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/nb042594

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(TOR)(00001)

Microsoft Canada To Aid Young Learners 04/25/94
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Microsoft Canada has
announced plans to give C$250,000 a year in software and cash
donations to charitable programs aimed at young people.

Microsoft employees have volunteered their time to run the KidReach
program, which will give out Microsoft software as well as cash
donations to help with the purchase of computer hardware to about 30
non-profit groups per year, Mary Bart, co-chair of the program, told
Newsbytes.

The software will be used for such purposes as word processing,
publishing newsletters, creating graphics and presentations, research
and studying, according to Microsoft.

Initial beneficiaries include the Kensington Youth Theatre and
Employment Skills (KYTES) center in Toronto, which works with street
youth, the Neil Squire Foundation in British Columbia, and St.
Stephen's Community Centre, Harbourfront Community Centre, Touchstone
Youth Centre, and Jessie's, all in Toronto.

To be eligible for the donations, organizations must have charitable
status and be able to show that the equipment will be used by people
18 years of age or under for learning and development. Microsoft said
it will give priority to children who might otherwise not have access
to computers.

Donations will be available to "every part of the country where there
are kids who through whatever circumstances don't have access to
technology," Bart said. She added that the KidReach organizers hope to
receive applications from rural and remote areas as well as the major
cities.

Microsoft has received many requests for donations in the past, and
has sporadically given to all kinds of groups, Bart said. The KidReach
program represents a decision to focus on a particular group that
seems to need help, she said.

(Grant Buckler/19940425/Press Contact: Sandra Palmaro, Microsoft
Canada, 905-568-0434 ext. 4337, fax [phone]; Eileen Chadnick,
Hill & Knowlton for Microsoft, 416-480-7309)


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

Mainframe Connectivity - Rumba for PC-NFS 04/25/94
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- The Unipalm Group, the PC
connectivity specialist software house, has announced it is shipping
Rumba for PC-NFS. The application will allow PC/Windows users to gain
access to mainframe applications without leaving the Windows
environment, the company claims.

Rumba is a popular connectivity package for Windows and has been
adapted for connectivity to several Unix environments, Newsbytes
notes. The release of the package for PC-NFS is the first time the
package has allowed interactivity with mainframe applications.

Despite the trend towards expensive software in the multiplatform
connectivity stakes, Unipalm is offering the package for UKP 220 in a
single user pack. The software has a number of features, including
dynamic data exchange (DDE) "hot links" for linking between a
mainframe application and a Windows app such as a spreadsheet, on a
continuous update and fast viewing, access and transfer basis.

Announcing the new version of the package, Steve Barnett, PC-NFS
product manager with Unipalm, said: "PC-NFS' key strength is the level
of mainframe and Unix integration that it offers. The launch of Rumba
for PC-NFS is the latest, and well timed, move to offer our customers
the fullest range of connectivity solutions. In an open world wide
ranging support is key."

So how does the package work? In use, the software allows mainframe
access via a Telnet server or TCP/IP gateway. It is billed a turning
host screens into fully formatted, multi-page reports and is claimed
to be easy to modify, wrap, scale, use clipping format options on. All
administration is carried out on a local or central network file
server basis, Newsbytes notes.

On the PC/Windows side, the software needs Windows 3.0 or later, DOS
3.1 or higher, PC-NFS 4.0 or higher and an EGA or better resolution
monitor.

(Steve Gold/19940425/Press & Public Contact: Unipalm - Tel: +44-223-
250100)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00003)

Omron Advanced OCR System For Handwriting 04/25/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 APR 15 (NB) -- Omron has developed what it claims
is a powerful handwritten letter recognition system. According to the
company, the OCR (optical character recognition) system makes
extensive use of "fuzzy logic" when it comes to recognizing letters.
Thanks to this, Omron claims that an accuracy rate of between 96 and
99 percent is possible using the software.

Specifically, Omron has made use of a fuzzy function known as fuzzy
membership. This means that the software, when it encounters a letter
with which it is unfamiliar, scales and assesses the curves in the
unknown character and places it into a specific group before attacking
the problem in earnest. Using this comparative approach allows the
software to spot characters much faster than normal and with a higher
accuracy rate, the company reports.

Omron claims that this approach has allowed its software to
recognize 99 percent of figures and 96 percent of the Japanese "kana"
alphabet.

What's interesting about the Omron system is that the company claims
that the software operates along similar lines to the human brain,
which company officials describe as efficient when it comes to
recognition, although operating along "vague" lines.

It's precisely this "vagueness" that programmers are keen to copy in
their OCR applications, Newsbytes notes. Most experts now agree that
human recognition appears vague because of the vast numbers of
routines that a character is put through in parallel with each other.
Although OCR software will never be able to mimic the "parallel
processing" of the human brain, programmers claim that they can reach
the same levels of accuracy using different programming approaches.

This different programming approach is known as the "Chaos Theory,"
and theorizes that no group of characters are ever truly random, but
are a set of logical progressions based on a specific set of formula.
While "random" groups of characters are beyond current programming
techniques, words do conform to a set number of characteristics and
it's precisely this approach that OCR programmers have set out to
explore with their new software.

Omron has extensive experience in OCR software techniques, Newsbytes
notes, and officials with the company say that their new OCR
technologies make extensive use of the Chaos Theory.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940425/Press Contact: Omron, +81-3-5488-
3253, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00004)

Hong Kong Hospital Authority Adopts Microsoft Access 04/25/94
CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- The Hong Kong Hospital
Authority has developed a new decision support tool using Microsoft
Access that enables management executives to get quick answers from
the Authority's statistical database.

Plans call for the Interim Management Information System (IMIS) ad-hoc
inquiry system to be serving hospital chief executives and
departmental general managers in 37 hospitals across the territory by
the end of the year

The new application replaces an arrangement whereby hospital
administrators had to send their inquiries to a central Information
services unit where staff use programming tools to query the database.

To allow administrators to navigate the database easily themselves,
the Hospital Authority's information technology (IT) division used
Microsoft Access to build an application with a graphical, easy
to use interface.

"The Adhoc enquiry system is designed to help hospitals manage
themselves through the use of statistical indicators. They can monitor
their own performance and also make comparisons with other hospitals,"
explained veteran IT professional John Tse, head of information
technology at the Hospital Authority.

"We gained experience with Microsoft Access by using it as a
consolidation tool for business planning last year. We realized that,
with its database connectivity, Access could be very useful for MIS
development and, through object linking and embedding, could be
integrated with other Windows applications," he said.

Running on 80486-based Windows PCs connected to the Hospital Authority
network, the Adhoc Inquiry System (AIS) communicates with a Sybase SQL
(structured query language) server running on an IBM RS/6000 Model 990
at the HA's Pamela Youde Hospital data center. The SQL Server contains
statistical data on medical activities, assets, finance and human
resources.

When IMIS first came on-line last year, the Hospital Authority's
operational information systems were not in place, so data was input
manually. The system now has an interface to the Integrated Patient
Administration System (IPAS) and the Hospital Authority's Human
Resources System (HRS) will come on-line in early 1995.

According to Tse, the whole system will become a fully fledged
executive information system (EIS) as more operational systems come
on-line. The plan is to integrate the Adhoc Inquiry system with other
elements of the Microsoft Office suite, taking advantage of the
consistent user interface, in order to build the front-end of the
future Hospital Authority EIS.

It took the IMIS development team three man-months to produce the
Adhoc Inquiry system. The resultant software is a  stand-alone
application -- users don't need a copy of Microsoft Access to run it.

In use, the software presents users with a highly intuitive, push
button and drag-and-drop interface that enables them to create complex
queries visually rather than having to memorize complicated syntax.

"We've built in a number of pre-defined reports but users can try out
different combinations of data in a `what-if' manner and develop their
own reports. Data can also be downloaded into a spreadsheet or word
processor for further report customization," said Tse.

"The application has been designed so that it can also be applied to
the management of individual departments within the hospital as they
become computerized," he added.

(Keith Cameron/19940425/Press Contact: Sasha Skinner, Microsoft - Tel:
[phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00005)

3Com Low Cost Hub, Bridging For Small Nets 04/25/94
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- 3Com Asia has announced what
it claims are two advances for small but growing networking customers
-- a re-engineered, 12-port LinkBuilder twisted-pair Ethernet hub, and
a low-cost, slide-in, Ethernet bridge module for 3Com stackable hubs.

With a list price of US$499 -- US$42 per port -- the new 3Com
LinkBuilder TP/12 is billed as the lowest cost offering from a major
hub vendor. According to 3Com, not only does the new hub provide a low
entry point to stand-alone networks, but it also gives users a growth
path for connecting local area network (LAN) segments. 3Com
expects it to appeal to small users.

"With our expertise in manufacturing and the increased volumes we're
seeing, we've been able to re-engineer and reduce the complexity of
these systems," explained Roy Johnson, managing director of 3Com Asia.

"The bottom line is that for a little more than a typical eight-port
hub, 3Com customers receive 50 percent more ports and the flexibility
to grow and segment their network," he said.

3Com's 13th port/option slot in the LinkBuilder TP/12 hub gives users
a growth path beyond entry-level functionality, 3Com claims. Using
this slot a user may connect to another network via the LinkBuilder
Bridge MicroModule or link directly to any other local area network
(LAN) via coaxial or fiber media.

The plug-and-play LinkBuilder Bridge MicroModule is a self-learning,
unmanaged IEEE 802.3 local bridge that fits into the transceiver
module slot of any LinkBuilder FMS stackable hub or LinkBuilder TP/12
unmanaged twisted-pair hub.

