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/mar_apr_94/nb032894

Text File | 1994-03-28 | 90KB | 1,924 lines

(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00001)

UK - Ruggedized Handwriting Recog Portable Intro'd 03/28/94
READING, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Norand
International has unveiled what it claims is the industry's first
"ruggedized" pen-based portable PC with handwriting recognition
software built in.

According to the company, the Pen*Key costs UKP3,200 and can
survive being dropped on to a concrete floor from a height of four
feet, as well as immersion in water. The PC also shrugs off
extremes of temperature and humidity, the company claims.

Interestingly, company officials see the handwriting recognition
aspect of the computer as more of a come-on to potential purchasers.
They see only three percent of users actually making use of the Pen-
Windows software from Microsoft.

The primary use of the machine, according to Scott Mercer, Norand's
marketing director, is the industrial environment. "We are not blind
to the fact that most companies out there would not base a business
critical application around handwriting recognition software,"
Mercer said.

So why is the price so low against the competition? According to
Norand, the machine is based around a 25 megahertz (MHz) 80386SX
low-voltage processor. Coupled with power controlling software
built into the firmware of the portable, the company claims that
power consumption is at an absolute minimum.

Despite the low price point, the machine has two PCMCIA (Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association) type II card slots
and a ROM version of MS-DOS. The monochrome screen display has
a resolution of 320 by 480 pixels.

(Steve Gold/19940325/Press & Public Contact: Norand
International, 44-734-861221)


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

Cebit - SunRace/InnovACE Intros PC Notebooks 03/28/94
HANOVER, GERMANY, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- SunRace/InnovACE
unveiled its new HyperBook 3000 series of notebook computers
at the Cebit Computer Faire in Germany recently.

According to officials with the company, which has offices in
Taiwan and the US, the machines -- the HyperBook 3100SLC2/486
and Hyperbook 3220SL/486 -- are very fast for their class, thanks
to the inclusion of Cyrix SLC chipsets capable of 50 megahertz
(MHz) speed performance.

The new HyperBook 3100 has a monochrome high contrast display,
while the new 3220 machine has dual scan color super twist
nematic (STN) screen. The dual scan STN screen measures 9.5-inches
in the diagonal and supports VGA resolution to 256 colors.

The monochrome unit, meanwhile, claims to have a highly versatile
series of input devices. A 16 millimeter (mm) built-in trackball
eliminates the need for an external mouse or similar pointing
device, the company claims.

Both machines have a built-in numeric keypad that officials on the
stand claimed is very convenient to enter numbers. They also have
an ergonomic shell design allows space for wrist rest by pushing
the keyboard towards the hinge, especially during long hours of
typing, company officials told Newsbytes.

Both portables have a single serial port and two parallel ports, as
well as an optional internal data and fax/modem operating to 9,600
bits-per-second (bps) speed standards in both data and fax mode.

According to a spokesman for the company, the power management
features are ahead of the competition, and can automatically shut
down the system's major components individually when the system
is turned on but not in use. This contrasts with other Taiwanese
portables manufacturers, whose machines shut down entirely when
not in use, requiring several seconds to turn themselves back on,
claims the company.

A key feature of the machines is a patented five-level Power Meter
Indicator (PMI) that keeps the user informed about the machine's
power level. This device protects users from any accidental data
loss, company officials told Newsbytes.

When driving a car, the batteries can be plugged, via an adapter
converter, into the power supply of the vehicle. A turbo charger
mains power unit also shortens the charging time to about a half
of similar machines, officials said.

The 80 megabyte (MB) hard disk on the portables is removable for
extra security. Optional plug hard disk modules rated at 120MB and
200MB are also available. As supplied, the machines come with 4MB
of memory, with "snap-in" memory modules plugging in under the
keyboard.

Both computers weight approximately 6.5-pounds and have
dimensions of 226mm by 295mm by 52mm.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940325/Press & Public Contact: SunRace/
InnovACE, tel (US) 909-468-2955, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEL)(00003)

India - Advanced Training For Software Professionals 03/28/94
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Software Technology Group
International Ltd. (STGIL) has been formed in Delhi by STG Inc.,
an Authorized Microsoft Solution Provider based in California, to
provide high-end training to software professionals in India.

STGIL, however, would not provide Microsoft-affiliated courses,
but would concentrate on other advanced areas like client/server
technology, object-oriented programming, and computer-aided
software engineering (CASE). The courses, developed by the National
Center for Software Technology (NCST) in Bombay, include 12-week
diploma courses and certificate courses of 1-2 weeks.

"Any market research, for instance the World Bank Report on
software exports, points out that the fastest growing and most
profitable areas today are high-end software training, consulting
domestic and international, career planning and placement, and
software development," said Yogesh Vaidya, chairman of STGIL.

Vaidya expects the startup to gross R1.5 crore in its first year of
operation, almost entirely from training. But he envisages to reach
the figure of R50 crore annual revenue within five years, coming
half from training, and half from consulting.

The company will also have help from STG to procure software
development contracts, which the STGIL team will carry out in
India. STG has a 10 percent stake in STGIL, while the rest of the
equity is held by the management board.

STGIL's first center in Delhi is already operational. Training
centers in other metros like Bombay, Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad
and Madras are expected to be operational by mid-1995.

Courses are being offered to only practicing software professionals,
who are either company-sponsored or want retraining in advanced
technologies. Apart from the emerging technologies such as client/
server, object-oriented, and open systems, the products which the
training startup will address include GUI (graphical user interface)
front-end tools such as PowerBuilder, RDBMSs (relational database
management systems) such as Oracle, Sybase, CASE tools such as
LMBD's and Turbo Analyst, and languages like C++.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940328/Press Contact: Yogesh Vaidya, (US)
408-733 0480; Sanjeev Prasad, (New Delhi) 91-11-648-1115


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SYD)(00004)

Australia's Hypertec Appoints US Manager 03/28/94
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Australia PC add-on
manufacturer Hypec has appointed a manager of North American
sales for its new office in Boston. She is Adrienne Lambert, a
five-year Hypertec staffer, most recently as national dealer
manager.

Lambert's role in the US will be to liaise with the current Hypertec
distributors such as IBM, and to sign up new distributors. Hypertec
has been exporting PC processor upgrade/accelerator cards,
memory cards and network cards to the US for about two years
through distributors and through a partnership with IBM,
specifically for Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) PS/2 processor
upgrade/accelerator cards.

"The appointment of Adrienne to open a US office underlines
Hypertec's serious commitment to continuing to develop and grow
the US as an export market." said Hypertec Managing Director Geoff
O'Reilly. "We have established excellent relationships there and
wish to capitalize on them over the coming years."

Hypertec was an early player in the PC add-on market, producing
a number of memory and multifunction cards in Australia when
AST and similar companies were doing the same in the US.

Because of this commitment to the MCA market, which many other
manufacturers declined to enter, Hypertec has developed a strong
relationship with IBM - to the extent that IBM specifies Hypertec
products when PS/2 owners want to move to a faster processor.

(Paul Zucker/19940325/Press Contact: Hypertec, 61-2-805-0111)


(CORRECTION)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00005)

Correction - Compton's Multimedia Patent Overturned 03/28/94
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- On March
25, Newsbytes reported that Compton's was issued its multimedia
patent number 5,241,671 in August, 1992. That date is incorrect.
The patent was issued in August, 1993.

Newsbytes apologizes for any inconvenience this error may have
caused.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940328)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(DEN)(00006)

Zenith, AER To Collaborate On All-day Portables Battery 03/28/94
SMYRNA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Zenith Data Systems
and AER Energy Resources Inc., have announced an agreement to
develop a battery that will power portable computers for a full
work day between recharges.

The two companies say they have signed a non-binding,
non-exclusive letter of intent to cooperate on the development of
long-runtime zinc-air batteries for use in future ZDS portable
computer products.

AER Energy says its patented rechargeable zinc-air battery system
has two to four times the energy density by weight of nickel-
cadmium (NiCad) and nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries
currently used in portable computers.

The company says the zinc-air battery has the capability to power
a portable notebook computer for up to 20 hours, depending on the
user's work pattern and the power requirements of the computer.

AER spokesperson Frank Harris told Newsbytes that the exchange
of a NiMH for an air-zinc unit in one of the ZDS portable PCs being
developed will result in a net increase in weight of about 1.5
pounds. Those systems are expected to ship in the first half
of 1995.

Harris said AER will also offer an after-market standalone battery
for current users. Two models will be offered and will include a
battery, charger, and connect kit. The base model, which is able to
run for up to 10 hours and weighs about three pounds, will sell
for about $400 and will be available in the fall. A 20-hour model
will has a price tag of about $600 and will ship in July, 1994,
according to Harris. That model includes a 12-volt plug to run a
cellular phone. The Power 20 measures approximately 6- by 11- by
2.5-inches and weighs six pounds.

AER spokesperson Judy Morris told Newsbytes the cost of the
zinc-air batteries are comparable on a watt-hour basis to current
batteries.

AER recently appointed two computer industry executives to its
board of directors to strengthen its expertise in the computer
marketing field. New board members include Charles Boesenberg,
president, CEO and chairman of Central Point Software, and Douglas
Johns, former senior VP and general manager of Compaq Computer's
personal computer division.

(Jim Mallory/19940328/Press Contact: Judy Morris, Crescent
Communications for AER Energy Resources, 404-698-8650 ext
113; Reader Contact: Zenith Data Systems, tel [phone],
fax [phone], or AER Energy Resources, tel [phone],
fax [phone]/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEN)(00007)

Great Plains Assumes Responsibility For Microsoft Profit 03/28/94
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Accounting
software publisher Great Plains Software has announced it has
reached an agreement with Microsoft Corp., that gives Great
Plains full responsibility for sales, marketing, and distribution
of Microsoft Profit.

