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/nb061694

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(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DEN)(00001)

Health Care Software Makes House Calls 06/16/94
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- While your
doctor may not come to your house any more to diagnose your
ailments, there is a software package that will. Applied Medical
Informatics' (AMI) HouseCall is a medical reference guide and
symptom analysis tool that the company says is designed to help
the "average person" become a more informed consumer of
medical care.

AMI VP of Sales and Marketing Elaine Bailey says no matter what
form the nation's health care industry takes in the future, experts
agree that the best thing individuals can do is to become more
informed and more involved. "An informed patient is a powerful
person," according to Bailey. She says HouseCall is a potential
source of that empowerment.

AMI said a team of more than 40 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and
computer experts worked together to create HouseCall. The team,
graduates of such prestigious institutions as The Mayo Clinic,
Johns Hopkins University, Duke, and Columbia meets weekly to keep
the software current.

Users can look up any combination of symptoms using the
HouseCall search engine. A medical encyclopedia provides information
about possible diseases or ailments that may cause the symptoms. The
software asks the user questions which become more specific as more
information is provided about the symptoms. A listing of possible
causes can be printed. The database contains 6,000 medical findings
and 1,100 diseases ranging from AIDS and Alzheimer's Disease to
influenza and chicken pox.

Users can enter symptoms by clicking on body part icons or by typing
the symptom. HouseCall provides a definition of the disease, causes,
incidence, risk factors, prevention, symptoms, signs and tests,
treatment, expectations and complications, and a "call your health
care provider if..." feature.

There is also information about drugs, their use, possible side
effects, and how they interact. A medical records section lets
users keep track of their medical treatment, immunizations, allergy
history, surgical history, and other information. There is also a
section on poisons and their antidotes and the phone numbers of
regional poison control centers.

HouseCall has a suggested retail price of $99.95 and is available
from AMI or through computer stores and mail order catalogs. AMI
says the average street price is about $60. AMI also markets Iliad,
a medical diagnosis and treatment assistance tool for physicians.

(Jim Mallory/19940615/Press contact: Elaine Bailey, AMI,
801-464-6202; Reader contact: AMI, 801-464-6200)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00002)

AT&T Announces WorldWorx Video Service 06/16/94
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- AT&T has
announced AT&T WorldWorx Solutions, a video dial-tone service
based on the H.320 standard used by existing digital video
systems like those made by PictureTel.

Using the WorldWorx network, an AT&T press conference hosted
by Alex Mandl, who heads the company's communications services
group, was seen by reporters in Washington, San Francisco and
London via satellite, which was switched to the WorldWorx
service for the question-and-answer session.

Picture quality on WorldWorx was not as good as on the satellite,
because WorldWorx uses compressed video, but the cost is much
lower, AT&T noted.

"In many ways the medium today is the message," he said. "Video,
as well as data, are finally heading down the path voice has been
on for a century -- toward ubiquitous connectivity. These
capabilities will bring people together in ways not possible
before, allowing them to see one another, talk to one another and
use data at the same time."

The video dial-tone AT&T is rolling out sounds just like the dial-
tone heard when using AT&T for a calling card call, with the
addition of the words "AT&T WorldWorx service."

In New York Mandl was joined by executives with Apple, Novell,
PictureTel, Sun Microsystems, Video Server, and Xerox, who all
said they would support the technology.

"IBM and Lotus are also part of the group," Mandl said, but
representatives were not at the press conference. The alliances
are key, he added. "Interoperability is a key to generating a video
and data dial-tone. It's vital that everyone be on the same page."

About H.320, which requires home customers to have ISDN
(integrated services digital networks) digital services or
"switched 56" business lines, Mandl said, "AT&T's building its
equipment on H.320, but we're committed to offering choices.
Eventually we're confident that common approaches will emerge.
Not many customers will invest in equipment that will run into
a speed limit.

"People will be able to make video calls as easily as they make
phone calls now," he said. "I find it very valuable already. I
can call up files on my computer, show it to colleagues, edit it,
and click on a button to give them the entire file. As reporters
fighting deadlines, I'm sure you appreciate this." Mandl then
demonstrated the system with a video call to Peoria, where a
representative of Caterpiller put the service through its paces.

"WorldWorx places multimedia communication squarely at the
user's fingertips," Mandl added. "The desktop computer screen
will become a virtual meeting room. And the application doesn't
stop at our borders -- it will be available to 22 nations across
Asia, Europe, and South America. We believe in time it will change
the way the world works."

"We plan to make it easy to use. We're packaging products and
services that will be easy to install and activate. The first is
the WorldWorx Desktop Solution, a PC with the system that links
with the service. WorldWorx Personal Conferencing service is
available now only point-to-point. Multi-point service will be
available in the first quarter. The ability to display cable TV
channels through a call will also be enabled through a PC video
port," Mandl said.

In addition to certifying equipment and software for operating
with its network service, AT&T will also develop a directory of
registered users.

In response to questions from reporters, Mandl said the company's
goal is to make the service compatible with Intel's ProShare
technology, adding that is unlikely to take place before the end of
1995.

Pressed on the question of prices, spokesmen said that while they
could not release a price list, and there will be a range of services
offered, costs should run from 50 cents to $1.50 per minute,
depending on the level of service.

As to when the price might reach consumer product ranges, a
spokesman said it may take just two-three years. "It's not too far
away before this gets to the consumer level. The real issue,
however, will be the ability to access the network services via
ISDN or switched 56."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940615/Press Contact: AT&T, Mona
Williams, 908-221-4355)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(DAL)(00003)

Art Teco '94 Presented By Morph's Outpost Magazine 06/16/94
ORINDA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Focusing on the
technical aspects of multimedia and presented by the magazine
"Morph's Outpost on the Digital Frontier," the first annual
United Developers Summit, Art Teco '94, will begin June 16 in
San Francisco, California. The conference will be held in the
Cowell Theater at the Fort Mason Center and features exhibits
from Creative Labs, Apple Computer, Compton's Newmedia, and
Intel.

The unconventional publication, purposely designed after Rolling
Stone magazine and aimed at multimedia software developers, was
first released at the Boston, Massachusetts Software Development
show in August of last year. The first Art Teco show is expected
to be unconventional as well, according to the Doug Millison,
editor-in-chief of "Morph's Outpost."

The discussion format is planned to be like a television talk
show. A moderator is to control the flow of the conversation and
take questions from the attendees. Audience members will be
encouraged to challenge the speakers on the issues at hand in
discussions on topics such as "Financing Your Multimedia
Production," "Choosing the Right Authoring System," and "Legal
Issues for the Multimedia Developer."

"We are planning some very intense, technical sessions that
address the state of interactive development, from platforms and
standards to tools and resources. Our readers know the issues,
and have definite ideas on where the industry is headed. There
will be no shameless self-promotion, no podiums, just three days
of work and a couple of great parties," Millison maintains.

The conference will also be a platform for the first annual
"Golden Lobes Awards" to recognize innovative multimedia
development tools.

Viewing the exhibits is free. A $495 registration fee, payable on
arrival at the conference, is required to attend the conference
sessions or the parties.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940615/Press Contact: Tim Bigoness, Morph's
Outpost, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00004)

UK - Texas Instruments Intros New Notebook Range 06/16/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Texas Instruments has
announced a new family of notebooks that it claims have a
combination of features and performance "never previously
offered in a single portable configuration" in the UK.

Known as the TravelMate 4000M series, the machines are billed as
"multimedia ready" and are based around a 486 processor running at
speeds of up to 75 megahertz (MHz). Standard features include a
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)
card slot, fast small computer systems interface (SCSI) II interface,
nickel metal hydride batteries, and a portable CD-ROM docking station.

Four models in 4000M series are initially available, ranging in price
from UKP1,799 to UKP4,499. The range includes three 25MHz 486SL
chip-based systems, plus a superfast 486DX4 75MHz processor
system. Screen options range from monochrome through advanced
color, or active matrix color.

"The 4000M is another breakthrough product from TI," commented
Colin Day, TI's marketing manager for the company's personal
productivity products.

"We are continuing to expand the boundaries of notebook computing.
With the uniquely designed portable CD-ROM docking system, TI now
provides an integrated, totally portable multimedia system with
processing power up to 75MHz," he said.

Other features of the new notebooks include fast 60 nanosecond (ns)
memory in a four megabyte (MB) standard configuration. An extra
16MB of memory can be added internally by the user.

One interesting feature of the new machines is that Intel's Indeo
video software comes pre-installed on the hard disks. This new
software is billed as the de facto standard for full-motion video
playback, which TI claims is complemented by the inclusion of a
16-bit "Vision Jazz" sound card that is compatible with Sound
Blaster Pro and other sound cards.

The PCMCIA card slot, meanwhile, can take one Type III card or
two type I or II cards at the same time. The machine supports
3-, 5-, and 12-volt PCMCIA cards.

(Steve Gold/19940615/Press & Public Contact: Texas
Instruments, [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00005)

UK - IBM Intros "Low-Cost" Server-Based LANs 06/16/94
PORTSMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- IBM UK
has taken the wraps off LAN FirstStep, a new product that it claims
is aimed at users who do not already have local area networks
(LANs), as well as at users of peer-to-peer networks (e.g. Artisoft
LANtastic) who want the improved performance and facilities of
a server-based LAN.