Designed for customers with small to mid-size Ethernet networks, the
module makes segmenting the network as easy as installing a single,
slide-in module. This enables customers to improve overall network
performance by isolating workgroup traffic from the main network
backbone, the company claims.

With a list price of US$750, the company claims that the LinkBuilder
Bridge MicroModule is less than half the price of systems with similar
functionality from Cabletron, and Hewlett-Packard.

(Keith Cameron/19940425/Press Contact: Roy Johnson, 3Com - Tel: +852-
868-9111)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00006)

Telix For Windows Enters Final Beta 04/25/94
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Telix, the popular
DOS PC communications package, is about to be released in a Windows
version, Newsbytes has learned. The shareware product has long been a
market leader, even against full commercial packages.

DeltaComm Development is now the producer of the software, which is
distributed through traditional shareware routes, as well as via
retail outlets on a pre-registered basis.

According to the company, Telix For Windows has several features which
are unique to the world of Windows communications products. The
package includes the RIPscrip graphics terminal emulation which allows
users of many online systems to interact graphically, using icons,
images, and graphics-based text.

Also included in the package's feature list are a graphics file (GIF)
viewer, a phone book manager, support for network communications,
upgraded versions of SALT and SIMPLE, the two Telix script languages,
as well as an integrated sound capacity to link Windows .WAV files
with system events.

Existing users of Telix are being invited to order their Windows
version now, although shipment won't be until June 15. In return they
will be provided with a beta version of the software immediately,
making them part of a very widespread evaluation team for the package.

(Paul Zucker/19940425)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00007)

CA Shipping Unicenter For AIX 04/25/94
ISLANDIA, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Computer Associates
International has announced it has begun shipping CA-Unicenter, its
systems management software, for IBM RISC System/6000 workstations and
servers running IBM's AIX variant of Unix.

IBM becomes the second vendor for whose hardware Unicenter is actually
shipping, following Hewlett-Packard. Unicenter has been available for
HP's Series 800 machines since last summer, and began shipping for its
Series 700 systems last month, Newsbytes notes.

Also in March, Computer Associates announced that IBM France would
sell Unicenter for AIX to its customers, as a complement to IBM's own
Netview systems management product. Netview and Unicenter both support
the simple network management protocol (SNMP), allowing them to
exchange information, explained Alan Paller, director of open systems
at CA.

Paller cited the example of Unicenter picking up security violations
and relaying warnings to Netview. He said that Unicenter's console
automation tools can act on alarms generated by Netview/6000, the
version of the Netview software for the RS/6000.

CA-Unicenter is billed as providing features such as security,
scheduling, tape backup, archive and restore, performance management,
and console automation. While shipping now for the HP and IBM
hardware, it is also in beta testing or development for Windows NT,
Novell NetWare, IBM's OS/2 and AS/400, and Unix systems from AT&T
Global Information Solutions (the former NCR), Data General, Hewlett-
Packard, IBM, ICL, Novell, Pyramid, Santa Cruz Operation, Sequent,
Siemens, Sun Microsystems, and Tandem.

(Grant Buckler/19940425/Press Contact: Bob Gordon, Computer
Associates, 516-342-2391, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00008)

UK - September Virtual Reality Show 04/25/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- The VR Centre has announced that
the second Virtual Reality (VR) User Show will be held in London on
13-15 September.

According to Peter Walker, head of the Fitzroy Company, a public
relations agency handling media questions about the event, the show
was launched last year as a business-to-business event. "Now we've got
all the games people wanting in on the show, so we're going for a
combined event at the Novotel Hotel in London," he told Newsbytes.

According to Walker, this year's event will greatly expand on last
year's, becoming a "three stream" affair, with each stream
concentrating on a main application for VR: design, entertainment
development, and medicine and surgery.

"Each stream will be marketed and run independently, but all delegates
will, of course, have access to all three streams of the exhibition.
The advantage for the exhibitor will be that they will be able to meet
a larger number of high quality attendees," explained Gerry Murray,
the VR Centre's managing director.

According to Murray, last year's VR User Show was judged to be an
enormous success, with more than 2,500 visitors attending the
exhibition over three days, making the event the best attended VR
event in Europe.

(Steve Gold/19940425/Press & Public Contact: The VR Centre - Tel: +44-
81-995-3632; Fax: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00009)

Intergraph Windows-based Electronic Document Mgmt 04/25/94
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Intergraph
Corporation showed off Document Management (DM) Solutions, its new
Windows-based electronic document management software at the
Association of Image and Information Management (AIIM) trade show in
New York recently.

According to the company, DM Solutions is a collection of programs to
perform tasks at specific points in the document workflow, such as
capture, management, view and markup. Each product can run alone or as
part of an integrated DM system for workgroups, departments, or the
complete enterprise. The DM products can also interact with other
applications such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Project. The various
packages in the range include:

[] DM/Manager -- keeps track of documents, performing location,
check in/out, copy and transition tasks.

[] DM/View -- enables viewing of multiple documents in diverse
formats. Supported formats include binary, paper, ASCII, raster,
word processing, computer-aided design (CAD), and fax files.

[] DM/Redline -- is a non-destructive markup tool that supplements
DM/View.

[] DM/Librarian -- performs document management tasks at the
workgroup level.

[] DM/Capture -- captures paper and electronic documents and
registers them to the DM/Manager or DM/Librarian database.
It can also produce an ASCII file.

Intergraph's Jean Barnes, marketing director for the Technical
Information Management division, said that users can purchase just the
DM products they need and add other modules later.

DM/Librarian made its debut at the AIIM show, as did Intergraph's
Plant Data Management Environment (PDME). The company says that PDME was
built using other DM products. It's a Windows 3.1-based application
designed specifically for the process industry.

Intergraph says that PDME facilitates regulatory compliance and
increases efficiency by providing users ready access to accurate up-
to-date information such as piping and instrumentation diagrams,
operating procedures, and material safety data sheets (MSDS).

The company says it plans additional DM products in the areas of
workflow management, security, and change management.

According to the company, a call to its toll-free number will get you
the name of the nearest distributor. An Intergraph spokesperson
explained the pricing structure for concurrent use of the various DM
products.

DM/Manager sells for $1,500; DM/View for $350; DM/Redline is $650 and
DM/Capture carries a $1,750 price tag. DM/Librarian is a two-segment
product. The server software, which includes the database and one
access license, is $1,500. An additional license for each user is
$300.

(Jim Mallory/19940425/Press contact: Shelley Redin, Intergraph, 205-
730-8805; Reader contact: Intergraph Corporation, 800-345-4856)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00010)

Intel To Hold Chess Match In Moscow 04/25/94
MOSCOW, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Intel is sponsoring a five-day
series of chess events in Moscow at the Kremlin. Called the Intel
World Class Grand Prix, the events are the first commercial
activities ever held in the Kremlin and the first professional
speed chess championship.

The Professional Chess Association (PCA) designed the tournament and
is delighted to get not only recognition of chess but support for
chess athletes, according to Intel representatives. Speed chess,
unlike traditional chess, has players compete in two 25-minute games
(with a five-minute "shootout" in the event of a tie). Well-known in
the chess-world Garry Kasparov, Mikey Adams, and Nigel Short are all
participating in the Moscow event.

Dennis Carter, vice president and general manager of Intel's Corporate
Marketing Group, said: "There is no better place in the world to
launch our international competition than in a city whose residents
truly love the sport of chess."

Computer industry professionals tend to have a higher interest in the
game as well, which is why the world's largest chipmaker chose chess
to sponsor, company representatives said.

Another Intel-sponsored speed chess tournament is planned in
conjunction with PC Expo at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in
New York City. In addition, a classic chess tournament is planned
for the week of June 6, just before PC Expo, to be held in Trump
Tower in Manhattan.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940425/Press Contact: Carleen LeVasseur,
Intel, tel [phone], fax [phone])


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

"Brainscan" Promotion On CompuServe 04/25/94
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Members of CompuServe are
being invited to meet "The Trickster," a special multimedia guide to
information about the newly released film, "Brainscan."

According to CompuServe, this guided tour offers special effects
information, stars' biographies, production details, and a trivia game
based on the presentation.

Triumph Releasing, producer of Brainscan, is one of the first movie
companies to take advantage of online promotion. Their new film
involves advanced computer technology, multimedia, virtual reality, and
murder and according to the company, is the perfect film to be
promoted online.

CompServe officials said that quiz participants are eligible for
tickets, autographed scripts, soundtrack CDs, and Brainscan
promotional, cardboard standees.

In other announcements, CompuServe has released two new mail drivers,
one for Microsoft mail and one for PowerTalk, as well as a new
interface for GEOS-based PDAs.

CompuServe has made the interface for graphical environment operating
system (GEOS)-based personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as the
Casio (Zoomer) Z-7000, available for downloading from the GO CISSOFT
command.

According to CompuServe, this new interface will facilitate the access
of news, stock quotes, weather, and CompuServe Mail. New scripts,
meanwhile, will allow members to log on from numerous locations around
the world. The $10 download fee is offset with a $10 usage credit to
the member account.

Also available from the same command are the two new mail drivers
announced by CompuServe which allow users of Microsoft Mail and
Apple's PowerTalk to access CompuServe Mail from those applications.
Users of those applications may now e-mail and file transfer throughout
CompuServe's global network of addresses, while remaining within their
familiar e-mail interface.

(Patrick McKenna/19940425/Press Contact: Debra Young, CompuServe, tel:
614-538-4553)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00012)

Claris Canada Names New Boss 04/25/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Claris Canada, the
Canadian unit of Apple Computer's software subsidiary, has appointed a
new managing director. Nora Hunt-Haft, formerly a senior account
manager with the firm, replaces Patrick Maloney, who is transferring
to the same position with Claris' Australian operation, a spokeswoman
told Newsbytes.