Profit is a $199 small business accounting program for the
Microsoft Windows operating environment. It was produced in
partnership between Great Plains and Microsoft, and released
in February, 1993.

As part of its new marketing role Great Plains has announced a
payroll module for Profit. The software uses the same file cabinet,
forms-based interface used in Profit. It includes recording time-
card information and check printing, automatically calculates tax
withholding, paycheck deductions, and other paycheck information.
Reports include month-end and quarter-end state and federal
requirements and W-2 forms. Payroll for Profit has an
introductory suggested retail price of $99

Great Plains is also introducing The Accounting Department, an
accounting and business management suite for small business use
that includes Microsoft Profit and Payroll for Profit. Users also get
free customer support for 30 days, a one-year subscription to the
Profit Net bulletin board, and a 30-day money back guarantee.

The Accounting Department ships with a training video and
workbook training materials, training software for financial
statement analysis, financial calculator software for amortization
scheduling, and discounts on other Great Plains products.

The Accounting Department has an introductory suggested retail
price of $395.

(Jim Mallory/19940328/Press Contact: Terry Kalil, Great Plains
Software, 701-281-3130; Reader Contact: Great Plains Software,
tel [phone] or 701-281-0550, fax [phone]/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00008)

Canadian Product Launch Update 03/28/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- This regular
feature, appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further
details for the Canadian market on announcements by international
companies that Newsbytes has already covered. This week:
Hewlett-Packard's new NetServers, Lotus' new support plans,
Software Publishing's Professional Write 3.0 for DOS, and
Toshiba's T4800CT notebook computer.

Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd., of Mississauga, Ontario, announced
new models in its NetServer line of network servers, plus network
management products (Newsbytes, March 18). Slated for general
availability in Canada on April 1, the new NetServer LF will
start at C$6,854 and the high-end NetServer LM at C$7,624, a
company spokeswoman said. The company also announced NetServer
Remote Assistant 2.0, a software product for server management.

Toronto-based Lotus Development Canada Ltd. followed the lead of
its US parent in making changes to its customer support
programs (Newsbytes, March 15). The new programs include Lotus
Knowledge Base for Notes, round-the-clock telephone support for
communications products, and the replacement of a toll-free
number for desktop software support in the first 90 days after
purchase with a toll number.

Software Publishing Corp. Canada announced Professional Write 3.0
for DOS, an upgrade of its managerial word processor (Newsbytes,
March 1). The Richmond Hill, Ontario, company said the new
release will be available in Canada by the end of March at a
suggested retail price of C$299. Users of previous versions can
upgrade for C$89.

Toshiba of Canada Ltd. of Markham, Ontario, launched the T4800CT
(Newsbytes, March 7), a notebook computer built around Intel
Corp.'s new 75 megahertz (MHz) 486DX4 microprocessor. Canadian
suggested retail prices are C$9,399 for a unit with a
320 megabyte (MB) hard disk and C$9,999 for one with a 500MB
drive. The new notebooks will be available in April, the company
said.

(Grant Buckler/19940328/Press Contact: Martha Terdik, Hewlett-
Packard Canada, 905-206-3311; Marsha Connor, Lotus Canada,
416-364-8000; Julie Rusciolelli, Cohn & Wolfe for Lotus Canada,
416-924-5700; Michelle MacIsaac, Software Publishing Canada,
905-771-8330; Stan Didzbalis, BenchMark Communications for
Software Publishing Canada, 416-444-7434; Barbara Minor,
Toshiba Canada, tel [phone] ext 252, fax [phone];
Jo-Ann Austin, AustinTayshus! Public Relations for Toshiba
Canada, 416-596-0613)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00009)

 ****IBM-BellSouth Delay Simon PDA 03/28/94
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- IBM is postponing
shipments of the Simon, a personal digital assistant (PDA) to be
sold by BellSouth Cellular.

In a statement received by Newsbytes, IBM blamed "technical
issues resulting from the integration of Simon's cellular faxing
capability," discovered early in the manufacturing cycle through
IBM's quality assurance tests. "Simon's unique design demanded
new, previously unwritten test standards and procedures, which
needed to be developed by IBM during the test cycle."

When it was first introduced, at last Fall's Comdex, Simon was
widely praised. It is based on a cellular phone, rather than a
pen-based computer system, with a tiny screen and a proprietary
interface. Yet its applications were so strong that "Byte"
Magazine named it "Best in Show," and it has been widely
anticipated. BellSouth plans to introduce it first in its own
cellular markets, then expand distribution as supplies increase.

Generally, the PDA market has been disappointing. The first such
product, Apple's Newton, started off well in mid-1993, but sales
quickly stalled, and only about 80,000 of the present model were
eventually sold. Apple says a new, enhanced version will be out
later this year.

Compaq also recently delayed delivery of a PDA based on Microsoft
at Work, a software scheme code-named WinPad. On the other hand,
Motorola announced the Envoy, a PDA based on General Magic's
TeleScript and Magic Cap software. Another product, the AT&T-Eo
Personal Communicator, may also come out in a new version.

The wide variety of products and operating systems, indicating
that key technology issues have yet to be successfully addressed,
indicates the market may not take-off as predicted for a few
years more.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940328/Press Contact: Nicole Lipson,
BellSouth Cellular, 404-249-0476)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00010)

 ****Spectrum Changes Board/Executives 03/28/94
MANHASSET, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Spectrum
Information Technologies, the troubled wireless data technology
provider, cleaned house on its board and in its executive suite.

Gone are President Peter Caserta and a number of his allies on
the company's board, including outside Directors Michael D.
Madden and Lt. General Thomas P. Stafford. Another outside
director, Joseph Allen, also said he will leave soon. A total of
three outside directors will be recruited, giving the board a
total of seven, four of them outsiders. Other inside directors to
resign were Andrew Migliorini, James L. Paterek, and A. Werner
Pleus.

The moves became inevitable after several associates of Caserta
were arrested last week on mail fraud charges involving another
company. They came too late for former Apple Chairman John
Sculley, who is now former Spectrum chairman, but they may be
welcomed by the market. Sculley had been recruited to Spectrum
by Caserta in October, and the two were briefly in court against
each other after the resignation, but those suits have since been
settled.

Since Sculley's resignation, Caserta has been hammered by
negative publicity. The Securities and Exchange Commission is
presently investigating a May, 1993, press release by Caserta,
which allegedly falsely claimed huge revenues from an AT&T
royalty agreement, and the sale of huge blocks in Spectrum by
company insiders soon after Sculley's hiring.

Sculley said his discovery of those sales, many of them newly-
minted shares granted as stock options, and the fact he did not
learn of them until they were public knowledge, contributed to
his own decision to leave.

The new boss at Spectrum is Edward Maskaly, whose most recent job
was as chief financial officer of Jasmine Ltd., a Pennsauken, New
Jersey-based shoe importer. A banker by trade, he had worked at
NatWest Commercial and Manufacturer Hanover. In taking the job,
Maskaly, previously an outside director, noted that Caserta would
remain with the company, working "on licensing and technology."

In its announcement of the new directors, Spectrum included a
favorable statement from Heiko Thieme, chairman of the American
Heritage Fund, the company's largest shareholder. Thieme has gone
on television a number of times over the last few months to
express confidence in Spectrum generally, and Caserta
specifically, especially in the wake of Sculley's resignation.

On CNBC March 28, Thieme repeated his belief in the technology,
saying his three-year target for the stock is $20. But he also
called the stock speculative, and added he wants someone in
charge of the company who is "plugged-into cellular technology,"
indicating Maskaly may prove an interim leader. He also called
the current price of about $2.50 per share, which remained level
after the new announcements, "a giveaway."

Other analysts, however, have said less favorable things,
especially about the company's technology, which some say will be
superseded by innovations like packet-data calls under the CDPD
(cellular digital packet data) standard, and by Motorola connectors
which are not subject to Spectrum's license fees.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940328/Press Contact: Bill Campbell, for
Spectrum, 212-546-2664)


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

MCI Intros Worldphone Operator-Assisted Service 03/28/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- MCI has announced
a new brand called WorldPhone for its international operator-
assisted calling.

In addition to offering access to English-speaking MCI operators
24 hours per day for "collect" and "direct" calling, the new brand
includes MCI Traveler's Assist, a new feature which provides
legal and medical referrals, exchange rate information, and
translation services, among other features.

Stewart Dougherty, MCI consumer markets vice president
for brand marketing, said in a press statement that Americans
traveling internationally make more than 120 million calls
outside the US each year, spending more than $2 billion, making
it the fastest-growing segment in the telecommunications
industry.

He also discussed the new services with Newsbytes, noting first
that the telecommunication services business now totals $450
billion worldwide.

Despite all that, "There's no equivalent to the Visa or Master
Card in telecommunications, a brand that allows the traveler to
gain services economically. WorldPhone takes a branding
technique we've used in the US to the international market."

In the US, MCI has opened new niches with its 800-COLLECT service
as well as Best Friends, and Friends & Family calling plans. "The
real power of brands is people know what to expect. There's no
equivalent of this in the international arena."

He continued: "You know how frustrating it can be to use
telecommunication services as you travel. Now, when you're
traveling internationally, you can call back to the US at very
competitive rates. You can also call country to country at very
competitive rates, much less than if you billed calls to your
hotel room." Dougherty said MCI has heard some hotels tack-on
surcharges of as much as 500 percent for international calls
billed to a room phone.

