Title : A software maintenance ma Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micwelco Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A software maintenance management program that runs on IBM Personal Computers and compatibles has been introduced by Welcom Software Technology. Opmist was designed for managers who deal not only with routine maintenance tasks but with frequent, sizable expansion or turnaround projects as well. The product reportedly integrates with a project management system that is based on Welcom's Open Plan software and will handle various duties ranging from generation of emergency work orders to invoking critical-path analysis techniques. Key features include work control capabilities and job plan records. Opmist costs $9,800 for a single-user system and $24,800 for a four-user system. Welcom Software, Suite 125, 1325 S. Dairy Ashford Road, Houston, Texas 77077. 713-558-0514. <<<>>> Title : Instaplan Corp. has annou Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micinsta Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Instaplan Corp. has announced an expansion product for its computer-assisted planning program. Called Notepad, the option will allow Instaplan users to attach extensive notes to each plan activity, resource and work assignment, the vendor said. A single plan can accommodate more than 3,000 pages of notes, and the outline format documentation includes progress commentary, budget justifications and personnel evaluations. The basic project planning program from Instaplan costs $99. Notepad costs $70. Instaplan, Suite 311, Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, Calif. 94941. 800-852-7526. <<<>>> Title : Corporate Software, Inc., Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miccorpo Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Corporate Software, Inc., a value-added marketer of personal computer hardware and software, is offering free instant upgrades to Ashton-Tate Corp.'s Dbase IV to customers who purchase Dbase III Plus now. Customers who buy Dbase III Plus will receive a free upgrade to Dbase IV when it ships, the company said. After Dbase IV ships, upgrades will reportedly cost $175. Corporate Software, 410 University Ave., Westwood, Mass. 02090. 617-461-1663. <<<>>> Title : Dac Software, Inc. has up Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micdac2 Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Dac Software, Inc. has upgraded its Daceasy Accounting package. Version 3.0 is said to feature user interfaces with pull-down menus, information export capabilities, new password protection, flat-rate billing and a prompt window. The release also offers a random-access memory utility and is accompanied by a 460-page manual. The software incorporates seven integrated accounting functions: General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Purchase Order, Inventory, Billing and Forecasting. Daceasy 3.0 costs $99.95. Current users may upgrade for $35. Dac Software, Suite 800, 17950 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75244. 800-992-7779. <<<>>> Title : Surplus Risk Services, In Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micsrs Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Surplus Risk Services, Inc. has released the Forerisk Risk Management Information System Software program. Targeted at insurance companies, the package was designed to forecast future loss and claim trends based on existing historical claims data. The software offers three modules: Liability, Workers Compensation and Property, and a Claims Audit application is optionally available. The product requires an IBM Personal Computer or compatible system with a Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. graphics board and 640K bytes of random-access memory. Surplus Risk Services, Suite N, 3465 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, Calif. 90503. 213-540-8803. <<<>>> Title : A memory-resident printer Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micdatap Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A memory-resident printer utility that offers what-you-see-is-what-you-get capabilities has been announced by Data Perceptions Corp. According to the vendor, Laser Preview displays the document page faster than the printer, thereby allowing page format and text to be checked before printing. The product redirects output from a Hewlett-Packard Co. laser printer or compatible device to a full page preview on any monitor. Laser Preview is not copy-protected and costs $69.95, plus $3 for shipping and handling. Data Perceptions, Suite 137, 9842 Hibert St., San Diego, Calif. 92131. 619-455-9500. <<<>>> Title : Consumers Software, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micconsu Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Consumers Software, Inc. has announced the Spreadsheet Toolbox, a package of six tools designed for use with Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 and Symphony spreadsheets. The product incorporates several functions, including a component for retrieving and restoring damaged spreadsheets, a compression and decompression utility and a cell memo facility that allows users to attach notes to spreadsheet cells, file and directory names. The user may also elect to use the Clean Slate tool, a facility that allows the user to bring the spreadsheet back to a clean slate status with all formulas and formats intact but with all entered and calculated data erased. The Spreadsheet Toolbox costs $99.95. Consumers Software, 736 Chestnut St., Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060. 800-645-5501. <<<>>> Title : A utility that simplifies Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micpytek Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A utility that simplifies the printing of Lotus Development Corp. 1-2-3 worksheets has been released by the Pytek Systems Division of Lichtman Industries. Ez-Print Set is a worksheet file for use with 1-2-3 Release 2.0 or later that allows users to view and change all print settings on a single screen. The product includes instructions and macros to install it in existing worksheets and requires approximately 30K bytes of random-access memory. The Ez-Print Set costs $26.95. Lichtman Industries, Lackawanna Plaza, Milburn, N.J. 07041. 201-467-0010. <<<>>> Title : Micro CAD/CAM, Inc. has a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmicro Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Micro CAD/CAM, Inc. has announced its MGMstation CAD/CAM, software that was developed for computer-aided design and manufacturing applications on Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh II, SE and Plus. The software will reportedly enable users to operate CNC-controlled equipment and perform sophisticated functions such as advanced climb-milling for complex pocketing with islands. The product has machining capacity for two-, 2 -, three- and four-axis output and a postprocessing generator for configuring the output for several different machines. The seven basic modules of MGMstation CAD/CAM software package cost $7,000. Micro CAD/CAM, 5900 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, Calif. 91411. 818-376-0008. <<<>>> Title : Excel Software has announ Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micexcel Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Excel Software has announced Macdesigner 2.0, a computer-aided software engineering tool designed for professional software developers. According to the vendor, the program can be used to automate the structured design process or to document existing software systems. Product enhancements reportedly include a global data dictionary and additional support for handling large-structure charts. The software contains six types of windows and a complete set of graphics and text handling functions. An Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computer with 1M byte of memory is required for operation. Macdesign 2.0 costs $795. Telephone support and a periodic newsletter are provided. Excel Software, P.O. Box 1414, Marshalltown, Iowa 50158. 515-752-5359. <<<>>> Title : Desktop publishing presen Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmanha Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Desktop publishing presentation software designed for the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh Plus, SE and II has been introduced by Manhattan Graphics Corp. Called Ready-Set-Show, the software provides the necessary tools for creating 35mm slides, overhead transparencies, flip charts, speaker's notes and audience handouts. The product provides extensive color support, including access to the full spectrum of 16.8 million Macintosh II colors. Ready-Set-Show costs $495. Manhattan Graphics, 401 Columbus Ave., Valhalla, N.Y. 10595. 914-769-2800. <<<>>> Title : National Instruments Corp Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micnatio Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: National Instruments Corp. has released Version 2.0 of Labview, the company's general-purpose tool for data acquisition and analysis that runs on Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh computers. Labview is an icon-based graphical programming system designed to simplify engineering and scientific programming on the Macintosh Plus, SE and II machines. Features reportedly incorporated into the latest release include front panels for user interface and a compiler that significantly increases execution speed. Labview costs $1,995. Version 1.2 users may upgrade to Version 2.0 at no charge. National Instruments, 12109 Technology Blvd., Austin, Texas 78727. 512-250-9119. <<<>>> Title : An integrated accounting Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micsofts Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: An integrated accounting package for users of Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh Plus, SE and II computers is now available from Softsync, Inc. The Accountant, Inc. Professional program can be used to track an unlimited number of customers, vendors, inventory items and General Ledger accounts, the vendor said. Modules include General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Payroll, Time Billing, Job Costing and Project Management. An 800K-byte external drive is required for operation, and the program is Appleshare-, Tops- and Multifinder-compatible. Accountant, Inc. Professional costs $595. Softsync, 162 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 212-685-2080. <<<>>> Title : Human Intellect Systems h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: michuman Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Human Intellect Systems has upgraded Instant-Expert, the company's expert-system shell designed for Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh computers. Release 2.0 of Instant-Expert is said to offer 70% more logic control and features an inference engine that uses both forward and backward chaining. The product supports true, false and unknowns and allows the user to ask ``Why?'' and ``How?'' The system runs on Macintosh SE and II computers. Instant Expert 2.0 costs $498. Human Intellect Systems, Suite 326, 1670 Amphlett Blvd., San Mateo, Calif. 94402. 415-571-5939. <<<>>> Title : A Cobol/CICS generator ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swsynopt Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A Cobol/CICS generator has been introduced by Synoptic Consulting, Inc. According to the vendor, Rapid Automatic Programmaker is an application generator that was developed in Sweden and has been marketed in Europe for more than a year. The software is said to be menu-driven and includes screen prompting to allow programmers with minimal experience in Cobol/CICS to develop full-fledged Cobol/CICS programs. The product runs on an IBM Personal Computer AT or compatible system with DOS 2.1 or higher. A 10M-byte hard disk is also required. Synoptic Consulting, 10 E. 39th St., New York, N.Y. 10016. 212-779-1588. <<<>>> Title : Visible Systems Corp. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micvisib Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Visible Systems Corp. has added a prototyping and simulation module to its Visible Analyst Workbench series of computer-aided software engineering tools. Called the Visible Prototyper, the product is a personal computer-based software system that reportedly can be used in the design process to simulate virtually any software, including both mainframe and PC-based target systems. Features include screen design, panel linking and branching, field masking and use of the database for simulation and branching as well as data modification. The Visible Prototyper may be purchased separately for $595. Visible Systems, 49 Lexington St., Newton, Mass. 02165. 617-969-4100. <<<>>> Title : Overland Data, Inc. has a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micoverl Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Overland Data, Inc. has announced a nine-track magnetic tape controller card for IBM Personal System/2 machines. Designated the XL/2, the product allows PS/2 users to read or write nine-track tape from mainframe, minicomputers and microcomputers and is scheduled to ship in October. The card reportedly works with any Pertec/Cipher formatted nine-track transport and costs $1,395. An optional Xenix 386 driver is available for $995. Overland Data, 5620 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, Calif. 92111. 619-571-5555. <<<>>> Title : Priam Corp. has added 160 Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micpriam Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Priam Corp. has added 160M- and 250M-byte disk drives to its Innerspace family of internal disk (ID) add-in kits. The ID160 and ID250 operate on Intel Corp. 80286 and 80386-based machines as well as the IBM Personal System/2 Models 60 and 80. The ID160 is priced at $2,395; the ID250 is available for $2,895. Several controller options are available. Priam, 20 W. Montague Expwy., San Jose, Calif. 95134. 408-434-9300. <<<>>> Title : Peripherals Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miciscan Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Peripherals Iscan, Inc. has announced Optimouse, a pointing device for rapid data entry applications. The device consists of a miniature real-time digital image processor that will automatically track the position of a lightweight handheld pointer in two dimensions. The pointer position may be directly interfaced to any computer for control of cursor position on its video terminal. Optimouse costs $2,800 in single quantities. Volume discounts are also available. Iscan, 125 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge, Mass. 02238. 617-868-5353. <<<>>> Title : A set of printer control Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmayfl Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A set of printer control functions for the Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet and compatible output devices are available from The Mayflower Consulting Group. The Laser Library was designed for Nantucket Corp. Clipper programmers and offers various features including graphics routines, advanced font routines, printer control, form file generation and multiple paper size capacity, the vendor said. The product is compatible with Clipper Autumn 86 and Clipper Summer 87. DOS Version 2.0 or higher is required. The Laser Library costs $49.95, plus $3 for shipping and handling. The Mayflower Consulting Group, 131 Middlesex Tnpk., Burlington, Mass. 01803. 617-270-9000. <<<>>> Title : Dataproducts Corp. has in Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micdprod Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Dataproducts Corp. has introduced enhanced versions of its IM 300/315 and IM 600/615 line matrix printers. Updated features reportedly include Printronix, Inc. P-Series emulation, improved print bar design and extended verifiability of ribbons. The printers also offer support for Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Printer Control Language. According to the company, the IM series prints text, block characters, graphics and bar codes. The devices also handle multipart forms and are capable of generating condensed or expanded character size, different type styles and varying pitch. The IM 300 is a tabletop unit that prints up to 420 line/min. The IM 600 prints up to 840 line/min and is housed in a full cabinet. Both the IM 315 and IM 615 models include quiet full cabinets that have a reported rating of 55 dba. Pricing starts at $5,795. Dataproducts, P.O. Box 746, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365. 818-887-8000. <<<>>> Title : Board-level devices Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmetra Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Board-level devices A four-channel analog-output interface board for the IBM Personal System/2 Models 50, 60 and 80 has been introduced by Metrabyte Corp. The unit is especially suited for applications such as process-loop interface, limit-switch sensing and driving external devices, the vendor said. Called the UCDDA-04, the board reportedly provides 24 parallel digital I/O lines configured as two eight-bit ports and two four-bit ports. The Intel Corp. 8255 Interface Chip is used for the digital I/O section, and the full operating instruction set is supported. All digital I/O lines are CMOS compatible. The UCDDA-04 costs $699. Metrabyte, 440 Myles Standish Blvd., Taunton, Mass. 02780. 508-880-3000. <<<>>> Title : Zymacom, Inc. has announc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miczyaco Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Zymacom, Inc. has announced AVA, an automated voice administrator board for IBM Personal Computer XTs, ATs and compatibles. The board's Automated Attendant module features unattended answering and routing of incoming calls, unattended directory assistance and an automated transfer to an operator-on-demand feature. Voice-messaging modules are also available. The product can reportedly be configured with a variety of disks, and the software modules can be customized for almost any specific business need. AVA costs $1,100. Zymacom, 2 Liberty Way, Westford, Mass. 01886. 508-692-4500. <<<>>> Title : Wang Laboratories, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micwang Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Wang Laboratories, Inc. has introduced a security product for its commercial PC 200 and PC 300 series of IBM Personal Computer AT-compatible systems. Called Microcontrol, the product reportedly protects personal computers in stand-alone, networked and workstation environments. Through a licensing agreement between Wang and Micronyx, Inc. in Richardson, Texas, the product combines Micronyx file-encryption technology with Wang's diagnostic routines. The system is primarily suited for financial services; federal, state and local governments; insurance; law enforcement; and aerospace and defense organizations. The product consists of an expansion board, personal identification tokens with a token receptacle and supporting menu-driven software utilities. Microcontrol costs $1,200. Wang, One Industrial Ave., Lowell, Mass. 01851. 508-459-5000. <<<>>> Title : Northbank Corp. has devel Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micnorth Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Northbank Corp. has developed a hardware device to help prevent the spread of viruses as well as prevent a virus from destroying or damaging a user's disk files. Called Guard Card, the product is a half-size card that plugs into an IBM Personal Computer or PC AT compatible. When activated, the card prevents write access to predefined areas of the disk. An alarm sounds whenever an attempt is made to write to the protected area, the company said. Guard Card costs $194. Northbank, 10811 Northbank Road, Richmond, Va. 23233. 804-741-7591. <<<>>> Title : Ungermann-Bass, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netunger Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Ungermann-Bass, Inc. has upgraded its asynchronous terminal server product line with the addition of Net/One NIU-190 _ an eight-port terminal designed to support Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and Xerox Network Systems protocols. The product includes 512K bytes of random-access memory and offers higher data throughput and greater packet-buffering capabilities than previously offered products, the company said. The unit is available in baseband and broadband models and can operate in multimedia environments. Users may access up to three logical sessions concurrently through a single port. Net/One NIU-190 costs $2,995. UB, 3900 Freedom Circle, Santa Clara, Calif. 95054. 408-496-0111. <<<>>> Title : Pure Data Ltd. has announ Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netpured Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Pure Data Ltd. has announced a multistation access unit that was designed for the IBM Token-Ring network. Called PDCTRN, the device includes diagnostic LEDs for monitoring network activity. The product includes eight Token-Ring ports and will optically isolate the workstation from the hub with no electrical connection required. PDCTRN costs $995. The company also introduced an Ethernet card for the Toshiba Corp. portable personal computers, including the Models T5100, T3100, T1200 and T1100 Plus. PDT8023 installs in the PC's expansion slot and reportedly conforms to the IEEE 802.3 standard. The product has no dip switches and is accompanied by a diskette that provides configuration and added network diagnostic utilities, the vendor said. PDT8023 costs $595. Pure Data Ltd., Suite 140, 1740 S. I-35, Carrollton, Texas 75006. 214-242-2040. <<<>>> Title : Columbia University has r Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcolum Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Columbia University has released a new version of the Kermit communications package. MS-DOS Kermit 2.31 was designed to run on IBM Personal Computers and compatible Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS-based systems and is not copy-protected or licensed, the developer said. Features include an enhanced script language facility, error-checked file transfer and management and terminal emulation capabilities. It can transfer files at rates up to 56.7K bit/sec. using any PC asynchronous communication port and can also operate over IBM Netbios-based and other local-area networks. MS-DOS Kermit 2.31 costs $20 and is available in either a 5 - or 3 -in. format. Columbia University, Center for Computing Activities, 612 W. 115th St., New York, N.Y. 10025. 212-280-3703. <<<>>> Title : Information Presentation Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netipt Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Information Presentation Technologies, Inc. has announced Ushare for A/UX, designed to run under Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh II architecture. A/UX is the Apple implementation of the Unix operating system. Ushare allows the Macintosh machine to function as a communication and file server for groups of Macintoshes and Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS-based microcomputer systems. All files appear as Macintosh files to the Macintosh operating system while appearing as Unix files to the A/UX Macintosh II. Ushare also supports transparent access to multiple A/UX servers. The Ushare A/UX host software ranges from $395 to $2,995. Macintosh client software costs from $59.95 to $149.95. Information Presentation Technologies, P.O. Box 8609, Calabasas, Calif. 91302. 818-347-7791. <<<>>> Title : A local-area network comm Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcross Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: A local-area network communication software package, Cross/Point Version 5.0, is now available from Cross Information Co. New features reportedly include internetworking and encryption capabilities. The product also provides a new user interface that incorporates a simplified start-up screen, and additional facsimile and electronic mail are now available. Cross/Point 5.0 costs $395. Cross Information, Suite 311, 1881 Ninth St., Boulder, Colo. 80302. 303-444-7799. <<<>>> Title : Equinox Systems, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netequin Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Equinox Systems, Inc. has unveiled Switchlan-8, a zero-slot local-area network. The product reportedly networks IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems using the PC's serial port and twisted-pair wiring. The LAN can connect up to 16 PCs, printers, modems and mainframe computer ports and provides hot-key file transfer, printer-sharing and terminal-emulation features, the vendor said. The product is especially suited for small companies or departmental networking, Equinox claimed. Switchlan-8 costs $995 and includes an eight-user software license and one network hub capable of connecting up to eight PCs. Equinox, 14260 S.W. 119 Ave., Miami, Fla. 33186. 305-255-3500. <<<>>> Title : The ins and outs of softw Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: stahl1 Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Wealthy people in ancient China used chopsticks made of either silver or ivory for a very practical reason. They believed that if the food contained poison, silver chopsticks would tarnish and ivory ones would shatter. Several thousand years later, MIS may be trying to test computer software with methods that are not much more practical. As the cost of defective software has risen to unacceptable levels, many MIS organizations have decided to get serious about software quality. But too often, what happens then is that a magic wand is waved over some programmers or end users and _ poof! _ they are now Software Testers. Testing software is very different from writing software or using software. It is unrealistic to expect someone to test software well simply by guessing what to do based on experience as a programmer or end user. Software's dismal reputation is largely the result of inadequate testing. Fortunately, however, testing is not a black art. Testing has several of its own realities _ eight of which follow _ that, when understood, can lead to an effective approach. Reality No. 1: You can't test for everything. In a program with 75 branches, there are more possible test cases than there are teaspoons of water in the Pacific Ocean. There are two ways to understand why this is true. If you look inside a program at the code, the Glass Box approach, you will see that each branch statement can change the way the program executes _ for example, in two ways for a two-way branch. Thus, in a program with ``N'' branches, there are 2n power different possible paths through the program, and 2n power gets big very quickly. Since a branch may be an If statement or a loop control _ an implied If _ it's clear that anything other than a toy system has many more possibilities than this. Another way to see the large number of test cases is to calculate the number of possible combinations of input data _ the Black Box approach. This gives the same astronomically large number, since different data values are what cause a program to take different paths when it executes. The unmanageably large number of possible test cases is the crux of the matter in software testing. It explains why systems that have been intensively tested still have serious bugs when placed in production. It also clarifies the central problem of testing, which is that testers must prepare a relatively small number of sets of input values _ test cases _ then examine the system's output _ test results _ for these cases. From this information, they must generalize to predict how the system will behave for all possible sets of input. This is a large challenge, but it is an unavoidable consequence of the impossibility of testing for everything. The strategy for selecting test cases is, therefore, a crucial component to effective testing. Reality No. 2: Testing should be driven by risk. Since we cannot test for all possibilities, it makes sense to concentrate on the areas that present the greatest risk. Denis Meredith, an independent testing consultant in Torrance, Calif., suggests a particularly elegant way to evaluate risk. He considers two risk factors: impact and likelihood. For a given module or piece of the system, impact is the negative consequences that may result if that piece operates incorrectly. Likelihood is the probability that the piece will fail. Risk is the combination of impact and likelihood. If the different pieces of a system are evaluated and their impact and likelihood are plotted on X-Y axes, those modules that have the highest risk will fall in the upper right quadrant. These modules need to receive the bulk of the testing effort because they have both high impact and high likelihood. Impact will depend on what the system does. The highest impact corresponds to bugs that have real-world consequences. If a certain part of the system operated incorrectly, what might happen? Could airplanes crash together? Could paychecks be issued with extra zeros in the amount field? Could hackers gain unauthorized access? Could management discount a report because unaligned columns made it look sloppy? Another level of impact would be internal problems _ the system locks up, a database is corrupted, users lose work time and so on. The system might perform correctly, but it would be difficult to use [CW, Dec. 7, 1987]. Likelihood is an estimate of the probability that the module will fail. Some factors that contribute to likelihood are the complexity of the logic of a module, how many other modules it interacts with, the module's size, whether the technology itself is new or just new to the organization, the experience level of the programmers and so on. A meeting of system builders _ including users, designers and programmers _should be able to assign relative impact and likelihood ratings if they use Meredith's three rules: 1. Rating questions should be easy to answer. 2. Each question should be obviously relevant. 3. Each question should differentiate between modules in the system. A factor is not useful if most modules receive a rating of 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Ratings such as size should be relative to other modules in the system. When the modules have been ordered by relative risk, levels of testing effort can be allocated. This should also influence the order in which the modules are produced: The critical modules should be created first. If the high-risk modules are delivered late in the schedule, they stand little chance of receiving the testing time they require. Reality No. 3: There is a big difference between running 500 tests and running one test 500 times. If input values are selected randomly, many tests will exercise the same path through the system. This does not yield any new information. To maximize testing effectiveness, try the powerful concept of Equivalence Classes. Two input values are in the same Equivalence Class if they are handled by the program in the same way. In Glass Box terms, they cause the same code to be executed. For example, suppose acceptable input for a data field is a number between 1 and 100. It is a waste of effort to test 47, 58, 3 and 21, because these numbers all reside in the same Equivalence Class. If 47 works, there is a high probability that 58 and the others will work. It is a better idea to test just one number between 1 and 100, then move to other Equivalance Classes such as 0, a negative number or a number greater than 100. There are two types of Equivalence Classes, valid and invalid. In the example above, the numbers 1 to 100 constitute a valid Equivalence Class. Negative numbers are examples of invalid Equivalence Classes, as are nonnumeric characters. The distinction is important because the testing procedure is different for the two types. For instance, you have to test invalid Equivalence Classes one at a time. This is because when you make a test run, there will usually be several input fields. You can test different valid Equivalence Classes for each field on the same test run, but you have to make a separate run for each invalid class, because you can expect invalid input values to generate an error condition. When multiple input fields contain invalid values, the first one picked up will usually mask the effect of the other invalid values. Equivalence Classes are a key tool in constructing meaningful test cases. While they constitute only educated guesses about a program's behavior, they are remarkably effective in practice. Reality No. 4: You can often guess where trouble is lurking. Since we cannot test for everything, it makes sense to focus on high-yield test cases. The process of spotting these test cases is called Error Guessing. One place where things go wrong is at the boundaries of ranges of values. If, as above, a number is supposed to be between 1 and 100, the cases of 1 and 100 are more likely to cause problems than are the values in the middle. For instance, it is very common to have a loop counter not be specific about the endpoints in the specification. These cases of Error Guessing are called Boundary Value Analysis. Another example of a high-yield case is the value zero. Any numeric field should be tested for zero since it frequently causes problems, especially for division by zero. Using exception processing is another good way to go about finding errors. For example, if a system makes reservations, try canceling a reservation, canceling a nonexistent reservation, making the same reservation twice and so on. Often these cases have not received the same attention that the normal case has, and you'll find a problem. Finally, be aware that errors do not occur randomly: They cluster. If you've found a number of bugs in one part of the system, you can bet there are more. In general, the probability of finding a bug in a part of the system is proportional to the number already found in that part. Resist the temptation to move on; continue testing that area until things get very clean. Reality No. 5: Know your inputs and outputs. When you test a system or a piece of a system, the first goal should be to make one test case work. It is surprising how often a mundane test case _ using middle-of-the-road, valid values _ will not work. There is little point in devising elaborate testing strategies until the part you are testing is fine-tuned enough that at least one case works. When one case works, the crucial point in testing occurs. What next? The number of possible sets of input values you could try are nearly infinite. There's Error Guessing, of course, and that will find some additional problems. But what do you do after that? Even using Equivalence Classes to reduce the number of possible test cases, the number is still far too large to deal with. There is a new technique called Dependency Islands that makes this problem tractable. Here's how it works. Suppose you are testing a piece of the system that has six input fields _ call them F1 through F6. When it runs, this piece of the system produces three outputs _ Output 1, Output 2 and Output 3. These outputs are the test results for the test-case inputs F1, F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6. If all the outputs depend on all the inputs, there are too many combinations of input to deal with, even using Equivalence Classes. Assume that each of the six inputs has five valid Equivalence Classes. The number of possible test cases is then 5, or 15,625. Usually, however, each output depends on only some of the inputs. In this case, a vast simplification of testing is possible. Assume, then, that Output 1 depends only on the inputs F1, F2 and F3; Output 2 depends only on the inputs F4 and F5; and Output 3 depends only on F6. Now you can test each output independently. Since Output 1 depends only on F1, F2 and F3, you can step those input fields through just 5, or 125, equivalence class combinations. You can leave the values of F4, F5 and F6 at whatever value they were set when you made the first test case work. Similarly, since Output 2 depends only on F4 and F5, you can test Output 2 independently with 5, or 25, tests. Output 3, which depends only on the input F6, can be tested by itself with only five tests. Furthermore, since the outputs are independent, they may be tested one at a time _ to keep things simple _ or in parallel _ to produce the absolute minimum number of test runs. The technique was designed to gauge the dependencies of the outputs on the inputs. In general, devices such as tables do not work, since the ordering of the table columns determines whether a grouping pattern is evident. The way around this difficulty is what gives the Dependency Islands technique its name. To make Dependency Islands, simply write each input anywhere on a sheet of paper (see diagram). Now draw each output as an island that encloses the inputs on which it depends. The grouping is then obvious. A little experimentation will show that it does not matter how the inputs are placed on the page; the islands can always be drawn. Using Dependency Islands will usually greatly reduce the number of test runs. In the example above, the 15,625 possible test runs were reduced to 155 (if we test the islands sequentially) or even to 125 if we test them in parallel. In addition, a number of refinements to the technique are possible, such as exercising just the Equivalence Classes within an island rather than trying all combinations of classes. This would reduce the number of test runs still further but at the cost, perhaps, of missing a key, error-producing combination. Dependency Islands show many other things as well. For example, an input that is merely captured and not used to produce output for a particular function will not fall within any island. That input needs to be tested only once to show that it has been captured. What does it mean if the islands intersect or if one is contained within another? This merely indicates that an even further reduction in the number of test runs is possible. However, in practice, too much condensation can lead to confusion. It is usually best to ignore overlap of islands and proceed as though they were completely separate. A more important question is how to determine the dependencies of the outputs on the inputs. One way not to do this is to attempt to follow the program logic and see how things depend on one another in the code. This approach is called Cause and Effect Graphing, and it rapidly produces overwhelming complexity. The key is to focus on which inputs each output depends on, not how it depends on them. Return to the specifications and to the users. Users familiar with the application can tell you what depends on what. Dependency information should be gathered during the analysis phase of system development and stored in the data dictionary. Then you can automate the drawing of Dependency Islands and the construction of test cases. This view of the Dependency Islands approach assumes an input/processing/output structure. Examples include processing an insurance application and issuing paychecks. There is another type of test situation, however, in which the function to be tested is action driven _ the ``do-it-to-it'' structure. In this format, actions are performed on objects _ for example, ``DELETE FILE APS 2081'' or ``SEND msg TO user id.'' There is an alternative way to use islands that considers such actions and classes of objects. A similar payoff in reduction of the number of tests occurs. An additional benefit of the Dependency Islands approach is that software testers always know exactly why a test run is being performed and what has been tested by that run. Management can then have a definite confidence level about the status of testing. Reality No. 6: Many software problems lie in the specifications or their interpretation. A number of studies by IBM, Chemical Bank and other organizations have shown that two-thirds of the errors discovered in a system are ultimately traced back to the specification or design rather than the coding. These results have enormous implications for testing. The key to preventing errors from being propagated forward into the code is to hold regular walk-throughs of the requirements, the design and the specifications. An added benefit of discovering errors in a walk-through is that they are nailed at the source. This prevents the time-consuming process of discovering an error by the symptoms it manifests during a test, then laboriously tracing it back to the cause. The earlier you find it, the cheaper it is to fix. Reality No. 7: Measure how you're doing. A tough question in testing is, ``When am I done?'' The historical answer, of course, is that you're finished when the time or money runs out. This unfortunate trend has caused the term ``completely debugged'' to evolve in meaning to ``the users will find the rest of them.'' The obvious problems with this approach have led to the current ground swell of interest in better methods of testing. Therefore, every test plan should contain a section called Completion Criteria. One such criterion occurs when a carefully selected set of test cases _ constructed by using Equivalence Classes, Dependency Islands and Error Guessing _ has been executed. If there are too many possible test cases to complete them all even using these techniques, then a substantial drop in both the number and the severity of bugs being found may indicate that you're getting to the point of diminishing returns. For this criterion to be valid, the number of bugs found must be plotted against a constant level of testing effort, not merely against time. If, for example, one of two testers goes on vacation, the number of reported bugs will naturally drop. By using risk to drive the testing effort and prioritize the test cases, you greatly increase the probability that if testing has to stop, you have found most of the serious bugs. Reality No. 8: Anticipate the politics of testing. With the stakes so high, it is inevitable that politics will eventually find a way to intrude on the testing process. The most common political problem is that testing gets viewed as a destructive activity. Since everyone has made commitments about getting the new system released, there is a strong tendency to think of the testing process as a rubber stamp. It becomes a mere validation of the system and ends up being used simply to clean up any little oversights that may be present. If serious problems are uncovered, however, a number of people will feel threatened by the testing procedure. Programmers and designers will feel that their sterling efforts are being unjustly nitpicked. Managers will see schedules slipping _ a bad thing. Each new bug will be greeted with, ``OK, go ahead and document it. We'll fix it in the next release.'' The end result will be the release of a shaky system, after which there will be plenty of time for finger-pointing. How can you avoid such disasters? Have a sound test plan in place, and get sufficient executive backing for it before testing starts. In some organizations, test managers have the authority to cancel the release of a system that they don't believe is ready. Make sure that any test plan you accept schedules time to fix bugs that are found _ not merely document them. A second political problem is the definition of a bug. Keeping score is essential for determining when to stop, but it can also be used to measure the effectiveness of the developers and the testers, an obviously touchy area. What is a ``bug''? Is it a symptom, as discovered by the testers _ that is, a Trouble Report? Or is it a defect in one line of code? Since one error in the code can trigger 200 Trouble Reports, there is room for problems in these definitions. Developers naturally want to count defects, while testers want to count the number of Trouble Reports they have generated. Furthermore, is it meaningful to count all bugs as though they are equally important? Shouldn't a severe bug that destroys a large customer database be somehow worse than one that only mislabels the pages of a report? Suppose you were to weight each bug by time _ or cost _ and impact to fix. Wouldn't that reward the developers and testers and encourage them to pay more attention to what is really important? There aren't any universally applicable answers to these software testing questions, because a solution in the real world will depend on what types of systems are being developed, what the organization's priorities are and what is realistically possible politically. All sorts of metrics have been used successfully. The only true criteria for success are a real understanding of the core issues of testing and a commitment to producing quality software. By Bob Stahl; Stahl is president of the Interface Design Group, a software-testing, training and consulting firm located in Oakland, Calif. <<<>>> Title : Benchmark battle escalati Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1blueben Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: IBM cried foul in the Debit/ Credit benchmark contest last week, claiming that its machines perform three times faster than Digital Equipment Corp. said they do. In addition, IBM said it will probably join the Transaction Processing Performance Council, a group of hardware and software vendors attempting to define transaction processing benchmarks. IBM may also submit its proprietary Ramp C benchmark to the council for adoption as a standard. IBM's response came after DEC ran Debit/Credit tests on both DEC and IBM equipment and released performance figures in July. Those results gave DEC a substantial price/performance advantage over IBM. Although DEC said then that it would issue a full report this month on its tests, the firm now says it will not meet that deadline because it is rerunning the tests for an external auditor and wants to see the TPPC's full definition of Debit/Credit. IBM said it will publish by Nov. 1 an auditor's report written by Tom Sawyer, a senior consultant at the Codd and Date Consulting Group in San Jose, Calif. Any solid conclusions about the validity of either test must wait until the full reports are available, observers said. ``This is pure FUD [fear, uncertainty and doubt]. IBM must be hurt by the DEC performance figures,'' said John Logan, vice-president of the Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based consulting firm. Although DEC tested both its own and IBM equipment, IBM tested only IBM machines, specifically: Enterprise System/9370 Models 50, 80 and 90 and a 4381 Model 22. IBM also used a different Debit/Credit implementation. While DEC reportedly used an implementation of 1,000 terminals, IBM used only about 100. The smaller number of terminals generated the same number of transactions as the 1,000 terminals in the DEC test, a fact that IBM claimed made the two benchmarks equivalent. Such testing minimizes the role of a network in transaction processing, however. ``It's mathematically proportional, but performance could vary widely in implementation,'' Sawyer said. ``Any scoring in this area is controversial. There is no way of predicting with certainty what would happen with a full implementation of terminals.'' Kenneth MacMorran, manager of IBM's performance evaluation center in Dallas, agreed that the presence of an actual network could affect the performance of a system but claimed the IBM test was a valid implementation of Debit/Credit. Users, however, expressed skepticism of benchmark claims in general. ``I wouldn't buy a system based on someone else's benchmark,'' said Ken Carlton, data processing manager at Fleming Foods, a food store chain in Oklahoma City. Carlton tested several 9370 models, running his firm's applications at IBM's Dallas data center prior to purchasing two 9370 Model 90s for distributed locations running under VSE. ``Throughput is the key. I want to know how fast the batch job runs on the system,'' he said, adding that IBM's Ramp C benchmark more closely resembles his application than does Debit/Credit. ``We have no way of knowing how our application would run on different equipment,'' said a data center manager at a Midwestern manufacturing company that runs several 4381s. He said IBM's performance claims for the 4381 have been generally accurate. How it all started MacMorran said he was responsible for the benchmarks that began the flurry of activity that has gone back and forth between IBM and DEC for over a year. It started, he said, when he tested DEC equipment under IBM's proprietary Ramp C benchmark and IBM published the results. DEC responded by criticizing Ramp C as proprietary and launching an effort in support of Debit/Credit as an industry standard that led to its July benchmark performance release. In an effort to impose some objectivity on the testing, Omri Serlin, president of Los Altos, Calif., consultancy Itom International, Inc., started a group, first called the Debit-Credit Council and renamed the TPPC. The group is trying to define a standard Debit/Credit benchmark. MacMorran said IBM is considering joining the council and in doing so may release Ramp C for the council to work with and define as an open standard. ``It's probably a good assumption that we will join.'' Ramp C and Debit/ Credit are both valid but are fundamentally different, MacMorran said. While Debit/Credit simulates simple transactions in an automated teller machine network, Ramp C uses a mix of transactions that is more analogous to the work done by many businesses. By Stanley Gibson, CW Staff <<<>>> Title : Ax falls hard at ADR Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1adr Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: PRINCETON, N.J. _ Flexing its awesome software industry muscle, Computer Associates International, Inc. last week terminated both Applied Data Research, Inc.'s name and 500 of its 1,730 employees. Following its time-tested pattern after a major acquisition, CA moved swiftly to consolidate the acquiree's operation within its own, notifying laid-off employees of their fate within one week of finalizing the merger. CA created a new Information Products Division, headquartered here, that combines virtually all of ADR's product line with CA's programmer productivity products, including CA-Optimizer, CA-EZtest and the database management system CA-Universe. The division also includes CA's graphics software products, acquired in the 1986 buyout of San Diego-based Issco. Two ADR systems management products, Look and Mindover MVS, will be transferred to CA's Systems Products Division at CA headquarters in Garden City, N.Y. ADR customers interviewed last week expressed concern about the future of ADR's flagship mainframe DBMS, Datacom/DB. Many of them will get a chance to learn more firsthand this week when CA Chairman Charles B. Wang and other top executives attend the Cadre ADR users group meeting in Atlanta. A new release of Datacom is currently at beta-test sites and was scheduled for a Nov. 30 announcement. Wang, in an interview, did not comment specifically on Datacom but said all ADR product development schedules will be reviewed. ``What we don't want to do is come out with products prematurely,'' Wang said. ``If we have to hold up a product for more features or product synergies, we may do that. And there may be some products where we decide to release ahead of schedule.'' Datacom users who were interviewed last week said they were concerned about the future of the DBMS under CA's stewardship. That concern will be a major issue for CA to address in a marketplace that has been railroaded by the success of IBM's DB2. ``If the enhancements stop coming, we will be forced to look for another platform,'' said Neal Lassila, manager of information systems at Empire of America Relocation, Inc. in Orlando, Fla. Datacom supports about 75% of the firm's operation, Lassila said, and Datacom enhancements to date have kept him from veering to DB2. Lassila's concern was echoed by James Clark, manager of systems software at the State of Pennsylvania Higher Education Agency in Harrisburg, Pa. Clark said the shop wants to be able to use the DBMS in the future with IBM's MVS/ESA. `Art, not science' Wang said the 500 layoffs were concentrated in administrative positions, but an unspecified number of developers were affected as well, including Datacom developers. ``Software development is an art form, not a science,'' Wang said. ``ADR had an overabundance of development people, and they were stepping all over each other.'' One terminated employee said 35 people on the 200-member development and support staff for Datacom were let go. ADR President Dennis Strigl will return to former parent Ameritech after an unspecified transition period. Heading the Information Products Division in his place is Arnold S. Mazur, formerly the leader of CA's operations in Europe. Competing with DB2 remains CA's biggest challenge for the ADR product line, said DBMS consultant Richard Finkelstein, president of Performance Computing, Inc. in Chicago. ``IBM has put together a well-conceived plan for the 1990s, with APPC linking databases on its three platforms,'' Finkelstein said. ``Whether CA can provide enough money and new technology to catch up is not clear to me yet.'' But he said ADR stands to benefit from CA's products on a wide range of platforms from multiple hardware vendors, which ADR lacked both as an independent company and under Ameritech. Separately, CA continued to roll along financially, announcing an 81% surge in profits for the quarter ended Sept. 30. CA earned $29 million, or 35 cents per share, on sales that grew 33% to $223.7 million. Mid-Atlantic correspondent Robert Moran contributed to this story. By Clinton Wilder, CW Staff <<<>>> Title : IBM mail meets Wang, DEC Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ibmmail Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: RYE BROOK, N.Y. _ IBM electronic mail users can now shake hands with messaging systems from Wang Laboratories, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp., thanks to conversion software released last week by IBM. Co-developed with Aratek International, Inc. in Toronto, IBM's Office Interconnect Facility (OIF) is a collection of programs designed to manage E-mail and revisable document exchange across a multivendor environment consisting of specific IBM, Wang and DEC equipment. ``By all measures, this has long been a demand from [our] user community,'' said Richard Abineri, IBM's director of applications systems management. ``This is mainly a large enterprises kind of requirement, [and these] tend to have multiple mail systems installed.'' The software will coexist with the CCITT X.400 products outlined by IBM last month [CW, Sept. 26], according to Abineri. ``They can exist in the same gateway facility,'' he said. He noted that while the X.400 products are geared toward the future, the OIF mail products will have a more significant impact on the way people are doing business today. Users in all three environments require a portion of the OIF software. But they will not have to learn new commands or mail formats, nor will they have to cope with unfamiliar menus, Abineri claimed. Conference messaging across all three systems is also supported. Users may be able to talk to each other, but IBM's Netview network management software draws the line at the firm's Systems Network Architecture activities and will not monitor the OIF action on the Wang and DEC systems, he said. However, the OIF software does provide some tutorial and administrative capabilities. The OIF software is divided into three environments. There are two IBM systems packages: OIF/VM, available to users through IBM's Professional Office Systems, and OIF/MVS, which is accessible through either IBM's Personal Services/CICS or any other office system connected to IBM's Distributed Office Support System. Prices, dates Initial OIF/VM shipments are scheduled to begin in December, with volume shipments slated for March 1989. OIF/MVS is slated to be generally available in July 1989. The graduated monthly license charge will range from $387 to $1,819. They will also be available for graduated basic one-time charges ranging from $8,940 to $75,590. Software for the non-IBM environments includes four packages: OIF/D1 for DEC's VAX and three Wang systems packages _ OIF/W1 for the OIS mail system, OIF/W2 for the VS mail system and OIF/W3 for VS Wang Office. OIF/W1 and W2 enable OIS and VS users to send and receive messages, a capability that IBM said cannot be done without Wang Office. The monthly license charge for non-IBM system products will range from $72 to $120. One-time charges range from $1,380 to $2,300. <<<>>> Title : Interlan bridging tool li Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: interlan Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: BOXBORO, Mass. _ Interlan, Inc. last week announced bridging software said to provide transparent interoperability between workstations running Novell, Inc.'s network software and Microsoft Corp. OS/2 LAN Manager-based servers. Scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 1989 for $895, Interlan's LMN Server has two obvious, and at times overlapping, audiences. The first group is Novell Netware users _ Microsoft MS-DOS or OS/2 clients _ who want to migrate over to a LAN Manager-based OS/2 network. Novell said it will not license LAN Manager. It does plan to provide OS/2 connectivity and will support LAN Manager's Named Pipes application program interface under OS/2, not DOS. The second target is the current base of Interlan hardware users who run under Netware in an MS-DOS environment and want to migrate along with Interlan to OS/2. Interlan said it will continue to support Netware under DOS but that it will focus its OS/2 connectivity development efforts on the LAN Manager. A third market consists of MIS managers who are faced with a mix of disparate local-area networks and are looking to standardize on one platform. Interlan's LMN Server approach will cost less than Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and will be easier to install, according to Clare Fleig, director of research at International Technology Group. This is important to a number of Fortune 1,000 firms, she noted. But perhaps the most immediate beneficiary of Interlan's bridge software is Novell rival and LAN Manager co-developer 3Com Corp. The only LAN Manager-based server available today is 3Com's 3+Open. LMN Server could provide 3Com with access to Novell's installed base. ``It gives them a catching-up type of edge in the corporate environment, where they trail Novell,'' Fleig said. ``I feel LAN Manager is making such a dent that Novell is getting shut out left and right,'' said Frank Dzubeck, a consultant and president of Communications Network Architects, Inc. ``You've got this ground swell [of support] taking place,'' he said, citing Ashton-Tate Corp.'s recent decision to cancel a strategic alliance with Novell and the two influential mini makers who have endorsed LAN Manager _ Digital Equipment Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. ``It's big, bad news.'' 3Com's Alan Kessler, OS/2 product manager, said he is delighted. He outlined a scenario in which clients who wanted to move to LAN Manager could use Interlan's bridge to slowly move Netware-based data and applications over to 3+Open and start shutting off Netware servers. Novell declined to comment until executives have had a chance to familiarize themselves with the product. Dzubeck suggested Novell can use LMN Server as a weapon to neutralize some of the LAN Manager's growing clout. ``Then you concentrate on [Netware's] speed and throughput performance,'' he said. The LMN Server is a software-only package that runs as a LAN Manager application, for example, running over 3+Open, while reportedly preserving the customer's investment in existing LAN products. According to Interlan, it was designed to work with all OEM versions of LAN Manager. The bridge enables an indirect log-in through another Netware server on the network. Netware users must log in to the Netware server, which then connects the user to the LMN Server. The client uses existing Netware applications in the SYS:Public server directory when accessing the LMN Server. A transient program called LMNSCopy allows an OS/2 LAN Manager workstation to transfer files directly from a Netware server to an LMN Server. Users do not have to change their client software or command interface. LMN Server provides virtually the same set of command-line utilities as Netware as well as limited support for certain Netware menu utilities, Interlan said. The LMN Server system requires a Netware-compatible adapter, which in turn requires a Media Access Controller driver that complies with the current version of the Microsoft and 3Com LAN Manager Network Driver Specification. By Patricia Keefe, CW Staff <<<>>> Title : How a UPS prevents a corp Author : Kenneth Brill Source : CW Comm FileName: brill2 Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: ``Which kind of uninterruptible power supply should I select _ rotary or static, brand X or brand Y? And whose UPS should I buy? There are so many choices, and the vendors make diametrically opposing claims. A lot of money _ and perhaps my career _ is at stake. '' Every senior-level MIS manager will at some point confront this choice, and a lot is at risk. I believe that relative to advertised performance claims of providing UPS, all the UPS technologies and all the UPS vendors fall short _ sometimes dramatically. Out of stock What you as a user should demand is uninterrupted, continuous, clean power in the computer room, at the input terminals of your computer hardware and in communication systems. But that is not what the vendors are selling and, in fact, not what they are providing. The solutions vendors offer are only pieces of what you really need. The hardware of a UPS system consists of the power supply, which is what most vendors are selling, along with other critical components. It is of no value to spend a lot of money on one subsystem if the weakest link governing real performance is somewhere else. It is even worse to focus on which hardware to buy if actual performance depends on the reliability of the fundamental design and how the equipment is installed. Once installed, the system must, of course, be maintained, repaired, tested and certified as emergency-ready. So, coming back to the question _ ``Which UPS should I buy?'' _ the fundamental problem is not what to buy but how to think managerially about solving the uptime problem. We have been conditioned to think that buying technology is the riskless way to achieve what we want and that the only problem, therefore, is picking the right vendor. This approach might work in some areas, but it could result in disappointment _ and perhaps disaster _ if applied to the physical plant. Years ago, a similar management problem existed in selecting computer hardware. Sales pitches were made emotionally. Having the latest in technology was the most important issue. Over time, users began to realize that what really counted was availability and how much processing power the hardware could actually deliver. As a result of constant attention, hardware uptime grew from a low 80% range to a near 100% perfection today. This revolution began when users started to monitor performance and hold manufacturers accountable. What people quickly found is that the simplest and dumbest things could cause downtime, and not all of these were the manufacturer's fault. Systems engineering and reliability of each component of the computer system became paramount. As manufacturers learned what users really wanted, they quickly went about filling that demand to create a competitive edge. Top management has to change the way it thinks about its investment in the physical facilities supporting computer operations. The cost of this ``site'' _ the UPS investment, the cooling, generators, fire protection and so on _ runs between 7% and 15% of computer and communications hardware investments. For large sites, the initial building cost can run to many millions of dollars, and the annual operating costs may reach the high-six or low-seven figures. If these costs were incurred for a direct-access storage device or a CPU, performance measurement and optimization would be a full-time job for a very senior manager. A site is no less critical, but most facilities do not get the same level of professional attention. In view of current high hardware uptime performance, a modest improvement could be more cost-effective for some sites than adding processor redundancy. There is a second reason for looking at facility uptime as a specific bottom-line objective. Disaster recovery planning has become a major market need in just a few years, yet many firms have only the bare rudiments of a workable plan. The very heart of disaster recovery planning is the objective of efficiently picking up the pieces after a corporate heart attack has already occurred. Recovery from a disaster involves the following: Substantial risk that something has been left out of the plan or that a critically needed tape might be missing or defective. A guaranteed computer outage with potential long-term business disaster consequences. Costly recovery expense. The certainty of organizational disruption for months afterwards. If it is cost-effective or prudent to devise a disaster recovery plan, doesn't it also make sense to invest some resources in preventing a heart attack? I estimate that nationally, fewer than 50 disaster recovery plans address disaster prevention or disaster avoidance. Yet in hindsight, we can see that more than 75% of the disasters forcing costly activation of a recovery plan could have been anticipated. Simple steps can dramatically reduce your risk exposure. In fact, if you are working with limited funds, it would probably make more sense to treat disaster prevention as a first priority. Uninterruptibility and disaster avoidance are opposite sides of the same coin. If you do one well, you have the other as a side benefit. The bottom line By focusing on bottom-line objectives of either uninterrupted facility uptime or uninterrupted power uptime, the whole problem-solving approach in building a new data center or selecting a UPS is positively changed. Immediately, the question is transformed from how to buy an individual component to how to build a system that never fails. This approach also focuses attention on the initial installation and on the cumulative performance over a period of years, which brings training, maintenance and testing into the picture. Managers who focus on systems uninterruptibility are much more likely to achieve their overall objectives than if they see the UPS issue as merely what brand to buy. By Kenneth Brill; Brill is president of Computersite Engineering in Cambridge, Mass. He specializes in the field of disaster avoidance and site reliability. <<<>>> Title : State, local systems draf Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1govern Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Information systems are emerging from the back offices of state, county and municipal government agencies to play active and important roles in the delivery of critical public services. Instead of simply crunching numbers for reports and performing other mechanical chores that keep the wheels of government turning smoothly, information technology is increasingly being used for tasks such as locating shelters for the homeless, improving the responsiveness of police and fire departments and issuing public safety advisories. The Adult Services Division of the New York City Human Resources Administration, for example, uses an on-line database to monitor the status of about 9,000 beds for the homeless at more than 30 shelters citywide. The system _ running on Prime Computer, Inc.'s Primenet and Computer Techniques, Inc.'s Queo database _ eliminates the division's former reliance on file cards and telephone calls. With information on services and space available at shelters, Adult Services can more readily provide homeless people with the social services, medical attention and other care they require, according to Louis Mehl, director of its MIS bureau. The system also lets officials call up files on individual cases and analyze demographics of the caseload, which helps them formulate policies, Mehl says. The state of New York will soon institute a similar on-line system for the placement of juvenile offenders. The state's Division for Youth, a criminal justice agency, must choose appropriate custodial facilities for the adolescents that fall into its charge. The division deals with about 6,000 juveniles a year who have committed offenses ranging from school truancy to murder. Within its 70 facilities, there is a wide divergence in levels of security and the educational, medical and counseling services offered. Furthermore, facilities provide each service to a limited number of people. Given the numbers and variations involved, it is easy to see how custodial placement could begin to feel like a battle against unfair odds. To match placement possibilities and needs more accurately, the division upgraded a four million instruction per second (MIPS) Prime 9955 minicomputer to a 23.5-MIPS Prime 6550 in May. By next month, it is expected to finish loading files from a Henco Software, Inc. Info database to an Oracle Corp. relational database, according to Larry Vickers, the division's chief of data processing services. That move will clear the way to install about 175 terminals at facilities across the state so the system can include detailed, real-time information on available beds. With the upgrade, users should know whether each service is still available at a facility. Previously, they knew where beds were available and could check a book describing the services offered there, but they did not know whether the facility could handle additional cases for specific services. Getting there faster Providing better services can also mean improving response times. To that end, a growing number of state and local governments are deploying computer-aided dispatch systems. When a dispatcher for the California state Department of Forestry punches in data on the location of a forest fire, a system running entirely on personal computer local-area networks generates information on the equipment needed, the nearest place it is available, roads and streets in the vicinity, navigational data for aircraft and area hazards. The system runs 20 applications on 1,400 PCs tied into 70 stand-alone Novell, Inc. LANs. It maintains databases in 27 locations from which equipment and crews are dispatched. There are also PCs at 250 of the department's 500 fire stations. The Forestry Department's data processing organization, consisting of 15 full-time staff members, developed the software using fourth-generation languages in Rbase from Microrim, Inc. and ODBS from O'Hanlan Data Base Systems in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Phoenix Fire Department was a pioneer in computer-aided dispatching; its 6-year old system running on Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-11/44s, which are linked by radio to terminals in fire trucks, is still considered exemplary. In addition, the department uses mobile Apple Computer, Inc. Macintoshes that can access weather information and on-line databases on hazardous materials. The dispatch system provides fire fighters with easy access to information on buildings and has let the fire department handle a rapidly growing volume of calls with a modest addition to its dispatching staff, says Gordon Routley, assistant to the fire chief. The department handles more than 300 calls a day and might manage more than 20 incidents at once during a storm. ``The computer doesn't lose fire trucks or forget who's going where,'' Routley says. ``It's almost gotten beyond the ability of people to handle all that information.'' By storing data on department activities, the dispatch system also supports decision making on matters such as training and location of new fire stations, says Paula McMann, a fire department administrative assistant who helped develop it as a programmer/analyst. Creativity in application States have maintained steady spending levels for information systems in recent years, consistently devoting an average of 1% of overall spending to the area, according to Carl Vorlander, executive director of the National Association for State Information Systems in Lexington, Ky. Cities have boosted their spending from an average of 0.9% of total budgets in 1975 to 1.5% in 1985, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to the International City Management Association. Although that increase in commitment of funds puts the cities on a par with the federal government in terms of percentage allocation, both local and state governments are dealing with smaller amounts to apportion. Generally speaking, that means there is little leeway for technological experimentation. For the most part, information systems managers at these levels must be content to adapt proven technologies in creative ways. One notable exception to that rule is found in the relatively new field of geographic information systems (GIS), also known as geoprocessing systems. Many state and local governments are developing GISs, which are built around a database _ in some cases on-line _ that is a digitized map. From that database, the system can display or print maps with any combination of detail that a user species, such as roads, fire stations and water mains. State and local government agencies are using the GISs to dispatch emergency services more quickly and with better information to control traffic congestion, to repair or expand infrastructures and to quickly call up information on a building or other location. The origin of a GIS operated by the city of Los Angeles _ the Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control (ATSAC) system _ dates to federal funding of the Uniform Traffic Control System (UTCS) in 1975. The ATSAC went on-line as a demonstration of the UTCS covering the Los Angeles Coliseum area during the 1984 Olympics. The city also has an on-line San Fernando Valley subsystem, and officials plan to start one up for the downtown area in three months, begin building two others next year and operate 35 covering the entire city by 1998. Los Angeles city workers use the ATSAC to display the status of traffic signals and the flow of vehicles. Operators can view traffic and signals in the entire city or zoom in on a single intersection. Within prescribed limits, the system automatically adjusts the cycles of traffic signals. With help from a network of video cameras, workers use the data to help the police and fire departments and issue advisories to the public. A 1987 study of the system's Coliseum area loop, one of two already built, reported that the system cut travel time 13% and reduced the number of stops vehicles make by 35%, generating a value of $66,400 per intersection per year _ a cost/benefit ratio of 9.8-to-1. ``It made us all happy to see the numbers,'' says Jack Massopust, a transportation engineer who helps design system operations. CATS patrol traffic The federal government provided money to implement the ATSAC's Coliseum loop for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Subsequently, the city of New York's Department of Transportation brought in the consulting firm that developed the ATSAC software, James H. Kell & Associates in Norcross, Ga., to develop its Computerized Area Tracking System (CATS), a traffic-monitoring system that will interface with an existing signal control network. CATS will help officials steer congested traffic around obstacles such as accidents, construction work and festivals, says Raman K. Patel, the department's chief of engineering and communications. By storing data on traffic problems for two years, the system is also expected to help with planning, design and maintenance. The benefits of computerizing traffic signals in the city include fuel-consumption savings estimated at $25,000 per intersection per year, reduced delays for drivers worth millions of dollars per year at the minimum wage and diminished air pollution, Patel says. More typical of the adaptation of established technology to government service is the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare's use of on-line transaction processing for electronic benefits transfer (EBT) in a program that replaces food stamps with debit cards. The program began in 1984 as a federal project to demonstrate EBT in the Reading, Pa., area with a point-of-sale debit card system. ``After two years, the users liked it so much they pressured the state into taking it over and turning it into a production system,'' says Curtis Pegg, director of the Department of Welfare's Division of Technical Services. The users are welfare recipients, food stores and banks that issue food stamps. The dial-up system serves 4,000 recipients and 160 locations. It runs on a Tandem Computers, Inc. TPX with 400 terminals and Mtech Action 2000 point-of-sale software. Results of the pilot project thus far are positive, according to participating merchants, who say the EBT system lowers costs from $18 to $13 per $1,000 of benefits redeemed. The project also generates substantial savings of time and money for recipients, who no longer have to go to a bank every month to exchange forms for food stamps, as well as some savings for the banks, says John Kirlin, a senior analyst at Abt Associates, Inc., a Cambridge, Mass.-based consulting firm that evaluated the system. ``The overwhelming majority [of merchants] preferred the EBT system to coupons,'' Kirlin says. State and local governments are also practicing creative adaptation on another level _ adopting some of the innovative management practices associated with the strategic use of information systems in the private sector. They are emphasizing training and are actively enlisting users in the development of applications. They are also forming steering committees to share technology and coordinate strategy within governments and among them. Some governments are even mimicking an increasingly popular corporate information systems strategy _ selling products that they have developed for internal use. The revenue they generate can help reduce taxes. State and local governments lead federal agencies in their emphasis on training, according to Joseph Coates, president of J. F. Coates, Inc. in Washington, D.C., a consulting firm that has worked extensively with the federal government. One effort in this area is the New York Technology Resources Group, which educates the city staff on computer and telecommunications technologies. Last year, the group brought the city a Technology Achievement award from Public Technology, Inc. (PTI), a nonprofit research group run by the National League of Cities and the International City Management Association. Bus success User involvement in applications development contributed to the success of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's fourth-generation bus maintenance program, the Bus Service Management System, according to J. Michael Murray, the authority's MIS director. Murray credits a successful design _ envisioned in large part by system users _ for reducing the accident rate and helping extend the number of miles buses traveled between breakdowns from an average of 1,400 in 1983 to a 2,100 average last year. ``The key is to give the people who have to use the system a sense of ownership, that it's their system, not MIS' system,'' Murray says. Governments traditionally share software and other technologies with their peers; with modification, shared systems often avoid the need for organizations to reinvent the wheel. Now, however, sharing is taking on new dimensions. ``Some of the states are beginning to establish forums for discussion that cut across many agencies,'' says Costis Toregas, president of PTI. Last year, New York state launched its Forum for Information Resources Management, which promotes standards, training and research and recommends policies. This year, Virginia officials formed a Council on Information Management, which will develop a four-year state plan for acquiring, managing and using information technology at state agencies and institutions. Recently, governments, like many corporations, have moved to make money from their internally developed products. Hennepin County in Minnesota has licensed marketing rights for its GIS to a local company. The county was giving the software to other governments but found it was spending too much money for training and support, says Richard Brubacher, a marketing consultant working with the county. Hennepin County's 15% royalty on sales has brought in $500,000 to reduce taxes and could be worth $1.75 million over four years based on projected sales, according to Brubacher. In another tax stabilization drive, the Office of Computer Services and Information Systems in Metropolitan Dade County, Fla., has gone into business as a vendor of software and computer services. It offers other governments more than 30 applications. The program, which is in a pilot phase scheduled to run through March 1989, is predicated on the notion of avoiding bad experiences with software that governments make available without charge, says Al Rutherford, marketing manager of the program. For license fees ranging from $34,000 to $225,000, the office will assure buyers smooth operation of a system, Rutherford says. Despite the strides governments are making, they still face numerous challenges. Many of them lie in the area of integration. For example, the next step for the California Department of Forestry is to integrate its PC LANs, tying headquarters to regional offices and local fire stations. Doing so will mean dispatchers can send data to a fire station that is responding to an incident and officials can compile reports from the stations much more quickly. Purse-string paralysis Financial constraints cripple many efforts. Pennsylvania's Department of Welfare is seeking federal assistance to expand its widely acclaimed EBT system. Los Angeles, which also seeks federal funds, has a 10-year timetable for completing the ATSAC. But many of the challenges lie in the realm of organizational coordination. For example, some computer-aided dispatch systems fail to quicken responses to emergencies because of a lack of coordination with telephone or radio systems that are run by separate organizations. ``Some of the issues have nothing to do with the technology being used,'' PTI's Toregas says. What is lacking is not equipment or software, he explains, but departmental agreements about who is responsible for what. By David A. Ludlum; Ludlum is a Computerworld senior writer. <<<>>> Title : Unison Software has updat Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swunison Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: Unison Software has updated Tapes, its automated tape library system. Version B.01 is reported to be compatible with the Hewlett-Packard Co. Spectrum series. Other features include an improved scratch-tape allocation program and an option to print a label for a designated tape. The operator is provided with either a complete list of tapes in use or a list by job and session number, the vendor said. Tapes is priced from $1,800 to $5,700, depending on hardware configuration. Unison, 415 Clyde Ave., Mountain View, Calif. 94043. 415-968-7511. <<<>>> Title : Data Design targets PCs Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: dda Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: SUNNYVALE, Calif. _ Data Design Associates (DDA), the developer of financial management software for mainframes, last week announced that its applications now run on IBM Personal Computers and compatibles. With the single-user systems, the company said, it is targeting large corporations that want to capitalize on the economical power of the PC to unburden the mainframe from such chores as applications prototyping; data entry and retrieval; report generation; and training. The software offers all the functionality of its mainframe counterpart, said DDA Vice-President George Proudfoot. He claimed it takes a step beyond other mainframe software for the PC, which typically offers either subsets of the mainframe software or altogether distinct products. That step, however, may not be enough. The new software's mainframe functionality offers an incremental improvement over PC-based offerings from the likes of Computer Associates International, Inc., Management Science America, Inc., McCormack & Dodge Corp. and Oracle Corp., but it has not leapfrogged that technology, said John Dunkle, vice-president of microcomputing research at the Aberdeen Group, a Boston consultancy. Still missing is the capability to allow mainframe systems managers to poll the individual PCs for the data that the mainframe needs. Thus control over mainframe data would be in the hands of micro users, who have, but may not necessarily exercise, the ability to upload data to the mainframe. Such use runs counter to typical practices in mainframe shops. Data Design offers five products _ general ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, fixed asset accounting and project accounting _ that can now run on the IBM Personal Systems/2 and Personal Computer AT under DOS. The software, written in Cobol that is compliant with ANSI '85 standards, will be delivered in the first quarter of 1989 and will cost between $10,000 and $15,000 each for customers that have the mainframe software. To run the software, the micros must at least be Intel Corp. 80286-based, carry 640K bytes of internal memory and have 1M byte of additional memory. Adjunct According to DDA's Proudfoot, the software is an adjunct to the company's mainframe software and should be viewed as an ``extra-usage license.'' Corporations that do not have mainframe licenses can purchase the micro-based software but will pay almost as much as mainframe prices, Proudfoot said. In the next few months, the company will add data communications and local-area network support to its offerings _ a step toward cooperative processing, Proudfoot said. With the next announcement, DDA will also offer users the ability to upload and download portions of files to and from the mainframe. The software offers the same on-line screen formats and processing rules, input transaction and master file formats, and security options as the mainframe software packages, but still missing from the menu is network management support. By Robert Moran, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Where was Dan? Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: edit1024 Date : Oct 24, 1988 Text: T'S BEEN NEARLY two years since the stark realities of Section 1706 became widely apparent, kicking off one of the most divisive and continuing struggles the computer industry has faced in years. With the potential of changing the employment status of thousands of data processing consultants working through brokers, 1706 has been the object of ardent attacks by the consultant community while being ardently promoted by technical service companies, led by ADAPSO. Yet despite many months of haggling, proposed amendments, proposed counter-amendments and the like, it wasn't until earlier this month that both sides of the complex issue sat at the same table to discuss and debate 1706. On one side at the recent Info '88 conference sat Joel Brust, founder of a technical service company and ADAPSO's point man on 1706. Opposing him was Joe Scordato, an independent consultant and past president of the 7,000-member Independent Computer Consultants Association. As important as who was there is who wasn't _ and that was a representative from the office of Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan (D-N.Y.). You see, it was Moynihan's office that slipped 1706 into the Tax Reform Act in the wee hours of a June 1986 budget session. It was Moynihan's office that first staunchly defended 1706 but later tactfully (but unsuccessfully) tried to repeal it. So Computerworld's editor, who moderated the Info '88 panel, logically assumed that the creators of 1706 would certainly oblige a request to appear on the panel to explain the genesis and intent of the legislation and to shed some light on Moynihan's 180-degree reversal of direction. But the response of Moynihan's chief advisor on 1706 to our request was simple and straightforward: ``I wouldn't go before that group and take any more of their abuse for all the money in the world.'' Instead, the aide promised a written position statement to be read at the panel discussion. It must have gotten lost in the mail. Bear in mind that 1706 was put into place without the benefit of a single hearing featuring both sides of the issue. While it is true that many bills are handled this way, those that have the potential to affect so many people on both sides of an issue certainly deserve a public airing. There finally was one at Info '88, and the politicians stayed home. Both factions deserve better. At present, 1706 stands pretty much in its original form. During the next year, the Treasury Department will undertake a 1706 impact study under the direction of Congress, and all interested parties should make sure their input is registered. Eventually, public hearings should be mandated. And while you're at it, drop Sen. Moynihan a line and let him know how you feel about the candor of his office in this important matter. His address in Washington is 464 Russell Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. You'd be amazed what a few thousand letters can do. <<<>>> Title : When bigger AI isn't bett Author : Larry R. Harris Source : CW Comm FileName: harris Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Artificial intelligence is still a bewildering technology to many in MIS. Before implementing it, therefore, MIS managers must be sure they know what AI really is. There are several questions that they should answer in this regard: Why is it so important for companies to start employing AI technology? What are the benefits? How do AI applications differ from traditional applications, both technically and for the business? What are the issues involved in choosing both the first, low-risk AI application and the more visible, higher payback second application? AI applications embody judgment, which is part of what separates them from more conventional computer applications. AI technology allows business to embed judgment into computers. Applications that require judgment are at the heart of any business, in the sense that they are central to its primary endeavor. What could be more central to American Express than the proper authorization of a customer's charge, or more central to an insurance company than the decision of whether to underwrite an insurance policy? The issue underlying AI implementation should not be just whether an application results in a 10- to 20-person staff reduction. More important is whether MIS can actually automate these core-of-the-business judgmental applications, which can have significant bottom-line impact. Some people mistakenly feel that AI technology is of limited value unless it can simulate the judgment of the best experts. In actuality, it can have a profound impact on the bottom line even if it captures the judgment of only the average decision maker. When the judgment is consistently applied and immediately made available to all decision makers, the system operating at the average level can still eliminate the tail end of the decision-making hierarchy, at which point most costly errors are made. Outperforming the system Through proper management, it is possible to allow better-than-average decision makers to continue to outperform the system and collect and store their reasons for making a decision different from that of the system. This improves the system and at the same time provides at least average results. AI applications are implemented using a programming style different from conventional applications. Instead of a step-by-step sequence of instructions that are linked together only by the order in which they are executed, an AI application consists of statements that are linked together logically. It is just another way to give instructions to the computer; it should not cause more concern than any other new programming methodology. The benefit, of course, is that judgment often manifests itself as establishing logical connections between a problem and its solution. So it should come as no surprise that a programming methodology based on logical connections should be good at mimicking judgment. Two examples illustrate the difference between AI and conventional applications. The first, American Express Co.'s Authorizer's Assistant, shows the specific competitive advantage that can be achieved from judgmental applications, as well as the distinct advantages of the AI approach. The Authorizer's Assistant applies American Express's charge authorization policy to large charge requests to determine whether to accept a cardmember's charge. Published reports claim a remarkable 10% increase in the number of these charges that are accepted and a 25% decrease in the number of bad authorizations. Since the people who make unauthorized charges always seem to seek out the company with the lowest barriers to bad charges, this consistent, automated facility provides an exceptional competitive advantage by forcing these people to American Express' competitors. From a technical perspective, the Authorizer's Assistant, like another successful AI setup _ Digital Equipment Corp.'s Xcon _ makes use of the classic forward-chaining paradigm. The cardmember's charge history and the specific charge in question trigger the appropriate rules. The advantage of this approach from a development and maintenance perspective is that the rules, about 1,000 of them, can be packaged to make the program easier to understand and maintain. Because the inference engine essentially seeks out and fires the relevant rules, a tremendous burden is removed from the developer. If the rules were expressed in a procedural or even a backward-chaining fashion, the developer would be responsible for sequencing them so that all appropriate rules fire. This, of course, makes the original development and all subsequent maintenance far more intricate. Xcon configures orders Xcon is another example of the difference between conventional and AI programs. This well-known expert configuration system is used by DEC to configure new orders for VAX minicomputers. The problem DEC needed to solve was that orders prepared by a sales representative were sometimes incomplete; if a critical component was missing, the computer would not run properly when shipped to the customer. Xcon was designed to analyze the order and make the judgment call as to whether the VAX would run as ordered. If not, Xcon automatically adds the required items to the order. This ensures that the ordered system will run and avoids the cost and customer dissatisfaction of shipping nonworkable systems. The basis of this system configuration problem is understanding the interrelationships among the components of a VAX minicomputer. Obviously, the power supply is a function of how many components are ordered, as is the number of racks. The length of cables is dependent on the numbers of racks and so forth. Each individual dependency is easy to understand and state. The problem is that within the initial order there are perhaps hundreds of these dependencies that need to be checked, some of which will result in adding new items to the order. Of course, as soon as that happens, the new item itself introduces new dependencies. In any procedural implementation of such a system, the programmer must specify the precise order in which the tests are to be made. When new items are added, tests previously passed must be checked again, if necessary. This is where the conventional, procedural approach begins to break down. Imagine for a moment that such a procedural system actually worked but new components were introduced from engineering that had different requirements. These components could easily require a radical restructuring of the program to account for new dependencies. The AI approach, on the other hand, takes the perspective that each of the dependencies is simply a logical relationship that can easily be specified in the form of a rule. Then the inference engine (see story at left) will begin firing the rules, thereby checking the logical dependencies and adding new items if necessary. The notion of ``cycling back'' to previously checked conditions does not really exist. The inference engine will naturally apply all rules to new items as soon as they are added. When the system finally quits _ when no more rules can fire _ we are assured that each logical dependency has been accounted for. From a maintenance perspective, when new components are introduced by engineering, we need only add the new dependencies associated with these new components in the form of new rules. Since the precise order in which the rules fire was determined by the inference engine in the first place, we do not need to be particularly concerned with the order in which we add the new dependencies. The inference engine will account for the new rules. Thus, the maintenance of the application is greatly reduced. The issue here is not that such a program could not be written in a procedural language. We know that it clearly could be, since all procedural languages have the computing power of Turing machines, which can express any program that can be written. The point is that conventional languages do not help very much in implementing such a program. In fact, the first step will undoubtedly be to use the procedural language to implement something very close to an inference engine. DEC reports that Xcon saves in excess of $25 million annually and that three different attempts using conventional techniques failed to solve the problem. The forward-chaining approach of AI, however, was able to solve it (see story page 81). There are other benefits of using an AI shell. You start at a point much closer to the solution by using a high-performance implementation of an inference engine and a variety of tools that aid in the process of rule entry, editing and debugging. The arguments are very similar to those used in employing a fourth-generation language instead of a third-generation language when appropriate. The database question Another benefit of artificial intelligence relates to AI systems interacting with existing databases. In the Xcon example, the issue arises as to how to best represent the connectivity dependencies. We know that they could be represented as rules. But much of the information that Xcon requires might already be stored in an existing bill-of-materials database. Thus, it would certainly be possible to represent many, if not all, of the relationships in a standard database. When appropriate, the database representation is preferable to a pure rule-oriented representation. Among other things, it avoids the obvious redundancy of representing and maintaining the same information in two different ways. The database representation clearly is easier to update, and the information is usable by other systems. Think of the ``rules'' of the application as being represented as either inference engine rules or as data stored in a database. However, it is only possible to take advantage of this database representation when the inference engine is strong enough to deal directly with multioccurrence _ that is, nonscalar _ data objects and when the database interface is strong enough to allow the inference engine to ``reason over'' an external database. One of the biggest objections to using the early AI shells on mainframes was that the inference engines were too weak. They could deal only with scalar data, and the database interfaces were so weak that external database objects could not be directly manipulated _ the records had to first be read into an in-core buffer. Given a suitably powerful inference engine and a sophisticated database interface, it is possible to choose how best to represent the rules of the application. The typical result is more information represented in the database, necessitating far fewer rules. Since many of these databases may already exist, applications can be implemented far more quickly and accurately than if the weakness of the inference engine and database interface prevented you from representing knowledge in databases in the first place. This issue is fundamental to properly embedding AI technology into the existing mainframe environment, because it allows databases to become part of the application, not just something that is dealt with at arm's length. Xcon and the Authorizer's Assistant illustrate the virtues of the AI approach, particularly forward chaining. Both of these systems are prohibitively hard to implement in a conventional procedural language and would be difficult to implement in even a simple backward-chaining system (see story page 81). Selecting applications The success of AI implementations depends on selecting the right applications to best learn and demonstrate the value of AI technology within your particular organization. The goals in choosing the first AI application will be different from all subsequent applications. The initial goal is to become as comfortable with the technology as possible and to learn to use whatever AI tool you have chosen. Once these two goals have been accomplished, you will be ready to build subsequent applications that will deliver a significant return on investment. Much more attention has been paid to selecting the first application than the second. But in many ways, choosing the first application is easier, since it is nearly risk-free. Choose a simple application for the first one. It is important to pick an application that not only requires straightforward judgment but that also has a nonobvious procedural solution. Otherwise, it will be hard to show the real benefit of the AI technology. You will want to become familiar with backward chaining, forward chaining and hypothetical reasoning as soon as possible. The first application should probably implement forward chaining, since this is where the fundamental benefits of AI will be most apparent. Besides, it is easiest to learn backward chaining and hypothetical reasoning from a forward-chaining background. Finally, the application should obviously be a low-profile, noncritical application that you can afford to fail. The goal of the first application is technology transfer, not return on investment. Therefore, the payback of the application is not an issue. The going begins to get rougher with the second application, which should have higher visibility and an associated higher payback. Such applications are not risk-free, so they need careful consideration. Many people select an internal DP application to minimize the risk to the company. But it is rare for a DP application to provide even a fraction of the payback of a corporate application that is closer to the heart of the business. It is preferable to look for applications outside DP in which the judgmental rules have already been written down. This is an important distinction because it differs from what most people picture when they think of an expert system. While one important use of this technology is to clone the skills of a world-class expert, that is by no means the only use, nor is it necessarily even the use with the highest payback. Much more common are applications in which the expertise or rules exist in the form of a policy manual. The Authorizer's Assistant is a classic example of such an application, as are several insurance policy underwriting applications that have been written _ for example, at Transamerica Insurance Co. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. The corporate route There are two major advantages in choosing a ``corporate policy'' application as your second application as opposed to a true expert system. First, it sidesteps the tricky and expensive knowledge-acquisition phase of determining exactly what the rules are, thereby substantially reducing the risk. Second, it provides a reasonably precise, fixed target against which to test results. An expert, on the other hand, typically provides a somewhat fuzzy moving target with which to work. Furthermore, there is an implicit distinction in the expectations of the project. Working with the expert, you will be expected to get all the answers right. When working with an existing corporate policy, the goal is to implement the policy as it exists. To the degree that the policy does not give the ``right'' answer, it is not generally within the domain of the project to alter the policy. This is often a far more achievable goal. In fact, it is a significant accomplishment to find these omissions in the current policy. Another mistake to avoid is simplifying the second application by reducing its depth. It is better to reduce complexity by reducing breadth _ that is, to apply judgment only for certain lines of business or certain products but doing a thorough job on those segments that are covered. The problem with the shallow approach is that the result may not be very impressive and people will not grasp its limitations. By restricting breadth, the application can display first-rate judgment in its area of expertise and users can easily recognize the limits of its expertise. Furthermore, it is easy to add new lines of business or products later, while keeping the old rules intact. Extending a shallow system almost always requires a complete rewrite. Another important goal of the second application is learning to integrate your AI tool within your existing environment. Since this is often where problems arise and delays creep in, be sure that the following four tests have been completed before committing externally to a delivery date for the second application: All required database interfaces have been tested. All required teleprocessing monitor interfaces have been tested. All required callability facilities have been tested. The prototype for the application has been completed. Success ahead Having successfully passed all of the above checkpoints, you can proceed with a reasonable expectation of success. Problems in any one of these vital areas may be insurmountable in terms of actually fielding the application. Note that the testing done for the first ``toy'' application may not be sufficient for the needs of the second, ultimately production-oriented application. Recognizing an AI application when you see one is not so hard once you get used to it. The important thing to learn is that this technology has opened some new doors to mission-critical corporate applications that could not realistically have been done before. And, as is the case with any enabling technology, in the early days there are ``easy wins'' out there _ applications in which the payback tremendously outweighs their cost, given the new technology. Finding those easy wins and solving them is what the excitement in AI is all about. It is rare that a technology emerges with potential for such an impact on the bottom line. The degree to which each firm integrates and deploys this technology may well be the decisive measure of many competitive battles in the future. By Larry R. Harris; Harris is founder of AIcorp, Inc., an artificial intelligence software company located in Waltham, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Data center staffers stun Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1sting1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Two data center employees working at the California Assembly here were abruptly reassigned after they acted to preserve backup computer tapes that may play a role in a corruption probe that the FBI is conducting. After they learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had raided the offices of four legislators targeted by a three-year sting operation investigating influence peddling, one employee extended the retention period for back-up tapes to the legislators' office system files, and the other disobeyed an order to erase those tapes. The FBI has subpoenaed the tapes, but the assembly is battling compliance, arguing that because the data center is run by the assembly's legislative counsel, it is covered by a legal attorney-client privilege. This claim was backed up by the state's attorney general. Federal investigators want the tapes for their evidence potential. The opposing bodies are caught in an ethical and politically charged situation: Can the owner of the system actually control the data, or do the keepers of the data have a responsibility to keep it intact for truth's sake? According to legal professionals, what happened in the data center falls on both sides of the law. The day of deletions On an average day in the data center for the California legislature, 50 to 70 files are deleted. But one day, Paul Huelskamp, a systems software specialist, noticed that the system's response time slowed significantly as a result of heavy requests for file deletion. That day _ Aug. 25 _ 780 files were deleted. Before dawn, the FBI had raided four legislators' offices and taken phone logs and files on a dummy corporation it had set up to lure legislators. The request for deletions was reportedly coming from one of the four targeted offices. Two days later, after hearing of the FBI raid, Huelskamp saw the report on the system indicating the rash of deletions on the IBM CICS area on which IBM's Distributed Office Support System (Disoss) runs. He extended the two-week retention period for the 13 IBM 3480 backup cartridges to the end of the calendar year ``just in case the FBI subpoenaed backup files,'' Huelskamp said. He did not tell the FBI about the tapes, but he told his supervisor. By the end of August, Mike Parr, a data center support supervisor, was asked by his supervisor, Jon Edwards, to erase backup tapes, according to both Parr and Edwards. The tapes could possibly provide the only evidence left of what may have been files kept by legislators for either personal political campaigns _ a violation of state rules _ or for what the FBI was after in a separate investigation of corruption. Those tapes contain the Disoss office automation program running on an IBM 3081 with MVS/XA. According to Huelskamp, the tapes hold the whole Disoss database, and their primary function is disaster recovery. Edwards said he could see no reason to modify the files' regular retention period. He did not say, however, where the request originated but only that he was in the management chain that handed it down. Parr has maintained that he did not disobey the request; rather, he said, he went home to think about it. He notified the FBI of the tapes' existence. The next day, the FBI showed up with subpoenas for the tapes. According to an FBI spokesman, the data center, under instructions from Bion Gregory _ Legislative Counsel and the ultimate chief of the data center _ refused to turn the tapes over and is now attempting to quash the subpoenas. Both Huelskamp and Parr were reassigned to new jobs Oct. 3 after two weeks of administrative leave and now have no access to the computer, according to Bill Eubanks, director of the data center. Eubanks said that despite the reassignment, neither worker did anything wrong. It's a raid The FBI had set up a phony Texas Gulf shrimp company and asked for legislators' support of special loopholes and loans for that corporation in return for bribes. After nearly three years of running the operation, the FBI obtained warrants to search the four legislators' offices. Published reports indicated that aides to one of the legislators were purging files as a result of the raid. So far, no indictments have been made, but a grand jury has been taking testimony since early September. Ethical and legal questions about data ownership underlie Huelskamp and Parr's plight. ``It's as if the receptionist in a law firm gave away files on a client because she thought [the client] was doing something illegal,'' said Bob Jacobson, a computer security consultant to one of the raided legislators. Indeed, according to the California attorney general's office, the data is considered to fall under attorney-client privilege, because the data center is run out of the Legislative Counsel's office. That office declined to comment. ``What an attorney does with evidence is a classic ethical question. Generally, information is privileged,'' said Marjorie Swartz, Sacramento legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union. But that privilege may not cover all data generated by a client. ``Unless the tape is a document generated between an attorney and client, it doesn't apply,'' said Dave Rosenberg, a Sacramento laywer specializing in government and administrative law. ``You can't just have a letter, give it to your lawyer, and then claim it's privileged.'' The tapes may fall under the state's Public Records Act, which says all public documents are available to the public. But Rosenberg said there are so many exceptions to that law _ such as internal management records and anything with attorney-client privilege _ that it is not likely to apply. The attorney general's office gave no definitive answer on whether data center employees work for the state or the legislature. One law is clear on the case, according to Rosenberg: The legislative counsel had every right to erase the tapes at the time the order was issued. ``An attorney is only under that obligation if it is truly evidence in a pending case,'' he said. Huelskamp, after acting to preserve the tapes, said he thought he would be commended for it. ``It was an automatic instinct to safeguard critical data. If I didn't, they could come back later and say, `Why did you let it slip away?' '' he said. While defending Heulskamp and Parr's actions as legal, data center director Eubanks said they had no business getting involved because ``data centers historically have considered themselves custodians of clients' data.'' Huelskamp and Parr's job is not to know what is in the data but to deliver it, Eubanks added. By J.A. Savage, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Key buyers taking AS/400 Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1assurv Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: If IBM mid-range customers were voting on upgrade options today, the AS/400 would win in a landslide. A recent survey of nearly 750 System/36 and 38 users by Computerworld and International Data Corp. shows that about half of the IBM mid-range users plan to switch within 18 months to the Application System/400, IBM's new mid-range platform. The survey results, gathered in September and October, are based on responses from 742 MIS managers in shops with at least one System/36 or 38 computer. IBM has estimated that 250,000 of these systems are installed worldwide. Of the sites surveyed, 53% said they plan to upgrade their current system, while 47% said they have no immediate plans to do so. Only 12.5% said they would upgrade within the older System/36 and 38 lines. Most of the upgrading activity will take place soon, with 36.5% of the likely AS/400 buyers indicating that they plan to purchase within six months, 31% planning to make a purchase within 12 months and an additional 15.3% planning to buy within 18 months. The opinions expressed on the AS/400 come from a group with a strong IBM leaning. Of those surveyed, 77.4% reported that there are no minicomputers at their sites other than IBM systems. In addition, when asked if they are currently evaluating non-IBM minicomputers, only 8% said yes. Those heading in the AS/400 direction are doing so primarily because they see the minicomputer line as allowing for future growth. While 84% cited future growth, 75% also cited the perception that it is easy to migrate existing applications as another reason. Price was mentioned by 49.5% as a reason to switch. The other half of the surveyed group said they will not upgrade because they are satisfied with their current system. They also cited the cost of new hardware and software as reasons for not switching. A small percentage of the total group reported that they would upgrade with System/36s or 38s. There is good news for them if they are interested in buying used equipment: Nearly 82% of those users planning an AS/400 purchase said the new machine will replace their current system. That means lots of used System/36s and 38s will become available, with prices dropping below today's average. ``There'll be a nice supply of used ones, certainly,'' said Tony Membrino, a leasing analyst at International Data Corp.'s Financial Services Corp. Membrino said used System/38 prices have dipped recently, and he expects used System/36 prices to fall slightly this year, but to no great extent until 1989. Among the soon-to-be AS/400 users, there were few casting votes for the low-end B10 and B20 models. Membrino said he did not expect System/34, 36 and 38 users to want those systems because they do not offer the growth path of the higher end rack-mounted models. The B10s and B20s are being pitched to new accounts, which are not represented in the surveyed group, he added. Current System/36 users said they will be moving to the mid-range of the AS/400 line, with nearly half of them opting for the B30. System/38 users plan for the high-end AS/400s. Nearly 29% gave the B50 a nod, and 35% said they would select a top-of-the-line B60. Whatever model they chose, most users _ 72% _ are expecting to use the new mid-range as a host system. The second most often cited AS/400 role was a peer IBM mid-range system on a network of AS/400s and System/36s and 38s. By Rosemary Hamilton, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Users fret as CA eyes sol Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1ca1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: ATLANTA _ Computer Associates International, Inc. declared its intent last week to maintain two database management systems _ for now. At a users group meeting here, officials told customers of Applied Data Research, Inc., which CA acquired earlier this month, that the company will support both CA-Universe and ADR's Datacom/DB for the near term but eventually will offer a single SQL database. The net result is an announced delay of at least one month on Datacom/DB Version 8.0, which users were expecting to be released in early December. According to Dominique LaBorde, assistant vice-president of CA's database products division, the delay is necessary because ``Datacom/DB had three times the number of problems that CA found acceptable.'' To counter the problems, LaBorde said, all of the employees responsible for the developments have been reassigned to support and service. ``Over the long term, users will come to see one product,'' said LaBorde, who is in charge of bringing the two databases together. During the next few weeks, CA will begin melding the best of the two products' tools, service facilities and engines, LaBorde said. Users queried by Computerworld said that the problems were well within the range of acceptability of any software product. The delay _ along with rumors, CA's takeover reputation and an absence of information _ has bred confusion, irritation and skepticism among Datacom/DB and CA-Universe users. Eric Sokol, manager of systems development at Northwest Natural Gas Co. in Portland, Ore., said the delay has stalled a critical project at the company, which was scheduled to become a beta site for Version 8.0 next week. According to Sokol, who has not yet found out when he will receive the release, the wait could be enough impetus to bring him into IBM's DB2 fold. CA's cross-pollination process ``would be a disaster,'' said Datacom/DB user Jay Park, director of data processing at Fischer Camuto in Stamford, Conn. ``In design or concept, the two database management systems aren't even close enough to think about,'' he said. ``For marketing purposes, it may make sense, but technically it is not a good idea.'' A better idea, Park suggested, would be for CA to use the money and effort to improve the existing Datacom/DB and drop CA-Universe. Or the other way? In contrast, CA-Universe user Michael Williams, a systems and operations manager at the American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees, said he was worried that CA-Universe _ with about 250 users _ would suffer because too much attention would be given to Datacom/DB, which has 1,800 users. The first flowering of the cross-pollination will be a port of CA-Universe's Quel query management function into Datacom/DB Release 8, LaBorde said. But the multiuser facilities, the access method and the service facilities will come from Datacom/DB, he confirmed. CA's stated intentions notwithstanding, Shaku Atre, president of Atre Computer Assistance in Rye, N.Y., believes that CA has delayed Release 8.0 because it wants to put CA-Universe as the front end on top of Datacom/DB. That would allow the company to market a composite database that offers the high-volume transactions of Datacom/DB and the relational capability of CA-Universe. CA-Universe is a negligible performer but has one of the best relational interfaces on the market, said Jeffery Tash, president of Database Decisions, Inc. in Newton, Mass. George Schussel, president of Digital Consulting, Inc. in Andover, Mass., said Datacom/DB provides CA with the powerful database engine that CA-Universe lacks. However, Schussel contended that if the two were brought together, the new database would not be sufficient to compete with DB2 but could allow it to survive within the DB2 environment. Park has already felt some effects from the acquisition. According to Park, the ADR product manager responsible for his account has resigned, which hurts him because he ``will have to develop an entirely new relationship.'' By Robert Moran, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Hold those buses! Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mma Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Before the going gets any worse, the Microcomputer Managers Association (MMA) is putting its large foot down. The MMA announced Friday that its members support both the IBM Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) and the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), saying two 32-bit I/O bus standards are enough. Explaining split support for the buses, MMA Chairman Brian Livingston, a computer connectivity specialist at General Electric Consulting, a General Electric Co. subsidiary in New York, said two buses are acceptable to the MMA members because they give MIS managers a fighting chance to justify microcomputer purchase decisions to their superiors. ``Manufacturers will sell bus architectures that are advantageous for them, not us,'' Livingston said. ``We are attempting to allay the confusion.'' With Intel Corp.'s 80486-based systems about to arrive, possibly loaded with even more bus architectures, the MMA wants the industry to keep MCA compatible with MCA and keep EISA compatible with EISA. ``We know that many 486 machines will be out in 1989,'' Livingston said. ``It will be disastrous for us if any more bus [architectures] arrive.'' ``This is right in line with what we're all about,'' said Dave Browning, vice-president at large of the Capital PC User Group, based in Rockville, Md. Browning said he expects his 6,000-member group to endorse the MMA's 486 standardization effort in a Nov. 7 election. The results of the ballot will be announced at Comdex/Fall '88. Jonathan Rotenberg, president of the 30,000-member Boston Computer Society, said his organization is leery of ``jumping on the bus standard bandwagon without thinking about it.'' The MMA is based in New York and consists of more than 700 managers of micro information systems, whose firms represent over $100 million in personal computer hardware and software purchases annually. The MMA is holding its first public meeting at Comdex in Las Vegas. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Will Shearson Lehamn hatc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: shearson Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ It was unclear last week how the latest round of layoffs under way at Shearson Lehman Hutton Holdings, Inc. will affect that company's information systems group. Within the next month, Shearson will cut approximately 1,000 jobs; 200 of those cuts have already been made, a company executive said. Since the Oct. 19, 1987, stock market crash, many MIS professionals in the Wall Street area have found themselves without employment. Many are still looking, according to job placement centers in the area [CW, Oct. 17]. The cuts in turn left MIS at some companies unable to complete planned cost-savings projects, according to managers recently interviewed by Computerworld. Richard F. Morrison, a Shearson senior executive vice-president and director of information services and securities operations, declined to comment on how the layoffs might impact the information systems group but said there had been no layoffs within that group as of last week. A spokesman for the brokerage firm said the only thing definite about the layoffs is the number of employees to be let go. ``Nothing else has been specified along functional or geographic lines,'' he said. Under the knife ``You'll probably see cuts in a number of areas, which could take into account data processing and other systems areas,'' said John Kriz, assistant vice-president at Moody's Investors Service. One area that is likely to go through the cuts unscathed will be the company's mergers and acquisitions group, analysts predicted. ``The volume of business is down everywhere with the exception of mergers and acquisitions,'' said Brenda Davis McCoy, an analyst at Paine Webber. The Shearson spokesman said the 1,000 layoffs within the 40,000-employee firm are attributable to several factors, including last year's market crash, the merger of E. F. Hutton & Co. and Shearson Lehman earlier this year and the firm's third-quarter performance, which was off by 85%, he said. By Alan J. Ryan, CW staff <<<>>> Title : DEC goes two steps furthe Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: decnew Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: BOSTON _ Penning yet another chapter in its desktop strategy, Digital Equipment Corp. last week signed a joint development agreement with microcomputer database vendor Ashton-Tate Corp. and introduced a local-area network server package. As part of the agreement, Ashton-Tate said it will develop DEC VAX/VMS and Ultrix versions of its Dbase database software and work with DEC to link Dbase to DEC's RDB relational database program. The VAX versions will be the first Dbase offered for multiuser computers, although a LAN version is currently available. In addition, Ashton-Tate said its long-anticipated Dbase IV is now shipping (see story above). Ashton-Tate will create a character-based Dbase for VAX users with VT terminals and a graphics-based Dbase version for workstations using DEC Windows and the X/User Interface. ``All applications written using Dbase/III Plus or Dbase IV will be compatible with Dbase running under either VAX/VMS or Ultrix,'' said Ed Esber, chairman and chief executive officer of Ashton-Tate. No timetable was given. Esber said studies have shown that four out of five Fortune 500 companies have VAX machines as well as personal computers running Dbase. ``DEC's job is to network PCs,'' DEC president Ken Olsen said. In the past year, DEC has announced desktop alliances with vendors that include Apple Computer, Inc., Compaq Computer Corp., Tandy Corp. and Olivetti USA. `Fair price' DEC's server, called the PClan/ Server 2000, is based on its Microvax 2000 processor and VAX/VMS services for Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS and runs under VMS Version 5.0. DEC priced the server, which can support from 8 to 30 users, at $18,800. ``The price is substantial but not outrageous,'' said Alex Kalpaxis, vice-president of the microcomputer systems development group at Banker's Trust Co. in New York. DEC claimed its PClan/ Server offers between 13% and 30% better performance than Novell, Inc.'s System Fault Tolerant Netware running on a server using Intel Corp.'s 80386 microprocessor. Efforts to obtain a response from Novell were unsuccessful. ``If you get better performance, we would look at it,'' said Kalpaxis, who currently uses 80386-based servers running Novell's Netware. Kalpaxis said most of his LANs have 15 to 20 nodes. He said the single-quantity price for his servers with software included is about $11,000, substantially less than the price of the PClan/Server 2000. ``A big problem with the Vaxstation 2000 is that you can't do record locking across the environment. Novell provides that. DEC can lock files, but we need record locking,'' Kalpaxis said. Another DEC user, David Renaud at Grinnell Reinsurance Co. in Grinnell, Iowa, said, ``The security issue, at least architecturally, is very important. DEC traditionally pays a great deal of attention to security and does an excellent job of it.'' However, Renaud said his firm would have little interest in using the server, which he said would be most appealing to small firms desiring to start small and grow in small increments. ``I would rather spend more money and make a bigger technological jump,'' he said. DEC claimed the PClan/ Server 2000 is ``as easy to install and use as a stereo system.'' A LAN based on the system is expandable and can connect to a second LAN transparently. DEC officials said the Ashton-Tate agreement is consistent with a series of agreements DEC has reached recently with well-known software vendors such as Oracle Corp., Relational Technology, Inc. and Computer Associates International, Inc.. ``We want to have RDB as the back end, whatever the front end is, whether Ingres or Dbase,'' said Henry Ancona, a DEC vice-president. By Stanley Gibson, CW staff <<<>>> Title : infringement suit from a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: jjcmi1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: infringement suit from a competitor. What Conner saw were the pluses: a Singapore production plant, $35 million in cash and the chance to become a hero if he could turn it around. ``They probably thought my reputation and contacts would change things,'' he said. ``But reputation is only worth about $5 in this industry.'' In June 1986, CMI ceased all disk drive operations. At that point, ``they tried to go Hollywood,'' Katzive said. CMI attempted to merge with Hemdale Films, a distributor for The Terminator and Platoon. However, the deal fell through. About eight months ago, Sun Equities purchased CMI. What its plans are for the company remain unknown. <<<>>> Title : SQL Server delay is denie Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: sqllate Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A pivotal database management system product from Microsoft Corp. and Ashton-Tate Corp. may not make its year-end deadline and instead could ship in early 1989, company officials conceded last week. The shipment schedule was tossed up in the air by the ill-chosen words attributed to a Sybase, Inc. official. At a securities analysts' gathering two weeks ago, Sybase Vice-President of Marketing Stewart Schuster said production units of SQL Server will not ship until the first quarter of next year, two witnesses said. Sybase is developing the product for resale by Ashton-Tate and Microsoft. The story became murky due to miscommunications and misunderstandings among the three vendors responsible for the product. News of the remark touched off a series of denials from all three vendors, which maintained that SQL Server is on schedule and that Schuster must have been misinterpreted. Schuster said he does not recall making any such statement and that Sybase is not responsible for announcing the delivery schedule. However, Ashton-Tate Chairman Ed Esber confirmed the Schuster comment in a private interview Monday. ``I believe that Sybase has announced at the Alex Brown Conference that SQL Server will not ship this year, but in the first quarter of next year,'' Esber said. Asked about Sybase denials, Esber said, ``I was there, and I heard what everybody else heard.'' In an apparently unrelated announcement, Esber said Ashton-Tate's Dbase IV 1.1, which will work with SQL Server, will be delayed until next spring (see story page 4). Sticking to their guns Despite the controversy and private admissions from all three vendors that the product may well slip, the principals are sticking to the official year-end ship date. ``As far as Sybase is concerned, the product will be ready for general release by the end of the year,'' Schuster said. But as with any large software project, there is always the possibility of slippage, he admitted. ``We are either going to make it or miss it by a little bit,'' Schuster said. For major projects such as this, ``most dates are usually missed,'' he added. According to sources close to the project, the firms involved still cannot predict with precision when SQL Server will ship and report that if it does slip, it will only slip a month or two. The possibility remains that the firms will make the year-end deadline. ``Our goal is to have it out by year's end,'' said David Kaplan, Microsoft's product manager for SQL Server, who echoed the official positions of the other two vendors. The possibility of delay should have little impact on both corporate and commercial developers, who will begin to receive the $1,995 Network Developers' Kit that contains SQL Server and Microsoft LAN Manager beta code later this week. By Douglas Barney, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Inside Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 51blurb Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Inside Lachman announces LAN-ISDN gateway. Page 53. Northern eyes ISDN, OSI for net tool. Page 53. Applitek comes out with broadband and fiber-optic LAN products. Page 58. <<<>>> Title : The goals in choosing the Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: harris4 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The goals in choosing the first AI application will be different from all subsequent applications. The primary goal initially is to become as comfortable with the technology as possible, and to learn to use whatever AI tool you have chosen. Once these two goals have been accomplished, you will be ready to proceed on building subsequent applications that will deliver a significant return on investment. Much more has been written about selecting the first application than the second. But in many ways picking the first application is easier, since it is nearly risk-free. Pick a simple application for the first one. It's important to pick an application that requires not only straightforward judgment, but one that has a nonobvious procedural solution. Otherwise, it will be hard to show the real benefit of the AI technology. You will want to be become familiar with backward chaining, forward chaining and hypothetical reasoning as soon as possible (see story page XX). The first application should probably implement forward chaining, since this is where the fundamental benefits of AI will be most apparent. Besides, it is easiest to learn backward chaining and hypothetical reasoning from a forward-chaining background. Finally, the application should obviously be a low-profile, noncritical application that you can afford to fail safely on. The goal of the first aplication is technology transfer, not return on investment. Therefore, the payback of the application is not an issue. The second application The going begins to get rougher in the second applications, which should have higher visibility and an associated higher payback. Such applications are not risk-free, so they need careful consideration. Many people select an internal DP application to minimize the risk to the company. But it's rare for a DP application to provide even a fraction of the payback of a corporate application that's closer to the heart of the business. It's preferable to look for applications outside DP for which the judgmental rules have already been written down. This is an important distinction because it differs from what most people think of an expert system. While one important use of this technology is to clone the skills of a world class expert, that's by no means the only use, nor is it necessarily even the highest payback use. Much more common are applications where the ``expertise'' or rules exist in the form of a policy manual. The American Express authorizer's assistant is a classic example of such an application, as well as several insurance underwriting applications that have been written. There are two major advantages of choosing a ``corporate policy'' application as your second application as opposed to a true expert system. First, it sidesteps the tricky and expensive knowledge acquisition phase of determining exactly what the rules are, thereby substantially reducing the risk. Second, it provides a reasonably precise, fixed target to test results against. An expert, on the other hand, typically provides a somewhat fuzzy moving target to work with. Furthermore, there is an implicit distinction in the expectation of the project. Working with the expert, you will be expected to get all the answers right. When working with an existing corporate policy, the goal is to implement the policy, as it exists. To the degree the policy doesn't give the ``right'' answer, it is not generally within the domain of the project to alter the policy. This is often a far more achievable goal. In fact, it is a significant accomplishment to find these omissions in the current policy. Another mistake to avoid is simplifying the second application by reducing its depth. It's better to reduce complexity by reducing breadth; that is, to apply judgment only for certain lines of business or certain products, but doing a thorough job on those segments that are covered. The problem with the shallow approach is that the final result may not be very impressive and people won't easily grasp its limitations. By restricting breadth, the application can display first-rate judgment in its area of expertise and users can easily understand where the limits of its expertise lie. Furthermore, it's easy to add new lines of business or products later, while keeping the old rules intact. Extending a shallow system almost always requires a complete rewrite. The other important goal of the second application is learning to integrate your AI tool within your existing environment. Since this is often where problems arise and delays creep in, complete the following four tests before committing externally to a delivery date for the second application: All required database interfaces have been tested. All required transaction processing monitor interfaces have been tested. All required callability facilities have been tested. The prototype for the application has been completed. Having successfully passed all of the above check points, it's feasible to proceed with a reasonable expectation of success. Problems in any one of these vital areas may be insurmountable in terms of actually fielding the application. Note that the testing done for the first ``toy'' application may not be sufficient for the needs of the second, ultimately production application. Recognizing an AI application when you see one isn't so hard after you get used to it. The important thing to understand is that this technology has opened some new doors to mission-critical corporate applications that couldn't realistically have been done before. And, as is the case with any enabling technology, in the early days there are ``easy wins'' out there _ applications whose payback tremendously outweighs their cost, given the new technology. Finding those easy wins and solving them is what the excitement in AI is all about. It's rare that a technology emerges with potential for such a profound impact on the bottom line. The degree to which each company integrates and deploys this technology may well be the decisive issue of many competitive battles in the near future. <<<>>> Title : Lotus stockholder sues Af Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: short103 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Lotus stockholder sues After losing $3,669 from price declines of Lotus stock, Matthew J. Berliner decided to get even. Claiming to represent thousands of stockholders, Berliner recently filed a class action suit in U.S. District Court in Boston against Lotus Development Corp., accusing top officials of fraud. According to the suit, Lotus officials misrepresented the ship date of 1-2-3 Release 3.0 and then sold portions of their stock before news of delays dramatically pushed its price down. Lotus attorney Hank Gutman called the allegations ``baseless.'' Congress extends R&D tax credit Before adjourning for the election campaign, the U.S. Congress passed a tax bill that extends for another year the 20% tax credit for research and development expenditures. The R&D credit was slated to expire Dec. 31, but the new tax law continues the credit until Dec. 31, 1989, and directs the U.S. General Accounting Office to study ways to make it more effective. Judge steps out of crossfire Embattled federal Judge Robert Aguilar has stepped down as the presiding magistrate over Apple Computer, Inc.'s copyright infringement case against Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Apple tried to have Aguilar taken off the case when it was discovered that his son is an HP employee. Aguilar has also been the subject of a federal investigation regarding a $10,000 loan he received from a convicted felon. The case has been transferred to federal Judge William Schwarzer in San Francisco. Lessor files for bankruptcy The independent leasing industry shake-out claimed a prominent victim recently when Unicom Computer Corp. in Sausalito, Calif., filed for Chapter 11 protection under federal bankruptcy laws with the intent of exiting the business. Unicom's founder and chief executive officer, Robert A. Gulko, served as chairman of the Computer Dealers and Lessors Association for the past year. Gulko said Unicom failed to recover from longtime customer Firemen's Fund Insurance's failure to renew its three-year lease for 5,400 IBM 3180 terminals; it opted to purchase IBM 3192 terminals from IBM instead. ``We exercised some bad judgment, with too much concentration of one type of machine with one customer,'' Gulko said. Sun stock splits Sun Microsystems, Inc. declared the company's first stock split at the annual stockholders' meeting Thursday. The 2-for-1 split will be issued on or about Dec. 20 to holders of record as of Nov. 28. The company has approximately 41 million common or common-equivalent shares outstanding. Scott McNealy, Sun's president, said his firm made the move because it wants to attract ``a slightly more stable roster of owners'' _ meaning small, individual investors _ in hopes of avoiding some of the recent volatility in its shares, which McNealy blamed on large institutional owners. HP licenses Apollo link Hewlett-Packard Co. has licensed Apollo Computer, Inc.'s Network Computing System (NCS) and is evaluating how to add it to HP Unix-based systems. NCS links multivendor hardware in a network. It has been submitted by Apollo to the Open Software Foundation, and IBM last month said it is planning to incorporate it into its AIX operating system. National Semi plans IBM support At the National Semiconductor Corp. shareholders' meeting Friday, David Martin, president of the National Advanced Systems subsidiary, said the plug-compatible mainframe vendor plans to support IBM's MVS/ESA with shipments in the third quarter of 1989. ET <<<>>> Title : Cray revenue slips Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: craynew3 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: MINNEAPOLIS _ Wall Street lowered its sights on high-flying Cray Research, Inc. last week, largely on the basis of third-quarter earnings that were lower than expected. Analysts briefed during a 90-minute teleconference Tuesday said the $687 million company must install 27 more supercomputers to reach its 1988 goal of 10% revenue growth. Quarterly earnings announced last week were $22.6 million on revenue of $145.2 million, down from $36.1 million in earnings on revenue of $184.6 million last year. Other doubts were raised by reports of chip failures in the newly installed Cray Y-MP supercomputer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ames Research Laboratory and cooling problems in the Cray-3 machine, which is still under development. Cray disclosed that it had to spend $10 million more than expected to redesign the Cray-3's cooling system, replacing many of its gallium arsenide chips. While conceding to the redesign of some circuitry in the Cray-3, a spokesman termed the reputed problem ``silly'' and said the problems at Ames were not unusual in a first installation. ``We don't have a system running yet on which we would be able to test the status of the cooling system,'' said John Swenson of Cray. He said the firm is engaged in its fourth revision of the circuitry: ``The revision is not a problem necessarily, although it certainly was expensive, but it had nothing to do with cooling.'' The expense of that revision was coupled with a low shipment rate during the quarter just ended, Cray Chairman John Rollwagen disclosed in a statement last week. ``Due to the availability of new products and to customers' schedules, a disproportionate share of the year's installations will occur in the fourth quarter,'' Rollwagen said. ``If we achieve that level of acceptance, revenue for the year should be very close to 10% over last year.'' Cray shipped 36 systems in the last nine months, including eight machines during the quarter ended Sept. 30. Transition time Financial performance is being affected by the product transition Cray is now going through, said Jeffry Canin, a senior technology analyst with Hambrecht & Quist, Inc. in San Francisco. ``Cray is quite confident that the Y-MP has no abnormal problems but it's just being rolled out,'' Canin said. ``Meanwhile, they're having to spend more money on the Cray-3 than they planned.'' At the same time, there is a trend toward leasing and trade-ins. ``People are trading in their Cray-1s to get a Cray Y-MP, and that means $17.5 million in revenue for Cray instead of $20 million,'' said Roger Redmond, vice-president and technology analyst at Piper, Jaffray & Hopwood, Inc. in Minneapolis. Others are leasing while they wait for new machines, he said. Analysts said Cray plans to deliver a Y-MP extension and a new version of the Cray-2 by 1991. The firm has not given a definite Cray-3 ship date. By Jean S. Bozman, CW staff <<<>>> Title : CIM duo faces DEC/Allen-B Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cimlink Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Stratus Computer, Inc. and Motorola Computer X, Inc., a subsidiary of Motorola, Inc., will put their systems together to challenge the recent DEC/Allen-Bradley partnership in the computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) arena, the two companies said. Stratus and Motorola last week announced a jointly developed CIM platform that will combine Stratus' XA2000 Continuous Processing System and Computer X's CX system. The platform will extend from business hosts down to factory floor devices and will accommodate a range of vendors' equipment, according to John Hughes, Computer X director of field operations. The vendors compared their ``open system'' to Pyramid Integrator, a recently announced Allen-Bradley Co. product that interfaces that firm's cell controllers with Digital Equipment Corp. hosts [CW, Oct. 10]. However, the Stratus-CX platform is likely to come up against the CIM platforms of industry leaders DEC, IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co., according to Anthony Friscia, president of Advanced Manufacturing Research, Inc., a market research firm in Salem, Mass. While neither Stratus nor Computer X holds a large share of the CIM market, combining their systems could strengthen their ability to win customers with specialized CIM needs, Friscia said. Stratus' fault-tolerant XA2000 system will attract customers with special reliability needs, while Computer X's Unix-based system will provide the standards support that customers demand from everyone except the big players, he added. Supports many vendors Motorola's CX system monitors and controls the work of different factory floor cells through interfaces to a variety of vendors' cell controllers, Hughes said. The product supports Gould, Inc.'s Modbus, Allen-Bradley's Datahighway and the Motorola VMEbus, which is used by approximately 200 vendors, according to Motorola figures. Stratus' XA2000 is said to provide a single-systems view across the manufacturing plant, with links to engineering and design workstations as well as to IBM hosts. The computer supports Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Network File System, Apollo Computer, Inc.'s Network Control System and the full gamut of IBM Systems Network Architecture, according to Ross Trenholm, Stratus manufacturing industry manager. The XA2000 also supports IBM Personal Computers and Personal System/2s and Apple Computer, Inc. Macintoshes. Motorola and Stratus have linked their systems via Ethernet and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and jointly developed communications software. The resulting platform can be used by systems integrators and large end users to develop tailored CIM environments, which extend from the IBM business host all the way down to factory floor devices, Trenholm said. For example, Fort Wayne, Ind., systems integrator SBI Corp. is currently implementing the platform at a Massachusetts-based manufacturing plant. The company is using it as a way to ``control the whole plant floor, perform scheduling, get materials there and get the right information to the right place at the right time, which is what CIM is all about,'' SBI President George Mendenhall said. The platform will support Manufacturing Automation Protocol 3.0 specifications, such as Manufacturing Message Service, as they become available, according to Motorola's Hughes. The Stratus-CX platform, including the Ethernet link and documentation for interprocess communications across the two systems, is available now. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Drumming up DRAM support Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: dram2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: MENLO PARK, Calif. _ Systems vendors are hungry for memory chips _ but apparently not hungry enough to cooperate in a joint venture to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant intended to reduce reliance on Japanese suppliers. Plans to establish a start-up firm to manufacture dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips are close to falling by the wayside, according to Pierre Lamond, a partner at Sequoia Capital and the originator of the idea for a U.S. DRAM start-up. Negotiations between two venture capital firms and some of the industry's leading computer manufacturers are going nowhere after five months, Lamond said. If an agreement cannot be reached by the end of this week, he added, he will drop the plan. Home-team advantage The start-up would be called Megaram and would manufacture 1M-bit memory chips domestically. Establishing such a venture would be the first cooperative action computer manufacturers have taken against Japanese dominance in the DRAM market. Victor di Dios, a semiconductor industry analyst at Dataquest, Inc., said a cooperative venture like the proposed Megaram would face a number of formidable obstacles, such as allocation of its products and confidentiality of the partners' system product plans. Such a venture would be complicated, he added; ``You have to get all the parties involved to agree on a set of rules to exist in.'' According to Dataquest figures, Japan supplies nearly all of the 1M-bit DRAM chips used by U.S. computer manufacturers and about 65% of the 256K-bit DRAM chips. Demand reportedly is rapidly moving from 256K- to 1M-bit DRAM chips. Dataquest estimates that the worldwide market for DRAM will reach $5.7 billion this year. Texas Instruments, Inc. and Micron Technology, Inc. in Boise, Idaho, are the only U.S. manufacturers of DRAM chips. Lamond, a cofounder of National Semiconductor Corp., began work on the plan in June, first hiring an engineering firm to design the chip. Once the design was complete, Lamond shopped it to leading systems vendors. He also joined forces with Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byer, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that is a lead investor in Sun Microsystems, Inc. John Doerr, a partner with Kleiner Perkins who sits on Sun's board of directors, could not be reached for comment. Lamond said the design was received favorably by a number of systems manufacturers, which he declined to name. Reportedly, Sun, Apple Computer, Inc. and Compaq Computer Corp. have taken part in negotiations. However, representatives of all three companies declined to comment on any discussions that may have taken place. First things first ``A number of corporations reviewed the design and did extensive evaluations of it,'' Lamond said. ``It was approved by all of them. That was Step 1: Getting a working part.'' After obtaining approval for the design, Lamond and representatives from Kleiner Perkins began negotiations with the systems companies in hopes of obtaining three or four corporate partners. Under the plan, Sequoia Systems, Inc. and Kleiner Perkins would seed the venture, while the systems houses would guarantee the leases for costly capital equipment. The computer manufacturers, in turn, would get first crack at the DRAM chips. If the leases were guaranteed _ meaning that the systems vendors would assume the liability should Megaram default _ the start-up could avoid hefty deposits on equipment. Typically, deposits run between 25% and 40% of the total cost of the equipment, Lamond said. ``Much of the funding would have to come from the customers,'' he explained. ``It's too costly for the venture capitalists to foot the whole bill. ``We have been talking and talking, and I'm tired of talking,'' Lamond continued. ``I can't force them to do this. The deal doesn't seem like it's going to fly at this stage.'' Computer manufacturers have been vocal about the squeeze they say they are feeling because of the high price of DRAM chips. Many manufacturers have been forced to raise prices on both microcomputers and add-in boards; others have had to delay the introduction of new products. In a recent interview, the DRAM situation was termed ``ugly'' by Sun Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Scott McNealy. ``Ninety percent of all the management issues brought to my office have their root cause in the DRAM shortage,'' McNealy said, adding that he does not expect U.S. companies to contribute to the supply any time soon. Sun was forced to raise prices on its systems 6% to 14%. Tandy Corp. was forced to introduce a line of new personal computers with a price tag $100 higher than originally anticipated because of the high price for DRAM chips. ``The Japanese right now have us where they want us,'' said Ed Juge, Tandy director of product development. ``The prices they set are the prices we have to pay.'' By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : HP: Both sides now Author : J.A. Savage Source : CW Comm FileName: hplaser1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: BOISE, Idaho _ Offering a way to laser-print two-sided documents _ but at twice the speed of one-sided printing _ Hewlett-Packard Co. recently unveiled its Laserjet IID printer. While offering the capability to load twice as much paper as HP's Laserjet II as well as an option to feed and sort envelopes and pages to facilitate mailing, the cost of the two-sided printer is significantly more than that of the popular Laserjet II. The Laserjet II, which has gone through a recent price increase, now costs $2,695. HP officials said the Laserjet IID is initially priced at $4,295. The desktop printer runs a page through one printing side and then automatically turns it over to print the other side. In single-side mode, the printer processes 8 page/min, the same as the earlier model. Double-sided printing processes about 4 page/min, according to a company spokeswoman. The Laserjet IID's two paper trays reportedly hold up to 400 sheets, allowing two different sizes of paper to be used at the same time. The optional envelope feeder is a third input tray. According to the company, the printer can pull paper consecutively from both trays and the envelope feeder. The envelope option is priced at $350. J. A. SAVAGE <<<>>> Title : Cray down, Amdahl up in e Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ern2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The poet who said ``less is more'' could have simply reversed the words and raised another bumper crop of bumper stickers last week, as the continuing rollout of computer company third-quarter earnings displayed hard times in the mainframe market and muddle in the middle. One of the biggest firms suffered one of the hardest falls: Supercomputer leader Cray Research, Inc., hard-hit by problems with its latest megamodels, saw third-quarter revenue drop 21% to $145.2 million, while profits fell 37% to $22.6 million (see story page 6). Only by comparison does Control Data Corp.'s 1% rise in third-quarter revenue _ from $831.4 million in last year's comparable quarter to $841.4 million _ look encouraging. But the firm reported a net loss of $2.4 million for the quarter, and CDC has already warned that fourth-quarter revenue is expected to come in below its original estimate. The large-systems market was no kinder to Storage Technology Corp., whose quarterly revenue showed a 7% increase over last year's comparable quarter, with net income down 77% to $752,000. Storage Tek was saved from an even scantier profit performance by the inclusion of $748,000, which was the result of a second-quarter restatement triggered by erroneously recorded sales by a foreign subsidiary. Bucking the trend, however, Amdahl Corp. logged a 28% revenue increase to $464.7 million for the quarter closed Sept. 30 and saw its net income soar 45% to $53.4 million. ``Demand strengthened as the third quarter progressed,'' said Amdahl Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John C. Lewis in a prepared statement, ``and we expect that momentum to continue through year's end.'' No great loss Meanwhile, in the minicomputer market, Data General Corp.'s report for its fourth quarter and year ended Sept. 24 showed the company's net operating loss significantly reduced from $60.4 million in fiscal 1987 to $5.9 million in 1988. DG's fourth-quarter net loss of $49.8 million, however, outstripped 1987's fourth-quarter loss of $24.6 million. A previously announced $48.7 million restructuring charge threw the company into the net-loss column for fiscal 1988, overbalancing $42.8 million in operating income. In 1987, a restructuring charge of $53.8 million dragged a $6.6 million annual net operating loss into extra digits. The company logged a 7% increase in revenue for the year, from $1.27 billion to $1.36 billion, and a 3% revenue increase for the quarter, from $332.3 million to $341.5 million. Modest revenue gains and a continued torrent of red ink notwithstanding, DG Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Ronald Skates waxed optimistic. Citing year-to-year improvement across the board and affirming that the company is still on target with its vaunted program to launch a new computer system based on emergent Motorola, Inc. superspeed chip technology, Skates voiced confidence that ``Data General is well-positioned for the future.'' Prime Computer, Inc. CEO Joe M. Henson credited cost savings related to the company's Computervision Corp. merger as benefiting Prime's third-quarter earnings. However, net income for the third quarter declined 26%, and, strikingly, both the $391.4 million sales figure _ a 66% increase _ and profits for the recently closed quarter were computed from a 1987 base that did not include the results of Computervision performance. By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Net/One gets LAN Manager Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ub Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The momentum just keeps building. Following right on the heels of declarations of support from the two leading minicomputer makers and licensing agreements with at least 40 vendors, Microsoft Corp.'s OS/2 LAN Manager last week got the nod from a second network operating system. Ungermann-Bass, Inc. unveiled its OS/2 port, Net/One MS OS/2 LAN Manager, said to enable IBM and Microsoft OS/2- and Microsoft MS-DOS-based workstations _ both personal computers and IBM Personal System/2s _ to access OS/2 server resources on Ethernet or token-ring networks. Available this quarter, the LAN Manager software costs $2,995 per server for an unlimited number of users. The Entry Level System, a starter package supporting up to five concurrent connections, costs $995 per server. Earlier this month, LAN Manager co-developer 3Com Corp. shipped 3+Open, its LAN Manager-based network operating system. One major difference between the two products appears to be their support for the DOS requester under LAN Manager, which 3Com said it developed. There are two versions: 3Com works with the standard version, which supports server message block, but will upgrade to the newer version supported by UB, which works with Named Pipes. MCA cards UB also introduced two intelligent adapter cards that support IBM's Micro Channel Architecture: the NIUPS, which reportedly connects PS/2s and servers to an Ethernet network running either the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or Xerox Corp. Xerox Network Systems protocols; and the NIUPS/TR, which links PS/2s to token-ring networks. Both adapters support OS/2, MS-DOS and IBM PC-DOS, as well as IBM Netbios-based applications. Servers running this software support LAN Manager processes such as user-to-user messaging, Named Pipes, Mail Slots, Interprocess Communication and remote program execution. Available immediately, the cards carry a price tag of $1,095 each. ``The NIUPS frees PS/2s . . . by offloading tasks such as protocol processing from the workstation's processor, [which allows] users to run larger, more complex programs,'' UB Vice-President Michael Gardner said. Taking a similar approach to 3Com's, workstations running Net/One PC _ UB's first-generation operating system based on Microsoft Networks protocols _ reportedly can share resources on OS/2-based LAN Manager servers without modification. Features of the LAN Manager-based version of the Net/One software include server-based file security, administration tools, print spooling and support for server message block. The NIUPS cards also emulate Digital Communications Associates, Inc.'s Irma card and IBM's 3278 Coaxial Adapter. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Wang spruces up image sys Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: free Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Taking the traditional executive desk top back to its future, Wang Laboratories, Inc. will introduce its Freestyle product this week in New York. The offering claims to allow basic note-taking and voice recording to be stored via an electronic pencil, tablet or telephone handset on IBM Personal Computer ATs and compatibles. According to product literature, Freestyle works by capturing a snapshot-like picture of the PC screen, which can then be annotated by writing with the pencil and tablet, typed into with the PC keyboard or spoken to using the telephone handset. Freestyle communicates with other Freestyle products and is compatible with the Wang Integrated Image Systems installation, which the company is promoting to recapture its formerly dominant business system position. The product is icon-oriented, using symbols of staplers and printers for executives to attach related notes, phone calls or documents to each other. An added option, a telephone handset, can record voice data and play back the message while simultaneously allowing the receiver to view the message on the PC screen. The product's software runs on the Wang PC 200 and 300 series in addition to standard PCs. It requires a hard-disk system and DOS 3.2 or 3.3. A minimum of 640K bytes of system memory for the standard-resolution monitor system is required as well as another 512K bytes for the high-resolution monitor. The writing tablet also requires a special controller card. An optional telephone provided by Wang plugs into microphone and headset inputs on the voice card. John Dunkle, vice-president of the Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based market research organization that was briefed by Wang on its system, summarized Freestyle by saying, ``More of the same from Wang.'' By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Only when needed Author : David Hillis Source : CW Comm FileName: hillisle Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Regarding your article on electronic data interchange [CW, Sept. 5], you state, ``Ironically, it is budget cuts _ in the face of increasing work loads _ that are forcing the move toward EDI at federal agencies. . . . '' The fact of the matter is that productivity growth rates are inversely related to revenue/budget growth rates, and there is nothing ironic about the matter. The problem stems from the human nature of being lazy whenever resources are plentiful and only being prudent when things either become a mess or such a well-developed trend becomes apparent. The problem often results in lower sales or profits in the next quarter and can sometimes result in the demise of a venture. At the federal level, budgets had soared out of control, and the enormous resources being spent were not paying off as they should due to extremely poor efficiency in government spending (defense, energy and so on). Investors finally woke up from their Reagan dreamworld and saw the crumbling economic foundation. Productivity has always increased in recessions and will always decrease overall (at least in terms of the growth rate) in times of expansion. Just as in the best of companies in the U.S., it is not surprising to find that the U.S. Customs Agency is leading the way in productivity improvement. David Hillis <<<>>> Title : Poor IBM Author : Teresia Arthur Source : CW Comm FileName: artlet Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: I would like to compliment your newspaper on its wide variety of companies and the product lines it covers. But as I read further into the articles, I find them all stalking IBM, with no kind words to say about any of the firm's products. I cannot help but think the authors are not reporting objectively. Please be more objective and open-minded when reporting on happenings in the computer industry. P.S. I don't work for IBM. Teresia Arthur Cary, N. C. <<<>>> Title : This week in history Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: histry Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Oct. 30, 1978 IBM combines the latest 32K-bit 600-nsec memory technology with enhanced bipolar logic circuits and previously unavailable unbundled operating software to create the System/38 _ a general-purpose computer said to provide an upward expansion path for IBM System/3 and System/34 users. Oct. 31, 1983 Both IBM and Western Electric Co. disclose plans for developing local-area networks. IBM displays its much-ballyhooed Token-Ring network at an international telecommunications conference in Geneva but refuses to say if it will be offered commercially. Western Electric says it will begin marketing a LAN developed by Bell Laboratories in January 1984 to telephone operating companies that will, in turn, sell it to end users. <<<>>> Title : What the organizational c Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cohn4 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: MICHAEL COHN In the lower ranks of the MIS world, sorting out job titles is a nearly impossible task. Some folks are called Analysts. Some are called Programmers. Some are called Engineers. None of them has window offices. A layman quickly gets lost, even with a copy of this morning's already-out-of-date organizational chart. So I have listed _ from lowest to highest in order of prestige _ and described the 10 most commonly used job titles in a data processing shop. A truly experienced high-tech professional has held five or even six of these positions . . . usually all at the same time. The name game 10. Programmer. This person holds the lowest rank in the DP field. Manages no one. Answers to everyone. Approximately 50% of the Programmer's time is scheduled for documentation. Another 50% is scheduled for testing. Another 50% is spent filling out time cards and progress reports. Any time left over is spent attending classes on technologies that will never be used in the shop. The Programmer is appraised on code quality and reliability. Never has time to write any. Hopes to, someday, be promoted to Systems Analyst. 9. Systems Analyst. The Systems Analyst refuses to code anymore. Designs new systems. Writes specs for new systems. Devises procedures and work flows for new systems but ends up training users on how to get by with the old ones. Next in line for Team Leader position. 8. Team Leader. A Team Leader manages one project. Doesn't know why he's not called Project Leader; that's what he has on his resume. 7. Project Leader. Manages several projects at once. Analyzes Gantt charts from the Team Leaders' projects. Coordinates schedules from the Team Leaders' projects. Monitors deliverables from the Team Leaders' projects. Has absolutely no idea what any of the Team Leaders' projects are about. Wants to be a programmer again. 6. Operator. The Operator wields powers that the Project Leader can only dream about. Makes Programmers beg for tape drives. Makes Analysts beg for disk space. Makes Team Leaders beg for printouts. Has an uncanny understanding of career potential in the data processing industry. Going to law school at night. 5. Systems Programmer. Even an Operator wants to be a Systems Programmer. A Systems Programmer has the authority to wipe out disk packs without warning. Crash the system during user demos. Make new releases appear, then disappear, then reappear again, especially during month-end processing. A Programmer will grow old, retire and move to Florida while waiting for his password to be reinstated. The System Programmer never has to meet with the users. Never meets with Programmers. Never meets with Managers. Wants to get rid of the DBA. 4. DBA. No one really knows what the Database Administrator does, and no one is smart enough to know if the DBA is doing it or not. But every shop must have one DBA, because no place can afford two of them. 3. Manager. The Manager is sometimes called a Director. Or an Assistant Vice-President. Or an Account Manager. Has completely lost touch with any facsimile of technology. Wants to finish next year's budget. Wants to finish last year's appraisals. Wants to learn the names of some of the Programmers. But instead, only has time to interview job applicants, especially DBAs. 2. Department Secretary. The Programmers have word processing. The Managers have electronic mail. Everyone has automatic phone messaging. This leaves the Department Secretary with all kinds of time to manipulate, control and dispense the three most basic employee needs: paychecks, rumors and supplies. Can make the copier self-destruct just by going to lunch. 1. Contract Programmer. A Contract Programmer doesn't have to wear a nice suit. Or go to meetings. Or fill out time cards. Or keep complaints to himself. He can make all the mistakes he wants. He doesn't get benefits. He doesn't get training. He doesn't get respect. But after years in the trenches, the Contract Programmer will finally achieve the ultimate goal in the profession: He will be able to make impossible deadlines with inadequate resources for desperate managers by putting in all kinds of extra hours . . . and will be paid overtime for every one of them. By Michael Cohn; Cohn is a quality assurance representative based in Atlanta <<<>>> Title : Change and change again a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: dorn1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: PHILIP DORN IBM now makes detailed announcements of its organizational restructuring to the press and Wall Street securities analysts. The changes are greeted with a mixture of solemn and awed expressions. Lengthy articles analyzing the ramifications of each change appear in print. Few people say much about the announcements, other than to recap IBM's official statement. Instant apathy If the truth be known, most customers could care less. If the account's sales and support teams remain intact, who really notices the divisional initials beside someone's name? If the reorganizations were just theoretical exercises to amuse corporate headquarters or just one of those gyrations that employees of large corporations periodically endure, few in the IBM user community would need to care. Unfortunately, the side effects of continuous change at such a dominant vendor can be quite serious. For users, it means starting over all the time with new IBM field staff. Inside IBM, it means marketers waste endless hours trying to figure out whom they are working for this month, often forgetting about the customers' needs that they are supposed to be satisfying. IBM's field marketing force is beginning to think Armonk is in the grip of mad structural theorists who cannot stop themselves from drawing and redrawing organizational charts. What is the effect of such wholesale job shifting? Experts in standard commercial software find themselves in scientific marketing. Former internationalists who spent years building contacts in Tokyo, Tehran, Rome and Rio de Janeiro now plod between Kingston, N.Y., and Raleigh, S.C. The headquarters marketing staff, whose historic mission is to understand the installed base, has been moved elsewhere. This job is not mastered in a week or even a month. It takes years to distinguish among what the customers say they want, what the customers really want, what the customers need and what IBM can provide within resource constraints. Neither reading between the lines nor interpretative tea-leaf analyses are taught at any known IBM institution. The fundamental mission of a marketing staff is not being executed properly. There are many sound reasons why such a staff exists, but in IBM, there is one overriding task _ to represent customer needs to the product group. IBM doesn't permit outsiders much access to product groups. Developers are too busy getting work out the door to spend precious time researching what ought to be done or why. Even more critical, those who build products naturally have a degree of ego involvement. Builders do not see the flaws, errors, cracks, omissions or desperately needed enhancements. How often is a developer heard to mumble, ``Why in heaven's name would they want that?'' With rare exceptions _ two in the IBM community are Gene Amdahl and John Backus _ developers do not grasp how customers will use their products. This, then, is what a marketing staff does _ endlessly bang on development to build the right systems. If the end product does not fill a need, how well-built it may be is meaningless. Meanwhile, the shuffle of personnel to the field continues, a move applauded on Wall Street. Do the spreadsheet fanatics really understand how long it takes to retrain headquarter operatives so that they are effective salesmen? It can take two years for them to get settled in and another two years to become really useful to IBM _ and to the users they are selling to. So whether to satisfy Wall Street or to try to restore lost growth and profitability or to unclog saturated internal communications channels, IBM continues to reorganize the already thoroughly reorganized troops. How severe is the instability? It is true that plenty of IBM staffers stayed in the same office throughout the 1980s doing the same job. But even those who haven't moved physically may very well have changed business cards four times in seven years. The true survivors worked in 1981 for the Data Processing Division (DPD). Now, having been through the Information Systems Group (ISG), National Accounts Division (NAD), National Marketing Division (NMD) and the North Central Marketing Division (NCMD), there is great confusion as to their roles. Isn't this just a little bit silly? How can sane, sensible strategizing and planning be done by an organization that is constantly in a state of flux? Academics may call such change healthy, but others say, ``No way.'' Change begets change, and instability breeds instability. The bottom line of the whole affair is a reign of constant turmoil in the marketing division, the very heart of IBM. Whether the initials are DPD, ISG, NAD, NMD or NCMD is immaterial. People need to be left alone in order to concentrate on what they are supposed to be doing without worrying about being redeployed out the door next week. The best gift IBM could give its customers this holiday season is not a new processor or the next version of VM/XA but peace and quiet in the marketing division. Let's get on with the job and stop this mad waltz. By Philip Dorn; Dorn is president of Dorn Computer Consultants, Inc. in New York <<<>>> Title : NASA blazes trail with Cr Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: crayuse Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: MOFFET FIELD, Calif. _ In Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, the characters tooled around in a ramshackle bus with a sign posted on the front. The placard contained a single word: ``Further.'' That quest could also be pasted onto the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Just as the space agency explores the bounds of the solar system, it has extended its ``because it's there'' curiosity into the outer limits of supercomputing. So when NASA's Ames Research Center became the first to install Cray Research, Inc.'s new high-end Y-MP/832 supercomputer, it was simply doing what comes naturally. ``It is part of the charter of NASA to be a pathfinder and acquire state-of-the-art and leading-edge technologies,'' said John Barton, the advanced high-speed processor manager at the center. ``Right now, this machine is the world's fastest supercomputer.'' Cray redirected the thrust of its supercomputer line in February, when it announced the Y-MP/832 as an extension to the 6-year-old X-MP family. At NASA Ames, the $22 million Y-MP will replace one of two Cray-2s it has used since 1985. The Y-MP is Cray's most advanced supercomputer, featuring eight CPUs and 256M bytes of memory. The system also builds upon many of the features of Cray's earlier X-MP but features 32-bit addressing and circuits that are 1,000 times denser than those used in the X-MP, according to Cray. The denser circuits allow Cray to package each CPU in a two-board module, compared with 144 modules per CPU with the X-MP. The system was delivered with the Cray operating system Unico, which is based on AT&T's Unix System V, and a suite of compilers, utilities and other software tools. Less than three weeks ago, the system began a 30-day battery of acceptance tests that will put it through the paces, running programs that it will perform on a daily basis when it begins full service next month. Despite reports last week that Cray has experienced cool ing problems with the gallium arsenide ships in its forthcoming Cray-3 (see story page 6), Barton said early work on the Y-MP has gone well. ``We needed to tweak this in some of the hardware and software, but that's not unusual for a low-serial-number machine,'' he said. Although Cray admitted that it needed to redesign a few chips and smooth out some memory contention problems in the Y-MP delivered to NASA Ames, a spokesman said a few early glitches are not unusual in a system of this size and that acceptance tests were on schedule. An outside source, however, said the early problems are basic to the Y-MP's operation. As soon as they began running benchmarks, Ames managers realized there was a problem in the Y-MP's circuit boards, said Gary Smaby, managing director of the Minneapolis office of Needham & Co. Smaby happened to be visiting Ames as chips were being replaced. ``Ames was confident about the Y-MP, in spite of the problems they had,'' Smaby said. ``They still think it's a much better install than the original Cray-2 installation last year.'' The Y-MP will become an integral part of the laboratory's Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Processing System Network, which serves as a central processing point for several NASA labs that explore the problems of computational fluid dynamics, the study of the flow of air around an aircraft. The Ethernet-based network also includes five Digital Equipment Corp. VAXs, an Amdahl Corp. 5880 and more than 40 assorted workstations. More than 700 workers will eventually be able to exploit the muscle of the Y-MP, including researchers and scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland and more than 75 government, industry and university locations throughout the country. To handle the load, the Y-MP packs a computational wallop: The Y-MP is able to deliver one billion floating-point operations per second (GFLOPS) of sustained performance on Fortran programs over its eight processors, Barton said. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Tea leaves Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: edit1031 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: AS THE ECONOMY lumbers toward that uncertain year of 1989, distinct patterns and trends on the domestic and global plains are emerging. The manifestations of these patterns are being felt in both the computer industry and the information systems community. Computerworld's sampler of IS executives wading through the annual budget process [CW, Oct. 24] revealed a heightened sense of caution and frugality. There is a growing feeling that something is lurking out there in the dark, a sort of economic goonie. Is this feeling prompted by paranoia about market-crash aftershocks that might never happen? Or does it spring from a realization that, like everything in the physical world, the economy must ebb as well as flow? An analysis of computer vendors' recent quarterly financial results shows the strain of what is becoming a chronically soft domestic market for most products. But demand in the European and Japanese markets is humming and shows every sign of continuing to do so in the coming year. Large-system vendors such as IBM that hit their financial targets did so in part because of intense cost-cutting in previous quarters. Those like DEC that have yet to bite the bullet of widespread staff reductions in the face of soft domestic demand are suffering. We wonder how long DEC can hang on to its no-layoffs standard, especially following a quarter of impressive sales gains (16%) but a 17% skid in profitability. Clearly, a primary determinant of economic health in 1989 is the upcoming election. Perhaps not so clear is that the impact of the presidential race (in which the general press has already declared the pachyderm party the winner) may be less the engine of economic change than the outcome of the Senate race. With one-third of the Senate seats up for grabs, majority control is hanging in the balance. At minimum, there will be a new majority chairman and new chairmen of the most important financial and economic committees. If the Senate elections usher in more aggressive leadership (and this seems ensured, no matter which party comes out on top), the Senate will very likely enact policies that inevitably place upward pressure on inflation. Let's face it: In a time when even George Bush is calling for comprehensive child-care programs, Congress will tilt toward greater spending in general on social programs. Hopefully that will mean renewed support for education _ support that was so badly trashed during President Reagan's two terms. In any event, inflation worries will likely keep a lumbering economy doing exactly that. For the computer vendors, that means more aggressive cost-saving measures and overall success or failure largely determined by product positioning in a cautious market. For the IS community, it means the continuing challenge of doing more with the same or nearly the same resources. So it's not all roses, but it sure beats a recession. <<<>>> Title : Tipping the scales Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: geer1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: MIS managers now have the capacity, through Unix systems, to provide their users with almost four times the power of a Digital Equipment Corp. VAX-11/780. The level of integration in today's microprocessors has enabled Intel Corp. and Motorola, Inc. to package a tremendous amount of computational power into a single integrated circuit. When this power is combined with high-speed memories and disk systems, these highly integrated computing systems are capable of delivering performance that exceeds what is available from their bigger and more expensive minicomputer counterparts. But, having established what these microprocessors can do, we are left asking whether they do everything equally well. Specifically, we need to know whether the two most ubiquitous _ the Intel 80386 and the Motorola 68030 _ differ in their appropriateness for certain environments and work loads or their ability to deliver the multiuser capabilities of Unix. As part of Aim Technology, Inc.'s third-party Unix benchmark service, we have made extensive evaluations of both microprocessor-based architectures. In order to conduct the benchmarks, we chose a representative sampling of 10 systems (see box). The VAX-11/780 was chosen as a basis for comparison because many systems managers know how it performs and can therefore more easily compare it with other Unix systems' performance. Each system was given performance and user load ratings based on relative performance in a series of tests. The performance rating is assigned as a percentage relative to the performance of a control, or ``normalized,'' system. In this case, the control system was a VAX-11/780, with its own proprietary CPU and a clock speed of 200 nsec, which was assigned a normalized rating of 100%. The user load is a simulation of various levels of system stress. It can be correlated with either a group of general users actively using the system or by a few users engaged in very heavy computation. We chose to measure relative system performance against the standard of 12 generally active users on a VAX- 11/780. Given this standard, all of the systems measured a great- er user load capability than the VAX- 11/780. The results showed some interesting differences. For example, Compaq Computer Corp.'s 386/20 achieved 187% of the power of the VAX-11/780, while the Motorola 3600 Workgroup computer achieved 400%. In terms of user load, the same Compaq 386/20 rated 20, while the Motorola 3600 achieved a 25, compared with a 12 for the 11/780. Overall, the 68030 systems performed faster in tests that simulated loads across a wide range of users. In one instance, we compared the top two performing 68030 systems with the top three high-performance 386 systems. The top two 68030 systems reached an overall performance rating of 399% the performance of a VAX-11/780, while the top three 386 systems achieved a performance rating of 312%. The 68030 systems maintained a significantly higher user load rating, 43, vs. 33 for the 386 systems. Conversely, the 386 results indicate that it is better suited to deliver performance when a smaller number of users are performing a large number of tasks (see chart page 25). In an ``unstressed'' system, or one in which there is not a severe user load and the system is in partial use, the 386 will deliver faster response time to a single workstation. What this result suggests in terms of deployment is that a systems administrator may want to provide a 68030-based system on a network with a large number of general users who generate database queries of documents but offer a 386-based system for one number-crunching financial analyst engaged in generating large spreadsheets or complex financial models. More than meets the eye As a caveat, it can be misleading to draw conclusions about a system based only on the microprocessor used as the CPU. In fact, system performance can vary widely on systems using the same CPU operating at the same clock rate. For example, when we tested five Unix processors, each using a 68020 with clock speed of 16.7 MHz and running identical user loads, the system performance ranged from 70% to 218% of the VAX baseline. The final performance evaluation will depend more on the surrounding hardware and operating system software than on just the microprocessor itself. Furthermore, there are other factors to consider, such as binary and source-code compatibility and availability of third-party software support. Improvement in performance from previous generations is more significant for the 80386 than it is for the 68030. This disparity is largely because the burden of compatibility and restricted accessing capability severely limited the 80286's usefulness in Unix systems. The 80386 had a lot of performance ground to make up, and it has accomplished this objective. Its performance has improved more than sevenfold on that of the previous generation. While each of these microprocessors demonstrate particular relative strengths for different computing situations, both make low-cost, high-performance Unix computing a reality. By Jim Geers, Special to CW <<<>>> Title : Half empty or half full? Author : Jean S. Bozman Source : CW Comm FileName: controlx Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Is Control Data Corp.'s cup half empty or half full? Let's look through the glass of the ``Transparent Computing Environment'' and see. The $3.4 billion Minneapolis giant touted its Transparent Computing Environment at the recent Info '88 show in New York. ``Transparent'' is meant to connote the ease with which users can move around a Cyber-based network, aided by connectivity software. However, my nagging thought is that the ``Transparent Environment'' may come to have another meaning _ an environment devoid of Cyber mainframes. And that would be a great loss, especially in that CDC needs to add to _ not subtract from _ its 1987 base of about 1,500 Cyber mainframes worldwide. On the plus side, CDC must be given credit for addressing the issue of systems integration with the Transparent Computing Environment. ``Our customers should be able to use their computing investment the way they drive a car,'' Gil Williams, vice-president of CDC's Computer Products Division, said earlier this month. ``You use the car as a tool to get somewhere. You don't have to know how the internal combustion engine works. . . . You get in and you drive.'' If the cup is half full, then CDC is repositioning itself to take advantage of the industry's move to an open-systems environment. However, if CDC is happy to sell you connectivity and support without ever selling you a Cyber, then maybe the cup is half empty. That's what happened at the College of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., which runs the entire school with three DEC VAXs. The liberal-arts school is an active CDC third-party maintenance account that has also bought CDC's Proact monitoring software, which helps VAX users manage their operations. In addition, CDC's new emphasis on providing Unix System V on all its machines _ from the Cyber 910 engineering workstation to the Cyber mainframes and up to the ETA Systems, Inc. supercomputers _ may prove double-edged. This open-door policy could have the unintended effect of allowing users to migrate away from the Cybers they once embraced to get hard number-crunching jobs done. As evidence of this possibility, I cite last May's VIM users conference of Cyber mainframe users. Wary about CDC's future, some users said they were planning a possible migration, just in case. ``If CDC were to go away, we would be able to run our applications under Unix on our Cray machine,'' said an MIS director at an oil company. That's the kind of thing that might happen if CDC allows the Transparent Computing Environment to upstage the Cyber, with all of its unique features. It would be a great oversight to miss the fact that the latest Cybers are state-of-the-art designs _ and then some. Control Data pioneered 64-bit addressing and so can tie in more mass storage than its competitor, IBM. (IBM's Application System/400 is a 48-bit machine, but its 3090s are 32-bit.) The Transparent Computing Environment may be great, but CDC needs to sell its hardware as well as software to survive and once again prosper. By Jean S. Bozman; Bozman is Computerworld's Chicago-based Midwest bureau chief. <<<>>> Title : Power of 3090 S is on tra Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: csx1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ For CSX Corp., seven IBM 3090-class mainframes were not enough. So the multibillion-dollar transportation company became the first 3090 S model customer last month, with the delivery of IBM's largest general-purpose system, a 3090 Model 600S. With its new addition, CSX Technology, Inc., the information systems arm of CSX Corp., has been able to boost response time back to an acceptable level, according to Jack Cooper, president of CSX Technology. In recent months, performance had slipped because the seven mainframes were no longer adequate for a growing data management system the transportation firm has been installing since 1984. One of the first systems installed on the 3090 Model 600S was an automated weight billing system, which had run on an IBM 3090 Model 600E. Cooper said the acceptable response time for the system is three seconds. It was installed on the E model in July and was soon showing an average response time of 4.5 seconds. Last month, CSX Technology moved the software onto the S model and, after a few days of fine-tuning, found the response time was back to three seconds, Cooper said. ``We needed engines that could process much more quickly than the 600Es,'' Cooper said. ``Overall, we've seen almost a 50% increase in application performance.'' Cooper points to two enhancements in the S models that have brought about the faster performance. First, IBM doubled the size of the S model cache buffer to 128K bytes. As a result, twice as many often-used instructions can be stored in the cache and accessed more quickly by the CPU. Secondly, Cooper said the cycle time of the cache memory had been boosted from 15 nsec to 17 nsec. In addition to the automated weight billing system, Cooper's group has been moving other applications, such as a work order management system, since the 600S's installation last month. The software modules are part of CSX's data management system, the Transportation Management System, which is based on both IBM's IMS and DB2 database management systems. The system is intended to manage the company's entire railroad operation, which runs along the East Coast and is supported by some 15,000 terminals in the field, according to Cooper. The railroad portion of CSX Corp.'s business represents $4 billion in revenue, he said. CSX Technology began implementing the system four years ago and has two more modules to install. One will go in later this year, and the other is scheduled for the first quarter of 1989, Cooper said. The group has developed all the applications based on the two IBM DBMSs. The IMS applications are for production work, while the DB2 applications are used for ad hoc jobs, he said. Jacksonville overseer The mainframes are housed in the Jacksonville MIS headquarters and another plant in Baltimore. The mainframes run several different databases, while a master database resides in Jacksonville and serves as the overseer of the the multiple databases. Currently, the databases collectively represent 12G bytes of data. As a group, the databases handle four million transactions a day, which require an average of 200 million calls to the databases per day, Cooper said. ``We needed large processors like the S models to accommodate this system,'' Cooper said. Cooper said he expects to field-upgrade a few other E models to S models in 1989. He said he is positive about this move because his initial experience with the 600S has gone well. There was one half-hour outage because of a circuit-breaker failure this month, but there have been no other problems with the new system, he said. The system was installed with the help of a large on-site IBM team. CSX has 10 IBM engineers working full-time in Jacksonville and another 10 in Baltimore. By Rosemary Hamilton, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Air Force text search uni Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: verity Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: OMAHA _ For U.S. Air Force intelligence analysts at the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Boolean logic typically used for text retrieval is just not good enough. The problem is that Boolean retrieval, using a string of keywords linked by ``and,'' ``or'' and ``not'' conditions, generates a lot of ``hits'' that are irrelevant or trivial. And reading all of those documents can waste a lot of time, according to SAC officials. For example, a search for documents using the word ``terrorism'' may yield dozens of documents, many of them with only a brief mention of terrorism, and yet miss documents that men- tion ``car bomb'' or ``hijacking.'' Consequently, SAC awarded a $3 million contract two years ago to a research and development firm to come up with a document management system that would allow analysts to make more sophisticated queries. In June 1987, that R&D effort resulted in a software package called Topic, which is now available in the commercial market from Verity, Inc. in Mountain View, Calif. Topic allows users to develop a search request in the form of a multilevel outline _ a ``library,'' or tree of related terms _ that looks something like a genealogy chart. The library of terms is constructed by expert users to reflect their knowledge about a particular subject, according to Capt. Ed Vishoot, a branch chief at SAC. Users also assign each of the terms a numerical weight, which varies depending on how important that word is for the query. The result of the search is a list of documents that are ranked in order of relevance to the analyst's needs. Vishoot said he is impressed by the weighting capability, because ``the analyst goes to the top one first and immediately starts finding information pertinent to what he's looking for . . . vs. having to open up every document that had a keyword in it.'' ``Analysts are required to read all `hits' in documents, so Boolean retrieval results would require far more analyst time than only reading Topic's top-ranked documents,'' explained Lt. Vicki Boyd, one of the system's users. Sensitive stuff SAC officials are reluctant to talk about the sensitive nature of the intelligence work, but the Topic system apparently is used as part of a decision-support system to analyze incoming intelligence messages, determine possible military threats and write reports. Vishoot said a typical question from a commander might be, ``Have we seen this [type of activity] before?'' Rather than relying on someone's memory or searching through filing cabinets, the Topic system allows analysts to provide accurate and fast answers, he said. The fact that the documents are ranked in order of importance allows analysts to come up with responses in minutes that used to take days or weeks of research, Boyd added. The SAC analysts have developed a hierarchical library of more than 2,000 integrated keywords and topics concerning their intelligence project. By capturing the expertise of subject experts, the queries are not only more sophisticated, but new users can also be trained easily to make expert queries, according to Boyd. At SAC, Topic is used primarily by Boyd and two other analysts on Sun Microsystems, Inc. workstations connected by an Ethernet network. The database consists of 9,000 documents _ ranging from 10-line messages to complete handbooks _ and now amounts to 50M bytes of text. Eventually, the database is expected to grow to 5G bytes of text and several gigabytes of graphics and images, SAC officials said. Boyd said the system's response time is usually satisfactory but slows down when searching documents larger than 100 pages, such as handbooks. In the future, SAC plans to expand the use of Topic into other subject areas and develop a ``real-time operations center'' so that certain incoming messages will pop up in a window to alert analysts about threatening actions. Topic is available now in two configurations: In a networked environment, Topic consists of server software that costs $15,000 and software for each workstation ($695 per personal computer and $2,500 per Sun workstation). On a multiuser system, Topic is available for a system license fee of $39,500. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IPL aims tape backup at I Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: tape Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: WALTHAM, Mass. _ IPL Systems, Inc. has introduced a high-density cartridge-tape backup subsystem for IBM's System/38, 4300 and 9370 processors, which it claims permits the storage of 2.3G bytes of data on a single 8-mm cartridge. The 6860 Cartridge Tape Subsystem _ which uses cartridges the size of a deck of playing cards _ can hold the equivalent of 12 standard 10 -in. reels of tape, the manufacturer of IBM System/36 and 38 and Model 4381 add-in products said. A typical configuration combining two 6860 cartridge tape drives and one IPL 6820 reel-to-reel tape drive within a single rack-mounted subsystem will allow users to perform unattended data backup equivalent to more than 24 reels of tape, IPL said. The 6860 maximizes density data recording through the use of helical-scan technology, a technique in which recording heads are mounted on a drum that rotates at high speed as the tape is passed by. Very narrow tracks are written at an angle of approximately five degrees to the edge of the tape in a diagonal pattern. This method creates a track length that is nearly 10 times longer than the width of a tape, according to IPL. The rack-mounted unit can combine a controller and as many as four tape drives on a System/38 and as many as seven tape drives on other IBM mainframes, IPL said. The 6860 also sports an effective head-to-tape speed of 150 in./sec. as well as a sustained transfer rate of 246M bit/ sec. The price of a basic 6860 cartridge tape subsystem is expected to be $18,895 and will reportedly be available in December. <<<>>> Title : The following products we Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: proddexp Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The following products were announced at the Dexpo West exhibition in Anaheim, Calif.: Laserdata, Inc. formally announced a document image management network designed to integrate IBM Personal Computer-based image workstations with the Digital Equipment Corp. VAX architecture. Dubbed the Laserview Hostlink System, the product is reportedly capable of converting large volumes of paper documents into electronic images that can be stored on optical disks. According to the vendor, images can be recalled instantly via standard database search methods, and multiple users can have simultaneous access to documents. The system incorporates a 12-in. optical disk drive, a document server, proprietary application software and a network printer. The Laserview Hostlink System is priced from $89,000. Laserdata, 10 Technology Drive, Lowell, Mass. 01851. 508-937-5900. Alphatronix introduced an erasable optical-disk storage system developed specifically to support DEC PDP-, Microvax-, and VAX-based computer workstations. Volume shipments of the Infinity Series are scheduled to begin Nov. 1. The units offer up to 1.3M bytes of storage in a dual-drive configuration and can accommodate up to one million ASCII-coded pages in a secure, off-line medium, the vendor said. The series is reportedly based on a 5 -in. form factor and uses standard 650M-byte removable cartridges. The Infinity line for DEC computers is available in two models: DEC Q-bus for PDP and Microvax systems and Unibus for VAX-based machines. Pricing ranges from $15,500 for a single-drive unit and $19,950 for the dual-drive version. The series can be ordered in desktop, tower or rack-mount configurations. Alphatronix, Suite 1000, 4900 Prospectus Drive, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709. 919-544-4079. Scientific Micro Systems, Inc. (SMS) announced an optical storage subsystem that provides on-line archival storage for users of DEC Microvax and LSI II workstations. The SMS Model 601 Optical Storage System is based on Sony Corp. 12-in. WDD-3000 write-once storage drives and offers the user up to 3.2G bytes of permanent data storage. The product incorporates SMS' Optical Storage Software, which reportedly allows users to perform write-once operations without having to modify exisiting DEC VMS and RSX-11M operating system drives. The SMS Model 601 Optical Storage Subsystem, including software, small computer systems interface-compatible disk controller, drives and cabling, is priced at $27,000. SMS, P.O. Box 7777, 339 N. Bernardo Ave., Mountain View, Calif. 94039. 415-964-5700. <<<>>> Title : Data Voice Solutions Corp Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwdvsc Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Data Voice Solutions Corp. has unveiled a multiuser, multiprocessor, DOS-based business computer that supports up to 16 concurrent users. The Centaur II Work Group system incorporates an Intel Corp. 80286-based central file processor and can accommodate up to four applications processor cards, the vendor said. The unit is shipped with 72M bytes of formatted hard-disk storage and a 1.2M-byte diskette drive. The Centaur II Work Group is priced from $22,000. Data Voice Solutions, Suite 800, 1 Newport Place, Newport Beach, Calif. 92660. 714-752-8181. <<<>>> Title : A high-end, three-dimensi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwcubico Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A high-end, three-dimensional animation graphics system has been unveiled by Cubicomp Corp. Configured to run on Silicon Graphics, Inc.'s recently announced 4D/20 workstation, the Vertigo V2020 can be used as a stand-alone animation system, or it can be linked to high-speed processor servers for greater rendering speed, the company said. The basic Vertigo 4D/20 system includes Vertigo V2000 production software, 24-bit planes of display memory, 8M bytes of CPU memory, a 170M-byte disk drive, a 60M-byte tape backup and a floating-point unit. It is priced at $69,000. Cubicomp, 21325 Cabot Blvd., Hayward, Calif. 94545. 415-887-1300. <<<>>> Title : A product that connects u Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwperles Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A product that connects up to four IBM System/36 5360 minicomputers to a single IBM Model 8809 tape drive has been announced by Perle Systems, Inc. The 5360 Tape Drive Switch also includes a front-panel indicator that advises the operator of the unit's status at all times, the vendor said. Pricing ranges from $6,995 to $12,995. All required cables and instructions are included. Perle Systems, 1980 Springer Drive, Lombard, Ill. 60148. 312-932-4171. <<<>>> Title : A small computer systems Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwrancho Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A small computer systems interface (SCSI) hard-disk installation kit designed to offer AT&T Unix System V users better disk performance is now available from Rancho Technology Center. Three versions are available for IBM Personal Computer XT, PC AT and RT users, priced from $160 to $245. The SCSI Unix System V software driver can be bought separately. The driver costs $45 for Intel Corp. 80286-based systems; $85 for Intel 80386-based machines. Rancho Technology Center, Suite 109, 8632 Archibald Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. 91730. 714-987-3966. <<<>>> Title : Imaging Technology, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwimagei Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Imaging Technology, Inc. has introduced a high-resolution frame store for its Series 200 image processing workstation. The FB-201 frame buffer reportedly allows storage of images up to 2,048 by 2,048 by 16 bits on a single quad-size Digital Equipment Corp. Q-bus board. According to the vendor, users can combine up to four of the frame buffers to create a single, continuous frame store with a resolution of 4,096 by 4,096 by 16 bits. The product has dual-scanning capabilities and allows parallel processes to simultaneously access each stored image at speeds up to 10 MHz. The FB-201 costs $11,995. Imaging Technology, 600 W. Cummings Park, Woburn, Mass. 01801. 617-938-8444. <<<>>> Title : Hitachi America Ltd. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwhitach Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Hitachi America Ltd. has introduced a lower cost ruggedized version of its A- through D-size plotter. The Hitachi 674 is a multicolor, X-Y plotter that features increased memory, auto-pen-capping and two-way zoom, the vendor said. The unit also includes a replot mode for repetitive plotting functions, and maximum plotting speed is said to be 400mm/sec. The maximum plotting area is reportedly 1500mm by 615mm. The product comes with 128K bytes of standard buffer memory and can print the ASCII character set, European character sets and computer-aided design symbols. The Hitachi 674 costs $3,990. Hitachi, Office Automation Systems Division, 19530 Cabot Blvd., Hayward, Calif. 94545. 415-785-9770. <<<>>> Title : A device that gives Hewle Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwgoldke Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A device that gives Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet printers compatibility with Digital Equipment Corp. systems has been announced by Gold Key Electronics, Inc. Called Switchmate II Intelligent Printer Switch, the product reportedly gives up to six systems or workstations automatic shared access to one or more printers. DEC printer emulation is automatically activated as required by any attached system. The unit also includes an HP Laserjet control interface designed to give all sharing systems access to Laserjet features, including font and paper-size selection. The Switchmate II Intelligent Printer Switch costs $1,295. Gold Key, P.O. Box 186, Goffstown, N.H. 03045. 603-625-8518. <<<>>> Title : A 48-in. color electrosta Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwschlu2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A 48-in. color electrostatic plotter is now available from Schlumberger Technologies' Graphics Division. Designated the 3048, the product reportedly allows IC users to print a bigger composite plot in one pass or fewer strips for a large blowup. The product permits users to either plot full-scale drawings or rotate two full E-size drawings and plot them side by side, the vendor said. An integral controller, a 100M-byte disk and a single-board Ethernet connection are included. Options include an automatic paper-cutting system and a 320M-byte disk. The 3048 costs $103,400. Schlumberger Graphics Division, P.O. Box 7169, Mountain View, Calif. 94039. 415-964-7900. <<<>>> Title : Houston Computer Services Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwhousto Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Houston Computer Services, Inc. has announced a data terminal designed specifically for use with Texas Instruments, Inc.'s 990 series and System 1000 computers. Called the Plus10 Model 8 CRT, the product is said to be a compact CRT that is reportedly compatible with the TI 931. The unit also offers industry-standard ASCII terminal emulation and 80- or 132-line column display, according to the vendor. The 14-in. terminal reportedly supports all standard TI operating system software, including DX10, DNOS and Unix System V. The Plus10 Model 8 CRT costs $639. Houston Computer Services, Suite 200, 11001 S. Wilcrest, Houston, Texas 77099. 713-568-9900. <<<>>> Title : System software Philon, I Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swphilon Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: System software Philon, Inc. is now offering Unix Application Porting Services as an extension to its compiler product line. The services are targeted at anyone interested in moving an application either from a non-Unix system to Unix or from one Unix environment to another, the vendor said. Depending on customer requirements, services can range from general Unix support to binary or source-code conversion. The price will vary depending on the system. Philon, 641 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10011. 212-807-0303. <<<>>> Title : Wordperfect Corp. has add Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swwordpe Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Wordperfect Corp. has added an Ultrix port for users of Digital Equipment Corp. VAX systems. Wordperfect 4.2 for Ultrix systems has begun shipping, according to the vendor, and requires 547K bytes of memory for the first user and 182K bytes for each subsequent user. Pricing ranges from $995 to $19,000, depending on the machine used. Wordperfect, 1555 N. Technology Way, Orem, Utah 84057. 801-225-5000. <<<>>> Title : Netron, Inc. has announce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swnetron Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Netron, Inc. has announced Version 2.03 of its Netron/ Cap Development Center software engineering system. Designed for IBM MVS/TSO mainframe environments, the latest release offers enhancements in both Cobol development efficiency and diagnostic capabilities, the vendor said. Pricing of the Netron/Cap Development Center in the MVS/TSO environment starts at $15,000 per user for a five-terminal license and decreases to $3,200 per user for an 80-terminal license. Netron, 99 St. Regis Crescent North, Downsville, Ont. Canada M3J 1Y9. 416-636-8333. <<<>>> Title : Alsys, Inc. has introduce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swalsys Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Alsys, Inc. has introduced an Ada compiler for IBM 370 development systems running under the MVS/XA operating environment. The Alsys Ada Compiler reportedly accesses up to 31 bits of address space and incorporates support for Ada applications under MVS/SP, MVS/XA or VM/CMS. According to the vendor, complete documentation is included. The Alsys Ada Compiler is priced from $20,000 to $75,000, depending on CPU, according to Alysys. Alsys, 1432 Main St., Waltham, Mass. 02154. 617-890-0030. <<<>>> Title : An ANSI-based C optimizin Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swprisym Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: An ANSI-based C optimizing compiler that generates code specifically for execution under the IBM TPF operating system is now available from Prisym, Inc. Called C/TPF, the product reportedly offers support for packed decimal data and is said to eliminate the TPF 4K-byte program size restriction by dividing the program into multiple segments. According to the vendor, the license charge for C/TPF varies according to processor group; for Group 30 there is a $25,000 initial fee, plus $1,000 as a monthly charge. Prisym, 146 Manetto Hill Road, Huntington, N.Y. 11743. 516-367-6776. <<<>>> Title : Cameo Systems, Inc. has e Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swcameo Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Cameo Systems, Inc. has enhanced Cameo II, its computer-aided manufacturing software application designed for batch-processing industries. According to the company, revisions were made to the manufacturing management module to enable the user to select lots and equipment based on both availability and applicability. The system consists of several integrated modules based on Oracle Corp.'s relational database software, including data management utilities, manufacturing management with genealogy traceability, statistical process control and a report writer. Cameo II is available for Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Data General Corp. computers. The statistical control module is also available for IBM Personal Computers and Apollo Computer, Inc. workstations. Cameo II costs approximately $50,000. Cameo Systems, 2880 San Tomas Expwy., Santa Clara, Calif. 95051. 408-986-9200. <<<>>> Title : Computer Associates Inter Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swca2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Computer Associates International, Inc. has announced a Product Validation Interface facility for CA-Examine Release 2.2. The facility reportedly detects unauthorized modifications to vendor-supplied systems software. CA-Examine uses expert-systems techniques and a knowledge base of IBM MVS internals to display and analyze IBM-supplied operating system modules and to detect abnormalities in the MVS environment. According to the vendor, the product is targeted at corporate data centers and major accounting firms for electronic data processing auditing. CA-Examine supports all versions of the MVS operating system. It is priced from $9,300 to $23,400. Both CPU-oriented and traveling-license versions are available. CA, 711 Stewart Ave., Garden City, N.Y. 11530. 516-227-3300. <<<>>> Title : An office automation soft Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swthesof Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: An office automation software package that runs under Xenix, Intel Corp.-based Unix, Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS and IBM OS/2 operating environments has been introduced by The Software Group. Called Enable/OA, the multitasking package is said to include built-in support for the IBM Personal Computer Network, AT&T's Starlan, Novell, Inc.'s Advanced Netware, Banyan Systems, Inc.'s Virtual Networking Software and several other local-area networks . Enable/OA costs $695. The Software Group, Suite 718, Shirlington Gateway, 2800 Shirlington Road, Arlington, Va. 22206. 703-379-7100. <<<>>> Title : Accounting Computer Resou Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swaccoun Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Accounting Computer Resources Corp. has upgraded its apparel retail store-management software system designed for small to medium-size retail organizations. Ricams was originally developed to operate on NCR Corp. Tower systems and other hardware platforms running Unix. The latest version runs on Intel Corp. 80386-based Xenix platforms as well, the vendor said. Available in two versions, Ricams Jr. is priced at $5,995, and Ricams is priced at $9,995. Accounting Computer Resources, Ricams Division, Suite 270, 4001 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, Ariz. 85012. 602-274-2716. <<<>>> Title : Ross Systems, Inc. has in Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swross2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Ross Systems, Inc. has introduced a new generation of financial management and accounting software for Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS machines. The Renaissance series is reportedly based on the company's MAPS accounting software and includes general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets and purchase order modules. Pricing for the Renaissance series begins at $23,000, depending on CPU. Ross Systems, 1860 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303. 415-856-1100. <<<>>> Title : The University of Michiga Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swosiris Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The University of Michigan has announced that Osiris, data management and statistical analysis software, is now available to run in a VM/CMS operating system environment. Developed for IBM and compatible minicomputers and mainframes, the software reportedly requires a minimum of 256K bytes of memory and 10M bytes of disk space. An annual Osiris/CMS mainframe license costs $4,500. The University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 426 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. 313-764-4417. <<<>>> Title : BMC Software, Inc. has ex Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swbmc Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: BMC Software, Inc. has expanded its line of data compression products with the announcement of Data Packer/VSAM. The software was designed to eliminate or postpone the need to purchase additional direct-access storage device functions by reducing the size of VSAM data sets in both batch and IBM CICS environments. The product also improves response times for CICS applications that use VSAM, the vendor said. The product's architecture reportedly provides resource sharing, multiple compression technologies and fault-tolerance capabilities. A perpetual license for Data Packer/VSAM is available for $9,000 to $24,000, depending on CPU type. BMC Software, P.O. Box 2002, Sugar Land, Texas 77487. 800-841-2031. <<<>>> Title : An enhanced version of a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swgejac Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: An enhanced version of a system accounting software product designed for Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS systems has been released by Gejac, Inc. Arsap Version 6.0 reportedly adds seven features to the previous release: software package reporting, terminal utilization reporting, batch and print queues, print-forms accounting, organizational accounting, auditable data handling and the capability to manage nodes, networks and Vaxclusters. Arsap Version 6.0 costs from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on configuration. Gejac, 8643 Cherry Lane, Laurel, Md. 20707. 301-725-2500. <<<>>> Title : Chrysler to build big VSA Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: chrysler Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. _ Chrysler Corp., emphasizing its desire for centralized network control, has selected very small-aperture terminal (VSAT) technology for a nationwide data and video network linking its headquarters with Chrysler auto dealers and employees. When completed in 1990, Chrysler's Pentastar Satellite Communications Network is expected to be the largest private VSAT network ever built, Chrysler officials announced earlier this month. The network consists of a central communications hub at Chrysler headquarters and VSAT dishes at more than 6,000 Chrysler dealers and 100 corporate offices and factories in the U.S. and Canada. Paul Noble, the project director at Chrysler, said the new network will replace terrestrial links from GTE Telenet Communications Corp. and Tymnet/McDonnell Douglas Network Systems Co. He explained that the Chrysler-controlled satellite network will be more reliable, provide greater capacity and speed at lower cost and support several new applications that are impossible to obtain from terrestrial networks. The spectrum of ability For example, Noble said, the satellite network can provide video communications for training and management messages; data broadcast, or sending the same data to several locations at the same time; and a constant connection to remote sites for applications such as on-line warranty and repair information. In essence, the satellite network gives Chrysler centralized network control, Noble explained, adding that changes in user sites and capacity can be made quickly. The satellite links, master hub earth station and VSAT earth stations will be provided by Hughes Network Systems, Inc., a VSAT vendor based in Germantown, Md. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The network will transmit all asynchronous data traffic between dealers and headquarters using the X.25 packet switching standard and link Chrysler offices and factories with IBM's Systems Network Architecture/Synchronous Data Link Control, the vendor said. Noble said the value-added networks now transmit at 1,200 bit/sec., but the satellite network will transmit at 9.6K bit/ sec. and possibly 56K bit/sec. in the future. Construction of the master hub and installation of the first VSAT stations began this month, Chrysler officials said. The primary use for the Pentastar network will be the on-line transmission of data between dealerships and IBM host computers at Chrysler headquarters, under Chrysler's Dealer Information Access Link (DIAL) program. Using personal computers, Chrysler dealers use DIAL to order cars and parts, locate vehicles in the assembly process or other dealerships, file sales reports, get technical bulletins, track a car's service history and file warranty claims. The Pentastar network will allow the expansion of DIAL to permit dealers to create and edit a vehicle order in the showroom, determine the exact date the vehicle will be built, record service contracts and check a customer's credit and loan applications. Highlighting the strategic importance of the VSAT network, Nick Simonds, executive director of MIS at Chrysler, said in a statement that he considers the Pentastar network a key element in ``positioning our dealerships for the highly competitive marketplace of the 1990s.'' ``We will be able to communicate everything from new-car orders to sales messages to press conferences to car histories faster than ever before,'' said Tom Pappert, Chrysler's group vice-president for sales, in a statement. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Need for support services Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ledgeway Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: LEXINGTON, Mass. _ Worldwide demand for network support services is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 10.7% to $4.2 billion during the next three years, according to the Ledgeway Group, Inc., a market research firm based here. A survey of 603 network and information systems managers found that demand for data communications support in the U.S. will have grown 53%, or from $996 million in 1987 to $1.528 billion by the end of 1988. The growth rate for this sector will decrease through 1992, averaging a 20.1% compound annual growth rate during that period, with a total market figure of $2,488.3 billion in 1992, the report said. In contrast, the U.S. telecommunications support market will only see a compound annual growth rate of 2.2% during the same period, according to Ledgeway. The research firm defines the telecommunications sector as voice-oriented, including private branch exchanges, key systems, Centrex terminal equipment and automatic call distributors. The local-area network service and support market will also experience healthy growth through 1992, the report said (see chart), while wide-area network support will undergo a flat 3% compound annual growth rate from the end of 1988 through the end of 1991. The figures reflect the dollar value of traditional maintenance and support services supplied by vendors to the end-user market, the report said. Demand for service and support from vendors has suffered from greater reliability of network equipment and increasingly sophisticated users, according to Ledgeway. However, new application areas such as electronic data interchange should generate future demand. There also will be growth among the systems integrators and professional providers who offer vendor-independent service. Long-distance and regional carriers have so far failed to win user confidence in their ability to service communications equipment, according to Ledgeway. The customer self-service market for the U.S. should grow from $1.2 billion in 1988 to $1.7 billion in 1992, an 11.3% compound annual growth rate, the report said. In-house communications staff salaries will rise as spending for outside support services declines as a proportion of users' budgets, the report said. In general, Ledgeway found users are taking greater responsibility for maintaining and enhancing their communications networks, turning to equipment vendors primarily for remedial maintenance. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Lachman offers ISDN gate Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: lachman Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ Lachman Associates, Inc. will announce the first offering in a family of gateways between local-area networks and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) links this week. The Lachman ISDN-LAN Bridge, which will debut at the Unix Expo here, is said to allow geographically distributed Ethernet LAN users to share files over an ISDN link via Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Several ISDN users voiced a need for LAN bridges at a recent Boston seminar given by Codex Corp. and its parent, Motorola, Inc. Tenneco, Inc., which is currently implementing ISDN to link IBM Personal Computers and voice terminals, hopes eventually to have ISDN-based LAN-to-LAN bridges, according to Tenneco consulting engineer Thomas Simmons. West Virginia University, another early ISDN installation, also plans to link its IBM Token-Ring and Ethernet LANs via ISDN, according to Jeffrey Fritz, a data communications analyst at the school. Others weigh in Codex is reportedly planning a late-1989 introduction of a LAN gateway that could link asynchronous or IBM Systems Network Architecture devices over an ISDN link. Apollo Computer, Inc. has also talked about future plans for an ISDN bridge between its own Domain networks. Lachman's product reportedly supports an ISDN Basic Rate Interface, which defines two 64K bit/sec. digital channels and a separate 16K bit/sec. channel for packet switching and signaling. It supports Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Network File System and TCP and runs versions of those protocols developed by Lachman for Unix V systems, the vendor said. The bridge also handles traffic generated by other vendors' versions of the networking protocols, however. Based on an Intel Corp. 80386-based workstation, the bridge can also be used to monitor traffic across the ISDN link, according to the company. The Lachman ISDN-LAN Bridge software is available starting today at prices ranging from $500 to $1,500. Two additional products are slated for introduction in early 1989, the vendor said. One will bridge stand-alone PCs to remote LANs over an ISDN link. The other one will interconnnect Ethernet LANs over the ISDN Primary Rate Interface, which supports T1 speeds of 1.5M bit/sec. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Northern net platform bow Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: northern Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ Northern Telecom, Inc. last week became the latest company to announce a multivendor connectivity and network management product, which will eventually migrate to industry standards such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Open Systems Interconnect (OSI), the company said. Northern Telecom's Meridian Data Networking System (DNS) is said to connect a wide variety of host, local-area network and wide-area networking environments [CW, Oct. 24]. The vendor has in mind more ambitious roles for the system, however, including host front-end processor and multivendor network management systems. A single DNS node incorporates a high-speed bus that connects multiple Motorola, Inc. 68030 processors, each of which can support a host, LAN, cluster controller or wide-area T1 or X.25 link, Northern Telecom said. As many as eight buses can be linked, and multiple DNS nodes can be linked over a local or long-distance network. The resulting system can allow the user to access hosts on any DNS node simply by requesting the logical name of the application, user or data element, Northern Telecom said. DNS takes care of locating the host and setting up a session. The system currently supports IBM High-Level Data Link Control and channel-based host connections, with Synchronous Data Link Control and LU6.2 to come. As part of its joint development agreement with Hewlett-Packard Co., Northern Telecom has developed links to HP hosts and will also offer links to Digital Equipment Corp. VAXs as well as other hosts in the future, the vendor said. A central relational database management system keeps track of the location of users, devices and applications. While changes and additions to the network must be entered manually, the system provides menu-driven, icon-based software designed to make it easy to enter the changes, which are then distributed automatically to each node without disrupting the network, Northern Telecom said. IBM recently started shipping a dynamic reconfiguration feature for its own Systems Network Architecture networks. The DBMS also acts as a repository for data collected by the Meridian DNS' network management system, which provides real-time monitoring, collection of alerts and alarms and reconfiguration for voice and data networks. Right now, the system manages only Northern Telecom devices, as well as IBM cluster controllers and 3278 terminals. However, Northern Telecom is making available specifications for a ``generic interface'' _ as are IBM, DEC, AT&T and others _ in the hope that various networking vendors will interface their network management systems to its product, a company spokesman said. They like it Early users spoke well of the system. For example, Delmarva Power & Light Co. has beta-tested DNS as a way to provide users with access to IBM, DEC and HP hosts, according to John Scoggin Jr., supervisor of network operations. Ease of management was another issue. While reconfiguring the network still requires manual input, ``any of our technicians can do it,'' while IBM products require a real technical expert, Scoggin said. The company is expecting to use the Meridian DNS to support ISDN voice/ data links that will enable its customer service representatives to talk and call up customer files simultaneously, Scoggin said. Another DNS plus, he said, is that ``management is not dependent on a host being up all the time.'' Future capabilities for the DNS include support of ISDN Primary Rate Interface and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol by late 1989; support of T1 links in March 1989; and support of transparent host application access by late 1989. Links to 802.3 and 802.5 LANs and X.25 links are out, as are DNS interfaces with IBM's Netview. Pricing ranges from $50,000 to $80,000 per node. