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/nb050694

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(NEWS)(GOVT)(WAS)(00001)

Senate Weighs In Against FASB On Options 05/06/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The US Senate has
passed a "sense of Congress" resolution telling the Financial
Accounting Standards Board to drop its plan to restrict how
companies can use stock options. The resolution was approved by
an 88-9 vote on an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Bill.

The non-binding resolution has no legal effect, even if the
passes the House, but it does send a strong signal to FASB to
back off on its proposal to require companies to deduct the value
of stock options issued to executives from earnings.

The Senate resolution was sponsored by Sens. Joe Liberman (D-
Conn.), Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.), Phil Gramm (R-Texas) and Connie Mack (R-
Fla.). Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) is sponsoring the same measure
in the House.

The Senate action won quick kudos from the American Electronics
Association, the trade group that represents high-tech companies
in Washington. "With this vote," said AEA President and Chief
Executive Officer Richard Iverson, "the Senate has added its
voice to a growing demand that FASB abandon its proposal."

"The FASB proposal would strike at the heart of the job-creating
high tech industry," said Iverson. "The Clinton Administration,
the Council of Institutional Investors, three of the [Securities
and Exchange Commission], and all six major public accounting
firms have expressed serious concerns about its usefulness.
Virtually no one endorses the FASB proposal."

FASB, a private sector group based in Norwalk, Conn., is the
policing body of the accounting industry and sets "generally
recognized accounting principles" for company earnings and
financial statements. FASB has proposed that stock options are a
form of pay and should be charged against earnings, using a
complex formula for assessing the value of the options.

The proposal set off a fire storm of controversy in the high-tech
community, where new and poorly capitalized firms often use
options to attract and keep executives because they can't do that
with dollars. A FASB hearing in San Jose, Calif., earlier this
year brought out 4,000 high tech protestors, complete with signs,
balloons, and a marching band.

A recent survey for AEA found that counting options against
earnings would result in an average 30 percent reduction in
earnings. "Such an expensive earnings reduction would literally
coerce companies into abandoning stock options," Iverson said.

After moving boldly on the issue earlier this year, FASB more
recently appears to have been backpeddling on options. A recent
meeting that was supposed to be the final chapter of the issue
ended up with a briefing on technical issues. "We think they are
rethinking," AEA's Ed Hatcher told Newsbytes.

(Kennedy Maize/19940506/Contact: Ed Hatcher, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00002)

 ****Wireless Companies Look At Chip Interference 05/06/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Much to their
dismay, vendors of wireless communication systems have found that
the radio signals their devices emit can interfere with equipment
using microprocessor chips.

It's a particularly nasty problem in hospitals, where apnea
monitors, anesthetic gas monitors, blood warmers, and inter-
aortic balloon pumps have experienced problems. As a result, some
hospitals have banned or restricted the use of wireless equipment
such as cellular phones.

So four of the largest wireless companies have announced plans
for a center at the University of Oklahoma to study the problem
and figure out how the two classes of high-tech equipment can
coexist. AT&T, McCaw Cellular Communications, Motorola and
Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems have pledged $250,000 to
supporting the Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic
Compatibility at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The final
budget is expected to be much higher than that, according to the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.

The announcement of the funds comes following a series of
meetings begun earlier this year among the four companies, the
Food and Drug Administration and the university. Hank Grant,
former director of the National Science Foundation and an
industrial engineering professor at the university, headed the
Oklahoma group.

The Oklahoma center will test medical devices to assure that the
the microprocessors are properly shielded and immune from
interaction with electromagnetic emissions. This function will be
similar to the Underwriters Laboratory tests of the safety of
electrical equipment.

The center will also hold annual forums to discuss
electromagnetic compatibility, with the first scheduled for late
September in Dallas, as well as oversee and perform research,
coordinate standards development, and serve as a central contact
point on the issue.

In the Fall 1993 issue of the scientific journal Compliance
Engineering, Jeffrey L. Silberberg, of the FDA's Center for
Devices and Radiological Health, listed some of the sources of
electromagnetic signals, including AM and FM radios and
television sets, electric power lines, baby monitors, video
games, video recorders, cordless, cellular, and landline
telephones, police, fire department, and ambulance walkie
talkies, medical devices and monitors, battery packs, computers,
garage door openers, and electrostatic discharges from blankets
and people walking.

Today, no US standards exist that require manufacturers of
medical and other devices containing microprocessor chips to
shield the chips against electromagnetic interaction. Such
standards are in place in Europe.

The Federal Communications Commission does regulate
electromagnetic sources such as paging systems, walkie talkies,
cellular phones, personal computers and radio/TV station towers.
"This is not a cellular problem," said Thomas E. Wheeler,
president of CTIA and chief spokesman for the wireless
communications industry. "It is a problem of interaction between
two rapidly growing technologies."

(Kennedy Maize/19940506/Contact: Ron Nessen, Mike Houghton, CTIA,
tel [phone])


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

IBM Japan To Release "Kitchen Sink" PC Appliance 05/06/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- IBM Japan is preparing to
release a hybrid personal computer which has the proverbial
"kitchen sink" array of functions and combines a
personal computer and various multimedia devices. An IBM Japan
spokesman has told Newsbytes that it will be officially
announced within a month.

IBM Japan's hybrid personal computer will be based around
its multimedia personal computer, the PS/V Vision. It is expected
to include a regular TV tuner, a CD player, a telephone, a fax
machine, and a game machine. This new PC is expected to be released
this summer, according to an industry source. The price of
this new PC is the source of speculation but it is likely that
the unit will be in the same price range as the PS/V Vision,
which is 300,000 yen ($3,000).

Interestingly, this new PC is also expected to be used for next
generation services including "video-on-demand" service and online
shopping, both of which will start in Japan next year.

The inclusion of all these extra features on the
PS/V Vision chassis may not be the leap it seems. The unit
already sports a CD-ROM drive, a sound card, stereo speakers,
and a display with 16,770,000 colors. The processing speed is also
a fast 25-megahertz from an 80486SX processor. Also, this PC,
when used with a peripheral card, can run software designed
for the FM Towns multimedia computer.

Other Japanese personal computer makers are also planning to
release multimedia personal computers that also offer television
reception by the end of this year. They are also trying to cash
in on an expected demand for video-on-demand services.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940506/Press Contact: IBM Japan, +81-
3-5563-4310, Fax, [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(DEN)(00004)

Phone, Pager, 2-Way Radio In One Handset 05/06/94
DENVER, COLORADO, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- A Colorado company
will soon bring to market a service that uses a multi-purpose
handset that combines a cellular phone, pager, two way radio, and
message center. OneComm Corporation says it recently completed
tests in which it sent and received phone calls, messages,
two-way communications, and data from a single handset on
its digital network.

The first customers are expected to be online to test the
system in June.

According to Onecomm spokesperson Steve Silver, the system will be
fully operational in July of this year, offering Colorado service in
an area that extends along Interstate 25 from south of Colorado
Springs through Denver and north to Fort Collins and Greeley.

Silver told Newsbytes that pricing for the service is still being
worked out, but for companies that already use cell phones,
pagers, and two-way radio, it should be slightly cheaper.
Convenience is also a factor, since users will only have to
carry one device rather than several. Pricing will depend on
the number of users and the service provided.

Silver says while the principal market is for companies which already
have two-way communications and use or want cell phones and pagers,
individuals who use cell phones and pagers will be interested.

Nextel Communications of Rutherford, New Jersey is constructing a
similar system in the Los Angeles area. OneComm services Colorado,
the Pacific Northwest and mid-America.

The two-way communications make use of existing mobile radio
networks such as those provided by taxi and trucking companies. It's
made possible by digital technology developed by Motorola called
Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio that allows multiple use of
existing radio frequencies. The handset is also made by Motorola and
is expected to sell for between $500 and $700.

OneComm Corporation, currently changing its name from CenCall
Communications Corporation, reported earlier this week operating
revenue for the first quarter of $3.2 million, up from the $1.9
million for the same period last year. Gross profit was reported up
58 percent over last year to $1.5 million.

(Jim Mallory/19940505/Press contact: Steve Silver, Hill & Knowlton
for OneComm Corporation, 303-294-0044)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00005)

Motorola's Interactive Media Festival 05/06/94
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- When Digital
World comes to Los Angeles on June 6-8, it will include the
Festival Gallery of Interactive Media Festival, sponsored by
Motorola.

The gallery of 27 finalists' interactive works will be judged
by a world-renowned jury that includes Debbie Allen, Herbie
Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Jill Mazursky and others. The
decisions of this jury are finalized on June 5 and will result
in the presentation of the Festival's Sparky Awards on June 7
at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Interactive Media Festival is a corporate-sponsored group that
conducts a worldwide search of interactive multimedia works
that best combine creative talent and technological superiority.
Its 75-member delegation of nominators consists of performance
artists, curators, developers, financial analysts, publishers,
academicians, a twelve-year-old, called the "interactive media
guy" and representatives of other key industries.

The latest search which ended in March gathered more
than 100 titles which rendered 27 interactive works for the Festival
Gallery. Ranging from CAE Electronics' Boeing 747-400 flight
simulator to an Animated Dissection of Anatomy for Medicine by
ADAM Software, the titles reflect a wide range of subjects and
include as well such titles as Myst by Cyan, The Virtual Museum by
Jeffrey Shaw and Life Story by Apple Multimedia Lab.

The director of Interactive Media Festival, Lisa Goldman, told
Newsbytes, "On June 7th we will be holding 'Spark,' the event
where winners will be announced. Due to the lack of space and
the number of requests, Spark will be an invitation-only event.
As this event grows, we expect to have a larger space and
offer a lot more in the future."

Explaining the definition of interactive media used for this
competition, Goldman continued, "It has to involve any two-way
communication which embraces artistic endeavor and highlights
interactivity. The works in our show include a Sega Genesis
game, a sound sculpture from Germany, an interactive television
piece which is also from a group of German artists, and other
diverse and creative pieces. It does not have to be a CD. In
summary, I would say, our goal has always been to create an
environment where people can come and interact with the
works themselves in order to learn about interactive media."

The gallery will be open for free on June 6 through 8 from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. (4 p.m. on June 8).