Here's how it works. "You call the access number from the country
you're in. It's a different number in each country, set by the
local" phone company or state-owned postal, telephone and
telegraph authority or PTT. "That number links you to an MCI
operator, English-speaking, who'll then complete the call.
One little known feature is that, using this service
internationally, you can also call US 800 numbers."

He added: "The reason that's so important is service levels are
much lower in other countries than we're used to in the US. We're
used to 24 hour service. You can also make collect calls on
WorldPhone, and we've lowered the international collect surcharge
from $5 to $2.49. We want to stimulate the market -- we see a lot
of elasticity. If you'd like to use the MCI card with WorldPhone,
great. If you want a collect call, great. Whatever works for the
customer we want it to be the same no matter what we do. We're
shaving the prices to get an explosion in usage."

The closest thing to a competitor to WorldPhone is the AT&T
USADirect service.

Also available through the WorldPhone brand are AT&T's
automated phone services, called MCI Express Info, and the ability
to initiate conference calling. Print ads, created by Messner
Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer/Euro RSCG, have already
begun running. A TV advertising campaign begins March 30.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940328/Press Contact: Carol Aarhus, MCI,
202-887-3000; Customer Contact: 1-800-444-3333)


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

AOL Faces New Stock Crisis 03/28/94
VIENNA, VIRGINIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Rapid growth
and a hot stock have combined to create a new crisis at America
OnLine, the publicly-traded consumer online service.

In an online market growing 30 percent per year according to
Jupiter Communications, AOL said it now has 700,000 users, up
from 530,000 at the end of 1993. That means it could reach the
one million mark by year-end. Revenues could also double.

But even those strong gains may not fully justify the company's
stock price, which zoomed from $73 per share to over $90 per
share in the four days ending March 24. The company's 52-week
low was $17.50.

The gains were based on news of a report from Chicago Corp.
estimating AOL could fetch as much as $200 per share in a
takeover bid from a phone or cable company. Time Warner was
mentioned in the speculation, and well-represented at a trade show
Jupiter sponsored in New York, but the company declined comment.

As the market closed that day, AOL President Steve Case issued a
statement denying the reports saying the company is "troubled by
the continuing speculation," and that AOL is "not conducting any
discussions about being acquired." As a result, the stock tumbled
the next day, falling under $85 per share.

Of more immediate concern is a "Wall Street Journal" report March
28, that Paul Allen, who now owns 18 percent of the company and at
one time was bumping up against a board-imposed 25 percent limit,
is not thinking of selling his stake and taking profits. Allen, a
co-founder of Microsoft and now head of Asymetrix, has more than
doubled his investment in the company, even with the recent fall
in its price, and was convinced nearly a year ago by the AOL
board not to pursue a takeover of the whole company. Allen's
stake could become the key card in another company's attempt to
take-over AOL. After the report on Allen became public, America
OnLine sent Newsbytes a second copy of its March 24 statement.

However, Gene DeRose of Jupiter Communications told Newsbytes
even the present run-up in AOL may be overdone. While praising
the service's user interface, he asked, "How good is the service
outside its content providers, who might bolt after a takeover?"

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940328/Press Contact: America OnLine, Jean
Villanueva, 703-883-1675; Gene DeRose, Jupiter Communications,
212-941-9252)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00013)

Seybold - Publishing & Video Converge For Radius 03/28/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- In a press
conference at Seybold Boston, Radius rolled out a pair of new
products: VideoVision Telecast, a QuickTime-based system for the
emerging arena of digital video editing; and PrecisionColor
Display/21, a 21-inch color graphics monitor for Macintosh
Centris, Quadra, AV, and Power Mac computers.

In a room 52 floors above "The Hub," at the top of the Prudential
Tower, Radius President and CEO Chuck Buerger explained that with
the two new offerings, Radius is addressing both ends of a "rapidly
converging" marketplace. The press event in Boston was attended by
Newsbytes.

Buerger told journalists and analysts that VideoVision Telecast
combines two NuBus connector cards with a single, rackmountable
19-inch breakout box; was developed in accordance with professional
broadcasters' suggestions; and meets RS170-A as well as
CCIR-624-4  requirements.

"We had to learn a whole new vocabulary for this product," the CEO
quipped. Radius' new digital video editing system, he added,
provides 30-frame, 60-field full-motion video and playback; 16-bit
audio; Betacam input and output; full genlock; SMPTE (Society of
Motion Picture and Television Engineers) time code for both audio
and video; "professional-level" input and output, and NTSC (National
Television Standards Committee), PAL, and SECAM support.

VideoVision, which is scheduled to ship this summer, currently
supports Macintosh Quadras. Radius is now collaborating with Apple
to provide Power Macintosh compatibility as well, according to
Buerger. The digital video editing system will also "soon (move
to) QuickTime 2." By easing the video editing process, the digital
system will ultimately lead to greater creativity, he predicted.

The CEO noted that he was reminded of the current convergence of
computer publishing with video broadcasting while preparing
remarks to the press about VideoVision. "I was able to use almost
the same speech for Seybold Boston as (I was) for the NAB Show
in Las Vegas," he told members of the press in Boston. Radius
launched VideoVision at both shows the same week.

The new PrecisionColor Display/21 large-screen monitor, a product
introduced at Seybold only, supports Radius' LeMans GT, a board
billed as "the world's fastest 24-bit graphics accelerator," as
well as the company's existing PrecisionColor Pro series of
graphics accelerator for the Mac, according to the company chief.

But although VideoVision Telecast holds exciting new opportunities,
Radius is not about to abandon its traditional stronghold in the
Macintosh publishing field, Buerger indicated.

"Computer publishing is still large and growing," the CEO said at
the press conference in Boston. Computer publishing today accounts
for $17 billion in annual revenues, 40 to 60 percent of all
Macintosh volume, and 50 to 60 percent of Radius' volume, he added.
Moreover, experts are predicting an annual industry growth rate of
30 percent through 1997.

The new PrecisionColor Display/21 features: a 21-inch flat tube with
anti-reflective and anti-glare coating; a 0.28 millimeter (mm) dot
pitch; a multiple frequency capability that allows the monitor to
be configured from 1024-by-768 pixels to 1360-by-1024 pixels at
"flicker-free refresh rate;" and a two-page mode that is available
through Radius' Dynamic Desktop software.

Use of the Dynamic Desktop with the Display/21 also allows on-
the-fly switching between a variety of resolutions, and between
monochrome, 8-bit color, and 24-bit color modes. Available now,
the Display/21 is priced at $999.

Also in support of Mac-based computer publishing, he suggested,
Radius debuted the LeMans GT at MacWorld Tokyo in January. The
LeMans offers "two to three times the performance of
PrecisionColor Pro," according to Buerger.

In recent months, the company president added, Radius has also
unveiled the PrecisionColor Display/17, a 17-inch monitor based
on Sony's Trinitron technology, and the Full Page Display/gs, a
15-inch portrait desktop display, while reducing the pricing on all
its 20-inch graphics monitors.

Radius has also recently introduced other new products that allow
for the "convergence" of computer publishing with broadcast video.
These include the StageTwo Rocket, a 40 megahertz (MHz) add-on
card aimed at providing "true foreground/background multiprocessing
capabilities" to Macs with Nubus slots, along with PhotoBooster
daughtercards for accelerating the Rocket and StageTwo Rocket
Cards.

Earlier this month, Buerger noted, Radius announced: that its
RadiusWare software, which includes Dynamic Desktop 3.0 as well
as QuickColor 3.0, had been rewritten in native mode for the Power
Macintosh; that Rocket and StageTwo Rocket are being ported to
the Power Mac; and that all of its existing displays, graphics
acceleration, and digital video products either have been or will
be upgraded to support the Power Mac.

"The next big conversion (for Power Mac) will be to the PCI
(Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. We believe that will
happen in January," the company president told the journalists.
All together, 5.4 million accelerators were sold last year for
Windows, or ten times as many as for Macs, he reported.

Buerger also referred to several applications of Radius Rocket
that point to the increasing convergence of publishing with video.

Buerger mentioned, for instance, that in the Ray Dream booth at
Seybold, Radius Rocket cards were being used with a central server
to gather information from "thousands of sources from every corner
of the world," including CNN (Cable Network News) feeds, for a
"virtual newspaper" with up-to-the-minute news and photos. The
"virtual paper" was being distributed in hard copy to Seybold
attendees and in electronic form over the Internet.

Buerger also played two multimedia presentations for the
journalists that make use of the Radius Rocket: the introductory
segment to the "American Gladiator" TV show -- with closeup
shots of characters like "Saber" and "Hawk" -- and a four-minute
standalone segment called "Flavio."

Produced by Apple with the use of Adobe's Premiere software in
addition to Rockets, "Flavio" is a complex mood piece, featuring 24
different layers of video, that evokes the overall sense of an
Italy of a bygone era. An operatic solo provides audio accompaniment.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940428/Reader Contact: Radius Inc., 800-227-
2795 or 408-434-1010; Press Contacts: Bob Major, Radius,
408-954-6403; Dee Cravens, Radius, 408-434-1010)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00014)

Seybold - Quark Demos QuarkXPress 3.3 For Power Mac 03/28/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- At Seybold
Boston '94, Quark released the Macintosh and Windows editions of
QuarkXPress 3.3, a version aimed at furthering cross-platform
compatibility for the widely used page layout software. Quark
also demonstrated the recently announced native Power Mac edition
of QuarkXPress, a product to be shipped on a CD-ROM (compact disc
- read only memory) that will also include QuarkXPress libraries,
QuarkXTensions, and additional software.

