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/may_jun_94/nb050594

Text File | 1994-05-05 | 85KB | 1,830 lines

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

MCI Outlines Data Strategy 05/05/94
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- At the
NetWorld+Interop show, MCI made a number of announcements
concerning its direction in data networking.

First, the company said it will greatly increase the performance
and speed of the packet network now known as BT Tymnet, acquired
as part of its alliance with British Telecom last year. Tymnet
will, over time, get the capabilities of MCI's HyperStream
backbone, which now supports its frame relay and SMDS (switched
multimegabit data services) offerings. This will allow the network
to handle LAN (local area network)-based applications like graphics
and imaging. Present Tymnet connections run no faster than 9,600
bits-per-second (bps).

Second, MCI announced a nationwide customer trial of asynchronous
transfer mode, or ATM technology. ATM is a developing standard
for fast-data delivery which will supersede, in time, current
frame relay and SMDS offerings.

A six-node test network, in place since last July, is based on
Northern Telecom equipment, but MCI said it continues to work
with other switch vendors as well. Trials of its system with
real customers' data, said Vice President Paul Weichselbaum, will
help it learn of problems before finalizing commercial offerings.
Once the tests are done, a spokesman added. MCI will be signing
firm switch contracts for ATM gear.

Also at Interop, MCI and Bell Atlantic announced the beginning
of interexchange SMDS services. This means local Bell
Atlantic customers for SMDS can get data sent between local
calling areas through MCI, using a single contract and point-of-
contact. The two companies have been conducting trials of the
service since January.

An MCI spokesman told Newsbytes this is the most extensive
SMDS contract yet signed between the company and a regional
Bell. Weichselbaum called it a milestone in the expansion of
MCI's HyperStream SMDS. Bell Atlantic said more than half its
SMDS customers require data transmission outside their local
areas. The service will be offered by the end of June in many
major cities within Bell Atlantic's mid-Atlantic service
region, with more to come as the year progresses.

Finally, MCI announced it will purchase synchronous optical
network, or SONET, digital cross-connect equipment from Alcatel
Network Systems, a unit of a French-based company with US
headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The equipment, part of a $200
million deal with various vendors, will be part of the company's
networkMCI operation. MCI hopes to have all its network upgraded
to SONET standards by the end of this year, and the Alcatel
equipment was demonstrated at the Supercomm show in New
Orleans.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940504/Press Contact: Kent Martin,
MCI, 800-388-3780)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00002)

Noteworthy Newscard, Cellular Modem From Toshiba 05/05/94
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Toshiba America
Information Systems' (TAIS) has announced its Computer Systems
Division will team up with Motorola and Skytel to market the
credit-card sized Noteworthy Newscard Advanced Information
Receiver for wireless messaging. In addition, Toshiba announced
the credit-card sized Noteworthy cellular modem.

The announcements were made at the Networld - Interop trade
show being held in Las Vegas this week.

The companies say the Noteworthy Newscard is offered in the
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)
Type II form factor, and is made by Motorola. Subscription to the
Skytel system is required to allow users to receive text messages.
The Noteworthy offers 128 kilobytes (KB) of random access memory
(RAM) which will store about 40 typewritten pages of incoming
messages. It also comes with 128KB of flash read-only memory
(ROM) for applications programs.

The card can receive messages with or without a computer
connection as it uses an AAA alkaline battery as a power source.
The battery has a life expectancy of 21 days and allows the unit
to receive messages at 512, 1200, or 2400 bits-per-second (bps).

Motorola has been involved in the production of other wireless
receivers, such as NewsStream for the HP Palmtop and the Apple
Wireless Messaging Service for the Newton Messagepad. However,
the bottleneck in such wireless systems has been the lack of
ability to send messages. To handle that problem, Toshiba has
announced a PCMCIA Type II cellular modem -- the Noteworthy
cellular modem. The Microsoft Windows-based software bundled
with the Newsworthy Newscard allows users to send text
messages via modem to Skytel receivers.

The Noteworthy cellular modem includes the newly developed
Throughput X-Cellerator (TX-CEL), ETC 1.0, and MNP-10 standard
cellular protocols. Toshiba claims TX-CEL, from Celeritas
Technologies, improves data and fax transmission performance
over cellular systems regardless of the error correction protocol
used.

Steve Lair, vice president of marketing for Toshiba's Computer
Systems Division, said: "The user can now transfer data three
times faster than previous technologies, cutting down costs of
transmitting data over cellular lines."

Operating at up to 14,400 bps using the data compression standard
V.32 bis, Toshiba asserts Noteworthy cellular users can get
effective data throughput of up to 57,600 bps using the V.42/V.42
bis compression standard. The modem is smart enough to configure
itself for cellular or standard telephone line use with its Auto Line
Setup feature. Available as an add-on option, users can also get a
direct connect cable that will connect to most popular cellular
phones, Toshiba added.

While the Noteworthy cellular modem can be used alone to both
send and receive messages wirelessly, the Noteworthy Newscard
offers the advantage of being able to receive messages without
connection to a computer. In addition, wireless messaging is
usually less expensive than cellular phone charges.

An information packet is included with the Noteworthy Newscard
along with an 800 number for users to sign up with Skytel, but
details concerning the charges for the wireless service were not
available at Newsbytes' press time. The Noteworthy cellular modem
requires sign up with cellular providers in the users' service
area, and those charges vary by location.

The Noteworthy Newscard carries a suggested retail price of $249
and the Noteworthy Cellular Modem is $369. Both products are
expected to ship at the end of May.

Toshiba is making the Newsworthy products available through its
network of resellers and is emphasizing the Noteworthy products
will work with its own notebook and sub-notebook products equipped
with PCMCIA Type II slots. The company is offering a toll-free
number to help users locate resellers and users may also get more
information about the Noteworthy products from its Accessories
toll-free line. Skytel is also offering the Noteworthy Newscard
product.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940504/Press Contact: Toshiba, Howard Emerson,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Bob Maples, Maples &
Associates for Toshiba, 714-253-8737; Jillane Kleinschmidt,
Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart for Motorola, 312-988-4339; Ken Yamada,
Burson-Marsteller for SkyTel, 415-764-1369; Public Contact:
Toshiba, Dealer Referral 800-334-3445, Accessories, 800-959-
4100/COMPANY940504/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00003)

SyQuest To Enter Reseller Channel 05/05/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- SyQuest
Technologies, manufacturer and distributor of removable cartridge
disk drives, is planning to enter the retail channel this month with
its own SyQuest-branded 270 megabyte (MB) and 105MB, 3.5-inch
removable drives.

With plans to target the mainstream PC market, a SyQuest
spokesperson told Newsbytes the growth of image and data-
intensive markets created by multimedia and various power-users
demands a removable storage system that offers both additional
storage possibilities and large file transfer and sharing capabilities
on disk. SyQuest plans to offer both internal and external PC
packages as well as for parallel port notebook and laptop
configurations.

Speaking to Newsbytes, Ron Brown, vice president of worldwide
corporate marketing for SyQuest, said, "We have sold into the
retail market as SyDOS for the past three years and we have used
OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to market our products
on the Mac side. With file sizes not uncommon in 25MB and larger
amounts and greater demands for portability, the time has come
for us to market much more aggressively in the PC marketplace."

He continued: "SyDOS, a subsidiary of SyQuest, has marketed the
44MB, 88MB and 105MB cartridges with the SyDOS name and will
continue to do so with full service. The new SyQuest-branded line
will have new advertising and new marketing strategies that will
focus around the 270MB cartridge. We will continue to support
and respect our current OEMs on the Mac side and will not compete
with them directly."

Brown concluded, "We intend to maintain our focus and leadership
position in the desktop publishing market, but we see this new PC
market and we are going to aggressively go after it. This
represents a great change for SyQuest as we bring this entire
operation in-house and expand dramatically to a new market."

The SyQuest SQ-3270 (270MB) drive and cartridge is selling for
a street price between $599 and $699 and additional cartridges
are $59. The SQ-3105 (105MB) drive and cartridge are available
at a street price between $399 and $499 with additional
cartridges at $54. SQ-3270 will run the 105MB cartridge,
providing backward compatibility for users with 105MB
cartridges. However, the SQ-3105 is not capable of running a
270MB cartridge.

(Patrick McKenna/19940502/Press Contact: Michelle Mihalick,
Neale-May & Partners, 415-328-5555)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TYO)(00004)

Japan - Matsushita's Electronic Book & Sharp's TFT LCD 05/05/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Matsushita Electric has
released an upgraded electronic book player, based on a Sony
design. Meanwhile, Sharp has developed a powerful TFT (thin
film transistor) liquid crystal display (LCD), which is claimed
not to require a back-light.