LAN FirstStep combines OS/2 2.1, IBM LAN Server Entry 3.01 and
support for six users running a combination of OS/2, Windows, and
DOS applications. More users can be added through the purchase of
additional LAN Server requesters.

"LAN FirstStep is aimed primarily at users who do not have the
technical expertise or the need to run highly sophisticated network
operating systems," explained Mike Collins, LAN Server product
manager for IBM UK Software. "They now have access to a full
function LAN operating system at a fraction of the cost and
complexity," he added.

According to Big Blue, over the next five years, more than 40 percent
of all PCs shipped will be installed in environments suited to LAN
FirstStep. The installation facility of the system is billed as
providing an "easy to understand" installation process from which
to operate all the required LAN Server components, integrating the
various installation processes into one.

LAN FirstStep will be available from the middle of July onwards
in the UK at UKP531.

(Steve Gold/19940615/Press & Public Contact: IBM UK,
[phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(LON)(00006)

Germany Buys Into Spanish Mobile Phone Network 06/16/94
BONN, GERMANY, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Deutsches Bundespost Telekom
(DBT) has taken a 9.9 percent stake in Cometa, the Spanish mobile
telecommunications consortium. The extra funding, details of which
have not been announced, will allow Cometa to create the technology
required to support its planned digital (global system for mobile)
phone network.

Cometa is a group of seven Spanish investment companies plus a
20 percent stake from GTE, the US telecoms company. The group is
currently working with DeTeMobile, the German GSM operator, to
install GSM technology on the Spanish telecoms network.

DeTeMobile is the DBT company behind the D1 GSM network in
Germany, which covers around 95 percent of the country. According
to Cometa, the experienced gained from the commissioning of the
D1 network by DeTeMobil will assist Cometa greatly.

It is still a long way to Cometa getting a license to operate a GSM
network in Spain, Newsbytes notes. Cometa and other bidders for
the contract will have to wait until November of this year at the
earliest before Elena Salgado, the Spanish Secretariat for
Communications, will announce the first private mobile phone
network licenses. Other licenses are expected to be announced
early next year.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940615/Press & Reader Contact; DBT,
tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(TOR)(00007)

Consultant Says Open Systems Complicate Security 06/16/94
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Open systems
security may sound like an oxymoron, Mark Dennison admits. How
can something be open and secure at the same time? However, the
Ottawa-based consultant with CGI Information Systems and
Management Consultants Inc. explained in a presentation to
reporters this week that while open systems are complicating
computer security, they are not making it impossible.

Dennison used the analogy of an art gallery, where the public may
enter freely and look at the works on display, and yet there are
alarms and security guards and other provisions to protect the
goods.

Today, he said, computer users need open information to get their
jobs done, but they still assume their data will somehow be
protected.

Proper open systems security needs to ensure confidentiality of
data, integrity or accuracy of the data, and availability of the
systems, all without getting in the way of the users and at
minimum cost.

Computer systems today are threatened by insiders with access
to the data who may use that access improperly. They also face
threats from outside "hackers" with more and more technical
knowledge, from viruses, and from a growing incidence of
industrial espionage, Dennison said.

He added that not only weaknesses in system design, but a simple
failure to think enough about security, can make organizations
vulnerable to those threats.

Dennison advised a three-pronged approach to open systems
security. The first step is assessing the risks. Dennison said
the old rule-based approach to security, in which "you could
almost look up in a checklist and determine what to do" must
give way to a risk-based approach today because technology has
become much more diverse. "You really want to address the key
vulnerabilities of the system."

The risk assessment needs to be followed up with a life-cycle
approach to security, in which a security plan is designed based
on the risk assessment, and then re-evaluated regularly to make
sure it still addresses current threats. Third, Dennison urged a
reliance on industry standards, such as the security standards
established by the United States and other governments.

He added, though, that the US government's current effort to
require use of the Clipper encryption technology -- which has
a built-in opening for law-enforcement officials to decode
transmissions -- is likely to fail because of strong industry
opposition.

(Grant Buckler/19940616/Press Contact: CGI Information Systems
and Management Consultants, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00008)

Hong Kong Hospital Authority Implements Patient System 06/16/94
SHATIN, HONG KONG, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- The Prince of Wales
Hospital in Shatin has become the first site to implement a
sophisticated software development by the Hong Kong Hospital
Authority (HA). The system provides an integrated workstation
designed to give medical staff access, from the ward, to patient
records and clinical information drawn from a range of underlying
information systems.

The HA Clinical Workstation was developed using Powersoft Corp.'s
PowerBuilder, an open, object-oriented development environment
for client-server applications. It will be implemented at the HA's
other major hospitals over the coming three years.

"The Clinical Workstation is a breakthrough for us because it is
the first manifestation of the application architecture we have
defined for the Authority's Integrated Health Information System,"
said John Tse, local IT (information technology) veteran and head
of IT at the Hospital Authority.

"Our ultimate goal is to make all aspects of patient records totally
electronic by the year 2,000. To realize this goal, we need to have a
repository to store the data, an information highway to deliver the
information where it is needed, and good graphical user interface
to display it when it gets there.

"In using PowerBuilder to develop the HA Clinical Workstation we
have created a prototype of the standard graphical user interface.
Over the next few years this interface will be refined and enhanced,
and spread across the full spectrum of the Integrated Health
Information System," said Tse.

"The client side of the HA Clinical Workstation, which is currently
running on a network of 85 Windows/486 PCs at the Prince of Wales
Hospital, handles data validation and presentation logic. The server
side, implemented on a Sybase relational database management
system (RDBMS), takes care of database access and updates," he said.

Underlining both the power and complexity of the HA's information
technology architecture, the new Clinical Workstation displays data
from four separate and geographically dispersed information
systems: the Patient Master Index System, running on an IBM
mainframe at the HA's data center in Kwai Chung; the Hospital
Admission/Discharge/Transfer System, running on an IBM RS/6000
and Sybase RDBMS platform also at the HA data center; the local
Laboratory Information System running on another IBM RS/6000
and Oracle RDBMS platform; and a local Outpatient Management
System, running on a PC-based Microsoft Windows NT Advanced
Server and Clipper database platform.

As well as being able to retrieve, display and update information
in the underlying systems, the Clinical Workstation framework
has also been designed to allow medical services to be ordered
directly from the ward.

Outpatient appointment bookings can already be made on-line and,
according to Tse, a laboratory and ward order entry -- based on
Medical EDI (electronic data interchange) specifications -- will
be integrated into the system by the end of 1995.

"The Hong Kong Hospital Authority is probably the most advanced
user of client-server computing in Asia at the moment. Its Clinical
Workstation is an excellent example of PowerBuilder's ability to
deliver an elegant solution to the problem of access, delivery and
presentation of data from diverse and distributed system that are
typical of today's enterprise information environments," said
Francis Ng, general manager of Powersoft Hong Kong Ltd.

Using PowerBuilder 3.0, the HA Information Technology Department
completed development and testing of the Clinical Workstation
software in two months following analysis of user requirements.
Another two months was spent on user acceptance testing and
training of over 1,500 nurses, doctors and laboratory staff at the
Prince of Wales Hospital.

(Keith Cameron/19940616/Press Contact: Francis Ng, Powersoft
Hong Kong, 852-576 3638)


(NEWS)(IBM)(SYD)(00009)

IBM Australia Wins Regional Data Processing Contract 06/16/94
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- The mainframe-infested
bunker underneath IBM Australia's Cumberland Forest headquarters
will get a workout following a deal which will see the company
handle data processing for subsidiaries in Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

IBM's Doug Elix announced the deal along with Australian Federal
Industry Minister Senator Peter Cook. The new regional Computing
Services Center means significant "merit points" under IBM's
Partnerships for Development obligations with the government, as
well as 190 new jobs and export earnings of AUS$30 million over
the next five years. Set-up costs are estimated at AUS$30
million also.

Elix said the Department of Industry had provided "moral support,"
help on the business plan, help with establishing a communications
deal with Australian carrier Telstra, and a financial "sweetener"
in the form of a waiver on wholesale tax for any second-hand
equipment IBM Australia imports for the center. As well as being
the internal information technology (IT) engine for IBM's South East
Asian operations, IBM will outsource IT power to SE Asian customers.

There could be more work for the center inside the next two months.
IBM Australia is now in competition with IBM Japan to win the
second half of the internal outsourcing deal. At issue is which
outfit can better handle the double-byte computing required for
Chinese and other Asian language systems. If successful, IBM
Australia will handle computing for Hong Kong, Taiwan, China,
and Korea. While Cumberland Forest is the initial site, the company
is scouting for one or more additional sites to handle the
outsourcing deal.

(Stuart Kennedy and Computer Daily News/19940616)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(HKG)(00010)

Hong Kong - NetAsia Networking Show Set For June 06/16/94
WANCHAI, HONG KONG, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- NetAsia, an
international networking show, is to be held at the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition Center in Wanchai from June 29 to July 1.

Participants in the show will include ALR, Anixter, AST, Automated
Systems, Cheyenne, Compaq, DaVinci, Digital, Hewlett Packard,
LANNET, Lotus, Oracle, Symantec, Synoptics, and WordPerfect.

