applications on a mainframe while debugging on a
personal computer.

CA-Realia II Workbench for OS/2 joins the existing Windows
version of the COBOL development environment, announced a year
ago and shipped in November. The OS/2 version will be available
this summer, said Marc Sokol, vice-president of product strategy,
in a teleconference from CA's annual Information Management
Conference in Atlanta Monday.

"OS/2 is certainly very successful in the application development
organizations that we're contacting," Sokol said. "And the OS/2
demand is very strong."

Realia II Workbench includes CA's Realia COBOL compiler as well
as emulation of IBM's mainframe CICS transaction processing
monitor, an interactive source-level debugger, life cycle
management, and intelligent navigation through a program's
procedural logic. It comes with a Virtual Sequential Access
Method (VSAM) emulator, and supports most other PC file
structures as well as structured query language (SQL) and Open
Database Connectivity (ODBC) standards for database access, the
company said.

CA also announced a Host Test Option for Realia II Workbench. By
allowing developers to compile, test, and execute their programs
on a mainframe, while doing their debugging and analysis on a
personal computers running Windows or OS/2, Sokol said, the
software lets them take advantage of the ease of use of a personal
computer graphical user interface (GUI) without having to
recreate host-based databases and job control language (JCL)
from the mainframe to the PC.

Computer Associates also announced a new version of CA-PAN/LCM,
the life cycle management software that it sells both separately
and as part of Realia II Workbench. CA-PAN/LCM provides all
necessary life-cycle management functions for personal computers
and Unix systems, the company said, and connects seamlessly to
the company's CA-Librarian and CA-Panvalet change management
programs.

Originally written for the DOS operating system, PAN/LCM now
works with Windows, OS/2 Presentation Manager, and the Unix Motif
user interface, Sokol said. Now in beta testing, the new release
is expected to be available by the end of March, he said.

Sokol said demand for COBOL development tools remains strong.
"We are still seeing clients that have a huge amount of COBOL," he
said.

(Grant Buckler/19940207/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391; Ilona Mohacsi, Computer Associates,
516-342-2542; Public Contact: Computer Associates,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00019)

Dataquest Rates Apple's Powerbook Duo Number One 02/08/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Along with the
current trend towards the use of notebook computers, is the use
of all-in-one systems that include a notebook or subnotebook and
a desktop-based docking system that incorporates a full-sized
monitor and slot for the portable unit. Now Apple Computer Inc.,
says that research company Dataquest rates its PowerBook Duo
(which comes with an optional docking station) to be the best
selling subnotebook computer in both the US and in Europe.

The research by Dataquest is made available as a part of a
complete report which tracks unit shipments for a variety of
computer product categories, says the company.

Craig Broadbent, spokesman for Apple, told Newsbytes that the
PowerBook Duo held a 38 percent market share in the US and a 29
percent market share in Europe against other subnotebooks. He
added that the figures represented, "Just the Powerbook potion,
(the actual docking station product) would be some other portion
of that."

Figures were not available as to how many Duos are sold complete
with the docking station system - although a company source
indicated to Newsbytes that the number is quite large.

Dataquest defines the computer subnotebook category as a notebook
computer without an internal floppy disk drive that weighs
approximately four pounds or less, and has computing capability
similar to desktop computers.

The results are based on Dataquest's research of subnotebook and
notepad market shares for the first three quarters of calendar 1993.
Meanwhile, Apple also claims that it shipped a record 200,000
PowerBooks in the fourth quarter of 1993.

Speaking of the findings, Brodie Keast, vice president of the
PowerBook group at Apple, said: "We believe that the success of the
Duo is due to the way in which Apple has responded to customer
requests for a powerful computer which offers the latest advances
in ergonomics, communications and ease of use, while minimizing
size and weight. With customers asking for more powerful portable
computers in smaller packages, we have every reason to expect that
PowerBook Duo demand will continue to climb over the next few
years."

Dataquest predicts that the notebook market as a whole will
increase at an average annual rate of 22 percent from 1993 to
1996. However, during the same period the subnotebook market
is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 104 percent.

(Ian Stokell/19940208/Press Contact: Craig Broadbent of Regis
McKenna Inc., 415-354-4414)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LAX)(00020)

"Sequel To Platinum" Accounting For Netpower RISC 02/08/94
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Netpower and
Platinum announced Platinum's client/server-based accounting
software is now available under Windows NT running on Netpower's
MIPS R4400 reduced instruction-set computing (RISC)-based
workstations and servers.

Called Sequel to Platinum, the client/server-based accounting is
being promoted as an option for companies interested in
downsizing their automated systems.