Hunt-Haft has been a senior account manager at Claris Canada since
1989. Before coming to Claris, she was education sales manager for
WestWorld Computers, an Apple dealership in Alberta. Maloney was the
first managing director of Claris Canada, and the subsidiary's first
employee when it opened in 1988.

According to Claris, Hunt-Haft's plans for the subsidiary include
new licensing and support options and a campaign to gain a larger
share of the Windows software market. The company also said it
has plans to launch more products aimed at consumers in the next
few months.

Claris Canada has 10 employees.

(Grant Buckler/19940425/Press Contact: Joan Wilson, Claris Canada,
416-941-9611, fax [phone]; Susan Taylor, Atkins & Ellis for
Claris, 416-368-6880/HUNTHAFT940425/PHOTO)


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

Canadian Product Launch Update 04/25/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 APR 25 (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: ClarisWorks 2.1 for
Macintosh and Hewlett-Packard's first 100VG-AnyLAN networking
products.

Claris Canada, of Toronto, announced ClarisWorks 2.1 for
PowerMacintosh (Newsbytes, March 14). A new version of the company's
integrated software package meant for new Macintoshes using the
PowerPC chips, the software will ship in the same box as ClarisWorks
2.1 for Macintosh (for older Macintoshes using Motorola 680x0
processors) within 60 days with a suggested retail price of C$349, the
company said.

Hewlett-Packard (Canada), of Mississauga, Ontario, announced what it
claims are the first 100VG-AnyLAN networking products (Newsbytes,
April 19). They include a 15-port 100VG-AnyLAN hub and selectable 10-
megabit adapter cards that support both 10BaseT and 100-megabit 100VG
local-area networks (LANs).

The first products announced support Ethernet networks and are
expected to be available by August 1. Products that support both
Ethernet and Token Ring networks are expected in early 1995, the
company said. The products include: the HP AdvanceStack 100VG Hub15,
at C$5,325; the 100VG Bridge/SNMP Module, at C$2,123; and the 10/100VG
selectable ISA and EISA LAN adapters at C$566 and C$850 respectively.

(Grant Buckler/19940425/Press Contact: Joan Wilson, Claris
Canada, 416-941-9611, fax [phone]; Susan Taylor, Atkins &
Ellis for Claris, 416-368-6880; Martha Terdik, HP Canada,
905-206-3311)


(NEWS)(UNIX)(HKG)(00014)

Hongkong - Hutchison Paging Chooses SAS Institute 04/25/94
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 25 (NB) --Hutchison Paging has turned to
the SAS Institute for an executive information system as part of a
major change in computing strategy. By using SAS/EIS and SAS/GRAPH
software to analyze its half a million customer records, Hutchison
Paging claims it can generate customized reports in a fraction of the
time taken by its previous system.

As a self-proclaimed market leader in Hong Kong's pioneering
telecommunications industry, Hutchison receives and processes
approximately 1.3 million paging and CT2 telephone calls per day. This
amounts to approximately 40 million individual records each month that
are the core data for mission critical information, such as call
traffic, customer details, pricing, model and product usage,
and revenue.

The SAS/EIS software will eventually read this information directly
from a paging and CT2 integrated billing system, and deliver
management data to several departments on a client-server network.

"We intend to run a suite of SAS applications on a Sun SPARCserver as
a fully developed, graphically presented EIS (executive information
software), replace our current proprietary systems and eventually
integrate our soon to be developed Unix-based billing system,"
explained Nancy Ng, Business Analyst at Hutchison Paging. "The network
will then serve several departments, including finance, marketing,
pager maintenance and customer services," she added.

According to Ng, one of the main reasons for buying SAS is "the ease
with which it handles multiple data types. It is a powerful,
multivendor system that will port easily to any future hardware
platform as our IT strategy evolves."

"Once it is fully operational it will streamline our operations,
saving time and money, and deliver timely, business-critical
information to our managers," she said.

Previously, most statistical management reports were generated by
proprietary billing systems. This information was keyed into PC
spreadsheets by staff in the MIS department and diskette copies
were used for further processing. Reports took time to
generate and compile, with the largest requiring a few days,
Newsbytes notes.

(Keith Cameron/19940425/Press & Public Contact: Nigel Gasper, SAS -
Tel: [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(BOS)(00015)

 ****Intel Says Its Embedded Chip Equals PowerPC Performance 04/25/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- The debuts of IBM
and Motorola's new PowerPC embedded microcontrollers drew a lot of
attention at the Embedded Systems Conference. But also at the event in
Boston, Intel previewed a new 32-bit RISC (reduced-instruction-
instruction-set) embedded microcontroller of its own.

An Intel official told Newsbytes that Intel's forthcoming product, the
i960 CA, offers several advantages over PowerPC and other emerging
competitors.

In an interview with Newsbytes, Alan Steinberg, director of marketing
for Intel's i960 Microprocessor Division, said that the i960 CA, which
is slated for official announcement in June, will provide 100 million
instructions per second (MIPS) of performance with superscalar
processing, with a price tag of between $100 and $120.

According to Steinberg, the i960 CA will be similar in architecture to
the PowerPC microcontrollers, and equivalent in performance, but its
price-performance will be better. In addition, software tools and
hardware peripherals are already in place for the i960, advantages not
yet available for other new 32-bit embedded microcontrollers, he said.

The i960 CA will be targeted at use in laser and ink jet printers, PC
input/output (I/O), and networking devices, Newsbytes was told. The
upcoming chip will cap the high end of Intel's i960 family, a series
of microprocessors first launched in 1988.

"We've developed a very large family of (i960) products," Steinberg
explained. The entry-level member of the family is a 10 MIPS (million
instructions per second) chip priced at $10. Other family members
range upward in performance. Pricing is generally at around the $1 per
MIP level.

Intel's i960 CA will operate with the many peripherals that have
already been developed for the i960 family, which include a number of
third-party products, he said. Brooktree and Phase Two, for example,
have both produced asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) peripherals for
the i960, he said.

In addition, the i960 CA will use a bus that "looks like a 486 bus," a
feature will also allow the embedded chip to "work well with"
peripherals designed for 486-based multiprocessors, Steinberg told
Newsbytes.

In March of this year, Intel announced new third-party peripherals and
tools specifically developed to support the i960 CA, then known under
the code name P100. The peripherals include the V96 MSC peripheral and
memory controller from V3 Corporation, and a single-chip printer
controller and in-circuit emulator from Topmax/Tokyo Denshi Sekei KK.

The tools for the i960 CA include software development kits from
Microtec Research, Applied Microsystems Corporation, and Green Hills
Software; debug tools from Applied Microsystems; compilers from Green
Hills; and real-time operating systems, simulation model support,
logic analyzers, and in-circuit emulators from a variety of vendors.

With software tools already lined up for the i960 CA, Intel will be
able to spend most of its development time on hardware refinement,
Steinberg explained. In contrast, makers of competing embedded 32- bit
controllers will need to "stabilize" their software environments, a
process that "doesn't happen overnight," he said.

Intel's i960 architecture was developed by Dr. Glen Myers, formerly an
IBM fellow, who had worked on IBM's original mainframe, 860, and RS-
6000 products, Steinberg told Newsbytes. "So the architectures (of the i960
and PowerPC) are interestingly close," he said.

Unlike the PowerPC, which is entirely RISC-based, the i960 also
includes some "hybrid" CISC elements, he acknowledged. The CISC
elements are aimed at adding "code density" that will reduce the need
for on-chip memory, a feature that is especially important in cost-
sensitive embedded applications, he said.

"Someone who is trying to build a $200 PC add-in card or a $200
inkjet printer will be counting the lines of code in ROM (read-only
memory). They won't want to spend an extra penny," he added.

Steinberg added that the i960 and PowerPC architectures "are, on
the surface, almost mirror images of each other." The differences
between the architectures are "low level" and "second orderish,"
Newsbytes was told.

"Most of these architectures, in fact, look quite similar. Once you
get past that point, the questions are about who has the toolset, who
has the environment, who is going to get the customer to market the
fastest, and what is the cost of ownership of the particular
technology," he said.

The new i960 CA will be used to "enhance the environment" of Pentium-
based as well as other PCs, but Intel is not now in the process of
developing a Pentium-based embedded controller, Newsbytes was told.
The i960 might be used, for example, in a RAID (redundant array of
inexpensive disks) SCSI (small computer systems interface) card that
would be inserted into a Pentium server, he said.

On the x86 side, Intel has recently released a 386 embedded
controller, and customers are now in the process of upgrading from 186
chips, he added.

"We're very active on that side of the house, because there's been a
lot of legacy code written over the past ten years for 186es and
8086es. But that segment of the embedded market has no need right now
for the performance level of a Pentium," he said.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940425/Press Contact: Sara Killingsworth,
Intel, 602-554-2328)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(WAS)(00016)

Moody's Lower Ameritech Outlook 04/25/94
NEW YORK, N.Y., U.S.A. 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Moody's Investors Service
has frowned on Ameritech, downgrading its assessment of the Chicago
telecommunications company's long term debt to negative from stable.
Moody's cited Ameritech's aggressive moves outside of its traditional
local telephone markets as creating risks for lenders.

"This shift reflects the uncertainties about the company's ability to
sustain historical cash flow contributions from its telephone
operations," said Moody's, "the new aggressiveness of its strategy of
investing in non-telephone operations as reflected in its investment
in MATAV, the Hungarian telephone company; in General Electric
Information Services; and in its broadband strategy; and the effect
that an increasing financing requirement could have on the company's
balance sheet."