According to Andrew Lai, regional director of Novell, which has
taken on the task of organizing the event, the show is in response
to a huge user demand, and business interest, in network
computing in Hong Kong.

"NetAsia will be Hong Kong's premier networking show. It has been
created to bring together users, business people and network
technology providers in a friendly and open atmosphere," said Lai.
"The show allows the public to view the latest developments in
network computing from a wide range of vendors -- from
networked-based office automation software to high-end hardware."

In addition to the exhibition, NetAsia also has a three-day seminar
series with technical and business networking experts speaking a
wide range of issues. The program includes presentations on Novell
technologies, NetWare and Unix integration, managing networks,
implementation of directory services, NetWare 4.x theory of
operations, optimizing NetWare wide area networks (WANs),
AppWare, and the business benefit of enterprise computing.

"The industry support for NetAsia has been extremely encouraging.
We mentioned the concept of a network show early in the year and
many vendors agreed to participate even before formal dates and
venues had been set. The strong vendor support for NetAsia
indicates that the market is more than ready for such an
event," said Lai.

(Keith Cameron/19940616/Press Contact: Joseph Sweeney,
tel [phone]; fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TRENDS)(WAS)(00011)

 ****Software Publishers To Rate Computer Games 06/16/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Attempting to
ward off game standards set by large video game makers, a
coalition that includes the Software Publishers Association and
four smaller software trade groups say they will develop their
own voluntary sex and violence ratings system for computer
games.

The new coalition represents about 3,100 computer software
developers and, in addition to SPA, includes Association of
Shareware Professions, the Educational Software Cooperative,
the Shareware Trade Association and Resources, and the
Association of Shareware Authors and Distributors.

ASP, ECS, STAR and ASAD are enthusiastic about this joint
project with SPA," says Karen Crowther, a personal computer
game developer and representative of the four smaller groups.
"By working with SPA, our groups now represent the majority of
software publishers in the US."

The software publishers are fearful that a rating scheme by the
Interactive Digital Software Association, a new group consisting
of video-game makers such as Sega and Nintendo, would use the
ratings to create a competitive advantage for the video game
companies. Crowther said the groups are "concerned about
placing control of any ratings program in the hands of an
association controlled by a handful of very large video game
companies."

According to SPA, the video game industry has combined annual
sales of $5 billion, while annual sales of computer games amount
to only about $200 million. "We hope that our joint work
underscores that the developers and publishers of personal
computer software compete in an industry very different from
that of the manufacturers of video games," says Mark Traphagen,
SPA counsel.

The shareware publishers were also concerned about proposed
fees of as much as $500 per title by the ISDA in its voluntary
ratings proposal. Many shareware game publishers make very
little on each game, but make their profits by having many
titles.

But Doug Lowenstein of ISDA rejects the computer game
publishers' analysis. The differences between the two
technologies are "immaterial," he says. He says the computer
game publishers do not want their games reviewed by an
independent group.

Under the ISDA plan, the publishers would initially rate the games
and if there were complaints by consumers, the rating would be
reviewed by an independent panel.

What is driving the move toward voluntary ratings is the threat
of Congress passing laws imposing ratings. During the holiday
season, Acclaim Entertainment's "Mortal Kombat," a video game
that includes a decapitation, became an instant best-seller and
triggered a series of lurid Senate hearings in which several
Senators threatened federal standards if the industry could not
get together voluntarily.

(Kennedy Maize/19940616/Contact: Mark Traphagen, SPA, tel
202-452-1600; Karen Crowther, Redwood Games, tel 707-937-
3320; Doug Lowenstein, ISDA, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(TOR)(00012)

IBM Licenses OpenMail From HP For RS/6000 06/16/94
SOMERS, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- IBM has announced
a licensing agreement with Hewlett-Packard Co. that will put
HP's OpenMail messaging software on IBM's RISC System/6000
workstations and servers running the AIX variant of Unix.

It will be the first comprehensive messaging system IBM has
offered for AIX, company spokesman Greg Golden told Newsbytes,
although AIX does include a mail-sending feature and there are
third-party mail products available for the system.

OpenMail is meant for enterprise-wide messaging on client/server
computing systems, according to Hewlett-Packard. It complies with
mail standards including the Messaging Applications Programming
Interface (MAPI) backed by Microsoft Corp., Lotus Development
Corp.'s Vendor-Independent Messaging (VIM), and the X.400
Application Programming Interface Association's (XAPIA) Common
Messaging Calls (CMC) specification.

OpenMail will allow connections to existing messaging software on
other IBM hardware, Golden said.

The vendors said that, with OpenMail server software running on an
RS/6000 server, users will be able to share messaging services on
a variety of computer platforms using various messaging systems
and applications.

Details of IBM's plans for OpenMail remain sketchy. The company
said it will reveal more about pricing, availability, and support
plans late this year. Golden said he could not give even a rough
idea when the product is likely to be available to users.

(Grant Buckler/19940616/Press Contact: Greg Golden, IBM,
tel [phone]; Rebecca Landry, HP, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(DEN)(00013)

"Junkie" Virus Spreading Worldwide 06/16/94
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- A potentially
damaging virus, named "Junkie," is reportedly spreading across the
world.

Earlier this month Newsbytes reported the discovery of Junkie
during a demonstration of anti-virus software in Ann Arbor,
Michigan. There is also a report that Junkie first appeared in the
Netherlands. Now reports of Junkie are coming in from other parts
of the US and may have even shown up in London's financial district.

Engineers at Reflex Inc., studying the virus say it is particularly
dangerous due to its characteristics.  It is encrypted, making it
difficult to spot. Also, it changes each time it replicates, and it
infects both the drive's boot sector and executable files on the
disk.

Reflex says Junkie was originally discovered on shrink-wrapped
software, unlike many viruses that are spread through downloaded
files or disks shared among users. The latter was reportedly the
source of Junkie in the Netherlands. Reflex says it can even be
spread by anti-virus software.

Reflex says its Disknet product does recognize Junkie and renders
it ineffective. So does The Norton AntiVirus 3.0 for Windows,
according to its publisher, Symantec Corporation.

Reflex spokesperson Ann Revell-Pechar told Newsbytes some of
the reports about Junkie's appearance may in fact be referring to
another virus, called "Smeg," which has similar characteristics.
According to Revell-Pechar, Smeg appeared about two weeks
before Junkie.

Junkie does not give its victims any warning when it strikes. The
only known cure so far is to re-format the affected hard disk. Smeg
completely erases the user's hard disk between 4pm and 5pm local
time each Monday.

The destruction caused by a virus program is proof that it
is essential to backup your data every day. However, experts
caution that you should not make a backup of a hard disk that
you suspect may be infected.

(Jim Mallory/19940616/Press contact: Ann Revell-Pechar, Reed,
Revell-Pechar for Reflex Inc., 206-462-4777; Reader contact:
Reflex, 206-776-2524 or 800-673-3539; Symantec, 503-334-
6054 or 800-441-7234)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DEN)(00014)

Judge Says Microsoft & Stac Must Pay Up! 06/16/94
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., JUN 16 (NB) -- A federal judge has
ordered Microsoft Corporation and Stac Electronics to pay the money
each company owes the other.

A jury recently awarded Microsoft $13.7 million for trade secret
misappropriation by Stac. Stac got $120 million for patent
infringement by Microsoft of Stac's data compression technology.
So far the checks are not in the mail.

Stac attorney Mark Flagel says Stac will file a motion asking the
judge to overturn the verdict against it, on the grounds that
legal and factual errors were made by the jury. Microsoft says it
will also file a motion to have the jury verdict reversed.

Meantime, an appellate court in Washington, DC, has granted a
Microsoft request for an emergency delay of the product recall that
was part of the court's ruling in the patent infringement case. That
stay will be in effect until at least the end of the week.

Microsoft was told to stop distributing copies of its MS-DOS
version 6.0 and 6.2 operating system software and other products
that contained Microsoft's Doublespace data compression technology.
The company has done that, and shipped an interim version of MS-DOS
without data compression. It recently began shipping MS-DOS
version 6.22 which contains a data compression technology that
allegedly does not infringe on Stac patents.

The problem is the copies of MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.2 already installed
on personal computers that are in the distribution pipeline.

Microsoft spokesperson Mich Matthews told Newsbytes plans are
being developed to correct the problem. "We will develop a disk that
will erase the hard disk and immediately install a non-infringing
product," she said. Whether that disk would be used by the
manufacturer, the retailer, or the end user is still to be decided.

The injunction prohibiting distribution of software containing
Doublespace clearly states that end users who have either version
of MS-DOS are not affected by the recall and can contain to use the
product legally.

(Jim Mallory/19940616/Press contact: Microsoft Public Relations,
206-882-8080)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(DAL)(00015)

100 Power Mac Apps Now Available 06/16/94
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Analysts have
said the availability of applications are what will make or break
the new Power Macintosh computer, so the announcement of 100
software titles now ready for the unit is good news for Apple
Computer.

While the Power Macintosh will already run existing Macintosh
apps, in addition to Windows and DOS when necessary software is
installed, the increased processing power of the PowerPC-based
Macintosh is only seen with "native" applications -- meaning those
developed especially for the Power Mac.