(Patrick McKenna/19940504/Press Contact: Pamela Erickson,
Cunningham Communications, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00006)

3Com Offers Mobile Users Multiprotocol Remote Access 05/06/94
CENTRAL, HONG KONG, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- 3Com Corporation has
announced a software upgrade to its new AccessBuilder family
of remote access servers which produces greater internetworking
flexibility, security and ease-of-use, according to the company.

In addition LANQuest Labs, an independent network product
testing laboratory, has reported that AccessBuilder is the
performance leader in the remote access marketplace, offering
users complete client-to-LAN connectivity.

"Mobile communications needs are rising exponentially and
3Com is continuing to lead with innovative products," said
Roy Johnson, managing director for 3Com Asia Limited.
"Corporations with geographically dispersed employees are
just beginning to realize the need for integrated network
management and security-capable methods for connecting remote
users to the corporate LAN.

"Corporate demand for remote access for their mobile staff is an
area of explosive growth," said Johnson. "More and more users
require seamless access to the network resources in their
organizations. AccessBuilder gives these mobile users ease-of-use
access, and customized configuration control, regardless of
destination -- they simply dial into the corporate Ethernet or
Token Ring LAN via public switched telephone networks for direct,
transparent links."

AccessBuilder's new server-side software features dynamic Internet
Protocol (IP) and fortified Open Software Foundation/Distributed
Computing Environment (OSF/DCE) security.

Dynamic IP address assignment enables remote users such as a mobile
sales team to access corporate headquarters and sales support
offices in several locations. This dynamic method of allowing
multiple resource access uses a limited number block of IP
addresses dedicated to a "floating IP address pool."

OSF/DCE security is resident on a network node where it functions
as an agent between the AccessBuilder and the network security
server. OSF/DCE security emulates a security client and performs
the authentication with the security server.

Newly automated client-side software also maximizes WAN access
efficiency, adds a layer of security and eases administration
needs through features including Dial Scripting and Chaining,
both automate recurring user session needs.

Dial Scripting enables users to support third-party front-end
security devices as well as store scripts for easier access
to commercial services such as CompuServe.

Chaining allows remote access users to pre-establish the
configuration of their working environment before dialing into
the corporate network. This macro-like capability can include
mounting designated servers and other shared resources at multiple
disparate locations. Chaining can occur before dial attempts,
after modem connections are established, and before or after
modem connection teardown.

In a new test, which creates a real-world application based on
a fictitious airline consortium/travel agency environment,
LANQuest Labs has compared remote access products from leading
vendors including 3Com.

In the test, eight workstations simultaneously transfer eight
separate but identical 1Mb uncompressed word processing files
from a 486/66Mhz server running NetWare 3.11 to eight remote
486/33Mhz workstations. "3Com's AccessBuilder has the highest
multiple-user throughput of any remote access product we've tested,"
said Brian McGiffert, general manager of LANQuest Labs.
"Our staff also found AccessBuilder easy to install and minister."

The underlying network architecture supporting AccessBuilder is
3Com's Personal Routing system architecture. This is the personal
office internetworking equivalent of 3Com's unique Boundary
Routing system architecture.

Through network node emulation, the Personal Routing system provides
individual remote users with full multiprotocol access to resources
on the enterprise network, as if they were locally connected.

(Keith Cameron/19940503/Press Contact: Roy Johnsonn, 3Com,
852-868 9111)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TYO)(00007)

Fujitsu, Seiko Expand Business Overseas 05/06/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Fujitsu and Seiko Electronics
Instruments are separately announced new marketing moves.
Fujitsu will sell its word processing program in China, and
Seiko will create a printer subsidiary in France.

Fujitsu plans to market its OASYS word processor in China
for Windows-based personal computers. Fujitsu demonstrated
this software at a trade show in China last year where it
reportedly received a great deal of positive feedback on
the product.

OASYS is the best-selling word processing program in Japan.
It is expected to be released in China in June.

Meanwhile, Seiko Electronics Instruments will expand sales
of color printers for personal computers in the European market.
As part of this strategy, the firm has just created a subsidiary
in France called Seiko Instruments France, capitalized with
60 million yen ($600,000). Seiko Electronics Instruments
Director Jyunichi Hattori will assume the presidency of this
firm. The subsidiary expects to make about 1.5 billion yen
($15 million) in sales for the first year.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940504/Press Contact: Fujitsu,
[phone], Fax, [phone], Seiko Electronics
Instruments, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(TYO)(00008)

Japan - Windows NT Upgrade Due In September 05/06/94
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- An upgraded version of Japanese
Windows NT is expected to be released in September, according
to Microsoft Senior Vice President Steve Ballmer, who was quoted
by the Nikkei Newspaper. Sales of Windows NT are slower than
expected so Microsoft hopes for a greater market share
with the new version.

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer reports that Microsoft is planning
to release an upgraded English version in July and the
Japanese version will follow in September.

Regarding "Chicago," an upgraded version of Windows 3.1, it is
expected to be released in the US by the end of this year. In
Japan, it will be due around March 1995, according to the senior
vice president.

At the interview, Steve Ballmer admitted that sales of Windows
NT in the US are slow. So far, 450,000 units have been sold in the
US.

Microsoft expects to sell 3 to 4 times more units of the upgraded
program in Japan, than in the US, said Ballmer quoted by
the Nikkei Newspaper.

Microsoft recently mended its relationship with Japan's ASCII.
Both firms once cooperated with each other regarding sales
of Microsoft products in Japan. Now, both firms plan to
cooperate on sales of Windows NT in Japan.

Microsoft is also planning to beef up its subsidiary in Japan. The
senior vice president said the number of personnel will be
increased. Microsoft is also expected to link up with
other Japanese firms in the future.

(Masayuki "Massey" Miyazawa/19940502/Press Contact: Microsoft,
Tokyo, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00009)

AmeriQuest National Configuration Center 05/06/94
04/29/94 IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) --
AmeriQuest Technologies, a worldwide distributor of microcomputer
systems, peripherals, and accessories, announced it has opened its
National Configuration Center (NCC) at the site of its domestic
distribution center in Wilmington, Ohio.

As part of its new strategy, AmeriQuest created the NCC to
offer one-stop computer technology services and products for
value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators. Newsbytes
recently reported AmeriQuest's acquisition of software
distributor Kenfil of Van Nuys, California, just after a
previous announcement that Hal Clark had become president and
CEO.

The changes at AmeriQuest were accompanied with plans to
expand services and products through further acquisitions
and aggressive consolidation and redirection. In pursuit of
that strategy, AmeriQuest, promises the highest level of
technical support and service in the industry as it opens
its new NCC. An AmeriQuest spokesperson told Newsbytes that
this consolidation of regional configuration facilities and
manufacturing capabilities is designed to best meet VAR
(value-added reseller) and integrator needs in the most
efficient means possible while reducing costs at the same
time.

According to AmeriQuest, the NCC will provide an extraordinary
2:00 a.m. shipment cutoff time for same-day delivery and an
unique drop-ship service that will allow direct shipment to
VAR customers. This reduces capital requirements and inventory
carrying costs for VARs.

AmeriQuest also announced that it will leverage the Material
Requirements Planning (MRP) system expertise of its CMS
Enhancements subsidiary to allow NCC to provide services
ranging from hardware and software setup to complex
client/server network configurations and light manufacturing
sub assembly.

Summarizing this recent announcement, Mike Russert, executive
vice president and COO for AmeriQuest, told Newsbytes,
"Right now we have field locations that we will continue to
maintain as input points for our customers. We will bring up
some of our field personnel and add some new outside personnel
as well for the staffing of the NCC. We are up and running on
an interim basis at this time and we expect to be fully
running in the next 90 to 120 days. We will continue to keep
our Irvine center to handle our Western Region which
constitutes 35% of the our customer base."

AmeriQuest also operates a computer configuration and assembly
facility for mass storage subsystem production.

(Patrick McKenna/1994/Press Contact: John H. Shaw, The Financial
Relations Board, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(BOS)(00010)

Color Hard Copy - Color Printers Improving 05/06/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Not long ago,
high quality color printing was simply too expensive to be
practical for standard desktop use. But now, new technologies like
dual-resident printer languages and "software-only banding" are
changing that picture, said Tom Blumer, director of systems
engineering for Phoenix Technologies Ltd., speaking at BIS Strategic
Decisions' Color Hard Copy conference in Boston.

Although low-priced color printers have been around for a while,
the initial entries in this product category lacked the speed,
network support, and output quality of the emerging generation of
"intelligent" color machines, according to Blumer.

The early "dumb" desktop color printers and their direct
descendants provided no support for .EPS graphics, required
considerable amounts of memory, and were best suited to single
users, the systems engineering manager maintained. The dumb
printers used the "host CPU (central processor unit) and imaging
model," he explained, giving the original QuickDraw as an example.

The output of the early PostScript laser printers was often marred
by moire, or "undesired screen patterns," he observed. On the ink
jet side, problems included color modulation and ink saturation.

The emerging "intelligent" color printers, on the other hand, are
able to support Windows/DOS and Macintosh applications
simultaneously, through dual-resident PostScript and PCL
(Printer Control Language) printer languages, together with a
new "all ports-active I/O (input/output)" option, said Blumer.

System services are being "optimized," he added, through direct
interfaces from PostScript and Color PCL to host I/O sensing and
switching, emulation sensing and switching, paper handling, front
panel configuration, and other hardware resources.

Memory requirements are also lower in the new "smart" printers,
thanks to a common graphics subsystem and "software-only banding"
technology, Blumer asserted. The new approach to banding eliminates
the cost of dedicated banding co-processors, while also reducing
printer DRAM (dynamic random access memory) requirements by up to
75 percent, according to the systems engineering manager.

The reduced memory requirements will, in turn, lower the prices of
the "smart" desktop color printers, Blumer told the Color Hard Copy
audience.

Meanwhile, vendors are producing new methods for better looking
color images, he said. These include a new software color rendering
technique for preventing moire in Postscript halftoning,
as well as "ink jet-specific technology" that is designed to
eliminate "stitching" and ink saturation from "excessive halftone
dot overlap."

Desktop color printing is also being improved through new color
management strategies, he continued. A number of color
management utilities are now available, including Apple's
ColorSync, EFI's EFI Color, Kodak's ColorSense, and OfotoColor from
Light Source.

When utilities like this become commonplace on the desktop,
"WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) color will become a
reality," according to Blumer.