Matsushita's latest electronic book player is called the
KX-EBP2, nicknamed the "Data Press." It has a 16-bit processor,
and the data search speed is much faster than its predecessor,
according to Matsushita. It is also claimed to be much lighter,
with the battery lasting for about six hours. The software is
provided in three-inch CD-ROM disks. The device reportedly
supports not only text data, but graphics and voice data as
well.

The software includes language dictionaries, cook books, travel
books, and language conversation training books. The hardware
design was originally created by Sony, with the software being
produced by major Japanese book publishers. The electronic
book player is priced at 39,800 yen ($398).

Meanwhile, Sharp has developed a powerful LCD that
reportedly consumes only 50 milliwatts of electricity. The
screen size is five-inches and it supports 320 by 200 pixels.

Due to the low-electricity consumption, Sharp is planning to
target the LCD at the notebook computer and hand-held
electronic device market. Although the LCD is monochrome,
Sharp is already planning color versions.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940502/Press Contact:
Matsushita Electric, tel [phone], fax [phone],
Sharp, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEL)(00005)

Philips Targets Indian Telecom 05/05/94
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Philips India is striving to
emerge as a major player in the telecommunications sector in the
next three years.

The company is all set to enter the trunk line market. It has
recently won contracts for installing networking systems on
two routes from Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL).

The first project, the installation of a pilot trunk line between
Ahmedabad and Baroda, is estimated to be worth around R5 crore
($1.6 million). The second, worth about R2 crore ($0.64 million),
will connect Sion and Ville Parle in Bombay.

Philips has also signed an agreement with Hindustan Cables Ltd.,
to form a joint consortium for transmission-based projects
announced by the Center for Development of Telematics and
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.

Philips response to different telecom tenders floated by MTNL,
Department of Telecom, Konkan Railways, and the Air Force is
estimated to be around R830 crore (over $260 million). By
sourcing "high-value" technology from Philips Kommunication in
Germany, Philips India plans to strengthen its base in
synchronized digital technology.

By virtue of increasing its stake to 51 percent in Webel Telcom
Industry (WTI) from 40 percent, Philips is already manufacturing
two-way mobile radios and pagers.

Of the R450 crore ($145 million) to be invested by Philips India in
the next five years, at least 40 to 45 percent is expected to be
utilized in the telecom segment.

(C.T. Mahabharat/19940504)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00006)

Checkmark Brings Payroll Program To Windows 05/05/94
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- CheckMark
Software, already the publisher of accounting and payroll programs
for the Macintosh, is introducing a standalone payroll program for
Windows.

The company says it will roll out its CheckMark Payroll for
Windows software at the Windows World 94 show later this month.
Windows World runs in conjunction with the four-day spring Comdex
show in Atlanta beginning May 23, 1994.

CheckMark says Payroll for Windows is designed specifically for
small businesses and is more flexible than payroll software found
in all-in-one accounting packages.

One of CheckMark Payroll For Windows advantages is its ability
to export payroll data to Quicken, a popular low-end accounting
program. The company says Quicken users can print checks from
either CheckMark Payroll or Quicken using the checks they
purchased for Quicken. That eliminates the need to buy checks
formatted for CheckMark's program.

CheckMark employee hours are entered in a spreadsheet-style
window. Multiple income sources per employee are supported, such
as bonuses, tips, mileage and commissions and the user can create
additional categories if needed.

Federal, state and local taxes are calculated and, include Earned
Income Credit, Social Security, Medicare, and state disability
insurance. Tax tables can be updated annually by the user manually
or you can obtain updates on disk from CheckMark.

CheckMark Payroll for Windows prints W-2X and 941 forms, and
supports a variety of pre-defined deductions including 401(k) and
cafeteria plans, or you can create your own deductions. The
program lets the user set up sick leave and vacation days accruals.

CheckMark spokesperson Alexandra Early told Newsbytes the program
can print multi-copy W-2 forms if the user has an impact printer,
and can handle wages based on hourly, weekly or monthly pay rates.
The official price of CheckMark Payroll for Windows is $129, but the
company expects the street price to be under $100.

CheckMark Macintosh-based products include MultiLedger, Payroll,
and Cash Ledger.

(Jim Mallory/19940505/Press Contact: Alexandra Early, S&S Public
Relations for CheckMark Software Inc, 708-291-1616; Reader
Contact: CheckMark Software Inc, 303-225-0522 or
800-444-9922/CHECK940505/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TOR)(00007)

Westinghouse To Make Phones For Canada's Satellite Net 05/05/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- TMI Communications
has announced a deal with Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s
communications division, which will make telephones for use with
TMI's satellite communications network.

TMI is currently building the MSAT network, and expects to begin
satellite phone service in early 1995. TMI expects the service,
to be available across Canada, to appeal to those who need
wireless communications in the 80 percent of the country where
cellular phones still do not work, and to those in very remote
areas that lack even hard-wired phones.

Westinghouse is one of several manufacturers TMI has licensed to
make equipment for use on the MSAT network. The Westinghouse
Series 1000 phone is based on an Oki 1230 cellular phone
introduced in March, and owners of the Oki unit will be able to
upgrade it for satellite use.

The MSAT network uses small satellite antennas, about the size of
the bubble-shaped roof light on top of some police cars, said
Janis Downey, a spokeswoman for TMI. The phones are thus mobile,
though not as portable as a handheld cellular unit. However, a
briefcase satellite phone is available, she said.

TMI plans to provide four basic services: voice calls, data
transmission, facsimile, and fleet radio (one-way communication
from one point to many).

TMI, a subsidiary of BCE Inc., which also owns Bell Canada and
Northern Telecom, will serve only Canadian subscribers, but its
customers will be able to use their satellite telephones
throughout Canada and the United States since the TMI satellite's
footprint (the area within which antennas can receive its signal)
will cover all of North America.

TMI's satellite was originally to be launched this summer, but
the launch has been pushed back more than once. Those delays and
financing problems put the company briefly in bankruptcy in the
spring of 1993, until BCE bought out the majority interest that
had belonged to Telesat Canada, the domestic satellite
communications operator, and the Canadian government provided
financial guarantees.

(Grant Buckler/19940505/Press Contact: Janis Downey, TMI
Communications, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Maria
Trintis, Westinghouse, 410-765-3721; Public Contact: TMI
Communications, 613-742-0000/SATPHONE940505/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(TOR)(00008)

Cognos Plans Mac Releases, Gets AS/400 Endorsement 05/05/94
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Cognos Inc. has
announced plans to deliver versions of its PowerPlay and
Impromptu data retrieval software for Apple Computers Inc.'s
Macintosh.

The company also said IBM has named it an AS/400 Client Series
Partner, meaning IBM recommends PowerPlay and Impromptu for
use on client personal computers working with AS/400 midrange
systems as servers.

PowerPlay is a reporting package that can retrieve data from
central databases and present it in numerical or graphical
formats. It is used as an executive information systems (EIS)
tool to present corporate information to managers and executives.
Impromptu is a database access program used to create reports
and retrieve data from databases.

Both packages are currently available for personal computers
running Microsoft Windows.

Cognos said the Macintosh version of PowerPlay will be available
this fall, and the Mac release of Impromptu is due in the first
quarter of 1995. Both are meant for the older Macintoshes built
on Motorola Corp.'s 680x0 line of microprocessors, a spokeswoman
told Newsbytes. The company is not announcing any plans to
produce versions for the new Power Macintosh models that use
PowerPC chips.

The PowerPlay Administrator Edition costs C$895, including the
PowerPlay Transformer, software for organizing data into multiple
dimensions. Without PowerPlay Transformer, it costs C$795.
Impromptu's Administrator Edition is C$780, and its Enterprise
Edition costs C$650. Cognos offers volume discounts and
enterprise licenses.

(Grant Buckler/19940505/Press Contact: Wendy Rajala, for Cognos,
905-338-8532; Roberta Carlton, Cognos, 617-229-6600 ext 2446;
Public Contact: Cognos, 800-267-2777 or 613-738-1440)


(CORRECTION)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00009)

Correction - Sigma To Make Atari Jaguar Titles Run On PC 05/05/94
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Newsbytes
reported in the story "Sigma To Make Atari Jaguar Titles Run On
PC" that ran May 3, 1994, that the Jaguar, at a retail price was
significantly less expensive than $700 competing systems from
companies such as 3DO.

While the 3DO system is $700 with the additional Motion Picture
Experts Group (MPEG) capability, Newsbytes thanks its readers for
pointing out that the 3DO system's retail price has been reduced to
$499 since the introduction of the Jaguar last year. Readers were
also quick to point out the 3DO system uses compact disc read-
only memory (CD-ROM) discs while the Jaguar uses cartridges.