The most important new applications are those that could appeal
to users outside the traditional installed Macintosh user base,
and applications that are not aimed at graphics or publishing.
The main contributor in the mainstream software category is
Wordperfect, who has translated its popular word processing
program to the Power Mac environment.

Apple claims many vendors will allow users with previous product
versions to get the Power Macintosh version free or at a discounted
price. Newsbytes called Wordperfect and discovered Wordperfect
users may upgrade to the Power Macintosh Wordperfect 3.0a for
$89, if they have their registration number handy.

By late summer Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Adobe
Dimensions, Adobe Type Manager, Claris MacWrite Pro, Microsoft
Excel, Microsoft Word, and Quark XPress are expected to be
available. Of these titles, the two outside the desktop publishing/
graphics applications are Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.

In addition, of the 100 titles shipping now, four are shareware
available on a try-before-you-buy basis, 16 are networking
applications, and two are emulation programs so users can run
DOS or Windows applications.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940616/Press Contact: Brooke Cohan, Stirling
& Cohan for Apple Computer, tel [phone]; Eric Wee, Apple
Computer, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00016)

More On Metricom's Frequency-Hopping Network 06/16/94
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Hedy Lamarr,
Southern California Edison, and an innovative "mesh" network
design, are combining to give Silicon Valley wireless data users
a choice of networks. Newsbytes discussed that choice, called
Ricochet, with Metricom chief executive officer (CEO) Bob Dilworth.

The network uses a version of spread-spectrum technology called
frequency-hopping, in contrast to the direct sequence schemes
used by Qualcomm for its digital cellular system, code division
multiple access (CDMA).

"Hedy Lamarr," a Hollywood star from the 1940s, actually "invented
frequency hopping spread spectrum," Dilworth revealed. "She was
married to a military guy and came up with the idea. That's why no
one holds the patent -- it's an old technology."

Metricom developed its wireless mesh technology, which is also
different from what cellular networks deploy, on behalf of
utilities "which wanted low-cost, high capacity wireless for
management of power distribution," Dilworth continued.

"Southern California Edison was the first customer" of a service
now called UtiliNet, which is also used by wastewater treatment
facilities. The network works on unlicensed frequencies around
900-930 megahertz (MHz), which are also used by cordless phones.

"we've found the band to be quite empty and discovered that
spread-spectrum really works -- you can build a robust network
that's not impacted by cross-talk," Dilworth said. "By increasing
the speed, changing some characteristics, and selling a portable
modem, that could form the basis of a service. We've put our
network up with hundreds of other devices and it's amazing how
much you can pack in. A good data network is probably the last
thing to be affected" by crosstalk, he added "You can move data
reliably over a piece of spectrum that sends very scratchy voice."

About that mesh network. "There are three kinds of networks you
can build. One is a bus network, like Ethernet -- everyone is on
a shared line. Another is a star network, like wireless
telephones. In a star you have a master-slave where everyone
goes through the master." The mesh is something new. "All our
intelligence is equally distributed -- every node is equal. It's
a giant flat network, and we've developed automatic routing
systems," he said.

He continued: "We hang a radio every square mile. When we hang it
we give each radio a geographic address, longitude and latitude.
When that radio turns on it looks for neighbors, and exchanges
geographic data. Now it knows where all nearby radios are. When
you're sending a message across the city, since we can only use one
watt of power" on those unlicensed frequencies, "that has to hop
several times to get where it wants to go. The first guy who gets
it sees it's for a distant address, and sends it in that direction. It
moves across the city, hopping radios- -- we have a patent on
that concept."

Dilworth says an average city could have as many as 30-40 access
points where the wireless radio network hands-off calls to wired
networks. "We'd expect you to go on a wireless network and hop 3-
4 times, then drop to a wired access point. We'd interface those
wired access points at the frame relay level," using digital
lines that start at 56,000 bits-per-second (bps) and run as fast
as 1.544 million bps.

Where can you get service? "It's up now in parts of Silicon
Valley. We started at Apple Computer, and have nets installed at
Compaq, MS, Lotus, Stanford U, HP, Visa corporate headquarters."
And watch this space, he concluded. "We have about $110 million
in cash, so we can handle the roll out ourselves. You want to
watch closely the people who talk about partnering with us.
Expect a number of partnerships. Metricom is a public company."

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940616/Press Contact: Metricom Inc. Brian
Salisbury, 408/399-8200)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00017)

More On BT-MCI Deal 06/16/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- MCI and British
Telecom have approved conditions the US Justice Department tied
to their joint-venture, called Concert. Meanwhile, AT&T argued
that the conditions do not go far enough.

The Justice Department is essentially requiring that British
Telecom reveal publicly what it charges Concert for access to its
network. No big deal, said BT spokesman James Barron. "The
conditions aren't very different from what we proposed originally,"
he told NEwsbytes. "BT must disclose terms under which Concert
takes services from BT in the UK. It's a disclosure regime."

Not enough, according to a statement AT&T spokesman Jim McGann
faxed to Newsbytes. "We feel the consent decree does not address
the critical issue of above-cost accounting rates nor does it
recognize the fact that US carriers can never have a level
playing field to compete in the UK without the ability to own
international facilities." AT&T has been seeking a UK operating
license for some time, but it says it has been rebuffed.

"Because BT and MCI will be paying each other for traffic between
their US and UK networks, they will always have a competitive
advantage over other US carriers so long as the international
accounting rates are above costs. To them it becomes a transfer
payment, while it is an actual out-of-pocket expense to other
carriers."

AT&T fears that Concert and Atlas, a proposed venture between
Sprint and the major carriers in France and Germany, "have the
potential to severely disadvantage US carriers by denying them
comparable access to overseas markets."

For BT, there is even a silver lining to the added condition, and
to the Justice Department's expressed hope of making market
access equal as a condition for approving such deals. It raises
the hurdles on Atlas, because the French and German service
markets are closed to US operators. Even if the deal should get
approved, that will take time, while Concert is already in
business.

Assuming the Atlas deal does get done, it would give AT&T, MCI,
and Sprint operations roughly equal shares of international
traffic, with the Sprint group holding a slight edge.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940616/Press Contact: James Barron,
British Telecommunications, 212-297-2724; Mike Granieri,
AT&T, 908-221-7611)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00018)

Online Services Compete For Attention 06/16/94
COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Prodigy has a more
aggressive publicity shop, America OnLine may be signing
alliances more quickly, but CompuServe is suddenly getting a lot
more attention from the mainstream press.

A fairly simple release from the service saying that a new song
by the rock group Aerosmith, in digital format, would be posted
on one of its forums drew an incredible response, CompuServe
spokesman Debra Young told Newsbytes.

First the Associated Press, then UPI, then the San Francisco
Chronicle, and finally the major news networks, including CNN
and CNBC, picked up the story.

Geffen Records said a digital version of "Head First," recorded
for their album "Get A Grip" but not released, will be available
to users typing "go aerosmith" at any prompt, without royalty to
the producer or connect-time charges to CompuServe.

The move was to generate publicity for both Aerosmith and
Geffen Records, which announced a venture with Jasmine
Multimedia to produce "Vid Grid," an interactive CD-ROM game
built around music videos and slated for a September release.

CNN may have had a motive to pick up the story, because its
"Larry King Live" show hosted Vice President Gore and other
information highway experts on June 15, and used CompuServe
as a discussion forum for key issues. It was Gore's second
public use of the service in just six months.

America OnLine and Prodigy have not been silent. AOL opened new
forums for NBC programming, while Prodigy said its service would
be the electronic-mail and chat backbone for CNBC's new network,
America's Talking. The launch of America's Talking next month will
coincide with the launch of Prodigy's own chat service, something
users have been asking for.

Josh Grotstein, director of business development of CNBC, told
Newsbytes, "NBC corporate has tried to figure out what's the best
strategy for getting into online," under vice president Alan Cohen.
"We want to maximize attention for the brand names, and we did
deals for the short-term. We have an exclusive deal with Prodigy,
and they'll be our exclusive provider for a period of time. After
that time the strategy is for Alan and myself to sit down and
evaluate where all the services are and how they've been working,
so we can figure out what we should do. Each division maximizes
resources, and we get a lot of knowledge."

Finally, CompuServe has added three international newswires,
as it continues to lead the "big three" in international membership
and content. The new wires are the UK's Press Association wire,
Associated Press France en Ligne from France, and Australian
Associated Press Online wire.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940616/Press Contact: Debra Young,
CompuServe, 614-538-4553 or 614-538-3497)


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(ATL)(00019)

Bell Atlantic Makes Net Improvement Filings 06/16/94
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Bell Atlantic has
filed papers on its Full Service Networks, insisting it will not
engage in the "electronic redlining" critics fear.

The filings with the Federal Communication Commission are called
"Section 214" applications, and they are essentially high-tech
building permits.

The Bell Atlantic applications cover parts of its entire mid-Atlantic
service territories. They include a "will carry" proposal, which the
company hopes will meet public interest concerns, under which it
will offer its network without charge to local broadcast and public,
education and government programmers. Customers would not need
a separate set-top box to receive these channels if they have a
cable-ready TV set, the company said.

About three million households and businesses would be covered
by the upgrades, two-thirds of them getting a hybrid fiber-coax
network similar to those proposed by US West and Pacific Telesis.