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Several broadband and fib Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netappli Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Several broadband and fiber-optic local-area network products were recently announced by Applitek Corp. The X.25 Gateway is said to provide complete connectivity to X.25 hosts or X.25 wide-area networks and supports four high-speed serial links (up to 72K bit/ sec.) or eight low-speed links (up to 19.2K bit/sec.) to an X.25 host or WAN. The gateway also offers an aggregate of 128 virtual connections, and packet size may be configured from 64M to 4.1M bytes. The X.25 Gateway costs $17,000. The 3270 Network Interface Unit is said to provide connection over broadband, baseband or fiber-optic networks with IBM 3274 or 3276 control units, or with non-IBM hosts in a Digital Equipment Corp. VT100 emulation mode. The unit can connect eight, 16 or 24 IBM terminals to other asynchronous hosts. Pricing for the 3270 Network Interface starts at $14,000. Both the gateway and interface unit utilize the company's Network Management System (NMS), which runs on the DEC Microvax or larger DEC systems. According to the vendor, the NMS can be initialized to manage entire networks and includes port configuration change facilities and diagnostic functions. NMS software costs $12,000. Each product can be configured to run in a single, 6-MHz broadband channel at 10M bit/sec., the vendor said. Applitek, 107 Audubon Road, Wakefield, Mass. 01880. 617-246-4500. <<<>>> Title : Dove Computer Corp. has a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netdove Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Dove Computer Corp. has announced an Ethertalk-compatible Ethernet adapter designed for the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computer. Dubbed Fastnet III, the product reportedly allows Macintosh users to communicate over Ethernet for multiprocessing and multitasking applications. The adapter operates at speeds up to 10 MHz and offers support for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, Digital Equipment Corp.'s Decnet, Apple's Appletalk and other Appletalk-compatible protocols. The product includes 64K bytes of random-access memory and 16K bytes of read-only memory. Fastnet III costs $549. Dove Computer, 1200 N. 23rd St., Wilmington, N.C. 28405. 919-763-7918. <<<>>> Title : J. A. Lomax Associates is Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netjalom Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: J. A. Lomax Associates is offering an updated version of its Network Management Report Utilities package. Version 2.1 was designed to enable local-area network administrators to easily document and maintain network security, the vendor said. Features on the system include enhanced security, accounting and audit-trail abilities for users of Novell, Inc.'s Advanced Netware 2.1. All programs are additionally written for DOS command-line execution. Network Management Report Utilities 2.1 costs $195. J. A. Lomax Associates, Suite 100, 580 Canyon Road, Novato, Calif. 94947. 415-892-9606. <<<>>> Title : Novell, Inc. has introduc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netnovel Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Novell, Inc. has introduced Netware Pro, a service and training package for network systems managers. The product will be sold through Novell authorized resellers, the company said. Netware Pro reportedly consists of two computer-based training courses _ Netware System Management and Netware User Basics _ and Netware Care II, a software diagnostic and management tool. Other features include Novell Hot Line Technical Support, which reportedly allows each purchaser of the system to make as many as 24 incident calls to Novell's technical staff during a two-year period. An incident call is defined as a problem that reaches resolution and may include several individual calls, the vendor said. Netware Pro costs $1,495. Novell, 122 E. 1700 South, Provo, Utah 84601. 800-453-1267. <<<>>> Title : Legend Software, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netlegen Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Legend Software, Inc. has announced LAN Patrol, a network analyzer that was designed for Ethernet and Starlan local-area networks. Using the product, a network manager will be able to reduce a LAN's downtime, tighten security, tune performance and perform effective network planning, the company said. The analyzer is reportedly capable of monitoring activity for all users on a LAN at data rates of up to 10,000 packets per second. The driver then collects and stores this information within a 15K-byte memory-resident program that is loaded on one personal computer on the network. An IBM Personal Computer, PC XT or AT, Personal System/2 or compatible computer and a spare Network Interface Card are required for operation. LAN Patrol costs $495. Legend Software, P.O. Box 1352, W. Caldwell, N.J. 07007. 201-227-8771. <<<>>> Title : A file transfer package t Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netmicro Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A file transfer package that reportedly permits personal computer users to directly transfer IBM mainframe data sets and files to and from PC files has been announced by Micro Tempus, Inc. Called Tempus-Transfer 1.0, the software is said to support more than 30 different communications interfaces, including Digital Communications Associates, Inc.'s Irma, CXI, Inc.'s PCOX and IBM's 3270 cards. Features include full-screen user interface, support for text or binary data, an I/O exit for database access and record-editing and data conversion capabilities. The product is currently shipping for IBM MVS/VTAM and MVS/TSO systems. Tempus-Transfer 1.0 costs from $8,300 to $20,000, depending on processor group. There are no PC costs, and an unlimited number of PCs may use the package concurrently. Micro Tempus, Suite 1700, 440 Dorchester Blvd. W., Montreal, Quebec., Canada H2Z 1V7. 514-397-9512. <<<>>> Title : Applied Spectrum Technolo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netasti Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Applied Spectrum Technologies, Inc. has released the first products in its new Spectra line of data communications products for the commercial market. The Spectra-Link 50 is a two-wire, full-duplex, forward error-correcting limited-distance modem designed for use in local-area data channel and on-premises applications. The product reportedly meets Bell 41208 requirements for local-area data channels and operates at speeds up to 19.2K bit/sec. in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. The Spectra-Dov 30 provides simultaneous voice and digital data transmission over a single cable pair at speeds up to 19.2K bit/sec. in both asynchronous and synchronous modes. The range is reportedly 10,000 feet. Operating on the user's existing telephone network, the product makes every RJ11 a high-speed data port, the vendor said. Both products are available immediately in either stand-alone or 19-in. rack-mounted configurations. The Spectra-Link 50 costs $345 for the stand-alone version or $295 for the rack-mounted version; the Spectra-Dov 30 costs $225 for the stand-alone, and the rack-mounted version is available for $175. Applied Spectrum Technologies, 450 Industrial Blvd., Minneapolis, Minn. 55413. 612-379-7114. <<<>>> Title : Racal-Milgo has enhanced Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netracal Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Racal-Milgo has enhanced its Omnimux 8000 series of T1 multiplexers. Scheduled for December shipment, the revised Omnimux 8000 networking system reportedly includes an integral customer service unit and network management capabilities. The product incorporates drop-and-insert and bypass control functions and can be constructed in point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, ring, star or mesh configurations. Current pricing for the Omnimux 8000 series lists from $7,000 per single unit. Racal-Milgo, P.O. Box 407044, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33340. 305-475-1601. <<<>>> Title : Coastcom has announced a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcoast Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Coastcom has announced a digital processor that allows users to double T1 voice traffic while mixing voice and data on a single line. The Coastcom ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation) voice line card reportedly permits the combination of two 32K bit/sec. voice signals into any of the T1's 24 64K bit/sec. DS-O channels. The remaining channels can carry either pulse code-modulated voice or data, the vendor said. The Coastcom ADPCM voice card fits in either of Coastcom's drop-and-insert multiplexers and is priced at $1,200. Coastcom, 2312 Stanwell Drive, Concord, Calif. 94520. 800-433-3433. <<<>>> Title : Helping Basic along Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: qb45 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: REDMOND, Wash. _ There are some who think Basic is for people not literate enough for a real language. There are others who say Basic programmers are not dim-witted, just ill-trained. Well, if you are one of the latter, Microsoft Corp. has just the product for you. Called Quickbasic 4.5, it reportedly contains the most extensive help system ever. Microsoft hopes to broaden the base of Basic users to set the stage for the language's ultimate role, company officials said. Under IBM and Microsoft's OS/2 operating system, Basic will become a super batch language. And for OS/2 applications, Microsoft hopes to position Basic as a super macro language that could trigger actions across applications, Microsoft officials have said. But don't get the wrong idea. The underlying Quickbasic engine has been revved to suit the most demanding programmers who still appreciate the ease and efficiency of Basic. This semischizophrenic approach has resulted in a $99 package that can quickly make beginners productive and make sure they don't run out of steam once they get some coding under their belts. The help system has several components: an on-line tutorial, enhanced help screens and a broader array of menus. In fact, Microsoft has borrowed a few lessons and based its help system on hypertext. That way, users can branch into help in whatever manner they choose, company officials said. Like Quickbasic 4.0, the new product contains a more efficient approach to compiling programs, called pseudocompiling. This way, programs can be compiled as they are written, saving the user many steps in programming, spokesmen said. By Douglas Barney, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Converter permits upgrade Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: everex Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Two companies have unveiled products that permit end users to upgrade their personal computers from Intel Corp. 80286-based machines to speedier 80386SX processors. Everex Systems, Inc. is introducing a converter board with minimal memory that can be plugged in to provide 386 processing power on its 286 products. In addition, the company is introducing an IBM Personal Computer AT bus machine based on the 80386SX processor. Both the converter board and the new 80386SX PC, called the Step 386IS, will be delivered this year, according to product manager Stephen Dougherty. He said that, based on information provided by Intel, the 80386SX shortage would end by December, and Everex then could begin its volume shipments. Everex is hoping to make inroads into the young 386SX market by touting the price per million instructions per second (MIPS) of Step 386IS, which the company claims is significantly lower than those sold by PC rivals IBM, Compaq Computer Corp. and NEC Corp. Everex said that the 386IS outshines Compaq's 386IS and 386/16, IBM's Personal System/2 Models 50 and 80 and NEC's 386SX machines in price/ performance when compared using the Power Meter MIPS benchmark. The Step 386IS checks in with a 3.2 MIPS performance, according to Everex, and a cost per MIPS of $1,031. Its closest price/performance competitor is fellow 386SX rival NEC. The NEC 386SX costs $3,799 at a 2.6 MIPS rating, which works out to $1,461 per MIPS. The firm did not mention lower cost 386 and high-speed 286 boxes. There may be more 386-based boxes on the market with the help of Chips and Technologies, Inc. Chips is announcing an AT-compatible chip set designed to exploit the speed of the 386SX processor in AT-bus applications. Called the New Enhanced AT (NEAT) SX, the chip set allows vendors to build 386SX systems using fewer than 25 logic devices. The company said that it will begin shipping the chip set in January. Using a backward-compatible 386SX strategy, the company is also shipping a free adapter card to customers in a marketing effort intended to attract OEMs to implement the Chips strategy. OEMs can convert their 286-based systems using Chips' NEAT chip set or Chips/250 PS/2-compatible sets to the 386SX design. The adapter card contains the 386SX and programmable array logic and transistor-to-transistor logic devices that plug into the 286 socket on the Chips board design. Chips and Technologies is offering the products in 1,000-unit quantities at $92.60 per set. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : No cheers for Dbase IV Author : Rich Finkelstein Source : CW Comm FileName: finkman Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: I have never been a big fan of Ashton-Tate's Dbase III. It has always struck me as too complex and suitable only for programmers and users with lots of time and money to learn it. Although Ashton-Tate claims that Dbase is the best-selling database management system for the personal computer, it has been interesting to note how many Dbase products sit on shelves unused. Despite these misgivings, I had high hopes for Dbase IV. When Ashton-Tate announced support for SQL in Dbase IV, I figured the firm would use its resources to fashion a state-of-the-art product that would deliver the full power of SQL to end users and applications developers. Unfortunately, Dbase IV falls short of my expectations. What we have is a scenario that could be titled, ``The Little Engine That Could But Didn't.'' Dbase IV has been described as a DBMS with everything but the kitchen sink. It looks like Ashton-Tate threw that in too. There is so much going on here that you can get dizzy trying to follow it. Since SQL is my main interest, I focused on that. Ashton-Tate did implement a full SQL but did not integrate it into any of Dbase IV's tools. It sits outside the application development and end-user environment. To get into SQL, users invoke SET SQL ON and are transferred into an entirely dif- ferent product. Gone are the Control Center, the Apgen application generator and the report writer. Files defined in non-SQL Dbase IV must be redefined for the SQL system. Confusion reigns, and there is very little help for those who dare to use SQL. I can imagine users thinking, ``What do I gain by using this?'' Unlike Oracle, Ashton-Tate can point to its query-by-example facility as an alternative. Even so, users must exit SQL and enter the Control Center in order to access it. Dbase IV's QBE closely mimics IBM's and includes many capabilities missing in Borland International's Paradox. Even so, QBE is often more difficult to use than SQL. Anyone who has ever tried to use QBE with a large number of columns or multiple nested conditions can attest to this fact. In addition, Dbase IV's QBE also lacks the smoothness of operation and refined ergonomics that characterize Paradox. Not impressive The Apgen application generator makes no breakthroughs. Procedural Dbase code is automatically generated by facilities such as the screen and menu generators, but developers, unfortunately, must still write large amounts of procedural code outside of Apgen. While other vendors are making huge strides in improving productivity and maintainability by marrying SQL with object-oriented development techniques, Ashton-Tate continues to hang on to its Dbase language. This is no surprise. If you want to use Dbase IV's embedded SQL, then be prepared to leave Apgen behind. Apgen does not use or generate SQL statements. If you want to use SQL and Apgen, you can use Apgen to generate Dbase programs and then rip out conflicting Dbase commands and replace them with appropriate SQL statements. It is difficult to conceive of a more tedious process. Ashton-Tate must now take Dbase IV's SQL and build an interface to the Ashton-Tate and Microsoft SQL Server. Users who continue to program using Dbase's database access commands will in all likelihood experience poor performance when accessing the SQL Server. Dbase's record-at-a-time orientation is anathema to set-oriented, multiple records-at-a-time database servers. On the other hand, users who want to prepare themselves for database server technology will be faced with the unenviable task of using Dbase IV's SQL implementation. It's a no-win situation. This is only Version 1.0 of Dbase IV, and Ashton-Tate can still rework it in future versions. But the company may first have to relieve itself of the Dbase language, which is an albatross in today's relational world. It is anyone's guess whether Ashton-Tate can build a product that demonstrates technological leadership, but if it can, it will take more than money and muscle. It will take ingenuity and creativity _ qualities that are strikingly missing in Dbase IV. By Rich Finkelstein; Finkelstein is president of Performance Computing, Inc., a Chicago company specializing in relational database technology, and publisher of ``SQL Review,'' a quarterly newsletter. <<<>>> Title : Users say Wyse fills IBM Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: wyse1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Wyse Technology has found a home with end users looking to buy something other than an IBM machine from a ``name'' vendor. Larry Heine, project manager in the design and engineering department at Leeds & Northrup Co., said his company selected Wyse because it offers ``reasonable performance at a good price.'' ``It's not the highest performance machine out there, but it's one of the best in terms of bang for the buck,'' Heine said. Bill Lempesis, personal computer industry analyst at Dataquest, Inc., said Wyse has made inroads with large corporations with the help of its relationship with Businessland, Inc. Businessland sells Wyse PCs based on the Intel Corp. 80286 and 80386 chips. Leeds & Northrup is running Xenix on 16-MHz Wyse 386s for use in software development. Heine's group also looked at Compaq Computer Corp. as a possible supplier but was dissuaded by price. Heine said he would like to see Wyse offer denser memory add-in boards. ``You can only put 6M bytes of RAM into the machine because the boards are 2M bytes apiece,'' he noted. Bill Anderson, information resource specialist at Honeywell, Inc.'s Defense Systems Division, said his department has standardized on Wyse for IBM-compatible purchases. Price, performance and dealer support were all factors in the decision. The Precision Weapons Group has purchased 16-MHz Wyse 386s with a 40M-byte hard disk drive and IBM Video Graphics Array graphics. ``It's our big system,'' Anderson said. Users within the group hungering for speed have gravitated to the Wyse 386, he added. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Mac II tracks election fo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: jenn1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ On election night, ABC-TV anchorman Peter Jennings will have what seems to be an endless supply of facts and figures on the candidates and voting results. What viewers will not see is the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh II that brings those facts to the anchorman's fingertips. Since the Iowa caucus earlier this year, ABC's political broadcast team has used the Magna System, a Macintosh II with a 20M-byte Hypercard stack. The system, developed by the team, features a 100M-byte hard disk drive from Jasmine Technologies, Inc., with a data transfer rate of 1.25M byte/sec. and an average access time of 16.5 msec for quick data access and retrieval. David Bohrman, senior producer for the political broadcast team, said the team adopted the Mac II because Hypercard _ bundled with each new Mac _ allows users to create customized relational databases. Hypercard let the team create a system closest to the one ABC's news team used to store such information: on 5- by 8-in. index cards. Apple has often described Hypercard _ which uses sound, graphics and text to organize information _ as being analogous to recipe cards. Each Hypercard stack is composed of a number of cards that can be linked through ``buttons'' designated by the user. Information can be organized in the same way the user links it in his mind. ABC's Hypercard stack consists of 10,000 cards containing a wide range of information, including stands by the two presidential candidates on every major issue that could affect balloting in individual states as well as those of the House and Senate candidates. Bohrman said each person in the 15-member team has access to the system so that information can be constantly updated in time for broadcast. The system has proven a good fit because of its ease of use, Bohrman said. ``It's allowed us _ a bunch of TV producers _ to create a very complex information system,'' he said. ABC News is not likely to abandon the system once the final votes are counted. It is expected to be used for other projects such as the next space shuttle launch. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Bursting balloons Author : Douglas Barney Source : CW Comm FileName: nextcol Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Wrong Jimbo? This column is not yet pompous enough to call Lotus Chairman Jim P. Manzi wrong. He and his company make far too much money for that to make sense. But Edward T. Spire is not so shy. Ed dropped us a line to contest claims made by Manzi and another Lotus exec in an interview that recently ran in these pages. As president of Dynasoft Corp., a leader in mainframe spreadsheets, Ed has the kind of knowledge to back up his claims. Spire is either a gentleman or a lawyer because he never said Manzi was outright wrong or deceptive. He was, however, concerned that two of Manzi's points were ``misleading.'' Point 1: Manzi claimed that 1-2-3 Release 3.0 will ``define the world of software of the future.'' Spire contends that there are several mainframe spreadsheets (mainframes are the ultimate destination of Release 3.0) that provide three-dimensional worksheets, spreadsheet linking, hot graphs, external database access and windowing. It fails to impress Spire that Lotus will offer these features several years after they were pioneered by others. Point 2 is actually directed at new Lotus software chief Frank King, who said he knew of no software other than Release 3.0 that runs on VM, MVS, MS-DOS, OS/2, Unix and a couple of others. King is probably right, but as Spire points out, Proximity Technologies' C language-based spelling-checker software runs on PCs and workstations and was adapted to the mainframe in 1987. Sure. We know that mainframe spreadsheets lost some luster after 1-2-3 spearheaded the PC revolution. We also know that because 1-2-3/M is essentially an upscale 1-2-3, it could lift this market out of the doldrums. Still, Spire comes off as a pretty effective balloon buster. Why doesn't everyone switch to Quattro? Borland would like for everyone (willing to pay) to use its Quattro spreadsheet program. It would particularly like to capitalize on the latest delay of 1-2-3 Release 3.0 with a special $99 offer for 1-2-3 users. It's a nice offer, but many will refuse because of the hidden costs of moving to Quattro. Lotus' 1-2-3 Release 2.01 still leads the industry in worksheet size by giving users about 400K bytes to kick around in. Since Quattro provides less, users at the limits of 1-2-3 would need to get more memory in order to run the same models under Quattro. Miracles can happen, though. If Borland chief Philippe Kahn can eliminate this dreaded DRAM crisis, he may be sitting pretty. Everybody was doin' it. Ashton-Tate was doing Lotus a favor by being late! That's right. You see, if only one company was late with the upgrade to its core application, that company would be the lone bungler. Since both were late, our ridicule was divided, so each firm got slammed only half as much. Plus, they _ along with sympathetic journalists _ were able to call it an industrywide problem caused by more complex projects aimed at solving the problems of the 1990s. Ashton-Tate's nightmare seems as if it's over, while Lotus' drags on. But wait. Now the Ashton-Tate/Microsoft/Sybase SQL Server delivery date has slipped to next year, along with Dbase IV 1.1. for SQL Server. And no Presentation Manager applications have shipped either. And more announcements continue to pop up. If this keeps up, there will be an all-new meaning to ``next-generation software.'' That will be the ship date! What's the difference? In case you hadn't noticed, Microsoft and Lotus have two radically different views of the spreadsheet market. Lotus, which has cornered the market, is, like IBM, interested in account control. To keep hold of the large customers, Lotus is pitching a strategy of multiplatform software, cooperative processing, networking, applications development and ease of training. It has essentially said that large systems matter and that MIS calls the shots when it comes to determining the overall computing environment. Lotus also learned some important lessons from its reign as spreadsheet king. It tried Symphony, which failed to displace 1-2-3. It tried Jazz, which failed to displace anything. It tried 1-2-3 Release 2.0 and got folks in an uproar because of incompatibilities. In short, every time Lotus tried to change 1-2-3, it failed. As a result, it learned that customers hate change. Now the company intends to provide an overall vertical solution but will keep that tried-and-true 1-2-3 interface on everything, no matter where it sits. Conservatives will buy this stuff in droves. Microsoft, the PC bigot and newcomer that it is, has a completely different view. For Microsoft, change is good. In fact, every time it changed Microsoft Word, it gained more sales. And at least for now, the company really doesn't seem to give a hoot about MIS and instead is trying to sneak its graphical products in through the back door. Microsoft wants to provide a horizontal, PC-centric solution, based on MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh and Presentation Manager. With this strategy in place, Microsoft may have a firm grip on the growing horde of PC revolutionaries. Quiet concession. When the IBM PS/2 came out, Compaq Chairman Rod Canion said its 3 -in. floppies were for the birds. They were not industry standard, and they forced users to go through an unnecessary conversion process, he said. My, how times have changed. Compaq's new laptop uses those same 3 -in. floppies. And Compaq laptop users will have to go through that same annoying conversion process. Meanwhile, PS/2 users have already gone through this minute version of hell and are happily loading 3 -in. disk after 3 -in. disk. I'm pleased to introduce . . . DEC President Ken Olsen was beaming at the recent joint announcement with Ashton-Tate of Dbase for the VAX. In fact, he was bubbling with praise for Ashton-Tate and the fine relationship the two firms have enjoyed over the years. And because of that, Olsen was pleased to introduce Ashton-Tate Chairman ``Ed Esbie.'' The only problem was that Ashton-Tate, as far as we know, is run by Ed Esber. The faux pas led reporters to share a series of Ken stories after the announcement _ like the annual meeting just a few years ago when Ken thought it was 1962. I've always maintained that forgetting details is a sign of genius, especially for one as gifted as, uh, the guy that runs, uh, you know. That company that makes all those minicomputers. Did you know? According to a recent issue of Fortune, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is richer than Donald Trump. Maybe Gates should manage Mike Tyson. Barney is a Computerworld senior editor, microcomputing <<<>>> Title : Reference Software Co. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micrefer Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Reference Software Co. has begun shipping Grammatik III, an expert system grammar, style, usage and spelling checker. It reportedly parses sentences by applying expert system rules, thus detecting errors on a more global scale. Features include pull-down menus, a grammar reference system and a statistical summary report. The product is said to be particularly useful in creating manuals, documents and reports and is compatible with most word processing systems. Grammatik III costs $99. Reference Software, Suite 123, 330 Townsend St., San Francisco, Calif. 94107. 415-541-0222. <<<>>> Title : Symantec Corp. has announ Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micsyman Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Symantec Corp. has announced a new version of its Q&A integrated file manager and word processor. The latest release will reportedly run in the IBM and Microsoft Corp. OS/2 1.0 protected-mode environment. By using OS/2's protected mode, Q&A can utilize the larger address space available on Intel Corp. 80286- and 80386-based machines, the vendor said. Multitasking abilities under OS/2 will allow users to simultaneously run other applications while Q&A is running. The product is currently in the beta-test stage and is scheduled to be available in the third quarter. The OS/2 version of Q&A will cost $349 for first-time users. The product will be provided free of charge to existing users. Symantec, 10201 Torre Ave, Cupertino, Calif. 95014. 408-725-2752. <<<>>> Title : A custom mapping package Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micstrat Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A custom mapping package for IBM Personal Computer users is now available from Strategic Locations Planning. Called Atlasdraw, the software reportedly allows users to create specialized boundary files from scratch by digitizing paper maps or by modifying existing boundary files. Four categories of features are offered: digitizing; freehand drawing and point-to-point editing; map manipulation for combining boundary files or splitting sections; and information and analysis functions. Atlasdraw costs $750. Strategic Locations Planning, Suite 123, 4030 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, Calif. 95117. 408-985-7400. <<<>>> Title : A hard-disk backup utilit Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micirwin Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: A hard-disk backup utility for IBM Personal Computers and compatible machines has been announced by Westlake Data Corp. Called Point-and-Shoot PC Fullbak, the product enables users to perform common file backup functions, such as backing up an entire hard disk, adding only new files to a backup set and comparing backup to source. The utility also incorporates full restore and error-checking capabilities, the vendor said. Point-and-Shoot PC Fullbak costs $129.95. Westlake Data, P.O. Box 1711, Austin, Texas 78767. 512-328-1041. <<<>>> Title : Calera Recognition System Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miccaler Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Calera Recognition Systems, Inc., formerly Palantir Corp., has announced a scanner recognition card for IBM Personal Computer ATs and compatible systems. According to the vendor, Truescan works with most desktop scanners and facsimile cards. It can also be used to create files for loading information into a database and can process pages at speeds up to 100 char./ sec. while capturing text and graphics at a single pass. The product is available in two configurations: The Model S is priced at $2,495; the Model E, which features enhanced processing speed and includes support for rotated pages, is priced at $3,495. Calera Recognition Systems, 2500 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara, Calif. 95054. 408-986-8006. <<<>>> Title : Public life has its peril Author : Nell Margolis Source : CW Comm FileName: indycol2 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The SEC worries a lot about conflicts of interest. It should; for one thing, that's one of the things you're paid to do when you're the Securities and Exchange Commission, and for another, it's hard to find anyone with a good word for conflicts of interest. But has it yet occurred to the SEC that the very concept of a publicly held technology company might imply a conflict of interest? Last July, the chief executive officer of a particularly aggressive software company that has been playing to raves on Wall Street in the year since its initial public offering was asked how he was enjoying life at the helm of a public company. He stopped and appeared to think it over for a minute. ``You want me to be honest?'' he asked. ``From the point of view of the money, the working capital we get, it's fantastic. From every other point of view, it stinks.'' What stinks the most, he went on, is the disparity between the investor's clamor for constantly improving quarterly bottom lines and the user's clamor for constantly better technol- ogy. Technological development, he said, takes time _ the one thing your investors rarely give you. Time is also something with which the SEC _ created largely to protect the interests of those investors and with no mission whatever to look out for the users of any company's products _ can be mighty tight. Last spring, Apollo found this out when sales problems in a foreign subsidiary set the stage for a precipitous earnings drop in the company's then-approaching second fiscal quarter. Because earnings were going to probably come in 20% or more below published expectations, Apollo, subject to an SEC rule, had to warn investors. The minute the warning hit the wire, the ``Apollo's going under'' rumors began to fly, driving the company's stock downward, engendering column after column of death-knell print and virtually eclipsing the rollout several days later of an eagerly awaited and well-received line of workstations. Judging by what happened to the value of Apollo stock, it would appear that the warning worked _ for investors. Just how much it worked against the interests of Apollo users _ as company time, money and energy were siphoned away from research, development and even marketing and deployed in the kind of public relations damage control that raising your corporation from the rumored dead requires _ probably cannot be quantified. Neither, however, can it be discounted. The stock crisis cost Apollo a president _ Roland Pampel hastily departed amid plummeting prices and pointing fingers, to emerge a week later at the head of Honeywell Bull. Analysts joined in the view that Pampel was sacrificed to investors out for blood. Wall Street itself is aware of the double bind that ties executives of publicly held technology companies. Last week, DEC stock plunged several points in response to the company's report of a 17% earnings drop in its first fiscal quarter. One longtime DEC follower, asked to comment on the proposition that DEC's inability to increase profits despite a 16% revenue rise is tied to CEO Ken Olsen's refusal to do what even IBM has done and pare down head-count to serve the bottom line, snapped back: ``The guy's doing the right thing. He's doing what he's always done: Looking to the future instead of the quarter.'' Olsen, the analyst said, has maintained almost ferocious employee loyalty by ``refusing to ax 200 people every time the stockholders are unhappy.'' What's more, he said, top financial priority at DEC goes to research and development. ``Don't get me wrong _ I've got a `no-buy' out on DEC,'' said another analyst, almost eerily echoing his Wall Street colleague. ``But personally, I give DEC a lot of credit. I'm not convinced that boom-and-bust hiring and layoff cycles are the best way to run a company.'' DEC's first-quarter numbers, the analyst said, tell him: `` `We're building for the future.' '' Loyal DEC fans ``Believe it or not,'' added a third analyst, ``there are still people out there who look at the whole picture and want to buy Digital stock.'' One of them is Olsen: Several days after the stock slide, DEC, resorting to a stock-stabilizing tactic it has used twice before, announced that it would buy back up to 10 million _ or 8% _ of its shares. Nobody claims that public ownership is unique in distorting the technology company's mission to create better technology, or the corporation's general mission to be an upstanding community member. Asked recently whether his company wouldn't prefer private ownership during this time of intense scrutiny, Lotus Chief Financial Officer Robert Schechter called the joys of privatehood fallacious. ``When you're private,'' he said, ``there's a very small group that owns you lock, stock and barrel. They can be very tough masters, too.'' Most growth companies by and by will face one tough master or another _ and since a company that died for want of funds won't do either stockholders or customers much good, nobody's saying, ``Don't take the money.'' Maybe, however, there's a lesson to be learned from DEC's Olsen, who remains determined to give his investors a company for their money _ and not just a ride. By Nell Margolis; Margolis is a Computerworld senior writer. <<<>>> Title : The silver lining Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: q32 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The tale of bitter and better kept unwinding last week as third-quarter earnings reports continued to emerge from technology companies. Among the best of the better: Compaq Computer Corp., whose latest assault on the desktop market led the Houston-based company's 60% march up the revenue chart and added to the 59% improvement in net income as well. ``This performance is noteworthy, considering that the third quarter is traditionally affected by seasonally lower sales in Europe and the U.S.,'' crowed Chief Executive Officer Rod Canion, adding that Compaq's product line sold well across the board in the third quarter. Life in the microcomputer market was less kind to Wyse Technology. Notwithstanding a 26% jump in revenue of $129.4 million, lower-than-expected demand for some of Wyse's product lines and unanticipated lethargy in its international markets drove the San Jose, Calif.-based company's net income down 54% to $3.3 million. Looking at some of the high-tech sector's sadder third-quarter numbers, Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co. analyst Shao Wang cited better software as the most likely demand stimulant for hardware vendors caught in sluggish mature markets. Just such thinking may well underlie Relational Technology, Inc.'s splashy entry into the public market. The Ingres relational database maker attributed the healthy sales and profit increases logged for its first full quarter as a public company to continuing expansion across the Digital Equipment Corp. VAX and Unix minicomputer markets. Also flying high on software sales: recently beleaguered Hogan Systems, Inc. CEO Gary Fiedler credited the quarter's 184% profit rise to a combination of operating expense reductions and approximately $2.5 million worth of revenue from a three-year licensing contract under which the Standard Chartered Bank of London will use Hogan's Integrated Banking Applications software. Database and application development software maker Informix Corp., however, fell victim to the general rule that even in an application-hungry market, the software has to go out the door in order to propel the numbers up the scale. Despite a 34% revenue rise, compared with last year's comparable quarter, delays in shipment of its Wingz and Smartware II software products caused a sales fall-off from last quarter for Informix, while heavy increases in research and development and marketing backed the company into a third-quarter net loss position. Someone forgot to tell Stratus Computer, Inc. about the well-chronicled slump in the technology industry. Timely shipments of entry-level models of the firm's on-line transaction processing-oriented computers were instrumental in fueling the Marlboro, Mass.-based company to a 41% revenue increase and an even steeper climb in profits _ up 43% to $7.6 million, according to CEO William Foster. The company is counting on third-quarter expansion into two operating systems _ a Posix- and SVID-compliant multiprocessor flavor of Unix as well as Pick, targeted as particularly geared to running on-line database applications to advance Stratus in new markets and keep the trend lines moving in the upward direction, Foster said. Elsewhere on what continues to be an all-over-the-map map were the following results: Computer Sciences Corp. Increased revenues, led by an 11% jump in sales by the company's flagship federal systems and services operation coupled with a higher operating profit margin, boosting profits 21% to $12 million. Federal bounty, however, was shaved by the state: Company President William Hoover attributed Computer Sciences' mere 6% third-quarter revenue rise to completion of a major contract with the state of California and to a delay in starting work with IBM on a sizable Federal Aviation Administration contract, the award of which has been under protest. Symbolics, Inc. The former dedicated artificial intelligence company celebrated its summer launch into new markets with a $415,000 profit _ its first in two years. ``We're very relieved, I can tell you,'' said CEO Jay Wurts, who trumpeted the return to black ink as symbolic of an end to the management turmoil, an executive-suite shuffle, sagging morale and product identity crisis that have impeded Symbolics' progress and cast its continued existence into doubt during the past year. Seven Symbolics products debuted during the quarter just closed; all, said Wurts, have been well received, particularly the Macivory add-in board, which puts ``Symbolics-on-a-chip'' into Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computers and signals Symbolics' departure from the proprietary label. By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : The checkered past of Com Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cmi1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: CHATSWORTH, Calif. _ Computer Memories, Inc. (CMI) would prove good fodder for a Trivial Pursuit game about the computer industry. Question: Which disk drive company saw a boatload of its products dumped into the ocean as part of a publicity stunt by a competitor? Question: Which disk drive company hired and fired a new chief executive officer in less than a month? Question: Which disk drive company attempted to get into the movie business? Today, CMI, the answer to all these questions, is a storefront in the San Fernando Valley. The now quiet and vacant offices give no hint of the company's stormy six years in the disk drive industry. CMI is owned by Sun Equities Corp., a financial holding company in Far Hills, N.J. It seems no one still involved with CMI wants to discuss it. When asked about the company, an unidentified person at Sun Equities responded, ``We're not interested in talking about it,'' and hung up. Fred Heim, formerly chief financial officer, and Irwin Rubin, one-time chairman and CEO _ both of whom are said to call in at CMI headquarters ``every couple of days'' _ did not return Computerworld's calls. Even those no longer associated with the company are somewhat reticent. A call to Finis Conner, chief executive of Conner Peripherals, Inc. _ a disk drive company as successful as CMI was a failure _ elicited a chuckle and a sigh when he realized the call was about CMI and not Conner's latest contract. Conner was CMI's CEO for all of three weeks in the fall of 1985. ``It was an embarrassment to me,'' Conner said of his brief reign. ``But once you realize you've made a mistake, you have to correct it quickly.'' CMI staff's reluctance to talk should probably come as no surprise. CMI is one of the more dramatic crash-and-burns in an industry littered with them. In June 1985, CMI was a $150 million-a-year company with a big fat contract with IBM. In August of that year, IBM announced it was cutting CMI off as a supplier. Any requirements for 5 -in. hard disk drives would be filled by Seagate Technology, which was already supplying IBM with disk drives. One week after IBM made its announcement, Rubin stood before the company's shareholders at an ill-timed stockholders meeting. Rubin attempted to reassure a standing-room-only crowd of skeptical shareholders that CMI would ``make up'' the IBM business _ 81% of CMI's sales _ with a number of new, smaller contracts. One unconvinced shareholder interrupted Rubin's speech by shouting, ``Fat chance.'' IBM's decision to end its contract with CMI was not a fickle one, according to those close to CMI. ``The company lost the IBM account because of a lack of quality in their product,'' Conner said. ``IBM doesn't cut off a supplier unless they have due cause. They don't do it at the drop of a hat. They work with you to solve the problems before they take that kind of action.'' The question many might ask is, How did CMI land a contract with IBM in the first place? In 1983, IBM began looking for a vendor to supply drives for the Personal Computer AT. CMI had the 5 -in. drive IBM needed and was willing to sell it cheaper than anyone else. ``They had the product and they were willing to wheel and deal,'' said Robert Katzive, vice-president of Disk/Trend, Inc., a disk drive market research firm. By the time Conner arrived on the scene, CMI was a company in serious trouble. It faced the loss of 81% of its business, it had a reputation for poor quality and it was hit with a patent infringement suit from a competitor. What Conner saw were the pluses: a Singapore production plant, $35 million in cash and the chance to become a hero if he could turn it around. ``They probably thought my reputation and contacts would change things,'' he said. ``But reputation is only worth about $5 in this industry.'' In June 1986, CMI ceased all disk drive operations. At that point, ``they tried to go Hollywood,'' Katzive said. CMI attempted to merge with Hemdale Films, a distributor for The Terminator and Platoon. However, the deal fell through. About eight months ago, Sun Equities purchased CMI. What its plans are for the company remain unknown. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : CDLA dropping gloves in I Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cdla Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: BOSTON _ IBM declared the war; now the Computer Dealers and Lessors Association (CDLA) is taking it to the streets. In this case, the streets are the MIS departments that lease IBM equipment. CDLA members served notice at their fall meeting here 10 days ago that they will not take the recent aggressiveness of IBM and IBM Credit Corp. lying down. On issues ranging from IBM's increased presence in the used computer market to the ownership of IBM microcode, the independent computer lessors said they will mount an intense lobbying campaign to show that their concerns should be shared by users and lessees. ``IBM is selling used equipment nowadays, which means they're treading our turf,'' said Richard Forsythe, president of Skokie, Ill.-based Forsythe McArthur Associates, Inc., a pioneer in the used computer market. ``We don't like it. We don't figure anybody expected we would.'' What IBM might not have expected was the way in which CDLA plans to fight back. Thus far, Forsythe said, IBM has dipped into the used market very selectively _ only, apparently, as a last-ditch alternative when faced with a customer who absolutely could not be sold new equipment. ``Here's our strategy,'' Forsythe said, who added that its proposal at the CDLA members' business session was greeted with applause. ``We're going to tell everybody that we can tell, `Hey, guys: IBM's in the used computer business. If you haven't seen their quotes on used, then you haven't seen their lowest quotes.' '' The used dealers, Forsythe said, hope their free advertising service for IBM's new venture into traditional CDLA territory will deluge IBM with calls from customers interested in talking used and will significantly undercut the far more lucrative sales of new CPUs and peripherals. If the strategy sufficiently leeches dollars out of IBM's business, Forsythe said, ``then they might decide to get out of ours.'' The CDLA's annual changing of the guard took place as outgoing Chairman Robert A. Gulko passed the gavel to Kenneth B. Steinback, who will serve as chairman until fall 1989. Steinback is chairman and chief executive officer of Computer Sales International, Inc., a St. Louis-based lessor and broker with annual sales of about $100 million. The CDLA won a concession from IBM on the volatile microcode issue, President Kenneth Bouldin told members. At a meeting here with IBM representatives just prior to the CDLA convention, IBM agreed to reduce its guaranteed response time for modifying the IBM microcode at a user site from 10 business days to five. The concession may be a minor one, but it indicates progress on a critical issue, Bouldin said. The issue is of such importance to the CDLA that it appointed perhaps its most powerful member, Comdisco, Inc. Chairman Kenneth Pontikes, to chair its Ad Hoc Committee on Microcode. The real issue for the CDLA is the flexibility of secondary equipment marketers to modify microcode. CDLA members fear that IBM, which has shown aggressiveness in other areas, could move to severely limit CPU upgrade or resale options by restricting access to microcode. ``IBM has continued to do things to inhibit the moving of machines, and microcode is the most important issue to us,'' Bouldin said. ``Our position is that microcode is part of the machine. If I own the machine, let me, or someone else other than IBM, fix the microcode.'' By Clinton Wilder and Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Andersen mutineers regrou Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1031week Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Andersen mutineers regroup Six much-publicized defectors from Arthur Andersen & Co.'s MIS consulting unit have resurfaced at a new firm, the New York-based Information Consulting Group, with the financial backing of British advertising/consulting giant Saatchi & Saatchi Co. Heading the firm, which will focus on systems integration consulting, is Gresham Brebach, former chief of Andersen's U.S. consulting practice. Daisy gets fresh Daisy Systems Corp. increased its hostile takeover bid for Cadnetix Corp. from $8 to $8.4 per share, or $183 million, and extended the offer to Nov. 14. Cadnetix' board had rejected the lower offer. Cadnetix is reportedly negotiating with several potential white-knight alternative buyers, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Prime Computer, Inc. and Valid Logic Systems, Inc. Lockheed flies into integration arena As if Electonic Data Systems Corp. didn't have enough of a turf battle on its hands with founder H. Ross Perot and his latest company coming at it full tilt, now Lockheed Corp., citing ``30 years of experience integrating large information systems,'' has announced its entry into the systems integration market. The aerospace big gun said it is targeting major government integrated systems contracts. DEC buy-back Digital Equipment Corp. is bullish on itself _ again. In the wake of a stock drop following DEC's announcement of disappointing earnings for its first fiscal quarter, the Maynard, Mass., minicomputer maker announced its third stock buy-back in two years. The firm will buy back up to 10 million shares, valued at $900 million or more. Investors took due note; after a brief suspension in trading, DEC stock rose two points to close at 92 on the day the buy-back was announced. Movin' on up At Sequent Computer Systems, Chief Executive Officer Casey Powell now adds ``chairman of the board'' to his title. Sequent Chief Operating Officer Scott Gibson gets to keep his current title and add that of president. At IBM, Directeur General des Operations of IBM Europe Renato Riverso and Application Solutions General Manager of Market Development Ralph W. Clark will continue in their respective jobs _ but as newly elected company vice-presidents. <<<>>> Title : No bold strokes for busin Author : David Radoff Source : CW Comm FileName: unixlead Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The way Aetna Life and Casualty Co. in New York is handling the issue of Unix implementation is indicative of both the strides that the operating system has made and the distance it still must travel to achieve full acceptance in big business. Aetna has announced its commitment to building open systems with Unix but so far has done little to implement this decision. While the insurance and financial services company expects to use Unix in its corporate administration and financial modeling and forecasting, most of these implementations are only in the planning stages. ``Our speed may be slow, but our acceleration is great,'' says Jeffrey Alperin, associate vice-president of corporate technology planning. Alperin is also a member of the user advisory group X/Open Consortium, Ltd., a non-profit Unix standards organization. ``With any new application, important questions need to be answered before large-scale implementation begins,'' he explains. ``How do new systems integrate with existing systems and databases? For the foreseeable future, we will use both open solutions and proprietary systems, but in general, we're going toward open systems.'' Attitudes toward Unix in the commercial marketplace are changing. More business users than ever before are either purchasing or considering Unix systems. A recent study on the buying plans and attitudes of MIS directors by The Yankee Group in Boston, for example, shows that 64% of the 300 Fortune 1,000 MIS directors surveyed will evaluate Unix-based mid-range systems in the next year. Many of these companies like the idea of open systems _ computers that operate in an environment compatible with different types of equipment from other vendors. By moving toward an open-systems solution, a company can switch suppliers at any time and still be able to migrate its existing software to the new system. In addition, older equipment can be phased out more gradually without disruption. However, assuming that those evaluations will produce a large wave of conversions during the next several years would probably be a mistake. If Aetna and other large corporations that have already made some level of commitment to Unix are any indication, the evaluation process will be slow and thorough, and implementations will come in small increments. The bigger the company, the more tempered the approach, says Betsy Nichols, executive vice-president of technology at Digital Analysis Corp., a Reston, Va.-based firm that is both a user and a reseller of Unix systems. ``The larger companies will try it out,'' she says, ``first devoting a particular function to a Unix system before considering it further.'' That description fits Glendale, Calif.-based Public Storage, Inc., a nationwide operator of mini-warehouses for self-storage that has more than $2 billion in assets. Public Storage is putting its first Unix system to use in a specialized management information center, which the company calls its ``war room.'' The war room is a place used primarily by senior executives for strategic planning and is separate from the headquarters data center. The system, which Public Storage began to build in October of 1985 in response to management requests for a more efficient reporting system, consists of an Altos 386 computer with 35 Wyse Technology, Inc. 350 terminals running Xenix and Informix Software, Inc.'s Informix DBMS. The company was able to build a database on site location, pricing and competitive analyses. Public Storage customized Informix to draw data in ASCII format from the corporate DEC PDP-11s and Microvaxes and input it directly into the database. It has also developed a graphics program that visually displays the location of facility sites and those of competitors, to accompany the written reports. Public Storage did not originally intend to use the Altos for anything beyond the database and graphics applications, but since the system's initial success, they have started to use it for word processing and other general-purpose functions. While the Altos has not been integrated with Public Storage's other computers, Sherry DuRoy, vice-president and director of research, says the reaction of the company's top executives has led them to consider implementing Unix in other departments. ``Frankly, our executives were amazed that this little box could support so many users and do such a good job,'' DuRoy says. ``People started to do work with this Unix system that was totally unanticipated. We were supposed to have six or seven people on it, and almost immediately we were up to 20 users. Everything would get done quickly; we were getting reports and applications prototyped and up and running within a day.'' At Fair Issacs Corp., in San Rafael, Calif., a company that produces credit reports, what started out as a limited run for Unix has extended into a major commitment. ``We didn't go out and look for a way to spread Unix through the company, but that's what ended up happening, says Athan Posadas, the company's senior project manager for the Unix system. When Unix was first brought into the company in the fall of 1985 in the form of one Arix computer, he notes,``The intended area of use was so specific that there could be no objection.'' Since then, however, that first Arix computer, purchased to run credit profile applications, has multiplied into four Arix Model 1600 minicomputers running Unix System V 2.0, three located here and one in Fair Isaacs' office in Monaco. The systems, which are linked by leased lines currently support 225 users. ``In the beginning, we really didn't know how much we were going to get out of it. Now we're totally dependent on it. We use Unix as the glue that connects all of the various pieces of the environment. It gives you connectivity to the database server, terminals for low-use people at a low cost, and lets you avoid having to go to a mainframe.'' Posadas says the company now uses the systems to run its in-house written and customized applications such as word processing and spreadsheets, as well as the credit reports and database facilities for which the company originally bought them. But the move to Unix was not entirely uncontested. Posadas acknowledges that there have been spots of resistance within the company. Much of the resistance, he says, has centered around the ease-of-use issue. To combat these objections, Posadas and other members of the company's software facilities group have had to spend a significant amount of time writing custom software and modifying packages. ``At times, we have modified the user interfaces of packaged programs to add a more menued, easy-to-use, layered approach that has sort of become the company standard,'' he says, noting that the extra effort involved in both program creation and modification ``sometimes puts a lot of pressure on the group.'' As Posadas' story indicates, both old prejudices and remaining weaknesses can make Unix a hard sell in some quarters. For years, Unix was seen as an operating system that was good for developers and technical computer users but too complex and demanding for companies with general business applications. Among its perceived drawbacks were a difficult user interface, a lack of business software and a sluggish processing speed when compared with proprietary operating systems. The situation is improving , at least in terms of software supply and degree of difficulty objections, according to Digital Analysis' Nichols. ``Unix doesn't get rapped for being hard to use the way it was three years ago, because many of the software manufacturers have come a long way in upgrading their packages and adding better user interfaces,'' she says. ``The software for Unix is still not as mature as in some other areas, but that, too, is changing quickly.'' Another development that is helping to change some minds is the migration of DOS applications to Unix,'' according to Paul Cubbage, a Unix industry analyst for Dataquest, Inc., in Santa Clara, Calif. ``All of the first-tier [application software] vendors _ Ashton-Tate, Lotus, Borland _ have now announced development for Unix.,'' he says As far as Jeff McDowell, manager of operational systems for Four Seasons Hotels is concerned, the software availability problem has been solved. ``In 1985, when we started looking, it's true there was only one major system with property management software available,'' he says, ``but now all of the major suppliers have them. I know [lack of software] has been one of the criticisms that's been leveled against Unix _ certainly in the hotel industry that's not been the case.'' Furthermore, although Four Seasons did experience some performance problems after it started using Unix, McDowell says that they didn't sour the company on the operating system because were clearly ``with that particular implementation, not with Unix as an operating system. ``Our management was very much behind the move to Unix,'' he explains. ``They were attracted by the open nature of the operating system, by not being tied to one supplier's proprietary machines. So we decided to stay with it in spite of our early problems.'' After that, McDowell says, they began looking for another Unix system. This time they sent out requests for proposals to 11 different Unix hardware vendors, received responses from seven of them and ran extensive performance tests on each of the computers. The company finally settled on the HP 9800 series running HP/UX. ``This is what we hope will be a long-term decision. We expect to have a model in each of 22 locations within three years,'' McDowell says. But not all of the questions surrounding Unix have been satisfactorily answered for commercial users. Doubts about whether Unix is suitable for large systems is one issue that remains unresolved. ``Unix is strongest in the two- to 16-user marketplace,'' says Maggie Canon, a Unix industry analyst with Framingham, Mass.-based International Data Corp. (IDC) ``There's a lot of activity in the medium-size systems market and room for growth in the large-systems market, but I think that [success in those markets] will take some work on the part of the Unix vendors. A lot of people, when they think of the commercial market, still only think of big IBM mainframes.'' As a result, these users are still focused on single-vendor architectures instead of considering an open system solution. Greg Cline, a senior analyst at Yankee Group, says, ``It's not really a full commercial system yet, although it's definitely moving very strongly into that sector.'' Mainframe Unix is still a long way away, Cline says. Right now, he explains, the operating system just isn't up to the exacting on-line transaction processing requirements that are necessary for a system that serves as the main data repository in a company. Yankee Group's Lytton adds that the security and reliability remain problem areas. ``When the lights go out, the system should not go down; that's an area that needs work.'' Nichols thinks that some of the objections to Unix persist. ``You still hear people saying that it's slower, because Unix is not developed for a particular proprietary architecture, but there's a strong enthusiasm for it.'' Then, looming largest of all are the issues surrounding standards. Glen Almendinger, president of Harbor Research Corp., a market research firm specializing in computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), feels that CIM will be the next bright spot for Unix, after a few more technical hurdles are overcome. Almendinger, who covers companywide integration of manufacturing systems, says he believes that success for Unix in the factory automation market will help further its popularity in general business applications. He says the first order of business is consolidating the various splinter versions of Unix in order to help the system strengthen its position beyond the engineering workstation market. To move beyond the engineering workstation market, he says, Unix must overcome three important hurdles. ``First, Unix manufacturers must settle on a common user interface,'' he explains. ``Second, they must unify behind a standard version so there are truly portable packages, as opposed to today's apparently portable packages that can't run on all machines. Finally, Unix must provide genuine real-time capabilities, a factor that is especially critical for factory floor environments.'' Interface wars Another important issue for Unix is whether its lack of a user interface standard will hinder its acceptance. While commercial users are accustomed to standards, Unix vendors have not yet been able to establish a consistent user interface. This may lead to a wait-and-see attitude among some user companies. For example, shortly after AT&T and Sun announced they would support a Macintosh-like interface for Unix _ and tried to gather industrywide support for it _ a group of rival vendors, including IBM, DEC and HP, spurned the move, saying it favored Sun too much. Instead, they formed the Open Software Foundation (OSF) and touted their own ``standard,'' based on IBM's AIX implementation of Unix and a user interface to be selected from submissions. In mid-October, however, negotiations that might have brought the AT&T/Sun camp into the OSF fold were disrupted, as AT&T and several System V licensees, including Amdahl Corp., Prime Computer, Inc., NCR Corp. and Control Data Corp. announced their intent to form a separate group to promote System V as the Unix standard [CW, Oct. 17]. Any explosion in the Unix market may have to wait until this issue is decided, because a unified industry stance on Unix is what it could take to convince the commercial market that Unix has arrived. The way the momentum has swung since the AT&T/Sun Open Look announcements, many people feel that OSF will have to be the standard because it has the best chance at retaining IBM's commitment. Yankee Group's Lytton does not feel that the recent announcements by Sun, Unisys, Amdahl, NCR and Motorola, Inc. necessarily mean that those companies are at war with the OSF vendors. But, she says, ``it's not appropriate to go jumping to conclusions. [The vendors behind AT&T] are still in the process of forming the group. It is a warning shot across the bow to the OSF supporters, but that's different from beginning a war. It indicates seriousness, but it could foreshadow either a speedy resolution or more conflict to come. ``OSF and the other group could be merged; that is one school of thought. Whether that will happen is unclear at this time, but there's a good chance that it will,'' Lytton explains. ``If the major vendors, including AT&T, embrace OSF, that's going to be an event that dramatically changes the market over the next seven years or so. People don't necessarily want Unix, but they do want what it might become tomorrow with OSF _ a system with portability and interoperability between IBM, DEC and other vendors in whom they have significant investments.'' Canon at IDC agrees. ``The old days of having everything about an operating system be proprietary may finally be going away. Unix is definitely gaining momentum, but it may take some additional impetus, like the user interface standards, for MIS to get excited about it.'' In the meantime, early adopters listening to the volleys of claims and counter claims express frustration and impatience. Fair Issacs' Posadas feels the deficiencies in the user interface have had an effect on the quality of the software available. ``There have been times when we were disappointed with [the software that's] out there. For a long time, we couldn't find as good a spreadsheet as we wanted. We finally found one called Q-Calc that works all right, but the user interface and the graphics for Unix packages aren't yet at the same point as the bit-mapped graphics on PCs,'' he says. Posadas would like to see the Unix vendors better address the standards issues, especially the user interface. ``As members of the user community we were thrown for a loop with the controversy over the Open Software Foundation, Open Look and the competing standards,'' he says. ``Just when the AT&T/Sun direction was starting to gather steam, OSF came along, and I said, `Oh no _ now it'll take a couple of years of sorting it out.' ``I hope there'll be one major standard that's a good one and that the industry can unite behind. We don't have a particular preference as to what that is. What I want is for the manufacturers to decide so the users can get on with business of using it.'' Unix vendors, for their part, say they are trying to pay proper attention to the need for a better user interface in commercial environments, but they seem to have trouble agreeing on the best approach. ``Most people who have trouble with Unix are trying to buy a user interface, not the Unix operating system,'' HP's McAuley notes. ``It depends on the marketplace. Office automation is going to need a good user interface, but a specific application like inventory control or cost accounting will move to Unix earlier, even before a standard interface is established.'' Other Unix hardware vendors defend the growth that's occurred in user interfaces to date, pointing to the speed at which the progress has been made in a short time. ``A couple of years ago . . . moving to Unix was a step backward,'' says Les Wyatt, product marketing manager for Texas Instruments, Inc.'s computer systems division. ``That isn't so today. This market has seen a large number of vendors pick up Unix and rapidly improve the products that they're offering. And the market is beginning to respond to that now.'' Wyatt is joined by other Unix vendors that are making their case much more forcefully today. ``There is plainly recognition that Unix, as it exists today, can have a lot added to it, whether you look to Open Look or OSF. But Unix as it is now is still highly competent and effective,'' says Peter Bakalor, vice-president of product integration and systems management for Unisys. Whether Unix has come far enough to merit widespread acceptance into the long-range plans of large corporate users remains to be seen. Clearly, Unix is rapidly gaining market share _ IDC estimates that between 1987 and 1992, the size of the Unix market will double, with 24% of medium-size systems and 51% of small systems shipped based on Unix. Even if much of that gain is in departmental computing, where built-in biases are not as deep as in MIS, Unix will definitely be on its way to establishing a foothold in commercial markets. By David Radoff; Radoff is a free-lance writer based in Oakland, Calif. <<<>>> Title : Plants try own solutions Author : Harvey J. Hindin Source : CW Comm FileName: hindin1 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The manufacturing community is considering standardizing many of its activities around Unix in order to gain application portability. It is presently hampered by the lack of standardized real-time Unix extensions. Manufacturing users and suppliers are getting around this shortage by adding real-time extensions to Unix. They are integrating Unix with a small, specialized real-time operating system of limited functionality, called an executive, or extracting Unix subsets that can be dedicated to real-time chores. Portability is important to manufacturing companies because their plants are typically supplied by multiple vendors that constantly offer new machines. When the hardware and associated operating system is replaced, applications are rewritten because porting them is not cost-effective. Standardizing around a widely available operating environment will allow MIS developers to reuse developed applications on multiple vendors' machines, significantly reducing software costs. Unix and Posix are the foundations for portable applications and enviroments _ Unix because it is so widely available and Posix because it is a standardized operating system interface based on Unix. What's the problem? With this pent-up need for application portability, why is the move to Unix and Posix not proceeding faster? The holdup is the lack of real-time standards that many parts of the factory floor require. The factory floor needs real-time capabilities to ensure that manufacturing systems can respond quickly to external events such as interrupts, to schedule new tasks according to some priority scheme and to allow high-priority tasks to instantly preempt the processing of lower priority ones. The response time required by manufacturing systems may vary from microseconds to seconds, depending on the application. The important thing about a real-time system is that it guarantees a maximum response time. Unix does not currently support real-time capabilities because it was designed as a time-sharing operating system. It performs so many tasks for users that responding to any one request within a predictable amount of time is difficult. Manufacturing users are addressing this lack of inherent real-time capabilities in two ways. One method is to integrate Unix with a dedicated real-time executive. The application is distributed so that the critical real-time parts run on the executive, while the rest of the application runs under standard Unix. Studies conducted by Emerging Technologies Group, Inc. show that when an application requires a response time of 100 to 200 msec., users choose a real-time executive rather than opt for Unix. The second method involves adding real-time extensions to Unix. There are many real-time Unix systems on the market built by this technique. Many of these conform to AT&T's System V Interface Definition and are soon expected to conform to the IEEE's Posix standard interface. The advantage to Posix is that, regardless of the operating system under the Posix interface, applications written to Posix will run across multiple computers because the applications think they are running under Unix. But there are no standards yet for real-time extensions to Unix or Posix. Consequently, although general-purpose Unix/ Posix functions can be ported across disparate, conforming systems, the real-time Unix/Posix parts of an application are not portable. As a result, many users are waiting for the IEEE's real-time Posix extensions to be completed. Vendors and users often ask why a standard real-time Unix is needed, since many real-time applications are machine- or device-specific. The answer is that in today's factory, the application needs to communicate with other software, and real-time is often a necessity. For example, a real-time Unix application might require real-time information from a manufacturing resource planning program to reschedule itself in response to a breakdown. Both the request for data and its processing when it is received may need to be done in real-time in order to get answers back quickly and reliably. Ready to make a move Many manufacturers have said they will move to Unix/Posix when the real-time Posix extensions are standardized and implemented by vendors. Some manufacturers of discrete products _ those composed of distinct parts _ such as automotive firms, have already converted a number of their factory floor systems to Unix even though they know they will eventually need standardized, real-time Unix. The aerospace industry has less of an urgent need for standardized, real-time Unix and portability because aerospace manufacturing is less repetitive than other discrete manufacturing industries. As a result, an application program lasts longer once it is written. Nevertheless, aerospace manufacturers see a distinct need for real-time Unix and are moving steadily in that direction. Large-plant migration In general, Unix migration has gained the most support in large discrete manufacturing plants. It currently is not as much of a concern in mid-size plants because they do not have the resources to take part in standards committees and experiment early on with the latest technology. Mid-size plants have the same portability needs, however. Being smaller, they have fewer MIS resources to keep rewriting applications for new environments as the need arises. Consequently, this group will eventually represent a potent Unix market. Manufacturers of process products _ products made of continuous, rather than distinct, parts such as oil, gas and pharmaceuticals _ are not moving to Unix as fast as discrete manufacturers. For companies engaged in process manufacturing, the issue goes beyond standards. The kind of critical real-time capability that their operations require is often not available from Unix in its current state. Proprietary real-time Unix systems that claim a response time of 400 to 600 msec or better do exist. In some cases, however, the response time is measured or defined in a unique way. For example, it is not always measured from the time the event happens until the time the response occurs. Instead, it can be measured as the interval between the external event and the time the responsive task is scheduled. Often, users look for a big safety factor in the response time. In some cases, Unix is too busy being an operating system to guarantee this safety factor. In contrast, a real-time executive is dedicated solely to guaranteeing a predictable response time. It has no file system and only a minimal scheduler, and it avoids many operating system tasks that can make the system response time unpredictable. Some companies are looking to a Unix-subset solution to their real-time Unix problems. More than just getting rid of compilers and providing multiuser capability and the like, this solution offers multiple subsets of Unix, depending on the application. This subset solution is currently offered by a few small firms. But some larger firms may soon provide Unix systems that not only allow users to choose one or two subsets but that offer a menu of modules. Users will pick the modules they need to accomplish a task. Because of the different response time requirements of manufacturing applications, proprietary real-time executives will continue to be used. And, to ensure the application portability that they need, manufacturing plants will also use a variety of real-time Unix techniques in the future. These techniques will include standardized, real-time extensions to Unix; communications links between Unix systems and real-time executives; and even standardized interfaces for real-time executives and Unix-compatible real-time executives. These Unix-compatible real-time executives will not incorporate extra Unix functions that add overhead and, therefore, degrade response times. Rather, only functions that exist in the real-time executive will be made Unix- or Posix-compatible. By Harvey J. Hindin; Hindin is vice-president of Emerging Technologies Group, INc. in Dix Hills, N.Y. <<<>>> Title : Teaching DOS Unix tricks Author : Dale Dougherty Source : CW Comm FileName: daleside Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Most IBM Personal Computer users define their computing environment in terms of the programs they use. Ask them about either Microsoft Corp. MS- or IBM PC-DOS, and some will not know that it is the operating system of the PC. Many will not even associate it with a set of specific capabilities. Like DOS, what Unix does is mostly transparent to users, even though it does a lot more than DOS. So when Unix vendors attempt to lure DOS users or their information systems managers to Unix systems, they find it difficult to sell Unix on its own merits as an operating system. Even if managers recognize the benefits of a multiuser, multitasking system as well as the price/performance of Unix machines, they must weigh those considerations against the devotion of users to their DOS-based PC applications. Given this reality, Unix vendors are coming to believe that the only way to get PC users to Unix may be to let them bring along their favorite applications. But such a shift requires significant technical effort. Some PC software must be completely rewritten for Unix, perhaps even redesigned to access hardware resources differently. Running DOS on Unix Instead of waiting for the number of DOS-compatible Unix applications to increase gradually, Unix vendors have been looking for ways that might allow Unix systems to run most PC software off the shelf. For this reason, the introduction of Intel Corp.'s 80386 chip caught the interest of Unix vendors. Not only is the 80386 a powerful chip that offers high performance running the Unix operating system, it can also run DOS programs. The 80386's virtual 8086 mode allows DOS applications to run in the multitasking environment supported by either the 16- or 32-bit protected modes. Thus, it is possible to run DOS programs under Unix. Recognizing the difference between real mode and virtual mode is important. A DOS application writes to hardware directly and accesses peripherals at will. In real mode, a DOS application is in complete control of the machine. In virtual mode, however, the DOS application is prevented from interfering with the rest of the system. Virtual mode enforces a protocol for obtaining hardware-level resources by trapping these instructions and passing them out to a monitor program running in protected mode. The monitor program translates the instructions intended for PC hardware into requests to be handled by Unix. This monitor program is the central component of two 386-based DOS-Unix bridge products, Locus Computing Corp.'s Merge/386 and VP/IX, jointly developed by Phoenix Technologies Ltd. and Interactive Systems Corp. The functions of these products are to ensure that a DOS application goes through the Unix operating system to access hardware resources and to create a DOS user environment. In most cases, providing these functions involves masking the differences between DOS and Unix, such as naming conventions and ASCII terminal support. Anyone evaluating these 386-based bridge products will want to examine how each handles the differences between DOS and Unix. Also, you will want to know what degree of customization is permitted on the user level. With an 80386-based Unix machine running Merge/386 or VP/IX, users can choose to work in either the DOS or the Unix environment or go back and forth between the two. Coprocessing is a second method of getting DOS applications to Unix. Several vendors offer 8086- or 80286-based DOS coprocessor boards for their Unix systems. One such product is Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Integrated Personal Computer, which lets users run a DOS application from a window on a Unix-based Sun workstation. Another approach is to emulate in software the DOS environment, translating instructions intended for an 8086 into the instruction set of another processor, such as the Motorola, Inc. 68000 family. One product that takes this approach is Insignia Solutions, Inc.'s SoftPC. A third approach to bringing DOS applications to Unix-based systems attempts to avoid the overhead of software emulation. A binary compiler performs a one-time translation of the DOS application, converting its 8086 instruction set into that of the target processor. The converted application will then run under Unix. This approach is the one taken by Hunter Systems, Inc.'s XDOS. There are a number of ways in which a Unix system can support former PC users who are still tied to DOS. Through the methods described above, many of these users, who have shunned Unix for their favored DOS applications, are discovering that they can have their program and run it, too. By Dale Dougherty; Dougherty is coauthor with Tim O'Reilly of DOS Meets Unix, a Nutshell Handbook published by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. in Newton, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Choose your weapon Author : Larry Harris Source : CW Comm FileName: harrisid Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: I programs use three basic methods to establish the logical linkage that solves a particular problem. These are backward chaining, forward chaining and hypothetical reasoning. These are not really three equal alternative strategies but rather three increasingly powerful approaches to logical reasoning. All three methods use the same basic inferencing cycle, a process that consists of the following steps: Conflict set. Determine the conflict set, which is the set of statements _ or ``rules,'' as they are typically called in AI programs _ that are logically connected to the current reasoning state. In geometry, this is similar to finding all the theorems that could apply at a particular point in a proof. Conflict resolution. Choose one rule from the conflict set to actually execute, or ``fire,'' as it is typically called. Rule firing. Execute the selected rule. This process continues, extending the current reasoning path until a connection between the given information and a solution is found. The performance rating of an inference engine is its logical-inferences-per-second rating, or how many rules fire per second. Backward chaining is a reasoning strategy that starts from the desired conclusion and works backwards to find a logical connection to the given information. At each step, the conflict set consists of those rules that can determine the value of a variable whose value is being sought. Forward chaining is a reasoning strategy that reacts to the input assertions being made and establishes logical connections forward until a connection is found between the input data and a solution. At each step, the conflict set consists of those rules whose premises (the If part) are true. Hypothetical reasoning is a strategy that builds multiple reasoning chains concurrently. This allows multiple solution paths to be explored so that the optimal solution path can be found. The conflict set consists first of determining which of the solution paths to explore next and then selecting the individual rules that can fire within that particular line of reasoning. Hypothetical reasoning is the most powerful reasoning strategy. It provides an extra dimension in which forward and backward chaining can take place in multiple concurrent states. It is more difficult to explain why forward chaining is not just the opposite of backward chaining. The issue comes down to the degree of freedom the inference engine has in determining which rule to fire next, as opposed to the degree of control exercised by the programmer. In hypothetical reasoning, the programmer is delegating nearly all control to the inference engine. Forward-chaining programs also exhibit this same ``loose hand'' on control. Backward-chaining programs, by their nature, are very constrained in terms of the number of options (size of the conflict set) that exists at any one time. This distinction actually manifests itself as a true difference in the computational power of forward and backward chaining. It is easy to implement a backward-chaining engine inside a forward-chaining system, but the reverse is far more difficult. Thus, there is more computational power in forward chaining. This is not to say that backward chaining is not an important AI methodology. But many people investigating AI have looked at systems that offered only backward chaining (as nearly all the early systems did) and concluded that a functional system of procedural programming could accomplish the same thing. To best communicate the real benefit of the AI programming style, it is worth understanding this distinction. LARRY HARRIS <<<>>> Title : Unix wends its way into M Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: careers3 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Although the demand for Unix professionals in the corporate MIS world is limited now, opportunities are expected to grow significantly over the next five years. Among the consequences will be the emergence of a new position, the system administrator, says Edward A. Taylor, senior vice-president and managing director of recruiter Pencom Systems, Inc. in San Jose, Calif. ``This is the distributed computing version of the mainframe shop's system manager,'' Taylor says. The system administrator is concerned with software installation, network management and the fine-tuning of the system. He is expected to be ``a reasonably good C programmer and have a good general knowledge of the operating system,'' Taylor says. His firm predicts use of Unix in MIS will grow at a constant rate over the next four or five years. He says he does not expect Unix to replace existing mainframe technology for centralized data processing but believes it will eventually dominate corporate computing at the departmental level. Unix application and database programmers are also in demand at end-user sites. The highest paying jobs, reserved for experienced systems programmers, are still found primarily with vendors. Acceptance areas Howard Fosdick, president of Fosdick Consulting, Inc., a Unix training and consulting firm in Villa Park, Ill., sees growing acceptance of Unix in three types of user organizations: MIS departments at companies that do extensive scientific and engineering computing; small or new companies in which corporate computing is not already built around an IBM mainframe; and colleges and universities. Amoco Corp. is typical of the first type of user because of the computing needs of its geologists and engineers. ``Amoco is your usual large IBM mainframe shop. But they do a lot of scientific and engineering work,'' Fosdick says, ``so they have to be involved with Unix for certain applications.'' But even there, he notes, Unix is a specialty, supported by the corporate MIS organization with a small staff for specialized applications run on desktop workstations. Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, N.Y., also uses Unix on a limited basis. ``There are pockets of Unix in different places,'' says Charles Gardner, manager of standards and protocols at the company. Interest is strongest in Kodak's newly acquired software product development operations and among the company's scientific and engineering users. Kodak's MIS operations are only exploring Unix. ``My personal opinion is that Unix is growing in MIS, but the career path is just now ramping up,'' he says. Tough time in academia Boston University uses Unix for academic applications and hires Unix professionals for end-user support and system-level development, says James H. Stone, assistant director of user services at the school's Information Technology organization. The university is having difficulty attracting high-caliber Unix professionals because of the rising demand for them outside academia. Pencom System's Taylor says he also expects the federal government to create strong demand for Unix professionals. ``The government now mandates Unix in 50% to 70% of the bids,'' he says. The telecommunications industry, led by AT&T and the Bell operating companies, is another area in which Unix professionals are finding demand strong, he adds. Wall Street and the financial services industry are just starting to open up to Unix, Taylor says. With vendors demanding their skills, Unix professionals tend to command premium salaries, especially in computer industry hotbeds such as Silicon Valley and Massachusetts. Systems administrators start at more than $40,000 a year. Corporate Unix application programmers can make $30,000 at the entry level with a university or up to $50,000 in the case of seasoned systems programmers. ``We can't get good [Unix] people to even think about coming here for less than $32,000 or $33,000,'' Boston University's Stone says. New Unix mainframe products are expected to speed penetration of the operating system into the corporate MIS world. MIS professionals who want to upgrade their skills in preparation for a possible move into the Unix environment are encouraged to start by gaining C language experience. ``A Cobol programmer who works in applications should have no trouble learning C and doing Unix applications,'' Taylor says. On the systems level, adapting to Unix will be more difficult. An IBM MVS or VM systems programmer will have to learn the Unix kernel, which is a more demanding challenge, Taylor notes. Distributed future The future of Unix within the corporation lies in distributed computing. By its nature, Unix cannot replace traditional mainframe computing for transaction and batch-type processing. Because of its communications advantages and the ease with which Unix applications can be transported to a variety of hardware platforms, however, it is ideal for decentralized computing. ``Unix has become an unstoppable force as the operating system for the mid-range,'' Taylor declares. Slowly but steadily, corporate MIS is accepting Unix. By Alan Radding, Special to CW; Radding is a Boston-based author specializing in business and technology. <<<>>> Title : Between the lines and las Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: market31 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: There is no question that laser printers dominate the nonimpact arena. They have sewn up more than 95% of the market, according to Naomi Luft Cameron, associate director of research at Datek Information Services, a Waltham, Mass., market researcher. But taking up the slack in the remaining 5% are two nonimpact technologies that are slowly gaining acceptance in the data processing environment: magnetography and ion deposition. In terms of price and performance, both technologies occupy the middle ground between line printers and lasers, according to Cameron. ``Both printer types offer lower cost and higher reliability than lasers, along with faster speeds and more flexible output options than line printers,'' Cameron says. Bull Peripherals Corp. is the only manufacturer and U.S. distributer of magnetographic printers. The printers magnetically write on a rotating drum. The latent image on the drum is then developed with magnetic toner, transferred to paper and fixed to the page. David F. Crowley Jr., a Bull spokesman, says the typical user of a magnetographic printer produces high-volume reports as well as labels, tags, bar codes and direct mail. Bull's 90 page/min MP6090 offers a mean time between failure (MTBF) of about 800,000 pages and a drum life of 10 million pages, according to Bull. It has a resolution of 240 dot/in., can generate electronic forms and sells to end users for $97,000. A 120 page/min laser printer would cost between $250,000 and $325,000. Laser dreams Ruth Podlich, system manager at Honeywell-Sperry Commercial Flight, a division of Honeywell, Inc. based in Phoenix, bought a Bull MP6090 just over a year ago. ``Basically,'' Podlich says, ``I wanted a laser-type printer without the laser-type price.'' Ion deposition printing is based on electrostatic image creation: negatively charged ions are shot onto a dielectric cylinder that attracts magnetic toner to the charged areas; the toner then transfers characters to paper. A spokesman for Delphax Systems, Inc. in Randolph, Mass., which holds patents for the ion deposition printers and manufactures them, says that since the process relies on cold fusion rather than heat, it is cleaner, requires less maintenance and support and reduces energy consumption. Like magnetographic printers, ion deposition machines are best suited to large-volume applications historically done by line printers, says Thomas J. Kinney, vice-president of marketing and sales at Delphax. Delphax manufactures ion deposition print engines ranging from 30 to 240 page/min at prices from $15,000 to $350,000. MTBF is estimated to be about 267,000 pages. Hammond, manager of information systems at Zapata Gulf Marine Corp. in Houston, bought a 30 page/min ion deposition printer from Delphax in March 1987 to replace 900 and 1,500 line/min line printers. ``We were beating the line printers to death,'' Hammond says. His primary requirement was speed _ print quality was not an issue. He considered an additional line printer, but the faster models were expensive. He was told the cost of operating the ion deposition printer would be about 2 cents per page, about a penny less per page than he would pay to run a laser printer. It has worked out to about 1.2 cents, he says. ``We use it mostly for standard reports, not letters, because of the print quality,'' Hammond says. ``But we also do customized, final forms of certain financial reports. We can do them all in one day, which we couldn't before, and it's cheaper than sending them to the print shop.'' One of the drawbacks of ion deposition is that it lowers print quality. The cold fusion process leaves the paper with a glossy finish. Users unaccustomed to the gloss hesitate to use it for applications for which they expect high-quality output, such as external correspondence. Kinney acknowledges that print quality has been a problem and that improving it is a must, but he claims Delphax is developing a fix to the toner adhesion. One concern about both magnetographic and ion deposition printers is the money and time users must spend on maintenance. Bull recommends a preventive maintenance schedule of five to 10 minutes per shift for its magnetic printers. Kinney advises his users to vacuum their printers every day or two. Both types require specific operator training. By Suzanne Weixel, Special to CW; Weixel is a free-lance writer based in Framingham, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Points of view will clash Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: expo Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: With the crusade for Unix standards reaching evangelical status, next week's Unix Expo in New York may whip emotions to a fever pitch. The show takes place this year during the height of confusion over the promulgation of two Unix standards and may provide an opportunity to gain some ground toward reaching a single standard. Among the 200 or so exhibitors will be IBM, AT&T, Sun Microsystems, Inc. and just about all members of the Open Software Foundation (OSF) and the recently announced Archer group. Plenary speakers at the expo represent the major players in the ever-unfolding standards drama. Scheduled to speak out on their respective commitments to Unix standards are Henry Crouse, president and chief executive officer of the OSF, James A. Cannavino, vice-president and president of the Data Systems Division at IBM, and Lawrence Dooling, marketing and sales support vice-president at AT&T's Data Systems Group. When IBM gets religion, it gets it in a big way. IBM will be the largest exhibitor at the Unix Expo this year, with four adjoining booths totaling 10,000 sq ft; last year, the company rented a mere 2,000 sq ft. Heavy artillery Much like a military show of strength, IBM will be mounting a massive display of hardware. The 3090 Model 600E mainframe running AIX, connected to an army of 4381 and 9370 systems, RTs and Personal System/2s is intended to strike awe in the hearts of observers and potential enemies. As if to contribute to the tension, AT&T trenches will be dug directly across the aisle from IBM. For all the fanfare, neither AT&T nor IBM has any major announcements or product introductions planned. Product highlights from other firms include the following: Motorola, Inc. is scheduled to announce high-performance models of its 68030-based VME Delta series workstations, a reduced instruction set computing development platform based on the 88000 and a number of software products based on X Windows and the C&& compiler. Sony Corporation of America's Microcomputer Products Division will reportedly introduce three lines of high-performance Sony News technical workstations based on the 68030 microprocessor. The workstation incorporates an erasable optical disk, which Sony claimed is the first of its kind. Toshiba America, Inc. Advanced Systems is scheduled to introduce the first Unix-based portable computer supporting up to four users and able to run Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS by memory partitioning, as well as a range of software applications. There will be a great deal of activity for Unix database vendors: Oracle Corp. plans to prove it is a major Unix player with announcements regarding its Unix TP1 performance results, record-breaking Unix revenue and new strategic alliances. Unify Corp. is slated to officially announce its fourth-generation language and application generator, Accell/SQL, and a transaction-oriented database management system called Unify 2000. The firm will also participate in the Database Performance Review, a benchmark face-off of Unix-based DBMSs to be held at the show. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : OSF, Archer not far along Author : Amy Cortese Source : CW Comm FileName: archerne Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: OSF and Archer group negotiations are ongoing, but change is slow in coming. AT&T's proposal for its Unix System V to be the core technology is still on the table. The OSF is willing to consider System V through the open process but will not accept it as a precondition, the group has said. AT&T seems willing to accept this, according to sources; it is Sun and NCR Corp. that oppose the compromise. NCR is described by some close to the group as the most militant member of the Archer group. And while Sun's role in the group has been played down, it is said to be the real power. According to accounts by its members, Archer is beginning to resemble the OSF in its staffing and membership structure. Members have said that initially, an interim staff will be assembled from employees of member companies. Then, a hiring effort will staff the group with permanent employees. Two tiers of members will underwrite the cost of the group. The two groups have different charters, however. The OSF will develop an overall environment based on the Unix operating system. The Archer group will provide input to AT&T's Unix Software Division on the development and future direction of Unix System V. AT&T's Data Systems Group will be a member of the Archer group just like any of the other companies, according to AT&T. AMY CORTESE <<<>>> Title : IBM back in familiar anti Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: bigblue Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ The same federal courtroom in which IBM spent 13 years defending itself against the U.S. Justice Department may soon be the venue for another IBM legal battle against a much smaller plaintiff _ a third-party mainframe refurbisher named Allen-Myland, Inc. (AMI). Last week, AMI filed its action in the jurisdiction of U.S. District Court Judge David Edelstein, the same judge who presided at the historic government case against IBM that was dropped by the Justice Department in 1982. In the next phase, Edelstein will decide if he will hear the case. AMI lost a related antitrust case against IBM in federal court in Philadelphia last July [CW, Aug. 1]. During that case, IBM filed a countersuit against AMI, alleging that AMI's splitting a 3090 Model 400 CPU into two 3090 Model 200s constituted infringement of IBM's 3090 microcode copyright. In its defense against the IBM countersuit, AMI argued that IBM's suit violated provisions of the U.S. Justice Department's 1956 IBM Consent Decree, according to a source familiar with the case. After some legal maneuvering, the federal judge in Philadelphia, Thomas N. O'Neill Jr., ruled on Oct. 7 that the relevance of the Consent Decree issue permitted AMI to refile the case in Edelstein's court in New York. According to those who followed the 13-year legal marathon of U.S. v. IBM, Edelstein did not agree with former U.S. Assistant Attorney General William F. Baxter's order to dismiss the government's case in early 1982. Edelstein ``did everything he could'' to support a subsequent unsuccessful effort to reopen the case under the U.S. Congress' Tunney Amendment, according to Richard T. DeLamarter, a former justice department senior economist and author of Big Blue: IBM's Use and Abuse of Power. Although AMI's court filings were not available at press time, sources close to the case said that AMI attempted last June to split a Model 400 into two CPUs without paying IBM's $350,000 fee to license the 3090 microcode on the second machine. IBM charged that such an action would constitute infringement of its microcode copyrights, since AMI sought to duplicate the microcode on the second CPU. The case has drawn much attention from the Computer Dealers and Lessors Association (CDLA), whose members would like the flexibility to split up higher end 3090s to increase their resale options. The $350,000 microcode license fee would hike the current average $2.7 million resale price of a base 3090 Model 200 by 13%, according to Thomas J. Donovan, director of International Data Corp.'s Leasing Planning Service. CDLA President Kenneth Bouldin said the independent lessors' trade group is trying to enlist the support of 3090 buyers in the MIS community by making the case that their residual values could be downgraded by IBM's microcode policies. AMI is not a CDLA member. But William Husband, a senior consultant at the Meridian Leasing Group in Deerfield, Ill., said 3090 Model 400, 500 and 600 users have shown little interest so far in splitting the CPUs. Much more common, he said, is the practice of physically partitioning the CPU within one data center, which does not require a second microcode license. Broomall, Pa.-based AMI was unsuccessful in its earlier claims against IBM, which were first filed in 1985. In his July decision in IBM's favor, O'Neill ruled that AMI failed to prove that IBM engaged in unfair competition when it bundled parts and labor charges on 3080 upgrades or when it instituted a special service charge in 1980 for mainframes shipped between countries. By Clinton Wilder, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Picking and choosing Author : Amy Cortese Source : CW Comm FileName: unify Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Spearheading a revamped strategy that it hopes will position it as the standard Unix tool vendor, Unify this Tuesday is set to introduce two portability tools that allow users to pick and choose among database engines and user interfaces. The new products are Accell/SQL, an enhancement of Unify's Accell fourth-generation language (4GL) and application generator, and Unify 2000, a database management system aimed at transaction processing applications. Accell/SQL integrates 4GL and application generation technology in one product, which the company claims will result in faster development of applications. Unify claims Accell/SQL was designed to be environment-independent and creates applications that can work with any SQL-based database management system. Accell/SQL is slated to be available on AT&T, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. and Pyramid Technology Corp. computers in January. Prices range from $2,995 to $120,000, depending on hardware configuration. AMY CORTESE <<<>>> Title : CASE methodologies Author : Nell Margolis Source : CW Comm FileName: casetren Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Everybody is interested in and has reported on the use of CASE technology,'' said Greg Boone, president of CASE Research Corp., a market research firm in Bellevue, Wash. ``Yet, CASE technology only automates CASE methodology.'' Placing the emphasis where it believes it belongs, CASE Research recently surveyed several hundred computer-aided software engineering users and prospective users _ a trade euphemism for firms that do not use CASE _ at large commercial sites. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the extent to which the use and impact of various software design methodologies is being affected by CASE design tools. Methodologies are rigorous, disciplined systems-engineering approaches to software creation, as opposed to so-called garden-variety methods _ essentially, a description that amounts to whatever gets you through the task. Overall, the survey concluded that CASE users employ formal methodologies more frequently and with greater satisfaction than do non-CASE users. A clear vote for CASE tools, right? In the abstract, yes; in practice _ perhaps. A number of the discrete responses cut two ways. For instance, CASE users rated themselves ``successful'' or ``highly successful'' in strategic planning through the use of methodologies than did non-CASE users on an almost 2-to-1 basis. Similarly, many more respondents in the non-CASE camp found their strategic approaches inadequate than did CASE users. Such statistics have encouraging implications for CASE tool vendors. However, the number of non-CASE users who felt their current strategic planning approaches were ``adequate'' outstripped the number who found their approaches to be ``inadequate.'' Moreover, a significant number responded that it was simply too early to render that kind of judgment. The resistance to change implied by such responses is, according to CASE Research and widespread industry opinion, one of the most formidable barriers facing the nascent CASE market. NELL MARGOLIS <<<>>> Title : Stanching the flow? Rolm Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: liner103 Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Stanching the flow? Rolm reportedly cost IBM $200 million worth of red ink last year, but contrary to the latest gossip, the computer vendor is not planning to sell its private branch exchange subsidiary. Instead, IBM is looking for someone to take over servicing of the old Rolm computerized branch exchange line, which accounted for $120 million of Rolm's 1987 expenses, according to Fred Chanowski, president of Telecommunications Management Corp. One source said the new distributor will be Bell Atlantic; another said it could be a third-party service company such as TRW or GE. That would leave the 9751 _ the only Rolm product introduced under IBM's label _ to carry on IBM's promises to integrate telecommunications with its information systems. Those St. Louis blues. People 'round these parts are still grumbling about the quiet dismissal of 600 of McDonnell Douglas Computer Systems Co.'s 11,000 work force earlier this month. It seems that things haven't been going so well for the aerospace giant's $1.24 billion information systems consulting arm. Revenue is in the pipeline, but losses still came to $50 million by mid-year, sources say. Management responded with a reorganization into three divisions: Systems Integration, Networking and Application Systems. To help cash flow, the firm is selling its Health Systems group. And now, presenting . . . Microsoft promises that reporters who show up at today's press conference in New York will walk away with a box containing final code for the OS/2 Presentation Manager. Along with co-developer IBM, Microsoft will squeeze in the shipment on the very last day before it will technically become late. Sharing the stage with IBM and Microsoft executives will be a dozen or so third-party vendors that will demonstrate _ but, of course, not ship _ Presentation Manager applications. Not a negative campaign _ a comparative campaign. IBM Senior Vice-President George Conrades mocked two key competitors with one verbal stone at last week's Seybold Executive Forum in Cambridge, Mass. When asked his opinion of advocates of the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) alternative PC standard which Conrades calls ``The Compaq group'' _ the up-and-coming executive, to no one's surprise, pointed out the year-long wait for EISA-compliant products. He then joked that for the Micro Channel Architecture, IBM ought to pirate another well-known competitor's advertising slogan and boast, ``IBM: We Have It Now.'' Ready, aim . . . MCI Communications is hauling out the big gun _ Bill McGowan _ for a Thursday news conference in New York, where a spokesman said it will be announcing a unique telecommunications service. Industry sources said MCI will unveil a facsimile service. Facsimile is supposed to be McGowan's hot button, and sources say to look for a switched facsimile offering that will feature store-and-forward facsimile with the look of electronic mail. ``This would be like having a virtual network with a separate dialing plan,'' one wag said. Maybe he didn't like the executive dining room? Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ``fast-track executive,'' 38-year-old former IBMer Ralph Martino started his new job as national sales vice-president of AT&T's Data Systems Group last Monday, quit midweek and was reported back at IBM on Thursday. Why is just one of the many things the communications giant doesn't know about Martino _ along with what he looks like at the end of a hard work week. Suffice to say that this is one story that will never turn up in an AT&T recruitment video. ``Halloween 1988, the year of the despicably evil.'' So reads the invite for computer pioneer Adam Osborne's Halloween bash, which goes ``straight for the ultimate evil in America today: The American legal profession. Come as a snake, a shark, a vulture or any such appropriately evil attire.'' If you run into any industry goblins tonight, call the hot line at 800-343-6474 or 508-879-0700 and put phantom-hunter Pete Bartolik and his team of ghostbusters to flight. ET <<<>>> Title : Three legs to stand on Author : Les Gilliam Source : CW Comm FileName: gillcol Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: For today's information systems managers, the pace continues to quicken, and the pressure mounts. Resources are overloaded, and the budget has just been cut. Senior management once again has made the accusation that computer costs are out of control. The top programmer just resigned, bringing this year's turnover rate to an all-time high. The principal vendor has announced a product line that makes the current system obsolete. Users are complaining about excessive computer charges, yet their motto seems to be ``We Want it Now!'' Is this condition the exception or the norm for computer shops these days? The answer doesn't really matter to the person who is under the gun. The person experiencing such agony needs relief in order to survive. Why does an information systems manager end up in a vise-like squeeze? Most likely, it stems from unrealistic expectations of senior management, user representatives and IS managers themselves. Here are some conditions that may contribute to the pressure being encountered by IS managers, along with some possible solutions. First, limited technical knowledge puts a manager at a disadvantage when considering recommendations from staff or requests from users. The manager is not paid to be as technically proficient as the programmers, but decision-making requires him to have a knowledge base. Many managers continue to spend too much time behind closed doors. A good manager recognizes the need to interact with employees and users to a degree appropriate for company size, business and environment. Some managers do not know their staff well enough to know what motivates them. Some only know to use the fear factor. As long as the supply-and-demand balance for computer people continues to be tilted toward the demand side, employees will be able to move on. Complain, complain One of the most frequently heard complaints about the IS manager is the lack of business understanding. The smart IS manager not only will know about his company's business but will also try to maintain a perspective similar to that of his superiors. When his priorities line up with those of his boss, then he has positioned himself for the greatest chance for success. Many recent books attribute the success of major corporations to customer service. Doesn't it seem possible that the IS organization that sets customer and user satisfaction as the highest goal will also succeed? But how many managers have established formal planning, execution and feedback procedures to use in achieving such goals? The complaint heard most often from managers is lack of time. The solution is usually better time management and delegation. There are many sources, such as books and seminars, for help in making the best use of available time. The other time-related reason for pressure on the IS manager is the lack of delegation wisdom. This wisdom will take into account the importance of the task, the complexity of the task and the subordinates available to do the task. At one extreme of the delegation issue is the manager who tries to exercise too much control over everything that happens in his organization. This type of manager is often fearful of the results should a mistake be made by a subordinate. The other extreme includes the manager who runs a loose ship and exercises little management control over the staff. Somewhere between these extremes is the proper position for the manager who carries out the four basic management functions of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling. Finally, one of the key reasons for pressure on the IS manager is the lack of rules by which the game is played. The rules might deal with such things as annual work plans and budgets, a methodology for systems development and implementation, various standards and user participation in forecasting needs and recommending major expenditures. The better IS manager will follow the theory of the stool with three legs. The three legs, in this case, are senior management, user management and IS management. If any of the three are not sharing in the IS responsibility, the potential for failure is very likely, if not certain. Then survival will indeed become the top priority. By Les Gilliam; Gilliam is president of Gilliam Associates, a computer management consulting firm based in Ponca City, Okla. <<<>>> Title : Transponders to track shi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ship Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: OAKLAND, Calif. _ Microchip transponders will be changing the way transportation services firm American President Companies Ltd. (APC) manages its freight schedules and equipment control. The company will begin conducting a pilot phase-in of automated equipment identification (AEI) technology late next month. The AEI system involves installation of the transponders, or electronic tags, on the company's aluminum or steel shipping containers, chassis, trucks and rail cars. The tags can then be read by scanning devices as the equipment moves through APC's port and inland terminals. Not only is the move practical as a time-saving measure, it will also eliminate the possibility of keying errors, a spokesman said. ``The AEI information from the scanners will be processed by the company's logistics management systems in the same manner as keypunched information about our equipment is ordinarily processed now.'' In the initial phase-in process, the Dallas-based Amtech Corp. equipment will be used exclusively by American President Lines (APL), APC's ocean shipping subsidiary. But the equipment will ultimately become part of APC's worldwide equipment management database, the company said. Eugene K. Pentimonti, vice- president of engineering and technical services at APL, said the technology will help APC and other transportation companies that adopt it improve customer service. Essential information about the container, chassis or truck on which the tag will reside is programmed into the tag. The scanners will be mounted at the docks, at the gates and on the crane that loads and unloads the ships. ``When a container is being taken off a ship, there is a scanner reading the container being picked up,'' the spokesman said. Additionally, there is a scanner located on a converted pickup truck that can drive between the rows of stacked shipping containers, which are typically 20 to 45 ft long, and can read all of the containers within that row, gathering a complete inventory list by simply driving around. The AEI technology reportedly conforms to standards adopted by the Cargo Handling Cooperative Program, a group formed in 1983 by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and three U.S.