Newsbytes regrets any inconvenience.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940505/Press Contact: Cindy McCaffrey,
3DO, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00010)

Compuserve Unveils Navigator For Windows 05/05/94
READING. BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- CompuServe has
announced the formal introduction of Navigator for Windows, the
Windows version of the offline reader (OLR) for PC users of the
online service.

Whether knowingly or not, CompuServe has been seen by the UK user
community as back-pedalling on its promotion of OLRs, seemingly
preferring instead to promote the graphical user interface (GUI)
online reader known as CompuServe Information Manager (CIM). The
arrival of a Windows OLR that is supported by CompuServe is very
welcome, Newsbytes notes.

According to Gary Yeauger, CompuServe's product manager, a
preliminary version of Navigator for Windows was released late
last year to around 15,000 members of CompuServe. Yeauger reports
that the response to the package was excellent.

CSNav/Win, as the package is known, allows CompuServe members
to automate many of their online tasks, such as sending and retrieving
mail, accessing forums and obtaining stock quotes. The idea behind the
package is simple -- to allow the user to set up his/her online
session while offline and allow the package to hop online, zip
through the required tasks at maximum speed, and then log off.

Interestingly, CompuServe is positioning CSNav/Win as a more
advanced users package, leaving CIM as the more novice users package.
According to Yeauger, CSNav allows more experienced users to
"retrieve messages and files from various areas of the service
quickly and review them at their leisure."

He continued: "This approach maximizes the value a member receives.
Some people will use the CompuServe Navigator to save money on
their CIS bill, but others will spend the same amount or even more
because they will get additional value for their money and time."

CSNav/Win is available for download on CompuServe (GO CSNAV)
at a cost of $30, although downloaders get a usage credit of $10.

(Steve Gold/19940505/Press & Public Contact: CompuServe UK,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Electronic-mail:
[e-mail])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00011)

UK - DataEase Enhances V4.53 Upgrade Packs 05/05/94
ILFORD, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Claiming to be enticing
users to upgrade from v4.2 or earlier, to version 4.53 of DataEase,
the company of the same name is offering a free copy of the
Graph-in-the-Box database graphing software. It is also offering
a copy of the custom defined function (CDF) library, along with a
50 percent money-off deal on other packages to upgraders.

The offer runs until the end of this month and, according to the
company, aims to persuade users to move up to the new edition and
enjoy the extra facilities the revised structured query language
(SQL) database package has to offer.

Graph-in-the-Box is manufactured by New England Software and is a
memory resident presentation package that will enhance DataEase
output, the company claims, by enabling data direct from the screen
to be presented in any one of 15 graphical chart types.

The package also allows data from different data files to be output
as pie, scatter, organization, trends, line or bar charts, and text
with color and three-dimensional depth to be added.

"Feedback from our user-base has indicated that the need to manipulate
and interpret data in a clear and concise graphical format is growing
significantly," explained Alistair Trickett, DataEase's marketing
director. "Graph-in-the-Box works seamlessly with DataEase 4.53,
expanding the potential for more comprehensive interpretation of
complex data. Combined with the CDF libraries, users will fund
DataEase 4.53 to be even more comprehensive and powerful -- but
without sacrificing the enormous ease of use they already associate
with the product."

Pricing on the upgrade depends on the user's licensing arrangements,
Newsbytes understands. The retail price for a single user version of
DataEase is UKP595, while the upgrade price is UKP95. Terry Marrinan
of DataEase describes the upgrade as "excellent value for money for
existing users of older versions."

Apart from the upgrade extras, what is so significant about this new
version of DataEase? The company notes that v4.53 provides support
for Windows enhanced modem, so increasing flexibility through cut-
and-paste, task switching, background processing and better memory
management, as well as plug-in SQL connectivity to mini and
mainframe data stores.

(Steve Gold/19940505/Press & Public Contact: DataEase
International, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00012)

UK - Tetra Intros Chameleon 2000 For NetWare 05/05/94
MAIDENHEAD, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Tetra has
announced that its Chameleon 2000 business software suite is
available for Novell NetWare versions 3.x and 4.x. The full
functionality of the package, including its 26 modules, has been
enhanced to embrace the NetWare network operating system
environment, according to the company.

Chameleon 2000 is a multi-company package, Newsbytes notes,
capable of working in multi-currency format. The company claims
that the product can cover a group of company's accounting,
financial management, distribution, and manufacturing requirements.

As well as including support for NetWare 3.x and 4.x, the new
version of the package still runs under Windows 3.1 or above and uses
BTrieve file structures to allow for integration with third-party
DOS and Windows applications.

Steve Lenehan, Tetra's third party channels product manager, said
that, while the company is a mid to high-end Unix business
applications supplier, "We recognize that there is a growing demand
from corporate users for PC networks applications which offer high
level corporate functionality and desktop integration with other data
sources through market leading management tools."

Lenehan added that, while Chameleon 2000 has been the company's
most successful product ever, by making it available on Novell
Netware, "We expect to increase our share of this strategic
market still further."

In use, Chameleon is multi-tasking and has a Report Writer that offers
menu-driven reporting facilities. There is also a facility to make
intuitive enquiries with "drill down" to individual transaction level
support, Newsbytes understands.

(Steve Gold/19940505/Press & Public Contact: Tetra Limited,
44-628-770939)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00013)

UK - Aldus Intros ProPack Utilities For PageMaker 05/05/94
OLD ISLEWORTH, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Aldus
UK has launched PageMaker ProPack, a collection of utilities for
PageMaker, the company's desktop publishing package.

Until the end of September, the UKP395 ProPack package is being
bundled with new copies of the Mac or PC Windows versions of
PageMaker, Newsbytes understands.

According to Aldus, ProPak bundles a professional selection of type,
art and photos which allow users to add extra style to PageMaker
publications. Even with an RRP of UKP395, the company claims the
package is good value, since the individual components are worth
more than UKP500.

"Aldus PageMaker P5.0 ProPack has been compiled to offer a quick
start to professional publishing. Additionally, those companies
whose publishing operations are expanding will also benefit from
the increased productivity that is made possible by faster access to
professional tools," commented Pauline Tyack, Aldus UK's marketing
director.

ProPack is supplied as a twin CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory)
package. The first disc includes Adobe Type 1 typefaces comprising
two complete typeface families -- Caslon 180 and Lithos. Also on the
CD are more than 250 "high-end," editable EPS illustrations from the
Business 1 and Graphics & Symbols 1 libraries from 3D Graphics
Incorporated, as well as a Visual Symbols library.

The second disc is the Adobe Type On Call CD-ROM which Aldus claims
provides access a library for more than 1,350 encrypted Type 1
typefaces. Users can browse the library and look at fonts they want.
Once the font(s) have been selected, the user buys an unlocking
password from the dealer or direct from Aldus itself.

(Steve Gold/19940505/Press & Public Contact: Aldus UK,
44-81-568-8868)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00014)

Philips Announces 1st Qtr Profits Surge 05/05/94
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Philips, the troubled
Dutch electronics group, is back with a vengeance. The company has
announced a surge of more than 150 percent in first quarter profits
which it claims marks a change of fortune for the company's
operations.

During the first quarter of this year, Philips reported profits of
DG260 million ($140 million) on sales of DG13,650 million ($7,400
million). The figures compare with profits of DG103 million on
sales of DG13,750 million a year earlier.

If the profits are so good, then why have sales dipped slightly? The
company blames the restructuring that has been taking place over the
last year. This has means that net financing of the group has fallen
by almost 30 percent, Newsbytes notes.

According to Philips, while sales in Europe were static, the company
has been pushing hard in Latin America and Asia, where it has sold its
VCRs and radio equipment. Plans are in hand to pursue these market
still further in 1994, company officials said, and to boost profits
still further.

While profits were well up on the first quarter were well up those of
last year, Newsbytes notes that the company could have reported even
higher profits. Careful examination of the company report reveals that
Philips has been working hard to refinance its borrowings, as well as
paying off its short-term overdrafts.

This means that the company only had to pay DG254 million in the
first quarter in interest, compared with DG360 million in the same
period last year. During the last year, borrowings were reduced by
34 percent, Newsbytes notes.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940505/Press & Public Contact: Philips,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00015)

Sweden's Ericsson Wins Major GSM Deal With UK's Cellnet 05/05/94
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Ericsson has secured a major
contract, worth around $14 million, for the supply of digital mobile
phone hardware to Cellnet, one of the UK's two global system for
mobile communications (GSM) network providers.

Terms of the agreement call for the Swedish telecoms company to
supply its AXE10 mobile exchange switches to Cellnet, to expand the
company's existing GSM network, which covers around 40 percent of
the UK.

Some of the hardware, Newsbytes understands, will be used to link
Cellnet's analog TACS (total access communications system)
exchange network and the GSM network, so bypassing the British
Telecom (BT) network.