Spokesman Joan Rasmussen also emphasized to Newsbytes the
diversity of the areas being upgraded. Not only are the areas
racially diverse, more diverse than the Bell Atlantic service
territory as a whole, but they are economically diverse. "The
Washington upgrade area includes areas like Anacostia and
Southeast Washington," she noted, both low-income areas. "It
does include households across economic lines."

In addition to delivering telephone service and video
programming, the new Bell Atlantic networks will be able to offer
on-demand services like movies, and advanced interactive services
such as home shopping, education and health care services.

(Dana Blankenhorn/19940616/Press Contact: Joan Rasmussen,
Bell Atlantic, 703-974-8815)


(NEWS)(GOVT)(DAL)(00020)

Rock Group Jefferson Airplane Sues Berkeley Systems 06/16/94
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Sixties rock
group The Jefferson Airplane has filed a lawsuit against software
developer Berkeley Systems over the winged flying toasters used
in its After Dark screen saver product. The toasters are similar
to those used in the music groups cover art from its final album
"30 Seconds Over Winterland," released in 1973.

Berkeley President Wes Boyd said in a prepared statement that the
flying toasters were created in 1989 completely independent of
The Jefferson Airplane album cover. "We were completely unaware
of the album at the time." Screen saver programs originally were
designed to prevent "burn-in" of computer monitors. However,
newer monitors have eliminated the burn-in effect and now the
products are simply for entertainment.

Berkeley Systems has several screen saver products, but the
toasters are the most famous. In fact, the company has claimed
the toasters as a trademark and says it has a copyright on the
symbol.

Last year the company went as far as to get a temporary court
injunction against Delrina, a Canadian-based competitor. The
injunction was part of a suit against Delrina and prevented the
marketing of an "Opus N' Bill Screen Saver" which depicts the
penguin character from the comic strip "Outland" shooting at a
flock of flying toasters.

In its defense, Delrina pointed out The Jefferson Airplane album
"30 Seconds Over Winterland," where seven flying toasters with
Michelangelo wings are depicted as well as a cartoon in the
October 1993 issue of PC Magazine depicting hunters shooting at
flying toasters. The Berkeley/Delrina suit was recently settled
out of court, with terms not disclosed.

Now music group The Jefferson Airplane followed a letter to
Berkeley with a lawsuit in which it has asked a judge to prevent
Berkeley from using the toasters any more in addition to payment
for alleged illegal use of the images. The main difference
between the album-cover toasters and Berkeley's is the album-
cover toasters also feature clock faces.

(Linda Rohrbough/19940616/Press Contact: Monica Granados,
Berkeley Systems, tel [phone], fax 510-540-
5115/BERKELEY940616/PHOTO)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00021)

Denmark - Olicom Boosts Token Ring Technology 06/16/94
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Olicom, the networking
manufacturer, has introduced the Remote MultiPort Bridge, a linker
bridge that routes up to four Token Ring data pathways into a single
data channel to E1 or T1 telecoms standards.

According to Olicom, each of the Token Ring channels can be up to
2,048,000 bits-per-second (bps) fast and all four of the channels can
be compressed in real time using the Lempel-Ziv algorithm to squeeze
all four channels into the space normally occupied by one.

The compression rate of 4:1 and speed is achieved by a combination of
keeping the compression technology in the firmware of the bridge, as
well as by using a new version of the company's PowerMach software
driver.

Using the new driver means that the UKP4,500 bridge can be configured
to handle multiple network management protocols, such as IBM LAN
Manager and Novell NetWare, as well as Olicom's modules. This
flexibility extends to the type of Token Ring Adapters that can be
used with the bridge, such as both 4 and 16 megabits-per-second
(Mbps) in PC-AT, Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA),
and Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) formats.

The new bridge will ship through Olicom's reseller channel throughout
Europe from the end of this month onwards. Local country pricing
varies slightly, depending on packaged support services.

(Sylvia Dennis/19940616/Press & Reader Contact: Olicom,
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00022)

UK - Amstrad Acquires Viglen 06/16/94
BRENTWOOD, ESSEX, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Amstrad has
confirmed that it intends to buy Viglen, the number two "off the
page" PC supplier in the UK. The deal is worth up to UKP60 million.

The move has been greeted with surprise from the City, which had read
Amstrad Chairman Alan Sugar's tales of woe over decreasing profits
margins on computer hardware in recent times as suggesting that a
possible pull-out from PC manufacturing was on the cards.

The deal will cost Amstrad UKP30 million in cash, plus up to the same
again on a profit-earning basis. Viglen is a privately-owned company
that has been trading since the mid-1970s, when it handled a variety
of computer hardware, before moving into PCs in the mid-1980s. Today,
Viglen is a highly popular direct-sell company that operates along the
lines of Dell Computer.

According to Alan Sugar, the move into Viglen is a major one for
Amstrad, which has always traditionally offered a limited number of
PC configurations to its buyers, rather than Viglen's policy of taking a
customer's order and configuring the system to meet the customer's
needs.

This could be just the move that Amstrad needs, Newsbytes notes,
as Viglen has carved out a successful niche for itself in the public
sector, with the company popping up on the preferred list of
suppliers for several government agencies and departments.

According to Sugar, moving into direct sales of PCs will give
Amstrad some of the profit margins lost to distributors and dealers.

Despite a relatively low key presence in the PC marketplace in the UK,
Viglen generated profits of UKP9 million on sales of UKP72 million in
the 1993/94 financial year. Currently, the London-based company has
around 180 staff, but Sugar suggested that he will invest new money
into the operation to expand production.

Although precise details of the profit-driven nature of the second
section of Amstrad's buyout offer for Viglen have yet to be revealed,
press sources have indicated that the proportion of the UKP30 million
payable depends on the profit levels achieved by Viglen that are in
excess of UKP4.5 million over the next three years.

According to City analysts in London, Viglen is highly thought of in
what is, Newsbytes notes, a cut-throat industry. The PC mail order
business has few loyal customers. But Viglen has experienced dynamic
growth in the last few years, clocking up an average 12.5 percent pre-
tax profit level over the last three years.

The UKP30 million payable initially by Amstrad will not require a
rights issue. Sugar has revealed that cash in hand in the group is
around the UKP135 million mark and describes the Viglen acquisition
as "the start of a new direction" for Amstrad.

"We are delighted that Viglen and its senior management team are
joining the Amstrad Group. We have looked carefully at many
acquisition opportunities and consider that Viglen provides an
exciting new dimension to Amstrad's existing businesses," he said.

Over at Viglen, meanwhile, Vig Boyd, the company's managing
director, said that he looks forward to becoming a part of the
Amstrad group. "We look forward to becoming a wholly owned, but
nevertheless independent, subsidiary of one of the largest British
electronics companies," he said. "Viglen will continue to develop,
manufacture and directly sell high-quality, innovative PCs."

(Steve Gold/19940616/Press & Reader Contact: Amstrad,
[phone]; Viglen [phone])


(NEWS)(IBM)(LON)(00023)

UK - Microsoft Sharpens Access Database With Budget SDK 06/16/94
WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Microsoft
has announced the availability of two add-ons to its popular Access
database package -- a software development kit (SDK) and a low cost
Solutions Pack that includes four ready-coded applications.

Andrew Gerrard, senior database product manager with Microsoft, told
Newsbytes that the SDK will cost the same as the main Access package,
with a typical street price of between the UKP230 and UKP240 mark.
The Solutions Pack, meanwhile, will sell for UKP35.

"The days when SDKs cost a lot more than the original package are long
gone. These days, we want to positively encourage users to experiment
and create new custom applications. That's why we're selling the SDK
through our dealers as, quite literally, a shrink-wrapped product," he
explained.

Gerrard said that he expects to see good sales of the SDKs into the
user base of Access, rather than the data processing (DP) managers and
software development community. "Sure, we want to sell into those
areas, but we see the SDK as appealing to a wide spectrum of users
who are willing to experiment, especially at this price point," he told
Newsbytes.

The four applications supplied with the Solution Pack are: Sales
Manager, Asset Tracker, Service Desk and Registration Desk. These four
modules, Gerrard said, enhance the appeal of Access which, although it
ships with three sample databases itself, users waste a lot of time
customizing the samples to produce specific application modules. The
Solutions Pack meets these needs, he said.

(Steve Gold/19940616/Press & Reader Contact: Microsoft,
[phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(LON)(00024)

Olivetti Deal With Retix On Router Technology 06/16/94
GUILDFORD, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Retix has announced a
channel partnership with Olivetti, terms of which call for Olivetti
and its dealers to sell and support Retix's range of routers and
bridges in the UK.

The agreement is with Olivetti's Network Solutions Division and,
according to Retix, virtually completes Retix's plan to establish the
UK's best router distributor infrastructure with systems integrators,
value-added resellers (VARs) and original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) selling and supporting the company's products .

"Unlike our competitors, who are adopting a more direct approach,
our channel strategy is to establish and develop close working
relationships with like-minded companies," explained Spencer
Lawes, channel manager with Retix.

"All of our partners have exceptional expertise and presence in their
own market sectors and are therefore the best place to understand the
individual needs of their customers. Olivetti is a perfect example.
With a large national support infrastructure and many blue chip
companies as major accounts, we have an extremely high profile in
the corporate sector," he said.