-flag ocean carriers to identify opportunities for productivity and quality improvement in container terminal operations. Once the information regarding the container is read by the scanning devices, it will be conveyed to APC's IBM 3090 and IBM 3080-type mainframe computers and will become part of APC's worldwide equipment management database. The process of converting to the electronic tags will begin late next month, and the initial phase-in is scheduled for completion in mid-1989. For the initial phase-in, AEI equipment and computers will be installed at APL's West Coast port facilities in Seattle and Los Angeles and at Union Pacific Railroad facilities in Seattle, Portland, Ore., and Los Angeles. In the phase-in, the electronic tags will be affixed on 10,500 containers, 9,700 chassis, 250 trucks that carry APC containers and 240 double-stack rail cars. In all, the APC equipment fleet includes more than 110,000 containers and chassis. By Alan J. Ryan, CW staff <<<>>> Title : User-colored glasses Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: fordprof Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: Larry Ford has become his own best customer. A man who spent two-thirds of his 25-year IBM career as a marketing guy _ most recently as the herald for the company's Application System/400 minicomputers _ Ford is adjusting to the user side of the firm as IBM vice-president of information and telecommunications systems. As such, he oversees a 120-site, 350,000-user internal information systems operation. But don't expect the lanky former Californian to be interviewing programmers or jumping out of bed on Sunday mornings to fix crashed systems. His role, like that of a growing number of other general business managers who are informally labeled ``chief information officer,'' is that of a corporate staff executive who sets policies and plans strategies. Operations and implementing his policies are left to IS executives within IBM's business units. ``The important point for me is to establish a vision for the corporation in terms of how we should exploit both information systems and telecommunications and to get the community, which is very diverse and very decentralized in IBM, moving toward that vision,'' says Ford, who is based in Purchase, N.Y. Wide turf ``My responsibilities include how we're spending our money, how we're developing applications, how we're building strategic systems for the future, whether you are talking about the computer centers, the end-user desktop solutions or the intelligent networks. So it is really the broad definition of information processing,'' Ford adds. Ford, who joined IS two months ago, admits he is on a steep learning curve as he transits from marketing to managing systems. His most recent experience had been as assistant group executive for mid-range systems, which involved working on business partnerships and marketing strategy for the AS/400 series introduced in June. Prior to his two years in the mid-range systems post, he spent eight years in IBM's world trade group, including two years as president of the Latin American division. He previously served 15 years in various IBM marketing posts. ``At first I wasn't sure how the experience with the AS/400 would relate. But it does because we worked on the AS/400 to really make it a product that was market-driven, that responded to customers,'' Ford says. ``Many of those same management principles seem to apply as we look at how we have to deal internally with the exploitation of technology. We must be responsive to users who have very diverse requirements, and we have to understand those requirements both individually and collectively. We have to bring a product that is, in this case, applications as well as hardware to those users and that is tailored to what they need. That solution has to be an integrated solution,'' he says. Unlike computer companies that may count on other vendors as suppliers _ for example, Apple Computer, Inc.'s use of a Cray Research, Inc. supercomputer to design the Macintosh and Cray founder Seymour Cray's reported use of the Mac to design supercomputers _ IBM sees little reason to use non-IBM systems. ``I just don't see why we would,'' Ford maintains, noting that IBM's use of other vendor's products is generally limited to special-purpose tools such as peripherals and utilities in special applications. Part of Ford's mandate is to link IBM's IS investments to its business strategy, which is an extension of what his predecessor, Anne Lee Verville, began. As part of that strategy, IBM's IS groups report to the general manager in charge of a business unit and have a dotted-line relationship with Ford. ``You should think of it as us having several CIOs that are working with each one of the lines of business. What I try to do is integrate the group and also have a common strategy so that we have a common direction and are building common architecture and systems that will work together, '' Ford says. Through that organization, IBM is positioning the IS groups as showcases for IBM products _ particularly at locations that specialize in a product _ just as its Raleigh, N.C., group does with local-area networks and its San Jose, Calif., group does with artificial intelligence. ``One of the obvious directions that we have is to be a significant user of what we sell and to conceptually be a leading user of the products that we sell. We are in that sense the single, largest user of IBM systems. That puts us into an important role in terms of the relationship we have with development, both in terms of testing their systems and in giving them feedback on requirements,'' Ford adds. However, Ford _ the former marketing guy _ also wants to strengthen the marketing role already established within IS. Currently, the IS groups have customer representatives working with users. ``We are trying to expand that role to bring it up to more of a consulting role, so we can get into more of the competitive advantage-type applications. We can work with the different parts of the business and define where different types of technology can be applied so that you really get a unique competitive advantage,'' he says. A key tool will be IBM's Strategic Investment Methodology, which is a structure that has evolved from the work of IBM consultants. It is a plan that puts business people and IS people together for about a week and lets them define the business priority, identify where IS is spending its money and decide where to make trade-offs between where IS is spending and should be spending. Another challenge is to move the internal IS organization onto the common architecture that IBM promotes for its customers, the Systems Application Architecture (SAA). In conjunction with that, Ford's efforts have focused on bringing together international groups to work on common SAA-based applications. He says IBM wants to build systems by having one group work on architecture, while others might work on applications and utilities, for example, thus reducing redundancy and improving productivity. In some cases, parts of those systems are already in place _ such as a computer-integrated manufacturing system and a reseller management system in the U.S. and a marketing system in Europe _ and have to be polished for use worldwide. He hopes that another benefit of the common systems approach will be the availability of a set of common, reusable pieces of software. He wants to build a library of such software modules and utilities and let developers worldwide access them through a database that is as complete as IBM's current database for hardware parts ordering. Ford, who has spent much of his recent time traveling to IS sites and communicating with those sites via electronic mail, says the strengths he brings to the job include his customer experience at IBM and his international experience. When asked about his long-term career goals, Ford answers, ``Personally, right now, I want to do this job well.'' By James Connolly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Who'll get the bench? Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: geer2a Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: In order to make evaluations for the Unix benchmarks, 10 measured systems were chosen in a representative sampling conducted by Aim Technology: Bell Technologies, Inc.'s MPE model with an Intel Corp. 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 16 MHz Compaq Computer Corp.'s Deskpro 386 with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 16 MHz Compaq's Deskpro 386/20 with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 20 MHz Convergent, Inc.'s Server PC 100 with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 16 MHz Convergent's Server PC 200 with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 20 MHz Intel Corp.'s SYP 302 with its 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 25 MHz Motorola, Inc.'s 3600 Workgroup model with a Motorola 68030 CPU and a clock speed of 25 MHz Motorola's 3600 Department model with a 68030 CPU and a clock speed of 25 MHz SCI's Model 301 with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 20 MHz Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Roadrunner 250 (3861) with an Intel 80386 CPU and a clock speed of 25 MHz <<<>>> Title : The V. I. Corp. has expan Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swvicorp Date : Oct 31, 1988 Text: The V. I. Corp. has expanded its family of Data Views dynamic graphics products with the announcement of the Editor Construction Kit. The kit incorporates a set of subroutines that are useful for users of DV-Tools who want to include DV-Draw-like functions in applications, the vendor said. According to the vendor, it will be available early in the first quarter of 1989, with pricing ranging from $2,000 to $4,000. The Data Views series runs on Apollo Computer, Inc. and Sun Microsystems, Inc. workstations, Digital Equipment Corp. VAX machines and a variety of Unix-based platforms. V. I., Amherst Research Park, Amherst, Mass. 01002. 413-253-3482. <<<>>> Title : has capitalized on that b Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: jmanzi2 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: has capitalized on that bug and has come to depend on it. If we can complete these tasks successfully, it will represent a fundamental transition in the history of computing. Our customers are leading the way in this transition. They are making the shift in how they deploy computing from tactical to strategic tools. By some estimates, there will be one PC for every three white-collar employees by 1990. Within the next decade, the number of PCs is expected to quadruple to 46 million. Those 46 million PCs do not want to free-float. They crave connectivity. Yet the industry has barely begun to scratch the surface of potential group applications. We understand the potential of computers only to a limited extent. And most of us in the computing community understand even less about how the majority of businesses function. This is because we work on cutting-edge products in cutting-edge organizations with few middle management layers. We can't prescribe productivity solutions for more traditional businesses until we know more about their needs. That is our frontier for the 1990s. Sometimes I feel as if our industry is 150 miles off in space, looking down at the workaday reality. Our job is not to dream up a host of new features but to look for what needs to be done. What our customers need from us is the stability, usability and utility on which they can leverage their computing, training and applications investment. Our software must directly address our customers' problems in a highly competitive business environment by delivering such intangibles as better quality, greater flexibility, faster time to market, higher customer satisfaction and more. For newness' sake Genuine innovation should be defined as effectiveness, problem-solving ability, ease of use and applicability. We don't need newness for the sake of newness, or novelties that please less than they impress. We need to pay more attention to the computing industry analog for what Black & Decker learned in its industry: Its customers didn't want quarter-inch drills; they wanted quarter-inch holes. This isn't to say that new technologies and new software products aren't needed. What I am saying is that we need to find that elusive hybrid between what is needed and what is possible _ something that builds logically on the base of past development. A balance is essential: between innovation and utility, cutting edge and practicality, product expansion and systems standards, the short-term tactical view and the long-term strategic one. To America at large, we must offer software tools to improve our country's pattern of decision making and the way we determine priorities and set goals. These tools can help build the stature of our technology, help probe our economic policies and commitments and put the results to work quickly and effectively. And we must do our best to ensure that we maintain our world preeminence in software technology. <<<>>> Title : AT&T extends 900 service Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: attnew55 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ Starting next month, AT&T is extending its 900-number service to include interactive voice or data communication with information databases. AT&T said recently it has filed with the Federal Communications Commission to sell its new Multiquest service to established information providers _ or interested MIS organizations _ to support ad hoc database queries. A voice-recognition system will support voice requests for data, while standard modems can be used to access data directly. Up to now, according to Multiquest product manager Pat Lindblad, most information providers have required customers to subscribe to information services, limiting the potential market. But Multiquest customers will post charges where they cannot be missed _ on the end user's AT&T phone bill. The information provider will have to pay his own bill for Multiquest, including a $1,200 flat fee and a $1,000 monthly fee for each group of 900 lines supported. AT&T filed a tariff with the FCC late last month so that it can start the service Jan. 5. <<<>>> Title : The perception Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: edit125 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: AN YOU IMAGINE growing your information systems budget by nearly twice the projected rate of inflation without having the ability to adequately measure the business value of projects being funded? While corporate managers in engineering, sales or marketing departments may scoff at such a likelihood, a recent study [CW, Nov. 28] by Cambridge, Mass.-based Index Group has pegged average IS spending growth at big companies at 7.5% for 1989. But only 10% of the 240 senior IS managers polled say they've found ways to sufficiently assess the business value of their information systems. How can this be, especially at a time in the economic cycle when budgets are coming under such microscopic scrutiny? The answer appears to lie within a corporation's chief executive officer's perception of IS value, and therein lies some good news as well as some potential trouble spots ahead. To approve such spending increases, the perspective of CEOs on the IS function is presumably growing in the right direction, in which systems strategies are increasingly tied to the overall performance of the company and its bottom line. Also, the study findings hint that CEOs are apt to view IS more positively as a whole in those companies in which the perception of IS held by the end users is also positive. Taken in sum, the findings of this study are very positive for systems management, and they reflect the fact that a progressive firm's computer-based information investments are being looked upon increasingly as a strategic cog in the corporate competitive arsenal and less as a pure cost center. However, it is unsettling that only one in 10 executives polled claim to be able to adequately assess the business value of technology investments. The reason may well lie in another of the study's findings: A majority of executives polled felt the skill most lacking in their staff members was an understanding of the corporation's business. Meanwhile, three of four respondents claimed the most vital qualification for senior information managers was general management skills, not technical skills. These findings mirror the results of Computerworld's research last year into the state of MIS education at U.S. universities. That study determined that the greatest deficiency in MIS education was not technical training but basic business acumen. It just may be that information department budgets are enjoying something of a honeymoon with top management at present, as CEOs buy into the concept of the strategic and competitive advantage of IS. But it is likely that that won't last in the event of an economic downturn, which may come within a year or so. It is time to shake the lead out and pay more attention to business. <<<>>> Title : The overlooked Author : Deirdre S. Jacks Source : CW Comm FileName: jacklet Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: In response to the article on the organizational chart of the MIS world [CW, Oct. 31], I once again find the age-old stereotype that secretaries do nothing and have plenty of time on their hands. Yes, the programmers do have word processing, but do they use it? For the most part, no! Word processing duties are still the secretary's responsibility. Word processing allows us to handle heavier workloads at a faster pace. As far as time is concerned, eight hours is still not enough time to complete our many tasks. Regardless of new technology, I doubt that we will ever have time to sit back and control the ``basic employee needs.'' Try removing secretaries from the organizational chart, and see if there is an organization left. Deirdre S. Jackson Atlanta <<<>>> Title : The established Author : Thomas E. Krpata Source : CW Comm FileName: krplet Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Your article ``Shortcutting net guesswork'' [CW, Oct. 17] was a witches brew of strange premises that offered a concoction of mysterious conclusions. Following the introductory topics, two very questionable premises emerge. The first suggests that newer, unproven tools have somehow conquered the data collection problems and offer a breakthrough to network designers. We are treated to a ``comparison'' between an established tool (Connections) and newer tools in an attempt to ``prove'' the point. The second premise is that these new tools in their infant stage represent the new breed. Let me assure you and your readers that these premises are false. I don't object to the article using Connections products as a reference point to compare with other network design products. I do expect that when you choose to mention how new tools partly address the data entry problem, you also give an indication of how completely they address the problem. We are not given the relative value of these features in the scope of things. It is a cheap shot at Connections to take one comment and suggest that it is representative of our products without mentioning the many ways we help our customers in the area of data collection. The point is that these recent tools are, in many ways, no more automated than ours for the simple reason that the data collection problem is largely a problem with the measurement and collection infrastructure, not with any deficiency in our products. Thomas E. Krpata Director, Consulting and Education Services Connections Telecommunications, Inc. Brockton, Mass. <<<>>> Title : The differences Author : Benjamin Cohen Source : CW Comm FileName: cohenlet Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Harvey Newquist [CW, Oct. 17] is absolutely correct in his depiction of the artificial intelligence culture. Prolog should not be thrown into the same pot as LISP just because they both have some facilities for symbolic processing. First, Prolog is a relative newcomer compared with LISP, which has been redefining and recompiling itself since the days of Fortran. Second, Prolog is not invisible in the mass market today. A highly efficient and well-marketed dialect, Borland International's Turbo Prolog, is catching on and seeding interest. Third, there are many new grass-roots uses of the language, including very large-scale integration design verification, scheduling, message parsing, constraint logic programming with applications to options trading and Cobol recoding applications in which the language is proving itself far from ``exhausted.'' The only things that may be slightly exhausted are the leading Prolog vendors, who are struggling to produce ever more efficient compiled code on a wide variety of platforms and are three to five years behind the technical capabilities of the language. Benjamin Cohen President Logic Works, Inc. New Brunswick, N. J. <<<>>> Title : The reality Author : Susan Bockus Source : CW Comm FileName: bocklet Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A recent article, ``HP facelift leaves blemishes'' [CW, Aug. 8], had an error in reference to our database offering. The first bullet point incorrectly stated that we lack a relational database on HP 3000 Series 900 business computers. A true relational database, HP SQL, has been available on the Series 900 since August 1987 and is installed at numerous customer sites. Susan Bockus Product Marketing Manager Computer Systems Group Hewlett-Packard Co. Cupertino, Calif. <<<>>> Title : He tested the claims of d Author : Gpoal Kapur Source : CW Comm FileName: gopal1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: My first reaction to a cursory reading of ``Form precedes function'' by Fred Forman and Milton Hess [CW, Sept. 5] was that it was unbelievable. I thought I must have misunderstood, so I read it again, carefully underlining each incredible statement. Early in the article, the authors state, ``By developing the specifications from a purely functional perspective, the design team . . . has exposed the project to three problems.'' Under the heading ``Intellectual complexity,'' the authors said, ``If the specifications are too complex for the chief architect to maintain in his head . . . .'' Since when is the chief architect of any project supposed to maintain specifications in his head? Can you imagine a skyscraper or a large aircraft project of which the chief designer never translates the design concepts and detailed specifications into documentation? How can complexity of specifications justify not writing things down? The authors continue, ``Total understanding of the project is dispersed among all the members of the project team.'' Since when is the need for each member of the team to understand the total project a stumbling block to project success? Any group of people, if they are to be referred to as a team, must have an absolutely clear and complete understanding not only of their individual parts of the project but also of the bigger picture. Motley crew Imagine a symphony in which the individual musicians are kept ignorant of the main score and know only their individual parts _ one in which the conductor commits the entire score to memory and nothing at all is written down. In the paragraph titled ``Technical risk,'' the authors state, ``Functional decomposition limits the opportunity for the project team to consider alternative design early in the project.'' If what the authors conclude is true, it is not functional decomposition that is to be blamed. The real culprit is functional ineptness of the team, along with functional (mental) decomposition of their project manager. Under the heading ``Standards enforcement,'' the authors claim, ``It is difficult to achieve uniform specifications, design and development practice on a large project.'' The main reasons behind that difficulty are a total lack of standards, procedures and guidelines, the unbelievable lack of quality assurance and complete absence of inspections in most MIS and data processing projects. Imagine an aerospace project in which the design drawings are not drawn to scale, symbols are nonstandard and measurements not documented. Bigger than a breadboxAfter reading the article, I decided to test the claim that ``an architect designs an office building around a generic set of requirements.'' I strolled over to an architect's office to discuss the design of a new office building. Keeping the words of the authors in mind, I described to him my needs as follows: something not too large but not too small; not too expensive but certainly not cheap; having a certain physical presence but not obtrusive; and to be occupied by a small number of large companies and a large number of small companies. The architect shook his head and with a slight agitation in his voice said, ``Could you be a bit more specific? What you are saying makes no sense.'' No woodpeckers allowedI read to him what the authors had written, ``An architect designs an office building around a generic set of requirements tied to a site's characteristics and to the type of tenants to be served.'' He reached into his desk drawer and brought out a sign that read, ``If architects designed and built buildings like data processors design and build systems, the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization.'' Then, not so politely, he showed me the door. Under the paragraph headed ``Technical risk,'' the authors state, ``The project team is composed of people who have their own ideas of how the system should work. The project team can unwittingly embed these ideas in the specifications . . . .'' The problem has nothing to do with being unwitted; the real problem lies with being dim-witted. Most of this problem can be attributed to the fact that education and training lags far behind the introduction and use of technology. A recent report by Case Research states, ``All too many continue to underestimate the need for training. Some 70% of respondents said that less than 25% of their programming staff had been trained on CASE tools.'' During the last few years, I have been continually confounded by the growing problems of perpetual traffic jams, inordinate delays at airports and the failure of a large number of software projects. Then I came across the authors' assertion, ``Other examples of the design-first approach include the construction of commercial aircraft, highways and computers.'' At last, I understand. Under the paragraph titled ``Keep it simple,'' the authors said, ``The objective of the design-first strategy is to replace the complex structure of interactive subsystems with linear arrays of standard types of components embedded in a foundation software framework.'' My objection here is that the authors label these well-known, long-espoused (unfortunately, seldom implemented) good design practices as their design-first approach. The fact is that T. Capers Jones, along with a number of others, has been trying to educate the profession for close to a decade on just these practices. By Gopal Kapur; Kapur is president of the Center for Project Management in San Ramon, Calif. <<<>>> Title : Modern Structured Analysi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: books120 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Modern Structured Analysis By Edward Yourdon The master of methodologies takes beginners as well as veterans deep into the formal structures of systems analysis. Hardcover, 672 pages, $34, ISBN 0-13-598624-9, by Yourdon Press, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. The IBM PC & PS/2 By Peter Norton and Richard Wilton This ``programmer's guide'' adds the Personal System/2 line to the well-known reference on IBM Personal Computers. Paperback, 528 pages, $22.95, ISBN 1-55615-131-4, by Microsoft Press, Redmond, Wash. Introduction to the X Window System By Oliver Jones Inside X Windows, the software environment for engineering workstations developed out of MIT's Project Athena. Paperback, 511 pages, $32, ISBN 0-13-499997-5, by Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Cognizers: Neural Networks and Machines That Think By R. Colin Johnson and Chappell Brown A clearly presented, readable look at neural networks, hyped a bit prematurely here as ``revolutionizing business, industry and science.'' Hardcover, 260 pages, $22.95, ISBN 0471-61161-1, by John Wiley & Sons, New York. Life with Unix By Don Libes and Sandy Ressler Billed as an ``irreverent'' guide for everyone who has not yet mastered the Unix operating system but wants to. Paperback, 346 pages, $29.95, ISBN 0-13-536657-7, by Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Publishers wishing to have their books considered for listing can direct books, prepublication galleys, press releases, catalogs or other information to George Harrar, Book Review Editor, Computerworld, P.O. Box 9171, 375 Cochitutate Road, Framingham, Mass. 01701. ET <<<>>> Title : Variable rate service? Author : Rosemary Hamilto Source : CW Comm FileName: rosecol Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Recently, an IBM System/36 user from New York called to tell me a story about IBM. It seems he was trying to get information about Mapics II, IBM's manufacturing software, and he came up against a very uncooperative IBMer who wouldn't give him product information and refused to provide names of other Mapics II users as references. This call came while I was putting together a story about a bunch of satisfied System/36 users. This group was moving to the new IBM mid-range platform, the Application System/400, and they recounted tales of the great job IBM was doing for them. The New York user's situation may have been an isolated incident. Maybe that IBM representative was having a bad day. But, when compared with the stories told by new AS/400 users, the New Yorker's story can indicate something else. It could be more proof that when IBM has a compelling reason to roll out a red carpet for users, it can do so like few other vendors. And when there is no compelling reason, well, IBM will sometimes do little more than wish a user good luck. In other words, if a user has no immediate plans to move to the new, strategic IBM mid-range platform, he may not get the kind of top-notch service the company is so capable of providing. There's a lesson to be learned here, and interestingly, IBM is the one teaching it. If only it would carry the example of the AS/400 user base to other user communities. Not that IBM should be bending over backwards for System/36 users as it has with AS/400 users. From a business point of view, it wouldn't make sense for the company to be providing all sorts of incentives for users to stay on the System/36 platform. But it doesn't make sense, either, for IBM to work against itself. The company should clearly see from its AS/400 experience that a little goodwill goes a long way. The same would happen with System/36 users. In the case of AS/400 sites, I've found people who are understanding of IBM when it comes to system glitches or outright mistakes. One user said he thought IBM has done a great job, considering that there are so many AS/400s already installed and that users have been trying all sorts of tricks with them. Another user told a story of how his AS/400 order was lost, and after several weeks he had to reorder the system. This sort of mistake can fill a user with rage, and rightly so. But in this case, the customer was not bothered much at all. IBM, to right its wrong, installed the system for this user once it arrived. Now back to that New York System/36 user. He's not very understanding of IBM at all. He had to do a lot of extra work, such as calling industry publications and users groups, just to get a few names of Mapics II users. He said IBM won't talk to him until he writes a check for the new software. And since he thinks IBM put up a wall to prevent him from getting Mapics II information, he suspects that this software must be no good. That's what happens when a company doesn't spread goodwill. And maybe the New Yorker will remember this incident when he decides to upgrade his mid-range system, whenever that may be. By Rosemary Hamilton; Hamiliton is Computerworld's senior editor, systems <<<>>> Title : HP latest to research sup Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: superdup Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Hewlett-Packard Co. is the latest of several firms to commit itself to research toward the development of superconductors for use in computers. Despite their promise of greater speed, superconductors are still many years from appearing in commercially useful machines, HP officials said. HP joins the ranks of IBM, General Electric Co., TRW Corp., Westinghouse Corp. and other firms in the race to make superconductor technology available. In late October, HP bought into Conductus, Inc., a group of former Stanford University researchers dedicated to superconductivity. Simultaneously, HP is developing its own superconductivity lab to address both computer and measurement instrument applications. John Moll, associate director of the lab, said that he expects a future machine to be a marriage between superconductor and semiconductor technology. Less power needed ``Ultimately, the superconductor could affect computational speed and power,'' said the lab's director, Len Cutler. Compared with CMOS or emitter-coupled logic technol- ogy (ECL), using superconductive materials in chips would reduce the power requirements immensely. According to Moll, a CMOS chip requires between 3V and 5V, while ECL requires between 0.5V and 0.08V. A superconducting chip, he said, would likely have a power requirement of only 0.0005V. With the smaller voltages, circuits could be more densely packed without danger of cross talk or data-garbling interference as electricity races through the chip, according to Cutler. Quantum leaps The lab is expected to be completed early next year. While experimenting with the right blend of materials to promote superconductivity, the lab's biggest hurdle will be building a junction to act as the basis for high-speed logic switching. Moll said that that issue will not be addressed until late in the 1990s. In the meantime, ``we'll be pushing the limits of quantum theory,'' he said. If the lab had its dream superconducting computer, it would be likely to emerge first as a ``very high-speed math coprocessor,'' Cutler said. Superconducting materials could allow for a one-chip CPU, according to Moll, but ``you still have to have several hundred megabytes of memory, and we don't know how to apply superconductors to memory,'' he said. By J.A. Savage, CW staff <<<>>> Title : CA unveils VAX-based Supe Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cavax Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: In pursuit of its goal to become a one-stop shop for multivendor users, Computer Associates, Inc. continues to roll out products for the Digital Equipment Corp. VAX market. The recent announcement of the Supercalc spreadsheet for the VAX brings the number of CA VAX products to more than 20. Supercalc will be available for the VAX/VMS environment in the second quarter of 1989, according to the company. The VAX-based Supercalc product is a rewritten version of CA's mainframe spreadsheet package. CA has had success with its mainframe Supercalc: With nearly 400 customers, Supercalc is the leading mainframe spreadsheet. Mark Wasilko, senior vice-president of marketing at CA, believes an even greater opportunity exists in the VAX market. However, CA will be up against some tough competition with its new product. Access Technology, Inc.'s 20/20 spreadsheet product is well entrenched in the VAX market, and Lotus Development Corp. has plans to bring out a VAX version of its 1-2-3 spreadsheet. According to Wasilko, the spreadsheet will appeal to distributed VAX companies that want a host repository to collect personal computer spreadsheets, as well as those that simply want to use the VAX for spreadsheet applications. The Supercalc spreadsheet package joins CA's Masterpiece financial software (acquired with the Software International Corp. purchase), Archiver and Netman systems software, CA-Disspla, CA-Tellagraf and Graphics Connection graphics software. The package will cost from $2,850 to $16,830, depending on system configuration. CA's strategy is to integrate its VAX software with DEC's All-In-1 office software and the RDB database management systems. CA will support Decwindows as well, with a PC graphics package slated for its Decwindows debut. CA plans to broaden its VAX line to equal that of its IBM mainframe product line, according to Wasilko. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : VSE users upbeat Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: vsetoday Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: After putting up with a bitter aftertaste for several years, users of IBM's VSE operating system are starting to smile once again. No longer is IBM trying to move them en masse to the promised land of MVS. For now, VSE users are getting some of the functionality they have long coveted. They believe that IBM will offer them more without a costly and difficult migration. ``VSE has been resurrected again. It's like a phoenix rising out of the ashes _ for the fourth or fifth time,'' said Bill Dodge, a senior systems programmer at the National Wildlife Federation in Vienna, Va. ``I wasn't always the optimist I am now. IBM stopped responding for a while,'' he added. ``Today, we have backed off from saying that all VSE users have to migrate,'' said IBM's senior product administrator for VSE marketing in an interview with Computerworld. The manager asked that his name be withheld from publication. Not only is IBM easing off its hard-line position on migration, but it is turning its attention anew to VSE development. ``VSE is here to stay. . . . We do not have a replacement out there right now,'' the IBM man- ager said. ``We did a lot of things to VM because we thought we had a departmental strategy [that emphasized VM]. We got overshadowed in VSE land.'' The change in attitude on IBM's part was evident at a recent Common users group meeting in Toronto. Common consists of IBM mid-range system customers. Denny Pasternak, Common project manager of IBM 370 architecture, said that in the past, IBM would routinely reject enhancements recommended by the group. Now, however, the company is accepting them, meaning that IBM agrees to seriously explore offering a solution. New lease on life Despite its new lease on life, VSE is still wreathed in some ambiguity because it is not within the fold of IBM's Systems Application Architecture, and there are no plans to include it. ``No one would be happier to announce full SAA compliance than I would. But it's a question of where we want to spend our development dollars,'' the IBM manager said. Achieving full SAA compliance would require a major, difficult rewrite of VSE, and IBM is doubtful that it would be able to recoup its development dollars in license fees, he indicated. One user who runs a 4381 voiced a more cynical point of view: ``IBM admits right up front that they are a high-margin company. VSE users are low-margin customers,'' the user said. Making the operating system fully SAA-compliant would require adding CMS or TSO on VSE, the IBM manager said. ``There are not a lot of VSE users asking for those on VSE,'' he said. Users are committed to VSE for transaction processing, a role that IBM is comfortable in supporting, he asserted. In September, IBM told users how to program their CICS applications to be in conformance with SAA without actually anointing VSE or CICS/VSE under SAA. Such a half measure will satisfy most user needs, particularly when the functionality of an SAA-compliant intelligent workstation _ for example, the Personal System/2 under OS/2 _ is added to the equation, the IBM official said. ``What they [users] want in VSE is a common user interface and common dialogue management. It will be implemented by the intelligent workstation.'' IBM is embracing VSE _ in its own manner _ for the sake of the large group of mid-range 4381 processor users, as well as entry-level customers who may be attracted to the 9370. Because of the cost and difficulty of using MVS, hardly any 9370 customers are using it, although it technically runs on the processor. ``Our position now is that VSE provides entry into the 370 platform. And as users grow, they can grow within VSE and then migrate to MVS,'' the IBM manager said. He also pointed to an unattended operation feature under VSE, which was announced in September, that he said will help boost the 9370 as a distributed processor in large accounts. Users welcomed the change in posture by IBM at the last meeting of the large-systems users group, Guide, Inc. At the previous Guide meeting in Los Angeles in March, a white paper on VSE was presented, which included a number of ``requirements,'' Guide's term for important customer needs. In the year preceding that particular Guide meeting, one VSE user created his own patch, which circumvented VSE's 16M-byte virtual memory limit. The user, Peter Clark, a database and data communications administrator at Olan Mills, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tenn., made the patch available to other users free of charge [CW, Dec. 21, 1987]. Subsequently, IBM announced Version 3.2 of VSE with a similar capability. Patchwork Although National Wildlife's Dodge is using Clark's patch, he will be ordering the IBM version because he wants IBM to fully support the software, which it has declined to do if modifications such as Clark's are used. Although users greet IBM's new posture, they are saying emphatically, ``Don't stop there!'' ``The single most important thing IBM could do for VSE users would be to get Power [a VSE spooler] and VTAM to run in private address space. They are still limited to the 16M-byte address space, and they use up a lot of it,'' said Bob Fairbank, a systems programming manager at Blood System, Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz. ``The 16M-byte limitation must be addressed,'' Dodge agreed. ``I hope they are moving VTAM into its own address space,'' he added. By Stanley Gibson, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM's Gugliemi on the nut Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: asd4part Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Second in a two-part series Last week, Joseph Guglielmi, an IBM vice-president in charge of the Application Systems Division (ASD), talked of the changing role of the ASD in IBM's overall software strategy. Here, Guglielmi discusses the nuts and bolts of the division with Computerworld Senior Editor Rosemary Hamilton. He discusses product rollouts and vendor alliances, including IBM's controversial deal with Hogan Systems, Inc. in Dallas. How many applications products have been shipped in the last year as a direct result of the ASD's efforts _ both IBM-developed and those shipped by third parties in conjunction with IBM? We have in our portfolio today _ that includes applications for the PC up to the 3090 _ over 1,000 products. In 1988, we either enhanced or provided new products in the area of about 400. The most visible would be the AS/400. When we announced it, we also announced that ASD would provide 70 applications for the AS/400. We announced they would be shipped through the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year. At the same time, we announced that almost 1,000 of our business partners had applications that would run on the AS/400. ASD was the major driver in getting the software vendors access to [AS/400s] to convert their applications prior to announcement. That happened with our vendor support operations. AS/400 was the model for what you can expect from ASD in the future _ we will have our own set of applications, but we will have a complement wherever we can of third-party applications. On the subject of vendor alliances, you said about a year ago that we would be seeing additional relationships announced that were similar to the Hogan Systems relationship. Nothing of that nature was announced this year, though. There is one, actually more than one. But the one that was most visible is our relationship with Metaphor Computer Systems, Inc. We haven't heard much about that. First, let me put what I said in perspective. I think I said a year ago that the Hogan model was one that we thought was very important to us and the third-party software industry _ that is, going out and forming a relationship where clearly there was excellent technology already available. I want to talk more about Hogan. While it got off to a slow start, I'm very pleased with where that product is today and the progress we're making. I've said we've done more. You haven't seen them all yet, because they will be announced as we announce products. But the most visible was with Metaphor. What it is is a decision-support system that is fully icon-driven . . . and we are in the process of working on that and are preparing to announce and deliver a product that does all it's been doing on [Metaphor's] unique hardware to the PS/2 line. How would you sum up the Hogan deal? First of all, when I said Hogan was a model, I meant that we would find ways to provide third-party technology, under IBM's logo or not, to our customers. The terms and conditions that we do business with under the Hogan relationship, and those with others will vary. I said that a year ago. I didn't mean to imply that that precise business arrangement was one that we would always rely on. So the point was, with Hogan, that we were not necessarily going to do our own development on everything anymore. We're going to depend on third parties, and that's what I meant by the model. There's been a long-standing point of view in the industry that IBM doesn't really know how to sell software because its salespeople are so oriented to selling hardware and that it will take a long time before IBM is really effective at selling applications. What's your response to that? First of all, I hear that all the time. To some extent, our focus in the corporation over the last four or five years has been on the technology platforms. One of the reasons ASD reports to the marketing group is to ensure that I have leverage in effecting change in our market support structure. And we have aggressively put in place both education and technical support structures to get the right focus in our field and field support areas. We are in the process of organizing our field and our direct sales force along industry lines. Along with that comes an industry set of support plans and education. We're in the process of educating the field force not only on the industry-specific application sets but on IBM and third-party software where it makes sense. We're aggressively using more third-party skills and providing support to our field organizations so people who understand their niche markets are available to IBM salespeople and support people to make joint calls and to allow our customers to see the application alternatives available. <<<>>> Title : Supetrio on campus Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: stellaaa Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: LOWELL, Mass. _ In the midst of the city that spawned the U.S. industrial revolution more than 150 years ago, another reshaping of existing technological standards has begun. A trio of Stellar Computer, Inc.'s Graphics Supercomputer GS1000s at the University of Lowell are streamlining the task of computer-aided chemistry and computer-aided design in a way only dreamed about at the beginning of this decade. In March, Newton, Mass.-based Stellar shipped the industry's first graphics supercomputer. The system coupled minisupercomputer performance levels with sophisticated three-dimensional graphics capabilities. The desktop GS1000 was designed for engineers in need of high performance for both graphics and computations, and the university has given the machine a run for its money in both areas. The GS1000, which was introduced at a time that saw similar graphics supercomputers announced by Ardent Computer Corp. and Apollo Computer, Inc., provides the school with the computational muscle to carve through compute-intensive applications. ``We've increased our computation speed nearly 30 times,'' said Tom Costello, a school vice-president in charge of technology acquisition and planning. Costello added that the machines often perform 40 million floating-point operations per second at peak performance. But besides the computational punch, Costello sees the machines as the way of the future for science labs. ``As an educational institution, we look on these machines as an investment in where computer graphics are going,'' he said. One place computer graphics are currently going is the field of molecular modeling, in which the machines are used as scratch pads to vicariously break down and reshape substances at their molecular level to create new compounds. Currently, research is being done on creating a thin-film material for storage disks. ``We need to design a molecule that essentially looks like it has a hook on one end so that it not only sticks to the tape but has all the electromechanical proper- ties that you need to record the information and recover it,'' Costello said. In addition to the main computing engine, the Stellar workstation includes an Intel Corp. 80386-based subsystem connected to the main processor by an IBM Personal Computer AT-compatible bus. The monitor's ability to form a 1,280- by 1,024-pixel resolution picture also allows researchers attacking such problems to form sophisticated screen images. A second machine is used in the computer sciences department, where it is part of a project to develop an American National Standards Institute standard for imaging software, and the third is located in a research center where it is involved in various productivity-enhancement projects. Additionally, both machines are used for other ``compute-hog'' activities, Costello said, such as real-time finite-element modeling and real-time structural solids modeling. At each location, the GS1000 is hooked into a network of the department's other computers, including a series of workstations produced by Digital Equipment Corp., Apollo and Raster Technologies, Inc. In such situations, the machine's bandwidth _ the GS1000 contains a data path that transfers data to and from the main memory and cache memory at 512M byte/sec. _ comes in handy. The system's microprocessors are also configured to perform parallel processing, which Costello said he hopes to explore in earnest in the next few months. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Image Business Systems na Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hbits Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: New York-based Image Business Systems Corp. celebrated the appointment of David Sarna as president by announcing that the Texas State Board of Insurance has awarded it a $1.8 million contract to install its Imagesystem integrated document image processing system. Tired of your old Intecolor Corp. terminal or monitor? Then trade it in. The Atlanta-based company has announced that it will allow customers to trade in used terminals or monitors in exchange for discounts on newly purchased models. Savings of up to 30% can be had in exchange for trading in working or nonworking F8000, 3800, 8800 or AG series terminals and its Megatrend line of monitors, the company said. Visual Technology, Inc. has signed a $2 million OEM distribution agreement with Japanese computer vendor Kubota Ltd. under which Kubota will offer Visual's 640 X Window display station to the Japanese and Pacific Rim markets. Princeton Graphic Systems has announced the implementation of a new warranty on its line of IBM Video Graphics Array monitors that provides five-year coverage on parts and two-year protection on labor. It will cover all monitors and shipping, and it will be extended retroactively to all VGA monitors already purchased, the Princeton, N.J., firm said. Convex Computer Corp. has entered a joint marketing agreement with Tektronix, Inc. through which Convex C series supercomputers and Tektronix 4300 and 4200 series high-resolution graphics workstations and netstations will be offered as integrated graphics packages. <<<>>> Title : HP announces latest 9000 Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: newhp Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: FORT COLLINS, Colo. _ Hewlett-Packard Co. late last month pressed the engineering workstation envelope at the low end with the debut of the HP 9000 Model 340, which packs the power of Motorola, Inc.'s 68030 technology into a $5,495 machine with 4 million instructions per second performance, the firm said. The Model 340, which began shipping last week, establishes a new entry-level product for the 68030-based HP line, which started with the introduction of the Models 360 and 370 earlier this year, said Bill Kay, general manager of HP's workstation group. The system uses a relatively inexpensive chip set running at 16.6 MHz and has only one optional expansion slot. It supports a broad spectrum of graphics choices (two monochrome and three color configurations), has up to 16M bytes of random-access memory and an optional accessory slot and is object-code compatible across HP's Series 300 line, which runs on HP-UX, the firm's flavor of Unix. Such compatibility, Kay said, makes an estimated 750 advanced software applications immediately available on the Model 340. The Model 340 is available in five configurations at prices ranging from $5,495 to $15,995. <<<>>> Title : A disk controller for des Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwsunmic Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A disk controller for deskside and server systems has been announced by Sun Microsystems, Inc. The SMD-4 32-bit bus controller and 688M-byte disk drive were designed for the increased processing power of the SunOS 4.0 Unix operating system and the Sun Scalable Processor Architecture-based Sun-4 workstations and servers, the company said. The SMD-4 is a full-height VME module with a 128K-byte read-ahead cache. The module is priced at $4,500 in a stand-alone configuration. The 688M-byte disk drive subsystem includes the SMD-4 controller and a small-footprint pedestal and has a price tag of $19,000. Sun Microsystems, 2550 Garcia Ave., Mountain View, Calif. 94043. 415-960-1300. <<<>>> Title : Applied Digital Data Syst Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwadds Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Applied Digital Data Systems, Inc. (ADDS) has introduced two terminals that were developed to complement the Digital Equipment Corp. video display environment. The 3320 is a compatible enhancement to the DEC VT320, and the 3320 Touch offers all the same features as the 3320 plus a touch-screen user interface, the vendor said. Both units incorporate a 70-Hz refresh rate and a 14-in. flat-faced CRT available in green, amber or white. The 3320 is priced at $695, and the 3320 Touch costs $1,595. ADDS, 100 Marcus Blvd., Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788. 516-231-5400. <<<>>> Title : Xerox Corp. has rolled ou Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: fromjim Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Xerox Corp. has rolled out a pair of high-end laser printing systems that it trumpets as the first production printers to approach offset printing standards. The Xerox 4650 Professional Printing Systems and the Xerox 4090 Laser Printing Systems enable host mainframes, minicomputers, workstations and networked personal computers to produce publications in a variety of fonts and styles, the firm said. The high-end 4650 features a resolution of 600 spot/in., the company said, and includes 340M bytes of storage and print speeds up to 50 page/min. The 4090 features two 170M-byte hard disks, prints at speeds of up to 92 page/min and sports a resolution of 300 spot/in. The 4650 will be reportedly available in the second quarter of 1989. A typical system with graphics capability starts at $171,000. The 4090 is available immediately and is priced at approximately $190,000. Xerox, 101 Continental Blvd., El Segundo, Calif. 90245. 213-333-7000. <<<>>> Title : Instrumentation and Contr Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwintrum Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Instrumentation and Controls Systems, Inc.'s Electro-Pac division has announced the Lifeline II Uninterruptible Power System. Designed to provide battery backup for up to 25 min, it reportedly contains a power conditioner and pulse-width modulated technology functions. It can power up to four IBM Personal Computer XTs or one minicomputer and costs $2,780. Instrumentation and Control Systems, 520 Interstate Road, Addison, Ill. 60101. 312-543-6200. <<<>>> Title : An uninterruptible power Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwclaryc Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: An uninterruptible power supply device designed specifically for IBM Application System/400 minicomputers has been announced by Clary Corp. According to the company, The Onguard Series 400 is available in tap-selectable inputs of 208V, 220V, 230V, 240V or 250V AC and 50 or 60Hz and supports a terminal and a modem. The product reportedly requires no additional electrical wiring for installation and is priced at $7,190 in its base, single-module configuration. Clary, 320 W. Clary Ave., San Gabriel, Calif. 91776. 818-287-6111. <<<>>> Title : Emerson Computer Power, a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwemerso Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Emerson Computer Power, a division of Emerson Electric Co., has announced an application-oriented family of uninterruptible power systems for use with IBM's line of Application System/400 mid-range computers. The Accupower/400 series accommodates full-rack expansion requirements and includes all power distribution components, connectors, circuit-breaker protection and electrical interfaces necessary for installation, the vendor said. Prices start at $3,800. Emerson, P.O. Box 1679, 3300 S. Standard St., Santa Ana, Calif. 92702. 714-545-5581. <<<>>> Title : Constant Power Corp. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwconsta Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Constant Power Corp. has announced the Unac 400 Uninterruptible Power Source. The on-line unit supplies a pure sine wave voltage output and is rated at 400 kVA, according to the vendor. It incorporates three protected outlets and two conditioned outlets that are controlled by individual front-panel switches. The Unac 400 is priced at $995. Constant Power, 7853 Balboa Ave., San Diego, Calif. 92111. 619-279-8447. <<<>>> Title : Beckman Industrial Corp. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwbeckma Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Beckman Industrial Corp. has added the Easy BOB Models 775 and 785 to its existing line of breakout box products. According to the vendor, the 775 is a battery-powered box that can monitor and reconfigure all 25 incoming and outgoing RS-232C lines for positive and negative voltages. The handheld 785 is reported to be a combination breakout box and full-function cable tester that simultaneously sends and receives test voltages. The BOB Models 775 and 785 cost $299 and $345, respectively. Beckman Industrial, Suite 1020, 15760 Ventura Blvd., Encino, Calif. 91436. 818-990-1235. <<<>>> Title : Software designed to veri Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swduques Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Software designed to verify the availability of both hardware and software components in an IBM VM system configuration has been announced by Duquesne Systems, Inc. According to the vendor, Checkout/VM automatically probes the VM system for down components, restarts them if necessary and notifies the appropriate staff of component failure. Checkout/VM is priced between $6,000 and $18,000, depending on CPU class. Duquesne, 2 Allegheny Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15212. 412-323-2600. <<<>>> Title : A data encryption tool fo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swprimef Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A data encryption tool for Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS systems has been announced by Prime Factors, Inc. Called Descrypt Plus, the product is reportedly based on the U.S. government-approved Data Encryption Standard and will secure communications between any IBM mainframe and DEC VAX machine, as well as all VAX-to-VAX communications, the vendor said. Descrypt Plus licenses cost $1,800 for Microvax systems and $4,500 for all other VAX computers. Prime Factors, 1470 E. 20th Ave., Eugene, Ore. 97403. 503-345-4334. <<<>>> Title : Laticorp, Inc. has releas Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swlatico Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Laticorp, Inc. has released Textbase 1.2, a database management system that runs on Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS computers. Designed specifically for electronic text, the software reportedly searches free-form text based on content _ not on form. The product can be used to search court transcripts, tax law, waste disposal regulations, engineering notes and other activities that require specific data from large text records. Scheduled to ship Dec. 30, Textbase 1.2 is priced from $1,495 to $71,995, depending on hardware platform. Laticorp, 185 Berry St., San Francisco, Calif. 94107. 415-543-1199. <<<>>> Title : Interbase Software Corp. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swinterb Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Interbase Software Corp. has announced a front-end graphical database tool that was designed for users in a workstation environment. Pictor reportedly enables both engineers and end users to access and manipulate data without having to learn SQL commands or other data manipulation languages. According to the vendor, the product runs on Sun Microsystems, Inc., Apollo Computer, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp. machines. Pictor costs $1,400. Interbase, 209 Burlington Road, Bedford, Mass. 01730. 617-275-3222. <<<>>> Title : Candle Corp. has announce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swcandle Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Candle Corp. has announced Omegamon for DB2, a real-time performance monitor for managing IBM's DB2 relational database management system. The product is aimed at application programmers, database administrators and operators and can be accessed from dedicated, VTAM and TSO modes. Omegamon for DB2 costs $30,000. Candle, 1999 Bundy Drive, Los Angeles, Calif. 90025. 213-207-1400. <<<>>> Title : Palette Systems, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swpalett Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Palette Systems, Inc. has announced an Electronic Work Instruction module for use with Digital Equipment Corp. workstations. The product was designed to give planners and production engineers a desktop publishing-like environment for preparing, editing and distributing illustrated work instructions and process plans on the DEC workstation platform. The menu-driven system reportedly includes an integrated graphics database and hypertext functions. A typical Palette system with the Electronic Work Instruction module is priced from $50,000 to $500,000, depending on hardware configuration. Palette Systems, 6 Trafalgar Sq., Nashua, N.H. 03063. 603-886-1230. <<<>>> Title : Britz Publishing, Inc. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swbritzp Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Britz Publishing, Inc. has released Version 3.0 of its Art accounts receivable system. The software runs on IBM System/36 and Application System/400 mid-range processors and includes data entry, invoice printing, accounts receivable ledger and transaction history functions. Art 3.0 costs $99 and includes complete RPG-II source code. Britz, 1814 Capital Towers, Jackson, Miss. 39201. 601-354-8882. <<<>>> Title : Incase Corp. has released Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swincase Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Incase Corp. has released Version 2.0 of Engarde, a system security analyzer for Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP 3000 minicomputers running MPE V. The latest version reportedly features improvements in documentation and on-line Help, as well as expanded file analysis capabilities. According to the company, Engarde 2.0 is priced at $1,495 for the first copy and $1,050 for each of the next three copies. Incase, Suite 171, 2055 Woodside Road, Redwood City, Calif. 94061. 415-369-1942. <<<>>> Title : EISA and coming of age Author : William Brandel Source : CW Comm FileName: bigboys Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: In September, nine Davids, vowing to knock Goliath to the pavement, invited members of the press to witness the impending bout. Believing they had strength in unity, they tried to convince us that we were about to hear a big thud. The silence has been deafening. The media, as could be expected, could not resist the makings of good drama: an underdog, a bully, a rebellion _ everything but a cameo appearance by Richard Chamberlain. With a huge media spotlight on them, the Extended Industry Standard Architecture vendors seized the opportunity to make a case for an alternative to the Micro Channel. Led by Compaq's Rod Canion, they said customers do not need or want IBM's Micro Channel and that customers demand natural evolution, not revolution. They gave us claims but, unfortunately, little proof. Now it looks like IBM has picked itself up and is standing tall. It also looks like the Gang of Nine is about to become the Gang of Whine. Even the strongest media advocates of the proposed bus structure are seeing it for what it is: nothing. It does not yet exist. The PC industry is a young one, and firms like Compaq and AST Research are on the verge of coming of age. Like young apprentices, they could do well by taking a lesson from Old Man IBM. IBM consistently refuses to get involved in EISA's petty bickering. It now watches Micro Channel sales chug along and, through product deliveries and demonstrations, tries to vaporize the competition's argument against the Micro Channel line _ which just goes to show that rhetoric does not a vendor make. But how do the EISA vendors react in the line of fire? Two leading clone vendors accused IBM of performing a smear campaign against them because IBM commissioned a study whose findings contradict EISA's main argument. At the same time, the group's members now claim that the fashion in which they heralded their proposed bus was in no way intended to smear IBM. One may question the wisdom and timing of how IBM rolled out its Micro Channel line. Hindsight can make a genius of even the simpleminded. The company was trying to present to its customers a leadership position and had taken risks in that venture. Sure it was trying to lock up the market; who wouldn't? Isn't that big business? If IBM's customers become annoyed, they turn elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that IBM took a risk and is playing by the rules. At worst, the company referred to EISA as ``a set of flip charts,'' but it has not smeared anything. It continues to push its own product line. It is behaving like a big person. EISA's motives are somewhat difficult to ascertain, perhaps because the group lacks leadership. Leadership leaves one vulnerable because it involves risk. IBM is taking its risk, and it appears to be paying off. So now EISA has made its claim and will face what IBM has endured for 19 months before vindicating itself. EISA's task has been made all the more difficult now that it continues to bring attention to IBM's Micro Channel bus. Coming of age is painful, even for the most successful and fast-growing firms. Fortitude and dignity _ not whining until your argument is proven _ will earn you the right of passage. Nobody is saying that an alternative bus market does not exist _ if and when the products arrive. But the burden of proof is on EISA. Running down IBM does not create anything except a big turnoff to customers. By William Brandel; Brandel is a Computerworld senior writer. <<<>>> Title : Pman from the inside out Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ballmer Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The fact that OS/2 Presentation Manager is shipping did not automatically satisfy IBM and Microsoft customers, who immediately started asking tough questions about the state of the product. Users still want to know the basics, such as how much it costs to implement and what exactly this thing will do for them. Shortly after the Halloween release of this next-generation graphical user interface, Computerworld Senior Editor Douglas Barney sat down with Microsoft Corp. Vice-President of Systems Software Steve Ballmer and IBM Entry Systems Division Vice-President of Programming Richard Hanrahan. What follows are their answers to the questions most on users' lips. How do you go about cost-justifying the Presentation Manager, and which users would tend to move to it first? Ballmer: There are really three costs. Most users will have to buy some more memory, and typically you will want three megabytes or so. Even with multitasking? Ballmer: With everything, you can get by with two megabytes, but the typical user who moves first will want to run multiple applications and will want the performance. They are likely to buy three megabytes. Early users will find the training costs fairly negligible. It will be a big change when you try to broaden that to everybody, but we're talking about the initial user community. The third cost is upgrading or buying new applications. Those costs have been somewhat overstated in the press. Our own strategy on Excel is to make that moderate in cost. The general practice in the industry will be to not try to charge more for Presentation Manager applications. The initial users that will move over will be power users _ people in the art departments who all day, every day are producing large documents, financial analysts who need to do a lot of analysis and produce great-looking reports, etc. For the next year and a half to two years, we're talking about a power user community. It will probably not be until sometime in 1991 when that broadens some. Power users don't have a lot of trouble cost-justifying stuff. And by 1991, I'm hoping that memory prices will be more reasonable. How different is the Presentation Manager from Windows? Why couldn't we just move Windows over to OS/2? Ballmer: From a user interface standpoint there are two things: look and feel and then the set of applications that you use to interact with the system. On the look-and-feel side, Windows 2.0 is different from Windows 1.0 because we wanted Windows 2.0 to be the same as the Presentation Manager. But Apple sued over the Windows 2.0 look and feel. Didn't you change the Presentation Manager in response? Ballmer: This embodies the same user interface techniques as Windows 2.0. Have you talked with Apple about whether they believe that the Presentation Manager infringes? Ballmer: We talk to Apple all the time as a result of [the suit], and Apple's lawyers have told them not to tell us much. Point 2 is the shell itself. The shell in Presentation Manager is a fairly significant evolution from Windows. Windows had a thing called the DOS Executive that let you copy files, etc. We have made that program quite a bit easier to use and richer in function. What would we have been able to do if we simply brought Windows over to OS/2? Ballmer: You would still see some nice applications. I think that that would have been a fine approach. Hanrahan: Windows is not really multitasking. It is multiapplication. Wouldn't it be able to take advantage of the multitasking engine of OS/2? Hanrahan: If you just ported it, no. Ballmer: Now, you could think of a simple port of Windows where it just sort of sits there as its own funny task, and then all these other OS/2 tasks run in background, or you can really marry it on top of the multitasking, which is what we did. When we sat down to build a graphical user interface system on top of the OS/2 kernel, we sat down to port Windows. The difference between this and a port of Windows is a lot of extensive and good interaction and learning between us and IBM. When will we see a 386 version of OS/2? Ballmer: We will make tool support available in the first half of next year, but there is no public commitment from either Microsoft or IBM on when we are going to ship it. Is Microsoft planning to support IBM's OS/2 Extended Edition? Ballmer: Extended Edition is a great way to get communications and database function, but I think there will be plenty of third-party alternatives arriving on the scene. For example, we have the SQL Server. But what about an official statement of support? Hanrahan: I am totally in favor of Microsoft prerequing the Extended Edition widely. I heartedly encourage it. [The lack of support] says nothing about a change in the relationship between the two companies. Those customers that bought the original IBM PC AT had the expectation that an operating system would be released that would exploit its architecture. Now OS/2 has really outgrown that machine. What do you say to those AT customers? Ballmer: We tested it on the AT. I had developers doing edits on 8-MHz ATs, and they said, ``You know, this is pretty good.'' <<<>>> Title : PS/2s at Travelers read a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: travel1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: HARTFORD, Conn. _ By using a specially equipped personal computer, Chris Donohue can command her PC to read back any data residing on her screen. Without it, Donohue, a five-year veteran programmer at The Travelers Corp. who is blind, could not do her job. Donohue is one of four blind programmers at Travelers who has received an IBM Personal System/2 Model 60 that incorporates specialized hardware and software designed for the visually impaired. The PS/2s are replacing IBM 3278 Model 2 terminals that are equipped with a voice synthesizer box, also designed for the visually impaired. Blind workers are using a PS/2 with an IBM Screen Reader, a subsystem that includes software and an independent keypad. The Screen Reader allows the user to guide the cursor over portions of the screen he wishes the computer to read. Users can zero in on a character, a line, a paragraph or a whole page. Digital Equipment Corp.'s Talk Voice Synthesizer, an external box that plugs into the PS/2, allows the system to output the data verbally. Peter Baldwin, a senior program analyst at Travelers, said that any PC software program can run on the system. Donohue can pop in Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 to work on a spreadsheet or Wordperfect Corp.'s Wordperfect to compose a letter. ``Whatever is put on the screen will be spoken,'' Baldwin explained. ``If the computer doesn't understand an individual word, it spells it out for the user.'' Baldwin said the new system allows visually impaired programmers to compete on an equal footing with their sighted colleagues. Particularly helpful to Donohue has been access to the electronic mail system developed by Travelers for PC users. ``E-mail is a real breakthrough for me,'' she said. ``If I have a quick question, I can get it answered almost instantly. Before, I had to track people down or schedule a meeting.'' Prior to receiving her PC, Donohue had colleagues read her general memos, or in some cases, completely missed out on the information. Vital information like project schedules and goals were printed out from the mainframe by a braille printer, a time-consuming process, she said. ``Now our blind users are compatible with their fellow programmers,'' Baldwin said. The PS/2 Model 60 requires no customization to work with the Screen Reader or the Talk Voice Synthesizer, according to Baldwin. The Screen Reader sells for about $600, while the voice unit was purchased for about $4,500, Baldwin said. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Knowledgepro tests, tutor Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: logic Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: An artificial intelligence software development package for personal computers is helping end users develop applications for training and knowledge reinforcement. The product is called Knowledgepro, a knowledge processor with its own procedural language that was developed by Knowledge Garden, Inc. in Nassau, N.Y. Buzz Woods, an AI intelligence specialist at Olin Research Center in Cheshire, Conn., is using the product to develop a system for controlling and educating on hazardous waste material for Olin Corp. to be bundled into the company's equipment. He is developing an expert system using the Knowledgepro shell. Woods describes the product as more of an environment rather than a programming language. ``It has about a two-month learning curve, but once you break free, the code just explodes,'' Woods said. He added that a programmer must first learn the product's syntax, but the tools to assist in programming are easily arranged. Woods sorted through 35 other AI programs, narrowed the list to eight and then viewed demonstrations of them before finally selecting Logicpro. The product is priced at $495, which Woods said is inexpensive in comparison to other AI programs. The vendor's technical support has been solid, he added. Woods said in order to fully use the product, an IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter terminal is required. Also, a powerful personal computer is needed to write the code at a decent speed but not to run the program. Questions on money Knowledgepro is helping a state of New York social assistance agency determine whether a person is eligible for financial aid through Medicaid at the state's Division of Operations. Mark Krusik, a senior analyst with the state, is using the product to create an expert system to assist state employees in making these determinations. ``Some of the rules we use are very complex, so I decided to try and use a computer to represent a system hierarchy,'' Krusik said. ``For example, under Medicaid's excess income program, we have to identify each kind of bill the prospective recipient owes, whether it is unpaid or is payable under the income guidelines.'' Krusik said Knowledgepro is important to the operation because much of the social service terminology is somewhat arcane and requires a definition and example to explain its meaning and significance to employees. ``For instance, what `viable' means to most people takes on a completely different meaning in government,'' he said. ``It means whether a bill has been paid or can be. With Knowledgepro's hypertext, you can just point to the term. Its definition and relation can then be read by the user.'' Reportedly, users do not have to sort through large numbers of files and menus and need only read the information pertinent to their task. The hypertext feature, or thread, allows the programmer to present text in a nonlinear form so that words with associated meaning can be interrelated. The user can display a screen with certain high- lighted words or concepts. By pressing a function key, the highlighted thread, or train of thought, draws on another screen that contains the associated highlighted words. Knowledgepro is also being used as an intelligent tutoring system to teach ethic work rules and reinforce seminar programs for a defense contractor's employees in Dallas. Rick Porter, a spokesman at Baker & Co., a consulting firm hired to set up the defense contractor's program, said the artificial intelligence processor is used to present and test prospective employees when faced with ethical dilemmas that may occur while building defense machinery. It then critiques the trainee's response. ``It is especially helpful for the company to test and train employees who may have missed the initial seminars,'' Porter said. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Apple to ally with integr Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: applecdx Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: LAS VEGAS _ Apple Computer, Inc. will seek agreements with large systems integrators to help its new systems integration group serve large corporate accounts, company officials revealed recently. The Integrated Services organization, headed by Chuck Berger, vice-president of Integrated, was announced in April during one of Apple's several reorganizations within the last year. Formation of the group is a response to demands from Apple's existing corporate customers, Berger said. Although he would offer no projections, Berger said that he expects the establishment of a systems integration group within Apple will increase the acceptance of the Macintosh in large corporations. Since the announcement, Apple has significantly altered the structure of the new group. Rather than providing services directly to large end users, Apple will form alliances with large system integrators, Berger said. Thus far, Apple has reached an agreement with Peat, Marwick, Main & Co. for a single end-user contract. Several other agreements are being negotiated, Berger added. The marketing executive likened Apple's system integration to its earlier sales tactics for reaching Fortune 1,000 companies. ``In the beginning, we had to prove to resellers that they could sell the Mac to large corporations and that it would be profitable for them to do so,'' Berger said. ``Apple sold Macs direct to large accounts in the beginning and has shrunk that team as the resellers have picked up those accounts. Apple needs to do the same with system integrators.'' Apple's sales force will act as a referral service to systems integrators, as it has with resellers. Berger said volume purchases will not dictate whether resellers or integrators are referred to specific accounts. Instead, the firm will base such decisions on the amount of customization required by the customer, he said. ``Businessland is not interested in writing code,'' Berger said. ``They don't have the capabilities of servicing these types of accounts.'' The engineering team will develop layers of applications for tools such as Macworkstation, a software tool that allows the Mac to retain its graphical user interface when connected to host systems. Also, Apple will recommend third-party products when appropriate, Berger said. The company will contract with third-party maintenance companies to provide service to end users, he added. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Manzi's no Ebenezer Author : Douglas Barney Source : CW Comm FileName: man Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Manzi _ He-man or Hu-man? Mary Perella has read the things written about Lotus Chairman Jim P. Manzi. The stories have called him ruthless, sarcastic, tough and abrasive. It was as if the writers looked up ``jerk'' in a thesaurus and copied down all the synonyms. Every time Perella brings herself to read this stuff, the same thing happens: ``Smoke comes out my ears,'' she says. The Manzi in the articles is obviously not the same Manzi that stops by Perella's desk nearly every day to snag a piece of candy and charm her with a joke, a smile. Perella, a Lotus receptionist, uses vastly different words to describe her boss. ``He's a doll; a real sweetheart,'' she says without prompting. For such a complex individual, those who have profiled Manzi have thought of few ways to describe him, and no one has thought to call him a sweetheart. In fact, writers who don't even know him seem to assume that he is a flat, stereotypical hard-nosed businessman, hardly human at all. It is a depiction as narrow as fishing line and just as weak. Yes, Manzi at times can be ruthless, sarcastic and tough. That's why he's the boss. But the image of him that gets presented is mystifying, given the breadth of intelligence, culture and finely honed wit of the man that runs Lotus. Manzi has suffered in the press because he is not an extrovert, doesn't suck up to those who follow him and doesn't tell us how great we are. And he doesn't seem to let outsiders into his life. These qualities, however, don't justify the image of a cocky and abrasive bean-counter. Simple bean-counters don't major in the classics, win journalism prizes or run dynamic software companies. There are a number of reasons Manzi is misunderstood and inadequately defined. One is that he is hard to reach (sometimes), another is he tries to come off as a tough guy (I'll buy that) and, finally, that he is in fact nothing more than a flat, stereotypical business jerk (absurd!). It is more complex. From all accounts, Manzi has a strong sense of family and did not react well to the magnifying glass that is placed on all high-level executives. As a matter of fact, Manzi has gone out of his way to protect his family's privacy, even if it has meant failing to invite reporters over for a weekend barbecue. Manzi also keeps his work in check, rarely toiling on weekends and getting up in the wee hours so he can get home to his kids at a decent hour. And at 36, Manzi is a youngster compared with most successful U.S. executives. To compensate, some say, he plays up the tough-as-nails image as if to deny being young. It doesn't matter whether Manzi is hiding his essential qualities or observers are simply not looking hard enough; it is really a little bit of both. Though sometimes stiff in public, when comfortable, Manzi lets his hair down, and a sometimes sinister yet hilarious stream of humor flows out. Manzi himself estimates that he spends between 30% and 40% of his time laughing. After a recent private dinner I had with him aimed at testing the theory that Manzi is not what he is cracked down to be, I have to agree. It is little known, but Manzi is probably the funniest software executive in the country. When he gets rolling, almost anything _ competitors, computers and politics _ becomes a target. Those who followed Manzi in earlier years frequently saw this side of him and described him on the printed page as a fun, kind of offbeat guy. A 1985 feature that chronicled his rise to the Lotus presidency was filled with Manzi gems. His personal hero was Chico Esquella, an imaginary baseball player popularized on Saturday Night Live. ``Software has been berry, berry good to me,'' Manzi quipped. How did Manzi and Mitch Kapor work together? They were joined at the hip, Manzi said. At press conferences, comments like these still come out, but no one seems to notice. Manzi hasn't changed one bit since that article appeared. The only thing that has changed is his image. Although he may not show it, Manzi may well be as displeased with that image as Perella is. Fortunately, it looks like he is going to do something about it. For Manzi, the best move might be back to cracks about Chico Esquella and into a future of letting the real Jim hang out. On the other hand . . . Bill Gates has long had an image of the gentle master of technology, seeking only the best for the personal computer industry. The fact that Gates smiled a lot helped. But a different, less kind Gates is starting to emerge. Here are some recent examples. Gates chewed out Ashton-Tate Chairman Ed Esber publicly over Esber's plans to cut Novell in on SQL Server. Later, Gates flew off the handle over the Next machine. After its flashy debut, he bad-mouthed it at every turn. He has also blasted Lotus founder Kapor for his plans to make computers easier to use. Gates said that Kapor was meditating while Microsoft was struggling with these ease-of-use issues. Then, in a personality profile, Gates ridiculed Borland President Philippe Kahn for allegedly bowing to the dictates of Ben Rosen, a Borland board member. Gates implied that Rosen made Kahn raise his software prices. But in the profile, Gates saved his choicest words for Lotus' Manzi. He made fun of Manzi for his lack of technical expertise and accused Lotus of purposely holding back information on 1-2-3 Release 3.0 delays to freeze the market and selling off stock before the price fell. Those same allegations are being made in a shareholder lawsuit. Good thing nobody's asked for Bill's opinion of Computerworld. We couldn't handle the abuse. By Douglas Barney; Barney is a Computerworld senior editor, microcomputing. <<<>>> Title : IBM publishes OS/2 road m Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: os2prep Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Users thinking about OS/2 had better think about megabytes _ lots of megabytes. That's what it takes to run this large, advanced operating system with only a few applications, according to IBM recommendations in the firm's recently released ``Operating System/2 Information and Planning Guide.'' Those interested in IBM's OS/2 Extended Edition need to consider even more megabytes for both random-access memory and hard-disk memory, according to the document. As co-developer, IBM perhaps knows best what it takes to run OS/2. Despite the high memory requirements, users can save money by using OS/2's virtual storage capabilities, the guide points out. This technique allows program code to swap between a special file on the hard disk drive and main memory. This is particularly handy for running multiple applications, IBM said. Most of the memory estimates that follow assume that users are taking advantage of the so-called Segment Swap Data Set. This also allows for multitasking within the given system configurations. OS/2 Extended, which adds communications and database functions, appears to be the biggest user of memory, according to information in the guide. Using the IBM-supplied worksheets, a micro concurrently running the full version of OS/2 Extended Edition 1.1 would need 8.7M bytes of RAM with a minimum of applications. Want to load it on your hard disk? Best have 36.6M bytes free, the worksheets disclose. And then try to leave some room for additional applications. This is clearly a worst-case scenario presented in the guide. One of the advantages of OS/2 Edition is its modularity. Users can load only those components that they need. For example, a user who is interested in OS/2 Extended's database management system capability but is unconcerned about communications can squeeze the program into a system with 5M bytes of RAM and a 30M-byte hard disk drive. As the application grows, those requirements may change. For those interested only in OS/2 Standard Edition 1.1, the requirements are far lighter. Users can get away with 3M to 3.5M bytes of RAM, even with more than one application, and 15.7M to 17.7M bytes of hard disk. Since most systems come with at least a 20M-byte hard drive, the biggest upgrade cost will be for RAM. Where the IBM document appears to be less helpful is in determining the requirements for the applications themselves, particularly when users begin multitasking in earnest. Here it will be up to MIS professionals to experiment and then determine their own requirements. The IBM guide does provide a few quick-and-dirty rules. IBM cautions that when IBM PC-DOS programs are converted to OS/2, they may well require more memory. This is because of the elimination of overlays that allow a large program to fit into the 640K-byte confines of PC-DOS. But because the entire program now fits within memory, performance should increase. IBM also cautions that an application that fully uses the graphical capabilities of Presentation Manager could boost memory requirements by up to 1M byte. While many users have balked at these memory requirements, just knowing what the requirements are will be helpful for capacity planners. By Douglas Barney, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Mac lends hand on Latin d Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: artifact Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: It's not the sort of puzzle that Indiana Jones has had to resolve in popular films, but Robert Sharer, an archaeologist from the University of Pennsylvania, was troubled nonetheless. For some reason, the internal disk drive in his Macintosh Plus was malfunctioning, causing it to eject disks at inopportune times. What would Indy have done in the same circumstance? Take the Macintosh to the nearest repair center, of course, and that is what Sharer did. ``When the repair guy opened the Mac up, he found a nest of cockroaches in the internal disk drive,'' said Sharer with a laugh. ``I guess they liked the warmth or the noise in there.'' Sharer and his colleagues had recently returned from an expedition to Sakajut, a remote, pre-Columbian dig in the northern lowlands of Guatemala. While on location, they used the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh, along with Filemaker Plus, a popular database management program published by Nashoba Systems, to record excavation data uncovered at the site. ``I believe we are the first in our area [archaeology] to take the Macintosh into the field,'' Sharer said. Many facts _ including the condition of the artifacts, their location when found, ``virtually everything that we once used file cards for'' _ are entered into the database, he explained. The excavation data was entered into the Macintosh each day after the archaeologists returned to their pension in the nearby town of Coban. Toughness test The Macintosh was taken on the trip to see how well it stood up under the climate and the vagaries of the local power supply, which varies more than it does in the U.S., Sharer said: ``It was a sort of a shakedown trip.'' If the machine performed in the field as well as it did in the office, then it would have a permanent place in several expeditions planned for the next few years, Sharer explained. ``We chose it because of our personal acquaintance with it; we had already been using them in our offices at the university,'' Sharer said. ``Also, it is portable enough that you can carry it around.'' The Mac performed admirably in the field and withstood the rigors of the test without incident, according to the archaeologist. The recalcitrant disk drive began to act up shortly after the archaeologists returned to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia earlier this year. Sharer and his fellow archaeologists have made several trips in recent years to Latin America to explore ancient sites, often dating from 400 to 900 A.D. and even earlier. The most recent trip to Sakajut took place from April to June this year. ``One of the major reasons we were there was that it is a key location in relation to some others,'' Sharer explained. ``It was a politically important site, and we had a lot of ideas of its role and historical importance that we wanted to test.'' Problem with looting In addition to using the Macintosh to catalog data about each excavation, the archaeologists utilized the computer to record information about the site's condition and the extent to which looters had damaged it in their quest for valuable artifacts to sell to collectors. ``Looting is a significant problem,'' Sharer said. ``One thing is certain: Looting is like death and taxes and as old as the first tomb. With the value of the artifacts and the number of collectors going up over the last couple of decades, looting has gotten out of hand.'' Sharer bought his first Macintosh three or four years ago and has been sold on that system ever since, he said. He and his colleagues have Macintosh SE models in their offices at the university that are used primarily for word processing with Macwrite. ``The next step is to use the Macintosh to take advantage of its graphics and map-making capabilities [of excavation sites],'' Sharer said. The next expedition, to Copan in western Honduras, is slated for January. ``In two years, we'll start work in Lel Peru, which is in the lowlands of Guatemala,'' Sharer added. ``It's absolutely remote, so we plan to bring our own generator to power the Mac Plus.'' By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : A memory management utili Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micblocp Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A memory management utility developed for DOS 4.0 users is now available from Bloc Publishing Corp. Popdrop is run before loading the shell or any other terminate/stay-resident programs. Requiring approximately 600M bytes, the program reportedly gives users total memory control as well as indicating which programs have been loaded and how much memory remains. Popdrop costs $49.95. Bloc Publishing, Suite 765, Executive Tower, 800 S.W. 37th Ave., Coral Gables, Fla. 33134. 800-888-2502. <<<>>> Title : A computer-aided software Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micsysco Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A computer-aided software engineering product that reportedly produces C source code and executable graphics programs directly from graphics specifications has been recently announced by Syscorp International. Microstep is targeted at business system developers to use when generating personal computer applications, the company said. The mouse-driven program reportedly provides support for .DBF, fixed and delimited ASCII files and includes pop-up windows and context-sensitive Help functions. According to the vendor, Microstep carries a price tag of $5,000. Syscorp, Suite 200, 9420 Research Blvd., Austin, Texas 78759. 512-338-0591. <<<>>> Title : Personal Training Systems Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micperso Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Personal Training Systems has announced a product for Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh users who are interested in learning Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Works 2.0. The Masterworks series is divided into modules for beginning, intermediate and advanced users. Each module reportedly consists of a 90-min audiocassette tape, a software disk and a summary card. According to the vendor, each module is priced at $49.95. Personal Training Systems, P.O. Box 54240, San Jose, Calif. 95154. 408-559-8635. <<<>>> Title : Racet Computers Ltd. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micracet Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Racet Computers Ltd. has introduced its PCMS line of stand-alone mass-storage products for IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems, as well as Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computer environments. The SA series reportedly includes both internal and external drives formatted in 152M-, 338M- and 638M-byte capacities. It also offers conventional and helical-scan tape-drive backup units in 150M- and 2.3G-byte configurations and write-once read-many drives with 800M-byte capacity. According to the vendor, prices start at $1,595. Racet, 3150 E. Birch St., Brea, Calif. 92621. 714-579-1725. <<<>>> Title : Orbit Enterprises, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micorbit Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Orbit Enterprises, Inc. has released a forms compiler developed for the Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet Plus and Series II printers. Formset 2.0 allows users to design and print typeset-quality forms consisting of lines and boxes of any size. An IBM Personal Computer or compatible with 384K bytes of memory and a floppy disk are required, and a hard disk is recommended. Formset 2.0 costs $189.95. Orbit Enterprises, P.O. Box 2875, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60138. 312-469-3405. <<<>>> Title : Media Cybernetics, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmedia Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Media Cybernetics, Inc. has upgraded its desktop publishing software, Halo DPE. Version 1.3 has been enhanced to address the needs of those who use the product as a scanning and graphics complement to Xerox Corp.'s Ventura Publisher and Aldus Corp.'s Pagemaker programs. According to the vendor, the users can take advantage of improved drawing speeds. On-line Help facilities are also included. Current users may upgrade to Halo DPE 1.3 for $50, according to the company. Media Cybernetics, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20910. 800-992-4256. <<<>>> Title : Map Systems, Inc. is ship Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmapsy Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Map Systems, Inc. is shipping Release 1.1 of its Lines, Boxes, Etc. program. The product is an extended ASCII and special character set program for IBM Personal Computers and compatibles and dot matrix printers. Versions are now available for both 24- and 9-pin printers, and support for color printers is offered within both formats. The memory resident reportedly accepts input from any source and translates lower (1-31) and extended (128-254) ASCII into the appropriate IBM character-set symbol. According to the vendor, Lines, Boxes, Etc. 1.1 costs $49.95. Map Systems, Suite 320, 1120 Nasa Road, Houston, Texas 77058. 713-333-9640. <<<>>> Title : A printing package that r Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micgener Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A printing package that reportedly produces 1,000 simultaneous colors on a Hewlett-Packard Co. Paintjet color printer has been announced by General Parametrics, Corp. Called Printmaker, the software package includes full-color on-screen preview and automatic kerning capabilities. The product also supports the Calcomp Plotmaster thermal-color printer, as well as the HP Laserjet II and the HP Laserjet Plus. Printmaker is priced from $295 to $392, depending on configuration. General Parametrics Corp., 1250 Ninth St., Berkeley, Calif. 94710. 415-524-3950. <<<>>> Title : Marcar Personal Computing Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmarca Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Marcar Personal Computing, Inc. has announced Version 2.1 of the Eighty/20 Client Information Management System. The software reportedly enables users to analyze and cross-reference a multicustomer database, as well as manage time and activity schedules. The product will convert appointment data into a visual calendar with a choice of day or month schedules and will allow customer analysis based on up to 16 different criteria. Additional features are said to include contact name search and printer selection functions, and a word processor is built into the system. Add-on modules are available for expense reporting, price tracking and time billing. Eighty/20 will run on any IBM Personal Computer or compatible desktop or laptop computer and costs $495. Marcar Personal Computing, 1107 Hazeltine Blvd., Chaska, Minn. 55318. 800-635-8020. <<<>>> Title : A software program design Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mickanda Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A software program designed to support marketing and new development processes within an organization has been announced by K&A Software. New Products Diagnostic Audit includes an evaluation of a company's historical new product performance, an analysis of strengths and weaknesses relative to the competitive market and a determination of problem areas. For use on IBM Personal Computers and compatible machines, the software requires a minimum 256K bytes of random-access memory and IBM's Color Graphics Adapter, Enhanced Graphics Adapter and Video Graphics Array, AT&T's PC3270 or Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.'s display adapter. The New Products Diagnostic Audit costs $99.95. K&A Software, Suite 401, Chicago, Ill. 60611. 312-642-2758. <<<>>> Title : Media Cybernetics, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: nicmedia Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Media Cybernetics, Inc. has released Image-Pro Color, an image-processing software package that runs on a micro platform to provide users with a tool for 24-bit color and multispectral imaging, the company said. The product runs on Intel Corp. 80286- and 80386-based machines and reportedly offers file, filtering, analysis and automatic enhancement capabilities. The program uses a proprietary file format based on the industry-standard Tag Image File Format and supports a variety of I/O devices. Image-Pro Color costs $2,500. Media Cybernetics, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20910. 301-495-3305. <<<>>> Title : A series of application a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micstate Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A series of application accounting software modules for Intel Corp. 80286- and 80386-based machines has been announced by State of the Art, Inc. Called Mas 90 Evolution/2, the software reportedly features menu bars, pull windows and a comprehensive report writer. Modules include general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory management, sales order processing and purchase order processing. The product is available to run in either single-user DOS environments or DOS network environments, and The Santa Cruz Operation Xenix version of the software can also be provided. Modules range from $195 to $995. State of the Art, 3545 Howard Way, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. 714-850-0111. <<<>>> Title : Dataflight Software, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micdataf Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Dataflight Software, Inc. has begun shipping an enhanced version of its full-text search and retrieval database software. The Concordance Information Retrieval System, Version 4.0 reportedly contains 20 functions not offered in the previous release, including text import and expanded sorting capabilities. A free upgrade is available for those who licensed the package after July 1, 1988, according to the vendor. Dataflight Software, Suite 68, 10573 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90064. 213-785-0623. <<<>>> Title : An engineering project ma Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micengin Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: An engineering project management program is now available from Engineering Software Co. Called Planmaster, the software was designed to run on personal computers and is aimed at operational planning professionals. The product can reportedly implement both the Critical Path Methods and Pert approaches and will provide visual presentations that allow the user to view the project's status. Pop-up menus, pull-down screens and Help facilities are included. The product also forecasts completion dates and provides warnings on slippages, the vendor said. According to the vendor, Planmaster costs $395. Engineering Software, No. 760, 10670 N. Central Expwy., Dallas, Texas 75231. 214-361-2431. <<<>>> Title : The Voice Connection has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micvoice Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The Voice Connection has introduced an enhancement product for users of Autodesk, Inc.'s Autocad Version 2.6 package. Called Voicecad, the product reportedly allows users to create Autocad drawings using voice commands in place of selecting screen-menu commands or utilizing keyboard entry. The product incorporates the company's Introvoice IV5 board, a microphone headset and a Voicecad software disk. The system is trained to recognize the user's voice and is said to provide 98% recognition accuracy. An IBM Personal Computer XT or PC AT with a minimum 640K bytes of random-access memory is required. Voicecad costs $865, according to the vendor. The Voice Connection, Suite C, 17835 Skypark Circle, Irvine, Calif. 92714. 714-261-2366. <<<>>> Title : A credit-checking softwar Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miclefor Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A credit-checking software package that runs on IBM Personal Computer XTs, PC AT's or compatible systems has been announced by Leford Software. Called Scoring Credit, the product reportedly creates a score based on data derived from credit application forms. If the score meets the user's criteria, the program will then automatically request and score applicant credit histories from the appropriate credit bureaus. According the the vendor, the program can be customized to automatically generate both rejection and acceptance letters. Scoring Credit costs $1,200. Leford Software, Suite C, 612 Hampton Drive, Venice, Calif. 90291. 213-399-5511. <<<>>> Title : A time manager and deskto Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micpyram Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A time manager and desktop organizer package for Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS machines has been announced by Pyramid Software Publishing, Inc. Called It's About Time, the software combines a multilevel directory, calendar, diary word processor and mail-merge function. Other capabilities reportedly include expense reporting, unlimited notes files and a tickler file. All printer reports fit the standard three-ring binder, and the program is available on either 5 - or 3 -in. disks. It's About Time costs $59.95. Pyramid Software Publishing, Suite A3, No. 105, 25422 Trabuco Road, El Toro, Calif. 92630. 714-583-1060. <<<>>> Title : Cyco International has an Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miccycoi Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Cyco International has announced a software package that allows Autodesk, Inc.'s Autocad users to view and manage .DWG files. Using Automanager, personal computer users can delete, rename and copy individual or groups of drawing files. The product reportedly offers support for IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter, Video Graphics Array and Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. products. According to the vendor, Automanager costs $199. Cyco International, 1908 Cliff Valley Way, Atlanta, Ga. 30329. 404-634-3302. <<<>>> Title : Research Development Syst Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netresea Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Research Development Systems, Inc. has introduced Lettermaster 4.0, a mailing management software package for IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems. The product reportedly creates custom mailing lists from an existing database and costs $189 for a single-user version. A networked version costs $495. Research Development Systems, P.O. Box 110216, Arlington, Texas 76007. 800-338-9181. <<<>>> Title : Pro Plus Software, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micpropl Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Pro Plus Software, Inc. has released Version 3.0 of Wall Street Investor, an investment management and analysis software package for Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computers. The latest release includes multiaccount management capabilities, point and figure charts and new trend studies. In addition, the company has signed a joint marketing agreement with Fidelity Brokerage Services, Inc., which permits users of Wall Street Investor to buy and sell stock and other securities via Fidelity's Investors Express on-line brokerage service. According to the vendor, Wall Street Investor 3.0 costs $695. Pro Plus Software, 2150 E. Brown Road, Mesa, Ariz. 85203. 602-461-3296. <<<>>> Title : A pop-up spreadsheet that Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micminds Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A pop-up spreadsheet that offers compatibility with Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 is now available from Mindscape, Inc. Called Numbers Up, the program provides quick calculations and can access Lotus-compatible data, the vendor said. It also allows users to cut, copy and paste between any two programs. A minimum of 256K bytes of random-access memory and IBM PC-DOS 2.1 or higher are required for operation. According to the vendor, Numbers Up costs $79.95. Mindscape, 3444 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Ill. 60062. 312-480-7667. <<<>>> Title : Scitor Corp. has begun sh Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micscito Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Scitor Corp. has begun shipping Project Scheduler 4, the company's graphics-based project management software package for IBM Personal Computers and compatibles. Several features have been added, the vendor said, including an extended graphical interface based on IBM's Systems Application Architecture guidelines. On-line documentation is also included. Project Scheduler 4 costs $685. Scitor, 250 Lincoln Center Drive, Foster City, Calif. 94404. 