Gerald Blackie, Platinum's chief executive officer and president,
said he believes the scalability of Sequel to Platinum addresses
the main concern for organizations downsizing to distributed
client/server computing systems by offering the ability to meet
growing performance and capacity requirements.

Netpower offers dual-processor servers optimized for Microsoft's
SQL (structured query language) Server. The company says that its
hardware offers performance over Intel-based systems of three-
and-a-half times and offers 60 percent better performance than
Digital Equipment Corp.'s Alpha and Intel's Pentium-based
machines.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940208/Press Contact: Valerie Taglio,
Netpower, 408-522-9973; David Downing, Platinum Software,
tel [phone] ext 4097, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00021)

Kodak Scanner/Printer/Copier Adds Postscript Level 2 02/08/94
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Kodak has
announced a combination optical scanner, copier, and printer that
also incorporates Adobe's Postscript Level 2 page description
software.

The company says the Kodak 1580 Copier-Printer is aimed at
central reproduction departments and workgroups that want to
bring specialty work in-house.

Able to scan at 400 dots-per-inch (dpi) resolution, the Kodak
1580 Copier-Printer can produce output in 400 by 400 dpi at a
speed of up to 70 pages-per-minute (ppm).

The device features a 25 megahertz (MHz) Weitek 8220 graphics
processor, a 170 megabyte (MB) hard disk drive, a 16.67 MHz
communications process, a 4MB central processing unit (CPU), an
8MB RAM graphics processor, and an 8MB RAM page buffer, as well
as a 32MB RAM job input buffer.

The unit supports Ethernet TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol) and Ethertalk interfaces for network connection.
It can also be configured with Localtalk for connection to Macintosh
computers and with a Parallel Centronics port for connection to
IBM compatible personal computers (PCs). In addition to built-in
Postscript, 39 of Adobe's Type 1 fonts are also included, Kodak
added.

The 1580 also features a 4,500 sheet paper capacity, an automatic
stapler, and finisher options such as a post-process insert tray,
a folder-saddle stitcher, and a Z-folder.

The suggested retail price is $70,500 to $83,000, depending on
the configuration of the printer. Kodak's Customer Assistance
Center is offering additional information toll-free.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940208/Press Contact: Michael Wong, Adobe,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Kodak, Customer
Assistance Center, 800-255-3434)


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

RightPrice Software Simulates Market Behavior 02/08/94
WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- ModEx
Software Corp., said its new RightPrice software will help
businesses create models of the markets for their products or
services so they can better predict the behavior of their
customers.

The software relies on input from the user to construct a model
of the market into which the product or service is sold, Dr. Eugene
Filshtein, founder of ModEx, told Newsbytes. The information it
needs includes data on the user's own product and pricing and those
of competitors, plus ratings of each product's strengths and
weaknesses.

The software runs on an IBM or compatible PC with a 286 processor
or later, Filshtein said. He recommends using a math coprocessor
on 286-based machines.

Learning how to use the software should take users about two
hours and entering data should not require more than about 15
minutes, Filshtein said. He added that to use the software
effectively, a business operator must understand his or her
market. Users do not need programming skills to use the
software, according to the vendor.

The software is suitable for use in any market, Filshtein said,
maintaining that customer behavior is essentially the same
whatever the product or service being sought. The search for a
bargain -- meaning good value for money -- is always the key
thing, he said.

Available now, RightPrice has an introductory list price of $499
until May 31.

(Grant Buckler/19940208/Press Contact: Dr. Eugene Filshtein,
ModEx Software, 203-236-8195)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00023)

STS SmartLook For PC Customizes Reports On-line 02/08/94
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- STS Systems
Inc., claims its SmartLook software saves paper and the time of
information systems staff by letting people share reports from
mainframe systems via their personal computers.

SmartLook runs on PCs equipped with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows
software. It takes data from mainframe systems and creates on-line
reports following specifications created by information systems
staff. Then end users can read the reports on their computer
screens, and they can manipulate and customize the data to suit
their needs without affecting the integrity of the original, STS
said.

The software is also meant to make it easy to provide the same
report to a group of people, a spokeswoman for STS told
Newsbytes. It can be used in meetings where everyone has a
personal computer, so that participants are all looking at the
same data at the same time, she said.

SmartLook has three modules, all of which run on the personal
computer, the spokeswoman said. The Editor is used to create
report templates, the Translator takes downloaded data from the
mainframe and indexes it, and the SmartLook Reader, which is the
only module needed on every end-user PC, lets users page through
the report and choose from a selection of views.

Users can also export data to popular PC software packages such
as Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 and Microsoft's Excel
spreadsheets and Borland International Inc.'s dBase database
software.