Lawes' comments were echoed by John Hope, manager of Olivetti's
network solutions division, who said that, by offering Retix's inter-
networking products as part of Olivetti's portfolio, it was in line
with "our own open system philosophy."

"In addition, Retix already works closely with SynOptics, another of
our partners, which means we will be able to present a comprehensive
offer to end users based on complementary products and mutual
understanding between us and our partners," he said.

(Steve Gold/19940616/Press Contact: John Coulston, DPA (for Retix),
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Paul Francis, Retix,
tel [phone], fax [phone]; Kate Moore, Olivetti
UK, [phone])


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(LON)(00025)

UK - Saber's LAN Workstation 5.0 Now Shipping 06/16/94
BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Saber Software
Corporation has announced that LAN (local area network) Workstation
5.0 has started shipping. This, the latest version of Saber's LAN
administration package, includes technology licensed from Ocean Isle
Software in the US, to allow the package to remotely control
workstations.

"This package represents another step forward in LAN administration,"
commented Jeff Barnes, European managing director with Saber UK.
According to Barnes, this latest version "is an important product that
reflects the requirement of today's network administrator, by
consolidating Saber's expertise into one single product."

Other new features of the package include integral support for
Novell's NetWare Directory Services (NDS), improved alarm
notification, quick launch facilities for commonly accessed network
utilities, a new text editor for Windows, and a much improved disk
monitor.

Saber is pricing the product at UKP149 for media and
documentation for a single server package, plus UKP39 per node
license. Existing customers can upgrade for reduced costs,
depending on which version they are upgrading from.

Version 5.0 of LAN Workstation is also being made available
through Saber's Dallas, Texas office in the US, and through the
company office in St Quentin en Yvelines in France, Newsbytes
was told.

(Steve Gold/19940616/Press & Public Contact: Saber Software
UK, tel [phone], fax [phone])


(NEWS)(UNIX)(LON)(00026)

UK - Unix OSL Messaging Service From Mercury 06/16/94
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1994, 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Mercury Communications
has announced OSL Message, a service by which Unix application users
can message to and from a variety of other computing and operating
system platforms, without the need for specialized hardware devices.
The new service is being offered by Mercury value-added reseller
(VAR) Occam Solutions Limited (OSL)

The OSL Message facility links in with Mercury's MultiMessage and
X.400 integrated electronic mail, fax plus telex bureau services,
effectively gatewaying into and out of a customer's Unix computer.

"Unix sites no longer need multiple black boxes and proprietary
applications to message in multiple formats," said Allan Davies, OSL's
marketing manager. "With OSL message, a single open solution, does
it all."

This is the second product from Mercury that draws together the
company's range of telecoms services under a single product portfolio,
driven by a single "black box" front end. Earlier this week, Mercury
took the wraps off One Call, a one-call "follow me" numbering system
for faxes, voice-mail and voice communications. According to Mercury,
other products of this type are scheduled for launch later this year.

"OSL's products enable Unix customers to exploit the power of
Multimessage directly from their applications," explained Nick
Velissarides, Mercury Messaging's marketing manager, who added
that he welcomes OSL into the Mercury authorized agent fold.

In use, OSL message accepts files for outbound transmission using a
modified form of the Unix print command. Files can be sent in ASCII,
Postscript and PCL formats. Text messages can be ASCII only.

Pricing on the software, which runs on most Unix platforms from
Data General, HP, IBM, ICL, Motorola, Sequent, Sun Unix and Intel/Unix
systems, ranges from UKP2,000 to UKP10,000, depending on site
license conditions.

(Steve Gold/19940616/Press Contact: Glen Goldsmith, DPA for
Mercury tel [phone], fax [phone]; Reader
Contact: Occam Solutions Limited, tel [phone],
fax [phone])


(NEWS)(TELECOM)(BOS)(00027)

 ****NECC - IBM & BBN Intro Internet Servers For Schools 06/16/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- The list of
Internet products and servers keeps growing longer every day. With
a pair of new Internet server systems for schools, IBM and
BBN have joined Apple, Scholastic Network, and DCA among vendors
making various kinds of Internet-related announcements this week.

"IBM School Internet" and "BBN Internet Server" were rolled out at
the National Education Computing Conference (NECC), as were
Scholastic Networks' new academic information service for the
Internet, and Apple's Communications Bundle and AppleSearch Bundle
for the Internet, two hardware-and-software bundles providing
Internet access.

In an interview with Newsbytes at NECC, Denis Newman, a
division scientist for BBN, described the new BBN Internet Server
as a turnkey hardware-and-software server designed to allow a non-
expert, such as a teacher or school administrator, to manage on-
Internet access on-site without having to call in outside help.

BBN's new server consists of a 486 PC running Berkeley Unix and
special software, modified with an Ethernet controller and tape
drive, according to Newman.

Essentially, he said, BBN Internet Server adds a layer of client-
server software called Internet Server Manager to Copernicus, a
server BBN has developed within the National School Network
Testbed, a partnership partially funded by the National Science
Foundation to develop new technologies for the National Information
Infrastructure (NIIS).

The new Internet Server Manager software is aimed at allowing
server functionality to be accessed and managed from a Macintosh
client anywhere on the network, he explained.

"Nobody else is providing the same level of Internet access, in so
simple a way. The server is bundled with everything you need. All
you have to do is take it out of the box," he told Newsbytes.

The new server's Internet functionality includes electronic mail,
Network News bulletin boards, a file transfer protocol (FTP) server
for file retrieval, and Gopher and Worldwide Web (WWW) database
servers, according to Newman.

The server also supports Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP) transport over Ethernet or serial line, in
addition to serial line internet protocol (SLIP) with up to two
ports for outbound calls to Internet providers and inbound calls
from remote dial-in users.

In a separate interview, conducted with Newsbytes in the IBM booth,
Calvin B. Swart, staff programmer in IBM's Computer Science
Department, said that IBM's new system provides OS/2 2.1 server
software as well as Windows-based client applications.

The client applications include electronic mail, Network News, FTP,
Gopher, Telnet terminal emulation software, and Internet Relay Chat
(IRC) for online discussions, he said.

The OS/2 2.1 Internet server software is used for connecting a
Novell Netware local area network (LAN) to an Internet service
provider through TCP/IP. A Novell server running NetWare
3.11 or 3.12 is required.

In a demo, Swart showed Newsbytes how PC users can access Read
Mail, Send Mail, News, Gopher, Chat, FTP, Telnet, Help, and Quit
functions by clicking on icons in the Windows-based client
interface. The icon for Gopher depicts the face of a gopher animal,
while the icon for News is a rolled up newspaper, for instance.

Accessing the Gopher function, Swart showed Newsbytes a menu
that organizes worldwide Gopher servers by country. When Swart
clicked on South Africa, for example, a long list of Gophers
appeared that included the universities of Rhodes, Natal, and
Pretoria. A click on "Pretoria" supplied information such as the
electronic mail addresses of students.

IBM is encouraging its beta testers to become Gophers on the
Internet, said Swart. Several of the testers, including high
schools and middle schools, have acquiesced, preparing text and
graphical materials that can be accessed by others on the Internet.
In at least one middle school, students are actually managing the
school's Internet server themselves, he added.

IBM School Internet is slated for release at the end of July.
Eventually, IBM will probably add a desktop server management
capability, similar to BBN's Internet Server Manager, in addition
to wide area information server (WAIS) search capabilities like
those included in the upcoming AppleSearch, said Swart. For now,
though, the IBM product is using the Veronica search function in
Gopher.

Pricing for the IBM School Internet software is $5,000 for 10
simultaneous users, including one day of training, one day of
installation and system preparation, and three months of telephone
support. Licenses are also available for 50 simultaneous users.
The system requires a 486-based server and 386-based or above
client workstations.

Scheduled for release in August, the BBN Internet Server is priced
at $9695, plus a $1,450 annual maintenance fee. The server license
covers server hardware and software, along with unlimited copies
of the client application.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940616/Reader and Press Contact: Thomas J.
Watson Research Center, IBM, 914-945-3000; Reader Contact: BBN,
617-873-4000; Press Contact: Donna M. Lane, BBN, 617-873-2559)


(NEWS)(APPLE)(BOS)(00028)

NECC - Schools Thank Apple By Showcasing Apps 06/16/94
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- Apple
announced 11 new project grants to schools and affiliated teacher
training organizations at the National Education Computing
Conference (NECC). Also at the show, 14 other "education grantees"
paid Apple a favor in return, holding a three-day series of
presentations and demos called "The Boston Teach Party."

"We wanted to do something to thank Apple for all the help they've
given us. The difference it's made at my school is like night and
day," explained Joyce Campbell, a teacher at Brighton High School
in Boston, and a Teach Party organizer, during an interview with
Newsbytes at the show.

Apple's support has allowed the urban high school to establish an
interactive learning center program called "Discovery - The Big Dig
for Facts," according to Campbell. In a presentation at the Teach
Party, Campbell explained that the program includes five "satellite
research centers" in subject area classrooms.