415-570-7700. <<<>>> Title : Whoa, Nelly! Author : Patricia Keefe Source : CW Comm FileName: mactoken Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: First things first, fellas. Last week, Apple cheerfully spilled the beans to one of our sister publications that a 16M bit/sec. token-ring card was in the works. Wow. I have to admit I was more amazed than impressed by this revelation. My initial reaction went a little something like this: Excuse me, but aren't we getting a bit ahead of ourselves here? You see, this speed demon is slated to follow the seemingly reluctant release of Apple's extremely vaporous 4M bit/sec. token-ring card, which, incidentally, is now set for delivery in the first half of 1989. The ship date for this adapter is quite the moving target, in case you haven't noticed. The last we heard from Apple, the 4M bit/sec. card was to have shipped in January. Before that, Apple was telling the press at the Localnet show to pencil in a November announcement. Lest Apple venture to vehemently deny ever announcing a 4M bit/sec. card, please note that it has never been shy about answering questions and pro- viding details about this officially unannounced product. That goes for the recently introduced Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol drivers it got from Ungermann-Bass. While we're on the subject, this nonsense about formal vs. unofficial product announcements is just that. For example, Novell claims to have first announced its awkwardly named Netware for Macintosh in June 1988. Say again? I can remember discussing and writing about this project back in late 1986. So in my view, Netware for the Mac is a heck of a lot later than the six-month lead time that Novell formally announced. Hey, once you start briefing the press, analysts and selected users, consider the cat out of the bag. Anyhow, back to the future. An Apple product manager reportedly noted that at the moment, there isn't much demand for a 16M bit/sec. token-ring. Maybe so, but at the rate the 4M bit/sec. card seems to be progressing, I figure 16M bit/ sec. speed will be all the rage by the time any Apple token-ring offering sees the light of day. The manager then added that we'll see a 16M bit/sec. card from Apple as soon as the market asks for it. Don't hold your breath. Considering the number of existing and would-be Fortune 1,000 users who have been begging for months _ a year even _ for token-ring connectivity to legitimize their Macs, market demand seems to have little impact on Apple ship dates. But maybe that's about to change. No fooling A second Apple exec reportedly suggested that Apple's lack of a token-ring card is now starting to be a problem. Wrong again. It's been a problem all along. It's just that Apple, which claims to be so in tune with the heartbeat of corporate America, is just beginning to notice this now. How blind can you be? Oh yeah _ Apple continues to talk about its Integrated Services Digital Network and Fiber Distributed Data Interface plans. Well, let me tell you, this stuff is even further down that long dusty road. Methinks it's time for Apple to talk a little less and deliver a little more, because there's nothing like a little cold, hard reality to persuade the most resistant user and convince the most cynical industry observer. By Patricia Keefe; Keefe is a Computerworld senior editor, networking. <<<>>> Title : Car wars fought from behi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: toyotaw Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A new kind of Star Wars seems to have opened up among U.S. automakers, which are using satellite communications to provide their dealers with up-to-date customer records, as well as information about the latest service offerings, pricing changes and other key data. Chrysler Corp. recently deployed very small-aperture terminal (VSAT) dishes from Hughes Aircraft Co. [CW, Sept. 10] in a satellite network that links to its dealers. Now Toyota Motor Corp. is doing the same thing, hoping to gain a competitive edge in its efforts to break into the luxury car market. Its new Lexus LS400 sedan, priced in the $30,000 to $35,000 range, was designed to compete with cars from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volvo. Through the system's integrated data and video capabilities, the Japanese automaker will be able to offer customers and dealers services not found in most of the auto industry. The network will allow all information about a customer's car, including its complete maintenance history, to be on-line and accessible from any Toyota Lexus dealership. Throughout the industry, customer records have traditionally been available only from the seller, said Robert Best, group vice-president of Toyota's Systems and Business Division. Toyota hopes that its national database will give it a slight edge. Other advantages to the customer are less direct. Toyota plans to keep its dealers up to date through the video facilities. Messages from top management, technical service information and parts announcements will be broadcast live, Best said. Also available over the network will be inventory information for both cars and parts. For car makers, improving customer service has become ``a major, major drive,'' said Donald Keithley, a partner at JD Power & Associates, a marketing information firm. ``World-class service is one way a manufacturer can differentiate itself,'' the Agoura Hills, Calif., analyst said. In its quest to standardize service at a high level, Toyota is pinning much of its hopes on the network. Keithley called it ``the emerging technology for automakers.'' Chrysler, in fact, recently announced plans for a similar, if larger, satellite setup. The communications system will link together the new Lexus dealers, Toyota's main offices in Torrance, Calif., and regional offices. The core of the network will be a hub satellite station and video broadcasting studio at company headquarters. Each dealer will have a small satellite dish, dubbed VSAT. The network equipment, including the satellite, is supplied by Hughes Network Systems in Germantown, Md. An IBM Application System/400 will handle the local computing at each network node. The dealers' applications will be written in-house. Overseas transmission One place the network will not go, at least not directly, is to the manufacturing plants in Japan. Dealers will have to transmit their new car orders to headquarters, which will send them across the Pacific via another satellite network. Each night, the status of the orders will be updated from Japan into the Torrance database. The satellite network could help keep costs down. For just data transmission, Best said, it is cheaper than leased lines. ``Add the video as an additional capability, and the choice was easy,'' he added. By Mark Breibart, CW staff <<<>>> Title : EDI software revenue clim Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: edistudy Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. _ The market for electronic data interchange (EDI) software is excellent, growing at an annual average rate of 25% when the commercial and federal government segments are combined, a recent report said. By 1993, revenue from these markets will escalate to $141 million, up from $29 million in 1987, according to ``EDI Software Products,'' which is published by Input. Input defines EDI software at minimum as a translator that converts data between internally used formats and commonly agreed-upon formats. Increasingly, these formats are publicly approved ones such as X.12. Two characteristics of the EDI software market are its relatively small size and its fragmentation. Given the market's early stage, there are as yet no clear market leaders, so risks exist for users to purchase the wrong product, which may later be abandoned, Input warned. But it also provides vendors with opportunities such as development of utilities and tools that enable users to audit and manage the EDI process better, as well as software specific to the Apple Computer, Inc. environment. EDI optimization To fully optimize EDI's benefits, EDI software and its related corporate applications must be tightly integrated, the report said. But until recently, the EDI software market consisted mostly of small independent firms, EDI network service providers selling their own or other vendors' packages, smaller applications software vendors that added EDI functionality to their existing software and distributors. Now, several major software companies, including McCormack & Dodge Corp., Pansophic Systems, Inc. and ASK Computer Systems, Inc., are taking EDI positions, typically through alliances. Yet another developer, Management Science America, Inc., has licensed and enhanced another vendor's package for integration with its management and manufacturing applications. These vendors may be united in their interest, but many diverge when it comes to strategy, the report noted. For example, third-party network services providers McDonnell Douglas and Western Union Corp. no longer sell EDI software. Instead, they now certify other vendors' products for use on their private networks. However, the market's leading network provider, GE Information Services, a division of General Electric Co., and Sterling Software, Inc., offers its own EDI software. GE Information Services has also struck multiple ``EDI Agent'' agreements with specialized software firms that receive revenue from traffic they bring to the network. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Unisys enhances IBM links Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: unysna Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: BLUE BELL, Pa. _ With the introduction of SNA/Net software, Unisys Corp. has enabled its Distributed Communications Processors (DCP) to handle sessions with multiple Unisys and IBM mainframes without the need for host intervention, the vendor claimed. IBM is only beginning to offer this capability by providing support of its PU2.1 peer-to-peer networking protocol in the latest version of IBM's Network Control Program and VTAM. SNA/Net allows a DCP to act as an IBM PU2 device such as a cluster controller but also provides the functions of a PU4 or IBM front-end processor and PU5 or IBM host, Unisys Program Development Manager J. Daniel Gansz said. DCPs can route sessions among multiple IBM and Unisys 1100 and 2200 hosts; users do not lose their connection to other systems if an IBM host goes down, Gansz said. SNA/Net will establish sessions for Unisys or IBM terminals and IBM Personal Computers in terminal emulation mode, he added. The DCP translates requests for IBM host sessions into a 3270 data stream; requests for Unisys host sessions run in Unisys' Uniscope mode. IBM's recently shipped VTAM and NCP releases allow PU2.1 devices to communicate with one another and IBM hosts across a Systems Network Architecture backbone of IBM front-end processors with only one initial IBM host intervention. Unisys plans to support PU2.1 in a future SNA/Net release ``because it's cheaper than doing the whole PU5 ballgame'' on a communications processor, Gansz said. PU5 is particularly unwieldy for smaller DCPs used as network concentrators at remote sites, he added. As part of its networking strategy, Unisys plans for its DCPs to support the Open Systems Interconnect standard as well as proprietary networking protocols used by the Sperry and Burroughs sides of the company, Gansz said. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : A communications processo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netunisy Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A communications processor for medium-size networks has been introduced by Unisys Corp. The DCP/30 reportedly supports a transaction processing rate of up to 45 transaction/ sec. It is capable of performing front-end and nodal processing as well as remote concentration communications and networking functions, the vendor said. Pricing for the DCP/30 starts at $97,824 for a base system, according to the vendor. Unisys, P.O. Box 500, Blue Bell, Pa. 19424. 215-542-5367. <<<>>> Title : A fault-tolerant Ethernet Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netatlan Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A fault-tolerant Ethernet local-area network has been announced by Alantec. Designated FTEL, the product consists of a dual-port Ethernet adapter card with fault-tolerant driver software. It is mounted in an IBM Personal Computer AT or compatible computer and includes a dual-cable Ethernet arbitrator that supports up to 30 users, the vendor said. The FTEL package costs $10,080. Pricing for FTEL adapter cards is $780 in single-unit quantities. Alantec, 101 Hammond Ave., Fremont, Calif. 94539. 415-770-1050. <<<>>> Title : Able Computer, Inc. has i Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netablec Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Able Computer, Inc. has introduced a server designed for the Digital Equipment Corp. local-area network market. The Easyway BI Host Server uses twisted-pair wiring for DEC's VAXBI systems and can be configured as a stand-alone communication subsystem or integrated as an Easyway network component. The product comes standard with 128 virtual circuits and is expandable to a maximum of 512 virtual circuits. The Easyway BI Host Server is priced from $18,000. Able, 2567A S.E. Main St., Irvine, Calif. 92714. 714-553-1188. <<<>>> Title : Invisible Software, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netinvis Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Invisible Software, Inc. has announced the Invisible Ethernet board, reported to be a complete local-area network that includes the Net/30 operating system as well as all interface hardware. The 10M bit/sec. board is compatible with the IBM Netbios standard, the IBM PC-LAN program and other Netbios-based programs. The product is priced at $399 per computer. Invisible Software, 481 47th Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94121. 415-221-0916. <<<>>> Title : A local-area network prod Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netlocus Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A local-area network product that allows personal computers to communicate over an Ethernet network with any computer that uses Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) communications protocols has been announced by Locus Computing Corp. Called TCP/IP for DOS, the product reportedly includes support for most popular Ethernet cards and comes with an Application Programming Interface. TCP/IP for DOS will cost $295 and is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 1989. Locus Computing, 9800 La Cienega Blvd., Inglewood, Calif. 90301. 213-670-6500. <<<>>> Title : Server Technology, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netserve Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Server Technology, Inc. has enhanced its local-area network software for IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems. Easylan 4.0 reportedly increases communications throughput by more than 30% and now includes an on-screen menu interface. The software is priced at $99.95 per disk and utilizes the PC's standard RS-232C serial communications port and telephone cabling to interconnect Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS computers. Server Technology, 140 Kifer Court, Sunnyvale, Calif. 408-738-8377. <<<>>> Title : A dial-network management Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netconco Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A dial-network management system has been introduced by Concord Data Systems, Inc. Called Netaccess 900, the system is said to provide a Microsoft Corp. Windows-based control interface and offers real-time monitoring functions. Other features include a front-loading rack capable of accom- modating a mix of 2,400 and 9.6K bit/sec. modems. An IBM Personal Computer AT, Personal System/2 or compatible system with a 20M-byte hard disk and IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter color monitor is required. Concord Data Systems, 45 Bartlett St., Marlboro, Mass. 01752. 508-460-0808. <<<>>> Title : A network control and com Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netwesti Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A network control and communications package is available from Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s Management Systems Software divsion. The Westinghouse Integrated Network Solutions package is reportedly capable of running across all IBM operating systems and incorporates the company's Network Control Interface and Multiple Session Manager products. Pricing ranges from $1,600 to $20,000 per function and is dependent on system configuration and options. Westinghouse Electric, P.O. Box 2728, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15230. 800-348-3523. <<<>>> Title : Vitalink Communications C Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netvital Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Vitalink Communications Corp. has announced a wide-area network management product for IEEE 802-standard networks. The workstation-based 802 Wanmanager allows users to view the entire operational status of a WAN, including links, bridges and local-area networks, the vendor said. The network operator can monitor, analyze and control the complete WAN via a mouse, icons and pull-down menus, the company said. Wanmanager software and documentation costs $30,000. Vitalink, 6607 Kaiser Drive, Fremont, Calif. 94555. 415-795-6178. <<<>>> Title : A communications product Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netgener Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A communications product that allows facsimile transmission from Wang Laboratories, Inc. VS computers has been announced by General Information Services, Inc. Called Simplefax, the product reportedly allows Wang users to print files and word processing documents, including messages merged with letterhead and signature blocks that are stored in the computer. Users can then send simultaneous messages to several hundred recipients via any conventional fax machine, the company said. The Simplefax system includes both hardware and software and is priced at $5,700. General Information Services, 2300 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103. 215-557-1950. <<<>>> Title : Rabbit Software Corp. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netrabbi Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Rabbit Software Corp. has released Version 4.0 of Rabbitstation Remote, the company's remote connection between mainframes and IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems. The product reportedly enables a single workstation to access mainframe information via an IBM-compatible host front-end processor using the IBM Systems Network Architecture/Synchronous Data Link Control and Binary Synchronous Communications communications protocols. Rabbitstation Remote costs $595 for a two-host version, $795 for four-host sessions and $1,395 for eight-host sessions, the company said. Customers who have Version 3.0 may upgrade for $50 per personal computer. Rabbit Software, Great Valley Corporate Center, 7 Great Valley Pkwy. E., Malvern, Pa. 19355. 215-647-0440. <<<>>> Title : Digital Products, Inc. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netdigit Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Digital Products, Inc. has introduced a sub-local-area network with micro-to-mainframe gateway capabilities. Netcommander 10G reportedly allows IBM mainframe and personal computer users to share an asynchronous departmental printer. The printer, while available to the mainframe, can also be shared by as many as nine personal computers, the company said. Pricing for Netcommander 10G ranges from $2,495 to $3,795. Digital Products, 108 Water St., Watertown, Mass. 02172. 617-924-1680. <<<>>> Title : Black Box Corp. has annou Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netblack Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Black Box Corp. has announced two software emulation cards for users of IBM System/34, 36, 38 and Application System/400 mid-range computers. Both cards allow the IBM Personal Computer to operate as a standard IBM 5251 Model 11, 5291 or 5292 Model 1 display terminal, the vendor said. The 5251-11 Plus Emulation Card is available for IBM PCs, and the 5251-11 MC Plus performs the same emulation for the IBM Personal System/2. Each card costs $995. Black Box, Box 12800, Mayview Road at Park Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15241. 412-746-5500. <<<>>> Title : Communication Machinery C Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcmc Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Communication Machinery Corp. (CMC) has broadened its Motorola, Inc. VMEbus product line to include a family of Ethernet link-level controllers for VMEbus host systems. The ENP L-Series consists of two products: the ENP-10L and the ENP-100L. The ENP-10L is a 16-bit link-level controller that includes a 10-MHz Motorola 68000 microprocessor with 128K bytes of memory. The ENP-100L is reported to be a 32-bit link-level controller that includes a 12.5-MHz 68020 microprocessor with 256K bytes of memory. The ENP-10L costs $1,595, and the ENP-100L costs $2,395. CMC, 125 Cremona Drive, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93117. 805-968-4262. <<<>>> Title : A networking gateway for Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcompu Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A networking gateway for IBM tape subsystems has been announced by Computer Network Technology Corp. Designated Model 5480, the product reportedly connects IBM and compatible mainframe computers to IBM and compatible 3480 and 3420 tape subsystems. A basic network configuration is priced at approximately $85,000. The company has also announced a networking gateway designed specifically to link IBM mainframes and Teradata Corp's DBC/1012 database computers. The Model 5412 gateway product is available for approximately $95,000 in a base configuration. Computer Network Technology, 9440 Science Center Drive, Minneapolis, Minn. 55428. 612-535-8111. <<<>>> Title : Relay Communications, Inc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netrelay Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Relay Communications, Inc. has announced that its Relay/3270 mainframe software is now available for VTAM sites. Relay/3270 for MVS/VTAM reportedly allows personal computers running Relay Gold to emulate an IBM 3270 terminal without 3270 emulation boards or coaxial cables. The product requires an IBM mainframe running MVS/SP or MVS/XA with VTAM and a telecommunications control unit with asychronous support, the company said. Relay/3270 for MVS/VTAM costs $14,500. Relay, 41 Kenosia Ave., Danbury, Conn. 06810. 800-847-3529. <<<>>> Title : A T1 broadband data modem Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: nethalle Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A T1 broadband data modem that performs serial transfers at the T1 (1.5M to 2M bit/sec.) rate has been introduced by Halley Systems, Inc. At $3,950, the Z2000 modem is said to be especially suited for any application requiring high point-to-point transmission and can operate across 6 to 12 MHz frequency ranges in 250-kHz steps. Halley Systems, 2730 Orchard Pkwy., San Jose, Calif. 95134. 408-432-2600. <<<>>> Title : Speech Plus, Inc. has ann Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: speech Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Speech Plus, Inc. has announced Audio Email, an electronic mail application package for its Calltext VGS product that reportedly will allow users of IBM's Professional Office System (Profs) to access mail messages and calendar information from remote sites in voice form over the telephone. The turnkey system costs $44,700 and supports four simultaneous Profs E-mail access calls, installation, training and a 12-month warranty. The system is expandable to 32 simultaneous callers. Speech Plus, P.O. Box 7461, 640 Clyde Court, Mountain View, Calif. 94043. 415-964-7023. <<<>>> Title : Boston Software Systems, Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netbosto Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Boston Software Systems, Inc. has announced a personal computer-based software product that reportedly allows PC users to prepare electronic mail messages with information read directly from mainframe, minicomputer or PC applications. Called Netweaver Application/E-Mail Link, the software also manages the flow of E-mail messages within a local- or wide-area network and can directly insert data into remote applications, the vendor said. Netweaver costs $995 per companywide network. Boston Software Systems, 76 Whitney St., Sherborn, Mass. 01770. 800-356-4933. <<<>>> Title : Cincom Systems, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcinco Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Cincom Systems, Inc. has announced a memo facility for its Net/Master integrated network and systems management product. Called Net/Mail, the component is said to be fully integrated with other Net/ Master facilities to manage VTAM networks and routes messages to individuals, distribution groups or bulletin boards, according to the company. Net/Mail is priced from $2,500 to $10,000, depending on which mainframe model and operating system is used, the company said. Cincom, 2300 Montana Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45211. 513-662-2300. <<<>>> Title : A protocol conversion dev Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netmodem Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A protocol conversion device for IBM Personal Computers, PC XTs, ATs and Personal System/2 Model 25s and 30s has been announced by Modems Plus, Inc. According to the vendor, Microsnap allows PCs to communicate with any IBM-compatible front-end processor in three modes: 3770 SNA/SDLC batch; 2780/3780 BSC RJE; and 3270 SNA/ SDLC. The plug-in card is interfaced to a modem or front-end processor directly via a DB-25 connector and is priced at $995. Modems Plus, 3180A Presidential Ave., Atlanta, Ga. 30340. 404-458-2232. <<<>>> Title : LAN users start to crave Author : Josh Brackett Source : CW Comm FileName: lanld1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The murmurs have just begun, but it is expected that before long, corporate users of local-area networks will be raising their voices to demand software that will permit more functionality in that environment. ``Until fairly recently,'' says Bruce Grant, director of technical support at Microage, Inc. in Tempe, Ariz., ``people looked at LANs as just a way to share hardware resources, particularly laser printers and disk drives.'' As they gain experience, he explains, they want to do more in terms of sharing data and documents. Larry Stouder, manager of technical development at Continental Grain Co. in New York, is one of those who has begun to think about the next stages of LAN development. He describes the LANs at his company as general-purpose systems for office automation and communications. ``There isn't a tremendous amount [of additional capability] that we need immediately,'' Stouder says, ``but on the horizon, I think database server technology would be extemely attractive.'' Any progress beyond hardware sharing requires, at minimum, what Grant terms ``network-aware'' software. By this, he means software that knows how to protect its own data from damage if two or more users reach for the same file. To use a file resident on a file server running Microsoft Corp. MS- and IBM PC-DOS, the user downloads it from the file server to the workstation. Network-aware software knows how to tell the server to lock out any other user who tries to get to the original file before the current user updates it. Word processing software and some quick rewrites of single-user versions of database software lock up the whole file. More advanced network versions lock only the individual record involved and lock it only against changes, not against mere reading. Packages that do this are still the exception rather than the rule in micro-based applications, Grant says, but that is changing rapidly. The next step for LAN users beyond network-aware versions of stand-alone software is ``network-intrinsic'' software, which Grant defines as software designed from the ground up to run efficiently on a network. The simplest form of this is E-mail, and most networks today do not run any other kind of network-intrinsic software. There is also an emerging genre of network-intrinsic applications called groupware. This category includes office automation-type functions, such as group editing of documents, group calendaring, project management, voice messaging and call tracking. Groupware, however, is neither fully defined nor developed and has had little impact so far. Grant ascribes this apathy to the applications available. ``Until somebody comes out with a compelling groupware application,'' he says, ``it's not going to really get visibility.'' Susanna Opper, a New York-based consultant who helps companies increase work group communication and productivity, sees other restrictions. In order to be really useful, she says, this kind of software really requires both windows and multitasking capabilities or, in other words, IBM and Microsoft's OS/2 and IBM's Presentation Manager. That brings us to one of the major bottlenecks in the supply of effective software for LANs _ the MS-DOS operating system. To begin with, it is a single-tasking operating system ill-suited to work group-type applications. MS-DOS has a 640K-byte memory limit, which inhibits the power of the applications that can be designed for it. And, most important, an MS-DOS file server can only do file serving. This means, for example, that if a user at a workstation running Ashton-Tate Corp.'s Dbase III+, for example, wants to search through a file on the server, the server has to send the whole file down the wire, one record at a time. The Dbase search program inspects each record at the workstation. As long as the network is being used primarily for hardware sharing, this is satisfactory. But as soon as traffic gets heavy, as in a multiuser sales or order-entry situation, the network begins to bog down. This smart workstation/dumb server architecture is the opposite of the way that minicomputers and mainframes work. In a mini-mainframe scenario, the database software resides on the host, which could also be considered a server. The workstation asks for the record it wants; the host computer searches through the database, finds the record and sends it back down the wire. Personal computers were put on desk tops partly to avoid the disadvantages of the host/terminal architecture. Users prefer the PC's quick response, user-friendly interface and sense of control over their own data. They were never meant to handle large central databases. Historically, that task is under the domain of minis and mainframes. But now, LAN users such as Strouder are starting to ask for that kind of capability on a LAN. Developers say the best option for those who want to use LANs in this way is distributed processing, an architecture under which both the workstation and the server are smart. Distributed processing deposits software partly on the workstation and partly on the server. The front end is the user interface; the back end, which runs on the server, is where the real work is done. Distributed processing over a LAN makes it possible for a database system to combine the best features of minicomputers and mainframes _ smart file service, high speed, large storage and tight security _ with the best features of microcomputers _ user-friendly interfaces, color displays and printing formats, quick response, low maintenance and low price. These capabilities make the idea attractive for distributed database applications. This natural affinity has not escaped the attention of vendors in either arena, and some interesting alliances and cross-pollinations have begun to take place as a result. The last few months, for example, have witnessed the following developments: Microsoft, Ashton-Tate and Sybase, Inc., a relational database management system developer in Berkeley, Calif., have teamed up to produce SQL Server, a database server that Microsoft hopes will become an industry standard. Oracle Corp., a database management system developer in Belmont, Calif., has introduced Oracle Server, a proprietary front- and back-end database system that runs on DOS and OS/2 and on many network operating systems. Novell, Inc. in Provo, Utah, has announced marketing alliances with Oracle as well as Ashton-Tate and also Emeryville, Calif.-based Action Technologies, Inc., developers of a groupware product called The Coordinator. Distributed processing is not only about database applications, however. Other applications, such as document management systems, computer-aided design drawing libraries, group spreadsheets and bulletin boards can benefit from running partly on a central server instead of entirely on the workstation. Distributed processing also allows communications with remote users to be centralized on a communications server instead of being spread around the network to each workstation. This makes it possible to communicate efficiently with other LANs and to include remote users in a ``local-area'' network to create what one user calls a ``logical LAN.'' That person, Ray Thomas, is office automation manager at Hadson Gas Systems, Inc. in Dallas. Hadson, he says, is currently supporting users in five cities on a Hewlett-Packard Co. LAN and wide-area network (WAN) system connected via a transaction processing HP 3000. Within this user population, he says, several groups performing the same kinds of work form what amounts to ``multiple logical LANs that stretch geographically across the whole nation.'' Right now, the extent of dynamic interaction between these interest groups or extended work groups is extremely limited. What Thomas would like is what Fred Litwin, vice-president of LAN Systems, Inc., a New York-based LAN systems integrator, says a lot of LAN users would like: ``Better distributed applications across WANs, so you can have a database in New York and let the server in New York do all the work and chug out answers for people in L.A.'' Fanning the fire If distributed processing is the better approach, why isn't it more prevalent? Again, the answer is in the limitations of operating systems. To do any kind of resource sharing, users need a transparent extension of their workstation operating systems that controls traffic on the network. In 1984, Microsoft provided Microsoft Networks (MS-Nets) for that purpose. MS-Nets was based on Version 3.1 of MS-DOS and on Netbios, IBM's hardware-interface software system that establishes communications sessions between workstations, sends data around the network and enables record locking. MS-Nets made it possible for many LANs to get up and running, but was hobbled by DOS' previously mentioned limitations. Novell saw the opportunity, and it jumped in with Netware, a proprietary multitasking network operating system that emulates Netbios and runs DOS 3.1 as a task, providing much better performance. Netware also provides password security, network monitoring, print spooling and electronic mail. Since Netware's release, Novell has captured about 40% of the market. Enter OS/2. As a workstation operating system, OS/2 has not set the world on fire, but it may be the spark that LANs have needed. J. Scott Haugdahl, a consultant and seminar leader with Architecture Technology Corp., a Minneapolis firm that follows the LAN industry, says that while ``workstations can migrate to OS/2 if they need it, the LAN is where OS/2 will find a home.'' Why? Because OS/2 is a multitasking operating system, and multitasking on a file server makes distributed processing possible. Interprocess communications One of OS/2's multitasking features is interprocess communications, which enables a process running on a workstation to pass information to another. Users can reach into a database, for example, pull out numbers and insert them into a report they are writing. Two processes talking to each other on the same machine leads naturally to two processes talking to each other on different machines. Shortly after workstation-based OS/2 came out in April 1987, Microsoft and IBM jointly introduced OS/2 LAN Manager. This network operating system runs under OS/2 on the server and under either OS/2 or DOS on each workstation. Under LAN Manager, the server can also be a workstation; it need not be dedicated to serving. A DOS redirector or an OS/2 redirector, as appropriate, sits on each workstation and mediates between its operating system and Netbios. A server redirector sits on the server and does likewise. Netbios, in turn, talks to all the standard network transport protocols. This capability enables LAN Manager to run on a lot of networks. It also allows Microsoft to introduce Unix (AT&T, Sun Microsystems, Inc.) and Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS server versions to enable network users to access files on servers running those operating systems, too. Microsoft is expected to come out with those versions some time next year. 3Com Corp. was the first to ship LAN Manager, having worked with Microsoft from the beginning on its development. 3Com's LAN Manager-based 3+Open includes compatibility and connectivity with Macintosh workstations and with local and remote computers and networks of all kinds, using operating systems and protocols favored in corporate settings: Unix, X.400, X.25, IBM's Synchronous Data Link Control and Systems Network Architecture, T1 and Xerox Corp.'s Xerox Network System, among others. 3+Open also beefs up LAN Manager's somewhat weak messaging capabilities. OS/2 LAN Manager supports true multiuser applications, which a file server in a distributed processing environment needs to do, but Netware in its simplest form does not. The problem with distributed processing is that both Netware and OS/2 are Intel Corp. 80286-based protected-mode operating systems. They cannot both run on the same server. There are two possible solutions: Either rewrite Netware so that it can run under OS/2 on the server or add another processor. Novell offers both alternatives. Nondedicated Netware for OS/2 is a modified version of Netware that runs as a task under OS/2. The Netware Applications Coprocessor is an add-in board that takes over the application processing so the server can do its Netware job of file I/O. Thus, Netware users can run OS/2 and OS/2 distributed applications. None of these developments are going to result in a flood of new applications for LANs. Programming for OS/2 and a LAN is bound to be a lot more complicated than writing for DOS, and distributed LAN applications will take a lot longer to develop than single-user packages. And even when the applications do begin to emerge, prudent managers will exercise caution in implementing them. Peter Bock, a consultant and professor of computer science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., notes that smart servers will lead to more centralized databases running on LANs. Watch those eggs This trend has its risks as well as its advantages, however. ``A central database buys you efficiency, management control, security and regular backup,'' he says, ``but the price is having all your eggs in one basket. '' If something goes wrong and that basket gets dropped, there would be no one to blame for the mess except a relatively low-paid administrator, who cannot really be held accountable. It also remains to be seen if everything will come out as modular and interoperable as it is supposed to be. ``What a manager wants,'' says Dick Lefkon, assistant vice-president of Citicorp in New York and chairman of the Data Processing Management Association's office systems standards committee,``is something on the box that says, `this product is safe to use.' '' Last but not least, there is the issue of cultural adjustment. Work group computing is not a style that comes easily to all LAN users. When people work together, for example, power struggles can develop. Those who have seen the groupware packages now on the market say that this software seems to have a way of stirring these struggles up. One popular package that stressed definite requests and commitments as a way to increase group productivity had to be rewritten. It worked well when the power relationships among users were defined, either between peers or a traditional hierarchy. But at sites at which the pecking order was unclear, users called it ``fascist'' software and would not use it. Leith Anderson, a LAN value-added reseller in Bloomington, Ind., says that when you talk to a customer about groupware, ``you're not selling a computer system; you're selling a whole culture.'' Anderson, who has installed a great many LANs, expects that it will take a year or more before the smoke clears. But when it does, he adds, ``there are interesting times coming.'' By Josh Brackett; Brackett is a free-lance writer who lives in Rockport, Mass., amd spcializes in computers and communications. <<<>>> Title : Resolving differences on Author : Ed Tittel Source : CW Comm FileName: tittelsd Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Today, local-area networks provide the most common means of sharing information among dissimilar computers. Heterogeneous LANs, which link machines of multiple brands and sizes over a common medium, are an increasingly common sight. At the moment, however, trade relations in these enclaves are limited. While a LAN connection does make the file transport mechanics easier, it does not allow applications that originate on dissimilar machines to communicate with each other easily. An application file that originates on an Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh, for example, must still be converted into a form that a personal computer on the same network can understand. The job of moving data among incompatible applications on multiple machines across these networks is usually a two-stage process. First, files must be massaged to fit the file system of the recipient machine. Then their contents must be reformatted to make the data acceptable to a particular application. The following description of how this is accomplished shows that even apparently simple application exchanges require some ingenuity. ``The important thing to know is what the formats on either end have to look like,'' says John VanMunster, Apple support coordinator at Motorola, Inc.'s Oak Hill, Texas, integrated circuit manufacturing plant. Growing network VanMunster supports Motorola's growing population of Macintosh users. These users are connected to the sitewide Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) LAN, which also supports workstations from Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Apollo Computer, Inc., a Hewlett-Packard Co. 9000 minicomputer and process control machines. The connection is accomplished using the public-domain National Center for Supercomputing Applications Telnet TCP/IP software, along with Kinetics, Inc.'s Etherport cards on the users' Mac SEs and Mac IIs for direct Ethernet connections. The Macs on the network are used for all kinds of tasks, VanMunster explains, many of which require application interchanges with other machines on the LAN. These exchanges include obtaining text files from the HP 9000, which not only acts as a network server but also runs circuit simulations and yield analyses; collecting raw information from the manufacturing unit's CMP-1 process control machines for statistical analysis; downloading designs from the engineering workstations to run circuit simulations; and migrating Must Software International's Nomad2 database information from IBM mainframes at the corporate headquarters into Microsoft Corp.'s Excel spreadsheets for further report creation. VanMunster has made extensive use of the standard applications supported by the TCP/IP protocol suite (Telnet terminal emulation and File Transfer Protocol, for example) to make terminal emulation sessions and file transfers relatively straightforward, especially to other computers like the Sun workstations and the HP 9000, both of which support direct Ethernet connections using TCP/IP. The network software is capable of handling basic transport chores, he says, but he has also had to write some specific data conversion utilities to massage data after it arrives at its destination. Larry Robichaux, systems manager of Hart Information Systems in Austin, Texas, has also invested a considerable amount of time writing conversion programs. In his case, these programs are for the Digital Equipment Corp. VAX-11/780, which the database publishing company uses to drive its phototypesetting equipment. They are needed to convert flat database files from the company's PCs and Macintoshes into files that can be accepted by typesetting software. Making the connection A network connection makes it possible for these dissimilar computers to exchange information. All these machines are connected via an Appletalk network. The PCs, which are used for text editing and limited typesetting and as the primary receiving stations for customer transmissions, employ Appleshare PC cards to gain access to the network's Localtalk twisted-pair network media. The VAX is hooked in with a Kinetics Fastpath Ethernet-to-Localtalk gateway. Again, however, there is a difference between getting information from Point A to Point B and getting it there in usable form. Robichaux's tool of choice for accomplishing this transformation in exchanges between Macs and PCs is Mastersoft Inc.'s Word for Word, a word processing data conversion program that embraces a wide variety of formats for both Mac and PC word processors. When it comes to transferring information to the gateway-connected VAX, however, Robichaux is on his own. At Schlumberger Ltd., the oil-well services and technology company, heterogeneous LANs are widespread. Each site has its own LAN, supporting a variety of engineering and office systems. These site LANs are linked through Macintoshes connected into DEC's Decnet via a gateway. At the company's Austin Systems Center division, VAX, Sun, IBM PC and Macintosh machines all coexist on a network, thanks to Appletalk PC cards and TCP/IP. This setup shows the kinds of exchange efforts entailed in this type of situation. Kristi Ray, a graphics coordinator, supervises the layout and production of brochures, business graphics, annual reports and a newsletter for the division. These materials all require input from a variety of networked sources. Brochure production, for example, commonly requires meshing engineering drawings from computer-aided design workstations with manuals created on the VAX as well as mathematical analyses into Aldus Corp. Pagemaker running on a Macintosh. All the incoming data is initially deposited in a special directory on the VAX, using a terminal emulator to transfer files across the Ethernet LAN from a PC or by using a file transfer program to move the data from a Sun workstation. Next, Ray uses Apple's Macterminal to log on to the VAX over a Localtalk network through a Kinetics Fastpath gateway to download the necessary files to the Mac. This causes the original formatting _ especially margins, tabs and other kinds of text layout information _ to be replaced with an arbitrary number of blanks, Ray says. These files must then be imported into Microsoft Word and reformatted before they pass into Pagemaker. `Just one of those things' What would really help a lot, Ray says, are tools that would enable her to preserve formatting when doing file transfers. But ``it's just one of those things you learn to live with,'' she says, summing up what appears to be the prevailing sentiment among most users who lack the time and skills to build their own customized file conversion applications. It does seem that where there's a will to move applications and files between dissimilar machines, users will find a way, although it may not be as straightforward as they would like. Hopefully, they will not have to struggle much longer. Network operating systems that include generic file formats are available with specialized file conversion for each machine the network supports. These operating systems, which do not require the data's form to change with its residence, promise to alleviate the situation. Distributed applications, which permit dissimilar computers to exchange information more transparently, offer another escape route. By Ed Tittel; Tittel, a field application engineer for Excelan Corp. in Austin, Texas, writes for a number of publications on networking subjects. <<<>>> Title : LANs lead the way to E-ma Author : Nina Burns Source : CW Comm FileName: ninaside Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Local-area networks may be the spark that is needed to touch off the long-predicted explosion in electronic mail use. To date, E-mail use on LANs has been limited. The majority of the four million to six million people in the U.S. who now use E-mail do so with minicomputer- and mainframe-based E-mail services. More than six million people are currently connected to LANs. That number is likely to change quickly, however, and could grow to about 30 million by 1991 _ a substantial market for E-mail. LANs provide the perfect platform for widespread E-mail use within the work group and beyond. They provide support for DOS, IBM and Microsoft Corp.'s OS/2, the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh and Unix workstations; connectivity to minicomputer and mainframe environments; and the flexibility and user-friendliness that larger systems do not have. The challenge is to provide system solutions that meet user needs and are compatible with one another. There are several reasons why the potential of LANs as a vehicle for E-mail has not yet been realized: Most E-mail systems are difficult to use. Typically, these products cannot communicate with one another. So, for example, users of Consumers Software, Inc.'s Network Courier cannot exchange mail with 3Com Corp.'s 3+Mail or Action Technologies, Inc.'s The Coordinator, even if both run on the same LAN. Integration of PCs and office systems has been limited to office systems such as Digital Equipment Corp.'s All-In-1 and IBM's Professional Office System as well as public E-mail systems such as MCI Communications Corp.'s Mail. LAN communication outside the work group has been rare. LAN E-mail packages have not supported both IBM Personal Computer and Macintosh computers. Until recently, LAN network operating system and application vendors did not take E-mail seriously. The LAN vendors today are beginning to see that E-mail is a universal business productivity tool and are looking for ways to solve the incompatibility and connectivity issues slowing its growth. With the exception of IBM and Apple, all the major LAN vendors have committed to E-mail solutions this year: Novell, Inc.'s Netware now includes Message Handling System (MHS) from Action Technologies. Novell has also enlisted the support of major vendors such as Ashton-Tate Corp. to use MHS for their PC applications. Netware applications using MHS can send electronic messages to each other and to non-Netware applications that use MHS. Tops, a division of Sun Microsystems, Inc., acquired Symantec Corp.'s In Box E-mail application this year. Tops views E-mail as a strategic part of its PC networking solution and plans to integrate it with Tops products in Macintosh, DOS and Unix environments. 3Com was the first LAN vendor to include an E-mail offering, 3+Mail. This year, the company has enhanced 3+Mail to support Macintosh users and to provide gateways to corporate E-mail and office systems products such as All-In-1. Microsoft acquired Intermail from Internet Systems Corp. in 1987 and began selling it as Microsoft Mail this year. Microsoft Mail is a simple work group solution for Macintosh networks. The company is now shipping an IBM PC version and plans more substantial enhancements. Furthermore, the newest version of Microsoft Word includes electronic messaging based on Microsoft Mail. Most LAN E-mail systems now provide E-mail connections to minicomputer and mainframe E-mail and office systems products. Other vendors such as Microsoft and Tops offer easy-to-use PC LAN work group solutions and have made substantial commitments to enhance their E-mail offerings this year and in 1989. Based on the progress made so far, the number of E-mail users on LANs could soon easily outnumber all other E-mail users. Many issues still need to be solved, including internetwork messaging, directory services, incompatibilities between mail systems and the role of the CCITT X.400 protocol to interconnect store-and-forward messaging systems. But thanks to LANs and their connected users, E-mail finally has the potential for becoming a real market with a growing sphere of influence in areas such as scheduling, desktop management and conversation management. By Nina Burns; Burns is a vice-president and senior analyst at Infonetics, Inc., a LAN testing and evaluation and market research firm in Santa Clara, Calif. <<<>>> Title : When to discipline a LAN Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: crawint Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Wylie Crawford is chairman of the board of LANDA, an association of local-area network resellers incorporated in May 1987. He is also president of Kenwood Associates, an independent LAN reseller in Chicago. Crawford spoke recently with Computerworld Senior Editor Joanne Kelleher about the state of network management for LANs. When people talk about network management for LANs, what do they ordinarily mean? Too often, when people think about a LAN, they think of it as just a wire and boards and PCs and ignore all the management issues, such as building a redundant LAN; building a safe, reliable LAN; and coordinating the activities of people who got used to being mavericks while working on single-user machines. So most LAN users are not really looking for products to help them manage their networks. There are people now who have larger LANs who are beginning to realize that just the task of backing up a multiserver LAN can be complicated. But there are also a lot of people who don't realize that managing a LAN may involve a lot of physical running around the building, or that they are going to grow into a LAN that is so large they won't be able to keep a mental image from day to day about what the specific hardware configuration is at each person's workstation. Once these realities sink in and the users are told that products do exist to help them, they are easy sells. Is there a definable point at which network management products become a real necessity? Not really. As long as they are departmental LANs and the LAN has not become a corporatewide standard, there is less of a perceived need for management tools. If it is a large department spanning floors and multiple file servers, such tools would probably be warranted. There really is no magic threshold. It's a weighted combination of number of people, number of servers and amount of activity. What do you think of the general quality of the network management products you've seen? The ones I'm familiar with are good, solid products that do what you want _ sometimes even before you know you want it. Some allow you to look at what is going on on users screens from a remote location. Some let you keep a database of who the users are and what kinds of equipment they have. One I know of helps you keep track of where documents are in a multiserver, multivolume environment. Which categories of network management products would you say are really crucial for expansion of LAN usage? The ones that do traffic analysis are critical for performance. Obviously, if performance of the LAN doesn't keep up with user expectations, that is going to kill its growth potential. So the various monitoring products, from $20,000 on down, are really central to growth of the environment. And what is the current availability of that kind of product? It's pretty good. There are a number of software products, both from third parties and the LAN vendors, that allow you to have a dynamic picture on your screen of how many bytes or bits or packets are flowing in the network at any given moment. In addition, there are hardware products that will connect to your wire and allow you to get a trail of all the traffic on the line to whatever level of detail you want in terms of reporting. Some cost as little as a couple of hundred dollars and just give you overall traffic flows so you can see where things have topped out. How about products that will allow you to monitor applications, in the sense of knowing who is using what and being able to track overlap? There are two products that I am aware of that will tell you when you have opened or closed or deleted or written or read any file in the network. They give you more detailed information than just who got into which package when. They also tell you what files were opened. If you just want log-in and log-out information, you get that automatically with Netware 2.1 and above, but it wasn't available easily early on. Generally speaking, how difficult are most network management products to use? Do they require specialized knowledge? The ones that demand a certain amount of knowledge are the more expensive and more exotic hardware products that track every packet, because they will give you all the various layers of OSI and let you look at all the headers and the envelopes around the packets and so on, and you have to know what you are doing down there. Most of the products you've mentioned have been third-party products; how about what the LAN vendors are coming up with? It depends on where you draw the line about what constitutes network management. If you consider password protection and control over stations and log-ins to be network management, Novell seems to be ahead of the pack. It is quite clear in the latest version of Netware that they listened very carefully to the needs of MIS people, because they incorporated a whole bunch of stuff that has long been available on mainframes in terms of login restrictions and encryption of passwords and so forth. I see the same stuff coming out just now as add-on functions in LAN Manager 3+Open. It makes a lot of sense to have this kind of capability, but I'm not quite sure whether I'd consider it a LAN management tool. It's so integral to the environment, somehow. What is there out there that can help people who have a number of different kinds of LANs? I haven't seen anything yet that successfully bridges, or is intended to bridge, local-area network operating systems. Basically, once you are into one of those environments, you are into it, and the products that you take and use have to work in those environments. There's not any kind of software-level meta-bridge to make the differences among those various operating systems invisible. Maybe someday there will be, but it would require that all of those products basically remain stable for a period of time. And the market isn't going to see that for a while, I'm sure. What about compatibility between network management products for the LAN and network management for larger systems' networks? I really can't speak with any expertise on that. All I can say is that right now, most of the communication between users of LANs and mainframes is through some kind of terminal emulation, which is a low-traffic and not very intimate connection. I don't think the demand is going to increase much until you have peer relationships between PCs and mainframes. <<<>>> Title : Ask the vendor Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: asklan Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: We use Torus' Tapestry I Version 1.46 LAN operating system and would like to know if Torus provides more APIs with Tapestry II for user-defined gateways and peer-to-peer communications. If so, do they provide on-screen examples in addition to those provided in the manuals? Mark Hargrove Senior Software Engineer Lockheed Space Operations Kennedy Space Center, Fla. TORUS SYSTEMS, INC.: Tapestry 1.46 currently has a number of APIs to allow third-party developers to provide gateways and other applications to run in the Tapestry environment. Tapestry II has been designed to be more open than Tapestry 1.46 and will provide more APIs as it develops. In particular, it will be much easier to integrate a third-party Netbios gateway into a Tapestry II environment. In addition, Tapestry II has been developed to incorporate industry-standard protocols and APIs. For example, the Netbios API will always be available in a Tapestry II environment for peer-to-peer communications. Tapestry II can also be run in a Microsoft LAN Manager environment in which Named Pipes and other LAN Manager APIs may be utilized. The University of Illinois has several Proteon Pronet-80 rings. We're interested in Proteon, Inc.'s plans for its Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI). What will the transition to the FDDI products entail? Sue Greenberg Associate Director of Computer Services University of Illinois Urbana, Ill. PROTEON, INC.: Proteon is committed to a smooth migration path to FDDI. This migration is facilitated because many of Pronet-80's physical specifications have been adopted by FDDI. For example, both Pronet-80 and FDDI use 62.5-micron fiber. This means that your Pronet-80 cable plant investment, which can often be as much as 30% of the total network cost, will be preserved. To migrate from Pronet-80 to FDDI, users will need to upgrade the existing fiber-optic module and swap their Pronet-80 components for the FDDI equivalent. Pronet-80 users who choose to migrate to FDDI will get a credit for doing so. Will Tops release versions of its networking software that will support the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)? If so, will Tops also become Appleshare-compatible? Sean McCarthy Owner Computers and Communications McKinonville, Calif. TOPS: Every networking application that currently runs over Appleshare will also run over Tops. The two networks have two essential elements in common: The lower layers of the Appletalk and Ethertalk protocols and the standard file system that is an integral part of every Macintosh. Tops and Appleshare diverge beneath the file systems level. Tops uses the Tops Filing Protocol rather than Apple Filing Protocol. The session protocols, which handle various transactions between a client and a server on the network, are also different. Tops uses its Softtalk protocol, while Appleshare uses the Appletalk Session Protocol. A few network applications may still need to address these protocols. But even here, we believe Tops represents the best way to maintain machine and network independence. <<<>>> Title : Is your PC software runni Author : Irv Brownstein Source : CW Comm FileName: brownid1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Your lack of a PC software inventory could be costing you thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars a year. Preposterous statement? Not true in your shop? Maybe. But the odds are great that if you don't keep track of your software packages and tools and you are a Fortune 500 company with thousands of personal computers, your budget will be hit hard by the absence of an inventory. Even installations that have from 100 to 200 PCs can benefit from an improved PC software management scheme. For example, Richard Welsh, supervisor of the information center at the Great Lakes Division of National Steel Corp. in Ecorse, Mich., points out, ``As a result of annual [PC software] reviews, we generally deinstall approximately $15,000 worth of [unused] software that we can then use for future users.'' With various inventory and control products, he adds, ``We were able to maintain the same staff size managing PC resources despite our growth from 10 PCs to currently over 170 PCs.'' What are the problems with tracking PC software? Software is usually sought and acquired for its contribution to improved productivity. But as the number of people and areas using PC-based packaged software in an organization grows, the system often becomes unproductive, usually because of one or a combination of the following reasons: There may be a lack of awareness that a particular software package exists or that it has already been evaluated and acquired by some other group within the firm. There may be redundant reviews of the same software being done in inconsistent ways by different groups within the company. Software may be bypassed without consideration if it has been reviewed and rejected. And it may have been rejected only because it failed to meet one group's requirements, which were unrelated to another group's needs. There may be a lack of knowledge that familiarity and expertise with a given software package is available in the company. It is also likely that packages that are acquired and found wanting for one set of requirements are left sitting on the shelf _ perhaps overlooked for other, more useful purposes elsewhere in the organization. In a typical company, many project teams review a large quantity of PC software packages. Most of this information remains in personal files and in the undocumented experiences of individual team members. Thus, anarchy in your software package management could easily represent money in the vendors' pockets. A PC software package inventory will improve information exchange as well as save time and money. What's the gain? Implementing a software reference service can increase staff efficiency, make better use of purchased and reviewed software and reduce redundant software evaluations. And for those in MIS who want the control, you will have provided a foundation for PC hardware and component tracking, consistent purchasing and inventory control. More specifically, the work involved in setting up the inventory will provide these other gains: It will produce an accurate overall inventory of all PC software development and maintenance tools. The listing could be expanded to include all environments _ mainframe, minicomputer and micro _ although this often already exists in some form for the mainframe. It will help determine tools that should be purged. It will help define opportunities for tool sharing or transfer that will result in direct dollar savings. It will identify those tools that are not fully leveraged within the company, along with the critical factors necessary for complete, high-impact rollout. It will help quantify the penetration of each tool in terms of its use in applicable situations by the appropriate staff. It will identify gaps in the life cycle coverage. There are many ways to maintain central control over PC resources. Great Lakes Steel does it through Welsh and the information center. Welsh implements outside products such as PC Tracker from RG Software Systems, Inc. for inventory control and Direct Access from Delta Technology International, Inc. to identify the utilization of software on each PC. The center staff also performs periodic inventory control checks or reviews to determine instances of unused or underutilized software. Before getting too far in the implementation of a tracking program, you should make some specific decisions. You need to simply determine who does what when. In Great Lakes Steel's case, such decisions were made somewhat easily. The division's policy is to implement only PC software obtained by the information center. As part of that rule, the information center directs all purchases through the purchasing department. Welsh's group then maintains a rigorous inventory _ which is checked every six months _ of all hardware to the component level and all software to the release level. In any case, MIS should put some person or group in charge. It may be the information center manager, a PC support group or a department responsible for productivity. After such a decision is made, there are five broad steps you can take to establish a working PC software package inventory: Step 1. Determine the content of the inventory database. In addition to existing software, will the database contain existing software package evaluations and provide an equipment inventory to the component level? Gathering software package evaluations provides a way of discovering what software has been evaluated for what purpose and with what result. Generally speaking, however, it does not make sense to go back for historical evaluations. At a minimum, for existing software, the inventory database should contain the name of the software, including any acronym; the type of software and life cycle phase(s) used; a brief summary of the features, functions and any pertinent experience in use and benefits; a list of processes and features available; the name of the developer if internal or the vendor if external; the dates of installation and the last upgrade; the development language used; the hardware manufacturer and models; and the operating system and any specialized software necessary for use. In addition, the database should include the release level and date; the types of available documentation; the group that supports the software within the organization; any restrictions on the product's availability, such as copyrights and licenses; the names of contact people, typically those internal to the organization, to whom you can turn for more information about the software; and a brief description of how the software was acquired. Step 2. Identify a method for getting consistent software evaluations. There must be a consistent basis for evaluating software in order to successfully use the inventory database. It is necessary to have a common body of knowledge from which all staff members can draw, although the detailed evaluation need not be included in the database _ especially if, for example, it is published in a three-ring binder. The database would then include a summary of the evaluation, stating where it is physically located. Common rating factors for software evaluation address functional, design, cost, vendor and support issues: Functional requirements. Does the package meet the user's business needs? These parameters are determined by a detailed review and evaluation of the basic functionality incorporated in the software package to determine its application suitability, controls and security features, operational and capacity performance capabilities and its contribution to improved productivity and application product quality. Design concepts. How does it do what it does, and is that OK? In this case, the issues are determined by a detailed review and evaluation of the efficiency of design and use of minimum resources, the package's ease of use and compatibility with your technical environment, the design architecture used and its reflection in the package's flexibility, expandability, selectivity and its ability to perform a broad range of tasks. Costs. Are the indirect as well as direct costs acceptable? Determine the software package's direct costs, such as the base price, options and contractual obligations. Also determine the indirect costs incurred for package or tool installation _ in both personnel and machine time _ maintenance, additional training, additional support, modifications and enhancements, operational production processing and any auxiliary equipment or software that must be used. Vendor. Do you have any prior dealings with the vendor to guide you? This factor is supported, where appropriate, by a detailed review and evaluation of the vendor's stability and reliability in terms of its financial background, its commitment to standing behind the product and any prior dealings you may have had with the firm; the knowledge and experience of the vendor's management, sales and technical personnel; and the package's marketability in terms of availability, extent of use, testimonials and so on. Support. Do you get anything in addition to the software, and is the additional support any good? To get a handle on support, evaluate documentation and procedures, training materials and support for user and operations personnel; the materials, training, procedures and commitment _ such as provision for emergency maintenance _ to support software package maintenance; and the acceptance materials, on-site support and procedures for installation. Step 3. Define the standard software package terminology for using the inventory. PC managers with an extensive array of software to inventory will need a common taxonomy or keyword basis for storing and retrieving related software package reviews. One approach is the process authored by the National Bureau of Standards _ now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) _ and used by the General Services Administration to define each software package according to its features in a hierarchical fashion. The NIST, in a publication written by Raymond C. Houghton Jr., provides a useful way to identify tools or software packages. In this approach, the software package is categorized by the basic processes and feature types within each process defined to the lowest level of detail using 53 possible tool features at the lowest level of the hierarchy. The basic processes include input, function and output. The feature types include subject, control input, transformation, static analysis, dynamic analysis and machine output. Each package in the database is then tagged for retrieval using the applicable processes and feature types. Keep in mind that the objective is software sharing. Don't overcomplicate the process _ particularly at the start, or if the number of potential software packages in the inventory seems to be limited. Step 4. Determine and acquire _ or build _ the software tool or tools to be used. Whichever approach you use, there are several tools available to assist you in this step. For starters, there are many database and retrieval tools, such as Borland International's Reflex and Ashton-Tate Corp.'s Dbase, that can be successfully applied to this work. And for those looking for more comprehensive products, in addition to PC Tracker, Micro Resource Manager, from Computer Associates, Inc. (formerly Atrium Information Group, Inc.), comes in a variety of flavors and capabilities to manage your inventory. According to the vendor, Micro Resource Manager will be followed early next year by a new product called CA-Advisor, which, it is said, will help evaluate situations and help you navigate through software applications problems. Another product that tracks, controls and electronically distributes is Sofstore from DTSS, Inc. Whether buying or building, start off easy. The tool should address the existing PC software package inventory, run on a PC and be accessible either through a PC local-area network or another form of disk distribution and provide retrieval with limited update capability. Later, features could be added to evaluate software utilization, automate the evaluation input and update facility, tie in to external databases containing software evaluations or tie in to external bulletin boards like Sofsearch and Compuserve. This process will help evaluate your tools themselves through regular use. Ultimately, your tools can be used more extensively or replaced with more comprehensive software. Step 5. Survey the PC community to collect and enter data. To get started, you'll have to establish the initial inventory. In this process, you should locate and define the current inventory of software packages, and at the same time, determine their level of penetration or use. The form shown on page 102 _ with modifications _ can be used as part of a detailed questionnaire or as an interview checklist to establish the inventory. The extent of use or penetration can then be determined either by surveying the information systems community using the completed inventory or by way of a software product such as one of those mentioned above. The most accurate approach to take when completing an inventory is on a machine-by-machine basis. One way to achieve this level of detail, and still keep costs down, is to use a part-time employee such as a summer intern. Richard Stephens, manager of office systems at U.S. Tobacco Co. in Greenwich, Conn., uses Micro Resource Manager and says that he employed a summer intern over a one- to two-month period to complete a physical inventory of 150 of the company's PCs. Sites with more personal computers _ and thus more software _ will need more time to complete their inventory. At Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Co. in New York, Yvonne Parle, a technical support manager who also uses Micro Resource Manager, explains that her group's inventory averaged 10 to 15 line items per workstation including boards, peripherals and software. Establishing the inventory of 1,500 to 2,000 personal computers was a long process; it took about 10 months of work, Parle says. In addition to the direct dollar savings noted earlier in moving unused software at Great Lakes Steel, Parle at Manufacturer's Hanover says she is hoping to be able to globally identify the users whose software _ and hardware _is due to be upgraded. This program allows her to implement the upgrades more easily. Somewhat similar to Great Lakes Steel's case, Parle has discovered that, as the user base at Manufacturer's Hanover increased, the level of administrative support staff that her company required decreased. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. If there is, it's generally not very good. Most of the real impact of a software package inventory is accrued over time and with more control over software package evaluations and the PC resources. Analysis of the information gathered in the inventory can reveal the existing level of support for each development life cycle phase and provide the opportunities to address gaps in that coverage. With the utilization of simple monitoring tools, the extent of software package use can also be determined. This information can then be integrated with project information to improve development and maintenance productivity. Essential updates But just having an inventory is not enough. Perhaps more important is being able to keep the inventory accurate on an ongoing basis. According to Ray Uriarte, an account executive at Manchester Equipment Co., a large distributor of personal computers, peripherals and software in Hauppauge, N.Y., ``The bigger users of 2,500 to 3,000 PCs don't necessarily want to commit someone to the inventory. The difficulty is keeping the inventory up to date.'' Manchester Equipment used to provide a service designed to help customers manage their inventories. However, it decided to drop that program when cooperation from individuals within the companies waned. ``We kept the inventory for about 100 companies, but it became unwieldy,'' Uriarte says. ``When clients would call about a component and we responded, we would find that it was often on another machine at the client site.'' By taking control of tracking the microcomputer software inventory in your company, you can achieve significant cost savings and provide improved service to your PC users and customers. However, it is somewhat like working a gold mine _ you have to dig a little to see results. By Irv Brownstein; Brownstein is a New York-based consultant specializing in quality assurance. He has authored several articles on productivity sas well as Guidelines for Evaluating and Selecting Software Packages (Elsevier,1982). <<<>>> Title : Spicing up status reports Author : Anthony Reed Source : CW Comm FileName: reedmgt Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Every week, MIS professionals reluctantly submit project status reports to their managers. Unfortunately, the reports lack the substance and structure managers need to make decisions. Programmers perceive the report process as a weekly ritual that provides them few benefits. Managers see the status reports as their lifeblood; they make decisions based on this information. However, some managers become so frustrated with low-quality reports that they find themselves supplementing the reports by praticing MBWA _ Managing by Wandering Around. Many MIS professionals hate to write anything other than programs. The general assumption is, ``If we wanted to write reports, we would have majored in business, English or journalism.'' They think the time spent writing a report would be better spent completing a Cobol program or solving a production problem. The resistance to writing has led to a lackadaisical attitude toward the status report. MIS workers write the report just to get it out of way, not to convey the actual project status. The reports contain either too much fluff or not enough facts. Thus, the project manager is likely to make decisions based on incomplete, difficult-to-read reports. The ideal status report Project managers want status reports that are structured, short, informative and easy to read. The ideal report consists of five separate sections: Problems Identified, Problems Outstanding, Problems Resolved, Accomplishments/Activities and Plans for Next Week. The first three sections are used to track problems, the fourth shows recent activities and the last identifies goals. A report should not exceed two pages. The Problems Identified section highlights new difficulties that inhibited the programmer's progress during that week. It includes everything from slow system response time and lack of technical support to uncooperative users and lack of documentation. This section brings immediate attention to the problems at hand. If possible, a person can also document the amount of lost time associated with the trouble. If a problem is not resolved by the next status report, it is moved to the Problems Outstanding section. All problems in this section contain the date that they appeared in the Problems Identified section. The person can continue to document lost time in this section. Thus, the manager is continually aware of unresolved difficulties and can develop action plans. If a problem remains unresolved for a long time and appears not to have a negative impact as originally thought, it can be dropped from this section. Once the snag is resolved, the solution is documented in the Problems Resolved section and deleted from the others. Should this problem reoccur, the staff can use the reports to review their original solution. The Accomplishments/Activities section appears next in the report. It contains information about programming activities, meetings, training, sick leave and vacation. A programmer can indicate the amount of time spent for each activity and use this as an activity time sheet. This is an excellent monitoring tool for the programmer and manager. The last section, Plans for Next Week, forces the report writer to plan ahead and gives the manager a chance to prioritize activities. When programmers identify plans, they should list them by priority. If priorities vary, the manager can take corrective action before the next week begins. This report format allows upward consolidation. A manager can take information from various programmers' reports and merge them into the corresponding sections of the manager's own status reports, including the programmer's name as a reference source. If the reports were generated with a word processor, the report may require minimal typing. Language counts Just because a status report contains the correct sections doesn't mean it is informative. Programming staffers need to learn how to convey their thoughts concisely. Instead of writing paragraphs for each report section, the programmer should limit each remark to one or two no-nonsense sentences. The more wordy the report, the more likely it will be misread _ or not read at all. This problem is resolved by using the ``So what?'' or ``Who cares?'' tests. After writing a statement, the programmer asks one of these questions and tries to determine whether that statement would cause the reader to react. A statement that doesn't cause a reaction is not worth including. The statements that usually cause reactions involve time and money. For example, if a programmer is working with an uncooperative user, he can write, ``John didn't show up for our scheduled meeting again.'' A manager can read this problem and interpret it as unimportant because it failed the manager's ``So What?'' test. If the programmer had written ``The project will be late and experience cost overruns because John has missed three meetings,'' the manager will probably try to light a fire under John and John's boss. Asking, ``So what?'' and doing nothing means the manager is shouldering responsibility for cost overruns. Other key phrases are, ``We lost X hours of time this week due to . . .'' and ``We worked Y hours of overtime on Project Z and will work XX hours of overtime during the next three months because . . . '' The comments in each report should be listed, not written as paragraphs. If the ``So what?'' technique is successful, each comment should be no longer than two sentences. And each unique comment should begin with a hyphen, asterisk or other delimiter. Thus, each activity and problem visually stands out as a separate entity that requires unique action. The completed report provides an accurate account of the past and a look at the future. Although we may not eliminate the weekly status report, these methods will add structure to the method and provide more meaningful and concise information. By Anthony Reed; Reed is director of business systems at the Dallas County Community College District. <<<>>> Title : Hammitt faces new challen Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hammitt1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: HARTFORD, Conn. _ Move from the top MIS job at one Fortune 500 company to a comparable post at a company that is almost three times the size and what is the first challenge? ``Trying to find my way around'' is the quick, somewhat facetious answer from John Hammitt, who two months ago moved from The Pillsbury Co. to United Technologies Corp., based here, as vice-president for information systems. Hammitt knows what he wants to accomplish as chief information officer of United Technologies _ parent company of units such as Otis, Carrier and Pratt & Whitney. However, he also knows that it will take some time for him to learn enough about the company to make the moves he wants to make. ``The first few months on a job are clearly focused on understanding the businesses: Who are the key players? What are some of their significant issues, in business as well as in their use of information technology? You can think of at least three, or more likely six, months as a learning experience. I'm not adding value so much as absorbing the scope and breadth and complexity of United Technologies,'' he says. One of the things Hammitt hopes to accomplish in the long run is to transform the 30-member corporate information systems group from a passive, coordinative role into what Hammitt calls an ``integrative role.'' The group will drive the more than 4,000 IS employees in the diverse, independent business groups to share information and experiences. Hammitt's title and role are new for United Technologies, he says in comparing his position with that of predecessors such as John Bennett, who held the top United Technologies IS post until two years ago. ``My role is much more one of active involvement with the businesses and encouraging the coming together, the sharing of strengths of our businesses, so that we can take advantage of what we have built in each one of the businesses,'' he says. Hammitt says he expects to consolidate some of United Technologies' existing IS councils to better focus the participation of the numerous IS executives within the business units. One role of such councils working with Hammitt will be to set standards, although Hammitt notes that United Technologies' investments throughout the years already have set many standards for the company, such as IBM mainframes for host processing; IBM and compatible personal computers for the managers' desks; Digital Equipment Corp. processors for engineering and manufacturing applications; and vendor offerings such as those from Hewlett-Packard Co. and Cullinet Software, Inc. in situations where they meet the needs that IBM and DEC cannot address. However, the primary purposes of the IS councils, Hammitt says, will be to encourage teamwork and ensure that business units such as Otis Elevator and Pratt & Whitney can benefit from each others' experiences. A sharing strategy ``In the past, we rewarded and encouraged behavior within each one of the business systems groups that had their loyalty measured solely by how well they contributed to that business. Now we are saying that in addition to that, you also have to look more strongly at what kind of synergy and what kind of opportunity there is for sharing,'' Hammitt notes. He emphasizes that the sharing strategy will not force the average IS workers to change the way they do their jobs but that top IS executives in the business units will be asked to ``become part of the larger community'' and that the corporate IS staff must adopt a more active role. A second type of council that Hammitt plans to add is an external advisory board made up of outsiders such as consultants, academicians and IS executives from noncompeting companies. Hammitt envisions that panel as a body that can review United Technologies' IS moves to help keep the company's plans realistic. In discussing what he hopes to accomplish in his new job, Hammitt readily contrasts his situation with the one he faced when he joined Pillsbury five years ago and began rebuilding an IS operation that he says had atrophied. ``The challenge at Pillsbury was to first build up the IS organization and capability, get the talent and leadership in place so that it could play a stronger role and then align those new folks with the key players in the businesses,'' Hammitt says. ``At United Technologies, we have a very strong foundation already in place. The technical depth is here, and we have a number of strong leaders in the IS arena. We have a foundation to build on, and with the talent already in place, we expect to be able to move pretty agressively.'' By James Connolly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Young gun matures at TV M Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: grippo Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: George Grippo is the first to admit he seems an unlikely MIS captain. He calls his career history a sordid tale. ``The fact is, 4 years ago, I was a radio disk jockey,'' he says. The 26-year-old manager of information systems says he has found his niche and come of age in the small MIS shop at Secaucus, N.J.'s WWOR-TV, Inc., one of three independent stations in the New York area _ which is the nation's No. 1 television market. The technical background he brought consisted of personal computing experience from two jobs as a teenager. On his circuitous career path to MIS, Grippo spun tunes in clubs on the Jersey Shore. He quit when he ``got tired of dodging beer bottles.'' Radio seemed a safer way to continue playing music, have fun and communicate with the public, Grippo says, so he went to C. W. Post University in Brookville, N.Y., to pursue it. ``It looked like just a great thing to do,'' he recalls. ``Playing on the radio four or five hours a day and getting paid enormous sums of money was exactly what I wanted.'' Grippo got his foot in the door in 1985 at radio and television company RKO General, Inc., which owned WWOR at the time. But he was never to get on the air; he was shanghaied into the accounts payable department when the company discovered his PC background. He transferred from the New York headquarters to WWOR the following year. As the station's only experienced micro user, Grippo had the task of implementing a modest PC system from scratch. From there he quickly moved up to become accounts receivable supervisor and then data processing manager. ``I got a lot of promotions by default,'' Grippo says, ``but always on condition that I would get the job done. I've said to those hiring me, `Give me six months. If I can't get the job done, then you can let me go and there are no hard feelings.' '' Grippo says that throughout his career, he has approached difficult projects with the straight-shooting philosophy of ``Show it to me once, I'll know it and I'll get it done again and again.'' Sold out In early 1987, RKO General sold WWOR to MCA Broadcasting, a subsidiary of entertainment conglomerate MCA, Inc. Suddenly WWOR was deprived of its link to RKO General's host IBM System/36, and the station and Grippo were without an MIS department. Grippo knew MCA Broadcasting intended to fill the void with a new, in-house MIS department, and he saw the chance to make his mark. He approached WWOR business manager Cam Pardo: ``I said to him, `You can't lose with me _ I'm cheap and I promise to get the job done.' '' Pardo saw the logic and tapped Grippo as MIS chief. He acknowledges that ``it looked like a crapshoot, but I saw it as a safe bet to go with George. I knew his management style and potential,'' as well as his success with difficult projects. For his latest endeavor, Grippo had to build a department and an information system from virtually nothing, learning as he went. In the span of six months, he installed an IBM System/38 and packaged software, including accounts payable, general ledger, payroll, order entry and word processing applications. At the same time, 20 IBM Personal System/2 Model 50s and 60s and a half-dozen Grippo-built IBM-compatible clones went on-line. MCA Broadcasting Senior Vice-President Michael Alexander says Grippo ``has the ability to deal with computers from the level of physical maintenance and repair to helping users understand sophisticated software.'' The user base at WWOR has grown from less than a dozen employees to about 50 and continues to expand. The System/38 has been upgraded to support 32 terminals, and Grippo expects to attach 10 to 20 more terminals next year. And his staff has expanded by 200% _ from one person to three, including himself. Grippo will need still more help if WWOR becomes a flagship for a fleet of MCA Broadcasting stations. ``I see DP here as the hub for MCA satellite stations,'' he says, although thus far WWOR is MCA Broadcasting's only TV outlet. For now, MCA Broadcasting is concentrating on improving WWOR and making a run at its rival metropolitan New York stations. Under RKO General, WWOR had a less-than-sterling image, being noted for running old, schlocky movies and tired reruns, Grippo says. With an infusion of MCA capital, the station has been transformed, boosting the quality of its news division and producing more original programming, he notes. Despite the blossoming fortunes of his company and his personal achievements, Grippo is nettled by the handicap his youthfulness imposes. ``People don't believe me,'' he says. ``I walk into a meeting and say something I know to be fact, and they'll say `Come on, maybe you're overreacting; you're only 26.' '' As Grippo has proven himself, his credibility has mounted, though not fast enough to suit his aggressive nature. ``If I had gray hair and a limp, maybe they'd say, `Sure, look at him. He's got gray hair; he must know what he's doing,' '' he jokes. Grippo's greatest motivations are the day-to-day pressure of his job and a new family: ``This place is a powderkeg. We're television; we're 24 hours a day. I'm used to getting calls at 2 a.m.'' He credits his wife Linda and 15-month-old son Alex with motivating him to achieve goals that he previously was ``in no hurry'' to attain. Grippo also credits his father for ``cursing'' him with the work ethic. ``He was one of those guys at the high executive level, and he'd come home and tell us the pressure stories,'' he recounts. ``I swore at the time I would never let this happen to me. I thought the first time I'd have to fire somebody, I'd be in tears. Now I realize there are things in me I thought would never be there, things that just automatically click.'' It's all part of growing up, he says. ``I remember my father always telling me, `You're irresponsible; grow up!' Now he says I'm so responsible, it scares him.'' By Richard Pastore, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Quality assurance field g Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: assure Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: ORLANDO, Fla. _ Quality assurance, once the realm of manufacturing environments, has become a growing force within MIS departments in all industries of late. According to a poll of 128 organizations that have quality assurance positions within their MIS departments, salaries within the new field are continuing to rise, but MIS quality assurance education is difficult to find. The survey, conducted by the Quality Assurance Institute, Inc. (QAI), found that systems analysts are more likely than other MIS personnel to move into the quality assurance field. The prime purpose of the quality assurance position is to improve the processes within information systems _ to develop, test and maintain the systems. ``They're really the people that put in the methodologies, fine-tune them and approve them,'' said William E. Perry, executive director of QAI. Other titles they sometimes assume are that of development center manager or standards manager. Getting more respect Companies are putting more emphasis on and attaching higher salaries to quality assurance, Perry said. However, the survey also found that the typical quality assurance manager has a background in computer science, has worked as a systems analyst and has acquired little quality assurance training. ``Schools don't train these people, and you can't put an ad in the newspaper to hire them,'' Perry said. But the field continues to grow. The expected growth rate for the post is 26% for 1989, Perry said. ``That represents five straight years of a growth rate of over 25%.'' Five years ago, the top salary for the quality assurance job was approximately $50,000, he said. In April, the survey found that the highest pay in companies surveyed was $120,000. The average pay was $52,200 for a quality assurance manager, $41,700 for a senior quality assurance staff person and $32,700 for a junior staff person. Some skills Perry said many quality assurance managers lack are trend analysis, regression analysis and the ability to create cause-and-effect charts. Perry said that for the most part, a person who accepts a quality assurance job will learn his skills on the job. The most frequent activity respondents said they had been involved with during the past year was attending outside seminars to further their skills in quality assurance. The tools most frequently used by quality assurance groups are standards, training, reviews, communication skills and common sense, the study found. Nearly all of the companies that have the quality assurance position also have information systems groups containing more than 50 people, Perry said. New field Most of the companies surveyed said the quality assurance function had been established during the past two years, with only 18% saying they have recognized the function for more than five years. About 40% of the respondents said the quality assurance staff accounts for less than 1% of the total systems development and programming professional staff, and an additional 43% said they did not expect the size of that staff to change during the next year. Achievements of the quality assurance groups during the past year included creating an awareness of quality, stopping poor-quality systems from going into production, implementing problem reporting and conducting training programs, respondents said. Impediments facing the function include difficulty in obtaining top management commitment and involvement, being understaffed and underbudgeted, high expectations from upper management and the fact that the department is viewed as a police function by other departments. Goals include improving the process of testing and getting the needed training for quality assurance personnel. Those surveyed said that to fulfill these missions they need how-to-do-it guides, measurement programs, testing tools, quality education training and software inspection and review processes. By Alan J. Ryan, CW staff <<<>>> Title : In brief Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 125week Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The winner is . . . The results of the current battle for control of Zenith Electronics Corp. will be announced this week. Zenith shareholders had until yesterday to vote on the proposal of New York investment group Brookhurst Partners to unseat seven current Zenith board members and add three of its own. Brookhurst is attempting to wrest control of the Glenview, Ill.-based electronics giant, reportedly to sell the loss-plagued consumer electronics business and to concentrate on the profitable Zenith Data Systems Corp. desktop and laptop computer operation. A stakeout Netherlands-based Volmac Holding said it has taken through market purchases an 8.7% stake in Buffalo, N.Y.-based professional services firm Computer Task Group, Inc. Financial details were reportedly not disclosed. The stake was a token of trust in the U.S. company and could lead to cooperation, according to Volmac. Volmac Chairman Joop van Oosterom said in August that he planned to take small stakes in U.S. software firms as an entry into those firms. We're out of here Honeywell, Inc., which earlier expressed intent to restructure its Solid State Electronics Division to better fit the company's strategic direction, last week further defined that direction: It is getting out of the semiconductor business. With a diminished internal need for circuits since its bolt from the computer business in 1986, President James J. Renier said, the Minneapolis-based firm is putting its 1,100-person Colorado Springs chip fabrication facility on the block. Expect a sizable fourth-quarter charge in connection with the disposition of the semiconductor operation, Honeywell said. Born to buy When talk in the currently merger-manic market turns to potential buyers for a given computer company, Unisys Corp. more often than not comes in for a mention. At least some of the speculation could turn out to have been right: Earlier this month, the Blue Bell, Pa.-based giant reportedly filed a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission for some $400 million in debt securities. Funds raised by any offerings of these securities, according to Unisys, will be used to reduce outstanding commercial paper and also ``for general corporate purposes, including acquisitions.'' <<<>>> Title : Nickels & Dimes Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1108nick Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Index Technology Corp. reported revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 of $7 million, compared with $5.9 million in the previous year. Profits were posted at $526,000, or 11 cents per share, compared with $791,000, or 24 cents per share, in the comparable period one year ago. Network Systems Corp. announced revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 of $95.2 million, compared with $84.6 million last year. Profits were $9.9 million, or 34 cents per share, compared with $11.9 million, or 41 cents per share, in the previous year. Capital Associates, Inc. reported revenue for the first quarter ended Aug. 31 of $27.7 million, up 62% from $17.1 million reported for the comparable period one year ago. Profits were $820,000, or 9 cents per share, compared with $1.4 million, or 15 cents per share, last year. Emulex Corp. announced revenue for the first quarter ended Oct. 2 of $36.2 million, compared with $28.8 million last year. Profits were $3.5 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with $1.6 million, or 13 cents per share, a year ago. Fiserv, Inc. announced revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 of $36.2 million, compared with $21 million in the previous year. Profits were $2.4 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with $1.8 million, or 22 cents per share, in the like period a year ago. Synoptics Communications, Inc. reported revenue for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 of $13.2 million, compared with $1.8 million last year. Profits were $2 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with $57,000, or 1 cent per share, in the comparable period last year. Dataproducts Corp. reported revenue of $88.2 million and net income of $1.4 million, or 6 cents per share, for the second quarter ended Sept. 24. <<<>>> Title : Rolm, Apple vets forge `s Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: echelon1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: LOS GATOS, Calif. _ Two prominent industry veterans have resurfaced with a new company chartered to develop systems that regulate devices ranging from televisions to factory-floor automation equipment. Called Echelon, the firm was incorporated in February by Apple Computer, Inc. co-founder A. C. ``Mike'' Markkula to develop and market local operating networks (LON). Last week, Markkula, who is Echelon's chairman, appointed Rolm Corp. co-founder M. Kenneth Oshman as president and chief executive officer. Oshman served as Rolm's president and CEO until that firm was acquired by IBM; he left IBM in 1986. Since then, he has served on the boards of numerous Silicon Valley computer companies. Markkula is the Apple co-founder who provided Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak with their first funding. He came up with the idea for Echelon in early 1986, shortly after forming an engineering team to study the concept. By October, Markkula decided enough progress had been made on a network protocol and a silicon chip to warrant forming a company. Apple and Arthur Rock, an Apple board member, have invested in the new venture. Other investors include Venrock Associates and Henry Singleton, a founder of Teledyne, Inc. Echelon officials declined to state the amount of financing the company has received. A LON is a network that links different appliances or equipment, allowing them to communicate their condition to each other. ``LANs transport data files between personal computers,'' said Anthony Livingston, Echelon's marketing director and a one-time founder of Gigabit Logic, Inc., a Newbury Park, Calif., maker of gallium-arsenide integrated circuits. ``LONs transmit short control messages between operating devices. ``We've heard of smart buildings, smart cars and smart houses,'' Livingston continued. ``LONs make them possible.'' LON arm of the law LONs are expected to regulate security systems, lighting, instrumentation devices such as patient-monitoring equipment and factory-floor automation equipment, he maintained. For instance, sensors could be attached to objects such as doors or windows in a building. The condition of those objects _ whether they are open or closed _ would be communicated to a central device connecting systems such as lighting, heating or security. The LON would then regulate those systems according to the information it received from the sensors. Products based on the new technology are expected to be introduced in a year. Echelon will sell LONs to OEMs, which will incorporate them into their own products. ``We expect that LONs will be incorporated into things like television sets or security systems by the people who make them,'' Livingston said. He predicted that LONs will sell for as little as $10 per node by the early 1990s. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Andersen now a house divi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: anders55 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: CHICAGO _ Arthur Andersen & Co., acknowledging the internal friction between its accounting and information systems consulting businesses, officially separated the two sides of its $2.8 billion house last week. ``This puts consulting on a more equal footing than it has been in the past,'' said Duane R. Kullberg, Andersen's chief executive officer. ``It gives them an opportunity to operate as a strategic business unit.'' Before the split, Andersen consulting partners had to report to regional managing partners, who were often accounting or tax specialists. This sometimes led to a dispute over how Andersen's capital budgets should be spent. Andersen's consulting clients should see very little, if any, change, according to Kullberg. ``Our software teams will still be sharing resources around the world,'' he said. ``If anything, that sharing of resources would be enhanced.'' Defections a factor Kullberg admitted that recent defections by top consulting partners spurred the self-examination and reorganization. In October, several departed Andersen executives formed a rival consulting firm, the New York-based Information Consulting Group. Andersen then sued the firm, which was partially financed with money from British advertising and consulting giant Saatchi & Saatchi Ltd. The Andersen lawsuit, still pending, contends that Information Consulting head Gresham Brebach and other former Andersen consultants conspired in attempts to sell the Andersen consulting practice to Saatchi & Saatchi. ``There were threats in the market,'' Kullberg said. ``There have been the threats of people being stolen, and they were stolen. That caused us to step up these changes, because they were the kind of changes we were thinking would be responsive to partners' concerns.'' Fees from information systems consulting accounted for $1.12 billion, or 40% of Ander sen's total revenue, in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31. Kullberg said the firm intends to boost consulting revenue to more than 50% of the Andersen pie within five years. ``We'd be very disappointed if it wasn't,'' he said. Kullberg also announced that Andersen is considering several options to enhance its position as a leading systems integrator. ``We are still perceived as a traditional accounting firm,'' he noted. Media campaign The company plans to launch a major media campaign next year to stress its 35-year role as an information systems consultant. Kullberg said the firm might explore the formation of a leasing subsidiary that would facilitate Andersen's packaging of turnkey systems for clients. Last week's restructuring came just three months after a task force of 15 partners _ six of them consultants _ began to study reorganization plans and options. Andersen also combined its tax division with the accounting division, reducing the number of operating units from three to two. The changes, which affect organization and partner compensation, are expected to be formally approved at the annual meeting of Andersen's 2,200 partners in January. ``There are a lot of details to be ironed out,'' Kullberg said. ``But the basic concepts we're outlining now are the same ones the partners will be voting on.'' If approved, the changes would go into effect September 1989. Andersen plans to sweeten performance incentives for top consultants and to revise its worldwide compensation plan, which distributes all corporate dividends to its 2,200 partners. Both the accounting and consulting organizations will have chief operating officers reporting to Kullberg. By Jean S. Bozman <<<>>> Title : Japan scoffs at U.S. chip Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: eiaj Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: TOKYO _ The Electronic Industries Association of Japan (EIAJ) has charged the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) with ignoring what it called substantial and demonstrated progress in Japanese market access for U.S. chip vendors. ``Foreign semiconductor sales to Japan have increased by 87.5% in the past two years at a pace far surpassing the rate of growth in the overall Japanese market,'' said Iwao Ojima, presi dent of EIAJ, at a Tokyo press conference. Ojima pointed to statistics showing that more than 75% of U.S. advances in the Japanese market are being made by only five companies: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Intel Corp., Motorola, Inc., National Semiconductor Corp. and Texas Instruments, Inc. But U.S. chip companies have complained that while their sales are expanding, so is the Japanese market _ at an equal or higher rate. They say their market share has remained at a fairly consistent 10% for the past decade. EIAJ statistics show that the Japanese market expanded 55% from the third quarter of 1986 to $4.5 billion in the second quarter of 1988. The EIAJ reaction came in response to a recent SIA report that showed some startling predictions. The SIA forecast that if Japan continues its noncompliance with market provisions of the 1986 semiconductor accord through its 1991 expiration, U.S. companies could incur sales losses of $1.4 billion to $2.2 billion. The losses, the report said, could result in 8,000 to 12,500 fewer jobs at U.S. chip companies. Temperature's up The semiconductor trade issue continues to be a highly emotional one. Last month, Japanese trade negotiators tried to get the remaining $165 million in sanctions removed from chip tariffs applied earlier, but their efforts failed. As evidenced by the recent SIA report and fast EIAJ answer, the two sides remain far apart in their perceptions of fair market play. Aside from the rather energetic finger-pointing by both sides as to who is at fault for the chip trade snafu, statistics compiled in Japan show the U.S. lead in semiconductor technology slipping dramatically. According to a Nomura Securities analyst report in March, in the Japanese market, U.S. memory pioneers virtually disappeared by 1985. By 1985, Japanese companies dominated 93% of their local memory market, with no U.S. firms showing even a trivial share. By 1988, following the 1985 chip recession, seven Japanese companies and only two U.S. firms were left to compete in Japan. By Lori Valigra, IDG News Service <<<>>> Title : High-tech is cleaning up Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cleanup1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Trying to calm regional fears of widespread groundwater pollution from high-tech companies, the Clean Water Task Force of the Santa Clara Manufacturing Group released a study last week praising the industry for its ``comprehensive effort'' to clean up contamination. The study, the second one conducted by the task force, covered most of the largest polluters in Silicon Valley, comprising a total of 99 sites. It noted that 83% of underground tanks holding hazardous solvents have been removed since 1982 and that 254 wells have been drilled to pump out contaminated water. The technology-related industry has spent more than $175 million in the last five years on pollution prevention and cleanup. Of the sites surveyed for the study, computer manufacturers had the largest cleanup problems but only accounted for 10% of the number of sites. ``Public drinking water is protected,'' said Jackie Bogard, the task force director. She said that despite widespread well contamination in the region, it is not industrial contamination. Earlier this year, pregnant women in the area were advised not to drink tap water due to contamination problems. ``About half the people in the valley believe their water is contaminated,'' said Ted Smith, director of the environmentalist Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. Smith said he believes industry progress is much less than the study indicates. By J.A. Savage, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Orders & contracts Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 125ord Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Booke & Co., a leading actuarial and employee benefit consultant firm, has ordered a $3.3 million dual-processor A 17 mainframe from Unisys Corp. The system is installed in the company's headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C. Intergraph Corp. announced that it has been awarded a two-year contract to provide an automated nautical charting system for the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanographic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA). The multiyear contract, which is known as Automated Nautical Charting System II, will modernize NOAA's existing automated system for nautical chart information, which has been in use since the mid-1970s. The contract could extend 10 years with a potential value of more than $10 million. MSA Advanced Manufacturing, Inc. announced that two firms _ Maybelline, a division of Schering-Plough Corp., and Collins Defense Communications, a unit of Rockwell International Corp., have signed contracts to license MSA's new Factory Control and Management System. Network Management, Inc. announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the company's subsidiary, CRC Systems, Inc., a $10 million contract for management of the agency's telecommunications networks. It is the largest such contract ever awarded by a civilian agency. Ericsson, Inc. and the University of Massachusetts have signed a $29.5 million contract for the installation of a telecommunications network linking the university's three campuses. The contract is believed to be the largest ever awarded by a university for a digital private branch exchange system. The MD110 Intelligent Network to be installed by Ericsson will support over 30,000 lines at the university's campuses in Amherst, Boston and Worcester. Language Processors, Inc. announced that five of its compiler products _ Basic, Cobol, Fortran, Pascal and Code Watch, an interactive source-level debugger _ are included in the U.S. Air Force contract awarded to AT&T Oct. 28. Cullinet Software, Inc. announced that it has signed a major contract with AT&T to provide the communications and computing giant with application-development and networking software from the Cullinet Enterprise Computing family. The products will enable AT&T's software developers to create applications that run on multiple computing platforms such as Unix, DOS and IBM's MVS without requiring the developers to learn more than one environment. Intersystems Corp. announced a major contract with the Psychiatric Institutes of America (PIA) in Washington, D.C. The PIA, an operating division of National Medical Enterprises' Specialty Hospital Group, operates a system of psychiatric and drug treatment facilities as well as a toll-free cocaine hot line. The company plans to install Intersystems' M/SQL, a relational database manager and application generator, in each of its sites in the U.S. U.S. Sprint Communications Co. announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has formally accepted a private data network that Telenet Communications Corp., Sprint's data communications subsidiary, has designed, installed and will manage under a multiple-year contract. The contract is for two years, with three one-year options. If all options are exercised, the total value will be about $18.7 million. Called the Administrative Data Transmission Network, it provides for roughly 8,000 terminal users to directly access multiple hosts via the network. <<<>>> Title : DEC-IBM integration mixed Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: careers0 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The title ``communication specialist,'' often conferred on professionals working in an integrated IBM and Digital Equipment Corp. environment, is a bit of a misnomer. This kind of specialist, in fact, is confronted daily with a job requiring a generalist's wealth of expertise. The makeup of a communication specialist is diametrically opposed to the traditional MIS professional's focus on one vendor's technology. Formal training is virtually nonexistent. Acquiring the skills in both DEC and IBM systems along with data communications is often a process of ``baptism by fire,'' in the words of computer consultant Frank Dzubeck. But for people who brave this initiation and sustain the long hours and ever-present problems, the rewards are many. A successful DEC-IBM integration is usually highly visible in the MIS department and company. Salaries commensurate This high level of visibility is frequently accompanied by higher salaries and better opportunities for promotion. Salaries for communication specialists generally range from $35,000 to $60,000, depending on experience level, type of company and geographic location, says Dzubeck, president of Washington, D.C.