By using Ericsson's exchange kit, Cellnet will have closer links to
the BT network (BT is major shareholder in Cellnet), since several
key BT switches also use AXE10 exchange technology, Newsbytes
notes.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940505/Press & Public Contact: Ericsson,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00016)

UK - AST Intros Pentium Servers 05/05/94
BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- AST Europe
has announced two Pentium-based servers, the Premmia MTE P/60
and the SE P/60. Both machines are based around Intel's 60 megahertz
(MHz) Pentium processor and are pitched at the network/server
marketplace.

The MTE P/60 is a mini-tower system, while the SE P/60 is a full-
size tower machine. According to Con Mallon, AST Europe's marketing
manager, the mini-tower system will be useful in a workgroup or
smaller network situation, while the full-size system will be best
for a large business department or even a full corporate division.

"AST's new Pentium-based servers provide significant improvement
in user response time -- vital in today's rapidly changing business
world. In order to function as the information backbone of businesses,
AST's new Premmia servers also provide high levels of compatibility,
availability and serviceability," he said.

Mallon added that, as AST was one of the first companies to offer a
mini-tower to users for workgroup use, it is only logical to expect
the company to ship the industry's first Pentium-based mini-tower.

Both systems are available in the UK immediately. They feature 16
megabytes (MB) of main memory (expandable to 128MB), fast small
computer system interface (SCSI) controllers, and local bus
technology. The SE P/60 system has a RAID (redundant array of
inexpensive drives) disk system and a CD-ROM (compact disc read
only memory) option.

One version of the MTE P/60 is available in the UK. The 3s machine
costs UKP3,645. Two versions of the SE P/60, meanwhile, are
available -- the 3s and the 2003D. The 3s costs UKP4,195, while
the 2003D, which includes a single channel disk array subsystem
with a single CD-ROM and two 1GB hard drives, sells for UKP6,995.

(Steve Gold/19940505/Press & Public Contact: AST Europe,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00017)

 ****Dingell Launches Probe Of FCC Wireless Award 05/05/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Rep. John Dingell
(D-Mich.), has launched a probe of the decision by the Federal
Communications Commission to award rights to receive free
licenses for wireless communications to four companies, rather
than putting the licenses up for competitive bidding.

In a letter to the FCC, Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC, and
chairman of the oversight and investigations subcommittee,
charged that the decision to give the companies "pioneer
preference" and free licenses as a result, was based on
"political and lobbying pressure" and not on "hard scientific
data."

The investigation will be conducted by Dingell's oversight
subcommittee, which has already requested a mountain of FCC
paperwork that surrounds the license award. "These guys are the
toughest junk yard dogs in Congress," a telecommunications
lobbyist told Newsbytes, "and Dingell is the top dog of them
all."

The companies coming under Dingell's microscope are Omnipoint
Corp., Cox Enterprises, Mobile Telecommunications Technologies
Corp., or Mtel, and American Personal Communications, which is
70 percent owned by The Washington Post.

The pioneer preference program was designed by the FCC to reward
companies for showing innovation and taking special risks. The
FCC gave the four firms the right to free licenses, but not the
licenses themselves, so Dingell's action could forestall the
awards of the licenses.

In the past, the FCC routinely awarded licenses to the radio
spectrum for free, basing the awards on the character of the
applicant, promises of public services, and other factors. Recently,
Congress has begun telling the FCC to auction the airwaves to the
highest bidders. The licenses for the advanced wireless personal
communications that the four firms are working out could be
worth more than $10 billion, according to a Dingell aide.

In his letter, Dingell said there have been allegations that the
FCC staff had met with representatives from the four firms in
secret. He charged that the value of the free licenses "is
substantially in excess of the value of the contributions of the
so-called pioneers."

"We believe that we played by the rules. We assiduously followed
the rules," Scott Schelle, American Person Communications
executive vice president told the Washington Post. "We are going
to view this process as another chance to set the record straight
and move ahead."

In a written statement, The Washington Post Co. said: "We're
confident this inquiry will validate both the process and the
results. At the same time, we hope his letter will not further
delay APC from bringing (personal communication services) to
the public and new competition to the telecommunications field."

The FCC's decision to grant the rights to free licenses to the
four firms drew roars of outrage from competitors. Many others
had also applied for pioneer preference but were turned down and
will now have to bid for the spectrum. Pacific Bell has asked the
US Court of Appeals for the Washington DC Circuit to overturn
the FCC's pioneer preference awards.

Rep. Martin Olav Sabo (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Budget
Committee, first raised the issue of the alleged give-away to
Dingell. Sabo was concerned about the loss to the treasury, an
aide told Newsbytes. "This thing is very fishy," the aide said.
"That's why we turned Dingell loose on it."

(Kennedy Maize/19940505)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00018)

DEC Picks Up $27 Million VA Award 05/05/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Digital
Equipment Corp. has won a $27 million order from the Department
of Veterans Affairs to upgrade computer systems at 98 medical
centers around the nation.

Under the order, Digital will replace existing Vax systems with
500 clustered AXP/150 systems, running the OpenVMS operating
system, along with the ability to run OSF/1, DEC's Unix dialect,
and Microsoft's Windows NT.

The VA was looking at downsizing its computer systems to a
platform with the price and performance of 486 PCs, but wanted to
be able to migrate its hospital information system, developed on
the Vax, to the new environment, according to Robert Scott,
deputy director of the VA's information systems center in
Birmingham, Ala., which handles nationwide computer purchasing
for the agency.

The AXP PCs are configured with 128 megabytes (MB) of memory,
three SCSI (small computer systems interface) controllers, an
EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) hard disk controller
and an EISA Ethernet controller.

The VA, in tests, found that clusters of four to six APX system
provided faster performance than a large number of networked
486 machines. The hospital information system could be shifted
from the Vax to the AXP system in less than 30 minutes.

"No software modifications were required for either the operating
environment or the program applications, said Scott. "The
migration is a straightforward cut-over, with downtime
amounting to less than 30 minutes."

Another factor in the award, said Scott, is the ability of the
system to run standard PC operating systems such as Windows
NT and Unix. This gives the hospitals the freedom to change
operating environments if its applications change over time.

(Kennedy Maize/19940505/Contact: Kevin Rudden, DEC,
508-264-5549; Robert Scott, VA, 205-290-7000)


(NEWS)(IBM)(TOR)(00019)

 ****IBM Intros Four New PS/1 Models 05/05/94
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- The IBM Personal
Computer Co. continued pursuing home and small-business buyers
with the introduction of four new Personal System/1 computers.

The new models come with the Online Housecall remote-diagnosis
service that IBM announced in March, and extend the idea of
delivering locked software and allowing the customer to buy it by
paying for a code that unlocks the packages.

The four models range from one based on a 33 megahertz (MHz)
486SX processor to one that uses a 66MHz 486DX2 chip. Most are
upgradable to the Intel Pentium chip, IBM said. One of the units
is designed for multimedia applications, equipped with a compact
disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, stereo speakers and a
bundle of multimedia software.

IBM's Online Housecall, announced in March for some 30 existing
PS/1 models, allows a company technician to connect to a
customer's PC by modem and diagnose and fix technical problems.
Also on the service and support front, the new machines come with
a one-year limited warranty that includes Express Maintenance, in
which IBM will deliver a replacement for any defective part
within 48 hours in most cases.

Under an agreement with Disney Software, 11 of Disney's software
packages for children and teenagers are preloaded on the new
PS/1s' hard disks, but encrypted. A customer who wants to use the
Disney software can buy all 11 titles by buying a $79 kit from a
retailer, a company spokeswoman told Newsbytes. This kit includes
a telephone number the customer can call to get a password that
unlocks the software.

This is a variation on offering collections of locked software
packages on a CD-ROM, something IBM, Apple Computer Inc., and
others have already tried.

The new PS/1 models have standard memory of four or eight
megabytes (MB), and hard disks ranging from 170 to 720MB. They
all have local-bus video and either a data-only or a fax-and-data
modem. They have three to six drive bays and three to eight
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion slots, depending
on the model.

All meet or exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency's
Energy Star guidelines for power conservation. They also come
with Rapid Resume, an IBM feature that lets users turn off their
PCs without closing applications and have the machine save their
work automatically and return to the same state when turned back
on.

Each new PS/1 comes preloaded with MS-DOS 6.21, Microsoft
Windows 3.11, and Microsoft Works for Windows 3.0 integrated
software, plus IBM's Personal Desktop, PS/1 Index, PS/1 Fitness
(including a virus checker), and PS/1 Tutorial.

The multimedia model has a double-speed CD-ROM drive with
multi-session Kodak Photo CD support, a SoundBlaster 16 audio
card, stereo speakers, and a software bundle including Compton's
Interactive Encyclopedia, King's Quest VI, PS/1 Photo Display,
MCS MusicRack, Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, and Microsoft
Multimedia Pack. All PS/1 multimedia models meet MPC2
specifications, IBM said.