SmartLook is the first PC software product from STS, which has
developed custom retail systems in the past, the spokeswoman
said.

The software has just begun shipping, and has a list price of
US$1,495 or C$1,995 for the base system, which includes the
Editor, Translator, and one Reader. The special introductory
price is US$995. Additional readers are US$500 or C$675, with
quantity discounts.

(Grant Buckler/19940208/Press Contact: Heather Fabian, S&S
Public Relations for SmartLook, tel [phone], fax
708-291-1758; Public Contact: SmartLook, 800-517-6278/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SFO)(00024)

RasterOps Intros PaintBoard Professional Card For Mac 02/08/94
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- RasterOps
Corp., has introduced the PaintBoard Professional to their high-end
line of PaintBoard accelerated graphics cards for Apple
Computer's Macintosh platform.

According to the company, PaintBoard Professional features
fourth-generation custom acceleration in a custom-designed
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). With 24-bit color
support of monitors up to 21 inches, PaintBoard Professional
delivers QuickDraw performance gains approximately four times
that of the internal video of a Macintosh Quadra 950, claims the
company.

The company also introduced an optional daughtercard -- DSPro --
which holds twin high-speed DSPs (digital signal processors) for
image processing such as with Adobe Photoshop.

Al Zisser, company spokesperson, told Newsbytes, "We strive to
offer a good line of accelerated products that will let you pick and
choose to fit your needs and your budget. We offer this card so that
there is a wider choice and a customer does not have to purchase
technology that they do not need."

In the RasterOps line of accelerated cards, PaintBoard Professional
is between the Horizon 24 and the PaintBoard Turbo XL. The suggested
retail price for PaintBoard Professional is $2,199, the daughtercard
is $1,099, or both together costs $2,999.

To make room for PaintBoard Professional, RasterOps announced a
price reduction on the PaintBoard Turbo XL to $1,399, down from
$1,749. With six different cards available, the RasterOps line begins
with PaintBoard 8Li and is completed by the Horizon 24.  The
company stated that there will be new improvements to Horizon 24
in the second half of 1994.

(Patrick McKenna/19940208/Press Contact: Anne-Lise Stannard,
RasterOps, 408-496-4035)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00025)

Informix, DEC Plan 64-bit Database Mgt Products 02/08/94
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) --  Informix
Software Inc., has reached an agreement with Digital Equipment
Corp., to develop database information management products for
DEC's 64-bit Alpha AXP computer platform.

The agreement calls for Informix to make available its multithreaded
parallel processing database server -- the Informix-OnLine Dynamic
Server -- on Alpha AXP computer systems running the OSF/1
operating system, (scheduled for the second quarter of 1994). It
further states that Alpha AXP-OSF/1 is to become the environment
to create a 64-bit implementation of OnLine Dynamic Server.

The agreement also calls for DEC to be among the first hardware
platform vendors to deliver Informix products and upgrades.

Speaking with Newsbytes, Tim Shetler, vice-president of product
management for Informix, said, "Our engineers are working on
implementation of products for 64-bit architecture and even looking
towards a 96-bit architecture in the future. The significant part of
this agreement is the 64-bit development and the Windows NT
developments that will result."

The agreement further clarifies the development of a joint marketing
relationship to promote new products and to proceed together in VAR
(value-added reseller) recruitment, seminars, public relations, and
promotional campaigns. Informix said that the specific marketing
terms are not yet available.

Informix has developed the OnLine Dynamic Server on its Dynamic
Scalable Architecture (DSA), which is based on multithreaded
parallel processing. According to Informix, internal parallelism
allows for larger databases and improved processing performance.
DSA combined with Digital's Alpha AXP technology is the core to
the agreement, which they claim, will offer more productive
database application technology.

(Patrick McKenna/19940207/Press Contact: Cecilia Denny,
Informix Software Inc., 415-926-6460)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00026)

India - $160M One-Stop Tech Park Planned 02/08/94
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- The R500 crore ($160
million) Indo-Singapore joint venture -- Bangalore Information
Technology Park (BITP) -- plans to be a high-tech enclave housing
the Indian operations of multinational giants in software, hardware,
electronics and telecommunications. The park is planned for
Whitefield, 18 kilometers from Bangalore, and will be operational
by 1995.

It aims to be a one-stop IT (information technology) park integrating
 manufacturing, design and development, training, showroom, office,
recreational, and residential activities in a single location.

The project, the single largest Singapore investment in India, has
been set up by a consortium of Singapore-based industries, the Tata
Group, and the Karnataka Industries Areas Development Board
(KIADB).