Quark users have been able to import QuarkXPress for Macintosh
files into the Windows edition since November, 1992, and to exchange
QuarkXPress documents between Windows and Macintosh since
July, 1993. With QuarkXPress 3.3, though, the version numbers are
the same for the first time, and the feature sets are almost the
same, varying only by specific operating system (OS) features such
as Apple Script and Windows object linking and embedding (OLE)
compliance, according to Peter Warren, Quark spokesperson.

Warren told Newsbytes that Quark expects to release QuarkXPress 3.3
for the Power Macintosh during the first week of June. The upcoming
Power Mac edition will be identical in base features to QuarkXPress
3.3 for the Mac, and will also provide complete file compatibility
with QuarkXPress 3.3 for the Mac and Windows, but will operate four
to five times faster, he added.

During Seybold, Quark started shipping QuarkXPress 3.3 for the
Macintosh and Windows in English, International English, French,
German, Italian, and Spanish. Versions are slated to ship in Dutch,
Danish, Swedish, and Swiss German within the next ten days.

The product release for Macintosh/Windows is being billed by Quark
as the first time a major software supplier has simultaneously
developed versions of its product in multiple languages for two
different operating environments.

In a demo for Newsbytes, a company representative showed off the
high speed of the forthcoming Power Mac edition in performing one
of the new features in QuarkXPress 3.3, "spot color updating."

Importing an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) image with spot colors,
the representative displayed how QuarkXPress 3.3 instantly adds the
spot colors in the image to the Color Palette scroll list. Through
this capability, designers will be able to easily add color to
type, backgrounds, and lines that match colors found in imported
EPS graphics, he explained.

QuarkXPress 3.3 also adds two new spot color models, Toyo and DIC,
each offering hundreds of colors to choose from, according to
officials. Both models will work with the EfiColor Color
Management system in QuarkXPress, which is designed to let users
predict whether a color will print to a specific output device or
press.

Version 3.3 will also let the user create text boxes in any of six
standard shapes, or from a polygon text box for custom text box
configuration. Previously, text boxes could only be created by
using picture boxes, according to Quark.

The new edition also allows a master page to be applied to a single
document page in the Document Layout palette. To do so, the user
drags the master page icon over the document page icon.

Further, a pair of new icons have been added to the Document Layout
palette, permitting users to copy and delete selected document and
master pages. For documents that have different section starts with
separate numbering schemes, a new area in the lower left corner of
the palette will display the section number of the specified page.

Other new capabilities in QuarkXPress 3.3 include: the ability to
undo deletions for multiple or grouped items, instead of single
items only; to enter any two printing characters in the Fill
Character field in the Paragraph Tabs dialog box; and to use the
Kern/Track editor to specify kerning pairs consisting of a
character and a space (or an en space).

In addition, QuarkXPress 3.3 for Windows offers several new
printing capabilities, according to the company. Windows users are
now able to send document information in the PC Binary format, a
feature designed for speeding up printing when the PC is connected
directly to the printer through the parallel or serial port.
Support for fax drivers and PPDs (PostScript Printer Descriptions)
has been added, as well.

In addition, all editions of QuarkXPress 3.3 will ship with two new
QuarkXTensions: a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) filter
that allows direct import of graphics files saved in JPEG, and
another Xtension that permits direct import of PhotoCD Pac files
from a CD file.

Quark's upcoming native Power Mac edition of QuarkXPress will
include Apple Events Scripts, two image databases, and fonts, in
addition to QuarkXPress 3.3, QuarkXPress Libraries, and native
QuarkXTensions.

One of the new native XTensions, QuarkPrint, is intended to allow
users to: save and apply frequently used settings from the Print and
Page Setup dialog boxes; print nonsequential pages; print a portion
of the page; and specify custom CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black)
screen angles and frequencies.

QuarkXPress 3.3 for the Power Mac will also be able to run
QuarkTensions built for the 680x0 edition of QuarkXPress for
Macintosh in emulation mode, officials said.

The Power Mac edition will be initially available in the same nine
languages as QuarkXPress 3.3 for the Windows and Macintosh.
Suggested retail pricing for the Power Mac edition will be $995,
including the added Xtensions, utilities and scripts.

QuarkXPress users in the US will be able to trade version 3.2 or
3.3 to QuarkXPress 3.3 for Power Macintosh for $195 through
October 1. From October 1 through December 31, the price for
tradeup will be $225.

QuarkXPress 3.3 for Macintosh or Windows is available as a free
upgrade to all registered QuarkXPress for Macintosh users who have
upgraded to the Macintosh 3.2 edition, and to all QuarkXPress 3.12
for Windows users. The 3.3 upgrade costs $195 for registered users
of QuarkXPress 3.1 for Macintosh. The suggested list price of
QuarkXPress for Macintosh and Windows remains at $895.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940328/Reader Contact: Quark Inc., 303-894-
8888; Press contact: Peter Warren, Quark, 303-894-3452)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(BOS)(00015)

Seybold - ColorAge Adds Print Servers For Macs/PCs 03/28/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- At Seybold
Boston '94, ColorAge extended the availability of its ColorQ System
print server for the Macs and PCs upwards, to corporate
environments with multiprotocol enterprise networks, and
downwards, to smaller companies and quick-print shops on limited
budgets.

Like the flagship ColorQ System 3000 print server from ColorAge,
the new ColorQ System 1000 and ColorQ System 2000 will let users
print directly from the desktop to a digital color copier connected
to a network, said Dodie Bump, marketing communications manager,
speaking with Newsbytes on the show floor. The copier appears on
the Mac or Windows desktop as a printer.

The existing ColorQ 3000 from ColorAge, and the new ColorQ 1000
for small businesses, differ in amount of memory, with 64
megabytes (MB) standard on the ColorQ 3000 and 32MB standard
on the ColorQ 1000, she explained. The ColorQ 1000, though, is
priced at only $19,995, and is upgradable to either 64MB or 128MB.

The ColorQ 1000 comes preconfigured with support for either
AppleTalk or Novell networks, and plugs directly into both the
network and the color copier, according to Bump.

At Seybold Boston '93, Billerica, Massachusetts-based ColorAge
added Novell support to the ColorQ 3000, a model that had previously
supported LocalTalk and EtherTalk networks only. ColorQ 3000 made
its initial debut at Seybold San Francisco '92.

In contrast to the other two print servers from ColorAge, the new
ColorQ 2000 is based on Windows NT Advanced Server, added Bump.
As a result, the new high-end server is able to work with Windows
NT, LAN (local area network) Manager, and Windows NT, in addition
to Novell and AppleTalk networks.

Also unlike the ColorQ 1000 and 3000, the high-end server comes
with a set of administrative control tools. Accessible from a GUI
(graphical user interface), the tools include: security levels and
access privileges, as well as the ability to obtain an "instant
snapshot" of all jobs at the server; to set remote configurations
of new desktop computers accessing the server; and to define user
groups or to use the same account groups defined under OS/2 LAN
Manager.

Bump told Newsbytes that the administrative tools are aimed at
easing management of the ColorQ print server, as well as assuring
that the print server will not interfere with other operations on
the network.

The ColorQ 2000 can also be configured to work in multiple modes,
Newsbytes was told. The systems administrator can establish a
series of "virtual printers" such as an overnight printer, proofing
printer, and presentation printer, said the marketing
communications manager. All three models of the ColorQ print
server also provide GUI-based software for desktop use.

The three print servers from ColorAge are targeted at the growing
trend toward printing out color copies on-site, instead of sending
color work to outside service bureaus, as in the past.

Two recent studies by the Color Business Report showed a 45
percent increase in the volume of digital color copying in 1993
over the previous year, and further determined that businesses
account for 56 percent of the demand, according to Bump.

All three ColorQ models are able to handle PostScript language
interpretation, along with automatic processing of multiple jobs.
Each print server includes Color Age's ColorVantage color
correction feature and built-in anti-aliasing for smoothing out
text and graphics.

The ColorQ 2000 and 3000 can also be purchased with "ColorQ
Calibrator with SpotMatch," an option that is designed to let non-
color experts calibrate and manage spot colors on the desktop.

The new ColorQ 1000 supports the Canon CLC 300/350 and CLC
500/550 digital color copiers. The ColorQ 2000 comes in an
edition for the Xerox 5775 SSE Digital Color Copier/Printer, as
well. The Color Q 1000 and 2000 are both scheduled to support
the Xerox MajestiK Color Series in the fourth quarter.

The ColorQ 1000, which is slated for availability in April, is
priced at $19,995 for the standard 32MB version. A PerforMAX I
upgrade to 64MB is priced at $5,000, and a PerforMAX II upgrade
from 64MB to 128MB at $7,500.

The ColorQ 3000, which is expected to ship in June, is priced at
$29,955 for the standard 64MB version. A PerforMAX upgrade to
128MB is also $7,500. The ColorQ Calibrator with SpotMatch
option is priced at $1,690.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940328/Reader Contact: ColorAge, 508-667-
8585; Press Contacts: Dodie Bump, ColorAge, 508-667-8585; Tim
Monroe, Sterling-Hager for ColorAge, 617-259-1400)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00016)

Japan - Itoh/Time-Warner/US West/Toshiba Cable TV Deal 03/28/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Japan's major conglomerate Chu
Itoh Trading plans to start a massive cable TV business in Japan
jointly with Time-Warner, US West, and Toshiba. These firms
and Time-Warner Entertainment Japan have already started a
feasibility study. C. Itoh expects to spend 40 billion yen ($400
million) to start the nationwide cable TV broadcasting network
as early as next year.