Moody's noted that Ameritech began 1994 with a restructuring of
phone operations along lines of business rather than the traditional
organization along state lines. But Moody said that "whether this
strategy will help the company to remain as successful as it has been
in the past in meeting business challenges and sustaining above
average credit quality on a legal entity basis is still to be tested."

The raters said three events are particularly challenging to
Ameritech. First is Michigan's introduction of presubscribed toll
competition. Next is the charge by the staff of the Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio that Ameritech is over-earning its allowed rate of
return by as much as $146 million. The final is AT&T's filing for a
trial of local competition in Illinois.

Moody's says it expects Ameritech will accelerate its investments
"into industries with higher risk profiles than traditional telephone
operations." The result will be continuing pressure on the company's
financial flexible, pushing debt ratings down unless Ameritech can
come up with additional equity investment.

(Kennedy Maize/19940425/Contact: Richard Stephan, Moody's, tel 212-
553-0376)


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

Software Helps Design Graphical Interfaces 04/25/94
BANNOCKBURN, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Corporate Computing
Incorporated (CCI) has announced the release of GUI Guidelines 4.0, an
online help software package that aids programmers in their design of
graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

GUI Guidelines runs on multiple operating platforms. It can be
customized by the user by adding the company's reserved words,
standard menus, and standard dialog boxes. Each rule or recommendation
is numbered for reference.

According to Larry Smothers, manager of sales at CCI, many
corporate programmers never see the applications that their peers
design, so it's necessary for companies to develop standards to
ensure their programs provide the best possible performance. GUI
Guidelines is designed to provide that standardization.

Version 4.0 changes include an enhanced glossary, embedded graphics,
approximately 20 new rules and recommendations, and about 10 new
figures that are used to graphically illustrate the company's
standards. CCI has also added user interface templates to save time
when performing common tasks.

A developer checklist highlighting areas of GUIs that must be standard
compliant is also new, as are examples for application-specific
guidelines, message bar strings, common component list and other
company-specific sections.

GUI Guidelines pricing starts at $1,995 for 30 users at a single site,
and tops out at $10,995 for an unlimited user license at an unlimited
number of sites. The company also offers an on-site training course on
effective GUI design. It will also provide one of its consultants to
customize your GUI Guidelines from $1,500 upwards, depending on the
seniority of the consultant.

To use GUI Guidelines you need at least an 80386-based PC, four
megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and Microsoft Windows 3.1
or later. The guidelines can be printed if you have Microsoft Word for
Windows 2.0. If you want to customize the program you also need
Wextech System's Doc To Help product, which lists at about $300.
Guidelines purchasers get 45 days of free support.

CCI says that it's developing OS/2 and Motif versions of the program.

(Jim Mallory/19940425/Press contact: Erica Swerdlow, EBS Public
Relations for Corporate Computing, 708-520-3300; Reader contact:
Corporate Computing Inc, 708-374-1995 or 800-925-1995)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00018)

 ****Software Forum - 99% Of Firms To Run Windows In '94 04/25/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Fully 99 percent of
North American corporations will be equipped with Windows applications
by the end of this year, in contrast to only 84 percent in 1993,
according to Bill Gannon Jr., director of Sentry Market Research
(SMR). Gannon was speaking during a presentation on his company's
latest research findings on the corporate software market, at Merrill
Lynch and SMR's 1994 Software Industry Forum in Boston.

According to Gannon, other operating environments with graphical user
interfaces (GUIs) are also coming on strong, and the success of the
GUIs is one of the reasons for the current shift to client/server
computing.

From 1993 to the end of this year, market penetration will rise
from eight percent to 49 percent for Windows NT, 34 percent to 60
percent for O/S Workplace Shell, and 28 percent to 40 percent for
Macintosh.

Over the same period, penetration will step up from 14 percent to 26
percent for Motif, 12 percent to 19 percent for DECWindows, and two
percent to five percent for Next, according to Westborough,
Massachusetts-based SMR's newly released Software Market Survey 1994.

In addition, respondents at 49 percent of the AS/400 sites in the
survey said they are "very likely" to add Unix support within the
year, Gannon said. The same held true for 36 percent of the IBM
mainframe sites and 29 percent of the DEC VAX sites.

Also according to the SMR report, this year's top two "categories of
growth" are workflow management/mail and multi-user database
management systems, both of which carry strong client-server
implications. Workflow management/mail shows a 21 percent penetration
rate for 1993, and a 158 percent projected growth rate for 1994.
Database management systems reveal a 39 percent penetration rate, with
a projected growth rate of 123 percent.

"Lotus absolutely dominates the workflow software market," Gannon
said. In addition, although Microsoft will inch up five points on
Novell in the PC local area network (LAN) operating system market,
Novell will still hold a commanding 54 percent share of installations,
in contrast to only 17 percent for Microsoft, according to the report.
In 1993, Novell led Microsoft by a margin of 63 percent to 12 percent
in this market segment. The data is based on 1993 vendor
installations, along with survey respondents' purchase expectations
for 1994.

In other application areas, Microsoft will move ahead of its rivals in
1994, the study predicts. Microsoft came in second for corporate
installations in the PC word processing market last year, for
instance, but is expected to trade places this year with former front
runner WordPerfect. Microsoft will take the top spot with a 49 percent
installation share for 1994, while WordPerfect will follow with 38
percent.

Similarly, Microsoft is projected to surpass former industry leader
Borland in the PC database management system market, obtaining a 47
percent share, in contrast to Borland's 27 percent.

In the PC spreadsheet arena, the study forecasts that Microsoft will
outdo long-time front-runner Lotus, nailing down 48 percent of the
installed base this year, versus 34 percent for Lotus. This situation
represents nearly a direct reversal from 1993, when Lotus held a 45
percent share, and Microsoft merely 38 percent, the market research
director pointed out. Lotus once had 70 percent of the spreadsheet
market with Lotus 1-2-3, Gannon recalled.

Much of Microsoft's success is related to the rise of PC application
suites, Gannon suggested. "Standalone PC applications are taking a
significant hit from Microsoft," he observed. One application area
that still offers "a lot of opportunities" to PC vendors is
accounting, which is about to make a major shift from the mainframe to
the client-server environment, he said.

Platinum is projected to take first place in the 1994 PC accounting
race, with a 28 percent share of installations, Gannon said. In second
place, though, is the "undecided" vote, with a 17 percent share,
followed by Microsoft in third place, with 11 percent. Accountmate,
Computer Associates, and D&B Software are locked in a three-way tie
for the fourth spot, with six percent of the expected installations
each.

Aside from workflow and DBMS, other "top ten" market growth categories
include utilities and security tools for Unix, application development
tools and fourth generation languages (4GLs) for PCs and Unix, and re-
engineering and maintenance software for mainframes and VAX, according
to the report.

"People do have a lot of mainframes, and they're not about to throw
them away," Gannon noted. In total, the 1994 Software Market Study
examines more than 60 applications, database, development and system
management markets for mainframes, VAX, AS/400, Unix, and PCs. The
survey includes all vendor installation and purchase intention shares,
and also analyzes respondents' 1990 through 1994 purchase intentions.

The survey results come from an "extremely large sample base" of 1,600
sites, representing about eight percent of total revenues spent on
software by North American corporations, according to Gannon. The
buyers polled come from centralized information systems (I/S), as well
as line of business and workgroup settings, two categories that have
been gaining in purchasing power with the growing decentralization of
corporate computing.

Of the three categories of buyers, I/S tends to be the most
conservative, while the workgroups are the least conservative, Gannon
said. "If it doesn't have a GUI, the (workgroups) don't want it."
Meanwhile, line of business managers are "caught in the squeeze," he
maintained. "The managers have been sold every `silver bullet'
technology from AI (artificial intelligence) to CASE (computer-aided
software design)."

The complete 300-page Software Market Study can be purchased from SMR
for $499. Executive summaries of the research report are also
available.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940425/Reader Contact: Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Press Contacts: Jessica Valpey, Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Debbie Tabone or Melissa Bretz, Clarke & Company, 617-
536-3003)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00019)

 ****Software Forum - Lotus' Manzi Outlines Strategy 04/25/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Lotus Development
Corporation's strategic objectives are bringing big paybacks, said Jim
Manzi, president and CEO, in a talk at the 1994 Software Industry
Forum, just after announcing first quarter 1994 revenues of $247
million for Lotus, a nine percent increase over the same quarter last
year.

Since its founding in 1982, Lotus has grown from a "one-product
company" dedicated to the 1-2-3 spreadsheet into a multi-faceted
software vendor that produces the likes of SmartSuite, Lotus Notes,
and cc:Mail, Manzi told the audience at the 1994 Software Industry
Forum, an event attended by Newsbytes in Boston.

Lotus lost customers of the original DOS-based 1-2-3 a few years ago,
when the industry made the transition from the character-based
interface to the graphical user interface (GUI), the CEO said. "But
the good news is SmartSuite and our communications products," he
added.

According to Manzi, for the past four years or so, Lotus has pursued a
three-pronged strategy. One of Lotus' strategic objectives has been to
"differentiate" its desktop applications by "usability, integration,
and workgroup enablement," he explained.

Another goal for Lotus is to "dominate high-growth opportunities in
workgroup computing." The third strategic direction is to "demonstrate
leadership in software for mobile computing."

Lotus' SmartSuite, an integrated suite of desktop productivity
applications that includes Lotus 1-2-3, has been growing at the rate
of 300 to 500 percent, Manzi said.