-based Communications Network Architects, Inc. The boom times of DEC-IBM integration are over, but qualified people are still in demand. ``There isn't the explosive growth that there was four or five years ago,'' says Patrick Farrell, senior principal at American Management Systems, Inc. in Arlington, Va. But more moderate growth should continue into the 1990s, until open systems architectures require a new set of skills. Communication specialists can find opportunities in consulting firms as well as in corporate MIS. Integrated computing environments predominate in manufacturing concerns in which a DEC machine in the factory or research department needs to communicate with a corporate IBM mainframe. Dzubeck points out that this need is particularly common in the pharmaceutical, petroleum and chemical industries. ``The financial and insurance industries have distributed VAX and IBM environments,'' he adds, ``but this usually entails VAX-to-IBM mainframe networking, which doesn't require as much staff involvement.'' Consulting firms also offer opportunities. Farrell says they are a good place to learn different technologies and might pay better and offer more secure employment than MIS departments, albeit under higher pressure. The ideal progression is to move from systems programmer/analyst positions with different mainframe environments to data and telecommunications and then to communication specialist, says Irv Shapiro, president of Irv Shapiro and Associates Ltd., a Skokie, Ill.-based systems integration firm. Tough training However, an education in DEC-IBM integration is often hard to come by. Jay Wertman, senior systems specialist at Du Pont Co. in Charlotte, N.C., says, ``It's often difficult to get a systems development background in DEC and IBM because it is expensive for companies to train people.'' He nevertheless advises communications specialist hopefuls to seize any opportunity to learn another mainframe environment within their company or change jobs to do so. Wertman, who heads a team of MIS people offering Du Pont's user community DEC and IBM interconnect gateways, began his career with the company 19 years ago as an industrial engineer. After working several years in engineering and then manufacturing, he transferred his Fortran programming skills to the company's data processing department. Starting as a programmer, he learned DEC systems and took several IBM Systems Network Architecture seminars. Eventually, Wertman led a team that installed an electronic mail system based on a networked DEC All-In-One system and IBM's Professional Office System. The team began in the past year to offer DEC-IBM interconnect services to the rest of Du Pont. In addition to adding more challenging work to his repertoire, Wertman says he has increased his promotional value. ``There is more opportunity in this position because of exposure to both IBM and DEC user communities.'' he says. ``A well-done job is seen by lots of people in the company.'' Company person Another advantage of the communication specialist position is that one can get involved in many aspects of the company, according to Shapiro. ``Integrated IBM and DEC applications are leading the industry,'' he says, ``and companies are betting their future success on them.'' The position, however, also presents drawbacks. With primarily a DEC background, Wertman found working in an IBM environment frustrating. The IBM system is more loosely structured, with a variety of system managers rather than a central system manager in charge of installing and configuring software as with the DEC system. Shapiro says the drawbacks include a lot of late nights and constant problems with the complex software and hardware configurations. ``People in this position need to have strong problem-solving abilities and lots of patience,'' he says. ``It's not a job for someone who just wants to maintain the status quo.'' By Janet Mason, Special to CW; Mason is a Philadelphia-based free-lance journalist. <<<>>> Title : System/36 users favor upg Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: market05 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Perhaps IBM forgot to notify its System/36 users of its announcement of a new processor that will allow them future growth unheard of with their current systems. Judging by the activity in the System/36 secondary marketplace, it is as if IBM never introduced the Application System/400 at all. According to IDC Financial Services Corp.'s third-party contacts, System/36 user migration to the AS/400 has been minimal at best. Apparently, the ``you try it first'' attitude is prevalent and has become some System/36 users' modus operandi. Some of the factors contributing to the current situation include the following: Price/performance of the AS/400 is not significant. Currently, it is more economically feasible for System/36 users to upgrade their existing processors via the secondary market. Users' existing System/36 systems are sufficient to satisfy current processing needs. AS/400 performance suffers while operating in the System/36 Execution environment. IBM has appeased its AS/400 B10 and B20 users by offering free 12-month loans of 4M-byte cards, which will reportedly solve their performance problems. However, dealers have noted that some users may have to advance to a higher model to satisfy performance requirements. This move means higher prices. Conversion to the AS/400 has been a difficult process for System/36 users. Before IBM brought the AS/400 to market in June, an IBM 5360 B24 was retailing at $27,000. Since that time, however, used prices for the B24 have fluctuated. In September, a B24 was available used for $20,800. This decrease in price indicated the availability of used B machines at the time. In October, the value for a B24 rose to $22,534. The increases in the used prices of the 5360 line center on the 200M- and 358M-byte drive and B to D model upgrade. Since a significant number of users have yet to migrate to the AS/400, secondary market activity has focused on demand for System/36 upgrades, which primarily entails the addition of a 200M- or 358M-byte drive. The increasing demand for these disks places a heavy burden on dealers to satisfy end users' requests for more capacity. Once it became apparent that many System/36 users were reluctant to move to the AS/400, dealers began looking to acquire System/36 machines in order to strip them of their disk drives, and in the case of 5360 D processors, the model B to D upgrade. As a result of this activity, the supply of these systems, and consequently the upgrades, have tightened to the point where a D processor is virtually nonexistent on the secondary market. Drive demand up The wholesale price for a used 200M- and 358M-byte drive last month was approximately $10,500 and $18,500, or 69% and 98% of list, respectively. At this time, there is virtually no supply of used 358M-byte drives, but there is more demand by end users for greater capacity achievable with these drives, thereby creating the higher price. The demand for the 5360 B to D upgrade is also strong and is trading at $8,500 dealer to dealer. Recent research reveals that dealers are expecting the current demand for System/36 upgrades to continue for the rest of the year. Any supply of System/36 processors that results from end-user migration to the AS/400 will be quickly absorbed. It should be noted that there is little interest in end users adding additional systems. The increased values in the disk drives make up a disproportionate amount of the overall price of the system. Therefore, as System/36 upgrading diminishes, and migration to the AS/400 continues, it can be expected that values for the System/36 will decline sharply. For more information, contact IDC Financial Services' Terri LeBlanc at 508-872-8200. By Tony Membrino, IDC Financial Services Corp. <<<>>> Title : A way to charge back trai Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: train05 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Whether to charge back the cost of training is as argumentative an issue as whether organizations should be centralized or decentralized. Even after opting to charge back, however, an organization still must resolve how to charge a fair rate without either crippling the training department or shortchanging clients. When technical training was bundled with hardware, charging back to internal clients was a fairly simple task. In most cases, the training was delivered free by the hardware vendor. So, except for a course or two on generic business issues delivered by vendors, the only costs involved were travel and living expenses. Figuring the amount to charge back to an internal division was simple and straightforward. It was easily budgeted, simple to administer and rarely arguable by the client. Things are considerably different today. In nearly every organization, there are the costs of instructors, administration, classrooms, a smorgasbord of hardware and software, machine connect time, technical manuals, handouts, printing, maintenance and upgrades, not to mention training the trainers. Many of these items are unique to the training department and fall under an annual lease or contract, some running several years. Some items are expensed in the year that they are purchased; others are capitalized and depreciated over various lengths of time. The questions If you are charging back, how do you equitably assess services from year to year without a horrendous pricing and control system resulting? Who pays for the training department to experiment with new delivery technologies and test commercially available training courses? How do you charge for needs analysis, particularly when the client chooses not to go forward with the program? Even the leases for videotape, interactive video and computer-based training (CBT) programs become confusing, with many based on a monthly rental, and the courses become extremely difficult to price. Do you charge back on an hourly basis, a per-student basis or a course basis when you may have different numbers of students from different internal cost centers spending different amounts of time on a ``course''? How do you set equitable charges for a micro CBT course that may only cost $50 but is used by hundreds of students during several years? With students using self-paced study at night or on the weekend on their own time, how do you keep track of use without a tremendous amount of administrative overhead that far exceeds the cost of the course while still charging a reasonable rate? In most organizations, the cost of technical training comes under the MIS department's budget and control. I feel full chargeback does nothing more than give the organization a false sense of control and severely hampers the training effort. In the long run, the MIS organization suffers and the training costs get out of control. Many times, this situation develops because managers will hide the costs in other budget categories and look for ways of avoiding the internal charges, which must include the overhead items. This avoidance usually takes the form of going to outside courses, contracting with vendors or starting a duplicate training function. The answer is . . . There is an answer to the chargeback dilemma. A suggested tactic is to take all of the projected operational costs for the coming year and forecast the use _ or, better yet, tally the actual use in past years. These allocated costs may be negotiated at budget-approval time but, once set, should be charged for the year no matter what changes occur. On top of this base operating cost, any classes run by in-house instructors or vendors could now be charged back at a student-day rate based on the actual cost of delivering that particular course. Self-study material would now be delivered free because the cost has already been developed in the base allocation. There would be no need for an elaborate cost-tracking system and the necessary supporting administration. Clients would not have to fear unanticipated charges. The corporation could get on with its business without elaborate budget manipulations by clients who need and want timely training to do their job. The corporation gets control of the costs, the training department can do its job professionally and, most importantly, the clients get the training and service that they need to move forward. By Bill Sebrell, Special to CW; Sebrell is a vice-president at Data Base Management, Inc., a subsidiary of American Management Systems, Inc. in Manchester, Conn. <<<>>> Title : A plea for practical inno Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: manzi2 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: I recently saw some pictures taken at the launch of the space shuttle Discovery, and they reminded me of the excitement I felt as a teenager when I saw the first man walk on the moon. But now, the thrill of the space program is gone. The Discovery is just a piece of hardware, not a goal. We haven't developed a rationale for manned space flight that gives us a clear vision of where we are going and why. Yet manned space flight still has the potential to galvanize the nation. I see parallels in the computing industry. The industry is facing as exciting a frontier as the space program. Computing had as radical a beginning, promising to remake the way people thought, the way they related to information. We did all that. What we have accomplished is as important in its own way as putting a man on the moon. We find ourselves in a position similar to that of the space program. We talk to our customers about hardware and software, not about where we are going, how we propose to get there and why they should come along. There has never been a more critical time to reassess, redefine and reaffirm what we are trying to accomplish as an industry. Observers are beginning to forecast a recession for the computer industry in 1989. Such prophesies can be self-fulfilling. If our customers see headlines about a slump in personal computer sales, it moves them to reexamine their budget premises. Binge/bust mentality Our industry has a binge/bust mentality that reflects a division between pragmatists and visionaries, between those selling boxes and those selling dreams. In fact, we are selling neither. We need to have a better idea of where we are going and how to get there. In other words, we need a strategy, one that will help us ward off a recession. We seem to have become the desktop equivalent of a new car dealer, convincing our customers that only the latest and greatest products have value. Is that what we really think software is all about? Is that what we intend to be selling? Appropriate software use may bring about the advances in white-collar productivity this country so badly needs in order to compete in the global marketplace. Yet the message we send to our customers is that the discounted $299 price tag is their investment, not the customized applications they have built on top of our platforms. We pay lip service to the systems approach, while continuing to push boxes of products in a piecemeal way. We seem to have two de facto strategies: On the one hand, we stress point products and newness; on the other, we extol systems integration, usability and stability. We need to combine the two. Yes, it is critical to offer our customers cutting-edge technology. But it is also of paramount importance to preserve our customers' investment in data and to provide applications consistency across platforms, end-user training and service and support. The market is clearly evolving into multiplatforms and multigeneration hardware. We will need to focus on such issues as extreme portability, variety of user interfaces and coexisting operating systems. The task won't be easy. If a system is to be transportable across a number of platforms, applications will have to be re-written. And because different computer architectures read in different ways, both the portable program and the data must be translated for them. The difficulties are compounded because features such as memory management, error handling and display processing are handled differently under different operating systems. Even the bugs need to be preserved as existing programs are rewritten, because someone, somewhere, has capitalized on that bug and has come to depend on it. If we can complete these tasks successfully, it will represent a fundamental transition in the history of computing. Our customers are leading the way in this transition. They are making the shift in how they deploy computing from tactical to strategic tools. By some estimates, there will be one PC for every three white-collar employees by 1990. Within the next decade, the number of PCs is expected to quadruple to 46 million. Those 46 million PCs do not want to free-float. They crave connectivity. Yet the industry has barely begun to scratch the surface of potential group applications. We understand the potential of computers only to a limited extent. And most of us in the computing community understand even less about how the majority of businesses function. This is because we work on cutting-edge products in cutting-edge organizations with few middle management layers. We can't prescribe productivity solutions for more traditional businesses until we know more about their needs. That is our frontier for the 1990s. Sometimes I feel as if our industry is 150 miles off in space, looking down at the workaday reality. Our job is not to dream up a host of new features but to look for what needs to be done. What our customers need from us is the stability, usability and utility on which they can leverage their computing, training and applications investment. Our software must directly address our customers' problems in a highly competitive business environment by delivering such intangibles as better quality, greater flexibility, faster time to market, higher customer satisfaction and more. For newness' sake Genuine innovation should be defined as effectiveness, problem-solving ability, ease of use and applicability. We don't need newness for the sake of newness, or novelties that please less than they impress. We need to pay more attention to the computing industry analog for what Black & Decker learned in its industry: Its customers didn't want quarter-inch drills; they wanted quarter-inch holes. This isn't to say that new technologies and new software products aren't needed. What I am saying is that we need to find that elusive hybrid between what is needed and what is possible _ something that builds logically on the base of past development. A balance is essential: between innovation and utility, cutting edge and practicality, product expansion and systems standards, the short-term tactical view and the long-term strategic one. To America at large, we must offer software tools to improve our country's pattern of decision making and the way we determine priorities and set goals. These tools can help build the stature of our technology, help probe our economic policies and commitments and put the results to work quickly and effectively. And we must do our best to ensure that we maintain our world preeminence in software technology. JIM MANZI By Jim Manzi; Manzi is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lotus Development Corp. in Cambridge, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Digital net plans zap AT& Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1attadd Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ Closing the financial books on its obsolescence-bound analog network equipment, AT&T announced last week a $6.7 billion write-down that will burden the telecommunications giant with the first yearly loss in its history. AT&T said the write-down will give it more financial muscle with which to accelerate its move to all-digital service. Its goal is to offer 95% digital-switched traffic in the U.S. by mid-1989 and 100% by the end of 1990. The dramatic announcement, which will result in a $3.9 billion fourth-quarter after-tax charge, follows much smaller analog write-downs by competitors MCI Communications Corp. and U.S. Sprint Communications Co. in the past two years. Financial analysts generally praised the move as a gutsy one and hinted that it may signify a new AT&T approach to its business. AT&T stock closed Friday at 28 , down 1 points from Wednesday's close. ``Management stepped up to the plate and swung at the ball, when a couple years ago they would have stayed in the dugout,'' said Harry Rosenthal, vice-president of U.S. equities at Deutsche Bank Capital Corp. in New York. ``That may embolden management to take similar steps next year in the computer operation.'' Deja vu The hefty write-down is the second multibillion-dollar charge against earnings by AT&T since the 1984 divestiture. The 1986 work force reduction of more than 27,000 jobs resulted in a $3.2 billion pretax charge that reduced annual earnings by $1.7 billion, but AT&T still eked out a scant profit for the year. The end of the analog era will also mean job cuts at AT&T. The firm will redeploy or lay off 16,000 workers, including 10,000 network employees and 6,000 operators, as the analog network equipment is phased out in the next two years. The company said plans to cut 9,000 of those jobs were previously announced to employees. But the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents 135,000 of AT&T's more than 300,000 employees, criticized the latest cutbacks and called on AT&T to ``cut the rolls of fat from its top-heavy management.'' ``This company just has not bitten the bullet'' on reducing management levels, CWA President Morton Bahr said in a prepared statement. AT&T's chief rivals in the interexchange arena have already taken major write-downs for analog equipment and claimed to be at least as far as AT&T in their deployment of digital lines. Sprint already has an all-digital fiber-optic network, according to Donald Forsythe, a spokesman for parent company United Telecommunications, Inc. The carrier took a $260 million write-down for networking equipment in the second quarter of 1987 and will report another write-off, ``probably in the millions,'' at the end of this quarter, Forsythe said. MCI is currently 65% digital and plans to be all-digital by the end of next year or by early 1990, according to company spokesman John Houser. The company had a $585 million write-down of satellite and analog microwave equipment in the last quarter of 1986 and is currently in the process of phasing out its remaining analog microwave equipment, Houser said. AT&T also announced last week that it will accelerate deployment of its Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Primary Rate service. The service, which supports 23 64K bit/sec. channels over an ISDN connection, was originally slated for introduction in 68 cities over links by the end of next year, according to AT&T spokeswoman Daisy Ottman. The carrier now plans to deploy the service in 62 cities by mid-1989, with additional cities planned for the second half of the year. Senior Editor Elisabeth Horwitt contributed to this report. By Clinton Wilder, CW staff <<<>>> Title : No threat seen in IBM tre Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1settle8 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: NEW YORK _ The American Arbitration Association's resolution last week of a high-stakes battle between IBM and Fujitsu Ltd. has eliminated the immediate possibility of an ``MVS/F'' emerging on U.S. shores. Last week's announcement settled a lengthy dispute over Fujitsu's use of IBM code (see story page 4). Strict limitations on just which portions of IBM's source code and licensed manuals Fujitsu will be able to examine have eased the tension felt by independent software developers, observers said, and will likely dampen the hopes of MVS users looking for Fujitsu competition in the U.S. to rein in IBM's prices. Jay Goldberg, chairman of Money Management Systems in New York and chairman of ADAPSO in 1987, said that he ``didn't see anything that would give Fujitsu a preemptive advantage over independent software developers.'' Last year, Goldberg roundly criticized the agreement that gave Fujitsu access to IBM source code as a blow to the independent software industry. In contrast, Martin Goetz at Syllogy Corp. said the arbitration created some competition with the independent software companies that are building complementary software. Despite IBM's responsiveness in working closely with the independents, Goetz said Fujitsu will be able to introduce complementary software within five years. ``We would like access to that code,'' he added. Not hurt but helped Most observers, however, did not express concern over whether Fujitsu will be able to wrest away a share of the MVS market in the U.S. If anything, said Frank Gens, vice-president of technology assessment at IDC Financial Services Corp. in Framingham, Mass., the settlement will only help Fujitsu compete on its own Japanese turf, in Australia and, less so, in Europe. The mainframe marketplace in the U.S. wants IBM compatibility, Gens said, and ``the way to maintain IBM compatibility is by defining an IBM operating system.'' Spokesman from both National Advanced Systems and Amdahl Corp. said the settlement will have no significant effect on their companies. Reaction differed as to whether Fujitsu will be able to leverage its access to proprietary IBM information to compete with an IBM-compatible MVS look-alike or whether it will glean information to keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated design of IBM mainframes. Independent analyst Frederick Withington said the software itself is not the issue. ``Fujitsu only wants to be sure that it can offer hardware compatible with IBM's operating system, which is the heart of this guarantee,'' he commented. Withington described the secured facility regime _ which permits Fujitsu personnel not involved in software development to look at source code but not to bring it out of the secured facility _ as insufficient for the needs of software developers. He said such procedures will permit Fujitsu only to make sure that its hardware matches IBM's code. Despite the advantage for Fujitsu, Withington added that ``IBM will always have its couple of years' time advantage, because Fujitsu can only access announced software.'' Withington contended that the decision merely keeps the industry dynamics the same. ``Fujitsu has kept good hardware partly by means of secret payments to IBM,'' he said. ``IBM is permitting Fujitsu to continue doing what it has been doing.'' Arbitrators last week said Fujitsu has already paid IBM more than $400 million for use of proprietary information. Hand in glove IDC's Gens and Bob Djurdjevic, president of Annex Research in Phoenix, disagreed. ``This judgment deals with where the operating system meets the application,'' Gens said, ``not where it meets the hardware.'' Djurdjevic said both hardware and software are at issue because the two go hand-in-glove. Indeed, Djurdjevic said that the ability to examine manuals and source code will enable Fujitsu over the long term to bring ``an operating system closer to IBM's MVS to the U.S.'' Nevertheless, Djurdjevic said Fujitsu will only be able to ``bring the operating system to the U.S. piecemeal; it can't start for at least two years.'' The strict procedures outlined in the decision signal that Fujitsu's examinations will be a painstaking process, with each step closely monitored by an American Arbitration Association panel. The arbitration limits Fujitsu's access to interfaces that describe what the program does but not how it does it. Despite what observers hailed as a thorough arbitration, Gens said Fujitsu will try to get access to information that details the specifics of how the interfaces operate. ``IBM will try to move the interfaces further away from the operating system than Fujitsu would like, and Fujitsu will argue over definitional issues,'' he said. Fujitsu will also argue over costs, because the judgment has laid out only guidelines, he added. Gens contended that such disputes could delay Fujitsu's ability to bring software to market. John Imlay, chairman of Management Science America, Inc., said the $833.2 million settlement ``recognizes in a public forum that software and intellectual property have worth.'' However, like others, Imlay said he wants to see the next battle settled in court. That does not appear likely. According to Milton Wessel, special counsel to ADAPSO and adjunct professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, ``More important than IBM getting a few bucks is that an unorthodox arbitration procedure has devised a solution that may well set a de facto precedent for settling such disputes outside a court of law.'' By Robert Moran, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Key points Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: bul9 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Total costs to Fujitsu amount to $833.2 million. Fujitsu will pay IBM $237 million for past use of older programs in developing operating systems software. Fujitsu gets access to IBM programming material for over 900 programs and utilities at an annual fee of $25.7 to $51.3 million. Facility to be set up for Fujitsu to examine licensed manuals, source code. Both companies can review unlicensed manuals and analyze object-code programs outside the facility, subject to restrictions. Fujitsu can extract information from any new IBM programs released from Jan. 1, 1988, until June 25, 1997. For IBM programs released before Jan. 1, 1988, Fujitsu can extract program details, interface information. <<<>>> Title : Worm dissection leads som Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1newviru Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The worm program that caused thousands of computers in the nationwide Internet network to shut down last month was shoddily written, even though it was devastatingly functional. Some scientists theorize that the worm may have been the work of at least two programmers; they believe that the authors may have rushed the job in order to get the worm into the Internet system before the windows in the University of California at Berkeley's Unix 4.3, which the worm ultimately slipped through, were closed. The worm is believed to have been the handiwork of Robert T. Morris Jr., a graduate student in computer science at Cornell University. Those who have examined the code speculate that the attack was deliberate and not accidental, as Morris is alleged to have claimed, because the program is without any checks that would have kept the worm under control. Computer scientists at several universities have captured and reverse-compiled the worm in an effort to determine how it was able to disrupt the network. While the reverse-engineered version is not an exact replica of the worm, it functions exactly like the original, several comput er researchers said. They estimated that the original program contained some 3,200 lines of code. From examining the worm's coding, the computer scientists have been able to speculate on the capabilities and intent of the program's author or authors. Great care was taken to prevent the worm from being stopped, some scientists said. Files associated with the worm were deleted from disks in the machines at the earliest opportunity to minimize the chance of their being captured, and the contents of the files were encrypted in memory when loaded. What is known is that the program was not the sophisticated wonder that many first believed it was. The cleverness was not in the program but only in the way the programmer exploited weaknesses in the Internet system, one scientist said. ``The code was really awful,'' said Eugene Spafford, an assistant professor in the computer science department at Purdue University. There are places in the program in which calls were made to functions with either too many or too few arguments, he noted in a 40-page analysis of the Internet worm program. The program also contains dead code _ routines that cannot be executed because certain conditions have been omitted. ``And there are sections of code that do some work but do not seem to accomplish anything,'' agreed Chris Torek, a computer scientist at Maryland University. Tales of the crypt Yet, while sections of the worm's code contained these and several other elementary blunders, there were sections that were well thought out, Spafford said in a telephone interview. The crypt routine, which contained many interesting modifications and functions and was used to check passwords, is nine times faster than the University of California at Berkeley's Unix version of crypt, he said. Also, the worm contained routines for both encryption and decryption, even though only the encryption capability was needed by the worm. ``This suggests to me that the routines do not appear to have been written by the same author as the rest of the code,'' he said. A quick pickup The crypt routine and other sophisticated sections of code could have been lifted easily from other programs and do not necessarily imply that the worm's author was assisted by others, said Donald Becker, a computer researcher in the advanced technology department at Harris Corp. in Palm Bay, Fla. ``I would say that with the exception of the crypt routines, it was the work of one person,'' he said. The mistakes in coding may have been more a result of the worm author's hastiness to complete the job than his ineptness as a programmer, said a computer researcher in the computer systems research group at the University of California at Berkeley who asked not to be named. ``There is no question that the worm was released prematurely,'' he said. ``I know for a fact that it was. We believe that there were three bugs that [the program's author] intended to exploit. Certainly he was aware of them, because he told others of their existence.'' The worm wiggled its way into the Internet network through bugs in a Sendmail program, used to transfer electronic mail from one machine to another, and a ``finger daemon'' program, used to provide information about who is logged on to the system. Both are found in Unix 4.3. A fix for a third loophole in File Transfer Protocol, also in Unix 4.3 and used to permit limited access to a file, was posted on the Internet network only days after Morris allegedly told a system administrator at Harvard University about the bug, the Berkeley researcher said. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Grand jury probe begins Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: newvirsi Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: A Harvard University computer programmer and graduate student appeared last week before a federal grand jury in Syracuse, N.Y., that is investigating the attack that shut down computers on the Internet computer network in November. Harvard computer science graduate student Paul Graham and computer programmer Andrew H. Sudduth answered subpoenas served Nov. 21 by FBI agents in Massachusetts. The investigation is believed targeted at Cornell University graduate student Robert T. Morris Jr., whom federal authorities suspect of launching the virus that ultimately shut down 6,000 computers and caused millions of dollars of damage, according to the Computer Virus Industry Association. Morris was a computer science undergraduate at Harvard until June. Sudduth has said that Morris called him to alert computer operators on the network that the virus he created had begun to run amok. An FBI spokesman said he was unable to comment on the ongoing investigation or predict whether an arrest was imminent. <<<>>> Title : DOD cuts net link Author : Michael Alexande Source : CW Comm FileName: viruside Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The U.S. Department of Defense said last week that it had temporarily cut connections between Milnet, its unclassified computer network, and Internet, the nationwide corporate and academic computer network that was crippled last month by a computer worm. Susan Hansen, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said that the decision was made to cut ties to the network after an unidentified hacker penetrated a Digital Equipment Corp. VAX computer belonging to a defense contractor the night of Nov. 27-28. Some computer specialists, however, said that they believed the intruder had penetrated the system several times in November, starting in the first week of the month. The VAX belonged to Mitre Corp., based in Bedford, Mass. The computer is routinely used for electronic mail services, said Marcia Cohen, director of corporate administration at the company, in a prepared statement. During a telephone interview, she said, ``No classified or sensitive information was lost.'' Ties cut The ties between Milnet and the rest of the network were cut Monday evening and had not been restored as of Thursday night. Hansen said that the links would be restored by the end of Friday. Cliff Stoll, a computer security expert at Harvard University, posted an announcement on the network Wednesday indicating that ``the bridge that usually connects the military side of the network to the civilian side of the network had been severed Monday evening.'' The Defense Communication Agency (DCA) cut the connection after the intruder entered the network through a loophole in an anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a utility that allows users limited access to certain files, he said. A fix to close the loophole in the anonymous FTP was posted on Internet in late October but apparently had gone unnoticed or was ignored by programmers at Mitre, Stoll said. ``You can tell people that they have crummy locks, but you can't make them change them,'' he pointed out. ``Fortunately, not much was lost,'' Stoll added. ``Few sites were vulnerable and even fewer sites were hit because not many sites have this particular hole.'' The intruder had evidently entered the Mitre computer after routing his calls through a number of networks in order to cover his tracks. Vital link Milnet, the military's computer network, communicates with hundreds of computers operated by military and defense contractors. It is linked to Arpanet, the computer network that was hit by a worm program allegedly written by Robert T. Morris Jr., a 23-year-old Cornell University computer science graduate student. The worm replicated itself on the network at an astonishing speed, ultimately causing some 6,000 computers to shut down. The most recent security breach was a relatively minor incident, but it shows the jitters that exist as a result of the virus incident, Stoll said. ``It will probably be a year before the jitters go away and people can get back to doing some serious work,'' he added. ``The DCA was justified in cutting the connection because no one knew just how bad the problem was.'' MICHAEL ALEXANDER <<<>>> Title : HP creates smaller units Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hporg1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Three new divisions aimed at improving response time and creating a more entrepreneurial spirit within an entrenched company were announced by Hewlett-Packard Co. last week. An overall reorganization of HP's computer operations was announced in late October, when the firm's Computer Systems Group was formed under the Network Systems Sector. Last week, under that group, HP disclosed the formation of three new divisions: General Systems, for the company's multiuser business systems and for development of HP's Unix operating system; Data and Languages, which will feature laboratories intended to develop databases, languages and tools; and a Data Systems Operation, for factory-floor markets. The reorganization creates more, smaller groupings within the company, each with its own goal. <<<>>> Title : Waiting...and warming Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1ncar1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Move north. That's the advice Warren Washington offers after spending more than 2,000 CPU hours on two Cray Research, Inc. supercomputers modeling what the greenhouse effect will do to the global climate during the next century. Perhaps this information could not have been developed in time to halt the Earth's eventual warming, but Washington, director of the Climate and Global Dynamics Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, could have let the public in on it earlier. Although the information has been critical to the U.S. and other governments, Congress, through the National Science Foundation, has not provided NCAR with enough money to buy the supercomputing power needed to efficiently run the necessary global simulations. As a result, it has taken three years to crunch enough numbers to model the greenhouse effect during the next century; officials have said the process could have taken less than three months. NCAR's computers are oversubscribed, and the greenhouse project had to be shared with other projects from Washington's colleagues at NCAR. In order to continue carrying out calculations that are drawing an increasing amount of worldwide attention, NCAR is turning to parallel processing as well as migrating to the Unix operating system. NCAR has a Cray X-MP 48, a Cray 1-A (the oldest Cray), a new 8,000-processor Connection Machine parallel processing computer from Thinking Machine, Inc., two IBM mainframes and a sea of storage to use for atmospheric research projects. The center's greenhouse model puts together an atmospheric model with an oceanic model developed in-house for Cray's proprietary operating system, COS. ``Ocean models are incredibly demanding computations,'' said Bill Buzbee, the center's director of scientific computing. And they are getting more complex. Completing one global calculation, such as doubling current carbon dioxide gases and looking 25 years into the future to gauge that effect on temperatures over a global grid with thousands of grid cells, takes about 200 four-processor CPU hours, Buzbee said. Simply running the global model requires one programmer to put in the jobs and keep track of the runs and data archives and another programmer to change the variable in the model. Two scientists, including Washington, interpret the data. NCAR's supers crunch a dazzling array of variables. For instance, a global warming would increase rain in the tropics and decrease it in the subtropics, Washington said. That only takes into consideration temperatures in atmospheric cells, or grids, absorption of sunlight or heat radiation from the Earth, transfer of heat energy from adjacent cells and similar conditions. When those calculations are done at higher latitudes, there is a feedback between ocean and land. ``If you don't have that much snow, the sea ice melts and you're going from a white surface to a dark surface. The oceans can then absorb more solar radiation. You get an exaggeration of the greenhouse effect,'' Washington said. Based on hundreds of CPU-hours of calculations, Washington predicted that temperatures at the northern latitudes will increase approximately 7 to 8 degrees Celsius by the year 2030. Making ends meet Buzbee hopes to offset his tight budget of about $14 million and do more critical work such as global simulations by integrating parallel processing. The Connection Machine, which was placed at NCAR this year by the Center for Applied Parallel Processing, is a start. For NCAR's needs, Buzbee said, parallel processing computers could match or exceed the capabilities of supercomputers. ``Instead of spending a thousand hours on calculations, we could spend a hundred,'' he said. Washington reported that the next version of his global simulation program for the greenhouse effect will be divided to run on parallel processors. Despite sharing time on the machine, running it on multiple processors will cut the time needed by one-third. Buzbee said the organization also plans to upgrade from Cray's COS operating system to Unicos, a Unix derivative. The move will cut programmer training time and open up a wider library of software. However, the migration has not yet happened. NCAR's processors are so busy that the agency has not been able to take one out of service long enough to perform the conversion. By J.A. Savage, CW staff <<<>>> Title : AT&T shift spotlights ISD Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: attdig Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The 95%-digital long-distance network that AT&T has promised to deliver by the middle of next year will provide users with better quality and reliability in AT&T's transmissions without forcing them to jettison their existing networking equipment, the carrier claimed. Companies can use their analog modems, private branch exchanges and telephone sets to access AT&T's digital network as long as the Bell operating companies continue to support analog lines over the local loop, carrier officials claimed. Conversion from analog to digital takes place at the carrier's central office, as it has all along with a mixture of analog and digital carrier facilities. This leaves users and their local carriers in a quandary. If the Bell operating companies speed up their migration to all-digital facilities, they will force many of their customers to write off expensive investments in analog equipment. But if they convert gradually as their own analog switches run out of capacity _ as many seem to be doing _ they may draw criticism for impeding the progress toward advanced, end-to-end digital services. At least one long-distance carrier, MCI Communications Corp., has indicated that it will not introduce Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) until such services become generally available from the regional carriers. Timing is key How a customer treats its local carrier's progress toward digital services is largely a matter of timing. A couple of years ago, for example, Pacific Bell told the California Department of Water Resources that it will no longer support the utility's analog leased lines. ``We found that they were going toward an all-digital environment,'' said Archibald Noriega, chief of the utility's communications office. ``Luckily, we were at a transition point at which we wanted to implement a new digital system.'' However, the carrier's push toward digital services is likely to ``leave a lot of companies out in the cold and cost them money,'' Noriega added. Several users, however, said they trusted their carriers to lead them gradually into an all-digital world. ``There will be a gradual cut-over period, as with leaded vs. unleaded gasoline,'' said a communications manager at a major insurance company who asked to remain anonymous. ``Otherwise, we'd be up a creek.'' The insurance company got rid of all its digital lines years ago because ``they were costing us $100,000 a year and analog was cheaper,'' the manager said. The regional Bell holding companies upheld their customers' belief that change will be gradual. Right now, for example, 35% to 40% of Bell Atlantic Corp.'s central offices are served by digital lines, company spokesman Larry Plumb said. ISDN, he added, ``is not on the immediate horizon because both the carrier and its users have a lot of embedded investment.'' Not all users are happy with the carriers' ponderous progress toward digital services. The New York State Public Services Commission is ``concerned that New York Telephone Co. is slower to go to ISDN than other carriers such as Ameritech,'' said Dennis Murphy, director of telecommunications at Warner Communications, Inc. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Who do you trust? Author : Clinton Wilder Source : CW Comm FileName: ibmside Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: When independent arbitrators John L. Jones and Robert H. Mnookin took center stage once again last week to map out the future of mainframe operating systems, a hypothetical question ran through the industry: Would you trust your technology-licensing dispute to these men? When two companies agree to settle their differences by arbitration, as IBM and Fujitsu did in 1983, the arbitrators assume vast powers of control and need not follow any precedents of statutory or case law or even previous arbitration rulings. Indeed, Jones and Mnookin have often stated that their goals are global market competition and customer benefits and that their decisions may not track with existing copyright law. To some observers, the IBM-Fujitsu settlement, first announced in September 1987 and further detailed in last week's announcement, illuminated the pitfalls of arbitration. Although the global antagonists saved several man-years of court proceedings and legal bills, they essentially have placed themselves in the hands of Jones and Mnookin until the year 2002. ``The whole point of going to arbitration is to settle the matter quickly and get on with business,'' said John Logan, vice-president of Boston-based market research firm Aberdeen Group and a former consultant to IBM in the 1970s. ``But in this case, third parties will continue to manage the relationship between these two giants for a long time,'' Logan added. ``It's the most bizarre result of arbitration one could have imagined and will tend to make people think twice about it.'' On balance, the decision to submit disputes to arbitration _ like all major corporate decisions _ involves a trade-off. Is the time and money saved by avoiding a courtroom battle worth the risk of an unfavorable arbitrator's ruling _ one which the firm has no recourse to change? IBM released a statement saying it was pleased with the settlement terms. But observers wondered whether IBM now regrets the arbitration course. ``I think IBM's legal costs for Fujitsu would have been minimal compared to the Department of Justice case,'' Logan said, referring to the U.S. government's marathon antitrust suit against IBM in the 1970s. CLINTON WILDER <<<>>> Title : Fujitsu options in doubt Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: japanibm Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: TOKYO _ As Japanese industry continues to assimilate the impact of Tuesday's landmark settlement of the Fujitsu Ltd./IBM copyright battle, the recurring question is whether Fujitsu will be able to adequately maintain compatibility with IBM 370 mainframe software. IBM's partially open kimono has brought up more questions than answers in Japan. Japanese press reports speculate that Fujitsu, which has had a better degree of IBM compatibility than Hitachi Ltd. because of its reverse-engineering policies in the past, will now be brought on par with all the other plug-compatible mainframe makers. This is because the settlement gives Fujitsu access to interface information _ that is, what a program does rather than how it does it. This means Fujitsu would have to apply more work and more development time to creating software from the interface data than in the past, when it relied on some copied IBM specifications. ``The market thinks Fujitsu will have trouble making compatible software,'' said Kiichi Maesato, an analyst at James Capel Pacific Ltd. in Tokyo. ``Fujitsu has been guaranteed a compatible business. Whether it can come up with software programs is up to Fujitsu. What is not clear is how much Fujitsu is limited. There is a lot of speculation that IBM will not give out [information on] new and innovative products.'' There is already evidence of Fujitsu's slip in compatibility. ``In the past year we had trouble running [our software] in the Fujitsu environment,'' explained Yoichi Nishijima, director of Ashisuto K. K., one of the largest software companies in Japan. Ashisuto's key business, selling portable software that runs on Fujitsu and IBM mainframes, makes up 70% to 75% of its revenue. ``We've had a hard time keeping portability,'' he said. ``At one time, one software product could run in both the Fujitsu and IBM environments.'' By Lori Valigra, IDG News Service <<<>>> Title : Small potatoes Author : Clinton Wilder Source : CW Comm FileName: ibmside2 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: IBM stockholders won't find any presents from Fujitsu under their Christmas trees. With more than $50 billion in revenue, IBM is just too big to reap any significant bottom-line benefits from Fujitsu's software access payments. Payments that Fujitsu has already made have been included in ``other income.'' According to Nikko Securities Co. analyst Michael Geran, the ``other'' income category has already been averaging about $300 million per quarter. ``For anybody else, half a billion dollars [over the course of the 14-year settlement term] would be a big deal,'' Geran said, ``but not for these guys.'' CLINTON WILDER <<<>>> Title : News shorts Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: short120 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Backup service a little late A backup service introduced by AT&T last week would have greatly diminished the impact on leased-line customers of the recent severing of AT&T's East Coast fiber-optic link, the company said. Network Protection Capability, which is scheduled for availability Jan. 13, automatically switches Accunet T1.5 and T45 service links to a backup facility when the primary link goes down, AT&T said. The Network Protection backup lines are always on a different cable to ensure that primary and backup links are not severed by the same disaster, as happened with the East Coast fiber-optic cable break, an AT&T spokeswoman said. DEC, EMC Corp. joust again Digital Equipment Corp. and Hopkinton, Mass.-based EMC Corp. may be on their way to court again. This time, it is EMC in the plaintiff's seat. EMC charges that DEC divulged the terms of the companies' 1987 settlement agreement, which was not only supposed to be confidential but also under a court-imposed seal. The U.S. District Court is a court of last resort for EMC, said Senior Vice-President W. Paul Fitzgerald, who added that friendlier attempts dating from October 1987 to get DEC to own up and pay up went unheeded. ``We will go to great lengths to avoid lawsuits. . . . We finally realized that the only way we could get them to seriously consider our position was through this legal action,'' Fitzgerald said. Armstrong named to IBM board IBM's C. Michael Armstrong, considered by many a potential candidate for the IBM chairmanship, was named last week to the IBM Management Committee, the company's highest echelon executive body. Currently chairman of the IBM Europe/ Middle East/Africa Corp., Armstrong will relocate from Paris to Armonk, N.Y., and add responsibility for the World Trade Americas Group and the Asia/Pacific Group. On the Management Committee, he replaced IBM Vice-Chairman Kaspar V. Cassani, who said he plans to retire next year. Other Management Committee members are Chairman John Akers, Vice-Chairman Jack Kuehler and Senior Vice-President Frank Metz. Micropro to slice work force Micropro International Corp. in San Rafael, Calif., maker of the Wordstar word processing package, will reorganize to cut costs, including chopping 60 jobs, or 19% of its U.S. work force. President and Chief Executive Officer Gari Grimm said a new management team at Micropro was determined to bring costs in line with sales, which have been flat for three years. The moves are expected to save $3 million annually. Schools can get free DEC licenses DEC will grant licenses to colleges and universities at no charge for virtually all of its software on which it pays no royalties. DEC said the Campuswide Software License Grant Program covers 160 products, including the VMS and Ultrix operating systems. Also included are networking software, computer-aided software engineering tools, database tools and office automation software. Under the associated Campus Service Agreement, DEC is offering a 75% discount on service to educational institutions that perform self-maintenance. Lottery contractor investigation California state officials are investigating whether a contractor that provides computer services for the state lottery covered up downtime to avoid penalties. Gtech Corp. in Providence, R.I., is two years into a five-year contract to provide hardware and software for California's Lotto games. The state can fine Gtech $4,000 per minute for systemwide lapses. Two lottery employees alleged that Gtech falsified computer downtime reports and that the lottery administration knew of the falsification. Gtech refused to comment. The state controller's office is investigating, while the lottery agency itself is expected to report this week that there is no basis for the allegations. ET <<<>>> Title : A group by any other name Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: unixintl Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The association of AT&T Unix System V licensees formerly known as the Archer group went public last week with a new name _ Unix International, Inc. _ and announced a chairman and new members. Donald J. Herman, a recently retired senior executive at NCR Corp., will act as organizing chairman for the group. Herman is no newcomer to open systems, having been instrumental in the founding of the Corporation for Open Systems, a research and development organization for communications standards, before joining NCR. Herman said in an interview last week that the position is not permanent for him but that he will stay as long as it takes to accomplish the group's objectives. Herman said he thought he would have a replacement by April or May next year. Assembling a permanent staff and finalizing the group's operating policies are Herman's primary objectives for Unix International. Positions will be filled by April, he said. Well down the road Much headway has already been made on detailing operating policies. Herman indicated that at least 25 policy papers prepared by member task forces are undergoing final approval. Unix International will have three tiers of members, distinguished by how much they pay and voting privileges. Principal members will pay $500,000 per year, entitling them to representation on all committees. General members will pay $100,000 per year and associate members $10,000, with proportionate representation. Principal members will be represented on a one-for-one basis, while general members will elect a specified number from their ranks to represent all general members. Principal members are Unisys Corp., Fujitsu Ltd., Sun Microsystems, Inc., NCR, AT&T, NEC Information Systems, Inc., Ing. C. Olivetti & Co., International Computers Ltd., Amdahl Corp. and Toshiba America, Inc. Several firms have joined since the initial formation of the Archer group, bringing the number of members to 29. New members include Arix Corp., Concurrent Computer Corp., Texas Instruments, Inc., Data General Corp. and Oracle Corp. The group is expected to set up headquarters in New York. The name Unix International was chosen because ``it describes exactly what we're about,'' Herman said. The association's charter, he said, is ``to protect users' investments in System V by ensuring that future development will keep that operating system as the industry standard'' as well as ensuring that design decisions for Unix System V are independent of any particular vendor and that licensing is equitable for all. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : OSF/AT&T rift hardens Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: soap Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Any hopes of a near-term agreement between the Open Software Foundation (OSF) and AT&T were dashed last week when the OSF sent a letter to members stating that negotiations with AT&T had been suspended. Talks between the two about cooperating on a standard version of Unix have been at a stalemate for several weeks. The letter, signed by Henry Crouse, the OSF's interim president, said that AT&T's insistence that Unix System V, Release 4 be the OSF base operating system goes against OSF's founding principles and remains the obstacle to AT&T joining OSF. ``I have reached the conclusion that further discussions with AT&T would be nonproductive and have decided to suspend them,'' the letter read. There may be cause for some optimism, however: While the original wording of the letter said negotiations had been ``terminated,'' that word was changed to ``suspended,'' said Donal O'Shea, vice-president of operations at OSF. The news seemed to catch AT&T by surprise. ``The action is news to us,'' said William Klinger, division manager at AT&T responsible for Unix product management. Regrets Also, Lawrence Dooling, president of AT&T's Data Systems Group, remarked, ``At the last meeting with OSF, we left the door open for further discussion. We are sorry OSF is closing it.'' O'Shea claimed the break in negotiations was mutual. ``Unix International is a clear indication that they have no intention of coming to terms with us,'' he said. The letter addressed other issues besides the status of negotiations. Members were assured that OSF/1, the OSF's first scheduled product release, will be compatible with the two major Unix variants, Unix System V, Releases 3 and 4, and the University of California at Berkeley's Unix 4.2 and will provide System V Streams, AT&T's networking technology. O'Shea said compatibility with Microsoft Corp.'s Xenix, the third major Unix variant, will be up to individual OSF licensees. O'Shea indicated last week that OSF's technical staff is close to a decision on the graphical user interface for use by OSF/1 and is investigating business terms for licensing arrangements. OSF's user interface will be compatible with Unix System V, Release 4 and will be available on a stand-alone basis as well as with OSF/1. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : DEC's PC commitment doubt Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: denmark Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Is DEC serious about PCs? That's what many observers were wondering last week after a Digital Equipment Corp. press conference intended to pump up the vendor's desktop strategy failed to make any mention of Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS or demonstrate serious commitment from the personal computer software community for DEC's Decwindows strategic user interface. The meeting drew executives from four top PC software firms for a promised show of support for Decwindows, which is slated to run under DEC's VMS and Ultrix as well as MS-DOS. However, few concrete plans were announced, and DEC officials later admitted that MS-DOS was not mentioned at all because of an ``oversight.'' Last week's event contrasted starkly with DEC President Ken Olsen's statement in August that MS-DOS would play a big role in the company's desktop strategy, which he said would be unveiled at the end of this year. Absent from the conference was an expected product announcement for the VAX from Lotus Development Corp. DEC and Lotus announced a marketing and development agreement the previous week, but Lotus Chairman Jim Manzi stated that while Lotus would support a version of 1-2-3 for the VMS version of Decwindows, he would not say whether any product is currently under development. ``The world is a mess as far as user interfaces go,'' Manzi said. Although Adobe Systems, Inc. is supplying Display Postscript extensions to Decwindows for the VMS and Ultrix versions, company President John Warnok said that the company would not develop an actual application for Decwindows until that product was ``robust enough.'' Nor would Warnok or any of the other panel members say that they preferred Decwindows to Microsoft's Presentation Manager. Smokescreen When pressed, DEC officials would not demonstrate any concrete evidence that MS-DOS vendors are developing applications for the DOS windowing system. Throughout the briefing, DEC omitted any reference to Decwindows/DOS, which is due out early next year. The DOS windowing system would allow PCs in a VAX environment to pop up window files from VMS and Ultrix-based systems. Instead of emphasizing windowing on PCs, DEC officials repeatedly touted XUI, the X Window System interface it is pushing as the standard for the Open Software Foundation. Afterward, DEC Vice-President of Business and Office Information Systems Henry Ancona said technical problems are blocking the introduction of the DOS version of the windowing system, which he added would be announced some time after the VMS announcement slated for late February. However, a source close to the Decwindows/DOS program said that the project is ahead of schedule. Analysts said DEC has held back the product because its MS-DOS support is weak. ``What DEC demonstrated for everyone here today is that although DEC needs DOS software support, it has very little to speak of,'' said John Logan, vice-president of the Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based research firm. DEC acknowledged that Decwindows/VMS and Decwindows/Ultrix would both be shipping by late February. A spokesman said that a new version of the VMS operating system needed to support the windowing system would also debut in February. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Two challenge token-ring Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: olof2 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: The holder of the token-ring patent is facing his first court challenges _ on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite successfully executing 36 licenses worldwide, patent holder Olof Soderblom has failed to convince two token-ring suppliers _ Apollo Computer, Inc. in Chelmsford, Mass., and Madge Networks Ltd. in London _ to acquiesce to demands that they acquire a license. In response, Soderblom and his company, Willemijn Holding BV in the Netherlands, filed suit earlier this year against both firms. This is the first public acknowledgment of the Apollo suit. Neither suit has been assigned a court date. Previously, Soderblom had filed suit against two other UK firms, but one went out of business and the second was settled out of court, according to George Vande Sande, Willemijn's patent counsel and a partner with Pollock, Vande Sande & Priddy in Washington, D.C. As noted by Apollo in a prepared statement, there has never been a court decision validating the Soderblom patents, nor has any court ever declared that Apollo or any other party has infringed on those patents. Although a number of the licensees were slow to come to the bar, Willemijn is suing Apollo because ``it became apparent after numerous discussions that further negotiations were fruitless,'' Vande Sande said. The suit against Apollo seeks an injunction against further infringement of the patents, along with triple damages resulting from the alleged infringement. Apollo, which offers 4M and 12M bit/sec. token-rings, has filed a counterclaim asking the court to invalidate the Soderblom patents and to declare that no infringement has occurred. There is no mechanism for countersuing in the UK, said Robert Madge, founder of Madge Networks, which makes an 802.5 standard token-ring. But Madge also disputed the validity of Soderblom's patents and claimed it does not apply to 802.5 technology: ``We don't believe it's necessary to have a license from Olof Soderblom to have a token-ring product.'' There is speculation that Soderblom is revealing the Apollo suit now to influence discussions under way with another 15 potential licensees. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Token-ring suppliers form Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: otf Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: BURLINGAME, Calif. _ A rebellion has broken out among token-ring suppliers chafing under IBM's dominance _ and at times, circumvention _ of the IEEE 802.5 token-ring standard. The revolt is spearheaded by the Open Token Foundation (OTF), a newly formed consortium dedicated to interoperability among token-ring products. Rebel leaders 3Com Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., and Madge Networks Ltd. in London have scheduled a press conference tomorrow to discuss the results of an initial organizational meeting to be held today. Much as the Open Software Foundation grew out of a rejection of AT&T's grip on the Unix standard, so the OTF smacks of resistance to a perceived IBM dominance of the 802.5 token-ring standard. ``Is the token-ring an open standard or not?'' asked Robert Madge, founder of Madge Networks, who claimed IBM has been controlling the standard. ``We hope to answer that.'' The foundation's current membership comes from the vendor community, but plans are to recruit members from among users who have large token-ring investments and who are in a position to ``lay down their requirements to IBM,'' Madge said. User interest is expected to be kindled by efforts to interconnect departmental networks. This is where interoperability glitches can become serious problems in a hurry, said William Swift, 3Com's product line manager for the token-ring. At press time, IBM was still evaluating whether to join the group or attend today's meeting. A spokesman described IBM's outlook toward the consortium as ``favorable.'' OTF participants include Network General Corp., Western Digital Corp., NCR Corp., Proteon, Inc., Sytek, Inc., National Semiconductor Corp. and Architecture Technology Corp. More names are expected to be announced tomorrow. 90% control According to 3Com and Madge, IBM controls 90% of the token-ring market. ``By default, its hardware and software define the standard for compatibility,'' said 3Com founder Robert Metcalfe, who is also chairman of the Corporation for Open Systems. Leeway in the standard allows design decisions that fall within 802.5 yet produce a product that will not work with other token-rings, Swift said. IBM has enhanced its 4M bit/sec. Token-Ring in ways that deviate from the IEEE standard. These kinds of deviations among products have undermined user confidence in their ability to mix and match standards-based equipment, Madge claimed. ``We want a stable standard and one that is a little more controllable than what we've seen,'' Swift agreed. Using ``straightforward pressure,'' the OTF will work to ensure interoperability between token-ring implementations, Madge said. While it will not provide conformance testing, it will promote compliant products to the user community. The consortium will also explore development of a standardized method for bridging between Ethernet and token-ring. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Watchdogs oppose FBI data Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: fbi Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: PALO ALTO, Calif. _ Ever get the feeling you're being watched? A group of social watchdogs fear those pangs of uncertainty could get a lot worse before they get better. Last year _ in an effort to trim what they said could grow into a civil rights-trampling attempt by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to monitor people's lives _ the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) teamed up to oppose the scope of the FBI's planned expansion of its National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, database. Although the FBI has since put out a few fires by lessening the scope of the original expansion plans, a recent debate at Stanford University between the civil libertarians and the FBI proved that wide areas of disagreement still remain. ``We need to make sure . . . the FBI is acting responsibly,'' said Jerry Berman, the ACLU's chief legislative counsel, who was part of a panel that debated with William Bayse, the FBI's assistant director of technical services, over the extent that the NCIC should be allowed to expand. Chief among the CPSR's areas of concern are the FBI's ability to maintain the security and integrity of the database. ``One of the reminders given by [last month's] Internet worm is that most computer systems have serious security vulnerabilities, especially from within,'' said Peter Neumann, a computer scientist at SRI International, a Menlo Park, Calif., not-for-profit research institution, and a member of CPSR. ``It could be extremely unwise to trust computer systems with the protection of critical data.'' Sensitive subjects CPSR's effort has concentrated on user identification and access issues, particularly those involving sensitive data queries. Listings of drug informers, for instance, could be devastating if they fell into the wrong hands, Neumann said. Two years ago, the FBI announced plans to expand its central files and solicited suggestions from law enforcement officials. Among the more than 240 items on the resulting wish list were requests for expanding the database to include information on credit-card transactions, telephone calls, airline passenger lists and enlarging the extent to which nonpublic information _ such as ongoing investigations _ could be included in the NCIC. Initial objections to the scope of the expansion forced an FBI advance policy board to withdraw many of the controversial suggestions, but the ACLU and CPSR thought the cuts were not deep enough. Rep. Don Edwards (D-Calif.), who heads a House subcommittee on civil and constitutional rights, suggested forming independent panels, some including members of the CPSR, to study the move and issue recommendations before moving ahead. Those reports are expected early next year. Law enforcement officials use the NCIC's 19.4 million files more than 700,000 times a day to check on everything from routine traffic violations to Peace Corps applicants. Although Bayse said the bureau spends $1 million a year auditing the 20-year-old system, he admitted that with so many queries a day, ``a lot of things can happen.'' The wrong man Critics cite the case of Terry Dean Rogan, a Michigan man arrested five times for crimes he did not commit after his wallet was stolen and he was mistaken for a murder suspect who had used his identification. Rogan eventually received a $55,000 settlement from the city of Los Angeles for failure to remove his name from its database. The NCIC system has 12 main files containing information on criminal arrests and convictions, missing persons, people with an outstanding arrest warrant, stolen vehicles and persons suspected of plotting against high-level government officials. The setup fills a room half the size of a football field at the FBI's headquarters at the Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. FBI Director William Sessions is expected to wait until the Bush administration takes office before announcing the extent of the system's expansion. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Computer leasing Author : Clinton Wilder Source : CW Comm FileName: leastren Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: IBM's overwhelming dominance of equipment leased by third-party computer lessors is waning _ and the independent leasing industry likes it that way. According to the 1988 survey of Computer Dealers and Lessors Association (CDLA) members conducted by the Gartner Group, Inc., IBM equipment will account for 74% of CDLA members' leasing volume this year, down a significant 10% in 1987. This signifies third-party lessors' desire to diversify their portfolios from the traditional reliance on IBM mainframes and peripherals. These markets have become increasingly competitive, partly because of a more aggressive marketing strategy by IBM Credit Corp. If the trend away from IBM continues, it may give the CDLA more ammunition in its current standoff with IBM on maintenance policies, microcode licensing and other issues. The trend is also reflected in the types of equipment leased by CDLA firms in 1988. As a percentage of members' total volumes, mainframes and peripherals dropped, picking up the slack were mid-range systems and telecommunications gear. Equipment leasing experienced strong growth in 1988, while equipment brokering volume fell. Leasing volume rose 39% to about $15.2 billion or 76% of total CDLA volume; buying and selling activity dropped 6% to $4.8 billion, or 24% of the total volume of $20 billion. CLINTON WILDER <<<>>> Title : Inside lines Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: liner120 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Whoops, hold everything. The recent Ashton-Tate copyright infringement suit against Fox Software has put the kibosh on the IEEE 1192 committee's plans to release its standards for a microcomputer-based database language next month. The 1192 committee was prepared to recommend a database standard based on a public-domain Jet Propulsion Laboratory Display Information System, or JPLDIS, mainframe package. JPLDIS also happens to be the product from which much of Ashton-Tate's best-selling Dbase is derived. Should Ashton-Tate win its suit, which would allow the company to copyright Dbase as a programming language, Dbase would never fly as a standard in the marketplace, an IEEE 1192 committee member said. Now, in a letter to Ashton-Tate Chairman Ed Esber, a committee chairman vows that the group will develop a set of standards that does not use commands used by Ashton-Tate. The result, he says, is that end users will refuse to get locked into a single company's slow-moving product line. Mediator potential? Speculation continues on an expanded X/Open role in bringing together the strategies of the two Unix camps _ the Open Software Foundation (OSF) and Unix International. Members of Unix International have implied that a stepped-up relationship between that group and X/Open is under way, but sources have said they cannot comment further at this time. X/Open finished up its board meeting in Dusseldorf, West Germany, last week, at which members considered a proposal that would ``adjust'' some of the group's ``processes.'' The X/Open board consists of seven representatives hailing from OSF, seven from Unix International and one from the Netherlands. Anybody home in Maynard? When IBM issued an audited Debit/Credit benchmark a few weeks ago, the firm showed results of the benchmark that were three times what DEC got when it reportedly ran a similar test. But IBM implemented only one-tenth the number of terminals that DEC did, a point many observers jumped on as a possible source of the discrepancy. Well, it seems IBM has run the test again _ this time with the same number of terminals DEC used. IBM notched results that were slightly less than, but close to, the results it got before, thus disarming the critics. The world still awaits DEC's fully audited benchmark results, which are long overdue. First member of a closed foundation? At the announcement of DEC's Ultrix 32 Version 3.0 in August, DEC said it would not add symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP) to Ultrix before it could see the OSF's implementation of SMP. Asked last week whether DEC still holds to that strategy, a DEC spokesman said the firm is doing its own work on an SMP Ultrix and that the timing of that announcement is ``not linked to the OSF.'' Those mysterious ISDN users. It must be frustrating to AT&T if, as the company told us last week, it has a whole bunch of new users of its ISDN Primary Rate Service but nobody is willing to stand up and be counted. The one company willing to admit it is even considering the service is American Express Travel Related Services; that firm just completed its three-month pilot test of AT&T's offering last week. But while admitting that the technology worked and that the test was successful, American Express spokesman Robert Golden said it is up to individual business units within his firm to decide whether they want to use the service. If they do decide to, they aren't going to tell anybody. Why? ``We don't want to help our competitors,'' he said. Open Tokin' _ just what are these guys smokin'? Computer buyers must be just overjoyed at the rash of vendor-sponsored groups that have popped up this year with the goal of ``opening up'' standards for the benefit of users. Golly gee, the beneficent nature of the industry these days is enough to make a jaded old hot-line editor think that he's obsolete and that it's time to start looking for a grazing pasture. So, if enough users out there can call in (800-343-6474 or 508-879-0700) enough tangible benefits that they've felt from these charitable winds, we'll get News Editor Pete Bartolik to send in that nifty little form to find out the status of his Social Security fund. ET <<<>>> Title : Stocking spree Author : Clinton Wilder Source : CW Comm FileName: stock125 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Whether it was an early Christmas season buying rush or the start of a long-awaited technology upturn remains to be seen. But there were strong signs of life in computer stocks last week, particularly in the over-the-counter market. Leading the way were Apple Computer, Inc., up 2 points for the week to close Thursday at 38 ; 3Com Corp., up 3 points to close at 21 ; Microsoft Corp., up 2 points to 49; Ashton-Tate Corp., up 1 points to 23; and Sun Microsystems, Inc., up 1 points to 28 . Among the giants, IBM gained 2 points to 118 and Digital Equipment Corp. added a healthy 3 points to 93 . Prime Computer, Inc. officially rejected MAI Basic Four, Inc.'s $20-per-share takeover bid, but Prime rose 1 points to 17 and MAI added of a point to 9 . Not everyone shared in the week's wealth, however. Digital Communications Associates, Inc. plummeted 2 points Thursday to reach a new low of 17 . It had traded as high as 38 points during the past year. CLINTON WILDER <<<>>> Title : Apple token-ring in New Y Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: token1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: CUPERTINO, Calif. _ Where is Apple Computer, Inc.'s version of IBM's Token-Ring? That question is being asked by MIS directors at large corporations. Apple customers like Jeff Ehrlich, an MIS manager at General Electric Co.'s medical services group, have placed token-ring on their Christmas lists. GE, which buys more of Apple's Macintosh personal computers than any other firm right now, has standardized on the IBM local-area networking scheme. It looks like Apple will not be able to fulfill Ehrlich's Christmas wish. Apple had promised to introduce a token-ring adapter card by the fall. With only three weeks to go, it does not look like Apple will make good on its word. Current estimates call for Apple's token-ring card to debut in the first half of 1989. IBM has already improved its Token-Ring, recently introducing a version offering 16M bit/sec. transmission. Apple had little to say about its token-ring efforts last week. ``It hasn't been officially announced, so it can't be considered late,'' said Rick Myllenbeck, an Apple spokesman. ``Everybody knows token-ring is important to Apple.'' However, in an earlier interview, David Nagy, Apple's marketing manager of IBM host communications, said Apple will be seriously affected if it cannot get its token-ring out the door by early 1989. ``I don't believe we've lost out on a lot of accounts yet,'' Nagy said during that interview. ``If we don't have it out by early 1989, we will.'' Attempts to contact Nagy were unsuccessful. Gerald Malec, vice-president of business marketing at Apple, said that the Mac has not been accepted at many large corporations because it lacks IBM 3270 (terminal) and Token-Ring applications. Technical problems have apparently hindered the introduction. ``Token-ring is complicated,'' explained Tim Turnpaugh, executive vice-president of Seafirst Corp., a Seattle subsidiary of Bankamerica Corp. Apple officials have declined to comment on any difficulties. Needed for the `big time' Customers with a large installed base of IBM equipment said they look forward to Apple's token-ring card. ``We live in an IBM world,'' Turnpaugh said. ``Token-Ring is becoming more of a standard in IBM shops. If Apple wants to play in the big time, they need it.'' Turnpaugh said Apple's token-ring will allow Seafirst to be more consistent in its operations. ``We have so many LANs here, I think they're like rabbits,'' he quipped. ``They multiply overnight. ``It ends up costing us,'' he continued. ``We can't do as much interchangeability of applications, we need to train people on the different systems and we need to dedicate people to manage them.'' Token-ring is the fastest growing LAN technology, according to Dataquest, Inc., a San Jose, Calif., market research firm. Dataquest reported that 636,000 token-ring PC LAN connections will be shipped next year, representing 34% of that market. Nina Burns, vice-president of Infonetics, Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif., market research firm, said token-ring is crucial if Apple wishes to break into IBM shops. ``Token-ring is mostly present in large IBM environments,'' Burns said. ``In terms of raw connectivity, a lack of token-ring applications is the biggest hole in Apple's product line.'' By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : TI announces 16M token ch Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: tichip Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: HOUSTON _ Texas Instruments, Inc. said last week that it will introduce today an IBM-compatible 16M bit/sec. token-ring chip set featuring a single processor. The chip set is slated for delivery in March, and many third parties are targeting second-quarter shipments of 16M bit/sec. token-ring products. The TMS380C16 chip set reportedly provides the following key improvements over TI's previous 4M bit/sec. chip set: A simplified design that uses one chip, compared with the five currently needed. The option of 4M or 16M bit/sec. speed on the same card. Up to 260 active stations per ring, concurrent support for over 254 link stations and 126 service access points. An increase, up to 2M bytes, in buffer memory and a full 32-bit address. Frame sizes up to 18K bytes, vs. Ethernet's 1,500-byte maximum. An early-token-release option will circulate multiple frames around the ring simultaneously. An extensive array of media access control network management services. Reduced area and power requirements, which support production of compact personal computer motherboards and use in low-power applications. Lower costs due to less silicon. Like its predecessor, the 16M bit/sec. communications network processor will maintain compatibility with IBM's Token-Ring and the IEEE 802.5 and 802.2 standards, TI said. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Adabas linked with ESA/MV Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swag2 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: RESTON, Va. _ Software AG of North America, Inc. has committed itself to deliver a version of its Adabas mainframe database management system in the first quarter of 1989 to work with IBM's most advanced operating system, ESA/MVS. By March 1989, Adabas and IBM's DB2 Version 2, which became available in October, are likely to be among the few products that will be able to take advantage of data spaces, or virtual memory devoted to data, and other Enterprise Systems Architecture capabilities. Early ESA users have said that the new operating system improves the performance of applications running under it by an estimated 12% to 14%. Other mainframe-based DBMS vendors have said that their products will also eventually run on ESA and will make use of its features in 1989. Computer Associates International, Inc. said that the current release of Datacom/DB, the DBMS it recently gained with the acquisition of Applied Data Research, Inc., now supports ESA and that the next release, due in the second quarter of 1989, will exploit ESA features. Computer Corporation of America (CCA) also said that the Model 204 now runs on ESA but will not make use of ESA's specific features until 1990. However, CCA claimed its DBMS avoids the disk I/O bottlenecks that ESA improves. DB2 Version 2 includes features that benefit from ESA. However, some Data Facility Product parts of ESA/MVS were not scheduled to be available until this month. Software AG's product line has been available on the new architecture for a month, but Adabas 5 will actually take advantage of ESA data space and hiperspace features that reduce required disk access, resulting in improved performance. Roel Pieper, vice-president of technology at Software AG, could not say exactly how much performance would improve but said he expects the entire I/O bottleneck to go away. Exploiting ESA may just be a short-term marketing advantage, however, since all DBMS vendors will eventually support it and gain the same performance benefits, analysts said. Chris Bird, program director of software management strategies at the Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner Group, Inc., said that some DBMSs work more efficiently than standard operating system services. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Support slated for HP Ope Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hpplat Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: BOSTON _ Hewlett-Packard Co. is expected today to further define its network management platform and identify the first vendors to support its Openview network management interface. Openview, which HP announced last March, defines a graphics- and windows-based user interface for network management systems and is founded on the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) standard. Companies that will jump on HP's network management bandwagon include Ungermann-Bass, Inc. and Northern Telecom, Inc., along with Fibercom, Inc. and two foreign vendors, said Frank Dzubeck, president of Communications Network Architects, Inc. On the hot seat LAN vendors are attracted to HP's network management platform because they are feeling pressure from their users to supply a centralized network management system and because HP has credibility as a supporter of the OSI standard, said Vince Barrett, a principal at Ernst & Whinney. ``To be honest, they may be in a position to truly and meaningfully drive an open interface'' because, unlike companies such as Digital Equipment Corp., HP does not have a dominant market position to protect with proprietary protocols, Barrett said. HP spokeswoman Laura Stiff, while refusing to confirm which companies would announce Openview support, said that today, ``You will certainly hear more about support for Openview.'' She mentioned Northern Telecom and 3Com Corp. as likely supporters because both companies have unofficially made their own statements that they intend to support the network management interface. UB confirmed that it has purchased an Openview developers kit from HP. Northern Telecom confirmed that it will integrate its Meridian Data Networking System with Openview. 3Com officials could not be reached for comment. HP will map out a more definitive structure for its OSI-based network management platform, including distributed applications administration, systems operation and the management of multivendor communications equipment, Dzubeck said. The vendor will also set out a schedule for migration of Openview from a proprietary system that manages HP equipment to run on top of Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS, then on OS/2 Presentation Manager, then on Unix, Dzubeck said. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Prime white knight mentio Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: primore Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Prime Computer, Inc. turned down an offer; MAI Basic Four, Inc. turned up the heat; and a possible white knight appeared in the distance as MAI's hostile bid for Prime wound into its third week. Prime's opening move last week surprised no one: It officially rejected the unsolicited $970 million offer from a wholly owned subsidiary of the small Tustin, Calif.-based computer company that only months ago unsuccessfully presented itself to Prime as a candidate for acquisition. Citing outside opinions and hours of deliberation, Prime's board scorned the $20-per-share bid as reflecting neither the company's current intrinsic worth nor its potential value. In addition, since MAI's Nov. 15 proposal, Prime has received ``an unsolicited preliminary inquiry from a third party with respect to a possible negotiated business combination,'' according to Prime's mandated filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As of the filing date early last week, however, Prime and its putative white knight, whose identity Prime declined to disclose, were engaged in no active discussions regarding a combination. Industry speculation centered on Ford Motor Co. as the possible white knight. In addition to being a major Prime user with sufficient financial resources to be believable in the role, Ford could have a particular competitive impetus to buy Prime, said Gene Novacek, computer services director at St. Louis-based Alberici Corp. ``Ever since General Motors bought EDS, I've been waiting for Ford to do something like this,'' he said. White knight John Dexheimer, a principal at Broadview Associates, a merger and acquisitions specialist firm based in Fort Lee, N.J., targeted ``international firms _ both computer vendors and industrial automation firms,'' as the cohorts likely to yield a white knight for Prime. ``Ford much less so,'' Dexheimer said. A Ford spokesman, citing the company's no-comment policy with regard to ongoing plans, was unable to either confirm or deny Ford's interest in Prime. Meanwhile, as Prime urged its shareholders to hang on to their stock, MAI signaled that they might also do well to hang on to their hats: The California company and its chairman, New York investor Bennett LeBow, are not bowing out without a fight. LeBow fired off a formal statement of disappointment with Prime's rejection of ``our fair and fully priced offer'' and turned his attention to Wall Street, which has thus far failed to find a significant amount of substance, synergy or even seriousness in the MAI bid. Today, LeBow is hosting an invitation-only meeting at which he will attempt to make MAI's case to selected analysts. By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Soviets to swamp Sweden w Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: redpcs1 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: STOCKHOLM _ The Soviet Union, reportedly with the approval of U.S. officials, plans to deluge Sweden with inexpensive personal computers. The first units, scheduled for delivery in March, will include an IBM Personal Computer AT compatible selling for about $1,250 and a PC XT compatible for about half that price. The Soviets' shortage of hard Western currency and plentiful supply of cheap labor make these prices possible. Components in the PCs come from Asia and are being assembled at a plant in the Baltic provinces of the Soviet Union, keeping transport costs to Sweden low. Gradually, more of the components are to be produced in the Soviet Union until, ultimately, only the microprocessor will be imported. The Soviet plant will produce 10,000 PCs the first year, with half tagged for export. The Soviets have an agreement with a U.S. company, Incorema, that has reportedly helped them and their business partners avoid breaking U.S. export control laws. By Mats Hedberg, IDG News Service <<<>>> Title : Tariffs feared from telec Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: aust55 Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Hundreds of telecommunications managers met at the bottom of the world last week to iron out a binding policy for international telecommunications standards that may reach into the pockets of U.S.-based companies. The month-long World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference (WATTC) in Melbourne, Australia, is meeting to regulate the world's public and private voice and data networks. Once finalized, the global agreements will be enforced by the United Nations' International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Large U.S. corporations, many of which are fielding WATTC delegates, have worried that European nations will call for the imposition of tariffs on privately held corporate data networks. That would mean millions of dollars in fees paid to European Postal Telegraph and Telephone units, as would requirements to make the same private networks compatible with Open Systems Interconnect. Many of the largest global data networks are based on IBM's Systems Network Architecture. ``The resolutions developed by the ITU hold treaty status through the United Nations,'' said Ken Phillips, chairman of the Committee of Corporate Telecommunications Users, which includes 30 of the largest U.S. firms. Phillips, a telecommunications manager at Citicorp, added, ``You can take an exception to a treaty, but exceptions aren't granted too often. ``The European countries are arguing that telecommunications [over the private networks] amount to services that should be subject to tariffs by governments,'' Phillips explained. ``Enforcing such a structure also implies a knowledge of the content of the data. So there are a number of issues with respect to privacy, intellectual property and copyrights.'' The prospect of changes in the international telecommunications rules clearly frightens many large multinationals. ``The global corporation sits on top of its global network,'' said Howard Anderson, managing director of The Yankee Group in Boston. Anderson met last month with WATTC attendees in Australia. ``The imposition of tariffs on private networks would make them less attractive than public ones and more expensive to operate,'' he added. Citicorp's global network, for example, reaches 70 countries. Keeping tabs A U.S. delegation of 29, including representatives from U.S. companies and government agencies, is monitoring the Australian debates. Among them are delegates from Citicorp, Pacific Telesis Group and the U.S. Department of State. WATTC, which began before Thanksgiving, is scheduled to end by Christmas. Even if tariffs are imposed on private networks, most large multinationals will still prefer their private end-to-end networks over public networks, Anderson said. ``The large MIS guys know they have to plan for things like this eventually,'' Anderson noted. ``It'll just make it harder and more expensive to do business.'' American Express Co. is among the companies monitoring the WATTC meeting with interest. ``We've made our position known to the U.S. delegates,'' said an American Express spokesman in New York. The company did not send anyone to the conference, he said, adding that ``we are always concerned about any changes that would affect our operating conditions worldwide.'' American Express has communications links in 100 countries. By Jean S. Bozman, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Frontline Systems, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micfront Date : Dec 5, 1988 Text: Frontline Systems, Inc. has announced an add-in program for Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 Release 2.0. Using 3-2-1 Gosub, the user can create subprograms consisting of a sequence of 1-2-3 formulas or statements in a column on a spreadsheet, the vendor said. The package is priced at $99.95. Frontline Systems, P.O. Box 7408, San Francisco, Calif. 94120. 800-451-0303. <<<>>> Title : The dark side Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: d12edit Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: T'S HARD TO say which revelation about the virus that attacked the Internet system six weeks ago is more troubling _ the news that the program was badly written or the likelihood that it was planted intentionally. After the virus brought an estimated 6,000 computer systems throughout the country to their knees on Nov. 3, academics and technicians were quick to praise the vicious little program for its elegance and its alleged creator, Robert T. Morris, for his ``brilliance.'' A simple oversight sent the program out of control, worming its way through the nation's Unix systems, they said, a misplaced zero. Could happen to anyone. Now we're not so sure. Scientists who have been reverse-compiling the Internet virus report that the intruder was much smaller and sloppier than originally thought. It contains dead code and circular references and bears evidence of having been lifted in part from other programs. It is also a fraction of the length and complexity that admiring experts had imagined. Some experts now think that the worm was rushed onto the system to begin doing its dirty work before Internet users could install a vaccine that had been posted only a few days earlier. Prior reports had maintained that the program's author had released the virus by accident. This news is troubling on two levels. For one, it is unnerving to think that a network disruption of this magnitude could be caused by a badly designed program. We would much rather chalk up the Internet virus to the work of a brilliant hacker and take comfort in the knowledge that it is not likely to happen again. In fact, indications now point to the opposite. The Unix community was buzzing last week over a bulletin board message that showed how users can run a six-line program that gives them complete control of the password files on some versions of Unix. Who knows what other bugs exist in that and other operating systems? It is also disquieting to think that the program's creator(s) may have rushed it into action to make its disruption that much more severe. Until now, we have preferred to imagine hackers as clever but benign people, bumbling along in the heat of their passion for technology with amiable disregard for the impact of their actions. But evidence is already mounting that hackerism has its dark side. Several copycat break-ins have been reported in recent weeks, including one early this month that forced the Department of Defense to cut the link between its Milnet system and Internet [CW, Dec. 5]. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency responded last week by creating a sort of security SWAT team to respond to Internet emergencies. Clearly, computer site managers are dealing with a more potent force than has been believed. Not only are systems proving to be more vulnerable than many had thought, but the motives of the intruders may be more sinister. The Internet incident and its fallout will ultimately teach a useful lesson, even if it is only that we have been too smug. It can happen to you. <<<>>> Title : Overdone Author : Michael Sanborn Source : CW Comm FileName: sanlet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Concerning ``Virus ravages thousands of systems'' [CW, Nov. 7], it is bad enough to proclaim that thousands of systems were ravaged, a verb that means to visit destructively and violently, but the assertion that between 6,000 and 250,000 were so ravaged is laughable. One conjures visions of moaning, wounded computer systems littering the land, leaking cooling fluids on the scorched tiles of their elevated floorboards. C'mon, guys _ between 6K and 250K is quite a delta. The histrionics of the headline are bad enough in a periodical that purports to be serious, but there is a real danger in this kind of sensational nonsense. It is this: Numerous executives under whose dominion the computer department falls will fall prey to night terrors and cold sweats at the idea that this thing that they don't understand will invade and ravage their computers. This will result in more bureaucratic barriers to productivity cloaked in the guise of computer security, making the jobs of those of us who have to do the work even harder. Michael Sanborn Gloucester Point, Va. <<<>>> Title : Too easygoing Author : Richard A. Katzm Source : CW Comm FileName: katzlet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Your article about the computer viruses [CW, Nov. 7] unfortunately reflects the lack of control over most data processing installations in the U.S. as well as the world. As someone who has 31 years of experience in data processing and who is a certified information systems auditor, I say that anyone who gets zapped with a computer virus deserves it. With only a few changes in operational and developmental procedures, any organization can prevent computer viruses, bombs or whatever other fad becomes popular. Viruses occur because people allow their data processing to be controlled by undisciplined weirdos and wild techies. People who give such a high degree of recognition to user friendliness over controls and compliance auditing are the ones who perpetuate viruses, not the ones who plant them. Leaving the solution of problems and elimination of viruses to philosophical theoreticians will do nothing except create a false sense of security. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw: ``It is too bad that God left data processing to the data processors.'' Richard A. Katzman President and Principal Richard A. Katzman Associates, Inc. New Cumberland, Pa. <<<>>> Title : A good reason Author : Elizabeth Wharto Source : CW Comm FileName: whartlet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: In response to a letter titled ``Who needs race?'' [CW, Nov. 7], it seems to me that many people have a problem recognizing the purpose of organizations catering to the black community or any other ethnic, cultural or minority group. These organizations are not formed to increase or promote segregation. Rather, their purpose is to realize that black people in data processing or any other industry do not have the same amount of networking opportunities and information as their white counterparts and to exist as support groups for these communities. I am sure that Black Data Processing Associates does not require membership based on race, color or creed, but rather on interest and concern for an exclusive minority group. Racism cannot be reduced by ignoring race; race is a reality. Elizabeth Wharton Information Systems Technician Washington, D. C. <<<>>> Title : Mind power Author : Count Darling IV Source : CW Comm FileName: darlet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Regarding your article ``Software design: It's all in your mind'' by Robert Glass [CW, Nov. 7], I feel that this process is exactly why highly advanced artificial intelligence systems will be difficult, if not impossible, to create. The human approach to problem analysis requires converting the problem into an alternate reality and back again. Computers will find it difficult to relate to anything but binary structures. Human consciousness is not structured like the physical universe it deals with. Solutions come from this alternate reality. Where will computers go for their ``alternate reality?'' The article was spot-on. It finally acknowledges the fact that creativity and imagination are fundamental aspects of our industry, not just aberrations to be tolerated. Count Darling IV Data Processing Manager Rally Accessories, Inc. Miami <<<>>> Title : Heroes are breaking MIS m Author : Herbert Halbrech Source : CW Comm FileName: herb2a Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Consider a profile of the information systems executive: a manager highly concerned with growth and numbers _ particularly increasing the size of his budget and staff. This person strives to create a data center capacity that can handle 100% of a company's maximum anticipated needs. To do so, the latest technology is desired, so long as it interfaces with systems the IS executive is comfortable with and understands. To ensure quality and consistency for end users beyond the data center's control, the executive hires a team of in-house software programmers to develop and redevelop authorized programs. This stereotype certainly is common. But in today's business climate, it could turn out to be the worst image for an IS executive to convey. At a time when most corporations are reanalyzing operations and expenses, information systems naturally comes under closer scrutiny. Yet many IS executives still seem preoccupied with empire building. Opposed to efforts to cut back, they claim that any infringement on their turf could be technologically detrimental to the organization. There are executives, however, who have shed the stereotype and become heroes within their companies. They set out to understand the business' basic purpose and financial needs. And they commit themselves to the bottom line by streamlining information systems operations. The difference between heroes and also-rans is that the former see the MIS executive not as a technician but as an investment banker. Thus, capital expended on information systems is an investment in the entire organization, not one department. Here are some benefits of becoming the MIS hero: Heroes in the ranks of MIS reduce staff. No company really needs an information services capability to handle 100% of anticipated maximum need. The savvy IS executive maintains staff and technology to manage the average daily work load. Extra work volume, which may vary depending on projects and needs, can be farmed out more efficiently to any number of firms specializing in a particular area. In many cases, the outside firm can perform the needed tasks at a cost per unit substantially less than what can be done in-house. For example, instead of making a permanent capital investment in data center capacity, consider contracting out work to a facilities management company. The same can be said of internal software development. During the past five years, the growth of the software industry has resulted in better software packages at a lower cost than companies can themselves develop. It will always be necessary for a company to maintain an in-house program design group, but it should be possible to cut back mediocre software development staffers and retain just a small number of highly qualified, high-paid developers. Heroes in MIS become information facilitators. Too often, MIS is an ultraconservative obstacle to acceptance of new technologies. Perhaps because of these traits, many hardware and software companies market their products directly to more adventurous end users. Computer-aided software engineering and front-end software packages are typical examples. The IS executive ought to be the technology quarterback _ the facilitator of the information process _ especially by assisting other parts of the organization in identifying business information needs and selecting the best solutions to meet them. It is critical that the IS executive build and maintain credibility when dealing with functional area managers and issues. This person can make a major contribution in selecting products, for instance, helping managers see through the gloss of a vendor's marketing pitch. Heroes in MIS look to the outside world for solutions to problems. Consider offshore programming and systems design. A growing number of companies have taken to farming such work to other countries, just as in manufacturing. Travelers Insurance does systems design in Ireland, Unisys in India, AT&T in Singapore, Coopers & Lybrand in Argentina and American Airlines in the Bahamas and Santa Domingo. Others outsource operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and even Israel. Companies are finding that many basic information systems functions can be performed quite adequately halfway around the world and at significant savings. These ways of thinking are found in IS managers being identified for advancement today. The bottom line is that only those people who identify with the organization's business goals as a whole will ever make it into the top IS ranks, much less non-IS senior management. And only those who are genuinely committed will succeed there. By Herbert Halbrecht; Halbrecht is president of Halbrecht Associates, Inc., a Stamford, Conn., executive search firm specializing in high-technology areas for American and international companies. <<<>>> Title : You can wait for OS/2 or Author : Amy Wohl Source : CW Comm FileName: 1128wohl Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: For some personal computer users, the holiday season seems more like Halloween than Christmas _ the witching hour approaches. It once again becomes clear that no matter how much power came to the desk top with PCs such as XTs and ATs, users want more. OS/2 and Presentation Manager have raised new, higher expectations for friendly interfaces and multitasking, as well as for more powerful platforms able to support next-generation applications software. Users, especially in large companies, will probably move to the OS/2 platform, but this migratory wave is perhaps as far off as 1991 or '92. So the promise of additional power offered by OS/2 and Presentation Manager hovers on the horizon with its not-yet-finished application software. A few hundred applications are beginning to be ported from DOS to OS/2, but most of them are tools and utilities or boring, workaday packages that would scarcely inspire millions of users to double or triple their current PC investments. Applications that use the more seductive Presentation Manager are still _ except for IBM's own Displaywrite 5/2 _ largely in the future. In the meantime, at least some users have been unwilling to stand still. There is a pent-up demand for multitasking and better interfaces. Into the pause in the marketplace comes a refreshing possibility: Windows! Unlike early OS/2 software, which does not yet take advantage of the newly shipped Presentation Manager interface, applications software for Windows is mainly designed to use its Graphical User Interface. In important application categories like spreadsheets and word processing, the initial Windows products are not only attractive, but their functionality often exceeds that available on conventional DOS platforms. Developers have correctly guessed that customers are still unwilling to go out and buy the substantial upgrades or new machines needed to run OS/2 with Presentation Manager. We have a real ``chicken or the egg'' situation here _ customers are waiting to see software before they buy hardware, and some developers are waiting for customers to invest in hardware before making big investments in software development. Developers seem more confident that customers will make the small extensions to current environments required to get started with Windows. The here and now The delayed inevitability of OS/2 and Presentation Manager raises a few questions that users and their IS management must ponder: What is really available now? There is not a minimum set of OS/2 Presentation Manager software yet, and most users will want to see their favorites (1-2-3, Dbase, Word Perfect) plus at least one thrilling, new application before they're ready to make the change. Users need to keep in touch with the latest information. Developers make commitments, but PC software developers are notoriously bad at estimating when software will actually be available. Update information is important, because it could change your hardware strategy or migration schedule. Graphical user interface environments are nontrivial to develop for, particularly if your development team has little experience in this area. But these skills are transferable, and a team that has done a Macintosh or Windows product should be quicker at writing one for Presentation Manager. If you have to choose something immediately, what should you choose and how? If you need multitasking for existing software applications, you'd do well to choose Quarterdeck's Desqview. It is the easiest and least expensive, and it is available now. If you're looking to use multiple graphical user interface programs as soon as possible you'll choose Windows. If you're looking to move to the OS/2 environment as soon as possible, you'll start investing now in OS/2 Presentation Manager and OS/2-capable machines. Though there will not be much in the way of graphics user interface software, you will be minimizing the future pain of making multiple investments during the migration period. Will you pick Windows now as a permanent replacement for OS/2 Presentation Manager or as just a temporary solution? And just how long is temporary? This question is crucial. Many users will get into Windows thinking of it as a practice run for the real stuff _ that is, Presentation Manager. For some it will be. But lots of organizations will find that successful investments build a big inertial mass _ in software, in training and, more important, in familiarity. Customers may choose to stay with their initial, ``temporary'' choice for much longer than they had originally planned. In the long term, the real answer to Windows versus Presentation Manager is applications software. Whichever environment attracts the best, the most or the single critical piece of applications software will win. We won't know how this market battle will shake out for at least a year, maybe longer. In the meantime, user organizations need to begin to think about the new interfaces, to experiment with them (noting their value) and to make the tough decision of whether to pick one, pick many, pick all _ or just to wait and see. I suspect that while they're doing that, users will also look more closely at other graphical user interface environments, especially the Macintosh platform with its more mature software _ more than 3,000 packages, all with graphical interfaces and high levels of cross-application integration. By Amy Wohl; Wohl is president of Wohl Associates in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and editor of ``The Wohl Report on End-User Computing'' newsletter. <<<>>> Title : Words reap more than prod Author : Michael Killen Source : CW Comm FileName: killen2 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: IBM is perhaps the only vendor that can gain more by announcing its strategy than by actually delivering a product. There is no clearer example of this odd ability than in IBM's presentation and promulgation of Systems Application Architecture (SAA). Nearly two years after its introduction, SAA still represents more long-term promise than actual products. Yet, IBM and MIS are already benefiting from the strategy. SAA is IBM's plan to create standards across its numerous proprietary operating systems. In essence, it provides a framework for development that will allow applications to run consistently on IBM's major systems. The systems identified are those based on MVS/XA, OS/400, VM and OS/2 Extended Edition. IBM has also promised about 20 software products, interfaces and data streams under SAA to facilitate consistency across the designated product families. Each product fits within one of the three SAA elements _ Common Communications Support, Common Programming Interface and Common User Interface. At the time of the announcement in March 1987, IBM promised to produce all the SAA-designated products within two years. Behind the products are larger promises IBM is making to MIS. SAA, according to IBM statements both public and private, will help solve three major problems: reduce the applications backlog, protect MIS investments in existing computer systems and reduce the cost of using IBM systems. Slowly, IBM is producing the designated SAA products. True, the C language is not available on the Application System/400, and the Report Program Generator is not available on OS/2 Extended, MVS/ESA and VM/XA. However, many other products are now available, particularly software and communications interfaces. IBM's promise to help MIS directors reduce their application backlog by improving programmer productivity requires common interfaces and programming tools. MIS investments in existing systems can be substantially protected by providing product direction and a means to use parts of existing systems to build ``enterprise'' and ``cooperative'' processing systems of the future. IBM intends to lower the cost of using computers by providing a common user interface and a common approach to accessing data on disparate systems. Promises to keep During this period of partial products and loud promises, the only real applications backlog reduction from SAA is occurring purely by default. MIS is lowering the applications count by pointing out to management that certain projects on the backlog list require the use of non-SAA or nonstandard IBM software. Once that problem is understood, no one wants to support development for those applications. The SAA announcement alone is also helping MIS managers protect their current systems investments. IBM is identifying which products will be supported under SAA and which will not. Therefore, MIS can invest in IBM products that are useful for the future and reject those that are not. Many managers are concentrating on building their companies' systems around products blessed by SAA coverage. However, IBM is not directly delivering anything to fulfill its promise to protect MIS investments. Until MIS managers actually migrate a particular piece of software from one SAA product family to another or effectively use any of the existing investment to create either a more integrated computer system or a meaningful cooperative processing system, the investment is still in jeopardy. With respect to the goal of reducing the cost of computing, IBM's Presentation Manager makes up most of the SAA Common User Interface. That software module became available _ in a limited fashion _ only at the end of October. Without the availability of the Presentation Manager and the widespread use of products that implement it throughout a company, MIS cannot attain the promised reductions in the cost of users learning and relearning how to work with workstations and applications. The failure to produce the Presentation Manager sooner hinders IBM's ability to deliver on this larger commitment. Although some improvements are visible from IBM's SAA announcement, they are largely because the company is making its long-term strategy apparent, perhaps for the first time. The real benefits of SAA products will not be attained unless MIS refuses to let IBM off the hook. Only by holding the company to its rhetoric will MIS finally see the SAA promises kept. By Michael Killen; Killen is president of Killen & Associates, Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif. He wrote IBM: The Making of the Common View, a Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. book about the development of IBM's Systems Application Architecture. <<<>>> Title : DEC adds servers to mid-r Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: decshort Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: MAYNARD, Mass. _ Hoping to boost its standing in multivendor desktop accounts, Digital Equipment Corp. recently announced the VAX Fileserver 6200 series. Although the products simply combine off-the-shelf hardware and software and give them a new name, analysts praised the move because it enables DEC to transplant its 6200 series into non-DEC workstation environments as file servers. ``DEC realizes that even if the desktop is already owned by Sun or Apollo or somebody else, they can at least control the network. And, generally speaking, the vendor who controls the network controls the account,'' said Terry Shannon, an analyst at Framingham, Mass.