Forty percent of the equity of the joint venture company will be
held by Tata Industries Ltd., another 40 percent by Information
Technology Park Investment (Pte) Ltd., and the rest by KIADB.

Built over an area of 53 acres, the IT Park will have 1.4 million
square-feet of office space suitable for software research and
development. The park is estimated to provide employment to 16,000
people and generate R2,000 crore (about $650 million) of which at
least 50 percent would be in the form of goods and services.

The first phase of the project, slated to cost about Rs 240 crore
($77 million), is expected to be ready for occupation by the end of
1995. Texas Instruments, AT&T, and IBM are among those who have
expressed interest in moving into the park.

"Asia is where the action is going to be in the next century and
India would figure in it in a big way," said Ratan Tata, during the
signing of the agreement.

The idea of building such a park in India was an outcome of a
meeting between Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and his
Singapore counterpart Goh Chok Tong at the Non-aligned Movement
summit in Indonesia in 1992. Subsequent visits by Singaporean
delegations to India brought into focus the potential for setting
up a technology park in the country. During his visit to India
recently, Goh Chok laid the foundation stone of the project at
Bangalore.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940208)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00027)

 ****Second Wave Of Client/Server Moves From DEC 02/08/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp., has announced another long list of products and
third-party agreements aimed at building the company's position
in the client/server computing market. The moves, which follow a
similar batch of announcements in October, focus on making
client/server software and development tools available for DEC's
OSF/1 version of the Unix operating system and on addressing
customer demands for tools to help them run commercial,
mission-critical applications on Unix.

"The focus here is to help customers really integrate pieces as
they build their own client/server solutions," Willy Shih,
vice-president of Unix and Windows NT client/server systems
at DEC, told Newsbytes.

Highlights of the announcements include: two new workstations in
DEC's Alpha AXP line; a deal with Forte Software to make that
company's object-oriented development tools available through
Digital; enhanced transaction processing software for DEC OSF/1,
new software in DEC's Polycenter line to address security,
performance management, and unattended operation; assorted new
applications for Alpha workstations; and RoamAbout software to
support mobile computing.

Digital announced a deal with IBM to bring IBM's Customer
Information Control System (CICS) transaction processing monitor
to OSF/1. That is expected to be done by the end of 1994, Shih
said. Another deal provides for the Encina product family from
Transarc Corp., to be made available for OSF/1 as well.

DEC said it would make a variety of packages available for DEC
OSF/1 that were previously offered only for its Open VMS
operating system. These include Accessworks, DEC DB Integrator,
DECadmire, DEC DBA Workcenter, Reliable Transaction Router (RTR),
and the Rdb database management system.

The announcement also build on DEC's November announcement that
it would work with Microsoft Corp., to link the companies'
object-oriented technology products. DEC said it will rely on
software "frameworks" to help its customers create integrated
client/server systems, and these will be built on the Common
Object Model (COM) on which DEC and Microsoft are collaborating.

A new Microsoft Mail driver for DEC's Mailworks will let
Microsoft Mail users connect their client software to DEC's
Mailbus back-end services.

LinkWorks, DEC's object-oriented work-group software, has been
made available for Open VMS servers and OS/2 Presentation Manager
clients. Also, DEC had added to LinkWorks five new workgroup
applications: Lotus Development Corp.'s cc:Mail, Microsoft Mail,
TeamLinks Mail, Lotus Notes, and access to the All-In-1 file cabinet.

The company is offering its customers new services, such as
strategic planning services to help them assess the impact of
moving to client/server computing, business process
re-engineering tools, client/server learning services, and
software management capabilities called The Software Connection.

Working with other hardware and software vendors is a key element
of DEC's strategy, Shih said. He said customers want to solve
business problems, and the pieces they need to do that typically
come from third parties.

He said Unix is gaining credibility as a platform for commercial
computing, and customers who once shied away from using the
system for transaction processing and mission-critical
applications are now demanding the tools to put those kinds
of applications on Unix systems.

The two new Alpha AXP workstations are the DEC 3000 Model 300LX
AXP, priced at a bit more than $5,000, and the DEC 3000 Model
300X AXP, priced just below $10,000. Shih claimed both machines
are leaders in price/performance, even beating new models
recently announced by Hewlett-Packard Co., which were well
received.

The new Alpha AXP machines are available immediately. Most
other products announced are either available now or will
be shipping by June, Shih said.

(Grant Buckler/19940208/Press Contact: Sarah Miller, DEC,
508-467-2301; Ed Canty, DEC, 508-467-2799)


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

Tool For Indexing Databases In Their Native Formats 02/08/94
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Dynamic Information
Systems Corporation (DISC) has unveiled Omnidex for Data
Warehousing, a product billed as the first tool able to index
existing data in its native format.