Since the Lotusphere developers' conference in December, the number of
software partners for Notes, Lotus' workgroup computing platform, has
reached 4000 to 5000, the company president added. "This is
particularly important to us when we are trying to grow," he said.

Manzi also mentioned two recent events that can be taken as signs as
further pursuit of the mobile market. Lotus, he said, has just
released PhoneNotes. One of a series of platform extensions to Notes,
PhoneNotes is designed to let customers access Notes applications over
the public network by phone just as though they were using a PC client
connected to a local area network (LAN).

AT&T Notes, a new offering to be jointly developed by Lotus and AT&T,
will provide "global access via local dialup" among its services,
Manzi said. Announced in March, the upcoming product will be a version
of the Notes server adapted for use on AT&T's public network instead
of a LAN.

Manzi told the audience that Lotus has been on the market with Notes
ever since "Ronald Reagan was president and Hillary Clinton was an
unknown commodity trader in Little Rock."

The Lotus workgroup product, he asserted, offers several elements, all
in high demand by users, that are absent from Notes' emerging rival,
Microsoft's newly announced EMS (Enterprise Messaging Service). One of
these elements is client-server messaging, compliant with the X.400
messaging and X.500 directory standards, which is not "locked into" a
specific operating system, he said.

EMS, which will require Windows NT, is "built on top of what is
thought to be an empty operating system right now," he said. Notes, on
the other hand, runs on platforms that include OS/2, Unix, and
NetWare, in addition to Windows.

Another element in high demand is "a fully replicated document
database," according to Manzi. Notes, he explained, is built around a
database that can "merge and update all data and complex relationships
at all locations." Added the Lotus CEO: "Microsoft will tell you that
they have this. But they don't have this."

Also unlike EMS, Notes is "an application development environment with
thousands of applications," Manzi said. Microsoft, he maintained, is
"trying to make a virtue out of the fact that you need to buy many
products to do some of what Notes does."

The upcoming AT&T Notes, he explained, will provide online information
services, "electronic collaboration between business co-workers," and
the ability to access business applications over a WAN, among other
capabilities.

The online services, like all other AT&T Notes services, will be
business-oriented, he emphasized. "You will not be getting baseball
statistics," he told the group.

In a Q&A session that followed, Manzi responded to a request from
Newsbytes for a comment on Lotus' recent move to halt further
development of the company's personal productivity applications for
the Macintosh and Power Macintosh platforms. Lotus' decision does not
affect Lotus' communications products, such as Notes, cc:Mail, and
Organizer. Lotus has committed to developing a native Power Macintosh
edition of Notes.

The Macintosh/Power Macintosh issue has been "generally overblown" by
the press, Manzi answered. "We've said earlier that we would be
researching all applications when we moved to 32-bit applications," he
added.

Lotus might bring out native Power Macintosh versions of its
productivity applications at some point in the future, Manzi
suggested. But there is "no requirement" to make a decision like that
right now, or at any other time in particular, Newsbytes was told.

"It could be 12 months from now, or 18 months from now," Manzi said.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940425/Reader Contact: Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Press Contacts: Jessica Valpey, Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Debbie Tabone or Melissa Bretz, Clarke & Company, 617-
536-3003)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00020)

 ****Microsoft, Shiva To Provide Remote, Mobile Chicago Access 04/25/94
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Microsoft Corporation
says it will team up with Shiva Corporation to help ensure that the
next version of Microsoft Windows operating system, code-named
Chicago, will provide seamless, remote, corporate network access
capabilities for mobile computer users and remote sites.

Microsoft says that fast, easy and transparent access to corporate
local and wide area networks (LANs, WANs) over analog, digital and
wireless connections is a major emphasis in Chicago.

Chicago's open access design will allow it to connect to a wide range
of hardware and software based servers using various protocols,
including Microsoft's NetBEUI, Novell IPX and the TCP/IP protocol.
Chicago dial-in drivers will be based on the point-to-point protocol
(PPP).

The two companies are also cooperating to help ensure interoperability
between Chicago and Shiva's Lanrover and Netmodem products that will
allow Chicago users to dial into Shiva products using various
protocols. The technology is expected to be available in the first
beta release of Chicago.

Market research firm Dataquest estimates portable computing will be
the fastest growing segment of the computer market over the coming
years.

(Jim Mallory/19940425/Press contact: Sue Barnes, Waggener Edstrom for
Microsoft Corporation, 408-986-1140; Shiva Corporation, 800-458-3550)


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

ZD Expos' Windows Solutions Conference 04/25/94
FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Citing an
expanded Windows development platform for building custom and client-
server business applications, Ziff Davis Exposition and Conference
Corporation (ZD Expos) has announced the second annual Windows
Solutions Conference + Exposition will be held Sept. 7-9, 2994, at the
Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

Billed as a multi-vendor forum which will focus on the "nuts and
bolts" of turning Windows tools and productivity applications into
customized business solutions, this conference it targeted towards
corporate developers, integrators, and consultants who bring Windows
products and technology into mission critical situations.

Noted Windows industry expert and conference director, Jesse Berst,
stated that this conference will provide a comprehensive educational
environment for developers and integrators to learn the new
technologies created by the emerging PC processing power, extensive
Windows development tools, a powerful operating system and
programmable applications.

This relatively new market uses Windows as a strategic platform on top
of which custom mission critical applications are being built.

The conference will offer: Open Solutions Showcase to demonstrate
corporate applications; Head to Head sessions in which industry
experts will debate pro and con aspects of OS/2, Windows NT and
UNIX; What's Hot and What's Not, an insiders view from John Dvorak
and InfoWorld's Robert X. Cringely; and Fireside Chats where
attendees, associations and users will have a chance to interact.

(Patrick McKenna/19940425/Press Contact: Lisa Morgan, ZD Expos, tel
415-578-6900)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00022)

Logitech Shows New Breed Of Mouse   04/25/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Logitech has
announced TrackMan Voyager, a trackball system designed to replace
the common or garden mouse for the PC. The company claims that the
unit is the most versatile, portable, and custom programmable, three
button pointing device on the market.

According to Logitech, as notebook computing has evolved, computer
companies have experimented with a number of mouse/trackball pointing
device solutions. Some of these have been so small the users
choose to return to a traditional desktop mouse. The Voyager, the
company claims, offers a real alternative to mouse users.

Logitech primarily designed the Voyager for the portable computing
environment. This new trackball adapts easily to the desktop
environment as well. Unlike most portable pointing devices
which require users to become accustomed to one location, Voyager
allows users to choose right, left or center stationary, desktop
positioning, right or left notebook clip-on positioning, a desktop
palm rest position, a desktop thumball position and/or a handheld
position.

With its three-point rubber base, the unit is designed to sit in a
stationary position without the traditional clip-on attachment. For
users accustomed to and comfortable with a clip-on trackball, Voyager
has an attachment device which allows it to hang off the side of a
notebook or Voyager may be operated as handheld pointing device up
to the length of the cord for use in presentations.

Voyager's hard protective case snaps onto the trackball to create an
ergonomic desktop pointing device and, for traveling, the same hard
protective case snaps over the trackball and provides a way of
wrapping the cord around the unit. At $89.95 (MSRP), Voyager's
overall size is 73 x 53 x 35cm. The unit tips the scales at 92 grams
and will be available for PC users from mid-May.

In a demonstration for Newsbytes, Logitech previewed the versatile
features and said that while the design concept incorporated as many
positions as possible, they wanted users to realize the ergonomic
value of being able to change positions and rest from a repetitive
action.

They pointed out that Voyager allows that change within seconds. Antti
Aumo, global product manager for Logitech, said, "Whether a notebook
user is at a desk or using a notebook in transit, Voyager is designed
to meet every situation with the most versatile positioning options."
According to Logitech, 80 percent of notebook computing takes place at
a desk or table, so an attachment device which limits versatility is
not necessary.

"We provide as `emergency equipment,' a clip-on or attachment device
to be used as a last resort, but even with our adaptable attachment
the trackball stays flush with the notebook. This allows users a fluid
and level movement from the keyboard to the mouse," he said.

To accompany Voyager, Logitech is also introducing MouseWare 6.4 with
quick setup, custom function assignments to any button and "one degree
interval" up-position for setting cursor direction.

"We have shipped more than 40 million input devices worldwide and we
are convinced the Voyager will have a major impact in the portable
computing environment. We are targeting users who have an attached
pointing device and users who are unhappy with their embedded pointing
device solution," Aumo told Newsbytes.

Voyager won an IF Industrial Forum Design award at the Cebit Fair,
which took place in Hanover, Germany last month. It comes with a
six-to-nine pin serial port adapter and is backed by Logitech's
three-year guarantee.

(Patrick McKenna/19940425/Press Contact: Chris McKie, Neale-May &
Partners, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00023)

DOE Picks New Computer Contractor 04/25/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- DynCorp of Reston, Va.,
has wrested away from Computer Data Systems Incorporated (CDSI), a
$227 million, five-year Department of Energy computing contract.

CDSI, based in Rockville, Md., had held the contract since 1988.
According to Donald Ziegler of CDSI, the company will get a debriefing
from the DOE on why it lost the contract. Based on that, the company
will decide whether to formally reprotest the award, through any of
the several mechanisms available, including the courts.

The contract to manage DOE's computer and communications networks is a
success for DynCorp's strategy to move away from defense-related work.
Privately-held DynCorp has annual revenues in the billion-dollar range
and 22,000 employees.

At one time, Marshall Mandell of DynCorp said, the company got 70
percent of its revenue from the military. But with its diversification
into information services, energy, health care and environmental
services, the company gets less than 50 percent of its revenues from
defense contracts today.