Each satellite center is decked out with Macintosh LC IIIs, video
laser disc players, CD-ROM players, modems, and access to the
Dialog online information retrieval service. Working independently
and in small groups, students use the equipment to conduct
research, and to deliver their findings through video
presentations, panel discussions, debates, and lengthy term papers.

"Today, the students at Brighton High are reading, writing,
editing, and learning about technology," Campbell told Newsbytes
after her talk.

Also during the Teach Party, Susan Abdulezer, coordinator at the
JHS 47 School for the Deaf in New York City, presented an
Apple-funded "video signing" CD-ROM disk she is creating for the
hearing impaired, using deaf students at the school as
"actor/signers."

In a demo for Newsbytes, the teacher showed how "StreetSigns CD"
provides an "American Sign Language (ASL) dictionary" that is
divided into categories like Phones, News Stand, Wall Street, and
Subway, under an overriding urban motif.

Newsbytes saw how, by clicking on "Phones" in the main menu,
you can access a video clip showing a pay phone. Abdulezer said
that when the CD-ROM disk is complete, additional clicks on the
telephone dialing pad will bring up videos for users depicting the
"signs" to use for various numbers.

Similarly, the "News Stand" section shows the "signs of inquiry,"
or "questions," while "Subway" consists of "signs for asking
directions." Asking directions is particularly difficult in ASL,
because directions involve extensive use of prepositions, she
explained.

Deaf students will be able to learn signs through the "ASL
dictionary," and to improve the quality of their schoolwork
by adding the signs as "comments" to math problems and other
lessons they prepare online and then submit to their teachers. The
ASL video clips can be exported from the CD-ROM disk and embedded
into any Macintosh application, she said.

In a third presentation, teacher Richard Goldsworthy of Woodbridge
Academy, Lexington, Kentucky, described how K-12 students with
attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities and dyslexia
have used Apple technology in a project to stamp out "sinkhole
pollution."

In the first year of the project, the special needs students
formed "Sink Teams," conducted research on groundwater pollution,
analyzed water runoff samples, and even presented a report to the
state legislature.

Since then, the students have been performing "mock trials" on
pollution, and also acting as "mentors" to a local elementary
school that is following in their pollution-fighting footsteps.

In another Apple-funded project outlined at the Teach Party,
children in Nebraska are learning about word processing, databases,
and other computer applications while providing services to nearby
farmers, ranchers and businesses.

In a fourth project, "Legends," students in South Dakota,
Indianapolis, Arizona and Florida are using networks such as the
Internet to express and compare regional cultural and social
differences within collaborative multimedia presentations.

In contrast, one of Apple's newly announced set of project grants
goes to Frank Porter Elementary School and the University of North
Carolina for activities designed to let students combine nature
trail experiences, "interdisciplinary studies," and collaborative
work with retired citizens in multimedia productions.

Another new grant has been awarded to Watkins Elementary School
and Hampton University in Virginia to "integrate various academic
subjects including art and culture, taking advantage of visiting
artists and professors from the university." Plans call for
showcasing the results of this project at the university's Museum
of African, Asian and Native American Art.

Other new award recipients include: Unalakleet Schools/University of
Alaska, Fairbanks; Waimea Canyon Elementary School/University of
Hawaii at Manoa; Manzanit Elementary and University of California,
Santa Cruz; Camptonville Elementary School/University of
California, Davis; and Yolo County Court High School, also with the
University of California, Davis. Yolo County Court is a school for
teenagers who are incarcerated or on probation.

Also on Apple's list of new grantees are: the Bilingual/Bicultural
Mini Elementary School/New York University; Public School 279
Technology/Center for Children; Briscoe Elementary School District,
Oregon/Jackson Education Service; and H.D. Hilley Elementary
School/University of Texas at El Paso.

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940616/Reader Contact: Apple Computer,
408-996-1010; Press Contacts: Stacey Byrnes, Apple, 408-974-
6076; JoAnn Johnston, Regis McKenna for Apple, 415-354-4496)


(NEWS)(GENERAL)(SFO)(00029)

SunWorld '94 Opens In San Francisco 06/16/94
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- IDG World
Expo brought Sun, SPARC and Solaris-based hardware and software
developers and suppliers and other complementary open system
technologies to San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center and
offered demonstrations of World Cup and Formula 1 Racing
computer applications based on Sun technology.

Opening remarks by Michael McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Advanced
Systems, preceded keynote addresses by Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, chief
technology officer with Sun, and Scott McNealy, chairman and
chief executive officer (CEO) of Sun, which outlined the direction
of network technology and the role of audio, video, data and
graphics in the corporate environment.

William Alaoglu, director of technology for World Cup USA 1994,
discussed the ultimate test for a computer network that will provide
information on 25,000 staffers, 5,000 players and 75,000 press
members worldwide to more than 1,000 workstations with 15 Sun
servers in three separate headquarters.

This new system reportedly reflects a time of increased high-level
security measures that are directed towards the prevention of
security breaks similar to the incidents of harm and violence
carried-out on Nancy Kerrigan and Monica Seles.

Dr. Charles Clark, consultant for Random Consulting, moderated a
panel discussion on the importance of high-end graphics, simulation
and other computer technologies used in Formula 1 racing.

Dr. Clark told Newsbytes, "Few people realize that the difference in
qualifying times from the first car at the start race to the last car
is only six seconds and the technology advantages range from
millions of dollars to minimal investments in technology. With a
sophisticated computer system, a race car, traveling over 200 miles
per hour, can transmit as much a 15 megabytes (MB) of data in a
few seconds as it passes through the line of sight of the receiving
computer."

Dr.Clark was joined by Nigel Hobden, managing director of Random
Consulting; Nick Goozee, managing director of Penske Cars; Dieter
Gundel, head of systems engineering at McLaren International; Andy
Willard, computer systems manager for Ferrari; and Joe Mares,
senior design engineer with Rohr, Inc. who rounded out the panel
with aerospace design and development information.

On the trade show floor, more than 250 companies displayed their
hardware, software and peripherals. Digital Equipment Corp.
presented juggling knives and network chatter, while Genicom offered
"yardstick walking sticks" in brilliant neon colors to passers-by. Cray
displayed its SuperServer 6400 with Super SPARC chips and more
than 50 companies presented new products.

Andrew Rodger, vice president and general manager Open Systems
for IDG, told Newsbytes, " This show is very focused, so that
attendees can go from vendor to vendor and know that integrated
solutions are part of the creation of this show. We work for over
a year with analysts, industry leaders and users to create a show
that is organized and directed towards solutions that are available
today, as well as new developments and trends."

Rodger also pointed out other highlights that included: a FBI-
attended network security conference; a financial roundtable
featuring Dwight Koop, senior vice president, executive director
of Information Technology for Swiss Bank Corporation; Pat
Kerpan, director of information technology at Swiss Bank
Corporation; Ed Zander, president of SunSoft; and Steven Jobs,
chairman and CEO of Next; and various Sun workshops and user
group meetings.

(Patrick McKenna/19940616/Press Contact: Rachel Winett, IDG
World Expo, tel [phone])


(NEWS)(BUSINESS)(BOS)(00030)

 ****Lotus Acquires SoftSwitch For $64 Million 06/16/94
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- In a move
envisioned as boosting Lotus' competitive standing versus
Microsoft, Lotus has announced plans to acquire SoftSwitch, a major
provider of electronic mail switches and directory synchronization
technology.

In a teleconference attended by Newsbytes, Lotus and SoftSwitch
officials said that Lotus will acquire Wayne, Pennsylvania-based
SoftSwitch for about 1.3 million shares of Lotus stock, equivalent
in value to $64 to $73 million.

In conjunction with the deal, Lotus also announced the
establishment of the new Inter-Enterprise Computing Group (IECG),
to be jointly headed by Michael Zisman, president of SoftSwitch,
and Larry Moore, VP of Lotus' Telecommunications Servers Group.
IECG is aimed at bringing together SoftSwitch with Lotus' recently
announced AT&T Network Notes.

"We're very excited," said Jim Manzi, president and CEO of Lotus,
speaking to reporters and analysts over the phone lines from the
UK. SoftSwitch, he said, is a "world leader in messaging switching
and directory synchronization" that will "broaden and deepen our
strategy."

SoftSwitch, which will continue to operate from its headquarters in
Wayne, Pennsylvania, produces two messaging switches. SoftSwitch
Central, the company's first product, runs on IBM mainframes under
MVS and VM.

EMX, first introduced in 1992, is a Unix-based multi-protocol
message switch for client-server environments which contains an
X.400 message transport service and X.500-model director services
as well as message management capabilities. Lotus has been a
reseller of SoftSwitch products.

Zisman, another speaker in the press conference, said that the
merger will bring together Lotus' user agents and messaging servers
with backbone switches and legacy system connectivity from
SoftSwitch. "Together, we bring tremendous capabilities for our
customers," he said. "We have a shared vision that bodes well for
us, for our customers, and for the entire industry."

At the same time, though, SoftSwitch will honor a commitment made
in an April agreement with Microsoft for interoperability between
EMX and Microsoft's upcoming EMS (Enterprise Messaging Service), he
said.

"As you are evolving from a desktop mindset to an enterprise
mindset, you have to facilitate interoperability, not just
accommodate it," according to Zisman. "And you are willing to do
that if you believe you have the best of breed products."