Janet Eden-Harris, VP of marketing, told Newsbytes that, unlike any
other indexing tool that DISC is aware of, Omnidex does not require
a separate, proprietary data structure. Instead, developers can
set up data warehouse systems using their familiar flat file or
relational databases.

Omnidex can be used to build decision-support and executive
information systems that let the end user search millions of
records in seconds, according to Harris.

The Omnidex-created keyword index provides immediate feedback
on how many records will qualify based on a given search. Users can
then choose either to further qualify the selection to narrow the
search, or to view a "picklist" showing two to three fields of each
selected record before pulling the entire record set into a desktop
application.

"These drill-down strategies improve responsiveness and minimize
the network traffic associated with most data warehousing and
client/server applications," Harris maintained.

Omnidex for Data Warehousing currently supports HP 3000 Image
databases, as well as RMS databases running on VAX, Rdb running on
VAX and DEC Alpha, and Oracle databases operating on all Unix
platforms, according to Harris. Within the next year, DISC plans
to expand its database support to include Sybase, Informix and
Ingres, she added.

Omnidex includes a client/server application programming interface
(API) and communications software as well as indexing software.
Pricing is based on central processor unit (CPU) and is sold with
consulting. Licenses range from $9,000 to $57,000 per server.
Trials for Image, RMS, Rdb and Oracle are available upon request.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940208/Reader & Press Contact: DISC,
303-444-4000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00029)

Novell UK Ships Netware Client For DOS/Windows 1.1 02/08/94
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- Novell UK
has announced it is shipping its new netware client for DOS/
Windows 1.1 in the UK and Europe. Newsbytes understands that
the product is also shipping in the US.

According to Bob Young, vice president of marketing for Novell's
NetWare Products Division, the updated version of the company's
Virtual Loadable Module (VLM) technology operates as a Universal
Netware Client which allows to access network services on NetWare
4.x, NetWare 3.x, Netware 2.x and Personal NetWare operating
systems for all customers, from small businesses to large
organizations.

"We are confident that customers using DOS and MS Windows in a
Netware environment will fully embrace this version of the
NetWare client due to the products' maturation and new features,"
Young said.

Young added that there are several new features included in the
package which are claimed to provide many benefits for a customer.
The new package allows easier upgrades to NetWare 4.xx, Novell
claims, since the Universal Netware Client for DOS/Windows
supports all NetWare servers.

By using SNMP (SImple Network Management Protocol) consoles,
the company argues, DOS and Windows' workstations can be managed
easily due to SNMP MIBS interface. Several VLMs are optional in the
package and can be loaded into extended memory, which Novell says
makes the workstation memory more flexible to configuration.

Novell also claims that the software has a higher level of security
and performance. DOS and Windows workstations are easier to
integrate into Unix environments when included with Novell's
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocol
stack, Newsbytes understands.

Customers can obtain the NetWare Client DOS/Windows 1.1 on a
corporate-wide software license basis. Current Novell's customers
who are using clients running the NetWare 4.xx client requester
architecture, can upgrade their clients at no cost by downloading an
update patch from NetWire or from the FTP.NOVELL.COM server on
the Internet.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940208/Press & Public Contact: Novell UK,
44-344-724000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00030)

 ****IBM Japan To Start Telecommunication Service 02/08/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 FEB 8 (NB) -- IBM Japan is preparing to
launch a telecommunication service for personal computer users.

It is expected that the firm will interconnect the network with
various networks in the US and other regions. The network is also
expected to support multimedia data transmission.

An IBM Japan spokesman told Newsbytes that the firm will make
the official announcement within a week.

IBM Japan's telecommunication network will be operated by its
subsidiary IBM Japan Service, which is located in Tokyo. The
network will use NTT's rapid data transmission service network,
which will allow for the support of multimedia data.

The actual service to users is expected to include catalog
shopping, various databases with pictures, technical information
services, electronic mail, and user forums.

Another major feature of the network will be connections with
Prodigy in the US and the international Internet. It is also expected
that IBM Japan will link with the Open Architecture Developers'
Group, which was created to encourage the development of IBM-
compatible personal computers and software in Japan.

The actual service is expected to start in April. IBM Japan's
personal computer network will reportedly  be the third largest
network in Japan, following NEC's PC-VAN, and Fujitsu's Nifty-
Serve. In an effort to increase their respective memberships, both
networks have been adding more services -- Nifty-Serve has just
started an electronic-mail connection with the Internet, while
NEC's PC-VAN has added a Dialog database connection.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940208/Press Contact: IBM
Japan, tel [phone], fax [phone])