Furthermore, PostScript Level 2 features built-in CIE color tables
for calibration to the specifications of particular engines, Blumer
said. A related innovation now coming to market consists of driver-
level technologies for color matching, such as Hewlett-Packard's
ColorSmart, he pointed out.

Now in its twelfth consecutive year, the Color Hard Copy Conference
focuses on technical and marketing trends in color printing. For
more information on Color Hard Copy, other conferences produced by
BIS Strategic Decisions, or market research studies conducted by
the Norwell, Massachusetts-based company, call BIS at 617-982-9500.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940505/Reader Contact: BIS Strategic Decisions,
617-982-9500; Press Contact: Martha Popoloski, BIS Strategic
Decisions, 617-982-9500)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(DEL)(00011)

VSNL Euro Issue Deferred 05/06/94
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The $1 billion Euro
issue of the state-owned overseas telecommunication company,
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd., has been deferred as the indicative
price set out earlier could not be obtained.

The decision has added to the five-month old controversy over
the size, pricing and selection of lead managers. Not only will
the pull-out put on hold several expansion plans of the Department
of Telecom but, according to analysts, would also be a setback
for other companies tapping the Euro issue market.

Last month, India's cabinet committee on economic affairs had
cleared the issue at an indicative price of Rs 1400 (about $44.6)
to Rs 1600 (about $51) per share. Trouble was first signalled
when the managers for the issue, Salamon Brothers and Kleinwort
Benson, informed VSNL chairman, B.K. Syngal, that this price
range was no longer acceptable to the potential investors.
Based on the response in roadshows in Asia and US, they were
confident of getting a full subscription at a reduced price in
the range of Rs 1100 (about $35) to Rs 1200 (about 38.5). In
that event, VSNL could garner only $700 million, which is
$300 million less than its original target.

A variety of reasons have been ascribed for the price reduction.
Observers point out a 20 to 30 percent decline in the Indian Global
Depositary Receipt (GDR) market overseas, falling stock prices in
India and the higher interest rates announced in US. Besides, the
issue suffered from a lack of scarcity value since Mahanagar
Telephone Nigam Ltd., also announced a mega Euro issue.

The political backdrop of the issue has been clouded by the known
differences between the minister of state for telecom, Sukh Ram
and N. Vittal, chairman Telecom Commission, over the pace of reforms.
According to reports, the VSNL board and lead managers had scaled
down the price only after Vittal's nod. But the minister said the
decision could only be taken by the cabinet. In fact, postponement
of the VSNL issue is being seen as a political victory for Sukh Ram
and is believed to have larger connotations than the simple deferment
of VSNL's plans.

The deferment of the issue is expected to adversely affect
the Jalmala cable project, involving construction and laying
of 4,600 kilometers of fiber optic cables underwater along
the Indian coast. Plans for expansion of switching capacity
in cities where VSNL's international gateways are located
and proposed fire optic cable link around the globe (FLAG) for
services to 13 countries could also be affected.

The global coordinators did not comment on whether the issue would
be revived. However, Sukh Ram has reiterated that he would not
allow the VSNL equity to be sold at a lower price in future also.
Market sources say it will take at least three months to make a
fresh offer.

(C. T. Mahabharat/19940506)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEL)(00012)

India - Satellite Launch Successful 05/06/94
BANGALORE, INDIA, 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The augmented satellite
launch vehicle (ASLV-D4) was successfully launched from
Sriharikota on the southeastern coast of India. ASLV-D4
injected the 113-kilogram Stretched Rohini Satellite Series
(SROSS-C2) satellite into an orbit of about 437 kilometer perigee
and 938 kilometre apogee at an inclination of 46 degree based on
preliminary orbit determination.

This peculiar location would increase satellite's life span to about
three years, compared to the expected life time of eight to ten
months. Unlike last time, the spin-based fourth stage could achieve
the anticipated rate of 140 revolutions per minute (rpm).

This is the heaviest satellite launched from Indian soil. Earlier,
the record was held by the 106 kilogram SROSS C1, launched in May
1992. Of course, it is much lighter than the home-built INSAT 2A
and 2B satellites, each weighing over 2000 kilogram, which were
launched by the European Space Agency's Ariane rockets.

This is more crucial as the success has eluded the Indian space
launcher program. The last launch of the polar satellite launch
vehicle (PSLV) was only a partial success as the 870 kilogram
satellite carried out by it could not be placed in the desired 900
kilometer orbit and had to be jettisoned at around 400 kilometers.
Of the previous three launches of ASLV, designed as a forerunner
of PSLV, the first two failed miserably. SROSS 1 launched by ASLV
D1 splashed into Bay of Bengal in 1987, SROSS 2 boosted by ASLV D2
in 1988 also met the same fate. Through the third launch, ASLV, put
a 106-kilogram satellite in orbit, the mission was not fully
successful. The satellite was not put in the desired orbit of over
400 kilometres and so could be used only for 55 days against the
designed life of 180 days, as it burned up in the atmosphere.

The SROSS C2 satellite carries two payloads, an astronomy payload
called Gamma ray burst (GRB) detector and an aeronomy payload
called the retarding potential analyzer. The last SROSS which
functioned well for 55 days despite being an engineering model
and being placed in a poor orbit had stored an incident of GRB. It
had the facility to record only one incident. The GRB detector
onboard SROSS-C2 onboard this time is programmed to record seven
to eight incidents of GRBs.

The real advantage is that the five-stage ASLV has once again
validated some complex technologies involved in propelling such a
spacecraft through the dense lower atmosphere of the earth. The
 experience gained from the perfect separation of different stages
(there was a time lag between second and third stages of Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) due to a software error) would help
in the next PSLV launch.

(C. T. Mahabharat)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(SYD)(00013)

Apple Predicts Confusion Over Interactive Multimedia 05/06/94
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Apple Australia's
Macintosh product manager, Bill Harrington, has warned that
the information technologists risk failure through alienating
and confusing customers and failing to plan and cooperate
in the development and delivery of interactive media.

Harrington addressed the Australian Telecommunications Users
Group (ATUG) '94 conference being held this week in Melbourne.
He said trials in the US sent out danger signals that
mismanagement and misreading of consumers could see stumbles
in the introduction of interactive products and services over
the next decade.

"There is a degree of consumer resistance that needs to be
overcome, and this will only happen if future interactive
services provide a genuine qualitative improvement in the
way people work, learn and live," said Harrington. "Interactive
media will put people at the center of the information universe,
with 95 percent of the world's working knowledge expected to
be digitized by the end of this decade. The historic
realignment of IT industries swimming together in a digital
pool of convergence, will see the rise of the interactive
consumer as a new and powerful force during the next decade."

Harrington predicted that the interactive consumer will have
the final say about the success or failure of products and
services. "Electronic purchasing decisions, often direct
to the manufacturer, will reduce the power of intermediaries."

His advice to service providers was to apply common sense planning
and cooperation. "At present, confusion reigns throughout the
digital media industry, which has been described as a state of
LOCAS - Lots Of Confusing Acronyms And Standards. From a distance,
the information superhighway looks seamless and universal.
Close up it starts to resemble a patchwork quilt of different
formats and applications. The very last thing we need is a basic
network infrastructure that repeats the mistakes the computing
industry made in the years before we started cooperating on
standards."

He also warned of the possibility of consumers drowning in a sea
of information overload. "The salutary lesson is that
consumers will be reluctant starters for any system that
increases the complexity of their lives. The consumer will
need intelligent software that automatically sorts out the 'need
to know' from the 'nice to know.' If all we do is replace
today's physical information overload with an electronic version,
we will have added very little value to consumers' lives."

(Toni Scoble and Paul Zucker/19940506/Contact: Sue Sara at Apple
Australia on tel. [phone] fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(SYD)(00014)

Australian Army Standardizes On Solaris For Intel 05/06/94
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The Australian Army has
purchased 500 licences of SunSoft's Solaris for Intel
operating system. Over the next five years it expects to add
another 5000 machines running Solaris, part of its long-term
plans to standardize on Open Systems.

It has also purchased 100 SPARCStations and seven SPARCservers.
The army's move has been spurred by the adoption of a command
support system which already runs on Solaris. Its success has
led to the system's adoption through day-to-day operational
systems, not just those meant for wartime. However, as it
already had a commitment to DOS-based PCs and did not want to
dump these, it chose Solaris so they could still be used, but
also in conjunction with Sun and Apple Computer machines.

The army will have 104 system administrators trained this year.
The first 500 systems have been installed, as has the Sun
hardware.

(Paul Zucker and Niki France/19940506/Contact: SunSoft
Australia tel. [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00015)

OSF Announces DCE Localization, NMO Pricing 05/06/94
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The Open Software
Foundation has announced plans to make Distributed Computing
Environment (DCE) message catalogs and selected documentation
available in five additional languages. The foundation also
announced pricing for its Distributed Management Environment
(DME) Network Management Option (NMO).

The OSF will translate the message catalogs, glossary of terms,
and administrator's guide for DCE into French, German, Italian,
Spanish, and Japanese. The translated materials will be available
for a one-time fee to developers using DCE in their products.
This will mean that instead of translating the materials
themselves, developers can use the OSF-provided materials without
paying ongoing royalties, spokesman Jack Dwyer told Newsbytes.

To receive the materials, a developer must have a valid DCE 1.1
snapshot or source code license.

Dwyer said there has been significant interest in DCE in both
Europe and Japan, which is why those languages have been chosen
for the first translations. The materials will be translated into
other languages "as we see the demand," he said.

DCE is a set of tools and services for building distributed
applications that run on networks of computers. It determines how
processes running on different machines can work together and
share data.

The standard is just beginning to be accepted, Dwyer said. "It's
a complex technology that requires a lot of planning ahead of
time," he explained.

The OSF also put prices on the NMO, the second piece of DME to be
released. DME NMO is meant as a common platform for developing
network-management applications. It can work with existing
protocols such as the widely used Simple Network Management
Protocol (SNMP) and the Common Management Information Protocol
(CMIP).

NMO source code is available in two forms, A full distribution
license allows the code to be used in producing commercial
products that will include NMO object code. The initial
full-distribution source license is $120,000 for three copies. A
limited distribution rights license allows use of NMO for
in-house development. The initial CPU source license is $12,000.
Either way, additional CPU source licenses are $2,000, or $3,000
if code is shipped by the OSF.