All four new models are available now in the Americas, the
spokeswoman said. While IBM does not publish suggested retail
prices for PS/1 models, the company said it expects the new
machines to sell for between $1,299 and $2,599.

(Grant Buckler/19940505/Press Contact: Kristen Hedlund, IBM,
914-766-1809)


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

Language Programs For Windows Translate Docs 05/05/94
NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Among the
programs being rolled out at the spring Comdex show in Atlanta
later this month are programs that translate individual words
or entire documents into a second language.

Timeworks International will be showing Translate It! for Windows
and Word Translator for Windows.  Translate It! translates entire
documents from one language to another. Currently English to
and from Spanish, English to and from French, and English to and
from German versions are available. The company expects to ship
similar programs for Apple Computer's Macintosh in June 1994.

Timeworks says Translate It! performs its translation with idiomatic
accuracy, processing over 20,000 words per hour with up to a 90
percent accuracy rate. It has a 250,000 word dictionary which can
be customized for your particular needs.

The user can instruct Translate It! for Windows to translate the
document interactively as it is typed using the buIlt-in text
editor or the task can be done after the document has been created,
using your favorite word processing program. A grammar module
can help the user learn the foreign language by providing specific
information on conjugation, use and definitions of words.

Word Translator for Windows is a five language multi-directional
translation program that can work in conjunction with Translate
It!, as a standalone program, or with other translation programs.
It has five included languages: US English, United Kingdom
English, Spanish, French, and German. It contains over 40,000
words, 60,000 meanings and 130,000 cross-translations for each
language and a spelling checker. Word Translator can conjugate
verbs in all the languages, showing simple and compound tenses,
singular-plural forms and gender forms of adjectives.

Timeworks says if you buy Translate It! through July and send in
your registration card, you get free except for shipping and
handling a single-language version of Word Translator for the
same language as your Translate It! for Windows program.

To run Translate It! or Word Translator you need a 386 or better
IBM-compatible computer with at least two megabytes (MB) of system
memory. The Spanish and French versions of Translate It! require
14MB of space on your hard disk. The German version takes up
18MB, while Word Translator occupies 1.5MB of disk space for
each one language dictionary installed.

Both programs have a suggested retail price of $99.95, which
includes free technical support via telephone.

Timeworks recently released Publish It! 4.0 and Publish It! Lite,
low-end desktop publishing programs for Windows that include
clip art.

(Jim Mallory/19940505/Press Contact: Glynis Gibson, Gibson
Communications for Timeworks International, 312-868-9400;
Reader Contact: Timeworks International, tel [phone] or
800-323-7744, fax [phone]/TIME940505/PHOTO)


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

Xerox, Novell To Produce Document Detective Software 05/05/94
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Xerox Corporation
and Novell Inc., have announced an agreement to develop a
technology that will lead to easier tracking, use and sharing of
documents on computer networks.

The partnership, which was announced at this week's
Networld+Interop 94 trade show being held in Las Vegas, could
simplify the problem of locating documents on a network that are
used by more than one user. That is a growing problem as more
companies network their computers and the number of documents
on those networks grows.

The two companies said the first product to come out of the
partnership has been dubbed Document Enabled Networking (DEN) for
Novell Netware. DEN is designed to help software developers create
programs that would act as "document detectives" to quickly and
automatically locate and retrieve documents, regardless of where
they are stored on the network or in what form they exist.

Xerox and Novell believe applications can be developed using DEN
that could allow the user to initiate the search by providing any
of the document's attributes, such as the author's name, the date
of creation or one or more key words. DEN could also help develop
processes that monitor and control the document revision process
among members of a workgroup.

Both companies will market their products and services resulting
from the partnership through their respective channels and will
conduct joint training for their channel partners. Xerox will join
the Novell Technical Support Alliance program to support new and
existing customers using Xerox software and equipment in a
Netware environment.

DEN is another offshoot of the work done at the Xerox Palo Alto
Research Center (PARC) and is considered "middleware." That is a
term for the link between what you see as you use the computer
and underlying technology you do not need to see.

DEN will be delivered in two phases. In the first phase, the two
companies will develop the technical specifications for DEN and make
them available to third-party software applications developers,
probably in the third quarter of this year. The two companies say
they expect DEN applications to come to market in the first half of
1995.

In the second phase, DEN will be expanded to permit the integration
of a large number of databases, services, and document management
applications from a number of vendors.

(Jim Mallory/19940505/Press Contact: Jeffrey Simek, Xerox
Corporation, 716-423-5230 or Michael Adams, Novell Inc.,
801-429-5809)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SFO)(00022)

VIEW Software Intros Long File Names For Windows 05/05/94
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) --  One reason
many Mac converts have abandoned Microsoft's Windows graphical
user environment for the PC platform is frustration with the
short length of file names that can be used. Since August 1993,
VIEW Software has marketed a "long file name" utility and now
has introduced Long File Names for Windows 2.0.

The software allows users to create file names up to 255
characters in length for clear file and directory names. Designed
to  support MS (Microsoft) Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3,
PageMaker, Corel and more than 100 applications in all, Long File
Names installs to all applicable programs it finds the hard disk,
requires less than 1MB (megabyte) of hard disk space, and has its
own file manager for basic file management.

"The traditional eight-character file names have been a source of
frustration and confusion to many users," said Mike Madden, vice
president of marketing and sales for VIEW. "Our new program
offers users the freedom to create any filename they choose, so
that document management becomes much easier and faster."

According to VIEW, program installation is fast and simple for
almost all systems. Since the program does not alter Window's
built-in File Manager file management feature, Long File Names
has its own file manager that is represented by a desktop icon.
This file manager recompiles the long file names and writes an
eight character file name for Windows File Manager.

Madden continued, "Our product is integrated into each application
so that there is no learning curve at all. Users do not have to go
outside of the application to do anything at all. If you know how
to open and name a file, you know how to operate with Long File
Names."

Newsbytes notes that the coming version of Microsoft's Chicago
operating system will offer long file names as one of its new
features. In response to that observation, Madden said, "We are
aware of the Chicago long name file option, but considering the
length of time before it is released and the number of applications
that will have to be rewritten to take advantage of it, we know
that there is a strong market out there now that is ready for
this utility. Our customers will have the opportunity to be
experienced with long file names before Chicago becomes
available."

Long File Names for Windows is shipping now and has a suggested
retail price of $44.95. It requires a 386 or higher processor,
Windows 3.0 or higher, 1MB of hard disk space, and 4MB of RAM.
View is currently working on upgrades which will allow Long File
Names to integrate with AmiPro and QuattroPro. It does not install
to Microsoft Works.

(Patrick McKenna/1994/Press Contact: Phil Hall, Open City
Communications, 212-714-3575)


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

Motorola Creates Solution Center 05/05/94
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Motorola
has formed a center for creating wireless Intelligent Network
"solutions" near its cellular division's headquarters. Joining in
the creation of the IN2 center are Tandem Computers, DSC
Communications, and other companies.

IN2 stands for INnovation and INtegration. It will use open
architecture and industry standards to create services for
specific industries, working with both software and hardware
companies to develop and certify complete systems.

Jack Scanlon, senior vice president and general manager of
Motorola's Cellular Infrastructure Group, said the mission will
be "to drive the wireless communications industry toward an
open architecture and ensure the success if industry standards
in the advancing Intelligent Network."

As part of the effort, DSC and Tandem agreed to join Motorola in
promoting an applications programming interface which will let
software providers develop for a single wireless standard,
instead of having to have separate versions of their software to
work with RAM Mobile Data, ARDIS, analog cellular, packet
cellular and digital cellular schemes.

Among the first products to go through the process will be
Motorola's Cellular Home Location Register, which is based on
a Tandem service control point running on its NonStop servers.

The agreement was announced alongside a deal with Toshiba and
SkyTel to create a PCMCIA (Personal Computer memory Card
International Association) card for Toshiba laptops implementing
the SkyTel paging service.

That announcement illustrates some of the difficulties vendors
have moving from technology to solutions, according to Motorola
spokesman Jillane Kleinschmidt. While there is a PCMCIA standard,
different computers implement it in different ways, so Motorola
peripherals for different computers must be designed differently.

For instance, a SkyTel NewsCard for the Apple Newton had to
have a "hump" at its end, which contains a battery, modified
slightly so it would not cover the release button which allows
the card to be ejected.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940505/Press Contact: Judy SooHoo, Motorola
CIG, 708-632-4474; Jillane Kleinschmidt, for Motorola, 312-988-
4339)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00024)

Ericsson Details Wireless Strategy 05/05/94
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- At the
Supercomm trade show in New Orleans, Ericsson showed its new
wireless and wired voice-data systems to new audiences.