-based market research firm International Data Corp. The server, which comes in one- or two-CPU versions, can operate as a stand-alone system or can be added to a Vaxcluster to handle the I/O burden of a workstation network. DEC said it will target the servers at large engineering and university accounts. The single-CPU 6100 version running under the VMS operating system is priced at $269,800, while the dual-CPU 6220 will sell for $370,900, the firm said. The two versions running under the Ultrix system are the single-CPU 6210, which will sell for $233,000, and the dual-CPU 6220, which is set to sell for $329,500. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : The next few steps for M& Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: dodge Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Frank Dodge is president and chief executive officer of McCormack & Dodge Corp., a division of Dun & Bradstreet Corp., and W. W. D. Dowdell is director of research and development at M&D. Dodge cofounded the firm in 1969 and has led the company since. Dowdell came to M&D from Computer Associates International, Inc. He had previously been manager of development systems at Software International Corp. for five years; he was architect of that firm's Masterpiece software series. His R&D work at McCormack & Dodge puts him in charge of new technology, artificial intelligence, distributed systems and development for IBM's Systems Application Architecture (SAA). Dodge and Dowdell were interviewed recently by Computerworld Senior Editor Stanley Gibson. What is the significance of IBM's SAA to McCormack & Dodge and its users? Dodge: When it is available, SAA presents a promise that developers of software will be able to provide products quicker to the user. We'll still have Millennium, however. Dowdell: The vast majority of our research and development people are working on SAA. SAA is one of the enablers for the next generation of software, and without question, SAA will make our lives far easier. The two most important things about SAA are the CPI for communications and an SQL-based relational database. These things will make it possible to distribute an application over multiple machines. Dodge: SAA is slipping out in pieces over a long period of time. When will SAA be available? In five years? So we will evolve Millennium toward SAA. With regard to Millennium, we will probably change the software significantly over the next five years. Cooperative processing and systems integration are two major trends in software. What is your strategy, beyond SAA support, to address them? Dodge: I'd like to stress the importance of Millennium to us. Millennium is the platform, Millennium is the real integrator. Millennium on VAXs provides distributed or cooperative processing already. And Millennium allows you to have the same software in different environments, either with IBM or the VAX. Are you keeping an eye on developments relating to AT&T's Unix and the Open Software Foundation? Dowdell: Either Unix or OS/2 will be the major IBM-compatible environment in the future. I'm making sure M&D can han- dle both. Right now, OS/2 is the most complete SAA implementation. A key will be in managing X Windows, the Macintosh user interface and Presentation Manager so that the business logic of the application remains the same. What about other interfaces, such as New Wave and Open Look? Dowdell: We are not developing for either of those. Are you actively pursuing Macintosh development? Dowdell: It may be inevitable to develop for the Macintosh, but we are demand-driven, so we will wait until demand is there. Some have noted that accounting applications have stabilized. How do you view that market? Dowdell: There is no reason to improve an application unless people demand improvement. That generation of applications has been perfected. SAA can lead to the next generation. What we're going to is an object-oriented application approach. This will allow us to create objects that are views into an SQL database. What should users demand from software? Dowdell: A truly intuitive user interface would help. What about Application System/400 development? You apparently chose the VAX as your mid-range platform. However, it appears that the AS/400 is destined for a large role in IBM's overall strategy. It was conceived as an integral part of SAA. Isn't it inevitable that you develop for it? Dodge: Yes. Dowdell: I should point out that we have more product today on the AS/400 than MSA does, and they have committed to developing for it. Do you mean your programs for the System/38 that run on the AS/400? Dowdell: Yes. Regarding IBM's Application Systems Division _ it was at first viewed as a potential threat to the independent software vendors. It's been over a year since ASD was founded, and we're not hearing much noise about that anymore. Dodge: Their organization is very confusing to most of us. Thus far we haven't seen products coming out of the ASD. However, that doesn't mean they're not being worked on. ASD is also supposed to promote SAA, isn't it? Dowdell: The real glue that holds SAA together is Earl Wheeler. SAA needs applications to fly. Right now, IBM recognizes there is more potential for SAA by supporting software vendors than in IBM writing its own applications. Many software firms, once viewed as highfliers, are now having a hard time turning a profit. Is there a malaise in the software industry, and is M&D avoiding it? Dodge: The reason Cullinet and ADR have had such problems is that IBM entered their market, database management. Their major revenue stream came from database management, and that was shut down overnight. When your revenue stream stops, then your expenses are suddenly out of line. Although D&B does not break out your financial results, could you give some indication of how well M&D is doing? Dodge: The mid-year results in June show revenues up 21% over a year earlier. And we did that without acquisitions. <<<>>> Title : Formtek, DEC ink OEM pact Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hbits1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Formtek, a privately held supplier of software products for technical information management, has signed an OEM agreement with Digital Equipment Corp. under which Formtek will market systems based on DEC's family of Vaxstation and Microvax products. The system will provide for the electronic capture, creation, modification, storage and distribution of engineering drawings and related documents. Irvine, Calif.-based Computer Consoles, Inc. has announced the availability of its entry-level Powerserver 386/1000 systems bundled with its Basic-K language compiler and up to 380M bytes of disk storage. The Basic-K language compiler is compatible with Wang Laboratories, Inc.'s Basic-2, which is used in the development of applications for the Wang 22000, the firm said. Suggested list price for the system is $23,850. Jupiter Technology, Inc. has announced support for IBM's System/36, 38 and Application System/400 series of mid-range computing systems. The Wal- tham, Mass.-based firm said its software emulation of IBM 5250 devices allows asynchronous terminals as well as 5250 terminal clusters to connect to a System/36, 38 or AS/400 via a Jupiter Technology system. Software pricing ranges from $800 to $1,100 per system, according to the company. San Diego, Calif.-based Scientific Computer Systems Corp. has announced the creation of two separate divisions _ one to focus on marketing and developing its SCS-40 supercomputer and the other focused on Vectornet, the company's recently announced high-speed communications product. NCR Corp. recently signed up with the 88Open Consortium, an organization promoting the Motorola, Inc. reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor. The addition brings the membership total to 30. The group was formed earlier this year and includes Data General Corp. and Convergent Technologies, Inc. According to NCR, Richard Herter, its director of hardware engineering located at the organization's facility based in San Diego, will serve on 88Open's board of directors. Pratt & Whitney Corp. plans to hand over $5 million to Digital Equipment Corp. for a five-year service agreement that will cover 150 VAX systems installed at the jet engine manufacturer. The contract, according to the company, includes 24-hour-a-day support, remote diagnostic services and a toll-free hot line. <<<>>> Title : Hospital gets treated to Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: grady1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: ATLANTA _ One year from now, wielding clipboards and pens will be a thing of the past for doctors and nurses at Grady Memorial Hospital here. Instead, they will be using terminals on-line, accessing paperless medical records. A medical information system running on Digital Equipment Corp. VAXs under DEC's Ultrix, a version of AT&T's Unix, has automated many of the hospital's operations and will encompass all departments by 1990. The system, nicknamed Theresa, allows physicians and other hospital staff to enter patient information directly into terminals, eliminating the need for paper records. Once entered, this information makes up a historical database that may be searched by physicians to aid in diagnosing patients' illnesses, as well as by administrators to help manage hospital resources. Consisting of 6 million records, Theresa is the largest clinical aid system in the world, claimed Henry N. Camp, president of Medical Systems Development Corp. (MSDC) in Atlanta, which is the developer of Theresa. Grady is a teaching hospital associated with the Emory School of Medicine at Emory University and is one of the largest hospitals in the U.S., treating 3,000 outpatients a day at its numerous clinics and maintaining a 90% occupany rate of its 1,000 beds. The result is approximately 18,000 movements of medical records a day through the hospital's various departments. ``There's no way paper can keep up with patients,'' claimed H. Kenneth Walker, vice-chief of medicine at Grady. Radiology, pharmacy, medical records, nursing and pediatric operations have been automated to date, and Grady plans to expand the system to encompass all of the hospital's 60 clinical areas by the end of 1989. The system is currently growing by 2 million records per year, and Camp expects that growth to increase to nine million records per year as the remaining areas come on-line. Grady switched from the University of California at Berkeley's 4.2 version of Unix to Ultrix last year, and the hospital is receiving vendor support for the first time since going with Unix. Origin of a system The system has its roots in a research project that began in 1976 by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Emory School of Medicine. The hospital knew it needed a fast, multiuser system that could handle massive text manipulation, said Camp, who was then conducting research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The developers decided on Unix, which at that time was a relatively unknown and unsupported operating system from Bell Laboratories. Unix is often criticized for not being as secure as other environments. But Camp said he finds Unix, when properly handled, as reliable and secure as any other operating system. MSDC has added security and integrity enhancements, such as record-level locking, to Ultrix. DEC has agreed to support modifications to Ultrix by MSDC, Camp said. To further boost integrity of data, users _ including doctors and computer operators _ never have to type a Unix command. Instead, all interaction with the system is done in English, through an English language shell. That way, errors can be avoided, Camp said. When initial research was completed in 1979 and funding ran out, the MSDC was formed to go ahead with the project at Grady and develop a system that could be sold commercially. The system is run on a VAX ``matrix,'' Camp said, borrowing a Grace Hopper term. The matrix consists of five VAX 8550s connected by Ethernet. DEC does not support VAX clusters in an Ultrix environment, so Grady went ahead and built its own equivalent. Unlike a DEC VMS cluster, the matrix cannot share physical disk storage, but any computer can access information transparently from any other in the matrix. Grady will migrate to a VAX cluster when DEC supports that under Ultrix, Camp said. In addition, the hospital is planning to move to graphics-capable terminals from the ASCII terminals it is using today. The newer technology will allow doctors to use windowing to display more than one record at a time on the screen and pointer technology such as a mouse or other devices to enter and retrieve information. Graphics software will enable doctors to pull up diagrams of body organs and, with the click of a mouse or touch of a light pen, indicate a lesion in the lower left lung, for instance, and store that image. During the next year, Grady will transfer its data to write-once read-many optical storage, and by 1990 Camp said the hospital will fill 5G bytes of optical disks per year. The medical information system does not include rule-based expert systems technology. Instead, Theresa is a decision-aiding system. Its knowledge is derived from the actual records of an organization. Where rule-based systems are very structured, Theresa allows flexibility in how the knowledge contained in the database is searched and used. The system's cost to Grady is proprietary, but MSDC will sell the customizable system to other hospitals for several hundreds of thousands of dollars for a module to up to $4 million for a total system. For Grady, the system has already resulted in significant savings and efficienies. For instance, the wait time for the pharmacy to fill a prescription has been reduced to 27 minutes from 90 minutes before the department was automated. In addition, charge capture has improved dramatically, so that the outpatient pharmacy increased reimbursements by $1.3 million last year, and radiology increased billings by $2.5 million. These economies aside, Camp said the system is easily cost-justified on ease of use alone. A doctor's time is costly, and the system saves time for doctors. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : DEC is giving it away Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: deced Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: MAYNARD, Mass. _ Firm in its belief that today's computer science majors are tomorrow's computer systems purchasers, Digital Equipment Corp. has targeted future users with a three-pronged program designed to get its machines into schools. DEC's move to woo the university crowd jibes with similar moves by vendors such as Sun Microsystems, Inc. The first portion of DEC's Education Initiative is called The Campuswide Software License Grant Program [CW Dec. 5]. The program allows schools to use the VMS and Ultrix operating systems and more than 160 software products at no charge. To qualify for the Ultrix license, schools must have their VAX processors enlisted under the AT&T site license agreement for Unix, according to the firm. The plan's second part _ The Education Software Library Program _ is a software maintenance and support program under which an institution establishes a central site that not only acts as a technical support center but manages the purchase, distribution and support of DEC's software. DEC, in turn, supplies software, documentation and updates to the central site and provides added support through a direct telephone link to a DEC software specialist. DEC downplayed the notion that granting users the right to copy a piece of software campuswide will create a problem with pirating software and tracking software licenses. Under the final part of the new initiative, the Campus Service Agreement, DEC will offer a 75% discount on service to educational institutions that perform their own maintenance. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM stacks the deck Author : John L. Berg Source : CW Comm FileName: sftlin5 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Theoretically, each U.S. organization that is a member has one vote in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the ``standard interface'' to the International Standards Organization (ISO), and each country has one vote in the ISO: a neat organization of blocks built on blocks. In fact, both ANSI and the ISO are more like a deck of cards than a solid block. Each consists of many sub-units that manage and develop standards. Fan that deck and you find each subunit in the ANSI process has one vote for each company and, in the ISO, one vote for each country. A company can have as many sub-unit votes and as much influence on any standards as it can afford to buy. Visualize a single standard moving up the approval ladder from an initial ANSI draft specification to an ISO standard. The draft must move through a network of approvals from technical, procedural and related technical committees. The draft's sole task becomes surviving all negative comments. If you wanted to delay a standard's acceptance, you could propose technical objections or attractive alternatives at many points in the process. Successful ANSI standards must then go through a very similar process at the ISO level. ANSI's multinational firms can continue to repeat the same delaying tactics in all their market countries and in all the appropriate ISO subunits in which a firm participates. Still, you might think each country's vote is equal. Think again. One can view standardization as the creation of a negotiated market centered on the standard product and serving all participants' interests. Each one's vote influences the other voters in proportion to its contribution to that market. Experts suggest that the global information market will be $1 trillion in the year 2000, with two-thirds of that in the U.S. ANSI should have a huge influence in standardization. On the other hand, IBM may have 70% of that market and influence. A buyer's nature A market requires buyers and products. Buyers contribute the primal energy: buying power. But historically, they have participated little in standardization activities. Vendors contribute products and access to their existing customer base. The X/Open Consortium began as a joint action by several European vendors to create a market from shared customer bases as large and as attractive to independent software vendors as the IBM market is. The ISO Open Systems Interconnect's success in Europe shows vendors' willingness to share a negotiated market rather than facing IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA). The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) reflects an attempt by over 80 countries to eliminate, among other hindrances to free trade, the use of standards as trade barriers. The GATT signers agree to prefer ISO standards to national standards unless extraordinary reasons prevent doing so. In mainland China, a national standards group means a firm commitment to the standard and, since this new standard will be used throughout the marketplace, users and vendors face reasonably predictable market consequences. Many ISO countries display similar dependence on ISO standards. So how do votes compare at the ISO level? Obviously IBM, with its great research and development facilities, a giant customer base, demonstrated capability to proceed alone, continually growing market control and determination to win, will have immense power in ISO. ANSI, on the other hand, will proceed slowly at the national level, with many delays and compromises watering down its standards. The ANSI voting history will emphasize IBM's influence over its huge home market, while the protection of various niches by smaller vendors will produce fragmented markets and votes. Since a vote by ANSI in ISO is an indefinite commitment, it represents a weak signal about U.S. vendor intent or contribution to the negotiated market. Hardly a strong hand. The major consequences of this reality falls on the U.S. user. For the user in China, it's stud poker with only the hole card hidden. In the U.S., it's draw poker. By John L. Berg; Berg is editor in chief of the technical journal Computer Standards and Interfaces in Long Lake, Minn., and is a member of the steering committee for the International Symposium on Information Technology Standardization. <<<>>> Title : Fujitsu Microsystems of A Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwfujits Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Fujitsu Microsystems of America, Inc. has expanded its family of low-end, Pick Systems' Pick-based business computers. The System 2200/Model 60 is based on Motorola, Inc.'s 68020 processor with a clock rate of 16.67 MHz, the vendor said. The system incorporates 2M bytes of standard random-access memory, expandable to 6M bytes, and can accommodate up to four 139M-byte formatted hard disk drives. Running under Fujitsu's 5.0 Pick operating system, the computer is priced at $19,750. Fujitsu, 3055 Orchard Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95134. 408-434-1160. <<<>>> Title : NCR Corp. has introduced Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwncr Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: NCR Corp. has introduced a point-of-sale (POS) system designed to provide food service operators with uninterrupted customer service. The NCR 2760 Food Service System is targeted at fast food and fine-dining restaurants, as well as food and beverage outlets in hotels, taverns, coffee shops and cafeterias. The system features intelligent POS terminals and an integrated personal computer-based workstation, which are connected on a local-area network configured to switch from primary to backup stations in the event of a nonoperative terminal. The 2760 Food Service System is available with a variety of peripherals and software and is priced from less than $10,000. NCR, 1334 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton, Ohio. 45479. 800-225-5627. <<<>>> Title : A multiuser system that o Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwpoint4 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A multiuser system that operates in a Unix environment has been announced by Point 4 Data Corp. The Mark 386 Series incorporates a 20-MHz Intel Corp. 80386 processor chip and can support up to 17 users, the vendor said. The system can be configured with between 2M and 4M bytes of random-access memory and is available in three versions. Pricing ranges from $9,450 to $11,750, depending on configuration. Point 4, 15442 Del Amo Ave., Tustin, Calif. 92680. 714-259-0777. <<<>>> Title : A data storage server des Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwepochs Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A data storage server designed for technical workstation networks has been announced by Epoch Systems, Inc. The Epoch-1 Infinite Storage Server was developed for departmental mechanical and electrical computer-aided engineering environments and combines magnetic and optical disk drives in hierarchical architectures to provide up to 150G bytes of data storage capacity, the vendor said. Based on the University of California at Berkeley Unix Fast File System, the product incorporates a Winchester disk storage system and is priced from $155,000 to $450,000, depending on configuration. Epoch Systems, 313 Boston Post Road West, Marlboro, Mass. 01752. 617-481-3717. <<<>>> Title : Systems Industries, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwsystem Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Systems Industries, Inc. has introduced a Unix-based portable drive test system for Digital Equipment Corp. computers. SI Asist reportedly allows users to format drives offline and diagnose disk drive and system problems. The unit weighs 25 pounds, and the standard configuration features 2M bytes of random-access memory and a 20M byte 3 -in. hard drive, the vendor said. Scheduled for delivery this month, SI Asist will be priced at less than $30,000. Systems Industries, 560 Cottonwood Drive, Milpitas, Calif. 95035. 408-432-1212. <<<>>> Title : Tandem Computers, Inc. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwtandem Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Tandem Computers, Inc. has announced three memory modules designed for its line of Nonstop VLX systems. The VLX Large Memory modules reportedly improve response time and throughput by increasing main memory capacity up to six times, from 16M bytes to 96M bytes per processor. The modules are available in three sizes _ 16M bytes, 24M bytes and 48M bytes _ and carry a price tag of $54,500, $75,000 and $115,000 per module, respectively, the vendor said. Tandem, Location 4-40, 19191 Vallco Pkwy, Cupertino, Calif. 95014. 408-725-6000. <<<>>> Title : BASF Corp. Information Sy Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwbasfco Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: BASF Corp. Information Systems has announced an IBM 3480-compatible head-cleaning cassette cartridge. The BASF Cleaning Cartridge reportedly takes 45 sec. to cycle and allows the user to perform on-site drive maintenance as required. The cartridges are suitable for 500 cleanings each and are individually priced at $19.50. BASF, Crosby Drive, Bedford, Mass. 01730. 617-271-4064. <<<>>> Title : Unbound, Inc. has introdu Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwunboun Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Unbound, Inc. has introduced a line of disk and tape subsystem products. The Versa-Qube 4000 Series Subsystems reportedly feature a single Motorola, Inc. Q-bus controller interface and high-speed synchronous small computer systems interface operation. The units are offered in configurations ranging from 380M to 4.5G bytes and are available in either tabletop or floor-mount packages. Pricing ranges from $4,595 to $38,860. Unbound, 15235 Springdale St., Huntington Beach, Calif. 92649. 800-862-6863. <<<>>> Title : U.S. Design Corp. has add Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwusdesi Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: U.S. Design Corp. has added two products to its Q-Stor family of storage devices for Digital Equipment Corp. and Sun Microsystems, Inc. computers. The QD storage system is reported to be a two-drive, tabletop enclosure with power supply as well as two small computer systems interface (SCSI) connectors. The QD products start at $3,055 for a 170M-byte configuration and reach $10,700 for 1,520M bytes of magnetic storage. The QS is a four-drive rack-mount unit that features a power supply and two SCSI connectors, the vendor said. The 170M-byte version costs $4,350, and the 3,040M-byte configuration costs $21,995. U.S. Design, 4311 Forbes Blvd, Lanham, Md. 20706. 301-577-2880. <<<>>> Title : Ideassociates, Inc. has a Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwideass Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Ideassociates, Inc. has announced that it has enhanced its Idea 197 line of IBM mid-range terminals to provide full IBM Application System/400 compatibility. The units attach directly to the AS/400, the IBM System/34, 36 and 38 and the IBM 5294 or 5394 controller via twin-axial cable. The enhanced hardware supports a T-connector that allows users to remove a terminal from the twin-axial cable without disrupting its operations, according to the vendor. The terminals also reportedly feature direct support for ASCII serial input devices. Pricing ranges from $1,195 to $1,495. Ideassociates, 29 Dunham Road, Billerica, Mass. 01821. 508-663-6878. <<<>>> Title : A software development pa Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swalycon Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A software development package that reportedly provides an environment for the creation of a 32-bit IBM Personal Computer AT real-time Unix-compatible platform has been introduced by Alycon Corp. According to the vendor, the Regulus-386 Builder is a development kit that is aimed at Intel Corp. 80386-based systems. The software package includes a C compiler, assembler, linker and debugger as well as a proprietary operating system. The Regulus-386 Builder costs $1,500. Alycon, 6888 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, Calif. 92121. 619-587-1155. <<<>>> Title : A development tool that p Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swathena Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A development tool that permits engineers to perform interactive, animated simulations of embedded real-time system designs has been introduced by Athena Systems, Inc. Called Foresight, the graphics-based product was designed to run on a Sun Microsystems, Inc. workstation under Unix with the X Window System and is scheduled for release this month. According to the company, a 10-user license will cost $23,680. Athena Systems, 139 Kifer Court, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086. 408-730-2100. <<<>>> Title : Intellicorp, Inc. has int Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: sdwintel Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Intellicorp, Inc. has introduced an expert-system development training package for use with Sun Microsystems, Inc., Symbolics, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp. Vaxstation machines, as well as Intel Corp. 80386-based processors. Called Keetutor, the package contains two videocassette tapes, training software and five sets of tutorial modules covering the basic features of the company's Knowledge Engineering Environment system. Keetutor costs $5,000. Intellicorp, 1975 El Camino Real W., Mountain View, Calif. 94040. 415-965-5500. <<<>>> Title : DSI Communications, Inc. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swdsicom Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: DSI Communications, Inc. has announced the first commercial release of Ultratools, the company's package for Unix-based systems. Primarily for use by application developers, the integrated software provides interface programming tools for character-based displays, the vendor said. These include menu and form script design capabilities that utilize English-like statements. The package is priced from $299, and is currently available in 286/Xenix, 386/Xenix and VAX/BSD versions. DSI, 333 W. Merrick Road, Valley Stream, N.Y. 11580. 516-872-3535. <<<>>> Title : Tominy, Inc. has ported i Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swtominy Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Tominy, Inc. has ported its Mach 1 application development environment to The Santa Cruz Operation's SCO Xenix operating system. According to the company, this will bring the database management system and application generation capabilities of the Mach 1 to multiuser microcomputers. Mach 1 for multiuser Xenix is priced at $1,500 for one to four users (runtime, $750) and $2,250 for five or more users (runtime, $1,125). Tominy, 4221 Malsbary Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242. 513-984-6605. <<<>>> Title : Telesoft Co. has introduc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swteleso Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Telesoft Co. has introduced the Telegen2 Optimizing Compiler, a second-generation compilation system written entirely in Ada. Designed for Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s Sun-3 workstations, the software is twice as fast as other available Ada compilers and provides extensive range and flow analysis functions, according to the vendor. Scheduled for shipment in the second quarter of 1989, the Telegen2 Optimizing Compiler for Sun-3 workstations will be priced at $7,500, according to Telesoft. Telesoft, 5959 Cornerstone Court W., San Diego, Calif. 92121. 619-457-2700. <<<>>> Title : Micro Focus, Inc. has ann Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swmicrof Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Micro Focus, Inc. has announced its Cobol/2 compiler package for The Santa Cruz Operation's Xenix System V operating system. The compiler was reportedly designed to provide a high-performance business applications platform for Xenix systems based on the Intel Corp. 80386 microprocessor. The package is priced at $3,000, and a runtime-only version is available for $400. Micro Focus, 2465 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303. 415-856-4161. <<<>>> Title : Tesserect Corp. has enhan Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swtesser Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Tesserect Corp. has enhanced its Human Resource Management System (HRMS). Designed to run on IBM and compatible mainframes, the product now operates under IBM's DB2 relational database management system in both CICS and IMS/DC environments, the vendor said. Additional features include an on-line Help function and restart and recovery facilities. The HRMS series is priced from $90,000. Tesseract, P.O. Box 7658, 150 Spear St., 10th Floor, San Francisco, Calif. 94120. 415-543-9320. <<<>>> Title : Sybase, Inc. has announce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swsybase Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Sybase, Inc. has announced the APT Workbench, a set of application productivity tools for designing, prototyping and maintaining forms-based, on-line applications. All components are scheduled to be commercially available on Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s workstations under Unix and Digital Equipment Corp. VAX computers under VMS in the first quarter of 1989. Pricing will range from $9,600 to $76,800, depending on hardware platform and CPU size. Sybase, 6475 Christie Ave., Emeryville, Calif. 94608. 415-596-3500. <<<>>> Title : Xerox Corp. has announced Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swxeroxc Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Xerox Corp. has announced an enhanced version of Analyst, a software package that runs in its Smalltalk-80 environment. The product is used by developers, researchers and end users to analyze large volumes of data, the vendor said. Version 3.0 reportedly offers spreadsheets and forms functions. Analyst 3.0 is priced at $1,995 and runs on Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun-2 and Sun-3 workstations as well as Tektronix, Inc. and Xerox systems. Xerox, 101 Continental Blvd., El Segundo, Calif. 90245. 213-536-7000. <<<>>> Title : A program designed to red Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swadvanc Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A program designed to reduce the amount of time necessary for construction data management requests in an IBM MVS operating environment is now available from Advanced Software Products Group, Inc. ADMS transmits all requests on-line via IBM's TSO and ISPF screens and can print and confirm historical request data, the vendor said. It costs $9,500. Advanced Software Products, Suite 401, 2335 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, Fla. 33940. 800-662-6090. <<<>>> Title : A file management utility Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swdigico Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A file management utility for Digital Equipment Corp. VAX/VMS systems has been introduced by Digi-Com Group, Inc. V-Dir reportedly simplifies VMS file management by allowing users to see files on screen in a directory much as they would appear in an editor. The software runs with DEC's VT100, VT200 and VT300 terminals and will support directory search lists on clustered VAX systems. V-Dir costs $395. Digi-Com, Suite W5E, 420 E. 64th St., New York, N.Y. 10021. 212-308-5981. <<<>>> Title : Davis, Thomas and Associa Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swdavist Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Davis, Thomas and Associates, Inc. has released Version 3.1 of DTA/PRINT, the company's remote print distribution software for access to on-line spooling from CICS applications programs. The latest version of the program supports the IBM DOS/ VSE/SP 4 operating system as well as VM Release 5.0. The base price is $6,000 plus $2,000 for the VM interface. Davis, Thomas and Associates, 550 Waterford Park, 505 N. Country Road 18, Minneapolis, Minn. 55441. 612-591-6100. <<<>>> Title : VM Software, Inc. has ann Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swvmsoft Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: VM Software, Inc. has announced Vmspool Release 2.0 for IBM's VM environment. The latest version reportedly includes a full spool backup and restore facility that allows sites to back up all or selected spool files to tape using a variety of criteria such as file name, file type, data, age and size. It maintains a complete catalog of spool files on tape, according to the vendor. Vmspool 2.0 is priced from $3,250 to $19,250, depending on CPU group. VM Software, 1800 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, Va. 22091. 703-264-8000. <<<>>> Title : We are being slighted Author : Douglas Barney Source : CW Comm FileName: colume Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: As a matter of fact, you are chopped liver. You ought to be distressed by the shabby way PC vendors treat their customers. It's not high prices, the stupid splintering of markets into multiple standards or outright lies that are at issue. No, it's the way these vendors communicate with customers. At the center of this is the preferential treatment given to business news publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Businessweek and sometimes The New York Times, all of which represent the investors who support the stock price. Too often, the publications that represent customers _ who support the vendors' very existence _ are left to play second fiddle. So why is it that so many vendors view investors as more important than customers? Because they are fixated on their own stock holdings and anxious to boost the value by whatever means possible, that's why. And just as often, company executives are obsessed with being quoted in publications their college buddies read. You can't blame the Journal or Businessweek. They're just doing their job and, in most cases, doing it well. You've got to blame the vendors that seem to feel customers can wait for the information that investors need right away. Inner workings Here's how it works. A vendor holds a Monday announcement. User-oriented publications, including Computerworld, are usually forced to work extra hours to scare up the info and attribute it to unnamed sources. Some publications get the story wrong. We check it out thoroughly and merely risk missing a few key points. If it ain't somehow confirmed, it's pitched as a rumor. The business pubs, on the other hand, are often spoon-fed the information and are ready to roll on announcement day or sometimes even before. This happens time and time again. Users lose everytime this happens. CW presents the information in a way that users demand. The technology and its meaning for customers stands out in every story, except on occasions where reporters are so busy tracking down the details that they miss a lot of the meaning. The business pubs chronicle the impact on stock price and earnings per share. They chronicle what it means for the vendor. This not only damages users by making them wait to get the news in the form they prefer, but ultimately we end up giving short shrift to the product. Because of competitive pressures, once the story is out, its news value diminishes. It may still be important, but it will get buried in the back pages and run shorter. What users think, and what the thing does, will simply not be as fleshed out. So remember. Anytime you read an article in the Journal that has the vendor's official blessing and read about the same subject in CW quoting anonymous sources, that vendor is saying something that should be very disturbing. It is saying that you do not matter. Someday, vendors may smarten up and remember that your dollars count a lot more than those of shareholders. Just don't hold your breath. By Douglas Barney; Barney is a Computerworld senior editor, microcomputing. <<<>>> Title : Cheaper PCs are still exp Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cost Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: While PCs may be getting cheaper, the overall cost of using them is not. However, businesses are discovering that their return on investment is paying dividends at an increasing rate, according to recent market data. This finding is cited by Nolan, Norton & Co., a Lexington, Mass.-based research firm that investigated personal computer cost and ownership for Lotus Development Corp. in Cambridge, Mass. The report noted that PC hardware represents less than 10% of ownership costs. The primary cost lies in technical support and service, said Tom Johnson, director of the Nolan Norton Institute, also based in Lexington. Nolan Norton Institute's data indicated that hardware and software account for less than 30% of the direct investment in a PC, while support expenses usually exceed 50% of the cost. The firm also predicted that end-user computing costs will account for 41% of the corporate information services budget by 1990, as compared with 30% in 1986. Highs and lows An average price for a single-user PC in a business organization is $5,000 to $6,000, which includes a no-frills PC, an impact printer, an operating system and a couple of basic software applications. At the high end, a single-user PC costs approximately $7,500 per user, said Mike Lowther, data processing supervisor at Fina Oil & Co. in Dallas. Lowther said the company's costs run higher because it uses IBM Personal System/2 Model 60s, which the company believes can be more productive than the average PC. Jan Duffy, a partner at KPMG Peat Marwick, a Toronto-based research firm, said companies such as Fina could benefit much more by increasing its PC technology investment. ``Purchase quality should be viewed for application usage, not price point,'' Duffy said. ``As you move up to more complex applications and build it into the organizational cost and develop applications as part of the corporate infrastructure, the cost can easily find itself in the $15,000 range'' per year. The two research firms break PC and workstation usage into four categories: single use, multiple use, data use and workstation/architecture use. The single-use category is represented by IBM Personal Computer XTs, ATs and compatibles, which are basically low-power machines used for task automation. This lower technical proficiency level of the PC cost spectrum, which includes hardware, software and support, can cost as little as $4,000 per user per year, should the buyer shop for a bargain. At this level, users are basically automating tasks, such as word processing, and receiving almost no return on their PC investment, according to Duffy. The second level represents multi-user Intel Corp. 80286 or 80386-based machines, with enough power to support two to three users and data communications and database access. This level costs about $6,000 per user per year. Nolan Norton's researchers said that an organization receives a 10% to 20% return on investment at this level. The return represents gains in quantifiable worker productivity, such as time saved on tasks. The third tier is one where an organization begins steering its business operations by using its PC technology, perhaps based on IBM's information center technology model, according to Duffy. This model uses minimal hardware on the PC level but has expanded software, support, communications and access to large mainframe or minicompuer database. At this level, which marks a drastic boost in the PC technology's performance, an organization could derive up to three times the return on investment, Nolan Norton said. The last tier is one where the functional departmental/workstation, which begins reaching the outer realm of the PC envelope and drifts into the workstation level. These machines are represented by high-power, fast-throughput machines, such as an IBM Personal System/2 Model 80 or Digital Equipment Corp. Microvax. They have the potential to support many users or can support their own high-power relational database in a stand-alone configuration. This level of computing also takes the cost per user per year into the $40,000 to $50,000 range, Duffy said. According to Nolan Norton, however, at this level the organization is developing its own technology and using it as an integral part of its business and can yield up to a tenfold return on investment. ``It's not that cut-and-dried to distinguish the price per user,'' said Keither Zimmerman, manager of technology assessment at Coastal Corp. in Houston. ``The question is, can a company do more work with PCs with less people and time?'' he added. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Expert systems on campus Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: first Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Many end users will remember the days when, as students, they spent hours searching library stacks to find obscure bits of information for term papers and other reports. But today's students, at least those at Goucher College in Towson, Md., can quickly find the information they need using an expert system running on an IBM Personal Computer XT. The Biographical Reference Advisor, developed with Wayland, Mass.-based 1st-Class Expert Systems, Inc. software of the same name, enables students to search for biographical information contained in several hundred books. ``The program asks students questions about what kind of information they're looking for on whom and then sends them to the stacks to a good reference book,'' explained Larry Bielawski, Goucher College director of academic computing. Bielawski and a colleague, Robert Lewand, professor of math and computer science, developed the biographical information retrieval system. It was the first expert system that the pair had ever developed. Since then, they have gone on to write several other expert systems for the college and business clients. Musical expert``We developed an expert system in our computer music studio,'' Bielawski said. ``We have a sort of digital synthesis lab for music, and there are a number of different devices in there, so we wrote a diagnostic expert system for that studio.'' The two developers have also created expert systems for Texas Instruments, Inc.'s Industrial Systems Divison and Zenith Data Systems. They are also co-authors of Expert Systems Development, published by QED Information Sciences, Inc. in Boston. All of their work has been done with 1st-Class Expert System, a development package that retails for $495, and 1st-Class' 1st-Class Fusion, a more powerful, professional developer's system, which retails for $1,295. ``We were looking for a tool that was appropriate for nonartificial intelligence specialists _ librarians, faculty members _ who could use expert systems technology either for instruction or research,'' Bielwaski said. The developers found the inductive power of 1st-Class for developing example-based kinds of systems and its ease of use appealing and decided to try it. ``The graphical decision tree in Fusion or 1st-Class is really the basis of understanding how the tool works, how it's used to help people reach decisions or to make decisions for them,'' Bielwaski said. Both development programs run on IBM PC, XT, AT and compatible computers with Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS 2.0 or higher, 256K of random-access memory and at least one drive. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Defensive postures Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: lanvirus Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: The recent epidemic of computer viruses has caused many information services managers to pay closer attention to the security of their local-area networks. LANs are particularly vulnerable to contamination because viruses can enter the systems in several ways: borne by a name-brand or freeware program, left behind by a disgruntled former employee or shot into the system by a customer linked to an electronic data interchange network. Also, end users tend to interact in a more casual, open-handed fashion on personal computer networks than they do on mainframe systems and may not be mindful of proper security procedures. Six months ago, Arthur Young & Co. in San Jose, Calif., found that its network of Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computers had been infected by a virus that entered the system through a shareware program. The rogue program did not damage programs or files on the network, but it consumed memory on the Macintoshes until they could barely function. ``It was a real hassle,'' said Chris Veal, a partner and western regional director of technical development at Arthur Young. ``We had to run a vaccine program and tell people who had offloaded information onto floppies to bring them in so that we could check them out.'' But several MIS managers who oversee PC networks said that ultimately, there is little they can do to stop a determined assailant from injecting a virus into their networks. The best defense is a combination of prevention and detection, Veal said. ``We periodically run antiviral software that checks everyone's computer and makes sure the system is clean,'' he said. ``But if you start talking too much about how secure your system is, it throws out the challenge to someone to try to get in.'' ``Your biggest Achilles' heel is the disgruntled employee who wants to put a virus into your system,'' said MIS Director Bard White at Spaulding Worldwide Sports in Chicopee, Mass. The firm spent nearly a year designing a plan to protect its systems from infection by viruses. ``We have gone to three different levels of protection,'' White explained. ``In the first level, we installed antivirus software on all 120 of our PCs.'' All of the PCs are connected to a mainframe, and about one-third are linked to each other. Routine auditing The second and third levels of protection are founded on software that limits access to the company's mainframe and that routinely audits the files and programs on the mainframe to see whether they have been improperly altered. Last month, National LAN Laboratory, a trade group representing LAN hardware and software vendors based in Reston, Va., issued a set of security guidelines on computer viruses and system reliability that has been endorsed by more than 60 vendors. There are several elements to inoculating a LAN against contamination from a computer virus, according to Del Jones, general manager of the trade group. A security plan should include a provision that imposes a quarantine on new applications and requires that end users first run the applications on an isolated PC before putting them on the LAN, Jones said. Shareware and freeware should be viewed with ``critical skepticism'' and should undergo a longer quarantine period than packaged software, he added. The LAN group recommended other steps: Making backups of original software and storing them off site. Copying system software and data at least once a month. Regularly checking programs on a system for evidence of tampering or unexplained changes. Planning for quick removal of any program from the network that is suspected of being contaminated and for backing up data. ``The LAN group does not endorse the use of vaccine programs primarily because they lead to a false sense of security and do not offer much protection against viruses,'' Jones said. The group also fears that some unscrupulous individuals or firms may be tempted to stimulate demand for their vaccine programs by first unleashing a virus and then selling a cure. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Focal Point gets sharpene Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: focal Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Mediagenic's Focal Point has been enhanced with 50 features designed to help harried executives better plan their daily activities and organize their work. The original Focal Point II, a personal information manager for time and schedule management, is one of the best selling stacks for Apple Computer, Inc.'s Hypercard, which runs on the Macintosh family of computers. Focal Point II, the latest release from Menlo Park, Calif.-based Mediagenic, has been upgraded to include network support, task and project management, a report generator and communications capabilities. The essential features of the original version _ daily appointment book, to-do list and monthly calendar _ have also been enhanced. The program reportedly enables end users to keep track of recurring appointments quickly and easily by simply indicating the time of the appointment and how regularly it occurs. Focal Point II is also said to permit users to set an alarm to remind them of an appointment _ even while working in another application in or out of Hypercard _ and speed-dial frequently used telephone numbers. Focal Point II requires an Apple Macintosh Plus, SE or II with 1M byte of random-access memory and a hard disk drive. The program also requires Apple's Hypercard Version 1.2, which is included, or higher. It has a suggested retail price of approximately $200; current owners can upgrade for $40 until Jan. 31 and for $90 thereafter. <<<>>> Title : Everex launches top perfo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 12revuc Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: In the ongoing battle for 386 supremacy, Everex Systems, Inc.'s Computer Systems Division has unleashed its top gun. Called the Step 386/25, this speed burner is powered by Intel Corp.'s latest processor, the 25-MHz 80386. With zero-wait states and its own Advanced Memory Management Architecture (AMMA) memory-cache controller, the Step 386/25 finished first in our CPU performance trials. Features: The three models of the Everex Step 386/25 differ only in the amount of on-board memory. The starting version has 1M byte of random-access memory and 64K bytes of RAM cache memory and lists for $6,399. Going up a model gives you 4M bytes of memory and boosts the price to $9,799. The top model is loaded with 8M bytes of main memory and 128K bytes of cache memory and lists for $13,889. The Step has the same color and layout as the IBM Personal Computer AT, but its recessed front panel features a speaker switch, an eight-character LED status display, a three-position speed switch and the usual key lock and reset button. There are five half-height bays on the Step 386/25. One standard 1.2M-byte 5-in. drive is included with the system. The system's large internal drive capacity is backed by a 200W power supply. The Step 386/25 comes with a 101-key extended keyboard, with the function keys across the top. The system's main board has six 16-bit AT-style slots, one of which is occupied by the drive controller card; one 8-bit slot; and one proprietary 32-bit slot for the optional memory expansion card. The Step 386/25 uses 256K-byte or 1M-byte single LU line memory modules (SIMM). The main board has sockets for up to eight SIMMs and 16 static-cache memory chips. Everex uses its own memory management system, AMMA, instead of Intel's 82385 cache controller chip. The Step's dual-purpose coprocessor socket accepts the Intel 80387-25 math coprocessor and Everex's Weitek 3167 adapter board. Bundled software includes hard disk diagnostics and utilities, general utilities and Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS 3.3 with GW-Basic. Performance: Excellent. We tested the Everex 386/25 with our standard 386 test suite, with memory cache and disk caching disabled. Our test unit had 4M bytes of RAM on four 1M-byte 100-nsec SIMMs, 64K bytes of cache memory on eight 25-nsec static chips, a 160M-byte Control Data Corp. hard disk and an Everex Enhanced Graphics Adapter video board. In CPU speed, the Step 386/25 earned the highest rating we have ever recorded; disk speed tests turned up the fastest time we have scored. In software throughput tests, the Step 386/25 proved to be just as quick. The Step passed all our software compatibility tests and sailed through our hardware compatibility tests with an IBM Video Graphics Array board, an internal 2,400 bit/sec. modem and an Ethernet network board all functioning properly when installed at the same time. We tried to test the system with an IBM Token-Ring adapter, but we were able to get only an ``OK'' on the board diagnostics. This is attributed to incompatibility between IBM's software and the enhanced small-device interface drive. Documentation: Very good. Everex ships a 178-page spiral-bound users guide with the Step 386/25. There is a complete table of contents and index as well as a chapter for new users. The manual includes an explanation of the AMMA memory cache, plus detailed discussions on setup. Unfortunately, there is no glossary, the troubleshooting section is brief, and the technical specifications page is missing. Setup: Good. Because Everex does not market the Step 386/25 as fully configured, the amount of time it takes to get the system running varies greatly. An outstanding feature is the read-only memory (ROM)-based Setup utility. The system's main board has no DIP switches or jumpers. Configuration changes are handled by another ROM-based utility, the enhanced erasable programmable read-only memory. Adding more memory is fairly simple because of the very accessible SIMM slots. Ease of use: Very good. The Step 386/25 looks and feels like any AT-style computer with several added features. The three-position speed switch al- lows the user to set the CPU clock speed at 8.3, 12.5, or 25 MHz. Alongside the switch are LEDs to confirm the speed setting. The eight-character display on the front panel and the speaker switch are also useful. Serviceability: Good to very good. The Step 386/25 case is solid and well-machined. Our sample unit's main board was clean and generally laid out well. However, removing the main board was not as easy as it could be: One of the mounting screws was located under the hard drive mounting platform. The Step 386/25 has a one-year warranty from the date of purchase. Repairs are handled through dealers or, if necessary, directly through Everex. On-site service is available through a national service company or from dealers. Everex maintains a toll-free number for technical support from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time. Support policies rate as very good. In our many calls to technical support we got through with no delays. The technicians were polite and generally well-informed. Value: Very good. The Step 386/25 has speed, expandability and competitive pricing. The system we tested has a base cost of $9,799 for the machine with 4M bytes of RAM. In addition, the hard drive is $2,399, the EGA card costs $199 and the EGA monitor is $399. <<<>>> Title : Form generation tool feat Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 12revua Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Form Easy, published by Graphics Development International, Inc., allows users to complete forms using existing data sources. The program has the flexibility to import files from various word processors, databases and spreadsheets. You can also import graphics files from Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 and PC Paintbrush and use Form Easy's scanning module to bring in images and do simple editing. Features: Form Easy, Version 3.0B includes 17 sample forms along with eight sample source documents to be used with the tutorial. A macro capability allows the user to embed a command to print a database query onto a form in a batch procedure. This enables the merging of data on to forms directly from DOS or from any database, editing when necessary, and printing on the selected printer. Form Easy requires 512K bytes of memory, IBM PC-DOS 2.0 or higher and a hard disk for the full package. A runtime version can operate on floppies. Color graphics capability is another significant enhancement to earlier versions. Although Form Easy is primarily designed for use with laser printers to take advantage of varying fonts, a dot matrix printer with graphics capability also works. We viewed output on both a Hewlett-Packard Co. laser printer and a nine-pin Epson America, Inc. dot matrix printer. Form Easy is available in a runtime version at $295 for users once forms and relational database files have been defined. The runtime version allows the user to access any saved form, enter the information and print it, but it does not allow modification or creation of forms or databases. Performance: Very good. Form Easy has five operations that can be selected from the main menu: editing a form, filling a form, merging information to a form, changing printer selection and exiting to the operating system. Selection of the edit function allows modification of any of the existing forms as well as creation of new forms of any type. This option gives the user access to all the word processing and form design functions in the package. A significant library of forms can be stored and reused with a minimum of effort. Documentation: Good. Form Easy's documentation comes in a hardcover book with four 5-in. diskettes. It offers a table of contents and index, a 10-page quick reference guide and a 26-page tutorial. Ease of learning: Very good. Any user, regardless of experience with forms software, must have a reasonable understanding of the laser printer and its fonts. Actual installation is accomplished by one command and a response to several prompts. We took about 20 minutes to get going, and novices should be running within an hour. Ease of use: Very good. Form Easy is one of the easiest software packages on the market in which to construct and complete forms. The excellent use of menus and function keys add up to a responsive package. Error handling: Satisfactory. Form Easy has minimal error-handling capabilities; fortunately, there is not much to go wrong. If you lose power or crash, you will lose your work since the last save, but you cannot damage your source data files. Support: Good. The vendor offers a 90-day warranty as well as an extended support program for corporate customers. Support hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time. The technical support section does not have a toll-free number. We made several calls to the Form Easy support services and only once had to leave a message, which was returned within 30 minutes. Value: Very good. Form Easy costs $495 and is a fine addition for those who create, manage and complete forms as well as for those who incorporate graphics and text from various sources into a single document. <<<>>> Title : Removable media pack is Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 12revub Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Tandon Corp.'s Personal Data Pac removable drive subsystems combine the speed and capacity of a removable Winchester hard disk with the reliability of a Bernoulli box. Features: The Tandon Personal Data Pac consists of two pieces: the Data Pac removable media, which includes the drive mechanism and is shock-mounted inside a rugged plastic shell; and the drive receptacle, which contains most of the drive's electronics. By including the drive in the removable media pack, Tandon added reliability, and by splitting the electronics from the drive, the company reduced the cost of the removable media. The system has a capacity of 30M bytes and an average effective access time of 40 msec, according to the vendor. Each Data Pac weighs 2.6 pounds. The Data Pacs were meant to be transported. The case and shock mounting were designed to protect the disk drive from the effects of an 18-in. drop onto a hard floor or a 24-in. fall onto carpeting. In addition, when the Tandon drive parks its heads, it lifts the heads off the surface of the disk. The removable system comes in two forms: The first is the Ad-Pac drive subsystem, a complete package that lets you retrofit your existing desktop computer with the Tandon system. The package consists of the removable Personal Data Pac, one or more external drive receptacles and one of three relocating linking loader (RLL) controller cards: an 8-bit IBM Personal Computer XT, 16-bit PC AT or 16-bit Personal System/2 Micro Channel Architecture card. A cable connects the receptacle cabinet to the controller card. The controllers come standard with a 128K-byte hardware disk cache buffer. The other form is a complete Tandon desktop computer system with built-in Personal Data Pac. Possible configurations include the 8-MHz Tandon Pac 286 or 10-MHz Tandon Pac 286 Plus, both with two receptacles, and the 20-MHz Tandon 386 with one receptacle and a 110M-byte fixed hard disk. Performance: Satisfactory to very good. We evaluated both the Ad-Pac single-drive add-on subsystem and the 10-MHz Pac 286 Plus desktop computer with integral Data Pac drive. Compared with other 10-MHz 286-based systems, the Tandon desktop held its own, earning a good rating for CPU speed. The Tandon disk spins at the same speed as standard fixed disks. Use of RLL recording allows Tandon to put 24 sectors on each track instead of 17. The Tandon earned a satisfactory rating in both sequential access performance and random performance. The Tandon 286 desktop system proved to be compatible with our standard software and hardware test suite, earning a very good score for compatibility. When we first received the Ad-Pac add-on subsystem, we could not get it to work in any system. Tandon replaced our RLL controller board and fixed the problem. The replacement board disables zero-wait state access for read-only memory calls, which some systems cannot handle properly. After we made the change, the board worked well in a variety of systems, earning a good score for hardware compatibility. We had little trouble expanding the desktop computer system. We score expandability as very good. Documentation: Very Good to Excellent. The manual for the Pac 286 contains everything needed to know to install and use the system. The two manuals that come with the Ad-Pac subsystem are comprehensive and clearly written. Setup: Good to very good. Setting up the Ad-Pac subsystem is easy if you follow the instructions in the manual. Setting up the Pac 286 desktop is just a matter of unpacking everything, plugging it together and starting the system. Ease of use: Good. The Data Pacs are simple to use. With system power on, you insert the Data Pac into the empty receptacle until the drive captures it and pulls it home. The drive then starts up automatically. When you command the system to eject the drive, the Data Pac spins down, parks and lifts the heads and pushes the drive so you can pull it out the rest of the way. There is no way to remove a disk without power. The Pac 286 system is a minitower that can sit on your desk. The power switch is on the front, and the reset switch is well protected. Serviceability: Satisfactory to very good. To find out how rugged the Personal Data Pac is, we shipped it around the country by United Parcel Service. We also put a Data Pac in checked luggage for a transcontinental trip and dropped some on the floor a few times. We didn't experience any jolt-related failures. We also had no trouble trading Data Pacs among several drives in different locations. We found it very difficult to take the Ad-Pac drive receptacle apart, but it was well worth the work. The single-printed circuit board uses surface-mount components. The revision H board had a handful of wires and three components tacked onto the board, but the workmanship on the changes was superb. The Pac 286 showed no last-minute changes and was ruggedly built. Both products earn a very good rating for workmanship. The products carry one-year warranties. Support is supplied by your dealer, but we were able to get help directly from Tandon. We score support policies satisfactory. Technical support for the Pac 286 system rates good, with the technicians giving us quick, accurate answers to our questions. Since we had real trouble with the Ad-Pac subsystem, the technical support staff had a chance to demonstrate their strong knowledge of the product. We rate technical support on the Ad Pac subsystem as very good. Value: Satisfactory to very good. The 10-MHz Pac 286 Plus with a two-drive Personal Data Pac subsystem has a list price of $3,199. Remember to add two 30M-byte Data Pacs _ which raises the cost to $3,997 _ a monitor and a display adapter. The result is a bit expensive for a 10-MHz system. We rate the Pac 286 a satisfactory value. The single-drive Ad-Pac subsystem is more of a bargain at $599, plus $399 for a 30M-byte Data Pac. It offers more durable media than the competition, somewhat higher performance and higher storage capacity. We rate the Ad-Pac as a very good value. <<<>>> Title : Tandon Computer Corp. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mictando Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Tandon Computer Corp. has introduced three 16- and 20-MHz Intel Corp. 80386-based systems. The announcements include the Tandon 386/16 Model 40, the 386/20 Model 40 and the 386/20 Model 110. All three systems are reported to be 32-bit, full-size conventional desktop units. Standard features include eight slots, 190W switchable power supply and serial and parallel ports. Pricing for the systems ranges from $4,999 to $7,999. Tandon, 405 Science Drive, Moorpark, Calif. 93021. 805-523-0340. <<<>>> Title : PC Craft, Inc. has expand Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micpccra Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: PC Craft, Inc. has expanded its family of personal computers with the addition of three tower and desktop systems. According to the vendor, the tower PCC 2400/25 runs at 25 MHz with keyboard-selectable speeds of 25, 16 and 8 MHz. It is priced at $3,740. The PCC 2200/16 is reported to be a 16-MHz desktop model based on the Intel Corp. 80386 processor. The unit includes 1M byte of random-access memory, expandable to 16M bytes, and costs $3,385. The PCC 2100/20 is marketed for non-386-specific applications, the vendor said. The IBM Personal Computer AT-compatible base system offers a keyboard-selectable choice of 20-, 16- and 8-MHz speeds and zero- or one-wait state, depending on the speed of the RAM used. It costs $2,200. PC Craft, 530 E. Jamie Ave., La Habra, Calif. 90631. 714-758-8600. <<<>>> Title : National Management Syste Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micnms Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: National Management Systems Ltd. has announced Version 3.2 of its National Sales Manager's Workstation. The latest version can be customized to accept any prospect or client record format and can automatically load prospect files obtained from marketing service organizations, the vendor said. The program also supports any call-record format designated by the user and includes open-ended comment fields with word processing capabilities. A mailing module that tracks response rates of each mailing is also included, the vendor said. National Sales Manager's Workstation Version 3.2 costs $995. National Management Systems, Suite 206, 1945 Old Gallows Road, Vienna, Va. 22180. 703-827-0797. <<<>>> Title : Software Research, Inc. h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micsri Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Software Research, Inc. has announced a new version of its database management system Fastport-DBM 5.0. The software system runs on Convergent Technologies, Inc. Ngen-based products using Convergent's CTOS operating system and on Unisys Corp. B20 and B30 systems. Improved capabilities reportedly include extensions to the built-in programming language and automatic access into ISAM data sets through alternate key paths. It can be used as a personal database system, a generalized report writer or a building block for systems integrators. Fastport-DBM 5.0 is priced from $1,200 for a package including data entry, a report writer, a data dictionary and menu modules. Software Research, Suite 210, 1991 Crocker Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44145. 216-871-3135. <<<>>> Title : Mind Path Technologies, I Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmindp Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Mind Path Technologies, Inc. has begun shipments of Laser-Ready, its desktop publishing package for Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet printers. The software reportedly includes more than 50 soft fonts, a spreadsheet and report utility and a laser toolbox. The product was designed as an easy-to-learn package for producing invoices, overhead transparencies, newsletters and a variety of other documents. An IBM Personal Computer or compatible with graphics capabilities and hard disk is required. Laser-Ready costs $99.95. Mind Path Technologies, Suite 1801, 12700 Park Central Drive, Dallas, Texas 75251. 214-233-9296. <<<>>> Title : Xyquest, Inc. has incorpo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micxyque Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Xyquest, Inc. has incorporated optional menus in its Xywrite III Plus word processing package for IBM Personal Computers and compatible systems. This function, named A La Carte, was designed especially for novice or casual computer users, the company said. The menu interface includes both general and context-sensitive on-screen Help facilities. A La Carte will be a permanent feature of Xywrite III Plus, the vendor said. Current users may obtain the add-on product for $30. Xyquest, 44 Manning Road, Billerica, Mass. 01821. 617-671-0888. <<<>>> Title : Promark Ltd. has announce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micproma Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Promark Ltd. has announced Control Panel, a software utility designed to run on IBM Personal Computers, XTs, ATs, Personal System/2s and compatible systems. The product reportedly provides the user with five different functions, menu services, DOS services, disk services, desktop services and communications support. Control Panel is available in three versions for single, multiuser and network configurations and is priced from $99 to $299. Promark, 6207 Pan American Freeway N.E., Albuquerque, N.M. 87109. 800-321-9916. <<<>>> Title : An OS/2 software program Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micbolts Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: An OS/2 software program from Bolt Systems, Inc. reportedly allows users to install DOS and IBM and Microsoft Corp.'s OS/2 in their computers and then automatically boot the system of their choice. The Multiboot utility program requires DOS 3.0 or higher and runs on IBM Personal Computer ATs, Personal System/2s and compatible systems. The system is priced at $49.95, plus a $3 shipping and handling charge. Bolt Systems, 4340 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Md. 20814. 301-656-7133. <<<>>> Title : Cricket Software, Inc. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: miccrick Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Cricket Software, Inc. has announced a second-generation version of its desktop presentation program for Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh systems. Cricket Presents 2.0 reportedly offers an enhanced templating function and an expanded template library. Color blends and coordinated color palettes have been added, as well as a 220,000-word spelling checker and thesaurus. Release 2.0 costs $495. All registered users of Cricket Presents will receive the upgrade free of charge. Cricket, Great Valley Corporate Center, 40 Valley Stream Pkwy, Malvern, Pa. 19355. 215-251-9890. <<<>>> Title : Magnus Corp. has announce Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swmagnus Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Magnus Corp. has announced the availability of its Magic series of software designed for Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh computers. The bundled series consists of Filemagic, Multimagic and Windowmagic. Filemagic is a startup document that will reportedly speed access to files and folders via extended Open and Save commands. Multimagic allows the configuration of multiple sets of applications and desk accessories, and Windowmagic is said to provide user control of windowing functions. The series is priced at $99 and requires the Macintosh operating system 6.0.2 or higher. Magnus, P.O. Box 744, Mukilteo, Wash. 98275. 206-742-1633. <<<>>> Title : Microsoft Corp. has relea Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micmicro Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Microsoft Corp. has released Learning DOS 2.0, a graphics-oriented interactive training program designed to teach both novice and intermediate users the concepts and tools of its MS-DOS. The program has been updated to support the new commands in MS-DOS 4.0 and offers an extensive on-line quick-reference facility, according to the vendor. Learning MS-DOS 2.0 costs $49.95. Microsoft, 16011 N.E. 36th Way, Box 97017, Redmond, Wash. 206-882-8080. <<<>>> Title : Unisys Corp. has introduc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwunisys Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Unisys Corp. has introduced the UP1000 uninterruptible power supply for personal computers and peripherals. The unit provides at least five minutes of battery power at full load, the vendor said. Measuring 2.3 by 15 by 14.8 in., the device weighs approximately 23 pounds. The UP1000 costs $995. Unisys, P.O. Box 500, Bluebell, Pa. 19424. 800-448-1424. <<<>>> Title : Voice-drive line aids dis Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: prab Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: ST. LOUIS _ Heath/Zenith Educational Systems introduced its Prab Voice Command I vocational workstation at the 1988 American Vocational Association Show last week. The revolutionary system was orginally designed for people with severe upper-body limitations and is intended to enable its user to perform a wide variety of tasks, including manipulating a robotic arm by voice command. The voice-activated workstation, which will cost about $49,000, consists of a Zenith personal computer, a specially designed keyboard, a Prab Command soft-drive robot, a Hewlett-Packard Co. Laserjet printer, a telephone management system and a work cell enclosure with special shelves, work surface and wiring. It also has proprietary hardware and software to change speech into electronic signals and motion control. The end user can operate the PC, the telephone management system and the personal robotic arm _ which can do such tasks as picking up heavy books and inserting floppy disks into drives _ using simple vocal commands. Heath/Zenith is exploring other uses for the system, said Doug Bonham, director of educational marketing and development at Heath/Zenith Educational Systems. Potential applications include teaching voice-control technology in computer centers or robotic labs; computer-aided instruction; data input or control; and voice-controlled security. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Thanks for the modems Author : John R. Purvis Source : CW Comm FileName: purvisco Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Modems, those humble yet useful little communications devices, have done a pretty good job of keeping up with the evolving communications needs of workstation users _ which is more than can be said for communications software. Before we get into that, a brief modem history seems called for. The most fundamental difference in modem design lies in the choice of asynchronous or synchronous technology. Asynchronous communications has its roots in the old, slow, start/ stop-type terminals, such as the teletypewriter, used in the early days of computing. Because of the bursty nature of these early interface devices, start-bits and stop-bits were necessary to distinguish the beginning of each character being transmitted. Thus, for every character of data to be transmitted, three to four overhead bits were sent, for an efficiency rate of 70% _ only 64% if two stop-bits were used. Synchronous modems were designed for higher speed devices that would not require the handling of gaps between data characters. These devices transmit a stream of eight-bit characters without the overhead of start/stop bits. Both asynchronous and synchronous modems have picked up speed and gone down in price in the last few years, so that now both types of devices can support 9.6K bit/sec. over dial-up lines at a cost of approximately $1,000 per modem. This evolution responded to clear market demand, as dumb terminals gave way to IBM PCs with local processing and storage facilities. A speed of 300 bit/sec., while adequate for sending keystrokes from a terminal, was too slow for file transfer. Speed is just one aspect of modems that has changed to meet the market. Another is standardized protocols to ensure that different vendors' devices can communicate. In the last few years, the Consultative Committee on International Telephony and Telegraphy (CCITT) has come up with standards and recommendations covering the gamut of modem-based communications. Some manufacturers have reduced costs or squeezed additional bandwidth out of modems by building asymmetrical modems. These provide a data path in one direction at a rated speed of roughly 4.8K bit/sec. but only a small fraction of that speed in the reverse direction. This may well be a useful way to use available bandwidth _ at least for some applications, such as terminal-to-host communications, that do not require high-speed transmission in both directions at once. However, asymmetric devices add confusion to the marketplace because they lie outside the domain of the existing symmetric standards that provide transfer at 1,200 to 9.6K bit/sec. in each direction, in either a half-duplex or full-duplex mode. For example, the CCITT developed V.32, a standard that uses Trellis encoding to provide reliable synchronous or asynchronous communications over 9.6K bit/sec. dial-up links. However, a few modem vendors have been pushing an alternate, asymmetrical standard, delaying the time when users can count on multivendor interoperability at that speed. Of course, effective standardization must include software as well as hardware. While there are many proprietary and public-domain protocols for file transfer, no established standard exists that defines this process. Out of sync In the asynchronous world, the most widely used protocol seems to be Kermit, which offers the advantages of low user cost and availability on a wide variety of computers. However, not all versions and implementations of Kermit are compatible. While some versions support data rates up to 19.2K bit/sec., most of the asynchronous communications tools, written with 1,200 and 2,400 bit/sec. modems in mind, often slow the newer 9.6K bit/ sec. modems down to the 2,400 to 4.8K bit/sec. range. In the synchronous world, while there is no official standard, IBM set a de facto standard with its 3780 Binary Synchronous Communication protocol. While this is a complex protocol, it is well documented, available for just about any computer and efficiently uses full 9.6K bit/sec. modem speeds. Playing catch-up In the meantime, communications software still needs to catch up with hardware capabilities. For example, software will have to be revised to take advantage of Integrated Services Digital Network's (ISDN) 64K bit/sec. channels and high-performance hardware. The send-a-packet/acknowledge-receipt protocols popular for asynchronous communications, such as Kermit and Xmodem, are highly inefficient for ISDN. The standard's 16K bit/ sec. packet-switched D channel can yield less than 3K bit/sec. throughput because of the packetization interaction. Are we lost forever in the quagmire? No, the day will come when the software catches up with the hardware. In the meantime, the best solution for transferring files at high speed over dial-up lines seems to be the venerable 3780 protocol. By John R. Purvis; Purvis is an assistant professor of computer science at Saint Edward's University in Austin, Texas. <<<>>> Title : Factory analysis easy as Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: lotusgm Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WARREN, Mich. _ Manufacturing firms may be able to use Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 commands for analysis of shop floor data if a Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) interface for the product becomes commercially available. General Motors Corp. and Lotus jointly announced a prototype version of 1-2-3MAP at the auto giant's quarterly Implementor's Forum, held here recently. The 1-2-3 add-on, which Lotus is developing under contract to GM, enables the software package to communicate with ``anything on a MAP network,'' according to Matt Suffoletto, a product manager at Lotus' Industrial Marketing Group. The 1-2-3MAP will enable users to graph and analyze data at a local workstation and then communicate it to supervisory and office systems using the familiar 1-2-3 commands, said Bruce Richardson, vice-president of Advanced Manufacturing Research, Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. For example, during a demonstration of a 1-2-3MAP prototype at the Forum, a Compaq Computer Corp. personal computer, dubbed Factory PC, collected process control data in Lotus' Symphony spreadsheet. It then calculated and charted the data and transferred the results over a MAP network to a second Compaq PC, dubbed Office PC. Also demonstrated was a link to Lotus' Agenda package for categorizing data. ``Lotus is sitting on top of a gold mine,'' Richardson said. The 1-2-3MAP will appeal to both users and cell control and shop floor vendors that want to develop applications for collecting, presenting and analyzing shop floor data, he said. With 1-2-3MAP, it will be possible to present the data graphically, analyze it in rows and columns and load it into a materials resource planning system for real-time scheduling and adjustments, Richardson said. The 1-2-3MAP could give the networking standard a big boost among users, since up until now, there have been few useful applications for MAP, Richardson said. Lotus has not yet decided whether or not to make 1-2-3MAP into a commercial product, a company spokeswoman said. The final GM product is scheduled to ship in early March. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Freed Bells ready network Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: bocserv Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Taking advantage of relaxing regulatory restrictions, several Bell operating and regional holding companies are readying enhanced networking services for next year. In response to Judge Harold Greene's March ruling that they could offer information services, several organizations are readying gateways that will link users on IBM Personal Computers and terminals with commercial information services. US West announced an information gateway that is said to provide users of terminals and IBM PCs with access to a variety of information services, including local shopping, calendar and ticket-ordering services, as well as national information databases, the company said. The gateway will also provide access to international information services through an agreement between US West and New York-based videotex company Minitel USA. Other companies that will help information providers interface with US West's gateway include U.S. Videotel in Houston and AVS Gateway Services, Inc. in Boston. The regional holding company initially plans to offer the service in the Omaha area next fall, moving into other areas at a later date, a spokesman said. New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. is slated to introduce its own information gateway service today in Burlington, Vt., a company spokesman said. The company expects to extend the offering to Eastern Massachusetts in the first quarter of next year, he added. Nynex Corp., Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. and Bell Atlantic Corp. plan to initiate information gateway service trials over the next few months, said Globenet, Inc., an Alexandria, Va.-based carrier that will be providing interexchange services for several of these trials. Linking the country Globenet will provide links between the Bell operating companies' gateways and information providers around the country, since the local carriers are still barred from offering services outside their regions, the vendor said. On another front, Pacific Bell announced that it plans to offer a voice mail service throughout California by 1990. The company will initially target its medium-size-to-large business customers. Trials targeting small businesses and residential markets are planned for next spring in Milpitas and San Pedro, Calif., Pacific Bell said. Customers will be charged either a flat rate or according to usage, depending on the number of mailboxes they use, the carrier said. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Medical center finds savi Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: medical2 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ The Georgetown University Medical Center figures it is saving an average of $600 every time a workstation is moved, thanks to a pair of new local-area networks. What is more, the savings are adding up fast as the center staff can play musical chairs because of various construction projects. In essence, the LANs gave the medical center a cost-effective way to cope with expansion and construction projects without disrupting communications, according to Steven Dutky, director of integration and development in the hospital's Information Systems unit. Dutky estimated that between 12% and 25% of the center's staff was forced to make a move last year, thanks to continual renovations on five buildings and the construction of a sixth. One user had to be moved three times within two months. In order to cope with this forced gypsy lifestyle, the medical center selected a broadband LAN configuration from Mountain View, Calif.-based Sytek, Inc. that places a backbone coaxial cable in the ceiling and provides taps every 50 feet. Moving a workstation requires installing a new drop of 35 to 45 feet of coaxial cable from the ceiling tap to the workstation at a cost of roughly $100 for cable, Dutky said. Conversely, running several hundred feet of twisted-pair wiring from each workstation to the computer room would have cost an average of about $700, he said, depending on the distance. Dutky explained that the center picked coaxial for three reasons: The existing twisted-pair wiring, used for telephones and dictation machines, dates back to the 1930s, is in poor shape and was not systematically installed. Consequently, efficient computer networking would have required a costly, complete rewiring job. The coaxial backbone network is more compact and requires less closet space than twisted-pair wiring. The center wanted broadband's wide bandwidth on coaxial cable to support as many as 40 channels of video communications for future training and medical-imaging applications. The medical center uses Sytek's Localnet 2000 for asynchronous terminal-to-host connections; applications run on five Data General Corp. MV/8000 minicomputers and an IBM 4381. It matches up Dutky said he favored Sytek's Localnet 2000 technology over competing product lines because it provides a high degree of configurability from the host minicomputers. For example, the host can identify individual terminals and control their access to the host files, he said. Sytek's Localnet 6000 product line is used for a second LAN that has five file servers and links about 100 personal computers in the hospital and cancer center. The broadband networks handle a variety of clinical applications such as patient registration and lab reports along with administrative services such as accounts payable and purchase orders. An important side benefit of the two LANs is that they reduce the number of minicomputer ports that must be dedicated to end-user devices because idle users are connected to the LANs but not to the hosts, Dutky said. Installing the LANs, which cut the number of ports from 192 per host to 60, eventually will allow the center to consolidate the number of host processors, he added. ``We did have a main trunk running through an area that was going to be renovated, so we had to run aerial cable with a splice, and we had to mark it very explicitly so the workmen wouldn't demolish it,'' Dutky recalled. ``That's one problem with half-inch coaxial cable _ it looks solid, like a conduit, and there's a tendency for workmen to want to grab hold of it, thinking it will hold their weight.'' Dutky added. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Prime, Dialcom in joint e Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: nubitpac Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Prime Computer, Inc. and British Telecom International's Dialcom, Inc. subsidiary have joined in a cooperative effort to develop, market and support communications systems for electronic messaging and information systems. The first phase will involve joint marketing of Dialcom's Pathfinder system on 50 series superminicomputers from Prime. Phase II covers joint development of a gateway to allow Prime users to access Dialcom's value-added network services. It will complement Prime's X.400-based family of electronic-mail products, now under development. Micom Systems, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. have signed an agreement to provide joint network support for installations that have both Micom data switches and HP computer and communications equipment. This should make it easier to troubleshoot and expedite resolution of network problems, a Micom spokesman said. HP holds a similar pact with Northern Telecom, Inc. Ardent Computer Corp. and Network Computing Devices, Inc. (NCD) have a joint marketing agreement under which Ardent will reference-sell and selectively direct-sell NCD's forthcoming X Window network display station for its Titan supercomputer. The NCD16 Network Display Station will be marketed primarily as a front end for the computational server version of the recently announced Titan. Contel Customer Support will become a value-added reseller of Synoptics, Inc. and Proteon, Inc. equipment. Infotron Systems Corp. is the latest networking vendor to promise support for AT&T's Unified Network Management Architecture platform, which reportedly conforms to the Open Systems Interconnect standard. Infotron said it will interface its own network management systems with AT&T's. The North American MAP/TOP Users Group has released documentation for Manufacturing Automation Protocol and Technical Office Protocol versions 3.0. The specifications are sold as a set costing $300, $200 for group members. For information, call 313-271-1500. AT&T has joined 11 communications firms in an agreement to build the first undersea fiber-optic cable connection between the U.S mainland and Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Colombia. The 2,430-mile trans-Caribbean cable system, to be completed by 1990, will form one segment of a worldwide fiber-optic backbone that includes trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific links. AT&T will own 48% of the bandwidth. <<<>>> Title : Delays may hurt Timeplex Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: timenet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. _ Projected shipping delays of eight or nine months on two key networking products are threatening Timeplex, Inc.'s already precarious position as the No. 1 T1 switch vendor, an industry source said. Timeplex recently announced delayed availability for Link/100, a high-end T1 multiplexer said to support up to 144 T1 circuits, and the Timeview network management system. Both products were originally scheduled for shipment last October. Link/100 is now slated to become available in June or July of next year, according to Timeplex. Timeview will be released in two installments: the less sophisticated Timeview 2000 in the second quarter of 1989; and the ``larger, more complex'' Timeview 4000 by the end of next year. Timeplex' inability to field a high-end T1 multiplexer could turn away potential customers, according to Mara Novak, program director of the Enterprise Network Strategies division at the Gartner Group, Inc. ``I don't think they are even putting Link/100 in contract bids right now,'' she said. According to Gartner, while the firm is still in a strong position, with 38% of the market in 1987 and a projected 36% share this year, it is losing ground to competitors such as Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. and Digital Communications Associates, Inc., both of which have high-end T1 multiplexers shipping now. Timeplex could lose another point or two in 1989, particularly if it is unable to convince customers that it will come through on Link/100, Novak said. Timeplex had originally planned to ship the U.S. version of Link/100 in October and an international version at a later date. However, product testing for the U.S. version took so much time that Timeplex decided to take the extra time to get both versions tested and released simultaneously, company spokesman David Woodall said. Gartner's Novak was skeptical that Timeplex is willingly holding up its U.S. product to wait for an international release ``because they're really getting killed in the U.S.'' Timeplex held off shipping Timeview because it had to go back and develop a ``more advanced user interface'' that would be ``simple to use and modeled the way people intuitively think about network diagnostics,'' Woodall said. Timeplex' announced strategy of opening up Timeview to other vendors' products, through an Open Systems Interconnect-compliant interface, also seems to be suffering from delay. The vendor plans to make interface specifications available to selected vendors around the time that Timeview 4000 is released, Woodall said. ``No point in lining up people to support a product that isn't available,'' he said. Timeplex has not yet decided whether it will make the interface generally available, he added. Novak said that Timeplex's merger with Unisys Corp. may be at least partially responsible for the Timeview put-offs, possibly because the parent company wants its products to be integrated into the network management system. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Cactus Computer, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcactu Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Cactus Computer, Inc. has announced a product that reportedly allows up to 65,025 Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh II machines to communicate over Ethernet or broadband cabling. The Logical Zone Software installs in any Macintosh II system and is divided into 255 separate logical zones that incorporate up to 255 nodes per zone, the vendor said. The software costs $95 per computer and operates with Apple's Ethertalk Board or Cactus' Broadtalk Adapter Board. Cactus, 1120 Metrocrest Drive, Carrollton, Texas 75006. 214-416-0525. <<<>>> Title : Syntrex, Inc. has introdu Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netsyntr Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Syntrex, Inc. has introduced a document management system that was designed to operate within the Banyan Systems, Inc. Virtual Networking Software-based network environment. The Designated Document Manager software package reportedly allows users to store and locate documents and spreadsheets by logical, user-defined descriptive criteria, as opposed to DOS file names. The base system is priced at $995 per network server. Syntrex, 246 Industrial Way W., Eatontown, N.J. 07724. 800-526-2829. <<<>>> Title : Barr Systems, Inc. has en Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netbarrs Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Barr Systems, Inc. has enhanced its Barr/SNA RJE package to permit communications at 128K bit/sec. with two direct-memory access channels. The product was designed to transform an IBM Personal Computer or compatible system into an remote job entry workstation to communicate with a mainframe. Barr/SNA RJE costs $1,590. Barr Systems, Building M, 2830 N.W. 41st St., Gainesville, Fla. 32606. 800-227-7797. <<<>>> Title : A micro-to-mainframe soft Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcambr Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A micro-to-mainframe software link designed specifically for Apple Computer, Inc.'s line of Macintosh computers has been announced by Cambridge Computer Corp. Called the Mac73/78, the product reportedly emulates the Honeywell Bull, Inc. VIP 7200/7300/7800 and HDS series of asynchronous terminals and can be used to connect the Macintosh machines to any Honeywell Bull host system. Mac73/78 costs $295. Cambridge Computer, 80 Mt. Sanford Road, Mt. Carmel, Conn. 06518. 203-288-6004. <<<>>> Title : Winterhalter, Inc. has ex Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netwinte Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Winterhalter, Inc. has expanded its line of Data Talker products with the Data Talker 3270 U/X and the Data Talker 3780 U/X. According to the vendor, the board-level products were designed to allow IBM Personal Computers running the Unix or Xenix operating system to communicate synchronously by IBM 3270 Binary Synchronous Communications (BSC) or Systems Network Architecture and 3780 BSC protocol to mainframes. The Data Talker 3270 U/X can be configured with an Intel Corp. 8088 or 80186 processor with 256K bytes of memory, a synchronous port and up to eight asynchronous ports. It is priced from $2,195. The Data Talker 3780 U/X features a proprietary Batch Command Language and is priced from $1,195. Winterhalter, 3796 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48108. 313-662-2002. <<<>>> Title : Interlan, Inc. has announ Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netinter Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Interlan, Inc. has announced a dual-protocol terminal server that supports Digital Equipment Corp.'s LAT protocol and Interlan's Version 3.0 of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The NTS200 LAT/TCP reportedly supports up to 64 virtual circuits per server. It costs $2,750. Interlan, 155 Swanson Road, Boxboro, Mass. 01710. 508-263-9929. <<<>>> Title : A 1,200 and 300 bit/sec. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netgolds Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A 1,200 and 300 bit/sec. asynchronous modem has been announced by Goldstar Technology, Inc. The GSM1200 operates in half- or full-duplex modes at 1,200 bit/sec. and will automatically accommodate the speed of incoming data transmission, according to the vendor. It is Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. compatible. The GSM1200 costs $119. Goldstar, 1130 E. Arques Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086. 