A university site license is $2,500, and can be upgraded to a
commercial site license for $40,000.

(Grant Buckler/19940506/Press Contact: Jack Dwyer, OSF,
617-621-7246; Jane Smeloff, OSF, 617-621-8997)


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

Wordperfect Ships WP Version 6.0a -- And It's Free 05/06/94
OREM, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Wordperfect Corporation is
shipping Wordperfect 6.0a for Windows, an interim release of
version 6.0 that was released in October 1993.

The release number may be misleading. The "a" suffix indicates you
should expect very minor changes in this release, but it does has
some very nice features, including auto-correction of spelling as
you type, help for users making the transition to Wordperfect
from other programs including WP 5.x, and an optional tools disk
that integrates WP with the IBM OS/2 Workplace Shell.

QuickCorrect is the automatic spelling corrector. As the user types
a misspelled or mistyped word, QuickCorrect automatically makes
the correction as soon as the user presses the space bar to begin
the next word. It also automatically expands abbreviations and
corrects the case of any word you type with the first two characters
in caps. If they aren't already there you can add words you might
mistype to the dictionary. There are a few words users commonly
type incorrectly, such as "thier" that aren't in the mistakes
dictionary.

A feature called QuickSelect lets users quickly select text for
moving or copying by choosing complete words, sentences and
paragraphs with the click of a mouse. A double click selects a
single word, while a triple click selects the current sentence. Four
clicks gets you the complete paragraph. There is also a shortcut,
letting you click once in the margin to select a sentence or twice
to select the entire paragraph.

QuickStart Coach is an interactive aid to assist users moving to
Wordperfect for Windows 6.0a from other word processing programs.
The Transition advisor offers specific help for Wordperfect DOS
users, displaying keystrokes and commands from version 5.1 for DOS
and showing the equivalent tasks in 6.0a.

Wordperfect has included an Uninstall program in case you want to
remove part or all of Wordperfect. For example new users could
remove the tutorials and learning files once they have become
comfortable with the program, in order to free up disk space.

The company says it's incorporated some speed enhancements in areas
such as scrolling, printing, graphics handling, basic formatting,
table editing, ExpressDocs templates and the opening of large
documents. It has also reduced the amount of disk space
needed to 27 megabytes (MB) for a full install and about 8MB for the
bare minimum. Macro conversion for 5.x macros has also been
improved.

There is a Wordperfect Lite template that provides scaled-down
menu and feature lists for novice users, and a WPAmiPro templates
helps Ami Pro users transition to Wordperfect. A Microsoft Word
template was already included. You also get some templates for
creating business cards, legal pleading forms, term papers and a
new form letter.

The OS/2 tools are available from Wordperfect Corp for $4 or you
can download them from Compuserve or the Wordperfect bulletin board
service for free other than connect time. Shell integration
includes Automatic Document Detection (ADD) which automatically
registers files as document objects on the OS/2 Workplace shell.
Once an object is registered, users can apply the object-oriented
capabilities of OS/2 such as drag and drop. ADD can be turned on
for any or all folders.

If you are a registered user of Wordperfect 6.0, you get the
interim release for free by calling Wordperfect. You don't have to
un-install 6.0, since the interim release comes as a reduced disk
set which automatically updates the necessary files.

(Jim Mallory/19940506/Press contact: Liz Tanner, Wordperfect,
801-228-5004; Reader contact: Wordperfect Corporation,
800-321-4566 (for free update), 801-225-5000 (general info), or
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(TOR)(00017)

DEC Will Cut Another 20,000 Jobs 05/06/94
MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) --The job cuts
are not over at Digital Equipment Corp. The computer maker, which
had already said it would cut its full-time work force to about
85,000 people by the end of the current quarter, is aiming for
65,000 over the next couple of years.

In a speech broadcast to DEC employees this week, a transcript of
which was obtained by Newsbytes, DEC President and Chief
Executive Robert Palmer said the company's revenue per employee
is too low by comparison to competitors such as IBM and
Hewlett-Packard Co.

"If you look at the implications of achieving a competitive
position at our current revenue levels," Palmer said, "the single
metric of revenue per employee suggests a company of 65,000
people or fewer.... and even if we are fortunate to achieve a
reasonable growth in revenues, we cannot escape the fact that
significant additional downsizing is unavoidable. Failure to act
promptly will result in greater loss of employment."

Including part-time and contract workers, DEC has about 92,000
staff today, company spokesman Joe Codispoti told Newsbytes. He
confirmed the company expects to reduce that to 65,000 over the
next couple of years.

Palmer was speaking in the wake of an unexpected $183-million
third-quarter loss that was coupled with a six-percent drop in
revenue after five quarters of revenue growth. He admitted to
employees the loss was unexpected, and said there were a number
of reasons for it, including inability to meet demand for some
products and a decline in gross margins because of a shift to
cheaper products.

He also stressed the positive: an end to the decline in sales.
Product revenues were flat in the quarter after two consecutive
quarters of double-digit declines, Palmer noted, and order rates
rose eight percent. Product revenue in the United States was up
eight percent over the previous quarter, despite the fact that
the third quarter is traditionally weaker than the second for
DEC.

Palmer also said revenues from DEC's new Alpha workstations in
the third quarter were roughly double those in the second, and
Alpha products now account for 27 percent of the company's system
sales.

(Grant Buckler/19940506/Press Contact: Joe Codispoti, DEC,
508-493-6767)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00018)

Personnel Changes Roundup 05/06/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- This is
a regular feature, summarizing personnel changes at companies
not covered elsewhere by Newsbytes: Mitek Systems Inc., Mitel
Corp., Midnight Networks Inc., Alpha Industries Inc.

Mitek Systems Inc., (619-587-9157), appointed Dr. Gerald I.
Farmer to its board of directors. Farmer, currently executive vice
president, general manager, Automated Document Recognition
(ADR) Group and acting principal financial officer, joined Mitek
when HNC Inc., a San Diego-based supplier of character recognition
subsystems, was acquired in November, 1992. Farmer was most
recently executive vice president at HNC Inc. Prior to joining HNC
in 1986, he was at IBM for twelve years and Xerox for four years.
Farmer received his Ph.D in Physics and Mathematics from the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, and is a director of The
Association for Work Process Improvement. Mitek Systems is a
designer, manufacturer and marketer of neural network-based
character recognition products for intelligent forms recognition
applications and document image understanding.

Mitel Corp., (613-592-2122), appointed Dr. Peter Bohacek to
the position of vice president, Communicating Objects and CTI
Solutions, located at the company headquarters in Kanata.
Communicating Objects was established in 1992 to develop and
market enabling CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) components,
subsystems, and services, targeted at parties developing PC-
based telephony applications. Bohacek obtained his PhD in
Electrical Engineering from Yale University and has participated
in the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business,
Advanced Market Management program.

Midnight Networks Inc., (617-890-1001), has named Bruce E.
Elmblad to its board of directors. He was one of the founders of
Prime Computer and Inforex. Elmblad currently serves on the
board of the following public companies: Xylogics Inc., Martek
Biosciences Corp., and Advanced Technology Materials Inc.
Midnight Networks provides software for network product
development and quality assurance and network administration.
The company also offers customized software development
services to networking vendors and users.

Alpha Industries Inc., (617-935-5150), appointed Joseph J.
Alberici vice president of the company. Alberici is the president
of ALPHA's wholly-owned ceramic company, Trans-Tech Inc. He
joined Trans-Tech in 1987 and has held several positions,
including vice president of marketing & new products and
executive vice president and chief operating officer. He has been
president of Trans-Tech since 1992 . The company says he guided
TTI's team through the transition from being primarily a supplier
to the defense industry to becoming a major vendor of dielectric
ceramic resonators and filters to the wireless communications
industry OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). ALPHA is a
manufacturer of microwave and millimeter-wave monolithic
integrated circuits, dielectric resonator filters and
subassemblies and devices.

(Ian Stokell/19940506)


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(SFO)(00019)

Company Results Roundup 05/06/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- This is
a regular feature, summarizing company results not reported
elsewhere by Newsbytes: Gateway 2000, Intuit Inc., Microsemi
Corp., Key Tronic Corp., Devon Group Inc., Amtech Systems Inc.

While Gateway 2000 reported record PC shipments and an increase
in revenue for its first quarter, software house Intuit reported a
six-month loss because of its acquisition of ChipSoft. Microsemi
reported a sizeable earnings increase, while keyboard company
Key Tronic posted a large loss. Graphic arts company Devon Group
reported good income, and semiconductor production equipment
firm Amtech Systems posted a loss.

PC direct marketer Gateway 2000, (605-232-2709), reported record
shipments of more than 236,500 units and record net revenue of more
than $615.9 million for its first quarter 1994. According to the
company this represents a nearly 13 percent increase in revenue over
the historically strong fourth quarter in 1993, and a more than 46
percent increase over the first quarter a year ago. Revenue from the
company's European subsidiary more than doubled from the fourth
quarter 1993 to more than $32 million in the first quarter. The firm
reported a significant increase in shipments of PCs based on Intel's
new Pentium microprocessor, which accounted for about 17 percent
of the first quarter units, as compared to approximately 6 percent
in the fourth quarter 1992. Gateway 2000 reported net income in the
first quarter 1994 of $25.4 million, or $.32 per share, off slightly
from $26.1 million, or $.37 per share, in the first quarter a year ago.

Intuit Inc., announced financial results for the second quarter ended
March 31, 1994. Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 1994 and
1993 were $92.4 million and $31.2 million, respectively. The
current quarter included net sales from the recently acquired
ChipSoft Inc., subsidiary for the entire quarter, while revenue
reported for the year-ago period included no ChipSoft sales.
The company reported net income of $7.0 million, or 35 cents per
share, for the current quarter. Excluding merger-related charges of
$18.1 million recorded during the March 31, 1994 quarter, the firm
earned $19.5 million, or 99 cents per share, for the quarter,
compared with net income of $1.9 million, or 17 cents per share,
for the quarter ended March 31, 1993. For the six months ended
March 31, 1994, net sales were $152.4 million, as compared with
$64.4 million reported for the same period in fiscal 1993. The
company reported a net loss of $160.2 million, or $10.12 per share,
during the current six-month period. The company earned $27.6
million, or $1.65 per share, for the six months ended March 31,
1994, excluding merger-related charges of $199.7 million incurred
during the period, compared with net income of $5.0 million, or 46
cents per share, for the year-ago period. Intuit Inc., is a
developer of personal finance, small business accounting and tax
preparation software.