C. Itoh has already been talking with Time-Warner and US West
concerning the cable TV broadcasting in Japan. To start, it is
expected that Time-Warner and US West will participate in Itoh's
local cable TV network, which is currently operated in Tokyo.

Then, the firms will set up cable TV broadcasting centers at about
10 locations throughout Japan. The actual locations have not yet
been decided. It is expected that each cable TV center will aim to
gain about 200,000 subscribers. C. Itoh has already been sounding
out local firms to participate in each cable TV center.

The cable TV network will be designed by Time-Warner. US West
will provide technologies concerning multimedia phone and
"video-on-demand" service through these cable TV networks.
Toshiba will supply the hardware for the networks.

Itoh will reportedly decide on the actual locations of the cable
TV centers by the end of May. The firm will apply for cable TV
business approval at the Japanese Ministry of Posts &
Telecommunication by end of the year.

The relationship among C. Itoh, Toshiba and Time-Warner is
already established, as Itoh and Toshiba both invested
$500 million in Time-Warner in 1992.

The cable TV business is expected to become more competitive
in Japan over the next couple of years. Other large firms, including
Mitsui Bussan, Mitsubishi Trading, and Sumitomo Trading, also have
plans for cable television. Among others, Sumitomo is preparing
for a massive project with Telecommunications Inc.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940328/Press Contact: C. Itoh,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00017)

Japan - Microsoft & ASCII In Windows NT Joint Venture 03/28/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Microsoft and ASCII have
officially agreed that they will create a joint venture firm
for Microsoft's new Windows NT operating system in Japan.

The new firm, called "ASCII Network Technologies," will begin
in April. Microsoft's Chairman Bill Gates announced the joint
venture while in Tokyo recently.

ASCII Network Technologies will be capitalized with
500 million yen ($5 million), which will be shared 80 percent
by ASCII and 20 percent by Microsoft. ASCII's Nishi will assume
the presidency of the new firm, which will market NT, released
in Japan in January.

More firms are expected to participate in the firm later. Such
firms as NTT Data Communications, CSK, Nomura Research
Institute, and Japan Kogyo Bank have reportedly already been
approached.

Sales of Windows NT have been relatively slow in Japan since
its release early this year. So far, about 10,000 units of the
program have been sold in Japan -- far below the targeted
75,000 units.

In order to increase sales to large firms, Microsoft, Tokyo,
has teamed with 31 major data processing firms concerning
sales dealerships of Windows NT.

Microsoft's Chairman Bill Gates and ASCII's President Kazuhiko
Nishi parted when Microsoft set up its own Japanese office in
Tokyo in 1986.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940328/Press Contact: ASCII,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00018)

Netherlands - Tulip Computers Pulls Back Into Black 03/28/94
DEN BOSCHE, NETHERLANDS, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Tulip
Computers NV, the Dutch computer firm, has returned to
profitability during financial year 1993, but has warned that
falling profitability in the PC hardware business may adversely
affect profits overall.

According to Robert Romein, the company's president, 1993 gross
profits as a percentage of sales were 30.4 percent, but are likely
to fall to around 25 percent during the next few years.

"Over the last one and a half years our profit margin has come off
14 percent. It is likely we will see margins dip below 25 percent in
the coming years. For 1994, I think our profit margins will only
decline one or two percent," he said.

Romein said that Tulip wants to increase its PC sales by the simple
expedient of pursuing new retail channels, such as the small office-
home office (SOHO) market that companies such as Dell have entered.

Romein refused to predict 1994 profits claiming that, while the
company's sales and profits are on target, variables such as
currency exchange rates and interest rates generally could affect
any projects he made one way or the other.

During 1993, Tulip made reported net profits of $2.6 million on a
turnover of $197 million, compared with a loss of $7.7 million on
a turnover of $167 million reported in 1992. The 1992 loss was the
first in the company's history, Newsbytes notes, and spurred Tulip
to trim operating cuts down by 15 percent ($9.5 million) during
1993.

Romein said that he plans to continue looking for ways to cut
operating costs, as well as increasing sales of computer hardware.
During 1993, Tulip managed to increase its sales by around 34
percent in unit terms, but the fall in PC prices meant that turnover
rose by just 15 percent.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940328/Press & Public Contact: Tulip
Computers, 44-293-562323)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00019)

Hungary - First Digital Mobile Phone Net Launched 03/28/94
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Pannon GSM, a private
Hungarian telecommunications company, has announced the country's
first digital mobile telephone network. Initially, the service will
operate in and around Budapest, although service will be gradually
rolled out to all of Hungary.

According to Pannon GSM, the service will work to the global system
for mobile (GSM) telephony, a standard that is being adopted by most
of the world's telecoms authorities, excluding the US, which has
created two of its own standards.

The advantage of GSM is that the intelligence of the phone is held
in the subscriber identity module (SIM), a smart card about the same
size as a credit card that can be moved between phones. Since the
card is associated with the phone number, moving the card between
phones moves the number as well.

Inter-network GSM agreements mean that the various GSM networks
in Europe, as well as the Far East and Australasia, have high-speed
network links. Roaming agreements are becoming commonplace,
meaning that a subscriber on one network can make and receive
calls on another country network as if they were a subscriber to
that distant network.

The opening of the Pancomm network means that Hungary is the first
former-Eastern Bloc country to have its own GSM network, although
other networks are in the process of being built in Czechoslovakia
and Poland, Newsbytes understands. Pancomm claims that it will
have most of the Hungarian motorway and "A" routes covered by its
network by the end of this year, with 70 percent national coverage
by the end of 1996.

Pannon is a joint venture between Nortelinvest (Norway), Telecom
Denmark, Telecom Netherlands, Telecom Finland, Telia International
(Sweden), and four Hungarian companies -- Antenna Hungary, MOL
Retva, Videoton and Wallis International.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940328/Press & Public Contact: Pancomm GSM,
36-1-269-6959


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00020)

Spain - Toshiba Opens First Business Center In Madrid 03/28/94
MADRID, SPAIN, MAR 28 (NB) -- Toshiba Espana, the Spanish
operation of Toshiba Business Systems, has announced the
opening of its first "Toshiba Business Center" in Madrid.

Business Centers are not uncommon in the US and UK markets,
Newsbytes notes, and vary from being wholly operated by Toshiba
to joint venture operations with new and existing resellers in
the PC marketplace.

The Madrid operation, Newsbytes understands, is a wholly-owned
division of Toshiba Espana, and aims to demonstrate, as well as
sell, Toshiba's range of products into the commercial, industrial
and service industries of Spain.

Toshiba is also in discussions with a number of existing vendors of
its hardware in Spain, with a view towards opening a joint venture
business center, assuming that the Madrid operation is a success.

(Steve Gold/19940328/Press & Public Contact: Toshiba Espana,
34-1-402-3159)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00021)

Cebit - AT&T, IBM Predict European Recession End 03/28/94
HANOVER, GERMANY, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- As the Cebit Computer
Faire wound to a close after its seven day run recently, AT&T and
IBM gave a series of interviews as to how they see the European
technology marketplace proceeding over the next few years.

Perhaps surprisingly for such large companies, neither firm sees
the recession as lasting much longer. Both say they expect that
sales and profits will improve over the coming months, and that
the recession is at an end.

According to Dan Hesse, president of AT&T's Network Systems
International (NSI) operation in Europe, the telecoms marketplace
will see a surge of new investors as new buyers of services come
into the market.

This will, he predicted, mean a boom time for AT&T, which is a
hardware supplier as well as a service supplier in the telecoms
arena. "Our goal is to have roughly a 20 percent share of the market
in Europe in less than 10 years," he told reporters at Cebit.

Edmund Hug, IBM Germany's chairman, meanwhile, said that he
expects the German operation of BIg Blue to return to profitability
during the 1994/95 financial year, after seeing red ink stain its
balance sheet in the last two years.

Hug said that trading conditions in 1993/94 were very positive and
that the company would have made a profit in Germany, were it not
for the costs of restructuring, which involved laying off around
6,000 staff in the three year period. He said that, after absorbing
the losses in 1993/94, despite the fact that the layoffs will
continue in 1994/95 and 1995/96, IBM Deutschland will return to
profitability.

(Steve Gold/19940328)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LON)(00022)

UK - TIS Software Offers Global Apps On Apple Servers 03/28/94
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- TIS
Software, the Misys subsidiary, has announced the availability of
Global Business Applications (GBAs) on Apple workgroup servers.

According to Mike Preston, TIS Software's global business director,
the company's Global System Manager for Unix, which already runs
on SCO, AIX, HP-UX, RISC operation systems, SunOS, DRS/NX and
Motorola platforms, has been ported to Apple's A/UX environment.

As a result, the Global 2000 and 3000 business software ranges
and more than 200 vertical market applications which link them,
are available on Apple workgroup servers.

Preston said that the company expects to attract a number of new
users as a result of the software port and sees a considerable
market potential for the product as a whole.

"With the PowerPC chip coming on stream and Taligent gaining solid
industry backing, the workgroup servers are clearly a strategic
product line for Apple. From the user's viewpoint, what's been
lacking up until now has been serious accounting software --
applications that offer the high end functionality larger companies
need, but to which resellers can add value via tailoring and
industry specific bespoking," he said. "Now that Global 3000 is
available on Apple, that critical gap has been filled and Apple
users have a business accounting solution they can adopt with
confidence."