Zisman acknowledged that SoftSwitch has been talking to other
companies about a possible acquisition deal, but declined to say
whether Microsoft had been one of these other parties.

Also during the teleconference, Jeff Papows of Lotus said that
Lotus will stick to its plans of releasing LCS (Lotus
Communications Server) in the first half of 1995.

The first release of LCS will include some capabilities, such as
directory synchronization, adopted from SoftSwitch, he said. After
that, Lotus will incorporate greater capabilities from the
SoftSwitch products, including an SMTP (Simple Message Transport
Protocol) MTA (Message Transport Agent) from EMX that "is superior
to the gateway to transport we currently have."

(Jacqueline Emigh/19940616/Press Contacts: Richard Eckel, Lotus,
617-693-1284; Lois Paul Associates for Lotus, 617-862-4514;
Betsy Chapman, SoftSwitch, 610-640-9600)


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

Newsbytes Daily Summary 06/16/94
PENN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1994 JUN 16 (NB) -- These are
capsules of all today's news stories:

1 -> Health Care Software Makes House Calls 06/16/94 While your doctor
may not come to your house any more to diagnose your ailments, there
is a software package that will. Applied Medical Informatics' (AMI)
HouseCall is a medical reference guide and symptom analysis tool that
the company says is designed to help the "average person" become a
more informed consumer of medical care.

2 -> AT&T Announces WorldWorx Video Service 06/16/94 AT&T has
announced AT&T WorldWorx Solutions, a video dial-tone service based on
the H.320 standard used by existing digital video systems like those
made by PictureTel.

3 -> Art Teco '94 Presented By Morph's Outpost Magazine 06/16/94
Focusing on the technical aspects of multimedia and presented by the
magazine "Morph's Outpost on the Digital Frontier," the first annual
United Developers Summit, Art Teco '94, will begin June 16 in San
Francisco, California. The conference will be held in the Cowell
Theater at the Fort Mason Center and features exhibits from Creative
Labs, Apple Computer, Compton's Newmedia, and Intel.

4 -> UK - Texas Instruments Intros New Notebook Range 06/16/94 Texas
Instruments has announced a new family of notebooks that it claims
have a combination of features and performance "never previously
offered in a single portable configuration" in the UK.

5 -> UK - IBM Intros "Low-Cost" Server-Based LANs 06/16/94 IBM UK has
taken the wraps off LAN FirstStep, a new product that it claims is
aimed at users who do not already have local area networks (LANs), as
well as at users of peer-to-peer networks (e.g. Artisoft LANtastic)
who want the improved performance and facilities of a server-based
LAN.

6 -> Germany Buys Into Spanish Mobile Phone Network 06/16/94 Deutsches
Bundespost Telekom (DBT) has taken a 9.9 percent stake in Cometa, the
Spanish mobile telecommunications consortium. The extra funding,
details of which have not been announced, will allow Cometa to create
the technology required to support its planned digital (global system
for mobile) phone network.

7 -> Consultant Says Open Systems Complicate Security 06/16/94 Open
systems security may sound like an oxymoron, Mark Dennison admits. How
can something be open and secure at the same time? However, the
Ottawa-based consultant with CGI Information Systems and Management
Consultants Inc. explained in a presentation to reporters this week
that while open systems are complicating computer security, they are
not making it impossible.

8 -> Hong Kong Hospital Authority Implements Patient System 06/16/94
The Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatin has become the first site to
implement a sophisticated software development by the Hong Kong
Hospital Authority (HA). The system provides an integrated workstation
designed to give medical staff access, from the ward, to patient
records and clinical information drawn from a range of underlying
information systems.

9 -> IBM Australia Wins Regional Data Processing Contract 06/16/94 The
mainframe-infested bunker underneath IBM Australia's Cumberland Forest
headquarters will get a workout following a deal which will see the
company handle data processing for subsidiaries in Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

10 -> Hong Kong - NetAsia Networking Show Set For June 06/16/94
NetAsia, an international networking show, is to be held at the Hong
Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Wanchai from June 29 to July
1.

11 ->  ****Software Publishers To Rate Computer Games 06/16/94
Attempting to ward off game standards set by large video game makers,
a coalition that includes the Software Publishers Association and four
smaller software trade groups say they will develop their own
voluntary sex and violence ratings system for computer games.

12 -> IBM Licenses OpenMail From HP For RS/6000 06/16/94 IBM has
announced a licensing agreement with Hewlett-Packard Co. that will put
HP's OpenMail messaging software on IBM's RISC System/6000
workstations and servers running the AIX variant of Unix.

13 -> "Junkie" Virus Spreading Worldwide 06/16/94 A potentially
damaging virus, named "Junkie," is reportedly spreading across the
world.

14 -> Judge Says Microsoft & Stac Must Pay Up! 06/16/94 A federal
judge has ordered Microsoft Corporation and Stac Electronics to pay
the money each company owes the other.

15 -> 100 Power Mac Apps Now Available 06/16/94 Analysts have said the
availability of applications are what will make or break the new Power
Macintosh computer, so the announcement of 100 software titles now
ready for the unit is good news for Apple Computer.

16 -> More On Metricom's Frequency-Hopping Network 06/16/94 Hedy
Lamarr, Southern California Edison, and an innovative "mesh" network
design, are combining to give Silicon Valley wireless data users a
choice of networks. Newsbytes discussed that choice, called Ricochet,
with Metricom chief executive officer (CEO) Bob Dilworth.

17 -> More On BT-MCI Deal 06/16/94 MCI and British Telecom have
approved conditions the US Justice Department tied to their
joint-venture, called Concert. Meanwhile, AT&T argued that the
conditions do not go far enough.

18 -> Online Services Compete For Attention 06/16/94 Prodigy has a
more aggressive publicity shop, America OnLine may be signing
alliances more quickly, but CompuServe is suddenly getting a lot more
attention from the mainstream press.

19 -> Bell Atlantic Makes Net Improvement Filings 06/16/94 Bell
Atlantic has filed papers on its Full Service Networks, insisting it
will not engage in the "electronic redlining" critics fear.

20 -> Rock Group Jefferson Airplane Sues Berkeley Systems 06/16/94
Sixties rock group The Jefferson Airplane has filed a lawsuit against
software developer Berkeley Systems over the winged flying toasters
used in its After Dark screen saver product. The toasters are similar
to those used in the music groups cover art from its final album "30
Seconds Over Winterland," released in 1973.

21 -> Denmark - Olicom Boosts Token Ring Technology 06/16/94 Olicom,
the networking manufacturer, has introduced the Remote MultiPort
Bridge, a linker bridge that routes up to four Token Ring data
pathways into a single data channel to E1 or T1 telecoms standards.

22 -> UK - Amstrad Acquires Viglen 06/16/94 Amstrad has confirmed that
it intends to buy Viglen, the number two "off the page" PC supplier in
the UK. The deal is worth up to UKP60 million.

23 -> UK - Microsoft Sharpens Access Database With Budget SDK 06/16/94
Microsoft has announced the availability of two add-ons to its popular
Access database package -- a software development kit (SDK) and a low
cost Solutions Pack that includes four ready-coded applications.

24 -> Olivetti Deal With Retix On Router Technology 06/16/94 Retix has
announced a channel partnership with Olivetti, terms of which call for
Olivetti and its dealers to sell and support Retix's range of routers
and bridges in the UK.

25 -> UK - Saber's LAN Workstation 5.0 Now Shipping 06/16/94 Saber
Software Corporation has announced that LAN (local area network)
Workstation 5.0 has started shipping. This, the latest version of
Saber's LAN administration package, includes technology licensed from
Ocean Isle Software in the US, to allow the package to remotely
control workstations.

26 -> UK - Unix OSL Messaging Service From Mercury 06/16/94 Mercury
Communications has announced OSL Message, a service by which Unix
application users can message to and from a variety of other computing
and operating system platforms, without the need for specialized
hardware devices. The new service is being offered by Mercury
value-added reseller (VAR) Occam Solutions Limited (OSL)

27 ->  ****NECC - IBM & BBN Intro Internet Servers For Schools
06/16/94 The list of Internet products and servers keeps growing
longer every day. With a pair of new Internet server systems for
schools, IBM and BBN have joined Apple, Scholastic Network, and DCA
among vendors making various kinds of Internet-related announcements
this week.

28 -> NECC - Schools Thank Apple By Showcasing Apps 06/16/94 Apple
announced 11 new project grants to schools and affiliated teacher
training organizations at the National Education Computing Conference
(NECC). Also at the show, 14 other "education grantees" paid Apple a
favor in return, holding a three-day series of presentations and demos
called "The Boston Teach Party."

29 -> SunWorld '94 Opens In San Francisco 06/16/94 IDG World Expo
brought Sun, SPARC and Solaris-based hardware and software developers
and suppliers and other complementary open system technologies to San
Francisco's Moscone Convention Center and offered demonstrations of
World Cup and Formula 1 Racing computer applications based on Sun
technology.

30 ->  ****Lotus Acquires SoftSwitch For $64 Million 06/16/94 In a
move envisioned as boosting Lotus' competitive standing versus
Microsoft, Lotus has announced plans to acquire SoftSwitch, a major
provider of electronic mail switches and directory synchronization
technology.

(Ian Stokell/19940616)