Microsemi Corp., (714-979-8220), a supplier of high-reliability
discrete semiconductors, surface mount assemblies and
screening and testing services, reported second quarter results of
fiscal year 1994. Revenues for the period were $30,705,000
compared to $31,984,000 for the prior year period. Net earnings
increased 675 percent from $102,000 for the second quarter of
last year to $790,000 for the second quarter of fiscal year 1994.
Per share earnings increased similarly to 10 cents for the current
period compared to 1 cent for the prior year. Included in the prior
year second quarter were revenues of $1,361,000 and net loss of
$615,000 attributable to businesses which were sold before the
start of the fiscal year. Revenues for the first six months of
fiscal year 1994 were $57,634,000 compared with $62,473,000
in fiscal year 1993. Earnings before the effect of an accounting
change increased from $260,000 in the prior year period to
$1,321,000 for the first half of this year, a 408 percent increase.

Key Tronic Corp., (509-927-5295), announced a loss of $4,772,000
or $.58 per share for the 1994 third quarter ending April 2. The
results included nonrecurring charges of $1,800,000 of which
$1,021,000 was for restructuring to redeploy production to Key
Tronic plants where lower costs can be attained and $779,000 was
for severance and relocation. In the same quarter last year, the
company reported earnings of $1,684,000 or $.18 per share.
The Spokane-based manufacturer of computer keyboards reported
that sales maintained their upward trend to $39,423,000, a gain of
22% over last year's $32,226,000.

Graphic arts company Devon Group Inc., (203-964-1444),
announced that for its fiscal year ended March 31, 1994 net income
was $13,210,000 ($1.83 per share) on sales of $190,840,000,
compared to net income of $10,262,000 ($1.43 per share) on sales
of $171,998,000 in the prior fiscal year. The current year's fourth
quarter net income was $3,407,000 ($.47 per share) on sales of
$50,293,000, compared to net income of $2,447,000 ($.33 per
share) on sales of $43,795,000.

Amtech Systems Inc., (602-967-5146), said that due to the
cost of a previously announced research and development project,
the operations for the second quarter of fiscal 1994 ended March 31,
1994, resulted in a net loss of $167,755, or 18 cents per share, on
revenues of $2,572,389. In contrast, net income of $186,315, or
18 cents per share, on revenues of $1,907,481 was reported for the
second quarter of fiscal 1993. For the same reason, the six months
ended March 31, 1994 resulted in a net loss of $52,263, or 6 cents
per share, on revenues of $4,937,059 compared to the net income of
$209,417, or 20 cents per share, reported on revenues of $3,880,088
for the first six months of fiscal 1993. During March 1994, the
company entered into a research and development contract with
and paid $355,000 to the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Amtech Systems manufactures capital equipment used in the
production of semiconductors.

(Ian Stokell/19940506)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00020)

Networking Roundup 05/06/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- This is
a regular Friday feature, summarizing networking news not covered
elsewhere by Newsbytes in the past week: Standard Microsystems Corp.,
Western Automation's Spectra Logic, Sun Select, Hughes LAN Systems,
NetWorth Inc., Arcada Software Inc., Digital Link Corp., Digital
Communications Associates Inc., Banyan Systems, and Oracle Corp.

Standard Microsystems Corp., (516-435-6340), broadened its
Token-Ring adapter line to include a high-performance server product
with the announcement of a bus master EISA (Extended Industry Standard
Architecture) network adapter. The new TokenCard Elite Master32,
reportedly provides maximum throughput with minimal CPU (central
processing unit) utilization, according to the company. The adapter
is based on SMC's own Token-Ring chipset. Each adapter includes
EZStart, software designed to make installation and configuration
easier. The TokenCard Elite Master32 will be available at the end
of May, and will have a recommended retail price of $399 for a
single and $379 per adapter in a 5-pack.It has a lifetime warranty.

Western Automation's Spectra Logic division, (303-449-7759),
announced a new release of its Unix network backup software, the
Alexandria Backup Librarian -- version 2.50. Alexandria was reportedly
developed to provide automated backup for heterogeneous Unix networks.
New to version 2.50 is Spectra Logic's RPF (Raw Partition Formatter)
formatter, which control the transfer of data to media (tape or
optical). Alexandria is available for Sun (Solaris and SunOS), RS/6000,
HP9000, SCO, SGI, Sequent, Pyramid, Auspex, Encore, Motorola, DG
AViiON and Solbourne as a client or as a server. Alexandria servers
support tape libraries by Spectra Logic, Exabyte, ADIC, Odetics and
Storage Technology, as well as H-P Optical Jukeboxes.

SunSelect, (508-442-0271), introduced PC-NFS 5.1 TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) for PCs. PC-NFS enables PC users
to access applications and data residing on Unix systems, VMS
minicomputers and IBM mainframes using TCP/IP. PC users can work
in their familiar MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows environments while
accessing distributed applications. New features in PC-NFS 5.1
include a streamlined and simplified installation program that
integrates three steps into a single procedure. This reportedly
eliminates the need to run separate installation programs for
Microsoft Windows environments and makes installation easier. PC-NFS
5.1 uses the Internet standard, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP), for automatic client configuration. DHCP enables client
configuration parameters to be moved from DHCP or BOOTP servers to
individual PCs. Through DHCP, the server automatically manages IP
addresses. The program supports a new user interface for its Microsoft
Windows Telnet program, which features a toolbar with push-button
icons. PC-NFS 5.1 will be available in May 1994, with new licenses
beginning at $325 per user and decreasing with volume. Upgrades for
existing customers begin at $99 per user and decrease with volume.
Base packs, including media and documentation, are priced at $79 for
on-line documentation and $89 for hard copy documentation.

On the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) front, Hughes LAN Systems,
415-966-7418),introduced a new family of Ethernet switching and ATM
modules for its Enterprise Hub. The modules are the second in a
series of 1994 product announcements that the company says add
"superhub" functionality to the Enterprise Hub. The new products
make it possible to build a switched Ethernet network that spans the
enterprise network.The products combine Ethernet switching for end
stations with ATM backbone connections, allowing for dedicated 10
megabits-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet connections can be set up across
an enterprise network. The new product family includes an ATM
Ethernet Switch Module, an ATM Network Interface Module with a modular
multimode fiber-based SONET (synchronous optical network) STS-3c
(155 Mbps) interface, and a 1.6 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) ATM
backplane. The Enterprise Hub supports up to 14 modules for a
total capacity of 112 dedicated Ethernet ports. Multiple modules
can be interconnected across the Enterprise Hub's ATM network to
give users a dedicated 10 Mbps connection on demand across
enterprise networks. The ATM Backplane is $2,500. The Hughes ATM
Network Interface Module is priced at $6,000. Pricing for the ATM
Ethernet Switch Module is $7,200. The ATM Media Module is $3,000.
All the ATM products will be available worldwide in the fourth
calendar quarter of 1994

NetWorth Inc., (214-929-1700), announced the Remote PowerRouter,
a low-cost hardware routing engine that uses zero server bandwidth.
Not dependent on any specific network operating system, according
to the company, the Remote PowerRouter performs IP and IPX
(Internetwork Packet Exchange) routing and bridging functions at
up to T1/E1 data rates and is upgradable to include high-speed
data compression. Fully SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)-
manageable (upgradable to SNMPII), the Remote PowerRouter is available
in both synchronous and asynchronous versions. Hardware pricing
ranges from $995 to $1,195.

Arcada Software Inc., (415-962-9550), announced an extension
to its Backup Exec product line that links Novell NetWare and
Microsoft Windows NT networks to enable comprehensive data protection
from a single administration console. Arcada reportedly allows users
to easily protect and move data between multiple platforms including
Windows NT Advanced Server, Novell NetWare, LAN Manager, Unix, Apple
Macintosh, DOS/Windows, and OS/2 environments.

Digital Link Corp., (408-745-6200), introduced Prelude, a
T1/Fractional T1 data service unit that features an embedded Simple
Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent that will deliver alarms to
the SNMP management workstation. The DTE data rate can be software
configured from 56 kbps to 1536 kbps, in increments of 56 kbps or
64 kbps. A serial communications port on Prelude interfaces an ANSI
(VT100) terminal, or dial-up modem, providing easy menu-driven
configuration and on-line diagnostics. Numerous Prelude's can be
reportedly daisy-chained together through the comm port, allowing
them to be configured and managed via one centralized terminal.
The Prelude is fully compatible with D4 or ESF framing requirements,
ANSI T1.403 and AT&T 54016 Facility Data Link usage specifications
and AMI or B8ZS line coding. The Prelude is available immediately,
at the list price of $1,599.

Digital Communications Associates Inc., (404-442-4521), announced
its 3270 Macintosh workstation technology has been selected by
Microsoft Corp. as the first Macintosh client for Microsoft's SNA
Server, which runs on the Windows NT Advanced Server platform.
The client will be a future version of DCA's IRMA WorkStation for
Macintosh (IWM) software. Currently, IWM features multiple
host-connectivity sessions, a 3287 printer emulation session, keyboard
remapping functions, support for multiple file-transfer methods as well
as a variety of other functions. Both the upcoming versions of IRMA
WorkStations for Macintosh and the SNA Server are reportedly in beta
testing.

Banyan Systems, (508-898-1000), and Oracle Corp., announced Oracle7
Parallel Server database support for Banyan's ENS for HP-UX.
According to the companies, the integration of Oracle7 with
ENS for HP-UX is due to a new Oracle SQL Net Banyan protocol driver.
This driver is integrated with Banyan's StreetTalk global directory
and the Banyan internet protocol, permitting ENS users to directly
access Oracle7 databases running on ENS for HP-UX servers. SQL Net
Version 1.0 drivers are available for customers using the SQL Net
Version 1.0 communication architecture.