Preston said that TIS has had a large number of enquiries as to when
Global 3000 would be available on the Apple Mac. "There seem to be
an awful lot of companies out there who want to stick with Apple-
only buying policies but need accounting solutions this year. They
like what they've heard about Global 3000 and see our applications
running on Apple hardware as a dream ticket," he said.

First released in 1991, Global 3000 is one of three ranges of
accounts and distribution software produced by TIS Software. The
package is written using Speedbase, a fourth generation language,
and the complete source code is available.

The company claims that the source code allows users to build
"solutions" that combine the cost-effectiveness and reliability of
packaged software with the individual functionality of bespoke
applications.

(Steve Gold/19940328/Press & Public Contact: TIS Software,
44-628-532565)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LON)(00023)

UK - WordPerfect Reveals More About Envoy 03/28/94
ADDLESTONE, SURREY, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- WordPerfect UK has
unveiled Envoy, an electronic portable document publishing tool.
The UK unveiling of the technology follows on from the
demonstrations of the software at Seybold last week in the US.

WordPerfect Envoy consists of three general components: a
printer driver for creating portable files from any Apple Mac or
PC Windows application; a viewing application for viewing,
manipulating, annotating or printing WordPerfect Envoy files;
and a run time file, which can be embedded with an Envoy file
to allow it to be viewed by another users with Envoy being
present.

Like Adobe Acrobat, no licensing is required for the run time file,
meaning that copies of files can be freely passed along, subject
only to the whim of the creator.

WP Envoy is expected to ship in the second quarter of this year and,
according to officials with WordPerfect, is several steps beyond
competing portable document technologies.

"WordPerfect Envoy achieves a balance that has been lacking in
previous portable document products," claimed David Harkness,
director of electronic publishing tools with WordPerfect. "The
product combines the document fidelity and scalable fonts of
current high-end solutions with the minimal system requirements
and ease of distribution of the low end. It also provides smaller
file sizes, faster performance and a wider variety of annotation
capabilities than any competing product."

According to a spokesman for WordPerfect, Envoy was created by
Tumbleweed Software Corp., a software company in Redwood,
California. WordPerfect has licensed the technology from
Tumbleweed.

Some critics claim that WordPerfect is late in the market with
its portable file technology. However, according to the company,
the market is still wide open and Envoy is better than the
competition because, despite the scalability of Envoy files, the
typical file size is around half that of competing software.

In use, Envoy allows users to view thumbnail images of pages
instantly. This facility, WP claims, allows users to navigate and
display the image as a whole at any zoom level. Furthermore, WP
officials have noted, Envoy thumbnail images are drawn from the
existing file, rather than requiring a separate file as in the case
of the competition.

"Since thumbnails are live, annotations such as text, notes and
highlights appear in the thumbnail view as they are added,"
explained a spokesman for WordPerfect.

WordPerfect has issued a software developer's kit (SDK) to allow
third-party software publishers to develop their own user interface
kit to the Envoy system for their own software. Officials with WP
have admitted, however, that the standalone WP Envoy viewer can be
accessed using Windows dynamic data exchange (DDE) and Apple
Events. The company claims, however, that the low-level SDK is the
best way of accessing and controlling the WP Envoy technology.

WP Envoy requires 500 kilobytes (KB) of Windows memory or 800KB
on the Apple Mac, as well as a megabyte (MB) of disk storage space
on either machine. WP claims that the disk storage requirements
are around a third of that needed by the competition, which
typically require around 2MB of PC Windows memory to run in.

(Steve Gold/19940328/Press & Public Contact: WordPerfect UK,
44-932-850500)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00024)

 ****AEA Backs Limits To Shareholder Suits 03/28/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A, 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- The American
Electronics Association is supporting legislation that would
curtail a blizzard of shareholder suits that have struck the
high-tech industry in recent years.

"It's literally high-tech ambulance chasing," AEA Senior Vice
President John Mancini told Newsbytes. "You watch for a 10
percent drop in share price, then search the databases for
everything any company executive might every have said, and
you've got a lawsuit."

"By and large, these lawsuits are not brought by investors," says
Mancini, "but by slick attorneys who know how to take advantage
of the legal system -- all at the expense of the high tech industry.
In simple terms, there's a lot of legalized extortion going on."

Mancini notes that volatile stock prices--common to young, high-
growth technology companies--often lead to the lawsuits. "These
suits often have no just cause," he says "and are filed solely
for the purpose of extracting settlements from corporations. The
plaintiffs are usually investors who own only a few shares in the
defendant corporation."

According to Mancini, 95 percent of the suits are settled out of
court and the average settlement is $8 million. "Most companies
settle," he says, "regardless of their merits, because they can't
afford the risk, expense, and distraction of a jury trial. For a
lot of these companies, going to trial before a jury is literally
betting the company" on the outcome.

During the last five years, one out of every eight corporations
traded on the New York Stock Exchange has been sued for securities
fraud, and at least one-third of the top 100 public companies in
Silicon Valley have been sued for securities fraud, according to
the AEA.

"Unless you believe that fraud on a massive scale is going on in
thousands of companies, something is clearly wrong with the
current system," says Mancini. "High technology companies are
disproportionately becoming targets of this litigation because of
greater-than-average stock volatility."

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of a securities subcommittee,
has introduced a bill to make it harder to bring frivolous suits,
while permitting legitimate litigation. But Dodd backed away
from what many believe is the most effective remedy--the
British system which imposes all costs on the loser of the suit.

"The politics of the situation," said Mancini, "is that you are
dealing with the trial lawyers and that is dynamite." The Trial
Lawyers Association is considered by many to be one of the
toughest lobbying groups in Washington and has consistently
defeated attempts at federal tort reform in the past.

The Dodd bill would end the doctrine of "joint and several
liability," which holds all defendants equally liable for
damage, replacing it with proportional liability so that those
responsible for harm would pay the greatest damages. The
legislation would also require investors to hold a minimum of
$10,000 worth, or one percent of the securities at issue, to have
standing to sue.

A similar measure has been introduced in the House by Rep. W.J.
"Billy" Tauzin (D-La.), but the key to passage in the House is
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee. Dingell has said he likes the idea of limiting
frivolous suits, but he has not endorsed any specific bill.

"These reforms will not restrict or limit private actions where
investors have, in fact, been defrauded," says Mancini. "Rather,
reform is needed to restrict the frivolous and meritless suits
which deleteriously affect most publicly traded high tech
companies."

(Kennedy Maize/19940328/Press Contact: Ramona Gann, 202-
682-4443, or John Mancini, 202-682-4452, both of the AEA)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00025)

 ****SPA - Software Piracy Losses Hit $7.45 Billion 03/28/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Worldwide losses
to software piracy in 1993 totalled $7.45 billion, according to an
estimate by the Software Publishers Association. The good news
is that the figure is down from $9.7 billion in 1992.

The revenue loss reflects only the loses to the software
industry. It does not include revenues lost to distribution
channels, or lost to governments which impose sales or value-
added taxes.

Western countries lead the world in the size of revenues lost in
1993. The United States had the largest dollar loss, at $1.57
billion. Japan, at $650 million, was in second place, followed by
France, with $435 million.

Although the West led in the size of the loss in 1993, the piracy
rates in the emerging economies far exceeded those in most of the
industrialized world. India/Pakistan had the highest piracy rate,
at 95 percent, with Korea and Brazil at 89 percent, Malaysia at
88 percent, and Taiwan and Mexico at 82 percent in 1993.

Italy showed dramatic improvements in 1993, as the piracy rate
fell from 86 percent in 1992 to 61 percent in 1993. That is
because the Italian government last year mounted a crack down on
illegal copying because of the lost VAT revenues, SPA researcher
David Tremblay told Newsbytes. "Once they got their program in
place," he said, "we saw software sales go up dramatically in
Italy."

In most markets where 1992 and 1993 data were available, says
the SPA, both the rate of piracy and the revenues lost to piracy fell
between 1992 and 1993. SPA attributes some of the decline in
revenues loss to the 25 to 45 percent decline in average prices
for business applications in most markets.

SPA says that despite the decline in total revenue loss to
piracy, the total number of applications pirated actually
increased by about 1.5 percent in 1993. But that was below
the industry's overall unit sales growth of about 37 percent.
"To put our industry's losses in perspective, the United States'
sales of recorded music totaled $9 billion in 1992," said
Tremblay.

How does one come up with these figures? It takes a bit of
data teasing, says Tremblay. "It's like the government estimate
of the value of cocaine sales in the US," he said. "We look at
the number of PCs sold in a country and the number of software
packages sold and, based on a study by Infocorp on what
applications the average PC has on it, we make the calculation."

(Kennedy Maize/19940328/Press Contact: David Tremblay, SPA,
202-452-1600 ext 317)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00026)

Wordperfect Ships WP 6.0 For DOS Development Kit 03/28/94
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corp., has
announced the availability of a software developer kit (SDK) for
its Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS word processing program.

The SDK includes: Wordperfect's DOS Open Application Programming
Interface (DOAPI); Launcher Interface; Quickfinder Interface;
Graphic Device Driver Interface; and documentation on Coaches.
The kit is designed to enable developers to integrate their
applications into Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS products.

"The benefits extend directly to DOS end users, who will have use
of familiar Wordperfect menus and commands in applications
designed by other developers," said Ed Shropshire, product
marketing manager for Wordperfect developer tools.