CDSI is much smaller, with 3,800 employees and about $200 million in
revenues. The DOE contract represents about 20 percent of the
company's revenues, according to Ziegler. According to William Loomis,
an analyst with Ferris, Baker Watts, the loss of the Energy Department
contract will sting CDSI a bit, but the company still has about $1
billion in bids and proposals out for new work. CDSI's stock took a 25
percent slide after the announcement of the contract loss, falling to
$14.12 per share.

CDSI also recently won a contract from the Education Department that
could be bigger than the DOE loss. Worth $91 million over the first 21
months, the contract would eventually be worth $376 million over six
years.

Many of the employees who worked on the contract for CDSI are likely
to end up at DynCorp. That's quite common in Washington when
government contracts move around. The Energy Department refused to
comment to Newsbytes on the contract, pending the debriefing and a
decision by CDSI on whether it wants to protest the award.

(Kennedy Maize/19940425/Contact: Donald Ziegler, CDSI, tel 301-
921-7000, Marshall Mandell, DynCorp, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00024)

Delrina Offers "Virtual" Fax Mailbox With 800 Number 04/25/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Delrina, makers of
the popular Winfax software product, is now offering its previously
announced "virtual" fax mailbox service that allows users to receive
faxes from any location. This service will free home office users from
needing a fax machine or second phone line, and allows travelers to
receive faxes from any location, the company said.

The way it works is each individual gets their own 800 fax number,
maintained by Delrina. Senders call the number to send faxes, which
are held electronically until the user calls and inputs the number to
which the faxes should be sent. Additional services can be added to
the fax mailbox such as call forwarding and rerouting, international
access, and paging notification.

In this way, users can control of when and where they receive faxes,
eliminating a need for a second phone line, a dedicated fax machine,
and the need to leave their personal computers (PCs) on all the time,
the company asserts. Users can also receive voice mail on the 800
number, as the service is smart enough to know when a fax is calling
and when a person is on the line.

Settlement of a suit last month brought against Delrina by Canadian
AlphaNet Telecom, has freed Delrina to offer the fax mailbox service.
AlphaNet had accused Delrina of misappropriating its fax mailbox
technology and terms of the settlement between the two companies have
not been disclosed. Delrina had also announced a deal with telephone
services provider MCI in the US and Worldlinx Telecommunications in
Canada in order to offer the fax services.

Of course, Delrina says the easiest way to retrieve the faxes is by
using its Winfax 4.0 product on a computer equipped with a fax/modem.
However, Winfax 4.0 contains the same fax and messaging capability as
"Chicago," the new version of Windows expected this year from
Microsoft.

Delrina representatives told Newsbytes that this means the service
will work with Chicago when it is released and the company also added
that the new Winfax 4.0 has much of the look and feel of the Chicago
interface.

Delrina hopes to take advantage of the expanding enhanced fax services
market, which includes fax broadcast, fax on demand, and fax mailbox,
and is predicted to grow to $430 million by the end of this year.
Marketfinders, an Austin, Texas market research firm, is making the
predictions, saying the enhanced fax market will reach $940 million by
1996 and the fax mailbox market alone will reach $122 million in the
next two years.

PC-based faxing is also predicted to surge, according to market
research firm BIS Strategic Decisions of Norwell, Massachusetts, which
said by 1997 a whopping 72 percent of portable computers and a third
of desktop PCs will have fax modems.

The service starts at $9.95 in the US and $19.95 in Canada, plus
retrieval charges that start at $0.50 per page. The per page price
goes down as low as $0.35 as the number of pages retrieved increases
and the charges are made against the users corporate account or credit
card billing through Visa, Master Card, and American Express.

Delrina is a Canadian company that also has offices in San Jose,
California, and specializes in forms software as well as faxing.
Company officials claim over four million copies of Winfax have been
sold and sales have been progressing at the rate of 200,000 to 250,000
copies per month.

The company is publicly traded in the US (NASDAQ:DENAF), but has lost
money each year for the last four years despite 100 percent revenue
growth annually. The company posted revenue of $48.5 million and an
income loss of $9.7 million in 1993. Delrina is also traded on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE:DC).

(Linda Rohrbough/19940425/Press Contact: Delrina, Josef Zankowicz,
416-441-4658, fax [phone]; Public Contact, Delrina Fax Mailbox
customer service, 800-670- 8777/DELRINA940425/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(LAX)(00025)

Apple Mail Order For Disabled 04/25/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Apple Computer
is launching a mail order service aimed at disabled computer
users called Aisle 17. The company said no specific meaning is
attached to the name, other than it is intended to sound like an
aisle in any store.

Available for order toll-free, complete systems are being bundled
by Apple, aimed at varying disabilities. For example, a bundle for
people with learning disabilities includes a desktop Macintosh
and Co:Writer, an intelligent writing assistant that helps the
user type faster by predicting words, based on a combination of
grammar rules, word relationships, and frequency of use.

Another bundle allows people with limited mobility to control the
computer by moving the head and blowing air through a straw, and
includes a desktop Macintosh, a Headmaster peripheral, and
Screendoors software. Another bundle includes a Powerbook that can be
operated from the battery of an electric wheelchair and includes a
wheelchair desk.

Apple is not offering a catalog, per se, and has discontinued its
Apple Catalog, which used to contain some items for individuals with
disabilities. Aisle 17 product bundles will be marketed through a
"Shopper's Guide" that describes the products and the disabilities for
which they are intended. Apple representatives said the company is
avoiding a catalog because the bundles offered will change as product
availability changes.

Offered now are four bundles for individuals with learning
disabilities, two bundles for people with visual impairment, one
bundle for people with hearing impairment, nine bundles for people
with physical disabilities, and two products for rehabilitation
professionals. Each bundle includes a portable or desktop Macintosh,
ClarisWorks integrated software, peripherals, and the option of
purchasing LaserWriter or StyleWriter printer at special prices.

The company says that one of the advantages to ordering bundles
through Aisle 17 is it warrants all the products it sells, so users
only need to deal with one company. The bundles range in price from
$1,500 to $3,800 and are available immediately to US customers only
via a toll-free call. A text telephone (TTY) device order line number
is also available.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940425/Press Contact: Elaine Knechtel, Eastwick
Communications for Apple Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone];
Public Contact: Apple Computer Aisle 17, tel [phone], TTY 800-
755-0601)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00026)

President Clinton Gets Another E-Mail Death Threat 04/25/94
LUFKIN, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- A 19-year-old college
student is reportedly free on his own recognizance after pleading
not guilty to threatening President Bill Clinton via electronic
mail.

Matthew M. Thomas, a freshman at Stephen F. Austin University in
Nacagdoches, Texas, is accused in a two-count indictment of sending
the e-mail threats to the White House on April 7, 1994.

Thomas allegedly used a computer bulletin board to send a transmission
to the White House which contained threats to the lives of President
Bill Clinton and his family.

Robert Putzke, assistant chief of the university police department,
said that Secret Service agents came to the school after the threats
were sent from a computer in the school's computer lab.

Thomas is reportedly scheduled to go to trial June 20, 1994. If
convicted he could be sentenced to up to five years in a federal
prison without parole and as much as a $250,000 fine for each of the
two counts.

The White House Press Office was unable to confirm the story and
referred Newsbytes to the Secret Service Public Affairs Office. That
office said Newsbytes would have to contact Shawn Campbell, the
resident agent in charge of the Austin, Texas office. A Secret Service
employee in Austin said Agent Campbell is out of the office all week.

The Clinton Administration is the first to receive e-mail. Some of the
major subscription services, including GEnie and Compuserve, have
forums where users can read press releases and other information
originating at the White House as well as send letters to the
President. Most letters are answered by White House staffers via US
Postal Service mail.

Director of Presidential E-Mail Stephen Horn told Newsbytes currently
the President receives about 20,000 communications daily including
letters, faxes, and e-mail. Electronic messages make up 600 to 800
pieces of the daily correspondence.

Horn said that every communication is read by a staffer. A report is
prepared weekly for the President that includes representative
communications both favorable and unfavorable. "On a given issue we
try to find the letter that most succinctly summarizes what the people
are saying," Horn told Newsbytes.

Earlier this year, a University of Illinois student, James Reincke,
was also charged with threatening the President's life. In part,
Reincke's message said, "I am curious, Bill how you would feel about
being the first president to be killed on the same day as his wife?"
The contents of Thomas's message have not released.

(Jim Mallory/19940425)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00027)

Epson Workhorse Printer For LANs, Host Systems 04/25/94
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Printer manufacturer
Epson has announced the DFX-5000+, a new wide-carriage, dot matrix
printer that the company claims can stand up to the rigors of
connection to a local area network (LAN) or host system.

The DFX-5000+ can speed along at 560 characters per second (CPS) in
its fastest, draft mode and offers Epson ESC/P printer language and
IBM Proprinter II emulation. Optional Ethernet, coax, and twinax
interface boards are also supported, with automatic switching between
the printer's built-in parallel, serial, and optional interface port
built-in.

Epson says that the printer's paper handling is better with dual push
tractors located in the front and rear that hold the paper taut,
resulting in fewer paper feed failures. The new printer can also
support six-part forms, automatically adjusting for form thickness,
and can print labels. In addition, it offers two paper feeds and can
remember where the user wants to start printing for each feed. In
addition, it offers short tear-off or automatic tear-off, which means
the printer will advance the paper to the tear-off point for the user,
then move the next page back down the right amount to begin printing
without wasting any paper.

New paper width and jam detection sensors are included. And the
Printhead and fan thermistor reduce the possibility of overheating so
the printer can stand up to heavy periods of operation, company
officials said.