Finally, in other Banyan news, the company announced expanded support
for IBM SNA (Systems Network Architecture) environments with the
introduction of a new release of the Banyan SNA Communications Service
(Banyan SCS). Compared to Version 1.0, Banyan SCS, Version 1.1
increases the number of concurrent users from 128 to 250 and the
number of LUs from 254 to 512 sessions, enabling customers to
significantly boost productivity. Banyan SCS, Version 1.1 offers
enhanced DOS and Windows client support, including DCA (Digital
Communications Associates Inc.) RamXpander to reduce DOS
client memory requirements, a new Windows client user interface and
DCA QuickTools icons. The release also adds support for Macintosh
clients, the X.25 communications protocol, and DCA ISCA communications
adapters. In addition, it supports APPC/LU 6.2 applications, including
IRMA/400, and an extensive suite of development tools, including
DCA's QuickApp development environment. Suggested US list pricing
for Banyan SCS, Version 1.1 is: $2,795 for 10 workstations; $9,195
for 50 workstations; and $15,595 for 100 workstations. First
customer shipments are planned for June, 1994.

(Ian Stokell/19940506)


(REVIEW)(IBM)(ATL)(00021)

Review of - Yearn 2 Learn Snoopy, game 05/06/94

Runs on: IBM 386 with Windows 3.1 or later, 4 megabytes of RAM,
a 256-color display with 640x480 resolution, 17 megabytes of
hard disk space. Advanced sound cards like the Sound Blaster
Pro or MediaVision Pro Audio Spectrum are also recommended.

From: Image Smith, 1313 Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance, California,
90501, 310-325-1429; FAX: [phone]

Price: $64.95

PUMA rating: 3.8 (on a scale of 1=lowest to 4=highest)

Reviewed for Newsbytes by: Dana and Robin Blankenhorn

Summary: A strong adaptation of a Macintosh learning game for the
PC

=======

REVIEW

=======

Yearn 2 Learn isn't one game, but five. It includes a music game,
a word game, a math game, a drawing game, and a "comic strip"
with "hot spots," something like the points you click on in
"Tuneland" to hear songs. In the case of Yearn 2 Learn, however,
the program counts the number of "hot spots" you find and gives
you a score after you finish.

Newsbytes reviewed the disk-based MS-Windows version of Yearn 2
Learn, but an existing Macintosh version operates identically.
The program also comes in CD-ROM versions, which were not
reviewed. The product comes in a cardboard box designed to look
like a school lunchbox, decorated with Peanuts characters. The
characters are also used extensively in the software. In addition
to the disks, there's a manual which also serves as a parents' or
teachers' guide. The same manual is used for both versions of the
program.

Yearn 2 Learn is loaded simply from Windows, by pulling down
"run" from the File menu and typing a:install. Since it's a disk-
based program, it does take some time to load, so it's best you
set things up before bringing your child into the room.

Robin's (my daughter's) main criteria for liking software is that
it give her lots of things to do, and Yearn 2 Learn offers this
in spades. Not only are there 5 activities -- math games, music
fun, word games, a drawing program called Face Maker and comic
strips -- but most are divided into separate sections by
difficulty. You can learn letters, for instance, or learn
spelling, from a word games menu.

Some of the activities deserve special mention. In "comic
strips," real Peanuts comic strips have "hot spots" the child is
supposed to find by clicking on them. Clicking on a bird, for
instance, causes the bird to fly away. At the end of the strip,
the number of spots found is compared to the number of spots
actually in the strip. This turns a click-and-watch game into a
real observation game, like those "what's wrong with this
picture" comparison games you may remember from your childhood.

"Music Fun" is also especially interesting because it lets
children use the mouse to compose their own tunes, which are then
played. Such activities really extend the use of the program from
kindergarten into second and third grades, without the risk your
child will become bored.

One other interesting point is that the sound quality on this
program is excellent -- it's far louder at a given speaker volume
than other programs Robin has reviewed. If you have a powerful
computer with an extra 20 megabytes of capacity, you won't go
wrong with "Snoopy." The characters are familiar to your child,
the activities represent good education, and the program will
stay fresh for a good long while. If you don't have the hard
drive capacity, check out the CD-ROM version.

=============

PUMA RATINGS

=============

PERFORMANCE: 3.9 The set-up of this game is really very simple.
No hassling with Windows, but it does take time to load the
files.

USEFULNESS: 3.6 There is real education here -- letters, numbers,
music, and art. The keyboard is useful as well as the mouse.

MANUAL: 3.7 No need for the manual. The lack of a "4" is based on
the number of times Robin called for daddy while playing alone. A
program for 6-year-olds should make its use obvious to 6-year-
olds. Usually Snoopy does this, but not always.

AVAILABILITY: 4 Available at better computer bookstores and
superstores. This is the kind of product which flew-off store
shelves last Christmas.

(Dana & Robin Blankenhorn/19940504/Press Contact: Alexandra
Early, for Image Smith, 708/291-1616)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(SFO)(00022)

CompuServe's European Frame-Net Access Expands 05/06/94
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- With the addition of
Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland, CompuServe now
has a total of fourteen countries that can access Frame-Net, its
global frame relay service. At the same time, CompuServe has
announced the addition of twenty-two more local access and
transport areas (LATAs) in the US that have access to Frame-
Net, increasing the total number of US metropolitan areas to more
than 200.

Also, CompuServe announced the opening of the DPMA (Data
Processing Management Association) Forum under the command
of "GO Infomanage."

Noted more for its information service, CompuServe has aggressively
and successfully marketed its Incorporated Network Services Division
with Frame-Net since 1991. Speaking to Newsbytes, Andy Boyer,
network relations specialist for CompuServe, said, "We are
CompuServe's secret division; everyone thinks of CompuServe as the
information service and very few people realize how extensive our
network services are. Both our US and European customers continue
to expand to a wider group of companies and governments."

Frame-Net, a public frame relay service, provides the capability to
communicate between remotely distributed computing systems with
high speed connectivity and high bandwidth. With Frame Relay
Service Centers around the world CompuServe supports frame relay
speeds of 56 Kbps (kilobits per second), 256kbps, and 1.024 megabits
per second.

"With more that 18,000 members from companies such as IBM,
Microsoft, Apple, banking institutions, universities and various other
related data processing fields, Data Processing Management
Association has been actively involved with IS (information services)
for 43 years," said Sharon Barber of DPMA. The new CompuServe
forum will offer members an opportunity to communicate between
chapters, share client/server, management, network, desktop and
other professional issues and connect with its sister organization,
the British Computer Society.

DPMA monitors associated legislative issues, devises two and
four-year curriculums, creates professional training seminars and
is created to increasing the effectiveness of information
processing in society.

Forum rates for CompuServe are $4.80 per hour at 1200 and 2400
bits per second and $9.60 per hour at 9.6 and 14.4 kilobits per
second.

(Patrick McKenna/19940506/Press Contact: Andy Boyer,
CompuServe, tel [phone]; Sharon Barber, DPMA, tel 708-825-
8124)


(NEWS)(IBM)(LAX)(00023)

Prince Interactive Mixes Music Video W/ Game  05/06/94
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Graphix Zone has
announced the music star formerly known as Prince, and now whose
name is an ASCII-unreproducable symbol, is featured in an interactive
game and music video combo on compact disc read-only memory (CD-
ROM). Prince Interactive is aimed at owners of Sigma Design's
Reelmagic board for IBM and compatible personal computers (PCs).

The title offers solve-as-you-go music surprises, mysteries,
puzzles, and riddles and features a new Prince song and video
developed especially for the CD-ROM. Samples of over 50 Prince
songs and several full-length videos are also included. The
interactivity branches from an "experiential navigation system"
which puts the user in control of a series of changing events,
according to the Graphix Zone.

Prince Interactive is expected to ship in June and is retail
priced at $59.95. It requires a Sigma Designs Reelmagic Motion
Picture Experts Group (MPEG) for full-screen, full-motion
playback of the video. Sigma has announced it will bundle Prince
Interactive with select Reelmagic products and users can get
pricing information by requesting a Sigma Designs' MPEG Software
Catalog toll-free.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940506/Press Contact: Lisa McCormick, Lages &
Associates for the Graphix Zone, 714-453-8080, fax [phone];
Public Contact: Sigma Designs, MPEG Software Catalog, 800-494-
8848/Prnc940506/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00024)

Great Plains Client/Server Financial Software 05/06/94
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Great Plains
Software has introduced Dynamics C/S+, a scalable client/server
financial software package.

Dynamics C/S+ is built on the foundation of Great Plains Dynamics,
the company's graphical accounting software, and according to
the company is designed for companies migrating their
mission-critical accounting applications to client/server
configurations from mainframes or minicomputers.

The company says its latest release is suitable for companies with
annual revenues of up to $250 million. It plans to release Corporate
Dynamics for larger companies in June 1994.

The program is available for Windows, Windows for Workgroups,
Windows NT, and Macintosh systems. Support for IBM RS/6000 servers,
HP/UX on the HP 9000, Windows NT for Intel servers, Windows NT on
Digital's Alpha machines, Solaris on Sun SPARCstations and the Power
Mac platform will be released during the next few months.

The total Dynamics C/S+ package consists of seven financial
applications and six tools, and provides SQL (structured query
language) connectivity and access to data in other programs through
its Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers. It can share
information in IAC-compliant applications through Dynamic Data
Exchange (DDE) on Windows systems and Apple Events on the
Macintosh. A software development kit is provided to link with
other applications, and an import utility provides the means for
importing ASCII tab or comma formatted data into Dynamics C/S+.

The Financial module includes General Ledger with analysis,
multicurrency management, and cash management. The latter two are
scheduled to be available by the end of the year. A Sales module
handles receivables, invoicing and sales order processing. Sales
Order Processing is also scheduled to ship by year-end. A
Purchasing module provides payable management and the 1995 release
of Receivings and Purchase Order Processing.

There is also an Inventory Control Module and a Payroll module
with Federal Magnetic Media capabilities.

Other tools include a report writer, a tool to customize the user
information, and a 4GL cross platform graphical development tool.

The application allows account numbers with up to 66 alphanumeric
characters and up to 41 segments, a maximum of 367 accounting
periods per fiscal years, and the ability to have an unlimited
number of years open simultaneously.  Non-financial data such as
employee headcount or square footages in a department can be
tracked and reported, and postings can be distributed among
multiple accounts. System use by individual users can be tracked.

Pricing for the individual modules ranges from $5,000 to $40,000
based on the number of non-concurrent users.