The company says the tools in the SDK facilitate better memory
management and enhanced functionality for developing third party
applications. Developers can write applications to enhance, change
or block the Wordperfect commands.

The Launcher Interface allows developers to swap different
applications in and out of extended, expanded, or disk memory. It
also has a small program size designed to make more memory
available.

The Coaches documentation enables developers to write customized
Coaches, or online help. one of the examples of Coaches cited by
Wordperfect is the integration of company training materials
into Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS.

The SDK is priced at US$149 and C$179, and is being marketed
through the Working With Wordperfect group, a Wordperfect
organization created to built strategic partnerships with
developers and encourage integration with Wordperfect
products.  The company says there are currently more than 800
participants in the program.

(Jim Mallory/19940328/Press Contact: Deborah Hendrickson,
Wordperfect Corporation, 801-228-5022; Reader Contact:
Wordperfect, tel [phone] or 801-225-5000,
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00027)

 ****Commodore In Financial Trouble 03/28/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Commodore
International Ltd., has reported an $8.2 million loss in its
second quarter and admitted it is at risk of financial collapse.

A statement from Commodore said the computer maker, once one of
the PC industry's leaders, is trying to negotiate a restructuring
plan with creditors. "The Company continues to suffer from
inadequate liquidity and there can be no assurance that the
company can attract additional financial resources and complete a
successful restructuring," said the statement. "In the absence of
additional resources and a restructuring, the company may become
subject to reorganization or other liquidation proceedings."

A subsidiary, Commodore Business Machines (Australia), of Sydney,
was placed in liquidation early in March, with total debts in the
neighborhood of AUS$3 million (about US$2 million).

In December, the Canadian subsidiary, Commodore Business Machines
Ltd. of Toronto, turned over commercial sales and marketing of
its Intel-based PC line to a Toronto-area company, 3D
Microcomputers Wholesale and Distribution (Canada) Inc.
Subsidiary President Doug MacGregor said the company was finding
it hard to compete in the Intel-based PC market and wanted to
concentrate on its proprietary Amiga line and its CD32 game
machine. He said similar moves were being made by other
Commodore subsidiaries.

Commodore's CD-TV, a home entertainment device built around
compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and the works of an Amiga
computer, did poorly in the market. The company has been hoping
the newer CD32 would make a better showing.

However, Commodore International's statement said poor economic
conditions and a weak game market have hurt sales of the CD32,
while the company's financial problems have constrained sales of
all its products in the past quarter. Sales of the Amiga 1200
computer strengthened, officials said.

Commodore's quarterly loss is actually smaller than in the
corresponding period last year, but sales have also dropped
substantially.

In the quarter ended December 31, Commodore lost $8.2 million, or
25 cents per share, on sales of $70.1 million. This compares with
a net loss of $77.2 million, or $2.33 per share, on sales of
$237.7 million in the second quarter last year.

In the six months ended December 31, the company reported a
$17.9 million or 54 cents-per-share net loss on sales of $152.7
million. In the first half of last year, Commodore lost $96.0
million, or $2.90 per share, on sales of $396.3 million.

In footnotes to its quarterly financial statements, Commodore
noted that it is in non-compliance with note agreements on $33
million in senior notes held by two institutional lenders, and a
waiver from the lenders expired January 31.

The company also said some suppliers have limited its credit and
begun legal action.

A company controlled by Commodore's chairman, Irving Gould, has
loaned $7.5 million to the company and advanced another $9.9
million to buy components used in producing Commodore products.
The $7.5 million loan is secured by accounts receivable and
inventory, officials said, and the $9.9 million advance has led
to added secured indebtedness to the chairman's company.

(Grant Buckler/19940328/Press Contact: Hock Tan, Commodore,
215-431-9100)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00028)

Bull Sets Up PowerPC Unit 03/28/94
BILLERICA, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Groupe Bull
has announced a worldwide organization to promote its symmetrical
multiprocessing (SMP) systems based on the PowerPC technology
developed by IBM, Apple Computer inc., and Motorola Corp.

The new OEM Sales Division within Bull's Unix Systems Group will
sell technologies and services to original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs), which are other computer manufacturers who incorporate
Bull's products into their own. Offerings will include component
licenses, services, and complete SMP systems.

Bull is developing a line of PowerPC-based SMP systems in
cooperation with IBM. Bruce MacDonald, a spokesman for Bull, told
Newsbytes the target date for delivering these machines is not
being revealed yet.

More than 1,500 Bull engineers are working on Unix software and
hardware development in Europe and the United States, the company
said. Bull also claims to have registered 1,500 patents related
to this work.

The company also said it will offer its experience in network
technologies to the OEM market through the new group. Assorted
products will be available for licensing, for systems using Unix,
Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT, and other operating systems, Bull
said.

(Grant Buckler/19940328/Press Contact: Bruce MacDonald, Bull
HN Information Systems, 508-294-6602)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00029)

Power Mac RISC Dev't Kit, 3rd Party Tools Intro'd 03/28/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- Apple Computer
has announced the beta release of the Software Developers Kit
(SDK) for the Power Macintosh, the Macintosh on reduced
instruction-set computing (RISC) SDK. In addition, the company
announced a number of programmer tool kits for the Power
Macintosh and said it will offer some of the tools via its own
catalog.

The SDK offers the tools and documentation needed to create new
applications or move existing applications built with the
programming language C or C++ to the Power Macintosh. While
existing applications will run on the Power Mac, they must run in
emulation mode, which adds a layer of tasks for the computer, and
consequently slows down performance. Applications that do not
require the emulation are said to be native. Some of the third
party tools announced are aimed at translating existing
applications as well.

Ike Nassi, vice president of the Development Products Group for
Apple's Applesoft division said: "The beta release of the
Macintosh on RISC SDK is an important milestone in the delivery
of the Power Macintosh since it marks the wide availability of
tools that can be used to build shipping versions of Power
Macintosh applications."

Launched early March, the Power Macintosh -- based on the new RISC
PowerPC chip developed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola -- had 20
applications available to run in native mode. Another 50
applications were announced for availability within 30 days.
However, there are thousands of applications that run native for
the Intel Pentium platform, a share of the market Apple is hungry
to take.

The Apple Programmers and Developers' Association (APDA) is
charging $399 for the beta Macintosh on RISC SDK and promises
purchasers will receive any interim releases up to and including
the final release. A free catalog of development tools is also
available by calling APDA.

The Macintosh on RISC SDK will also be available as part of
Apple's Essentials, Tools, and Objects (E-T-O) product beginning
with the next issue, the company said. International developers
are being encouraged to contact their Apple or APDA office for
local pricing and availability.

APDA also carries a number of third party tools which are being
announced. Some of these third party developer products include:
Codewarrior, a native Power Macintosh development environment for
C, C++, and Pascal available from Metrowerks. Symantec announced
a Power Macintosh cross development kit for porting Symantec C++
applications to the Power Macintosh. The Absoft FORTRAN 77SDK for
Power Macintosh and the Absoft C/C++ SDK for Power Macintosh,
have been announced but are scheduled to ship from Absoft
Corporation within 30 days. Language Systems is also expected to
ship its Fortran and Object Pascal compilers for the Power
Macintosh within 60 days.

A relational database engine for use with Pascal and C or C++,
Inside Out II, is also expected to ship from Sierra Software
Innovations within 60 days. Further, Quasar Knowledge Systems
announced Smalltalk Agents for Power Macintosh for authoring
applications and agents using Smalltalk and scheduled for release
in the second quarter of 1994.

Object Master for Power Macintosh, an integrated programming
environment for Pascal, C, and C++, is available now from ACI US.
Appmaker, a tool for building user interfaces on the Power
Macintosh is available from Bowers Development and Bbedit, a
programmer's editor, is available from Bare-Bones Software. In
addition, Prograph CPX, an object-oriented application
development environment, was announced from Prograph
International.

For translating existing 680x0 Macintosh applications to the
Power Macintosh, AT&T has announced Flashport Translation
services, which use a binary-to-binary translation technology to
do the conversion. Microapl Limited also announced the immediate
availability of Portasm, a 680x0 to PowerPC assembly language
translator. The Debugger V2 & Macnosy, high-level and low-level
debugger for 680x0 and Power Macintosh applications from Jasik
Designs, offer code coverage analysis, incremental linking, and
global disassembly.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940328/Press Contact: Emilio Robles, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Apple Programmers
and Developers' Association Tools Catalog, US 800-282-2732,
Canada 800-637-0029, International 716-871-6555; Metrowerks,
514-747-5999; Symantec, 408-253-9600; Absoft Corporation,
313-853-0050; Language Systems Corporation, 800-2-LANGSYS;
Sierra Software Innovations, 702-832-0300; Quasar Knowledge
Systems, 301-530-4853; ACI, 408-252-4444; Bowers Development,
408-369-8175; Bare-Bones Software, 508-651-3561; AT&T Bell
Laboratories, 908-946-1140; Microapl Limited, (UK) 44-7-1922-
8866; Jasik Designs, 415-322-1386)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00030)

 ****Stack, Microsoft Block Shipment Of Other's Products 03/28/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- In the latest
round of their ongoing dispute Stac Electronics and Microsoft
Corp. have each asked a federal court to block the shipment
of the other company's products.

Stac says it is seeking to block further shipments of Microsoft's
MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.2 that contain the Doublespace disk compression
system. A jury ruled recently that Doublespace infringes on a Stac
patent and ordered Microsoft to pay Stac $120 million. Stac
produces Stacker, a data compression program.