Not only were the aisles filled with a traditional audience of
phone company buyers, but there were thousands more from cable
companies and others interested in picking up spectrum in the
personal communication services (PCS) auctions to be held by
the FCC later this year and next year. The show's sponsor, the
Telecommunications Industry Association, said the show broke
records for booths and exhibitors.

Mats Dahlin, vice president, of product management for PCS
products at Ericsson, said the new attendees were who he
wanted to see. "PCS, to us, is a family of services that let you
communicate regardless of time and location. This will be part of
the information highway, but that will have many different layers
-- narrow band, wideband, depending on the information. You'll
see a lot of technologies converging. The evolution on our PCS
with this new platform will let us continue to develop new
features based on ISDN (integrated services digital network)"
and other advanced features of the wired phone network,
bringing them to the wireless side.

Newsbytes asked Dahlin of reports it is a supporter of time
division multiple access, or TDMA, digital service, as opposed to
code division multiple access, or CDMA, service. Most of those
vendors interested in PCS have committed to CDMA, while the
existing cellular industry is implementing TDMA. "There's a
perception we only support CDMA," but it's incorrect. "We support
it, but not the proposed IS-95 standard as offered by Qualcomm,"
especially its speech codec. "We support TDMA and will support
CDMA once there is a standard that is good for the market."

Dahlin also addressed how Ericsson is treating the US market.
"One of the things we are doing is using our whole base in the
states, Ericsson Network Systems and Ericsson Radio Systems to go
after the PCS market. We're focusing heavily on PCS, which is why
we are going to the whole customer base we feel will be involved
in PCS. Many different customers will be coming -- you won't see
the distinctions you saw early-on in cellular. You'll see many
corporations and joint ventures. And there's a wireless section
to Supercomm. There are many cable operators there."

Besides its CMS 40 Personal Communication System, based on its
proposed PCS 1900 standard, Ericsson also announced wired
equipment implementing asynchronous transfer mode, or ATM
standards.

The division which announced the ATM gear, Ericsson Network
Systems, also appointed a new president Bo Hedfors. Hedfors had
formerly been chief technical officer for the parent company,
LM Ericsson of Sweden. He replaces Bjorn Hemstad, called back
to Sweden to head up Network Services Systems, a new
business unit in Ericsson Public Telecommunications.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940505/Press Contact: Ericsson, Kathy
Egan, 212-685-4030)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(ATL)(00025)

Blohm Leaves MathSoft For New Venture 05/05/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- With the
maturation of the market, some educational and entertainment
software companies are removing their innovative founders in
favor of proven managers. As entertainment software company
Accolade was naming former FAO Schwarz head Peter Harris as
its new president, so MathSoft was bidding farewell to
co-founder David Blohm.

A MathSoft press release said only he was leaving to pursue "a
new venture in the related field of educational software." Blohm
had been with the company since its founding in August, 1985,
working with Allen Razdow.

Last September the company hired Don Boudreau, formerly chief
operating officer for Corporate Software Inc. and, before that,
Child World, as a senior vice president. In April it named Richard
Trudel, formerly an executive with Swan Technologies and Wang
Labs, as vice president of sales. Blohm called it an "orderly
transition," but Razdow admitted in a press release he's "an
entrepreneur at heart."

MathSoft is best known for Mathcad, which works on PCs, Macintosh
and Unix workstations, in a number of languages, and helps teach
math concepts to junior high school, high school, and college
students. The company also has a StatSci division and S-PLUS
interactive data analysis and programming environment unit, and
now publishes 47 electronic titles, as well as marketing the
Maple V symbolic computation program. Its product literature
identifies Mathcad as being geared "from 7th grade to rocket
scientist."

Newsbytes asked Blohm about his chosen market. "Our markets are
higher education and high school. If you look at the education
software market, it's mainly edutainment for grades K-6. There's
a giant gap from grade 6 to junior college. The reason is you need
technology depth as well as good instructional design. Mathcad
has been very successful in high school, with those people who've
done instructional designs with it.

"My new focus will focus on junior high, high school and junior
college, with products that are suitable for consumers and
schools, combining the ease of use of today's multimedia
software and the depth of Mathcad."

He continued: "We tend to lose kids in 5th and 6th grade. We have
to do something. I have kids that age, and see what's happening
in middle schools. Once they lose the confidence, they're dead."

Newsbytes asked Blohm about new research indicating boys and
girls use software differently. "Clearly the kinds of people that
will be involved with me will be taking that into consideration,"
he said. "We're looking at what has to happen to make kids better
educated in math and science. It takes instructional design and
market research."

Parents looking for good software, he suggested, should take 5-6
catalogs like that of the W.C. Bradford company to see what is
available. In Boston, "The Boston Museum of Science also put on
an educational software last year, and we had two dozen vendors
with 70 products. We'll do it again a year from now."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940505/Press Contact: MathSoft, Tina
Hong, 617-577-1017 ext 724)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(ATL)(00026)

 ****Research On Kids' Software Use Complete 05/05/94
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Final results
of a ground-breaking study on how kids use software will be used
in titles emerging this fall, said the EA*Kids unit of Electronic
Arts.

The research was directed by Maria Klawa at the University of
British Columbia, but also included work at Queens College in
Ontario, and MIT and Tufts in the US.

Results showed that boys and girls use software and video
games differently. Girls like characters and relationships
between them, while boys like fast action. The study also
showed that girls are more timid around computers than boys,
asking permission of researchers to use computers when it's
their turn or showing low levels of confidence when they
first approach the keyboard. Boys, on the other hand, are more
aggressive in seeking computer access and like the fast action,
competition and speed found on many of today's most violent
games.

Newsbytes discussed the implications of all this with EA*Kids
spokesman Catherine Wambach. "A lot of it is common sense, but
if you look at video software created for girls you'll find a lack.
Even when it's developed by women, it's done for a male market."

Newsbytes asked how girls play with software. "They had an area
where you could construct a character and playhouse. The boys
could have cared less. The girls wanted to bring that character
out, and bring it into their physical reality. They'd spend hours
on the pictures, houses and clay forms of those characters."

Wambach discussed the genesis of the study. "This was done when
the head of the University of British Columbia computer science
department, Dr. Klawa, "decided to see how to teach math and
science skills through video games and computer software. This
study looked at how kids learn on games and software. She's been
working on this project 13 years. It was just last summer that
they put the report together. You may have seen some preliminary
information."

The irony is, Wambach added, that while much video game and
computer games software is male-oriented, most of the development
is done by women. "They're very good at the concepts. But because
the market is dominated by boys, they develop for boys." She
added that the results are being widely discussed. "The study was
sent through the Software Publishers Association to all the
developers, so they could see what it would take to get girls
engaged in software."

This will result in new software this fall, from EA*Kids, based
on the research. "It will be most noticeable in the girls'
market, creating deeper characters. In the more advanced programs
they'll be levels of both in the same program, creating themes
for girls and actions for boys."

Despite the criticism that the study promotes stereotyping,
Wambach insisted the goal is education, pure and simple. "The
direction is let's use what they do to show them they can
succeed."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940505/Press Contact: Catherine Wambach,
for EA*Kids, 505-281-9137)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00027)

LDDS Makes Play For WilTel 05/05/94
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- LDDS President
Bernard Ebbers, with the backing of his billionaire chairman, John
Kluge, made a $2 billion bid to buy WilTel, the telecommunications
network of Williams Cos.

Williams said in a press statement it was evaluating the offer,
which would be reduced based on WilTel's debt. Williams also owns
a natural gas distribution operation, and the network was based
on that system. The network was first created when Williams ran
fiber cable along his existing rights of way. Later he bought
a similar network owned by the Kansas City & Southern Railroad,
and now has 11,000 miles of lines criss-crossing the country.

While WilTel has lots of call-carrying capacity, its challenge
has been finding customers. Early in its corporate life it sold
capacity in bulk to major long-distance carriers, but some of
those contracts lapsed when the carriers increased their own
capacity. WilTel has also built its own data transmission
services, becoming an early leader in frame relay service, and
transmitted TV pictures from sports arenas to cable and
broadcast studios through its Vyvx unit. But LDDS, now the
fourth-largest long distance service, is presently one of its
biggest customers.

Ebbers built LDDS from a base as a small long distance company
in the Southeast, and made it a solid number four in the US
long distance market through a series of mergers last year,
culminating in a combination with Kluge's Metromedia. Kluge now
owns about 20 percent of the company. Analysts like its strategy,
of buying the business of smaller carriers and then earning
larger profits through efficiency. But ultimately, its success
will require that it get more network capacity.

Analysts are now awaiting Williams' next move. Many contend
that the fact that the bulk of Williams business remains in
natural resources helps protect it from a hostile bid, since the
bidder would have to require far more money than WilTel itself
is worth.