(Jim Mallory/19940506/Press contact: Terry Kalil, Great Plains
Software, 701-281-3130; Reader contact: Great Plains Software,
800-456-0025 or 701-281-0550, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LAX)(00025)

First American Home Computer Show Scheduled For Dallas  05/06/94
DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The first national
consumer exhibition aimed at the rapidly growing home technology
market with be held in Dallas, Texas at the Informart, the
region's technology marketing center. The show's organizer claims
he put it together from home using resources readily available to
consumers.

The American Home Computer Show is scheduled for Saturday and
Sunday, September 24 and 25, 1994. Broderbund, Microsoft, Corel,
and HomePC Magazine are some of the companies committed,
according to Peter McLaughlin. McLaughlin, whose background is
public relations, marketing communications, and corporate
communications, claims he created the show from home using a personal
computer, online services, compact disc read-only memory (CD-
ROM) titles, and other widely available consumer products.

Joeann Stahel, a senior research analyst with the market research
firm Computer Intelligence (CI)/Infocorp said, "Not until
America's Home Computer Show did we have a national program that
focuses exclusively on the home consumer as a market. Companies
intent on reaching and retaining home computer customers are best
served by a program that places them and their products closest
to the home-front."

Analysts have been saying the hottest part of the computer sales
market is home computers. But Stahel said most of those buyers
are not people wanting to buy computers to replace game playing
systems or the "edutainment" crowd, but are instead work-at-home
types who bought a computer instead of a word processor because
they can do so much more with it.

In addition, the idea of a "family" or household computer is not
working in most households because of the wide variety of tasks
that are being done by various members of the family and time
conflicts for computer use. Stahel believes the computer market
will really take off when computers reach the price point of
color televisions because that's when every member of the family
will have their own.

Stahel says consumer shows such as America's Home Computer Show
promise to allow consumers to buy computers at lower prices and
offer a direct path from the consumer to the vendor.

The show, co-sponsored by the Computer Technology Industry
Association, will focus on products and services in the six areas
of home office, entertainment, education, hobbies, services, and
special needs. Seminars on personal computing at home,
interactive cable, home satellite systems, and other topics are
planned as well. Dallas was chosen because analysts have said it
is one of the top three early-adopter markets of new technology
in the nation. The show is scheduled to begin a national tour
over the next 12 to 15 months.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940506/Press Contact: Lori Bradley, Bradley
Communications, tel [phone]; Peter McLaughlin, America's
Home Computer Show, tel [phone], fax [phone]; Joeann
Stahel, CI/Infocorp, 619-450-1667; Public Contact: Kami Price,
American Home Computer Show Exhibitor Liaison, 800-367-7100 ext
3514 or 214-746-3514)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00026)

Florida Gives Out More N11 Numbers 05/06/94
MIAMI, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Southern Bell has held
lotteries to distribute more N11 numbers in South Florida.

N11 numbers are three-digit numbers like 411 for information and
911 for emergency assistance which work only in local calling
areas. Last year the Palm Beach Post, owned by Cox Enterprises,
won an experimental license to use the number 511 for its local
information services, charging 50 cents per call. According to
figures it was required to file with state regulators, that
number drew 20,000 calls per month. After that number began
operations, Cox and Southern Bell parent BellSouth Corp., opened a
joint-venture aimed at bringing other newspapers to the N11
table. BellSouth also said it would try to win regulatory
approval to open N11 services throughout its 9-state service
region.

In the lottery, companies which wanted numbers 211, 311, 511, 711
and 811 in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando had to put up
$25,000 and commit to spending $10,000 per month for their
service. Among the winners were BellSouth's own Yellow Pages
unit, and Knight-Ridder's Miami Herald, which won a number in
Fort Lauderdale. In Miami there were seven applicants for the five
numbers, said Southern Bell spokesman Spero Canton, and there
were six applicants in Fort Lauderdale. In Orlando there were just
four applicants for five numbers so no lottery was necessary.

Filings made to the Florida and Georgia regulators show that,
while the N11 business holds promise, it's no guaranteed gold
mine. Newspapers don't have to pay additional costs to market
their numbers, yet the Palm Beach Post service was not
overwhelmingly profitable. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
which has the number 511 in the Atlanta calling area, the
nation's largest, told state regulators there it drew less than
one-fifth the traffic it had to its free service, 222-2000, after
starting service there at 50 cents per call.

Still, Southern Bell is pressing ahead. It is now advertising for
lotteries in smaller Florida markets, where its up-front charges
and monthly minimums will be slightly lower than in the larger
Florida markets. "Before the end of the year we'll see how
successful the N11 will be," Canton told Newsbytes.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940506/Press Contact: Spero Canton, Southern
Bell, 305-347-5455)


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

Pittencrieff Goes To Motorola Technology 05/06/94
SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 May 6  (NB) -- Motorola
scored another win for its Motorola Integrated Radio System or
MIRS technology, which turns specialized mobile radio calling
channels into direct competitors with cellular phone networks.
Motorola said Pittencrieff Communications of Abeline, Texas
signed a MIRS contract to move its 500,000-square-mile territory
to MIRS.

The new technology will make Pittencrieff's territory,
which covers vast reaches of the Southwest including the
cities of San Antonio, El Paso and Midland/Odessa, Texas;
Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.; and Oklahoma City and Tulsa,
Oklahoma compatible with the systems being built by such
companies as Nextel and Dial Page. The new system will be
able to handle voice dispatch, message mail and data
transmission as well as wireless phone systems, using the
same handset. It also increases the capacity of each calling
channel in the 800 MHz SMR band by a factor of 10. Since so many
companies are going to the same technology the agreement means
the SMR companies will be able to offer "roaming" services like
those of cellular companies.

Construction of Pittencrieff's MIRS system is expected to begin
in the last quarter of this year, continuing into next year,
subject to financing and the completion of a previously announced
reorganization and demerger of PCI's parent. Pittencrieff is the
U.S. unit of a Scottish company, and back in November the parent
appointed a unit of Morgan Grenfell & Co. to advise it on a
possible sale of its SMR licenses. "We're 54 percent owned by
Pittencrieff of Scotland," a spokesman said. "We're removing
ourselves from that." New stock will be issued in the U.S.
company, and eventually Pittencrieff of Scotland will return to
being a pure oil-and-gas company.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940506/Press Contact: Pittencrieff
Communications, Warren D. Harkins, 915/690-5800)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00028)

Motorola Increases Telular Stake 05/06/94
BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Motorola has
increased its stake in Telular Inc., a small cellular technology
company, to 20 percent in order to access its patented
technologies.

The validity of Telular patents was reaffirmed when a US
District Court in Los Angeles threw out a challenge to it by
Alliance Research Corp., of Los Angeles. But the company also
announced a large loss for its most recent quarter, and analysts
expect it will announce further losses through at least the next
year.

Newsbytes discussed the company's situation with spokesman Steve
O'Connell. O'Connell explained that the company's PhoneCell
technology fools simulates such wired signals as dial tones so
that wireless systems can be used in the same way. The company
offers PhoneCell products for a variety of different standards
and frequencies, and recently announced a system for Personal
Communication Services, or PCS systems. Another one of its
systems simulates the activity of a business's Private Branch
Exchange, so it can use wireless telephony as a back-up to its
regular wired service. "Our product weighs 4-5 pounds, depending
on the radio inside it. About the size of the lunch bucket," he
explained.

The PCS product, dubbed PCS One, is "an intelligent docking
station. You connect your cellular phone to it at the end of the
day, and it activates other extensions in the home to the car
phone number. We think it will be big for doctors, salesmen, and
reporters. We think that when PCS is introduced wireless rates
will go down quickly."

Newsbytes remarked that the PhoneCell technology sounded a lot
like the data transmission technology offered by Spectrum
Information Technologies. O'Connell acknowledged that Spectrum
has a non-exclusive license for Telular's technology, which it
uses in its data interfaces, but Telular had concluded long ago
that the voice applications would be a bigger market than the
data applications.

In the Los Angeles case, Alliance had filed suit after Telular
notified the company it was infringing on Telular's patents with
its Data Link product. There are a number of patents at-issue,
but Telular considers the patent which lets regular phone
equipment work on wireless networks its "key patent," and the
company expressed pleasure that its motion to remove that from
the suit was approved. Telular's motion noted it wasn't accusing
Alliance of violating that key patent, and the judge agreed. The
case will continue on the other issues.

Motorola said it will buy over 900,000 Telular shares for $12
million, bringing its holdings to about 20 percent. The purchases
are from existing Telular stockholders. Under its agreement,
Motorola is appointing Robert Weisshappel, the general manager of
its cellular subscriber group, as its second representative on
the Telular board. Northern Telecom also signed a $2 million
order for Telular equipment.

Motorola may not get a return on its Telular investment for some
time, however. The company's second quarter earnings report
indicated that, while sales increased to $4.7 million from $1.6
million, losses widened to $7.2 million from $1.1 million a year
ago. Telular has told analysts it expects to continue losing
money through next year, but could turn a profit in 1996.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940506/Press Contact: Steve McConnell,
Telular, 708-465-4500)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00029)

Ameritech Signs Scientific-Atlanta In Net Upgrade 05/06/94
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- Ameritech named
Scientific-Atlanta a supplier to its video dial tone network in a
$300 million, six-year agreement. Scientific-Atlanta called it
the biggest single order in its history.

Ameritech had earlier announced plans to transform its network
design into something resembling that of a cable operator, using
fiber cable backbones linked to coaxial cable branch lines. The
result will be a network that can deliver fast-data services,
video services, and voice services. Other regional Bells which
have announced similar plans are US West and Pacific Telesis. The
other regional Bells are reportedly holding-off on such
announcements until they wring more rate concessions from state
regulators.

Ameritech says that by the end of the decade it will have spend
$4.4 billion bringing its video services to 6 million
subscribers. It now has requests before all five of its state
regulatory commissions to begin work. Shares in Scientific-
Atlanta rose in price slightly after the announcement was made.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940506/Press Contact: Scientific-Atlanta,
Ruth Doering, 404-698-8650)


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(LAX)(00030)

 ****Computer Company Mergers Indelibly Change Industry  05/06/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- The face of the
computer industry is changing, gradually, but profoundly.
Acquisitions and mergers announced in the last 12 months between
companies in the computing world is making a permanent and
indelible imprint on the industry as a whole.