The DFX-5000+ is available through Epson authorized resellers for
$1,899 and comes with the company's standard one-year limited
warranty. A toll-free number is available for customer inquiries and
technical support.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940425/Press Contact: Jesse Albert, Manning,
Selvage & Lee for Epson, tel [phone], fax [phone];
Public Contact: Epson, 800-289-3776/EPSON940425/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00028)

 ****dBASE For Windows Set For Early Summer Release 04/25/94
SCOTTS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Borland
International is finally closing in on a summer release date for its
long-awaited dBASE for Windows database management software.

The package, already released to beta testers, is reportedly set for
a June release. It has been in development for about two years. In
preparation for the launch the company is setting up a series of
programs to brief customers, resellers and database developers.

Newsbytes understands that the Windows version of dBASE 5.0 will
include a tool intended to make easier the move to object-oriented
programming. A number of database products will be supported, in the
form of software drivers, including Informix's Informix OnLine and
Oracle's Oracle7.

According to the company, the product allows users to "leverage their
existing knowledge and investment in applications written in dBASE
into the Windows and client/server environments." The new package is
compatible with dBASE III Plus and dBASE IV "applications, data and
knowledge." Newsbytes understands that a feature will also help users
convert their DOS programs to Microsoft's Windows graphical user
environment.

Announcing the preparations, David Watkins, vice president and general
manager of the dBASE Business Unit, said: "Our plan is to provide our
partners and customers with the information they need to immediately
begin implementing plans for dBASE for Windows. We will continue
educating customers on the benefits of dBASE through user group
presentations, worldwide training programs and supporting third-party
programs."

The dBASE developer briefing at Borland's headquarters occurred
earlier this month. Product demonstrations and tutorials included:
compatibility between dBASE for DOS and dBASE for Windows; the dBASE
for Windows Object Model; Programming in dBASE for Windows; and
Upsizing Applications to Client/Server.

Developers were reportedly provided with hands-on training, pre-
release software and 24-hour on-line technical support. The company is
also planning software retail programs through its channel partners,
helping to design advertising, direct sales, marketing, seminars, and
training programs.

Borland will be presenting demonstrations of dBASE for Windows at
Patricia Seybold's Technology Forum, April 25-27 in Cambridge
Massachusetts, and at DB/Expo in San Francisco, during the week of May
23 this year.

Next month, Borland will conduct an 18-city tour to train developers
on dBASE for Windows. The dBASE "Spring Training" program will provide
attendees a full day of tutorials, dBASE for Windows software for
early application development, a demonstration video, access to
Borland's dBASE technical support and a free copy of the shipping
version of dBASE for Windows when it becomes available. The regular
fee for a training session is $595, or $495 for those who register
five days in advance of a particular training session.

At the time that the Windows version of dBASE 5.0 ships, a DOS version
will also ship. Each version will reportedly cost in the region of
$399. Upgrades will cost about $199.

(Ian Stokell/19940425/Press Contact: Vallee Ghosheh, 408-431-4705,
Borland International Inc; Reader Contact: 800-272-6622)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00029)

Double Doozy Screen Toys For Windows 04/25/94
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 ARP 25 (NB) -- Access Softek has
announced its Double Doozy Fun Pack for Windows, a package of twenty
animated screen savers, twenty-five wallpapers and backgrounds and
fifty desktop icons that range from the sophisticated to the plainly
absurd.

According to the company, the wide assortment of desktop accessories
is designed for Windows 3.1 and retails for $29.95. Although it may be
common knowledge that screen savers are not needed to protect newer
monitors from image burn-in, users still support this multi-million
dollar market in search of entertainment and a change of scenery from
the application landscape, Newsbytes notes.

Access Softek, which claims it is committed to altering the days of
passive monotonous images floating across the monitor, has introduced
what it describes as wallpaper culled from the works of Van Gogh,
Picasso, and other famous artists and screen savers that offer, among
others, a graffiti artist who spray-paints custom user utterances
like: "Get your hands off of my keyboard" or "Yes, I am away from my
desk again! So what?"

Icons from the likes of such icons as Marilyn Monroe and Richard Nixon
are mixed-in with cartoon animals and scary monsters. Other screen
savers feature a "streaker" who embarrassingly runs across the screen
and a "yes" man who offers ego massaging messages to the user.

Softek Access officials told Newsbytes that it is the first company to
bring full motion video screen savers to personal computers with its
Video Toys with Matinee in November, 1992.

Founded in 1984, it was the third company to release an application
for Microsoft Windows and their More Video Toys is currently in
development. Double Doozy, promising ease of installation and
manipulation, is distributed through most popular retail channels.

(Patrick McKenna/19940425/Press Contact: Martine Edwards, Access
Softek, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(HKG)(00030)

 ****Low Cost Rockwell V.32bis Chipset Cuts PC Modem Prices 04/25/94
TSIM SHA TSUI, HONG KONG, 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- Rockwell International
has taken an important step towards establishing a new price point for
low cost V.32bis PC modems by introducing a line of products that use
the CPU of the host computer for error correction and data
compression.

The new RC96ATi and RC144ATi modems provide OEMs in the price-
sensitive PC retail segment with a low system cost implementation
offering high functionality of a V.32bis modem while
reducing the cost of existing hardware designs by
minimizing component count and board space.

"The PC retail market is very cost-sensitive but at the same time it
is also extremely demanding in terms of functionality," explained
Edwin Chen, Rockwell's Asia Pacific marketing manager. "OEMs that have
ACi designs save money because the new ATi devices don't require
external memory even though they offer the same high functionality."

The RC96ATi and the RC144ATi consist of a modem data pump and an
integrated modem controller and are pin-to-pin compatible with
Rockwell's ACi product family. Combined with the Rockwell Protocol
Interface (RPI), which adds error correction and data compression to
the communications software running on the host PC, this move
significantly reduces the total bill of material and manufacturing
costs, the company claims.

The RC96ATi and the RC144ATi support 14.4 Kbps data (V.32bis) and
14.4Kbps send/receive Group 3 facsimile (V.17) and operate at 9600bps
data (V.32); send/receive facsimile (V.29), with downward
compatibility from 7200 to 75bps for data and 7200 to 2400bps for
facsimile transmission.

The chipsets, which include a 16550 Universal Asynchronous Receiver/
Transmitter (UART), also support AT commands, V.42, MNP 2-4 error
correction and V.42bis and MNP 5 data compression (in the host
software), EIA/TIA 578 Class 1 fax standard and Calling Number
Delivery (CND) or Caller ID detect.

The two-package RC96ATi and RC144ATi are offered in 68-pin PLCC and
84-pin PLCC packages. Samples of the RC96ATi and the RC144ATi are now
available with volume production due to begin in the next two months.
Per-unit prices for 10,000-up quantities of the RC96ATi is US$41 and
US$49 for the RC144ATi.

(Keith Cameron/19940425/Press Contact: Edwin Chen, Rockwell: +886-2-
720-0282)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00031)

 ****Software Forum - Corporate Market To Reach $51B In '94 04/25/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- The North American
corporate software market will surge 22 percent to reach a record
total of $51 billion in 1994, said Mike Walsh, publisher of Sentry
Publishing's Software Magazine and Client/Server Computer, delivering
an industry retrospective drawn from 12 years of data gathered by
Sentry Market Research (SMR).

Also this year, the share of corporate spending allocated to host-
based systems will drop below 50 percent for the first time, and
support issues will surpass ease-of-use as the number one product
feature for buyers, added Walsh, in a talk at Merrill Lynch and SMR's
1994 Software Industry Forum in Boston, an event attended by
Newsbytes.

The projected sales surge for 1994 represents the continuation of a
market rebound first experienced in 1992, Walsh said. Corporate
software sales rose 16 percent to $34 billion in 1992, and another 21
percent to $41 billion in 1993, according to SMR's Software Market
Survey for 1994. In 1991, though, the year before the industry
rebound, sales stepped up only 11 percent, a rate 7 points below the
18 percent growth hike for 1990.

The decline in 1994 spending on host-based systems is largely
attributable to the mainframe sector, the magazine publisher said.
"Mainframe spending has trended down dramatically," he observed.
Meanwhile, local area network (LAN), desktop and server spending now
accounts for almost 55 percent of the typical corporate budget, in
comparison to 25 percent just three years ago," the report said.

Looking back further into industry history, Walsh observed that, ten
years ago, documentation was the most important feature to software
buyers. Today, though, corporate concern over documentation is far
outweighed by interest in support, with 72 percent of respondents
rating support, service and training as "very important," and only 47
percent doing so for documentation.

Ease-of-use, the number one feature last year, with "very important"
ratings from 66 percent of survey participants, is slightly behind
support this year with a 71 percent score.

Price is another factor that has risen greatly in the ranks over the
past decade, the publisher pointed out. In 1984, only 19 percent of
respondents considered price to be "very important," as opposed to 42
percent in 1994. Price is especially significant in the PC software
market, Walsh added.

"But support is almost inelastic to price," he emphasized.
Corporations are willing to pay large amounts to get the level of
service they demand, he indicated.

The SMR study indicates that the industry rebound of the past couple
of years follows a period of almost steady decline from 1983 to 1989.
Although sales revenues increased from $7.4 billion to $22.1 billion
during this time, the growth rate slowed from 32 percent in 1983 and
984, to 30 percent in 1985, and then slid to 22 percent, 16 percent,
14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, from 1986 through 1989.

In another historical trend uncovered by the survey, average
application backlogs crept upward from seven to eight months for
PC/LAN applications from 1989 to 1994, while staying essentially
unchanged at 8 months for midrange applications during this time, and
dropping from 15 months to a still substantial 14 months for mainframe
applications.