Some analysts have speculated the LDDS bid can be raised to as
much as $2.5 billion. Williams has set no deadline for its
deliberation, and its next scheduled board meeting is May 19.
Williams shares rose sharply in value after the bid was announced,
to nearly $29 per share, and LDDS shares rose slightly as well.

If a combination is achieved, analysts say it will make LDDS a
real competitor to Sprint and MCI, the two companies which trail
AT&T in market share. With a combination of customers and
network capacity, it will be able to advertise nationally and offer
sophisticated calling plans, with revenues estimated at $2
billion.

WilTel spokesmen declined comment to Newsbytes beyond a press
release in which the company noted that "LDDS is a large customer
of WilTel that is currently negotiating a new, long-term contract
for services," adding that the offer was part of a Form 8K filed
May 3 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

They also offered these quotes from Williams president Keith E.
Bailey: "Williams is pleased with the recent performance of and
outlook for WilTel, and is comfortable continuing to own, operate
and invest in WilTel, a very rapidly growing and profitable
specialist in business telecommunications. Nevertheless, although
the terms of the LDDS letter are unclear in various respects, it
will be taken into consideration along with a number of other
alternatives that we are carefully examining to continue to
enhance the long-term value of this asset for our shareholders.
These alternatives include not only Williams' continued ownership
of WilTel and the LDDS offers, but other possible alliances with
one or more partners, a spin-off of WilTel, and the potential
issuance of a targeted stock, among other things."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940505/Press Contact: Jim Gipson, Williams
Companies, 918-588-2111)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(BOS)(00028)

 ****Nynex Outlines NY Video Trial, Plans For RI 05/05/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Nynex has
outlined plans for a two-phase video-on-demand trial in New York
City, and also intends to launch "video dialtone" services to
60,000 customers in Rhode Island, starting with the community of
Warwick.

A spokesperson for Nynex in Boston told Newsbytes that within
the next few weeks, Nynex will file a 214 form with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) asking for permission to install
video technology for the proposed commercial services in Rhode
Island.

Meanwhile, Nynex has been laying down fiber optic cable in Rhode
Island, and telephone company staffers are at work on developing
video-on-demand, interactive entertainment/information, and other
video applications for commercial use, the spokesperson told
Newsbytes. "We will undoubtedly use some of the results from our
trial in creating these services," he added.

The video-on-demand trial in New York City will ultimately allow up
to 800 users in three Manhattan apartment buildings to use their TV
remote controls to access movies, home shopping, and other
services, a Nynex spokesperson in New York told Newsbytes.

The trial consists of an analog phase, which started in January,
and a digital phase, slated to begin in September. Some customers
are already using the analog services, and 50 are scheduled to be
linked up by May.

Advanced Research and Technologies Inc. (ARTI) will offer movies
for the trial. Urban Communications Transport is providing concert
films. Both companies expect to add other programs by the middle of
this year.

Liberty Cable Television is providing movies as well as vintage TV
series and news and documentary shows from ABC, NBC, WNET,
Reuters and Dow Jones.

Later in 1994, Liberty intends to augment this programming with
sports; a home shopping service from Bergdorf Goodman; classes from
the New School; and airport flight information and live views of
traffic, to be supplied by the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey. Also later this year, Time-Warner is expected to join the
trial.

Nynex will deliver commercial video dialtone services in Rhode
Island over a "hybrid coax architecture," the Nynex representative
in Boston told Newsbytes. Nynex is running broadband fibers to
network nodes that will serve 150 homes each. Customers will be
served by coaxial for video and twisted pair for telephony, coupled
with existing wiring.

Nynex has selected Digital Equipment Corporation's video server
technology and Zenith's set top boxes for use in Rhode Island, as
well as in the digital phase of the trial in Manhattan. Other
equipment chosen for use in the Rhode Island deployment include
fiber systems from Raynet and broadband switches from Fujitsu,
according to the Nynex spokesperson in Boston.

In the analog phase of the Manhattan trial, Nynex is using: a video
jukebox and interactive video server software from On-Demand
Technologies; a Dynair switch for routing programs from the video
jukebox to the customers; and a fault-tolerant computer from
Stratus, which is serving as video system controller.

Also being used in the analog phase are modulators from Scientific
Atlanta, for placing programs on the proper channel on the fiber
system, and "fiber loop access capability" from ADS' American
Lightwave Services. The access capability consists of transmitters,
receivers and modulators that are being employed to connect the
Nynex central office to the three apartment complexes.

In the digital portion of the New York trial, DEC's video server
will be used to store the programs, and to support services such as
video-on-demand and home shopping. The set-top boxes from Zenith
will receive the digital signals from the server, demodulate them,
and transmit them to the TV. ADC Telecommunications will supply a
fiber-coax loop access system called Homeworx that includes
transmitters and receivers.

Sultan Zia, general manager for DEC's Video Interactive Information
Services Business Unit, told Newsbytes that the software for DEC's
video server, which is also being used in several other video
trials, is about "20 percent customizable" to suit the needs of
particular implementations.

For the commercial implementation in Rhode Island, for example,
DEC will integrate an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) network
interface, he said.

A spokesperson for Stratus told Newsbytes that the controller to be
used in the trial represents the first "fault-tolerant" native port
of the Unix System V.4 operating system.

Nynex also uses seven other fault-tolerant computers from Stratus
on its networks for Network Monitoring and Analysis (NMA) and
Operations System/Intelligent Network Elements (OPS/INE), but
these run Stratus' proprietary operating system, he added.

An ADC spokesperson said that the Homeworx access platform that
will also be used in New York is able to support analog as well as
digital video services, and can also accommodate telephone
services.

On-demand services will be available through a "reverse-path-data
transmission capability" that signals a switch in the central
office, he explained. This capability can also be used to integrate
POTS or ISDN on the same fiber/coax cable, according to the
spokesperson.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940505/Press Contacts: John Johnson, Nynex;
617-743-3677; Paul Davidson, Nynex, 212-395-0500; Janice Rosen,
The Weber Group for DEC, 617-661-7900; Pam Laufer, Stratus Computer,
508-460-2952; Greg Wortman, ADC, 612-946-3104; Melissa Cain, On-
Demand Technologies, 512-834-9551, ext 915; Kelly Oletta, Dynair,
619-460-2952; Wiliam Brobst, Scientific Atlanta, 404-903-6306;
John Taylor, Zenith, 708-391-8181; Lee Peretzman, Liberty Cable
Television, 212-213-0900; Robert Jacobs, Time Warner Cable, 212-
522-6302; Doug Frazier or Stuart Ried, Urban Communications, 212-
862-3524)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LAX)(00029)

Software Publishing To Sell Superbase? 05/05/94
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- Superbase,
the software product Software Publishing said it would
discontinue development on, could be sold to Long Island, New
York-based Computer Concepts. Terms of the deal were not
disclosed and the companies said negotiations have not been
finalized.

Software Publishing has been struggling with negative balance
sheets, reporting losses of $34.1 million on revenues of $104.3
million for 1993. The company announced in February it would not
continue further development on multimedia database product
Superbase so it could focus on its more popular graphics and
presentation software products such as Harvard Graphics for
Windows. It has also cut its work force to stay afloat, with
layoffs of about half its total head count since the beginning of
the year, leaving about 240 employees currently.

Computer Concepts, marketers of the database access for Windows
product d.b.Express, has also been struggling with red ink for
the last four years. In 1993 the company reported $8.1 million in
losses on revenues of $9.4 million. The company also owns
Softworks, a company that develops management software
products for large mainframe systems.

Software Publishing representative Vicki Page told Newsbytes
the Superbase sale is not related or intended to finance the
company's planned purchase of the Stanford Graphics and Stanford
Chart technical and statistical charting programs from Houston,
Texas-based Visual Numerics. Further details of the Visual
Numerics deal have not been released and the sale is still
pending, Page said.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940505/Press Contact: Vicki Page, Software
Publishing, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Bill Sokel,
Computer Concepts, 516-244-7700, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(TYO)(00030)

Japan - J&P Ups Network, Teikoku Adds To Database 05/05/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- J&P, an Osaka-based major
personal computer (PC) retailer, plans to strengthen its PC
network -- J&P Hotline. The firm plans to offer not only faster
data communications, but new additional services. Meanwhile,
Japan's major database network, Teikoku Databank, has added
more corporate data and is now providing information on over
one million firms in Japan.

J&P will shift its network to a more powerful system in June.
Under the new system, network users will be able to exchange
data at 14,400 bits-per-second (bps) using ZModem. J&P will
also start providing color pictures of mail-order items. Also,
the firm is planning to offer online shopping.