Microsoft's sealed request apparently asks the court to stop
shipment of Stac's Stacker 3.1 and 4.0, although Microsoft
spokesperson Collins Hemingway would only say "We have moved for
an injunction against Stac's further use of our trade secrets." The
same jury ruled that Stac had misappropriated a Microsoft trade
secret in creating Stacker. Hemingway told Newsbytes the judge has
given both parties until April 1 to respond to the filings. "We're
not sure if the judge will hold a hearing or just write an order."

If both injunctions are granted, it appears that Stac Electronics
would probably be the loser in this round of the war. Stacker is
the company's flagship product, while Microsoft offerings include
Windows, Word, Excel and other software.

However, John Bromhead, Stac Electronics marketing VP, told
Newsbytes it is his understanding that the injunction, if granted,
would only apply to the pre-load feature of Stacker. "We would
just ship a version of Stacker without the pre-load feature," he said.

Hemingway told Newsbytes that Microsoft started shipping MS-DOS
6.21 to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) about two weeks
ago. That is the MS-DOS version that does not include Doublespace.
He speculated that the purpose of the Stac suit might be to preclude
the resumption of shipments of MS-DOS with Doublespace. "I guess if
you were a Stac lawyer you could take the position that we pulled
it voluntarily and we could put in back on voluntarily."

Bromhead told Newsbytes the purpose of the injunction requested
by Stac is to make the injunction against Doublespace permanent.
"We're just formalizing the verdict."

(Jim Mallory/19940328/Press contact: Collins Hemingway,
Microsoft Corporation, 206-882-8080 or 800-426-9400, Gary
Clow, Stac Electronics, 619-431-7474)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00031)

Newsbytes Daily Summary 03/28/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAR 28 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> UK - Ruggedized Handwriting Recog Portable Intro'd 03/28/94
Norand International has unveiled what it claims is the industry's
first "ruggedized" pen-based portable PC with handwriting recognition
software built in.

2 -> Cebit - SunRace/InnovACE Intros PC Notebooks 03/28/94
SunRace/InnovACE unveiled its new HyperBook 3000 series of notebook
computers  at the Cebit Computer Faire in Germany recently.

3 -> India - Advanced Training For Software Professionals 03/28/94
Software Technology Group  International Ltd. (STGIL) has been formed
in Delhi by STG Inc.,  an Authorized Microsoft Solution Provider based
in California, to  provide high-end training to software professionals
in India.

4 -> Australia's Hypertec Appoints US Manager 3/28/94 Australia PC
add-on  manufacturer Hypec has appointed a manager of North American
sales for its new office in Boston. She is Adrienne Lambert, a
five-year Hypertec staffer, most recently as national dealer  manager.

5 -> Correction - Compton's Multimedia Patent Overturned 03/28/94 On
March 25, Newsbytes reported that Compton's was issued its multimedia
patent number 5,241,671 in August, 1992. That date is incorrect.  The
patent was issued in August, 1993.

6 -> Zenith, AER To Collaborate On All-day Portables Battery 03/28/94
Zenith Data Systems and AER Energy Resources Inc., have announced an
agreement to  develop a battery that will power portable computers for
a full  work day between recharges.

7 -> Great Plains Assumes Responsibility For Microsoft Profit 03/28/94
Accounting software publisher Great Plains Software has announced it
has reached an agreement with Microsoft Corp., that gives Great Plains
full responsibility for sales, marketing, and distribution of
Microsoft Profit.

8 -> Canadian Product Launch Update 03/28/94 This regular feature,
appearing every Monday or Tuesday, provides further details for the
Canadian market on announcements by international companies that
Newsbytes has already covered. This week: Hewlett-Packard's new
NetServers, Lotus' new support plans, Software Publishing's
Professional Write 3.0 for DOS, and Toshiba's T4800CT notebook
computer.

9 ->  ****IBM-BellSouth Delay Simon PDA 03/28/94 IBM is postponing
shipments of the Simon, a personal digital assistant (PDA) to be  sold
by BellSouth Cellular.

10 ->  ****Spectrum Changes Board/Executives 03/28/94 Spectrum
Information Technologies, the troubled wireless data technology
provider, cleaned house on its board and in its executive suite.

11 -> MCI Intros Worldphone Operator-Assisted Service 03/28/94 MCI has
announced  a new brand called WorldPhone for its international
operator- assisted calling.

12 -> AOL Faces New Stock Crisis 03/28/94 Rapid growth  and a hot
stock have combined to create a new crisis at America  OnLine, the
publicly-traded consumer online service.

13 -> Seybold - Publishing & Video Converge For Radius 03/28/94 In a
press conference at Seybold Boston, Radius rolled out a pair of new
products: VideoVision Telecast, a QuickTime-based system for the
emerging arena of digital video editing; and PrecisionColor
Display/21, a 21-inch color graphics monitor for Macintosh  Centris,
Quadra, AV, and Power Mac computers.

14 -> Seybold - Quark Demos QuarkXPress 3.3 For Power Mac 03/28/94 At
Seybold Boston '94, Quark released the Macintosh and Windows editions
of QuarkXPress 3.3, a version aimed at furthering cross-platform
compatibility for the widely used page layout software. Quark  also
demonstrated the recently announced native Power Mac edition of
QuarkXPress, a product to be shipped on a CD-ROM (compact disc - read
only memory) that will also include QuarkXPress libraries,
QuarkXTensions, and additional software.

15 -> Seybold - ColorAge Adds Print Servers For Macs/PCs 03/28/94 At
Seybold Boston '94, ColorAge extended the availability of its ColorQ
System print server for the Macs and PCs upwards, to corporate
environments with multiprotocol enterprise networks, and  downwards,
to smaller companies and quick-print shops on limited budgets.

16 -> Japan - Itoh/Time-Warner/US West/Toshiba Cable TV Deal 03/28/94
Japan's major conglomerate Chu Itoh Trading plans to start a massive
cable TV business in Japan jointly with Time-Warner, US West, and
Toshiba. These firms and Time-Warner Entertainment Japan have already
started a feasibility study. C. Itoh expects to spend 40 billion yen
($400  million) to start the nationwide cable TV broadcasting network
as early as next year.

17 -> Japan - Microsoft & ASCII In Windows NT Joint Venture 03/28/94
Microsoft and ASCII have officially agreed that they will create a
joint venture firm for Microsoft's new Windows NT operating system in
Japan.

18 -> Netherlands - Tulip Computers Pulls Back Into Black 03/28/94
Tulip  Computers NV, the Dutch computer firm, has returned to
profitability during financial year 1993, but has warned that  falling
profitability in the PC hardware business may adversely  affect
profits overall.

19 -> Hungary - First Digital Mobile Phone Net Launched 03/28/94
Pannon GSM, a private Hungarian telecommunications company, has
announced the country's  first digital mobile telephone network.
Initially, the service will operate in and around Budapest, although
service will be gradually rolled out to all of Hungary.

20 -> Spain - Toshiba Opens First Business Center In Madrid 03/28/94
Toshiba Espana, the Spanish  operation of Toshiba Business Systems,
has announced the  opening of its first "Toshiba Business Center" in
Madrid.

21 -> Cebit - AT&T, IBM Predict European Recession End 03/28/94 As the
Cebit Computer  Faire wound to a close after its seven day run
recently, AT&T and  IBM gave a series of interviews as to how they see
the European technology marketplace proceeding over the next few
years.

22 -> UK - TIS Software Offers Global Apps On Apple Servers 03/28/94
TIS  Software, the Misys subsidiary, has announced the availability of
Global Business Applications (GBAs) on Apple workgroup servers.

23 -> UK - WordPerfect Reveals More About Envoy 03/28/94 WordPerfect
UK has  unveiled Envoy, an electronic portable document publishing
tool.  The UK unveiling of the technology follows on from the
demonstrations of the software at Seybold last week in the US.

24 ->  ****AEA Backs Limits To Shareholder Suits 03/28/94 The American
Electronics Association is supporting legislation that would curtail a
blizzard of shareholder suits that have struck the high-tech industry
in recent years.

25 ->  ****SPA - Software Piracy Losses Hit $7.45 Billion 03/28/94
Worldwide losses  to software piracy in 1993 totalled $7.45 billion,
according to an estimate by the Software Publishers Association. The
good news  is that the figure is down from $9.7 billion in 1992.

26 -> Wordperfect Ships WP 6.0 For DOS Development Kit 03/28/94
Wordperfect Corp., has announced the availability of a software
developer kit (SDK) for its Wordperfect 6.0 for DOS word processing
program.

27 ->  ****Commodore In Financial Trouble 03/28/94 Commodore
International Ltd., has reported an $8.2 million loss in its second
quarter and admitted it is at risk of financial collapse.

28 -> Bull Sets Up PowerPC Unit 03/28/94 Groupe Bull has announced a
worldwide organization to promote its symmetrical multiprocessing
(SMP) systems based on the PowerPC technology developed by IBM, Apple
Computer inc., and Motorola Corp.

29 -> Power Mac RISC Dev't Kit, 3rd Party Tools Intro'd 03/28/94 Apple
Computer has announced the beta release of the Software Developers Kit
(SDK) for the Power Macintosh, the Macintosh on reduced
instruction-set computing (RISC) SDK. In addition, the company
announced a number of programmer tool kits for the Power Macintosh and
said it will offer some of the tools via its own catalog.

30 ->  ****Stack, Microsoft Block Shipment Of Other's Products
03/28/94 In the latest round of their ongoing dispute Stac Electronics
and Microsoft Corp. have each asked a federal court to block the
shipment of the other company's products.

(Ian Stokell/19940328)