Not all the mergers are working. A year ago, when tax software
maker Chipsoft announced its intent to purchase competitor Meca,
the Federal Trade Commission stepped in with concerns about a
monopoly. After several months of haggling with the FTC, Chipsoft
and Meca decided to call it quits. Then in August accounting
software company Intuit announced it would purchase Chipsoft and
later purchased Best Programs, another tax preparation company.

Network products company Novell and word processing software
developer Wordperfect have announced plans for a merger and part
of the deal is purchasing spreadsheet product Quattro Pro from
struggling Borland International. Novell hopes to put together an
all-in-one applications software bundle with the components and
the deal is contingent on each part going through. No further
word as to the FTC's take on the merger has been offered.

Symantec and Central Point Software, companies with strong
positions share in the utility software market, are planning a
$60 million stock-swap merger. Symantec just announced the deal
was reviewed by the FTC under the antitrust laws contained in the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and is expected to be finalized in the
June quarter.

Symantec officials say they are unable to say how much of the
total utility software market the acquisition of privately held
Central Point Software will bring Symantec. However, the
acquisition is aimed at gaining a foothold in the network
computing market, also known as enterprise software, a market
largely controlled by Novell.

But not all the acquisitions work out. Educational software
company Broderbund bought its way out of a merger with software
game company Electronic Arts to the tune of $10 million just this
week. Analysts called the merger a good fit, and the FTC had no
objections, but after the announcement the stock of both
companies fell sharply and neither could agree on a new price.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940506/Press Contact: Heather Hedin, Symantec,
408-725-2733, fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(MSP)(00031)

Newsbytes Daily Summary 05/06/94
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A., 1994 MAY 6 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> Senate Weighs In Against FASB On Options 05/06/94 The US Senate
has passed a "sense of Congress" resolution telling the Financial
Accounting Standards Board to drop its plan to restrict how companies
can use stock options. The resolution was approved by an 88-9 vote on
an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Bill.

2 ->  ****Wireless Companies Look At Chip Interference 05/06/94 Much
to their dismay, vendors of wireless communication systems have found
that the radio signals their devices emit can interfere with equipment
using microprocessor chips.

3 -> IBM Japan To Release "Kitchen Sink" PC Appliance 05/06/94 IBM
Japan is preparing to release a hybrid personal computer which has the
proverbial "kitchen sink" array of functions and combines a personal
computer and various multimedia devices. An IBM Japan spokesman has
told Newsbytes that it will be officially announced within a month.

4 -> Phone, Pager, 2-Way Radio In One Handset 05/06/94 A Colorado
company will soon bring to market a service that uses a multi-purpose
handset that combines a cellular phone, pager, two way radio, and
message center. OneComm Corporation says it recently completed  tests
in which it sent and received phone calls, messages,  two-way
communications, and data from a single handset on  its digital
network.

5 -> Motorola's Interactive Media Festival 05/06/94 When Digital
World comes to Los Angeles on June 6-8, it will include the  Festival
Gallery of Interactive Media Festival, sponsored by  Motorola.

6 -> 3Com Offers Mobile Users Multiprotocol Remote Access 05/06/94
3Com Corporation has  announced a software upgrade to its new
AccessBuilder family  of remote access servers which produces greater
internetworking  flexibility, security and ease-of-use, according to
the company.   In addition LANQuest Labs, an independent network
product  testing laboratory, has reported that AccessBuilder is the
performance leader in the remote access marketplace, offering  users
complete client-to-LAN connectivity.

7 -> Fujitsu, Seiko Expand Business Overseas 05/06/94 Fujitsu and
Seiko Electronics Instruments are separately announced new marketing
moves. Fujitsu will sell its word processing program in China, and
Seiko will create a printer subsidiary in France.

8 -> Japan - Windows NT Upgrade Due In September 05/06/94 An upgraded
version of Japanese Windows NT is expected to be released in
September, according to Microsoft Senior Vice President Steve Ballmer,
who was quoted by the Nikkei Newspaper. Sales of Windows NT are slower
than expected so Microsoft hopes for a greater market share with the
new version.

9 -> AmeriQuest National Configuration Center 05/06/94
 AmeriQuest Technologies, a worldwide distributor of microcomputer
systems, peripherals, and accessories, announced it has opened its
National Configuration Center (NCC) at the site of its domestic
distribution center in Wilmington, Ohio.

10 -> Color Hard Copy - Color Printers Improving 05/06/94 Not long
ago, high quality color printing was simply too expensive to be
practical for standard desktop use. But now, new technologies like
dual-resident printer languages and "software-only banding" are
changing that picture, said Tom Blumer, director of systems
engineering for Phoenix Technologies Ltd., speaking at BIS Strategic
Decisions' Color Hard Copy conference in Boston.

11 -> VSNL Euro Issue Deferred 05/06/94 The $1 billion Euro  issue of
the state-owned overseas telecommunication company,  Videsh Sanchar
Nigam Ltd., has been deferred as the indicative  price set out earlier
could not be obtained.

12 -> India - Satellite Launch Successful 05/06/94 The augmented
satellite  launch vehicle (ASLV-D4) was successfully launched from
Sriharikota on the southeastern coast of India. ASLV-D4  injected the
113-kilogram Stretched Rohini Satellite Series  (SROSS-C2) satellite
into an orbit of about 437 kilometer perigee  and 938 kilometre apogee
at an inclination of 46 degree based on  preliminary orbit
determination.

13 -> Apple Predicts Confusion Over Interactive Multimedia 05/06/94
Apple Australia's  Macintosh product manager, Bill Harrington, has
warned that  the information technologists risk failure through
alienating  and confusing customers and failing to plan and cooperate
in the development and delivery of interactive media.

14 -> Australian Army Standardizes On Solaris For Intel 05/06/94 The
Australian Army has  purchased 500 licences of SunSoft's Solaris for
Intel  operating system. Over the next five years it expects to add
another 5000 machines running Solaris, part of its long-term  plans to
standardize on Open Systems.

15 -> OSF Announces DCE Localization, NMO Pricing 05/06/94 The Open
Software Foundation has announced plans to make Distributed Computing
Environment (DCE) message catalogs and selected documentation
available in five additional languages. The foundation also announced
pricing for its Distributed Management Environment (DME) Network
Management Option (NMO).

16 -> Wordperfect Ships WP Version 6.0a -- And It's Free 05/06/94
Wordperfect Corporation is shipping Wordperfect 6.0a for Windows, an
interim release of version 6.0 that was released in October 1993.

17 -> DEC Will Cut Another 20,000 Jobs 05/06/94 he job cuts are not
over at Digital Equipment Corp. The computer maker, which had already
said it would cut its full-time work force to about 85,000 people by
the end of the current quarter, is aiming for 65,000 over the next
couple of years.

18 -> Personnel Changes Roundup 05/06/94 This is a regular feature,
summarizing personnel changes at companies not covered elsewhere by
Newsbytes: Mitek Systems Inc., Mitel Corp., Midnight Networks Inc.,
Alpha Industries Inc.

19 -> Company Results Roundup 05/06/94 This is a regular feature,
summarizing company results not reported elsewhere by Newsbytes:
Gateway 2000, Intuit Inc., Microsemi Corp., Key Tronic Corp., Devon
Group Inc., Amtech Systems Inc.

20 -> Networking Roundup 05/06/94 This is a regular Friday feature,
summarizing networking news not covered elsewhere by Newsbytes in the
past week: Standard Microsystems Corp., Western Automation's Spectra
Logic, Sun Select, Hughes LAN Systems, NetWorth Inc., Arcada Software
Inc., Digital Link Corp., Digital Communications Associates Inc.,
Banyan Systems, and Oracle Corp.

21 -> Review of - Yearn 2 Learn Snoopy, game 05/06/94 Runs on: IBM 386
with Windows 3.1 or later, 4 megabytes of RAM, a 256-color display
with 640x480 resolution, 17 megabytes of hard disk space. Advanced
sound cards like the Sound Blaster Pro or MediaVision Pro Audio
Spectrum are also recommended.

22 -> CompuServe's European Frame-Net Access Expands 05/06/94 With the
addition of  Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland,
CompuServe now  has a total of fourteen countries that can access
Frame-Net, its  global frame relay service. At the same time,
CompuServe has  announced the addition of twenty-two more local access
and  transport areas (LATAs) in the US that have access to Frame- Net,
increasing the total number of US metropolitan areas to more  than
200.

23 -> Prince Interactive Mixes Music Video W/ Game  05/06/94 Graphix
Zone has announced the music star formerly known as Prince, and now
whose name is an ASCII-unreproducable symbol, is featured in an
interactive game and music video combo on compact disc read-only
memory (CD- ROM). Prince Interactive is aimed at owners of Sigma
Design's Reelmagic board for IBM and compatible personal computers
(PCs).

24 -> Great Plains Client/Server Financial Software 05/06/94 Great
Plains Software has introduced Dynamics C/S+, a scalable client/server
financial software package.

25 -> First American Home Computer Show Scheduled For Dallas  05/06/94
The first national consumer exhibition aimed at the rapidly growing
home technology market with be held in Dallas, Texas at the Informart,
the region's technology marketing center. The show's organizer claims
he put it together from home using resources readily available to
consumers.

26 -> Florida Gives Out More N11 Numbers 05/06/94 Southern Bell has
held  lotteries to distribute more N11 numbers in South Florida.

27 -> Pittencrieff Goes To Motorola Technology 05/06/94 Motorola
scored another win for its Motorola Integrated Radio System or  MIRS
technology, which turns specialized mobile radio calling  channels
into direct competitors with cellular phone networks.  Motorola said
Pittencrieff Communications of Abeline, Texas  signed a MIRS contract
to move its 500,000-square-mile territory  to MIRS.

28 -> Motorola Increases Telular Stake 05/06/94 Motorola has
increased its stake in Telular Inc., a small cellular technology
company, to 20 percent in order to access its patented  technologies.

29 -> Ameritech Signs Scientific-Atlanta In Net Upgrade 05/06/94
Ameritech named  Scientific-Atlanta a supplier to its video dial tone
network in a  $300 million, six-year agreement. Scientific-Atlanta
called it  the biggest single order in its history.

30 ->  ****Computer Company Mergers Indelibly Change Industry
05/06/94 The face of the computer industry is changing, gradually, but
profoundly. Acquisitions and mergers announced in the last 12 months
between companies in the computing world is making a permanent and
indelible imprint on the industry as a whole.

(Ian Stokell/19940506)