Additionally, J&P has begun providing information on part-time
jobs, travel, concerts and movies, by linking with a magazine
publisher, the Information Center.

J&P has been operating its PC network since 1985 when the
telecommunications laws were deregulated in Japan, and
now has about 37,500 members.

Meanwhile, Teikoku Databank has been operating a corporate
database, called COSMOS 2, since 1971. It now has information
on 1,001,739 firms in the database. It includes firms listed
on the Tokyo Stock Exchange market and the over-the-counter
market as well as 300,000 middle- and small-size firms with
capitalization of less than three million yen ($30,000).

Each entry reportedly has 32 kinds of information, including
type of sales, annual sales amount, profit, dealers, names of
directors, and the president. The database is available via
major computer networks, such as G-Search, Dialog, NEC's
PC-VAN and Nifty-Serve.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940505/Press Contact: J&P,
81-6-631-1221, Teikoku Databank, 81-3-3404-4311)


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

Newsbytes Daily Summary 05/05/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 5 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> MCI Outlines Data Strategy 05/05/94 At the  NetWorld+Interop
show, MCI made a number of announcements  concerning its direction in
data networking.

2 -> Noteworthy Newscard, Cellular Modem From Toshiba 05/05/94 Toshiba
America Information Systems' (TAIS) has announced its Computer Systems
Division will team up with Motorola and Skytel to market the
credit-card sized Noteworthy Newscard Advanced Information Receiver
for wireless messaging. In addition, Toshiba announced the credit-card
sized Noteworthy cellular modem.

3 -> SyQuest To Enter Reseller Channel 05/05/94 SyQuest Technologies,
manufacturer and distributor of removable cartridge disk drives, is
planning to enter the retail channel this month with  its own
SyQuest-branded 270 megabyte (MB) and 105MB, 3.5-inch removable
drives.

4 -> Japan - Matsushita's Electronic Book & Sharp's TFT LCD 05/05/94
Matsushita

Press <RETURN> or <S>croll?S Electric has  released an upgraded
electronic book player, based on a Sony design. Meanwhile, Sharp has
developed a powerful TFT (thin  film transistor) liquid crystal
display (LCD), which is claimed not to require a back-light.

5 -> Philips Targets Indian Telecom 05/05/94 Philips India is striving
to emerge as a major player in the telecommunications sector in the
next three years.

6 -> Checkmark Brings Payroll Program To Windows 05/05/94 CheckMark
Software, already the publisher of accounting and payroll programs for
the Macintosh, is introducing a standalone payroll program for
Windows.

7 -> Westinghouse To Make Phones For Canada's Satellite Net 05/05/94
TMI Communications has announced a deal with Westinghouse Electric
Corp.'s communications division, which will make telephones for use
with TMI's satellite communications network.

8 -> Cognos Plans Mac Releases, Gets AS/400 Endorsement 05/05/94
Cognos Inc. has announced plans to deliver versions of its PowerPlay
and Impromptu data retrieval software for Apple Computers Inc.'s
Macintosh.

9 -> Correction - Sigma To Make Atari Jaguar Titles Run On PC 05/05/94
Newsbytes reported in the story "Sigma To Make Atari Jaguar Titles Run
On PC" that ran May 3, 1994, that the Jaguar, at a retail price was
significantly less expensive than $700 competing systems from
companies such as 3DO.

10 -> Compuserve Unveils Navigator For Windows 05/05/94 CompuServe has
announced the formal introduction of Navigator for Windows, the
Windows version of the offline reader (OLR) for PC users of the online
service.

11 -> UK - DataEase Enhances V4.53 Upgrade Packs 05/05/94 Claiming to
be enticing users to upgrade from v4.2 or earlier, to version 4.53 of
DataEase, the company of the same name is offering a free copy of the
Graph-in-the-Box database graphing software. It is also offering a
copy of the custom defined function (CDF) library, along with a  50
percent money-off deal on other packages to upgraders.

12 -> UK - Tetra Intros Chameleon 2000 For NetWare 05/05/94 Tetra has
announced that its Chameleon 2000 business software suite is available
for Novell NetWare versions 3.x and 4.x. The full functionality of the
package, including its 26 modules, has been enhanced to embrace the
NetWare network operating system environment, according to the
company.

13 -> UK - Aldus Intros ProPack Utilities For PageMaker 05/05/94 Aldus
UK has launched PageMaker ProPack, a collection of utilities for
PageMaker, the company's desktop publishing package.

14 -> Philips Announces 1st Qtr Profits Surge 05/05/94 Philips, the
troubled Dutch electronics group, is back with a vengeance. The
company has  announced a surge of more than 150 percent in first
quarter profits  which it claims marks a change of fortune for the
company's  operations.

15 -> Sweden's Ericsson Wins Major GSM Deal With UK's Cellnet 05/05/94
Ericsson has secured a major contract, worth around $14 million, for
the supply of digital mobile phone hardware to Cellnet, one of the
UK's two global system for mobile communications (GSM) network
providers.

16 -> UK - AST Intros Pentium Servers 05/05/94 AST Europe  has
announced two Pentium-based servers, the Premmia MTE P/60  and the SE
P/60. Both machines are based around Intel's 60 megahertz  (MHz)
Pentium processor and are pitched at the network/server marketplace.

17 ->  ****Dingell Launches Probe Of FCC Wireless Award 05/05/94 Rep.
John Dingell  (D-Mich.), has launched a probe of the decision by the
Federal Communications Commission to award rights to receive free
licenses for wireless communications to four companies, rather  than
putting the licenses up for competitive bidding.

18 -> DEC Picks Up $27 Million VA Award 05/05/94 Digital Equipment
Corp. has won a $27 million order from the Department of Veterans
Affairs to upgrade computer systems at 98 medical centers around the
nation.

19 ->  ****IBM Intros Four New PS/1 Models 05/05/94 The IBM Personal
Computer Co. continued pursuing home and small-business buyers with
the introduction of four new Personal System/1 computers.

20 -> Language Programs For Windows Translate Docs 05/05/94 Among the
programs being rolled out at the spring Comdex show in Atlanta later
this month are programs that translate individual words  or entire
documents into a second language.

21 -> Xerox, Novell To Produce Document Detective Software 05/05/94
Xerox Corporation  and Novell Inc., have announced an agreement to
develop a technology that will lead to easier tracking, use and
sharing of documents on computer networks.

22 -> VIEW Software Intros Long File Names For Windows 05/05/94  One
reason many Mac converts have abandoned Microsoft's Windows graphical
user environment for the PC platform is frustration with the  short
length of file names that can be used. Since August 1993,  VIEW
Software has marketed a "long file name" utility and now  has
introduced Long File Names for Windows 2.0.

23 -> Motorola Creates Solution Center 05/05/94 Motorola  has formed a
center for creating wireless Intelligent Network "solutions" near its
cellular division's headquarters. Joining in the creation of the IN2
center are Tandem Computers, DSC Communications, and other companies.

24 -> Ericsson Details Wireless Strategy 05/05/94 At the  Supercomm
trade show in New Orleans, Ericsson showed its new  wireless and wired
voice-data systems to new audiences.

25 -> Blohm Leaves MathSoft For New Venture 05/05/94 With the
maturation of the market, some educational and entertainment software
companies are removing their innovative founders in  favor of proven
managers. As entertainment software company  Accolade was naming
former FAO Schwarz head Peter Harris as its new president, so MathSoft
was bidding farewell to  co-founder David Blohm.

26 ->  ****Research On Kids' Software Use Complete 05/05/94 Final
results  of a ground-breaking study on how kids use software will be
used  in titles emerging this fall, said the EA*Kids unit of
Electronic  Arts.

27 -> LDDS Makes Play For WilTel 05/05/94 LDDS President  Bernard
Ebbers, with the backing of his billionaire chairman, John  Kluge,
made a $2 billion bid to buy WilTel, the telecommunications network of
Williams Cos.

28 ->  ****Nynex Outlines NY Video Trial, Plans For RI 05/05/94 Nynex
has outlined plans for a two-phase video-on-demand trial in New York
City, and also intends to launch "video dialtone" services to 60,000
customers in Rhode Island, starting with the community of Warwick.

29 -> Software Publishing To Sell Superbase? 05/05/94 Superbase, the
software product Software Publishing said it would discontinue
development on, could be sold to Long Island, New York-based Computer
Concepts. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and the companies said
negotiations have not been finalized.

30 -> Japan - J&P Ups Network, Teikoku Adds To Database 05/05/94 J&P,
an Osaka-based major personal computer (PC) retailer, plans to
strengthen its PC network -- J&P Hotline. The firm plans to offer not
only faster data communications, but new additional services.
Meanwhile, Japan's major database network, Teikoku Databank, has added
more corporate data and is now providing information on over one
million firms in Japan.

(Ian Stokell/19940505)