The long application backlogs represent a "good opportunity" to the
makers of application development tools, Walsh observed. When asked
what methods they will use to address the development backlog, 65
percent of survey participants cited plans to "use application
development tools," a response that represented the number one answer.
"Has there ever been an application that came out on time?" Walsh
asked rhetorically.

The software industry has remained about the same in other ways as
well, the publisher suggested. Some of the hottest topics in the
industry today bear strong resemblance to issues that were being
talked about in the early eighties.

A decade ago, for instance, some observers were insisting, "Unix will
never work in I/S (information systems)," a comment that echoes today
in the cry, "Windows NT will never work in I/S." And the contemporary
debate over "relational versus object-oriented database management
systems" has roots in the "navigational versus relational" controversy
that was going on way back then.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940425/Reader Contact: Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Press Contacts: Jessica Valpey, Sentry Market Research,
508-366-2031; Debbie Tabone or Melissa Bretz, Clarke & Company, 617-
536-3003)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00032)

Newsbytes Daily Summary 04/25/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, U.S.A., 1994 APR 25 (NB) -- These are capsules
of all today's news stories:

1 -> Microsoft Canada To Aid Young Learners 04/25/94 Microsoft Canada
has announced plans to give C$250,000 a year in software and cash
donations to charitable programs aimed at young people.

2 -> Unipalm Unveils Windows/Mainframe Connectivity Solution 04/25/94
The Unipalm Group, the PC connectivity specialist software house, has
announced it is shipping Rumba for PC-NFS. The application will allow
PC/Windows users to gain access to mainframe applications without
leaving the Windows environment, the company claims.

3 -> Omron Unveils Advanced OCR System For Handwriting 04/25/94 Omron
has developed what it claims is a powerful hand-written letter
recognition system. According to the company, the OCR (optical
character recognition) system makes extensive use of "fuzzy logic"
when it comes to recognizing letters. Thanks to this, Omron claims
that an accuracy rate of between 96 and 99 percent is
possible using the software.

4 -> Hong Kong Hospital Authority Adopts Microsoft Access 04/25/94 The
Hong Kong Hospital Authority has developed a new decision support tool
using Microsoft Access that enables management executives to get quick
answers from the Authority's statistical database.

5 -> 3Com Offers Low Cost Hub And Bridging For Small Networks 04/25/94
3Com Asia has announced what it claims are two advances for small but
growing networking customers -- a re-engineered, 12-port LinkBuilder
twisted-pair Ethernet hub, and a low-cost, slide-in, Ethernet bridge
module for 3Com stackable hubs.

6 -> Telix For Windows Enters Final Beta Before June 15 Launch
04/25/94 Telix, the popular DOS PC communications package, is about to
be released in a Windows version, Newsbytes has learned. The shareware
product has long been a market leader, even against full commercial
packages.

7 -> CA Shipping Unicenter For AIX 04/25/94 Computer Associates
International has announced it has begun shipping CA-Unicenter, its
systems management software, for IBM RISC System/6000 workstations and
servers running IBM's AIX variant of Unix.

8 -> UK - September Scheduled For Virtual Reality Show 04/25/94 The VR
Centre has announced that the second Virtual Reality (VR) User Show
will be held in London on 13/15 September.

9 -> Intergraph Intros Windows-based Electronic Document Mgmt 04/25/94
Intergraph Corporation showed off Document Management (DM) Solutions,
its new Windows-based electronic document management software at the
Association of Image and Information Management (AIIM) trade show in
New York recently.

10 -> Intel Searching For Bobby Fischer In Moscow 04/25/94 Intel
hasn't seen Bobby Fischer, but says he is welcome at the five day
series of chess events the company is sponsoring in Moscow at the
Kremlin.

11 -> "Brainscan" Promotion On CompuServe 04/20/94 Members of
CompuServe are being invited to meet "The Trickster", a special
multimedia guide to information about the newly released film,
"Brainscan".

12 -> Claris Canada Names New Boss 04/25/94 Claris Canada, the
Canadian unit of Apple Computer's software subsidiary, has appointed a
new managing director. Nora Hunt-Haft, formerly a senior account
manager with the firm, replaces Patrick Maloney, who is transferring
to the same position with Claris' Australian operation, a spokeswoman
told Newsbytes.

13 -> Canadian Product Launch Update 04/25/94 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: ClarisWorks 2.1 for
Macintosh and Hewlett-Packard's first 100VG-AnyLAN networking
products.

14 -> Hutchison Paging Chooses SAS Institute For EIS 04/25/94
Hutchison Paging has turned to the SAS Institute for an Executive
Information System as part of a major change in computing strategy. By
using SAS/EIS and SAS/GRAPH software to analyse its half a million
customer records, Hutchison Paging claims it can generate customised
reports in a fraction of the time taken by its previous system.

15 -> Intel Says Its Embedded Chip Equals PowerPC Performance 04/25/94
The debuts of IBM and Motorola's new PowerPC embedded microcontrollers
drew a lot of attention at the Embedded Systems Conference. But also
at the event in Boston, Intel previewed a new 32-bit RISC (reduced-
instruction-instruction-set) embedded microcontroller of its own.

16 -> Moody's Lower Ameritech Outlook 04/25/94 Moody's Investors
Service has frowned on Ameritech, downgrading its assessment of the
Chicago telecommunications company's long term debt to negative from
stable. Moody's cited Ameritech's aggressive moves outside of its
traditional local telephone markets as creating risks for lenders.

17 -> CCI Shipping GUI Guidelines 4.0 04/25/94 Corporate Computing
Incorporated (CCI) has announced the release of GUI Guidelines 4.0, an
online help software package that aids programmers in their design of
graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

18 -> Software Forum - 99% Of Firms To Run Windows In '94 04/25/94
Fully 99 percent of North American corporations will be equipped with
Windows applications by the end of this year, in contrast to only 84
percent in 1993, according to Bill Gannon Jr., director of Sentry
Market Research (SMR). Gannon was speaking during a presentation on
his company's latest research findings on the corporate software
market, at Merrill Lynch and SMR's 1994 Software Industry Forum in
Boston.

19 -> Software Forum - Lotus' Manzi Outlines Strategy 04/25/94 Lotus
Development Corporation's strategic objectives are bringing big
paybacks, said Jim Manzi, president and CEO, in a talk at the 1994
Software Industry Forum, just after announcing first quarter 1994
revenues of $247 million for Lotus, a nine percent increase over the
same quarter last year.

20 -> Microsoft, Shiva To Provide Remote, Mobile Chicago Access
04/25/94 Microsoft Corporation says it will team up with Shiva
Corporation to help ensure that the next version of Microsoft Windows
operating system, code-named Chicago, will provide seamless, remote,
corporate- network-access capabilities for mobile computer users and
remote sites.

21 -> ZD Expos' Windows Solutions Conference 04/25/94 Citing an
expanded Windows development platform for building custom and
client-server business applications, Ziff Davis Exposition and
Conference Corporation (ZD Expos) has announced the second annual
Windows Solutions Conference + Exposition will be held Sept. 7-9,
2994, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

22 -> Logitech Intros TrackMan Voyager Mouse Replacement 04/25/94
Logitech has announced TrackMan Voyager, a tracker ball system
designed to replace the common or garden mouse for the PC. The company
claims that the unit is the most versatile, portable and custom
programmable, three button pointing device on the market.

23 -> DOE Picks New Computer Contractor 04/25/94 DynCorp of Reston,
Va., has wrested away from Computer Data Systems Incorporated (CDSI),
a $227 million, five-year Department of Energy computing contract.

24 -> Delrina Offers "Virtual" Fax Mailbox With 800 Number 04/25/94
Delrina, makers of the popular Winfax software product, is now
offering its previously announced "virtual" fax mailbox service that
allows users to receive faxes from any location.

25 -> Apple Offers Mail Order Solutions For Disabled Customers
04/25/94 Apple Computer is launching a mail order service aimed at
disabled computer users called Aisle 17. The company said no specific
meaning is attached to the name, other than it is intended to sound
like an aisle in any store.

26 -> President Clinton Gets Another E-Mail Death Threat 04/25/94 A
19-year old college student is reportedly free on his own recognizance
after pleading not guilty to threatening President bill Clinton via
electronic mail.

27 -> Epson Intros Workhorse Printer For LANs, Host Systems 04/25/94
Printer manufacturer Epson has announced the DFX-5000+, a new wide-
carriage, dot-matrix printer that the company claims can stand up to
the rigors of connection to a local area network (LAN) or host system.

28 -> dBASE For Windows Set For Early Summer Release 04/25/94 Borland
International is finally closing in on a Summer release date for its
long-awaited dBASE for Windows database management software.

29 -> Access Softek Announces Double Doozy For Windows 04/25/94 Access
Softek has announced its Double Doozy Fun Pack for Windows, a package
of twenty animated screen savers, twenty-five wallpapers and
backgrounds and fifty desktop icons that range from the sophisticated
to the plainly absurd.

30 -> Low Cost Rockwell V.32bis Chipset Cuts PC Modem Prices 04/25/94
Rockwell International has taken an important step towards
establishing a new price point for low cost V.32bis PC modems by
introducing a line of products that use the CPU of the host computer
for error correction and data compression.

31 -> Software Forum - Corporate Market To Reach $51B In '94 04/25/94
The North American corporate software market will surge 22 percent to
reach a record total of $51 billion in 1994, said Mike Walsh,
publisher of Sentry Publishing's Software Magazine and Client/Server
Computer, delivering an industry retrospective drawn from 12 years of
data gathered by Sentry Market Research (SMR).

(Steve Gold/19940425)