408-737-8575. <<<>>> Title : Even users who see promis Author : Michael Hurwicz Source : CW Comm FileName: isdnlead Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Some corporations, such as Houston-based Tenneco Corp., look at the emerging shape of ISDN and see opportunity beckoning. Others, like Chevron Information Technology Co. (CITC) in San Ramon, Calif., gaze in the same direction and see an interesting idea surrounded by a mass of unanswered questions. Tenneco, which switched more than 2,200 _ almost half _ of its Houston lines to Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) in June, is a contender for the distinction of being the largest ISDN user in the country. On the other hand, although CITC is participating in ISDN trials with Pacific Bell and Northern Telecom, Inc., it has no plans to implement ISDN on a regular basis and expresses doubt about whether the advantages to be derived from the scheme are sufficient to justify a conversion. ISDN, an international standard for transmission of data and digitized voice over phone lines, currently comes in two flavors: Basic Rate Interface and Primary Rate Interface. Basic Rate ISDN was designed to service a single desk top. It offers two digital circuits, referred to as the B channels; each circuit is capable of carrying 64K bit/sec. of digital information, whether data or voice. A third 16K bit/sec. channel _ the D, or signaling, channel _ is used to transmit control information, such as the phone number of the calling party. In the U.S., Primary Rate ISDN offers 1.5M bit/sec. of bandwidth, equivalent to a T1 circuit. That bandwidth is divided into 23 B channels and one D channel, each with the same characteristics as the equivalent Basic Rate channel. Primary Rate ISDN was designed to be used the same ways T1 circuits are currently used _ to carry multiple data and voice channels between private branch exchanges (PBX) or central office switches and, less frequently, to serve as a single high-speed data channel for applications requiring that kind of throughput. Although no single characteristic of ISDN makes it obviously superior to anything else around, the technology offers a number of incremental improvements over other digital transmission technologies. Together, these improvements make ISDN interesting to many users. For instance, ISDN allows users to combine voice and data networks, thus lowering management and maintenance costs. It can also support special services such as ``bandwidth on demand,'' in which users can program the central office switch and change lines, say, from 800 in-WATS to switched 56K bit/ sec. and back again, at will. One factor that can make a great deal of difference in the way an organization sees ISDN is in the technology the firm is currently using for its networks. ISDN offers a much more compelling prospect for a Centrex-based organization like Tenneco than it does for one like CITC, with its significant investment in PBX technology. Most ISDN offerings are currently packaged as Centrex-like services, which means customers with PBX-based networks would have to give up their PBXs in order to make a full commitment to ISDN at this time. Also, PBX vendors currently do not support the Basic Rate Interface, which would allow users to bring ISDN to their desk tops. In addition, ISDN features are now usually available only when users are making calls within an area served by a single central office. This setup is often acceptable to the Centrex user, who frequently hooks up numerous desk tops through a single central office. It is less likely to appeal to PBX users, who may be interested in connecting more widely scattered PBXs. What these users would need to see is tariffed service from the local carrier to the long-distance carrier offering interexchange Primary Rate connections. Such links would allow connections between PBXs with ISDN _ at a price comparable with current T1 technology. Russell Roy, manager of the telecommunications services department at Tenneco, says his company compared ISDN with its existing Centrex service and various PBX-based solutions. Its selection of a central office-based ISDN offering was made purely on the basis of economics and features. Implementing a PBX-based system at Tenneco would have meant buying and installing several PBXs for the firm's widely scattered buildings in Houston, Roy notes. Taking into account maintenance, personnel and space and power facilities requirements for the PBXs, as well as the necessity of providing local-area networking between buildings, Tenneco determined that the central office-based ISDN was a more economic approach. The fact that it happened to be ISDN was ``just the icing,'' Roy says. Although the features were not what sold Tenneco on ISDN, the company has discovered that some of the extras are very useful. For example, Roy notes that ISDN permits a single-line phone to emulate a multiline phone, allowing a user to have one person on hold, one person on the line and simultaneously take a third call or hook up on-line with a host computer or dial-up services. Another feature of Tenneco's central office-based ISDN is keypad-accessed directory service. According to Roy, this reduces the size of the local directory and the number of people calling the operator to get a number. Tenneco has also integrated voice messaging with its ISDN system. The ISDN service offers several advantages over typical Centrex in this application. ISDN users communicate with the central office switch directly over the D channel to control their own voice-messaging features, such as the conditions under which calls will be routed to the voice messaging system. With Centrex, such changes had to be made by central office personnel. Instant info The D channel offers many possibilities that Tenneco says it is interested in exploring. For example, when a prospect calls the marketing department, a personal computer could get the caller's number from the D channel and, based on that number, bring up the name and account information from a database so the salesperson could have that information immediately. CITC is approaching the ISDN evaluation process from a direction that is almost exactly the opposite of Tenneco's. Although the organization is attracted to some of the features of ISDN, a central office solution is not appropriate for its current PBX installations. Steve White, supervisor of communications and workstations in the company's planning and technology department, sees a number of potential advantages for PBX-based ISDN, particularly in the area of terminal connectivity. Today, Chevron typically provides terminal connectivity via leased lines. ``We would like to leverage our investment in the voice network by moving some of the data connectivity onto the voice network,'' White says. One motivation for integrating data and voice, he points out, is to simplify moves and changes for terminals. ``If we could unplug a terminal from an office, walk down the hall and plug it back in, we could save money by avoiding having to send a technician out to punch down a lot of wires _ which is the way data moves are currently handled,'' White notes. ISDN simplifies moves and changes for two reasons: First, it provides switched, rather than dedicated, point-to-point service. Instead of having to rewire in order to move a terminal, one reprograms the switch _ at worst. At best, the ISDN equipment tells the switch about the move, and the change is made automatically or even on an ad hoc basis. Second, each of the B channels can be used for either voice or data at any given time. The change between voice and data is made in software at the switch and can be requested on an ad hoc basis by the terminal equipment via the D channel. Thus a single B channel can conveniently alternate between voice and data, and a pair of B channels can be used for voice and data at the same time. As a result of these two characteristics, a line that is being used for a phone today may be used for a data terminal tomorrow, with no rewiring _ and without giving up the voice line. Today, Chevron cannot do this, White notes, because each terminal, or PC emulating a terminal, is hard-wired to a cluster controller, which, in turn, connects via leased lines to a remote communications controller and then on to the data center, also via leased lines. With ISDN, terminals would connect directly to a PBX, just as phones do. Cluster controllers might be at the data center or colocated with the PBX. In either case, connections from terminals to cluster controllers would be managed by the PBX, eliminating the need to rewire when terminals are moved. Getting the lead out Another possible use for ISDN at Chevron, White says, is for point of sale (POS) terminals in service stations. Currently, POS terminals in Chevron service stations use leased lines to connect to the data center. ``With ISDN,'' White points out, ``I think we could get rid of all those leased lines and use Signaling System Seven [SS7] to set up data calls over switched ISDN lines.'' Call setup is so fast with SS7, he says, that response times for circuit-switched ISDN calls would be similar to those on today's leased lines. Presumably, occasional dial-up connections from POS terminals would be less expensive than leased-line connections that are provided 24 hours a day, even though they may only be used sporadically. The fact that Pacific Bell is offering ISDN as a Centrex service is, however, a major impediment as far as CITC is concerned. ``We are a PBX-based company,'' White points out. ``We do not use Centrex. And we don't see giving up our PBX base just to get ISDN features.'' Chevron _ if it were to use ISDN at all _ would provide Basic Rate ISDN to desk tops from its own PBXs and lease Primary Rate ISDN lines to connect PBXs at various locations, White says. That is the architecture the company is now evaluating in the trial with Northern Telecom. Pacific Bell is providing 50 Basic Rate ISDN lines from a Northern Telecom DMS-100 CO switch. The ISDN lines, White says, are being used mainly to replace private lines connecting terminals and PCs to host computers located in four separate buildings. Chevron currently has two nationwide private-line networks, one for data and one for voice. The other trial, with Northern Telecom, is testing connections between two Northern Telecom SL-1 PBXs using Primary Rate ISDN. White has no comment on the status of that trial except to say, ``It's moving along.'' He does note that Northern Telecom has similar connections working at other customer sites. As with the Pacific Bell site, he notes, ``It is up, and it works. ``We will wait and see how it works, and then make plans,'' he explains, noting that he does not expect to have gathered enough information for at least a year. ISDN might be an easier sell with PBX users like Chevron if PBX vendors supported ISDN. They would also like to see interexchange Primary Rate ISDN service made available locally. According to Tom Nolle, president of CIMI Corp. in Haddonfield, N.J., a technology assessment company that has studied ISDN for four years, this type of service should become available around the second quarter of 1989 and will continue to become more widely available throughout the rest of next year. Still, even if the issue of Primary Rate interexchange service was resolved, it is not at all certain that CITC would be an instant convert. As White makes clear, there is a great deal of difference between investigating something on a trial basis and committing to it for day-to-day use. ``We have no intention of implementing anything on a production basis,'' he says. ``We're involved in the trials to make sure we're staying current with what's happening and to give input to vendors. Our fear was that if we didn't get involved at all, a year from now we would have to start from scratch. ``ISDN has to be able to save us money and make the network easier to manage,'' White maintains. If ISDN cannot prove itself on those points, he says, Chevron will continue to use current digital networking technologies, such as T1. Still unknown Right now, price and availability are two of the great unknowns when it comes to ISDN. As Nolle observes, most corporations don't need to worry about going out and buying ISDN tomorrow, because it will not be available tomorrow. ISDN tariffs have only been filed in a few metropolitan areas. Interexchange Primary Rate service is currently not commercially available. ``If we are going to use ISDN for POS,'' White says, ``it has to be ubiquitous in areas where we have Chevron stations. That will probably not be the case for at least two years. That is what we are going to have to be gearing toward.'' As for prices, not only is the ``right price'' not available, but in almost every case, no firm prices at all exist for ISDN services. Current ISDN tariffs are almost always specific to a particular customer, notes Chuck Kanupke, vice-president of marketing at Teleos Communications, Inc., which manufactures an ISDN terminal adapter for PCs. There is no guarantee that anyone else could get the same tariff, he notes. In addition, these tariffs are incomplete. For instance, Nolle says, commercial interexchange ISDN tariffs are not yet available. ``We don't know what tariffs are going to be to go across the country with ISDN,'' White says. ``So far, we have seen tariffed Centrex ISDN services. We would be interested in tariffs for Primary Rate ISDN to provide a backbone for a network of PBXs. It is unclear what is going to fall out there. Even on the POS terminals, if you were making a POS data call, it is unclear what the tariff will be. Will there be any WATS kinds of tariffs, for example? No one knows.'' However, if current tariffs for Centrex-based ISDN are indicative of future pricing trends, ISDN may be competitive with alternative services. For instance, Roy reports that ISDN is working out well for Tenneco financially. ``The operating lease for our station equipment is less than the lease for station equipment for the 1A2 key equipment that preceded it,'' Roy explains. As far as line costs go, he says an ISDN line costs only about a dollar a month more than an analog line and provides twice the capacity. White says many of Chevron's equipment vendors do not provide ISDN compatibility today but are sure to do so eventually. He adds that support for ISDN from multiple vendors has two attractions for Chevron. First, it offers the flexibility to use many different types of equipment with a single transmission system. For instance, Chevron could use a POS terminal at one location and a PC with an ISDN terminal adapter at another. Second, CITC hopes ISDN will make it easier to manage all those resources from a central point, because it provides a common signaling system that all the equipment understands. Tenneco's Roy also sees equipment standardization as one of the major benefits of ISDN. For example, he notes, many vendors build station equipment compatible with his ISDN system. Thus, Tenneco did not have to look to just one vendor for solutions, as might have been the case with digital phones for a PBX. Not here yet For the moment, however, ISDN-compatible equipment is hardly ubiquitous. For instance, many of Tenneco's other hardware vendors do not yet support it. ``There isn't enough customer base to warrant bringing all those products to market,'' Roy observes. In the meantime, various strategies are available to integrate non-ISDN equipment into an ISDN system. For instance, the Octel Communications Corp. Maxim voice messaging system used by Tenneco communicates via an RS-232 interface with a 3B minicomputer, which in turn forwards information to the central office switch over the D channel of its ISDN interface. White says Chevron's POS vendors are unlikely to support ISDN in the immediate future. Thus, in order to implement an ISDN-based POS strategy, Chevron would have to get X.25 or asynchronous interface boards for its bisynchronous POS terminals. White says Chevron is starting to ask its POS terminal vendors about such interfaces. He points out that the bisynchronous protocol would not be optimal in the switched ISDN environment because it is designed with the assumption that terminals can be continuously polled by the host. White adds that even if Chevron were to make the decision to use ISDN for POS, it could take up to a year to modify custom-written applications on the host, which now depend on the bisyncronous protocol. If Chevron did opt for an ISDN solution, external terminal adapters could connect the X.25 or asynchronous output of the terminal to the ISDN Basic Rate line. In a location with a few terminals and a small PBX, White says, Chevron might put terminal adapters with X.25 on the terminals and concentrate all the terminal traffic into a packet handler. All the data and voice traffic could be handled by one ISDN trunk, thus eliminating leased lines and the need for modems and remote cluster controllers at that site. Advantages would include simpler management, maintenance and problem determination, White says. Whether certain types of ISDN services will ever be offered is another question. Roy, for example, says Tenneco might extend its ISDN network beyond the local area if carriers offer usage-sensitive tariffs similar to those currently offered for software-defined networks. There are also a number of technical problems with ISDN. As White notes, ``They are all solvable. But they are not all solved.'' One such problem is the lack of one consistent set of problem determination tools. ``We do not have a good set of problem determination tools that can be used from a central site,'' White says. ``One of the reasons we are in the trials is to work on that aspect of ISDN.'' Another problem is the lack of support for ISDN in certain key types of equipment. ``We'd like to see IBM come to the table,'' White says. IBM has offered an ISDN terminal adapter that is Netview-compatible, he says, and interfaces IBM hosts to the ISDN network. Unfortunately, he observes, it doesn't work on the switch currently used by Chevron's central office. Some Big Blue spice ``I could sell ISDN in Chevron a lot more easily if IBM offered different flavors of terminal adapters that supported all their terminals, all managed under the Netview umbrella,'' White says. The 64K bit/sec. speed of ISDN may be a thorn in the technology's side, too, depending on the application. ``We see a lot of our clients going toward local-area networks,'' White says. That means they require more bandwidth than the Basic Rate Interface provides, he notes. ``ISDN is certainly no replacement for a LAN,'' he asserts. ``For virtual disk activity, I don't know that 64K bit/sec. is acceptable.'' White adds that virtual disk activities will become more important as closer linkups are developed between mainframes and PCs. ``We are going to need more and more bandwidth between PCs and mainframes,'' he observes. Primary Rate to the desk top could theoretically provide that capability, but White says he believes it would take a new generation of PBXs or central office switches to support that kind of bandwidth to large numbers of desk tops. On the other hand, Roy notes that 64K bit/sec. is not only adequate but excessive for some applications. Hooking up to a modem pool that, in turn, connects to the outside world at 2.4K bit/sec. does not make use of most of that 64K bit/sec. capacity, he points out. On the other hand, he says, 64K bit/ sec. is preferable for applications such as file transfer or transfer of image data such as facsimile; thus, ISDN users will probably want to have lower and higher speed interfaces to the PC. White is also concerned about distances from Chevron service stations to ISDN central offices and the potential noise, attenuation and distortion problems. The U interface specification for ISDN _ the standard ISDN user interface _prescribes a maximum of 18,000 feet from the customer site to the central office, and a lot of Chevron service stations are farther from the central office than that, White says. Clean up their act Even within that distance, White says he wonders whether the divested Bell operating companies have pairs clean enough to run ISDN. Impulse noise, cross talk and bridge taps can all cause problems for the high-speed ISDN digital signal. Much of this depends on various random factors affecting the ability of telephone lines to transmit digital signals cleanly and clearly, such as what other signals are going through the lines and the presence of loading coils and bridge taps. ``I think there is going to be a lot of work on part of the operating companies to clean their outside plant,'' he says, noting that in some cases, the divested Bell operating companies may not be able to get a clean pair from point A to point B. ``There may be other pairs in the same cable sheaths that are noisy,'' he says. While the noise may not cause any problems for voice signals, it may prove fatal to high-speed digital signals. White speaks from personal experience. ``My house is a mile from the central office,'' he says. ``They have spent more than a month trying to figure out how to get ISDN into my house. They're still working on it.'' Roy, however, says that Tenneco did not have a problem with dirty pairs. All of its sites are within the U interface specifications, and loop tests were all well within ISDN specifications, he says. Future understanding With all the pros and cons, problems and uncertainties surrounding ISDN, what should companies be doing today to prepare for ISDN in the future? The major thing, Roy says, is to understand the service, the technology and its application to business requirements. ``You need to know how ISDN can be configured to be most cost-effective for your business applications,'' he explains. ``For example, `What features and functions do I want to provide the end user?' '' There are many alternatives, he points out, and it is possible to err by giving the user too much or too little. Nolle agrees: ``The question is how to get most bang for the buck in the ISDN environment. Try to determine when you will reach a decision point. Identify your major vendors, and find out what their ISDN commitments are. Then make an assessment based on current ISDN economics.'' By Michael Hurwicz; Hurwicz is president of the MTI Group, a data communications consulting firm in Nashville. <<<>>> Title : Cost is the key Author : Bruce Page Source : CW Comm FileName: pagsid Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Many firms find it hard to think about ISDN as a real possibility while the cost column still has so many blanks. It is nearly impossible, managers contend, to plan for ISDN when prices in the two main expense areas related to it _ equipment and the actual communications tariffs _ can still be termed ``experimental.'' ``There has been no formal pricing schedule put out'' by the regional holding companies, says Gary Scroggs, manager of network operations at Seafirst Bank in Seattle, ``so there's no way I can put down an ISDN budget for my bank. Possibly in 1991 . . . but not today.'' Furthermore, managers must wrestle with the cost issues attached to converting applications to work with ISDN's enhanced communications capabilities. Not only is this potentially one of the biggest cost areas associated with it, but it is also among the hardest to gauge. ``Although some parts of ISDN may be here today, there isn't anything that addresses the use of older applications,'' says Nick Giordano, manager of Integrated Network Management Services at Pennsylvania's Bureau of Telecommunications. ``Large agencies,'' he adds, ``have a huge investment in older applications.'' One way of approaching ISDN is through investment in equipment that can both serve immediate needs and act as a jumping-off point for the subsequent shift to ISDN. T1 technology offers that alternative, and multiplexer vendors such as Digital Communications Associates, Inc., Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. and Timeplex, Inc. have assured customers that their T1 hardware, which uses the same 1.5M bit/sec. transmission rate as ISDN's Primary Rate (but a different signaling protocol) can be upgraded when necessary. Dun & Bradstreet Corp. is one organization for which the T1-to-ISDN route seems to make good short- and long-term economic sense. ISDN conversion certainly figured heavily into the company's decision to convert its leased network from a 56K bit/sec. backbone to 1.5M bit/sec. T1 service. According to Rashid Karachiwala, director of network development at Dunsnet, the Wilton, Conn., subsidiary that manages D&B's worldwide network, the company wants ``to be prepared for ISDN when it becomes available.'' By Bruce Page; Page is president of Magnetic Press, Inc., a New York-based research firm specializing in communications technologies. <<<>>> Title : CPE: Where the similariti Author : Paul Kirvan Source : CW Comm FileName: cpeside Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Now that Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) has achieved real-world status, it's time for people to prepare for up-close-and-personal contact with the technology. The confrontation should not be too jarring because equipment that has been available for the past four years has done much to pave the way for ISDN. A classic example of this is the T1 multiplexer. T1 multiplexers, which are also known as ``smart'' multiplexers, dynamically allocate bandwidth available from a DS1 circuit. You can use the same circuit for voice, data, facsimile and image applications. Many of you have successfully used this technology in your networks. Your networks already operate, if the truth be told, like an ISDN. Another example of forerunner equipment is digital access and cross-connected systems. These systems also permit effective switching, manipulation and management of T1 bandwidth. Then there are private branch exchanges (PBX). Certain ISDN features have been available on digital PBXs for years, including simultaneous voice and data over shared wires and a single switching network for both voice and digital data calls. Incoming call detail is available today from practically every digital PBX on the market. Multibutton phones will access numerous features via a single button, and users will be able to program feature buttons as needed. You will be able to unplug a phone and move it to another outlet; the system will automatically reconfigure itself in the new location. Most familiar features, as well as new ones, will be available. ISDN's sponsors want it to be all things to all people, particularly in data communications. Both circuit switching and packet switching are provided. Data rates from 50K to 64K bit/sec. are supported on a B channel. Depending on the type of service, a D channel can transport data at up to 16K bit/sec. (Basic Rate) or 64K bit/sec. (Primary Rate). Higher capacity H channels can support applications such as video and computer-aided design and manufacturing. Future broadband-based ISDNs will support millions of bits per second throughput, similar to the performance of today's local-area networks. So there are some definite similarities between available technology and ISDN. But there are also some big differences that must be factored in as firms grapple with the questions of whether they need ISDN and whether they can afford it: Scope. The examples mentioned above are customer-premise services, available only at the system level. ISDN will be available universally, just as dial tone is today. The big questions are: Do you need it? and Can you afford it? Switched service. ISDN is a switched service. Most of our current networks are built on dedicated transmission circuits, such as T1. The goal is to develop worldwide switched digital networks, all of which interwork with each other and make resources available on an as-needed basis. Protocols and interfaces. ISDN signaling is performed over a separate channel, called out-of-band signaling. The signaling protocol for this important element is Signaling System 7 (SS7), defined by the CCITT. The rapid and widespread deployment of SS7 is critical for ISDN success because SS7 distributes ISDN network intelligence to all elements in the network. Similarly, acceptance of the various ISDN interfaces by manufacturers is necessary for ISDN to be viable. Case in point A case in point is the U interface, probably the most important customer-premises equipment standard right now. This two-wire specification defines how customer premises equipment connects to the ISDN. A necessary complement to the U interface is Network Termination 1 (NT1), which terminates the ISDN channel on a customer's premises. Unfortunately, most of the currently available U interface chips do not conform to the ANSI standard. This means the NT1 being installed today will have to be replaced in two or three years. The tab for this could run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for large companies. ISDN gets its biggest boost from central office equipment suppliers, primarily AT&T Network Systems, Northern Telecom, Inc., GTE Communications Systems and Siemens Information Systems, Inc. They have invested heavily in developing ISDN capabilities for their systems, realizing that ISDN acceptance will have a major impact on future revenue. To that end, central office equipment suppliers sponsor ISDN trials and provide the necessary stimulus for CPE manufacturers. So far, the trials have been positive, but only the ISDN subscriber interface is being tested. Unfortunately, that is not the ANSI specification that will eventually be used with ``real'' ISDN. ISDN premises equipment has already taken several familiar forms. Station terminals, referred to as TE1 in the CCITT I-Series Recommendations, have begun to appear with some frequency in the last few months. Both AT&T and Northern Telecom, for example, have ISDN terminals that work off 5ESS/System 85 and DMS-100/SL-1 systems, respectively. You get what you pay for The prices for this equipment are slightly higher than those of comparable models. But, of course, you get more from each device. Steve Cunningham, Northern Telecom's director of Meridian Systems Marketing, cautions users to be careful about making apples-and-oranges comparisons. ``If your needs are strictly for a 2500-type set, the cost difference between the real thing and an ISDN counterpart could be significant,'' he says. ``But as you start talking about feature-rich terminals, you can expect the price gap to narrow quickly.'' Other CPE manufacturers have been announcing ISDN station equipment or PBX interfaces that implement the ISDN-defined subscriber interfaces. However, the cost of this equipment remains higher than the optimum price range for mass-market penetration. ISDN station equipment typically costs between $600 and $1,000 per set, including the TE1 and NT1 components needed for Basic Rate service. For now, those prices are comparable to the per-line cost for a fully configured digital PBX system, but most experts predict that ISDN prices will decline dramatically with competition and volume manufacturing over the next few years. Look for a basic ISDN station to cost from $100 to $150, including the NT1. With regard to network services, telephone companies are currently pricing ISDN Basic Rate subscriber lines at about 1 to two times that of standard business lines. However, digital technology and switched network access should significantly reduce costs over time. Hopefully, these savings will be passed on to subscribers. Numerous vendors have announced they will manufacture ISDN subscriber interface components. As equipment becomes available, cost and practicality become the issues. But until bona fide ISDN CPE interfaces are deployed, we will continue to have market confusion. By the way, be careful of companies that stamp ``ISDN'' on their products. Make sure they are really compatible with ISDN. By Paul Kirvan; Kirvan is head of Paul Kirvan & Associates, a Turnersville, N.J.-based consulting and technical services firm specializing in voice and data communications. <<<>>> Title : School takes ISDN course Author : Jeffrey Neil Fri Source : CW Comm FileName: userside Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: At West Virginia University, we are going through the necessary but nearsighted phase of discovering how ISDN can duplicate, in a somewhat better fashion, the current telecommunications applications on campus. Within the next 12 to 24 months, we hope to stop asking, How can we perform this function with ISDN? and start asking, What can ISDN do for us that is not presently being done? WVU consists of three campuses within a two-mile radius served by two central offices. Included are a law college; a medical college with a related hospital; and diverse colleges for studies ranging from engineering to journalism. Data is heavily used on campus. Offices and classrooms contain everything from terminals to personal computers to minicomputers. Ethernet and Token-Ring, analog modem lines and a central office local-area network are the most common data paths on campus. A campuswide Ethernet backbone is planned, but the funding is not yet in place for such a massive proposition. As a result, most of the LANs exist within buildings but do not interconnect. In the central office LAN, which has been in service since 1987, the university was able to get a foretaste of ISDN, which did not arrive until this year. A central office LAN is one run over Centrex lines from the telephone company's central office; it is a precursor to ISDN. Like ISDN, it offers simultaneous voice and data over a single telephone line. Data can be either synchronous or asynchronous at speeds up to 19.2K bit/sec. ISDN made its appearance at WVU Aug. 15, 1988, three years after the order for it was placed and just over a year past the expected date of installation. We started small, with just 12 lines that were cut to the ISDN Applications Laboratory. The lab, a cooperative venture between WVU and Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. of West Virginia, develops ISDN applications, evaluates customer-premise equipment and showcases on-campus implementations. Since August, several more lines have been brought up at various test points around campus, but we are proceeding slowly in order to guarantee that the service is distributed wisely. WVU is a divided camp. Faculty members are heavy asynchronous users and tend to direct their data to the Digital Equipment Corp. VAX systems. Since ISDN lends itself well to asynchronous solutions, these will be among the first groups to migrate to ISDN. The administration, on the other hand, is primarily made up of synchronous users. These are the heavy-duty IBM and Unisys Corp. mainframe people. Theirs is not an easy a path to ISDN. Vendors that support synchronous ISDN solutions would like us to throw out the controllers and run the ISDN line back to their front-end processors. That would, they say, eliminate the cost of terminal moves. Sounds nice, except that controllers are dirt-cheap and the same is not true of ISDN synchronous CPE. Each terminal requires ISDN coaxial elimination devices costing in excess of a thousand dollars. Right now, the ISDN data traffic is mostly directed to the West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET). WVNET is a state-run computing center used by the Board of Regents and the higher educational facilities throughout the state. WVNET operates two IBM 3081 mainframes, a Unisys mainframe and several VAXs. Most data now arrives at WVNET via modems operating at 1,200 bit/sec. By eliminating the modems and the need for a second analog line, ISDN will reduce telecom costs and provide better service. ISDN is like unformed clay. There are many ways it can be molded to serve the university's telecommunication needs. It offers significant communications tools well suited for campus use such as high-speed file transfers, slow-scan video and computer conferencing. Impromptu LANs or wide-area networks can be formed via ISDN. ISDN can either be a LAN itself or serve as a LAN bridge for Ethernet or Token-Ring. ISDN-compatible software is already available that allows messages, electronic mail, remote control operation and file transfers between PCs. This software can work in the background while the user works in the foreground. The user can be knee-deep in a Lotus Development Corp. 1-2-3 spreadsheet and receive an alert that urgently needed data is about to come his way or, even better, is already there without any action on his part. Sharing the screen But with appropriate hardware and software, the ISDN network can do more than just share printers and transfer files. A technique called screen sharing will allow users at different locations to see and work on each other's screens in real time. At present, this is a somewhat limited feature, because ISDN is implemented in an ``island'' approach. Simply stated, that means each central office is its own ISDN network. An ISDN user in San Francisco cannot currently interconnect ISDN features with a user in Baltimore or Atlanta. But clearly, screen sharing could offer significant advantages for an institution like WVU, which has extension education programs located all over the state. ISDN is an exciting and challenging telecommunications service, and using it can spoil you. When I return from the lab to my office, which does not yet have ISDN service, I feel like I'm using a second-rate telecommunications service. By Jeffrey Neil Fritz; Fritz is a data communications analyst at West Virginia University in Morgantown. <<<>>> Title : Snapshot of the French sc Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: isdnint Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Service SA of Marne-la Vallee, France, is a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Philips Group and supplies after-sales service for consumer goods sold in France. The firm provides technical assistance to dealers that repair these products. In June, Service SA signed a pact with France Telecom, the government-controlled common carrier, for implementation of RNIS (the acronym and trademark by which ISDN was known in France until two weeks ago, when the service was renamed Numeris). MIS Manager Jean-Claude Bouchon recently spoke with free-lance writer Raymond Boult about his company's experiences with and plans for ISDN. How are you using ISDN? We are starting to use RNIS to supply pictures interactively, to illustrate the textual dialog of Sexsy, the Service Expert System we specifically designed to help dealers _ our customers _ repair products. Up till now, pictures to be used in conjunction with Sexsy have been supplied both on paper and by means of videocassettes delivered by hand. This requires a complex workstation at the customer end, including not only a Minitel videotex terminal to handle interactive textual information but also a TV monitor and a VCR for noninteractive picture display. And how does the expert system now work with RNIS to make these pictures available? Sexsy calls up the pictures automatically via RNIS as required. It ``knows'' the reference numbers of pictures. In fact, these references are displayed on the screen as part of the text. We could not include the pictures themselves as part of the text because Sexsy uses the Minitel videotex system, which does not have enough definition or transmission speed to permit that. We did think of combining the textual dialogue and the pictures in the RNIS, but that idea was also rejected because it would have required too many modifications to Sexsy. What we decided to do, instead, was to use a dedicated file server to supply pictures as an add-on to Sexsy. What is the business advantage of providing interactive pictures? There is a major problem in updating the picture information we supply to customers on paper and cassette. With RNIS, new information can be entered to the picture base as it becomes available. How far have you progressed in your use of RNIS? The first customer, a dealer based at Rennes in Brittany [about 300 miles west of Paris], was connected to RNIS by France Telecom Nov. 21. Nine other customers will be on-line by the end of the year, using Philips PC-compatible microcomputers, equipped with an add-on RNIS board specially adapted from the existing XCOM Transcom board. [Transcom is a 64K bit/sec. switched datacom service provided by France Telecom; it has about 400 subscribers in France. ] Are you planning to use RNIS in a more widespread and ambitious way in the future? We are aiming to have about 1,000 customers connected in France by the end of 1990. The object is to reduce the customer workstation to a PC-compatible microcomputer. We expect sister companies in other countries to adopt similar systems, once ISDN is generally available. They will probably use common, centralized picture databases, updated directly by the appropriate design departments wherever they are located. Finally, we want to extend our own system, which at present covers only CD players, to the other products we support. Did you encounter any particular difficulties in implementing RNIS? The main problem was the choice of a technical partner for specific software development. We spent about three months looking around among the large and small software and services houses. We finally chose a small firm _ Sarde _ mainly because they had picture compression and processing software up and running. What kind of costs were involved? Total development cost for the software was about 1.3 million francs [$216,000], borne equally by France Telecom and Sarde under the partnership agreement, which is the basis of France Telecom's strategy for launching RNIS. In terms of our own investment, we estimate that our personnel spent a total of about two man-years on the project. What about the expenditures for customer-premises equipment? RNIS-compatible PBXs are not needed until Primary Rate access [2M bit/sec.] becomes available. Philips PCs equipped with Minitel-compatible videotex boards are financed at cost by Service SA. Adapted XCOM boards are lent by the manufacturer, OST, for the pilot system and will be charged for later. Specific RNIS subscriber equipment is installed by France Telecom at commercial rates. Why does your system use both RNIS and Transcom? At present, RNIS is available only in Brittany and in central Paris. Where we are located [about 20 miles east of Paris], RNIS is not yet available. So we make up the pictures here with the help of a scanner, then we transmit them off-line by Transcom to update the on-line picture base owned by us and operated by Sarde right in the center of Paris. It is this picture base, which resides on a Compaq 386 20-MHz computer, that is connected directly to RNIS. What do you see as the main differences between Transcom and RNIS? An RNIS call takes about two seconds to set up, against 20 to 25 seconds for Transcom. That's important when you're operating interactively. Major savings are realized on the cost of calls because, given the faster call time, customer technicians are willing to call up the picture base when they need information, instead of leaving the line open. Moreover, our system uses both RNIS B channels for data communications, so we get double the overall hit rate compared with a Transcom line. What benefits have you obtained from RNIS? The most obvious saving is in the direct cost of the average repair. A repair takes about one man-hour of skilled labor, which costs around 200 francs in France. Of this time, two-thirds is spent on diagnostics and one-third on the repair work. Using RNIS cuts the diagnostics time in half, so the saving is about 70 francs per repair. This compares with RNIS' specific additional cost, which we estimate at 50 francs per repair. So the direct saving is 20 francs, about 10%. Also, in addition to our being able to get information to dealers more rapidly, we will eventually be able to get information back more quickly. Eventually, for example, statistical information on repairs will be fed back to quality-control departments at the production units. And this will happen maybe 10 minutes after the technician has diagnosed the fault, instead of two months later, as it happens now. <<<>>> Title : Travel Related Services Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: amextrs1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: As American Express Travel Related Services (TRS) grows, so also grow its systems _ only faster. The number of American Express credit cards, now more than 27 million, increased 80% during the last five years. But TRS' systems capacity has actually outstripped the cardholder base, because ``we keep coming up with new ways to support the company's services,'' says Garland Cupp, executive vice-president. CPU capacity has grown more than 30% per year during the past five years. ``Information management is our product; we can be either the facilitator or the bottleneck,'' Cupp says. Fast and focused Like gunslingers in the Old West, systems programmers at TRS learn to be fast and focused, according to Cupp _ fast because they have to keep up with the credit card company's rapid deployment of new products and services, and focused because of a TRS management mandate to balance high tech and high touch when it comes to serving its cardholders. ``There's no question that computer technology has given [TRS] a decisive competitive edge over purveyors in the bank card business,'' says Allerton J. Cushman Jr., senior insurance analyst at Morgan Stanley. TRS gains a particular edge, he adds, in its ability to provide better customer service and new products. The company has added ``a huge number of extra bells and whistles to the card in the last year,'' including an 800 number for emergencies and warranty programs for purchases made with the card. ``For these things to work, they need the technology behind them,'' Cushman points out. While giants like Citicorp have implemented comparable technology, ``a lot of bank card vendors are not prepared to make that kind of investment,'' Cushman says, partly because the bank card business offers smaller returns than the travel and entertainment business. About three years ago, corporate-level management at TRS identified specific types of technology for the IS group to focus on in its quest for new applications to bolster the firm's competitive position, particularly in the area of customer relations. Among the technologies that IS has deployed since then are image processing, voice processing and artificial intelligence. TRS recognized more than a decade ago that it would need image scanning and storage to keep its ``country-club billing'' system afloat, Cupp says. Customers like to have receipts included with a credit card bill, but this service has become expensive and difficult to manage because of the huge amount of paper that must be processed. In 1984, IS found the imaging technology it needed from Technicron Financial Services, now a TRW, Inc. subsidiary. The system has enabled the company to preserve an important feature of its customer service, Cupp says. It also saves money: Processing images is less costly and takes less time than processing paper. More debatable are the ultimate benefits of certain voice technology applications, Cupp points out. TRS' service center takes five million calls per month from customers requesting everything from current outstanding balance to travel directions in a strange city. Combining a voice response system with an information system would enable many queries to be handled automatically. But TRS has held off implementing such a system because some people resent dealing with a computer, Cupp says. On the other hand, the company has been aggressively deploying voice technology to facilitate contact between its human representatives and customers. One such system now targets prospects, keeps dialing until it makes contact and only then brings on the human sales representative. Approving requests for credit is another area at TRS where high tech complements high touch. Computers do initial screening of credit-check calls and pass on to a human agent any application that cannot be immediately approved. An expert system called Authorizer's Assistant helps the agent evaluate the application, automatically calling up relevant account data and recommending a course of action. Telecommunications is one high-tech application that was not identified as a new focus area, Cupp says, because the company had already invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a worldwide network beginning in 1975. TRS' global Integrated Telecommunications Network is a high-speed backbone for voice, data and video consisting of multiple T1 links between Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. IDNX switches. The 34-node IBM Systems Network Architecture network delivers information to some 30,000 workstations residing at branches in more than 120 countries. Five-year plan TRS' current five-year telecom plan, launched in 1985, calls for a ``high-level high-speed integrated voice/data video telecommunications network,'' says William Tindall, vice-president of operations and services for TRS' Worldwide Telecommunications Group. A plan for the 1990s is now under discussion. ``We could go to [45M bit/sec.] D3 facilities; we do know we have to make some changes in the 1990s,'' Tindall says. A sweeping high-tech planning effort now under way is the Genesis Project _a combination forecast/planning program for predicting ``what the business will look like and what technology we should implement to take advantage [of that environment]'' during the next five years, Cupp says. ``It is not a systems project, but more of a business vision,'' he emphasizes, adding that standardizing the systems environment throughout TRS may be an initial step. The IS group is considering whether to design an intelligent workstation standard for systems developers and service representatives; that standard might be based on the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh or the IBM Personal System/2, he adds. ``There are multiple opinions on what it should be. I suspect we won't have just one [standard],'' Cupp says. In the meantime, Cupp's programmers always seem to be playing catch-up with TRS' phenomenal growth as a company. Not counting production facilities, systems development has grown 300% in 10 years, according to Cupp. The company probably has one of the largest IBM IMS transaction rates in the country and has been increasingly deploying IBM DB2 applications, he adds. The firm is also considering decentralizing some databases on network servers such as PS/2s and departmental processors so that work groups can do their own modeling or data massaging without having to go through IS all the time, Cupp says. Cupp's group is always on the lookout for tools to help develop new software to support TRS' ever-growing arsenal of services and products. To date, IS has never missed a product launch, he boasts. And while CASE offerings have been helpful, Cupp says, ``We need a breakthrough in the design process.'' Cupp's ideal situation would be for users to state their business objectives in business terms and run the requirements through a process that would generate the software to support those needs, he adds, saying he believes that American Express is closing in on technology to achieve that goal. <<<>>> Title : Shearson Lehman Hutton Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: shearleh Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: When Shearson opened its state-of-the-art data center in 1986, it felt safe knowing the 90,000-square-foot center could support ample corporate growth by converting 120,000 square feet of raised-floor construction then being used as office space. Little did the planners know that some of that space would be gobbled up within a year. ``We built it with the idea of eventually being able to double our business. I didn't have it on-line for a year, and all of a sudden, we decided to double our business by taking E. F. Hutton in,'' recalls Rick Morrison, senior vice-president and co-chief administrative officer for what is now Shearson Lehman Hutton. Since the E. F. Hutton & Co. acquisition, the company's data center has grown by 20,000 square feet so far, primarily to handle the increased disk storage and printer needs. Morrison cites the IS group's handling of the E. F. Hutton merger as an example of how the group contributes to profitability. He notes that Shearson acquired a company almost as large as itself while increasing IS spending by only 25% to 30%. He says the organization and architecture that IS now has in place will support further corporate growth with only minimal growth in IS expenses and manpower in the coming years. Through more than 40 mergers, including the one that brought the company into the American Express fold, Shearson has grown from four founders in 1960 to 40,000 employees today. The most recent major merger was the Hutton acquisition, which Morrison reports is ``for all intents and purposes done.'' The IS operation now must process up to three million transactions, including cash transfers and inquiries by 11,000 financial consultants, but not including the thousands of stock trades the company handles. Shearson Lehman relies completely on information technology. It refuses to offer a new service if it cannot be automated _ basically, Morrison notes, because the financial industry is made up of bright people, telephones and computers. However, he adds that Shearson has seldom been a pioneer in technology, preferring to let other companies break new ground. One of the technological areas in which Morrison claims Shearson has set a pace is in laser printing. With 30 of IBM's host-based 3800 printers, Shearson prints about 14 million pages of customer statements per month. ``When we print, western Canada falls,'' he jokes. Shearson runs IBM's two largest systems _ a 3090 Model 600E and a 3090 Model 600S _ as key hosts. But Shearson's computing demands stretch the limits of even those powerful systems and software such as IBM CICS, and the company has responded with a tighter relationship with IBM. ``There are two schools of thought within the American Express family. One says that you can leverage IBM better by throwing a competitor up against them,'' Morrison says. ``There is another strategy that we use, which is to create a partnership with IBM and leverage that.'' Shearson confides in IBM on plans so that when a merger comes along, IBM knows what it has to do to deliver the systems Shearson will need. ``Does that have a value? Yes, it does to me,'' Morrison says. Shearson is one of a handful of companies IBM selected for a special relationship, now three months old. The arrangement allows key customers to look deep into IBM's development schedules for hardware and software at the bit level. Shearson personnel visit IBM facilities ``to see if there are, in fact, directions that they are working toward that maybe we could expedite and bring in sooner or change,'' Morrison adds. He hopes to do with products like CICS what Shearson did with printing technology through use of the 3800s and Advanced Function Printing. Such sophisticated printing for customer statements has been a key application in other American Express groups such as TRS and IDS Financial Services. ``It's given us a strategic leg up on our competition in how we can present information for a client,'' Morrison says. Host-related issues such as laser printing and capacity planning represent only one set of challenges for Shearson. The IS organization is also working to distribute its databases and install new user workstations. The need to distribute technology better was identified by a 1987 technology audit conducted in all American Express groups. Singing the database's praises ``Our database strategy is a centralized strategy in that everyone sings from the same hymnbook,'' Morrison says, noting that almost every Shearson system has basically the same application coding technology, databases and interfaces. ``From a database point of view, that is how we control our destiny as opposed to others who have gone piecemeal and can't get these things to talk to one another,'' he says. Shearson plans to distribute some data to new LAN-based branch office systems developed in conjunction with IBM and ADP Financial Information Services, Inc. Those systems, scheduled for rollout this month, feature IBM Token-Ring networks with IBM PS/2 Model 80 servers and diskless PS/2 Model 50 workstations. The new systems will replace dedicated terminals that currently handle the broker's trading activity and provide brokers with information such as stock price quotes. ``The host is the platform that owns the information. The ad hoc reporting will be out in the branch or at the workstation,'' Morrison says. Development of that broker system also involved user input, with users making key decisions. In such cases, Shearson pairs IS professionals with representatives from the business side, working out details such as screen faces, keyboard design and service requirements. However, IS makes the key decisions on other types of systems such as a new security system that all users need. ``Now, the user doesn't have a say in that. That is a corporate say,'' Morrison points out. ``It says we want to do that, we have to do that and you, Mr. Business Unit, have to absorb that cost because it is part of playing the game.'' The business units control their development and their priorities, but not their budgets nor what Morrison calls Shearson-mandated projects, which are in the IS group's hands. <<<>>> Title : IDS Financial Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: ids Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: American Express executives talk about how they use technology and frequently point to the amount of information they want to place in the hands of employees who deal directly with customers. That concept was behind one of the first IS efforts undertaken when the company acquired Minneapolis-based IDS Financial five years ago. The heart of IDS' business is personal financial planning and related products such as life insurance and mutual funds. It is a business that IDS officials describe as tremendously data intensive _ because of the amount of information needed to draft a personal financial plan _ and thus dependent on information technology. It also is a business in which IDS showed a 25% revenue growth and a 21% profit growth between 1986 and 1987. IDS has rewritten its client system so that clients are treated as households rather than as account numbers for individual products. ``The most visible piece of that system is our consolidated statement. As an IDS client, all of your holdings with us can be on one statement. That can be your insurance policy, your mutual fund holdings, your IRA, your Keogh group, whatever. It all comes to you in one nice package,'' says Vice-President for Strategic Planning and Architecture Carl Beihl, noting that the previous industry approach was to mail separate account statements for each of a client's accounts. He says the consolidated statements allow customers to see their financial portfolios in a single statement. It also gives IDS the advantage of minimizing the number of human and electronic transactions involved in a task such as a customer address change. The system, which took almost three years to develop, is actually a shell around operational systems _ some old and some as new as the mutual funds systems that went on-line last month and an insurance system currently being written. The client system is based on IBM CICS VS and DL/1 and runs on two IBM 3090 Model 600E mainframes. In retooling the applications to run within that client processing shell, IDS claims an advantage over its competition. Developing an insurance or mutual funds system means IDS does not have to repeat modules such as billing, mail or client processing, which are already built into the client processing shell. ``So all we have to do is build the insurance-specific stuff,'' Beihl says. ``That gives us somewhat of an advantage in that we can look at [more] architectural ideas than if we were just building a big 3090-based monolithic insurance system.'' The client processing system is a primary tool for IDS' service personnel and 6,200 financial planners. However, recognizing that a variety of different types of employees must deal with the system, Beihl notes that he wishes IDS had given more thought to the user interface. ``When we put together our client environment, we were not thinking of the work force issue. We developed a system that deals with a very complex problem in a relatively complex way,'' Beihl says. He notes that the work force has changed, with some users demanding the type of graphical interfaces offered by vendors such as Apple and other employees _ drawn from less technical portions of the work force _ needing that type of interface to handle the system. Like other American Express groups, the financial planning firm uses hot technologies such as expert systems in rewriting its major systems, but, Beihl says, IDS and the other units also know where they may want to avoid high-tech applications. ``We try to deal over our clients' kitchen tables mostly. One of the things that we don't necessarily believe in is that either our planners or our clients want to use technology directly in that transaction. We think it is intrusive to sit down and have a computer between you and the client,'' Beihl says. ``We've got prototype workstations here that can knock people's socks off,'' he adds, ``but that stuff is never going to see the field until we are sure it is really going to enable something in the business out there. '' One of IDS' major new efforts is in the rollout of an expert systems-based financial planning tool known as IDS Insight. Built in-house for IBM Personal Computers, Insight processes client information collected by a financial planner and develops recommendations for the planner to offer the client. Insight is being moved out from IDS headquarters in Minneapolis and is scheduled to be installed in half of IDS' 200 divisions by January. The system, in effect, merges the capabilities of numerous software modules that previously supported each IDS product area. Beihl cites Insight as a product of the teamwork and ``environment of excellence'' that exist in IDS and the rest of American Express. When asked how IDS attracts good IS people, Beihl states, ``We keep them.'' He says IDS' 800-person IS group has only an 8% turnover rate _ compared with national rates, which have been estimated at up to 17%. He also notes a difference between IDS and other companies in terms of employee loyalty. ``I see it among some of my friends out in other companies, where they are more programmers or systems programmers than they are employees of that company,'' he says. ``The relationships that we have with our users would be more difficult in other environments. You don't have to create that unity, you don't have to work hard at getting teamwork between users and technology people because it is already there.'' <<<>>> Title : American Express Bank Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: amexbank Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: While the other American Express companies come across as aggressive and innovative users of computer technology, American Express Bank long ago decided to go with inexpensive Honeywell, Inc. minicomputers with just enough horsepower to run basic business applications at each of its international branches. As applications and users have proliferated, however, those minis have turned into a computing cul-de-sac from which the bank is trying to escape _ and the cost of that escape is estimated at between $10 million and $20 million. When Executive Vice-President William Bautz moved to American Express Bank from Shearson six months ago, he took over a major conversion effort from his predecessor, Alden Fiertz. The decade-old Standard Banking System, written for Honeywell Bull, Inc.'s DPS 6s, is to be replaced by a new system based on Cullinet Software, Inc.'s IDMS, Standard Banking System software and IBM mainframes. The DPS 6s, which worked well as branch systems five or 10 years ago, are now buckling under their processing load. Bautz points out that the vendor provides no practical migration path even to the next level in its own product line, the Honeywell Bull DPS 7000 family, which would probably provide only temporary relief. Moving to the new IBM/Cullinet system will cost the bank up to $20 million, including hardware and software expenses and the conversion of software applications from the old Standard Banking System, Bautz says. The bank has accepted that price tag since ``we have to get off the Honeywell equipment,'' he adds. Worth the expense? One person who is somewhat puzzled by the bank's expensive move is James Raney, who had Bautz's job until 1985 and is now a partner at Peat, Marwick, Main & Co. Branches were already having trouble fitting their applications on DPS 6s during Raney's tenure. ``We got quotes that it would take $20 million to rewrite the software on IBM, and we didn't want to spend the money. When I left, that was where we were.'' In the year before he left, Raney's group developed what it considered to be an inexpensive yet adequate solution: Take the Honeywell code, build a compiler and recompile it under IBM so that everything written for the Honeywell computer could run on an IBM 4300 quasi-emulating a Honeywell. Those 4300s are still running the Standard Banking System at various branches around the world. While this seemed the best solution in 1985, the bank may be justifying its new system based on 1990s business needs, which may call for ``more of a management information database,'' Raney says. Bautz points out that the bank expects to get more from its conversion to Cullinet than just increased CPU horsepower. The IDMS-based system should provide greater flexibility and speed for applications development. For example, systems people will be able to employ a common client definition throughout the company, allowing different branches to access the same master client file, ``so that if a guy wants a loan in the Far East and has a checking account elsewhere, you can access the different accounts,'' Bautz says. In addition, Cullinet's product generator should allow information systems to quickly define software needed to support new business services. However, Bautz admits that the system has drawbacks _ most notably its inability to run in the IBM VM environment. ``The closest thing to what we want in branch offices is IBM 9370s running VM,'' he says, adding that installing an IBM MVS system at branches _ some of which may have only 20 or 30 employees _ in small countries would be expensive and would require a resident technical expert. The bank knew of this limitation when it signed the agreement with Cullinet. One possible way around the problem would be to ``try to centralize processing in centers where there is more of a critical mass of technology talent,'' Bautz says. The software solution will be deployed in three U.S. offices for evaluation by the second or third quarter of 1989. While the bank could still decide not to go with Cullinet's system, this decision would only be made after a lengthy evaluation process, Bautz points out. <<<>>> Title : IS helps Deere plow forwa Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: deere888 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: MOLINE, Ill. _ Deere & Co. sprang to life during the U.S. industrial revolution in 1837. It has spent 150 years since then supplying plowshares and harvesters to the world's farmers. In the early 1980s, Deere saw its darkest days. That was when inflation forced demand for farm equipment down 70%. And that was when Deere decided to use information systems technology as a lever to restore profitability. ``What happens when the bottom falls out of your business?'' Deere Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Hanson recalled at this fall's Autofact show in Chicago. ``We were, perhaps, lucky. Instead of the big bang of a crashing market, [most companies] face the slow drip, drip, drip of creeping gradualism. There may be a market share loss here, an upstart Far East competitor there, but not enough to take concerted, probably unpleasant, action.'' As demand fell, Deere had to find a way to regain profitability with a drastically reduced work force _ down from a high of 65,000 in 1979 to the present 38,000. In 1987, Deere generated $4.1 billion in revenue and placed 108th in the Fortune 500 but still lost $99 million. The $5.3 billion company returned to profitability in 1988, earning $315 million. To increase efficiency, Deere turned to computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) and standards like Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP). It also turned to some experimentation with technologies. ``We welcome new methods, new ways of proceeding,'' Hanson said. ``We try them, and we replicate what works.'' But Hanson credited a fundamental change in attitude as the factor that saved Deere. ``However dazzling the hardware, it's the software that is between the ears that is most important,'' Hanson said. ``It's the change in the corporate mind-set that allows you to consider new approaches, to make the changes in processes and people.'' Even as the organization downsized, Deere never abandoned its IS philosophy of managing a centralized IBM mainframe resource for use by distributed business centers. It also develops software for use by a plant in Mannheim, West Germany. Today, a central staff of 182, including operations, software and communications personnel, runs Deere's $50 million-plus IS operation. ``We have a centralized computing utility but decentralized decision-making,'' said Keith Crawford, manager of computer operations. ``We have the economy of scale given by a central site, but we've never scheduled the work that's done on the mainframe.'' Deere created its mainframe site in 1968. It now uses two IBM 3090 Model 600Es, a Model 400E and a Model 120. A separate Model 180E is installed in Waterloo, Iowa. The aim is to provide even greater horsepower in coming years while reducing chargeback costs to end users by 5% to 10% a year. But it is decentralized decision making, backed up by remote personal computers and minicomputers, that keeps Deere's IS policy responsive to change. Remote sites use Digital Equipment Corp. VAXs in their factories and Tandem Computers, Inc. computers to track inventory and orders. Many ideas flow upward from the remote centers, said Dale G. Kennon, manager of telecommunications networks. Part of Deere's 1980s strategy is to listen to those ideas as they bubble up through the organization. ``A particular unit might do something, the [information] flow would be into corporate and then corporate would make sure the other units understand,'' Kennon said. ``It's not one-sided. It's not like corporate has all the answers and goes on to tell the units what to do.'' The human factor Handling new technology sometimes means placing as much emphasis on human issues as on equipment. Deere pays a lot of attention to quality control and to training. ``You need to have a consistency of operation,'' said C. R. Townsend, manager of Deere's computer center here. ``Eliminating operator errors, for example, means that you'll be handling the same conditions the same way all the time.'' Automation of some IS functions also crept in as Deere rebounded. The operations staff was trimmed from 135 people in 1982 to 78 people now. But each operator has access to more productivity tools than he did six years ago, according to Townsend. Among these tools are software packages written by Deere's Technical Services group. One is a package called Ultraview, which displays the mainframe resources being used at any moment. The real-time Ultraview color display on overhead monitors points up sudden ``spikes'' in system use. If the IBM TSO subsystem starts taking up too many computer cycles, operators see the spike and adjust the work load. In the tape storage area, Tape View, another Deere Technical Services utility, displays system requests for IBM 3480-type cartridges. Tape drama Dramatic automation recently came to Deere's tape operation. Several months ago, the firm began installing six Storage Technology Corp. Automated Tape Libraries to replace the rabbit warren of cartridge stacks. So far, two of the library units have been tested _ and the entire 25,000-cartridge system should be in production by spring. Eventually, fewer people will be required to oversee the tape operation. But, Kennon said, ``The push is not to reduce the number of people; it's to drive productivity up.'' Despite a healthy interest in IBM's DB2 database management system, Deere is reluctant to replace its time-tested IMS entirely. Instead, a growing number of IMS applications are being copied onto DB2 for study. It is one example of how Deere holds onto proven technology. ``We wrote a homegrown DBMS in the '70s, and we just took it off the last system last year,'' Crawford noted. ``Most of our production applications are running in IMS, and I believe we'll have IMS 15 years from now.'' Out in the factories, significant steps have been taken toward installing the MAP standard as a backbone network. But factories still feature VAXs hooked into DEC's Ethernet, and that will not change soon. ``MAP has improved communications on the factory floor,'' Kennon observed. ``But I don't feel it's a panacea in itself.'' MAP continues to be deployed, and some factories are evaluating the installation of state-of-the-art MAP 3.0, Crawford said. State of the art, though, is not the goal at Deere. It was Hanson who said Deere's approach to technology was to gradually integrate new elements in with the old. ``We strive for the right technology, not necessarily state-of-the-art technology,'' Hanson told his Autofact audience. ``The goal is to find what works best for us, whether [it is] old or new technology, or, as is often the case, some combination of both.'' By Jean S. Bozman, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Bad designs beget irate c Author : Don Ferruggia Source : CW Comm FileName: ferug Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: ``The computer made a mistake!'' Why do these words strike terror into the hearts of otherwise intelligent people? Computers actually make fewer errors than humans, but human errors are usually simple to understand and correct, while computer errors can be a nightmare. Whose fault is this? Yours. And mine. As designers of computer systems, we put a lot of effort into making systems elegant, user-friendly and efficient, but we usually won't admit that errors sneak in anyway. If we did, we would build in facilities and train people to correct mistakes as quickly as we fix software bugs. Let me illustrate with a story that happened recently when I tried to subscribe to a major computer journal. I paid for my subscription with a credit card. Magazines started arriving, and I saw from my Visa statement that the subscription had been billed. Soon, however, I began to get dunning letters saying I had not paid; then the magazines stopped coming. I decided to call the publication to straighten things out, so I examined the latest payment invoice. It had no phone number on it, so I wrote a letter. I was about to address the envelope when I noticed that the address on the invoice was in a different state from the address on the envelope they had enclosed. Its editorial offices were in yet a third state. Not wanting the letter to be lost, I called the editorial office for information. They gave me a toll-free 800 number to call; no one at that number answered. (Moral: Every statement and invoice should have an address and phone number where people can go with questions. Phones should be answered, even if only with a recording.) I called the editorial office back. By now, I was what is technically known as an ``irate cus- tomer.'' They connected me to a manager, who pulled up my information on her screen. She informed me that they had no record of my payment. (Moral: Give me a break. This is a design problem! One clerk, in order to perform one logical function, which was to charge my subscription to a credit card, had to perform two discrete operations: recording the charge either manually or through a financial system and updating my subscriber record through a different system. Relying on people to keep systems in sync is asking for trouble. Instead, updating my subscriber record should have automatically kicked off the payment to Visa or vice versa. If this were done, this problem could not have occurred.) The manager then told me that she believed they could have made the mistake, and said, ``Let me tell you what you have to do to settle this.'' (Moral: This is a training problem. Remember that I am still an ``irate customer.'' Telling me that she believes me is nice, but then she throws the problem back into my lap and says it is my responsibility to settle it. It would have made a huge difference if she had said, ``Let me tell you what I need from you so I can settle this.'' If it's your problem, own up to it.) She then asked me to write her a note and mail her two things: a copy of my credit-card statement and the mailing label from the last issue I received. (Moral: It's always better to collect all the information at once and settle problems as quickly as possible. The only information she really needed was the transaction ID number from my statement, which she would then verify with Visa, and she could have asked for that over the phone. The note would only serve as a reminder, and the mailing label would only help her find my record, which she already had on her screen.) I did send the note and the other material, and my subscription did start coming again. So this story has a happy ending. From it, we can deduce four rules _ all of which were broken _ to make any system more tolerant to ``computer errors'': Design to avoid human error. Always provide an address or phone number for inquiries. Train your staff in dealing with irate customers. Make quick resolution a priority. By Don Ferruggia; Ferruggia is president of Personal Excellance, Inc., a consulting and training company in Warwick, N.Y. <<<>>> Title : Lenders maintains inform Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: informa Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Journalists are a demanding bunch, and nobody knows that better than Jerry Lenders, director of technology at Infomart in Toronto. He oversees what the company calls an ``electronic printing press,'' an on-line database system that delivers news retrieval and library services to journalists at some of the top newspapers in North America. ``It has been said that we are the heart of the organization, and I think that that is true,'' he notes. ``If the system is not up, it causes aggravation for everyone, not just the people on-line at the time. Obviously, there is no revenue coming in, so it is crucial that we stay up because that revenue does not get replaced.'' The database service, called Infomart Online, also serves as a gateway to Southam News newswire, Dow Jones News/Retrieval service and Datatimes, three on-line systems offering full-text retrieval of newspapers and other services. Infomart is a division of Southam, Inc., one of Canada's largest publishing organizations. Lenders also manages an on-line system called Private File Service, a customized database service used by 45 clients who need to store and manage text and numeric data. Pressing needs These days, journalists, research librarians, business people and others are turning to electronic services for industry news, market analyses, stock market quotes and other information. Services such as Infomart can sort out vast amounts of information in a short time, often delivering in minutes research data that would have taken a journalist or research librarian several hours to compile. The success of an electronic information business hinges on being able to offer subscribers ready, easy access to the information stored in its ``electronic warehouses.'' ``Newspapers don't want anything to get in their way,'' Lenders says. For Lenders, that means he must make certain that his system can provide more than 1,000 subscribers with instant access virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week to information published in dozens of daily newspapers as well as from a variety of other sources. At the core of the Infomart system is a cluster of four Digital Equipment Corp. VAX minicomputers. Four other VAXs are available for overflow or as backup in the event the first cluster crashes. A triple redundancy in the communications links helps insure that the lines stay open. Some 20G bytes of information, about half of it text from newspapers, is stored on the system's disk farm of 15 drives. Managing the variety of information that must be constantly available at a subscriber's fingertips can be daunting. ``This business has a lack of historical basis as to what users really want: archival information or current information,'' Lenders says. ``My gut feeling is that they only want to access current information, but we're monitoring it to find out.'' Lenders estimates that the database is growing at the rate of about 11M bytes per day. ``We recently bought four DEC RA90 hard disk drives capable of storing 1.4G bytes each,'' Lenders says. ``Those will last us until May or June of next year.'' Maintaining control Keeping this growth under control is a challenge, he says. ``We need to decide what information must be put on-line, what is put on high-speed storage devices and what will not be kept at all,'' he says. The newspaper files are backed up every night. ``We operate the system for newspaper customers seven days on 22 hours; for others it is seven days on 20 hours,'' Lenders explains. Though the more demanding newspaper clients are off-line only one hour per night, ``we're looking to improve that window,'' he adds. Lenders, who majored in computer science at the University of Waterloo in Toronto, began working at Infomart as a systems engineering representative (a programmer) in 1981 and two years later, moved up to become a systems engineering manager. In June 1986, he became director of technology with responsibility for the computer operation and its 16 employees (out of a company of 70 employees). A bit of this, a byte of that ``My job varies a lot of days, and that is what I like about it,'' Lenders says. ``Some days are spent developing new systems, and some days are devoted to problem resolution. I also like the bits and bytes of the job and like to get my hands in when there is a problem.'' He says that he constantly wrestles with providing adequate service at the lowest possible cost to the company and its subscribers. ``The bigger challenge is that the technology is changing so rapidly,'' Lenders says. ``That makes it difficult to stay on top of what is cost-effective. ``I am very conscious of the bottom line,'' he adds. ``How do we maximize the bottom line and service availability? That is a fine, tricky line.'' Lenders is constantly examining and evaluating new technology that will speed access to stored data as well as trim the amount of time that must be expended backing up the disk farm. Some of the options he is considering are optical disk, both write-once read-many and compact disk/read-only memory, as well as tape backup on 8mm videotape. How do you handle catastrophic events, when the system shuts down and subscribers are clamoring for service, he is asked. ``Calmly,'' Lenders replies. ``I don't get razzled easily. Even though crisis management is the roughest time that I have, I know how to take it easy when there is a problem.'' Since a computer failure can be disastrous if its cause cannot quickly be found and resolved, guarding against that prospect is one of his primary responsibilities, Lenders says. The first priority is to get the service back up and running smoothly, he says. Only then do data center staffers attempt to track down and fix the problem that crashed the system or caused service to be interrupted. All for one, and one for all ``We have an all-in-it-together attitude here, and we methodically resolve problems,'' he says. ``Having self-confidence helps too.'' The roughest days are those in which problems occur and it is difficult to determine their cause. ``I don't mind when we make mistakes, but I always make sure that we learn enough from them to prevent them from happening again,'' he says. ``Once is fine as long as we learn from them and plug the holes so that we can go on.'' Lenders describes his managerial style as informal. He says that he tries to hire the best people for the job and let them determine how to accomplish their tasks, though he guides them and sets priorities. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Quotes from First Boston Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: firstbos Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: BOSTON _ The following is a collection of quotes from prominent industry executives and analysts addressing investors at the annual First Boston Corp. Technology Conference last week. ``As Damon Runyon said, the race isn't always to the strongest and the swiftest, but that's sure as hell where I'd bet.'' Stephen Schwartz, vice-president, IBM ``When there's not enough gas, you drive around with a full tank.'' Jean-Claude Cornet, vice-president and general manager of Intel Corp.'s microcomputer division, on the buyer stockpiling of 80386s that has caused a dramatic drop in Intel orders ``Intellectual property is one of our major profit centers.'' Walden C. Rhines, executive vice-president of Texas Instruments, Inc.'s semiconductor division, on TI's royalties from its settlements of DRAM patent suits ``There's plenty of room for three or four or five companies like the two of us _ but there are only two of us.'' Kenneth G. Fisher, chairman, Encore Computer Corp., on his company and Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.'s presence in the parallel processing market ``We've gotten to the point where we're almost giving away the hardware to accelerate the growth of the software.'' Ray Noorda, chairman, Novell, Inc. ``I talk to 5,000 MIS people a year, and I can't figure out where all this interest in Unix is supposed to be.'' Marty Gruhn, president, The Sierra Group, Inc. ``We don't really have a backup plan. We don't have that many options, frankly. If we stumble again, we'll have to seek some sort of relationship with a third party.'' John Cullinane, chairman, Cullinet Software, Inc. ``We've heard all about the end of the mainframe. We don't believe it. It's very competitive [in the market], but the demand is there.'' E. Joseph Zemke, president and chief operating officer, Amdahl Corp. <<<>>> Title : Brits buy Computer Consol Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: console Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WALTHAM, Mass. _ John F. Cunningham, who took Computer Consoles, Inc. out of the red and into two years of ever-increasing revenue, last week crowned his turnaround achievement with an agreement to sell the company to British computer and communications giant STC PLC for $168.4 million. The pending acquisition of all of Computer Consoles' common stock for $12.80 per share is a sweet deal for Cunningham, whose million or so shares give him, along with other executives and directors, an approximate 12% stake in the company. Analysts last week agreed that is no more than he deserves. ``There's no question about it,'' said Karen Payne, an analyst at Butcher & Singer, Inc. in Philadelphia. ``He's done a truly great job.'' In 1985, Cunningham gave up the presidency of Wang Laboratories, Inc. to take over as chief executive officer of Computer Consoles. The firm was then a $112 million company foundering between a communications operation that had been broadsided by the breakup of AT&T and a superminicomputer division that had yet to realize on a sizable investment in research and development. Cunningham ``brought in a very, very good management team,'' Payne said. The team, in turn, rolled up a series of wins, including critical cost cuts and a new strategy based on the coming primacy of Unix, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) and fault-tolerant databases. Whether the team _ and Cunningham himself _ will remain in place after the acquisition was unanswered last week. Acquisitor STC itself _ with its subsidiary, ICL _ represents 25% to 30% of the smaller company's customer base, Butcher & Singer's Payne pointed out. ``These companies are very familiar with each other,'' she said. ``They've done business together for a long time.'' The relationship should minimize the post-merger adjustment period. Also boding well for users, Payne said, is STC's interest in Computer Consoles' new product activities. For STC _ a $3.6 billion communications firm _ the deal is a strategic triple play that, according to a spokesman, ``will . . . establish STC as a world-scale supplier, broaden its market base and give [it] improved access to, and an important stake in, the North American market.'' By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Seagate buffeted Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: seagate1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. _ Once the star performer of the disk-drive industry, Seagate Technology has lately looked something less than stellar. On the heels of a $53 million loss reported for its most recent fiscal quarter, Seagate recently said it has laid off 20% of its domestic work force _ 1,000 employees. According to company officials, the massive layoff affected every department, excluding senior management. In a prepared statement, Seagate Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Shugart said the reduction was taken to correct ``the industry imbalance between production capacity and market demand.'' Julie Still, a Seagate spokeswoman, said the layoff is one of a number of actions the company has taken to bring production levels more in line with market demand. In August, Seagate reduced its work week from seven to five days. Production of disk drives was cut by about 30% in the period from early summer to the fall. Tough all over However, not all the laid-off employees were in production-related positions, Still noted. Others were let go to ``bring business expenditures down,'' a step the company hopes will allow it to return to profitability. The recent reduction in work force is the second significant layoff in the company's history. In 1984, Seagate terminated 700 employees when it moved its manufacturing operations to Singapore. Still said the Singapore plant has not been affected by the layoff. Industry watchers said Seagate must do more than merely trim expenses to bring the company back on track. David Vellante, director of storage research at International Data Corp., said Seagate misread the shift in demand from 5 - to 3 -in. disk drives among personal computer makers. ``Seagate was attracted to that very profitable 5 -in. business,'' Vellante commented. ``Seagate miscast IBM's need for 5 -in. disk drives as well as the demand for 5 -in. disk drives in general.'' Missed the shift A longtime supplier to IBM, Seagate sold 44M-byte 5 -in. disk drives to IBM for its Personal System/2 line of microcomputers, introduced in May. However, IBM and other microcomputer manufacturers, including Compaq Computer Corp., have equipped many of their newer PCs with sleeker 3 -in. disk drives. Seagate has been behind other disk-drive suppliers in bringing 3 -in. drives to market. Last quarter, Seagate reported the $52 million loss, which was its first ever. An estimated $35 million of that loss is attributed to a write-down in obsolete disk-drive components. Like other drive manufacturers, Seagate has suffered from the ability of systems manufacturers to produce their own disk drives. IBM is now considered among the leading manufacturers of 3 -in. drives. Vellante said Seagate is likely to overcome its troubles by landing OEM orders for 3 -in. disk drives, now becoming available in volume. Seagate's strength has been its manufacturing might, which allows it to build disk drives at traditionally lower costs than its smaller competitors. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : MCC meets, ponders future Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mcc Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: AUSTIN, Texas _ Members of The Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. (MCC) research consortium circled their wagons last week to map out their future, survey their past and take a look at what six years of high-level _ and sometimes high-tension _ cooperative brainstorming has brought about. ``Basically, we went in for a quick quality check,'' MCC Director of Government Affairs Sandy Dochen said of the high-level pow-wow. MCC Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Grant Dove used the one-day meeting to announce the first shareholder application of MCC's CYC knowledge-base project. The technology will serve as the foundation for Digital Equipment Corp.'s Sizer system, an in-house program that pairs computational re quirements with available systems, Dove said. MCC also announced plans to license two systems from its Packaging/Interconnect program to outside firms as well as a research agreement on CYC applications with Stanford University's Knowledge Systems Lab. The MCC gathering at the University of Texas Balcones Research Center also featured addresses by Motorola, Inc. Chairman Robert W. Galvin and former MCC Chairman Bobby R. Inman. At MCC's inception, observers questioned whether competing companies could work together successfully or whether the organization would implode in a beehive of bickering and tight-lipped meetings. Once the group got off the ground, there were still problems. Before Inman resigned in September 1986, MCC was sometimes criticized for its slowness in getting technology to its shareholders and its penchant for delivering a blizzard of paperwork _ more than 460 technical reports were released in 1986 _ in the face of real-world problems. That is a feeling Dove has worked hard to break. ``There's a high impatience factor in the industry,'' he said. ``We'll still be moving toward the long-term revolutions, but I'm just as interested in spinning things out along the way that you can hang your hat on.'' That move began in June 1987, when NCR Corp. announced the first commercial product using technology developed by MCC. The release of NCR's Design Advisor, an expert system used to devise application-specific integrated circuits, came amid a dazzling display of lasers at New York's Hayden Planetarium and expressions of the virtues of cooperative research and development. Recently, the group has delivered beta-test tools for computer-aided design environments and a high-level software development environment, Dove said. While Dove admitted that progress has been slow, he contended that it has been steady. ``Obviously, there is no room in this business to rest on your laurels,'' he said. ``We're still interested in the long-term revolutions, just as we were at our inception.'' The seeds of those revolutions were sown in February 1982, when Control Data Corp. Chairman William Norris invited 16 major U.S. electronics companies and a handful of government agencies to an Orlando, Fla., meeting to discuss the creation of a joint R&D consortium. The Japanese had recently thrown down the high-technology gauntlet by announcing plans to create a fifth-generation intelligent computer system. Six months later, MCC was officially formed. The charter MCC's ideals were simple but high: Define and initiate major research efforts in the microelectronic and computer fields. But when the plan was hatched, there were questions about whether competing companies could work together successfully. Dove said MCC has leaped that barrier in a simple but effective way. ``Our success rests on our ability to allow plenty of room for customization and value-added services,'' he said. ``So the companies can take the technologies, add value and take it to the marketplace in a competitive way.'' Ironically, the Japanese government's Fifth Generation Computer Project is about to end its second stage, and members of the development team held a symposium recently in Tokyo to reveal their results. The aim of Phase 2, which ran from fiscal 1985 to 1988, was to develop an artificial intelligence subsystem for a computer prototype to be released in a few years. Dove also said he sees future MCC directions in the field of neural networks, optical technologies and superconductor research as well as dual-use technologies in which government and commercial needs overlap. By James Daly, CW staff <<<>>> Title : In brief Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1212week Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Countersuit Information Consulting, the information systems company launched in October by seven former Arthur Andersen & Co. consultants, last week fired off a countersuit against Andersen. The countersuit alleged that the accounting giant's action is an attempt to damage the fledgling Information Consulting by scaring off putative employees and clients. Encore in black Encore Computer Corp. reported the first profitable year in its brief but tumultuous history. The Marlboro, Mass.-based maker of parallel processors posted an operating profit of $1.2 million, or 5 cents per share, on revenue that more than doubled from fiscal 1987 to $34.4 million. In the prior year, the start-up lost $5.9 million, or 27 cents per share. Northern Telecom restructures Northern Telecom's board of directors last week approved a fourth-quarter provision of up to $200 million to fund a reorganization scheduled to begin in early 1989. The restructuring, according to Chairman Edmund B. Fitzgerald, will include a streamlining of marketing functions and plant closings as well as consolidations. Apple exec eases back Citing health and personal reasons, Apple Computer, Inc. Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Deborah A. Coleman announced plans to scale back her responsibilities at the Cupertino, Calif.-based firm. Following a five-month leave of absence beginning in February, she will return to Apple as vice-president of tax and treasury. <<<>>> Title : Staking out systems integ Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: careers1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Corporations are turning to systems integrators to take on a rapidly growing share of their MIS work load. Already an $8 billion market, systems integration is projected to soar 20% to 25% annually into the 1990s. The Big Eight accounting firms are scrambling to share in this bounty and searching high and low to expand their stable of consultants and professionals. Arthur Andersen & Co., by far the leader in MIS consulting and systems integration among the Big Eight, generated 36% of its $2.32 billion revenue in 1987 from this market. The firm is also the most ambitious college recruiter, plucking 80% to 90% of its systems integration consulting staff from campuses, says Paul Cosgrave, deputy managing director of Arthur Andersen's consulting practice in New York. In the past year, however, Arthur Andersen selected 200 of its 2,000 new MIS consultants from the ranks of experienced professionals, Cosgrave estimates. Most of these specialized in local-area networks, workstations and vertical industries. Generally, even these experienced systems integration consultants must join the corporate ladder below the managerial rungs, but their salaries are often as much as $60,000. Michael Sullivan, director of recruiting for management information consulting at Arthur Andersen, explains that it has been the firm's philosophy that ``proper treatment and development really starts at the entry level. It's more difficult to assimilate people who have had experience at other firms.'' Pragmatists wanted Big Eight firm Arthur Young takes the opposite tack when it comes to recruiting. ``We look for people with four years of experience under their belts, real pragmatists with heavy technical background as compared with consulting skills,'' says John Sifonis, Arthur Young's national director of strategic management consulting. The three main wells of talent that Arthur Young plumbs for its systems integration professionals are vendors, competing consulting firms and corporate in-house integration staffs. People hired at the managerial level can earn from $65,000 to $75,000, depending on area of expertise and location, with Dallas representing the lower range and New York the upper. Between these two hiring extremes falls Coopers & Lybrand. According to George Van Ness, a partner at the firm's national information technology services, the expanding systems integration market has made it necessary for Coopers & Lybrand to recruit at all levels of experience from industry, vendors and competitors. Systems integration consultant's salaries at Coopers & Lybrand range from the upper $20,000s to six figures. Successful candidates, Van Ness says, should be able to understand the functional problems of a particular industry such as health care or manufacturing, implement technology from concept through the life cycle and plan and lead a large-scale project. ``Of course, not everyone has all of these skills,'' he says. ``We'll start them off in two dimensions and teach them more as they grow.'' The skyrocketing demand for systems integration consultants has left the supply far behind. ``It's terrible,'' Sifonis says. ``There really is a shortage of people. I've talked with my colleagues at other Big Eight firms and it's true _ you can't find enough good people.'' Retaining consultants is also a problem for some Big Eight firms. Senior Big Eight consultants have become frustrated with regulatory restrictions on their involvement with their firms' auditing clients as well as a lack of compensation and influence to match the proportion of revenue they generate. These bones of contention have been the main cause of a growing rate of high-level turnover. The future of the systems integration market looks bright as increasingly complicated technology impels more businesses to seek outside help for integration. Systems integration consulting candidates should also note that Big Eight firms are well-positioned to reap the rewards, according to Karen Kugel, director of systems integration services at International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass. ``The Big Eight firms have an advantage [over their nonaccountant competitors] in terms of perception,'' Kugel says. ``They are viewed by the corporate leaders as already having an understanding of their businesses. They also have a relationship with the boardroom people, who are the ones that sign off on integration projects.'' On the horizon Specific areas within systems integration that promise future growth are computer-integrated manufacturing, image technology and voice technology, Cosgrave predicts. According to Van Ness, there will be horizontal movements in artificial intelligence and expert systems. What strategy should the systems integration consulting candidate forge for this future? Van Ness advises specialization: ``What I've seen in the last five years and expect to see over the next five is a decline in the role of the generalist and an increase in the role of the leading experts in a specific discipline.'' At the same time, Van Ness and others acknowledge the advantage of some familiarity with a variety of disciplines. ``A systems integration consultant is the kind of person who must wear many hats,'' Kugel says. Because the partners and managers are the ones who pitch integration packages to clients, ``the consultant even has to be a good salesperson,'' she adds. By Rilchard Pastore, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Navigating network price Author : David Gabel Source : CW Comm FileName: market12 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: You could go out and buy an entire used communications system, but you may not want to. When it comes to this equipment, the bulk of the market is in parts rather than systems. In fact, parts generate about 80% of the revenue for dealers of used communications equipment, says Jonathan L. Rogers, leasing analyst at market research firm International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass. There are a couple of reasons for this situation. One is that, compared with their counterparts in the used computer market, potential buyers of used digital telephone systems, private branch exchanges, multiplexers, modems and similar gear seem to harbor greater reservations about whether the products will be reliable. This perception persists even though many companies that have bought used equipment have gotten decades of use out of it. ``Most people can't comprehend that a 5- or 10-year-old part is as good as a new one,'' asserts David Potter, president and chief executive officer of Source, Inc. in Richardson, Texas, a leading used communications equipment dealer. Much communications equipment is designed and engineered to last for far longer _ as long as 40 years _ so ``it really is a viable alternative,'' Potter claims. New equipment discounts Perhaps the chief reason for the predominance of the parts business within the used communications market stems from discounting by vendors of new gear. Since AT&T's divestiture, makers of communications equipment have battled over market share, driving down prices of new equipment. Consequently, buyers see little incentive to purchase used products. There is at least one other factor at work here. ``The used telecommunications market is a little different from the used computer market,'' Rogers says. Communications equipment that finds its way into the used market is not likely to be deployed in its original configuration, he says. ``This causes a lot of selling and buying between brokers. So most of the revenue that a used telecommunications dealer gets comes from sales of parts, not systems,'' he says. Given the potential drawbacks in buying used communications equipment, one might wonder how dealers and brokers make a living in the business. Rogers says they do so chiefly through the ability to deliver parts and systems quickly. If a user needs a system or if a third-party service organization needs a part and the OEM cannot deliver it when required, chances are a used equipment dealer can fill the bill, he says. In the used communications equipment market, products made by four major vendors predominate _ AT&T, IBM's Rolm division, Northern Telecom, Inc. and NEC Corp. These vendors represent the bulk of the installed base of telecommunications equipment in the U.S. Buyer concerns Dealers of used communications equipment are constantly fighting to clear up concerns that buyers harbor in addition to reliability and the low prices of new equipment. One of the buyers' concerns is how to tell which dealers are reputable. ``The biggest pitfall is the dealer,'' says Dan Silverman, director of telecommunications at Comdisco, Inc. in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Many dealers, he says, are what are known as ``turnovers'' _ middlemen that locate equipment and arrange for it to be shipped to the customer. ``But if the customer calls with a bad board, that dealer may not be able to fix the problem,'' Silverman says. Reliable source Many dealers, on the other hand, maintain an inventory of parts for systems they sell, as well as their own service crew. Many also belong to the National Telecommunications Dealers Association, based in Washington, D.C., which maintains a code of ethics for members. Buyers can take a first step toward assessing the reliability of a dealer by checking with the organization. Securing references from the dealer's previous customers can also be an important step. A final concern for buyers is whether they are paying a fair price for used equipment. There is no blue book of prices as there is for used small computers, so purchasers must shop around. Potter describes one buyer who bought a telecommunications system for $750 per phone set, while another buyer bought an identical system for $250. ``It's not a good idea to assume that you're getting the best price,'' he says. By David Gabel; Gabel is a free-lance writer and former data center manager based in Northport, N.Y. <<<>>> Title : American Express sets own Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1amex Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: American Express Co. spends an estimated $1 billion per year on information technology, yet the firm opts for the low-tech approach of having financial planners sit with pencil and paper at a client's kitchen table. Like their peers in other companies, American Express information systems executives call technology a key to their strategy. But they also fight to avoid the trap of using technology for technology's sake. ``The management team appreciates technology _ but in terms of serving the customer,'' American Express President Louis Gerstner says. American Express is among AT&T's and IBM's largest customers, with worldwide networks serving the modern mainframes and producing acclaimed customer statements through sophisticated image processing and laser printing. Despite this, the company's IS executives speak of having to balance high-tech with high touch. Elite group To examine American Express' IS operation is to look at a tiny corporate consulting group of nine people. One then takes individual views of massive systems operations in subsidiaries such as American Express Travel Related Services Co., IDS Financial Corp., Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc. and American Express Bank Ltd. Ask the IS managers in those groups how information technology contributes to the bottom line, and the typical answer is that technology enables each group to pursue its corporate strategy. ``Our overall strategy is trying to keep American Express as decentralized as possible but keep economies of scale when possible,'' says Roy Lowrance, vice-president of technology strategy at American Express' New York headquarters. ``We are technological consultants. We have no authority at all. We give operating responsibility to the divisions.'' The boyish-looking Lowrance, who casually sucks a lollipop as he discusses expert systems and computer-aided software engineering (CASE), heads the corporate group. Lowrance's team coordinates volume purchases, evaluates technology and vendors and organizes quarterly meetings of the Business Unit Systems Executive Committee. The committee, which is composed of the subsidiaries' IS executives, encourages efforts such as mutual backup and peer-to-peer advice. Lowrance also manages a companywide research and development fund for Gerstner, who is a driving force in the organization's use of technology. ``American Express is one of the few companies I have seen that isn't trying to do what everyone else is doing with technology. They have a phenomenal ability to find good, profitable applications and get them in place,'' says Bruce Rogow, executive vice-president at the Gartner Group, Inc. Rogow adds that American Express, a Gartner Group client, does not copy other companies' successful strategies but focuses instead on its own key applications. According to Gerstner, ``What I want to be able to do is make sure that every customer of American Express knows that the individual employee they are dealing with has all of the resources required to answer their questions and to otherwise serve them.'' One major resource is information power, and here follows the IS tales of American Express' subsidiaries. By James Connolly and Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Met rings in remote sites Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: metlife Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: GREENVILLE, S.C. _ Get a remote Token-Ring. It pays. At least that's the experience of Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., which is currently reaping benefits from a first-time-ever adaptation of IBM's Token-Ring network, configured to speed up the insurance carrier's remote data entry operations. The unique implementation provides the key to a significant reduction in network operating costs, higher productivity and faster response times by eliminating equipment and providing a more direct link to an IBM 3090 host. The insurance carrier has not only cut an already fast response time virtually in half, but it is processing more orders than ever before (see chart, page 121). Thomas Waltz, manager of the firm's computer center here, which supports the heaviest part of the company's on-line network, gets more specific. ``Today, 50% of all transactions are done under one second, whereas prior to [the Token-Ring implementation] about 8% were done under a second.'' That is equivalent to those units being directly attached locally to the host, he said. These achievements are mostly chalked up to a little entrepreneurship and a willingness to fix what wasn't broken. ``We tend to encourage people with the ability to use a lot of entrepreneurship to try things,'' said Daniel Cavanagh, a senior vice-president responsible for all Met Life's data processing and telecommunications facilities and services. There was nothing particularly wrong with the previous state of the company's remote computing operations. Claims approvers were eking out an average response time of 2.5 seconds for more than 2 million transactions per day. This might have encouraged some MIS managers to sing, ``Don't worry, be happy,'' all the way to the data bank. But not at Met Life. ``We are constantly looking for ways to improve response time,'' said David Zimmerman, a vice-president and staff controller for the firm's remote sites. The company's data entry operations have experienced immediate jumps in productivity. ``We saw more transactions being processed the day after conversion to the Token-Ring than there were the day before with the same amount of people,'' Cavanagh said. ``You hear people in the remote offices talking about the `fast machines.' It's actually the same physical terminal as before, but once hooked up to the Token-Ring, it operates a lot faster,'' Zimmerman said. Observant users now jockey to use the enhanced machines. Also very real are the cost savings, which so far amount to more than just peanuts _ $16,000 a month in leased-line costs alone. Some of these savings have been used to offset the cost of the new equipment. Additionally, where Greenville used to communicate with 50 remote cluster controllers, it now deals with just 20, which translates into further maintenance and power cost savings. What the gang at Met Life did was to draw up a plan targeting the 10 heaviest volume-producers among its 50 remote data entry sites. ``We estimated the cost of purchasing the new hardware [for] the 10 offices at $1.7 million, with a payback period of 31 months,'' Waltz said. All 10 offices will be converted by the end of 1989. Over a five-year period, he is projecting savings of $900,000. Current plans are to limit the conversions to just these 10 sites. It was determined that there was not sufficient volume of transactions emanating from the other sites to cost-justify inclusion in the project. However, Met Life is looking into putting some ``mini'' standard Token-Rings into some of the smaller remote sites to support activities such as local printer sharing, Zimmerman said. By Patricia Keefe, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Feds sign FTS 2000 net pa Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1fts2000 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ AT&T and U.S. Sprint Communications Co. are poised to become the U.S. government's long-haul voice and data carriers for the 1990s after winning a 10-year contract for an all-digital private network called Federal Telecommunications System 2000 last week. The high-visibility contract is estimated to be worth $3 billion to $15 billion, depending on how many federal agencies sign on to FTS 2000 and how many fight to stay off the centralized network. FTS 2000 is to be phased in over three years, with the first users to be switched over in late 1989 and all 1.3 million federal users on-line by 1991, the General Services Administration said. It reportedly will offer federal employees services such as electronic mail, packet switching, switched data service, dedicated transmission services, video transmission and, eventually, Integrated Services Digital Network capabilities. Survival, then rival If the contract survives possible challenges from losing bidders, the next battle will be between the GSA and the individual agencies that want to run independent data networks, analysts said. For example, the Department of Defense has argued that its requirements for network security are unique and cannot be handled by FTS 2000. The U.S. Congress has ordered all federal agencies to use FTS 2000 unless they obtain a waiver from the GSA. Agencies that are planning new data networks will be required to join FTS 2000, but those with existing networks may get exemptions, said Michael Hashemi, president of Telesynetics Corp., a Fairfax, Va.-based telecom- munications consulting firm that helped the GSA design the network architecture. Agencies typically want to retain control over their networks instead of handing them over to the GSA, said Warren H. Suss, a federal market consultant in Jenkintown, Pa. Many agencies are scrambling to upgrade their data networks and convince the GSA that scrapping them in favor of FTS 2000 would waste their investment, he added. According to the GSA, which awarded the contract after several mishaps and delays, the modern network is expected to save the government about $200 million annually when compared with the antiquated network installed in 1963. Under the contract, AT&T will provide a network for agencies representing 60% of the government's traffic volume, and U.S. Sprint will handle the other 40%. Sprint surprise The selection of U.S. Sprint as the second carrier was a big surprise, analysts said. ``Sprint probably gave them a good technical proposal together with some phenomenal pricing,'' Telesynetic's Hashemi said. ``AT&T has an enormous base of business to protect, and U.S. Sprint was very strongly motivated to fill the capacity on its network, recoup costs . . . and use the federal market as a stepping-stone to commercial markets,'' analyst Suss said. Effectively locked out of the federal arena was the losing bidder in the three-way contest, MCI Communications Corp., whose team was led by systems integrator Martin Marietta Corp. Analysts expect MCI to protest the contract award and perhaps take the matter to court. MCI also will be able to protest when AT&T files its tariff for the custom FTS 2000 network, acknowledged Sam R. Willcoxon, president of AT&T's Business Markets Group, at a press conference. An official bid protest could suspend the contract for several months, but one observer doubts that MCI could win the legal challenge. Since the 1987 contracting scandals, ``GSA has bent over backwards to make this procurement squeaky clean'' Suss said. By splitting the contract in two, the government ``may have lost some elegance in network design, but it bought the ability to play one contractor against another and assure continued competition'' in pricing and technology, Suss observed. The price and the share of the federal business can be adjusted among the winning vendors in the fourth and seventh years of the contract, so AT&T and U.S. Sprint will remain competitors throughout the 10-year contract. The vendors declined to state the unit prices contained in their bids, but the prices are believed to be well below current commercial prices. AT&T's bidding team included Boeing Computer Services in Vienna, Va. (for program management systems), Computer Sciences Corp. in Falls Church, Va. (for an automated billing system), and Sonicraft, Inc. in Chicago (for security devices and software). Telenet Communications Corp., a Reston, Va., subsidiary of U.S. Sprint, will provide data communications services for the U.S. Sprint network. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Lowe exits IBM despite re Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1lowedow Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: His resignation drew to a close a 26-year IBM career and marked the end of a reign that spanned from a time when IBM led the microcomputer industry around by its nose to its current period of vulnerability. In a move last week that helped usher in a major IBM shake-up, William C. Lowe, former president of IBM's Entry Systems Division, resigned to become executive vice-president of $15 billion Xerox Corp. Lowe was unavailable for comment. Reaction to Lowe's replacement by a Data Systems Division executive was subdued. At large IBM accounts, managers expressed the view that IBM's PC strategy overshadows executive personalities (see story page 6). Lowe was there at the beginning of the IBM Personal Computer, having hired the flamboyant Philip ``Don'' Estridge to spearhead the entrepreneurial-styled team that pioneered the pivotal PC. That, many say, is one of the many things Lowe did right. It also may have been the most important moment in PC history. Just prior to that well-chronicled debut and subsequent era of IBM market domination, Lowe had slid away from Entry Systems and into a variety of other responsibilities. But in March 1985, he came back after Est ridge was reassigned. (Later that year, a plane crash claimed Estridge's life.) Lowe oversaw the final transition of the division from a flashy upstart to a mature business unit founded on a more staid business model. During Lowe's absence from Entry Systems, he was fortunate to avoid responsibility for a number of blunders. The ill-fated IBM PCjr _ which debuted in November 1983 only to be ridiculed for its shabby keyboard and incompatibility _ was Estridge's machine. The Portable PC, announced in February 1984, failed because of incompatibilities and lack of expandability: It, too, was Estridge's machine. The IBM 3270 PC, another Estridge machine introduced in October, 1988, failed because of compatibility problems. Estridge, however, did reap the credit for the IBM PC AT, introduced in August 1984. Despite some early hard-disk reliability problems, the AT went on to become a raging success, and Estridge is still highly regarded for his PC accomplishments. Lowe learned a few lessons from Entry Systems Division lemons and plotted a course for which software compatibility was not a goal but a prerequisite. It was this issue of software compatibility that led to a decline in IBM's market share. By the mid-1980s, most clones could run the majority of PC-DOS applications and do so more cheaply than IBM PCs. As a result, IBM slowly lost market share, and Lowe slowly lost luster. Under Lowe's tutelage, IBM made a bold move in April 1987 aimed at recapturing PC leadership. It introduced the Micro Channel Architecture, an incompatible and unexploited bus structure that plunged Lowe into the center of a raging controversy. Competitors ridiculed the architecture and the use of 3 -in. floppy disk drives for the incompatibility they brought with virtually no added benefit. But Lowe and IBM hung tough. Meanwhile, IBM lost more market share because of inordinate customer confusion and reluctance to part ways with the old AT bus. Lowe calmly took it on the chin as the Micro Channel struggled for position. He also stood calm earlier this year when speculation arose that he would leave under pressure or be reassigned. Grist for the rumor mill was that Lowe had been passed over for promotion. ``He was hung out to dry by everyone,'' noted Esther Dyson, editor and publisher of ``Release 1.0,'' an industry newsletter. IBM was not thrilled with the coverage. Terry R. Lautenbach, senior vice-president and general manager of IBM United States, sent personal letters in support of Lowe to key publications. But a few months later, Lowe was gone. The question of why remains. According to a Xerox spokesman, the firm approached Lowe to discuss employment, and Lowe still had opportunities at IBM. IBM declined to make executives available to discuss Lowe's departure. But after an initial company announcement of the Entry Systems reorganization included only a one-line reference to Lowe, saying he had resigned, Lautenbach issued a statement praising Lowe and wishing him well. Many analysts said they see the Xerox position as a step up, offering Lowe a chance to have a greater impact on development. Ironically, Lowe left IBM just as he was on the verge of vindication, observers said. Some 19 months after the Personal System/2 introduction, things began to turn around, giving the Micro Channel _ and Lowe's prestige _ a big boost. In September, nine PC clone vendors announced plans to develop a bus designed to mimic key functions of the Micro Channel without the incompatibility. Suddenly, the concept of the Micro Channel was legitimized, and Lowe's stubbornness started to pay off. Errors of the past, such as pulling the PC AT off the market too soon, began to pale. Lowe was suddenly back in the limelight, giving speeches and interviews shushing critics. Vindication ``On a number of issues, he has been or will be vindicated,'' said James F. Sutter, vice-president and general manager of information systems at Rockwell International Corp. Sutter worked with Lowe as a member of the IBM Customer Council. Occasionally curt but a refreshingly straight talker, Lowe appeared to be the consummate IBM executive. While some have questioned his judgment, one thing that has never been questioned is Lowe's integrity. His mother, whom Lowe reportedly calls every Sunday, would likely vouch for that, as would Rockwell's Sutter. ``He impressed me as a much more direct guy, as opposed to some of the more melodramatic marketing types. He was sincere,'' Sutter said. ``He comes off as one of the good guys.'' By Douglas Barney, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Airport relief on way Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: faanewz5 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: CHICAGO _ The Federal Aviation Administration moved last week to slow things down here at O'Hare International Airport, where aging computer and communications systems have hampered the airport's ability to cope with increasing air traffic. Underlying O'Hare's problems is a crumbling infrastructure of 18-year-old computer systems, out-of-date communications systems and unreliable radio systems, according to an FAA report released Oct. 26. During a three-day period this fall, there were five near-misses in O'Hare's airspace. Several major carriers, including Chicago-based United Airlines, are set to meet this week with FAA officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss the revision of airline timetables. Just how serious the problems are became apparent Aug. 1, when O'Hare's aging ARTS III Univac computer failed during an overnight software upgrade. The early-morning failure removed aircraft labeling from controllers' radarscopes, delaying hundreds of the day's 2,300 flights [CW, Aug. 8]. The FAA report graphically depicted the aging of O'Hare, where systems are typical of those installed at other large airports. One passage, for example, faulted extremely old radio beacon decoders as contributing to the failure of the ARTS III computer. ``Extra attention to this equipment is required because the equipment is vacuum-tube technology; therefore, it is subject to drift and instability,'' the FAA report said. The FAA report contains dozens of recommendations for improving O'Hare's control systems. Among the planned projects, many of them not yet funded, are the following: A low-density microwave network that would replace land-based lines provided by the local telephone companies. A two-way radio-based system that would automatically update the departure schedules in airline-owned mainframes. A major software upgrade that would add functionality to the ARTS III computers in O'Hare's tower. Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.), whose Senate resolution forced the issuing of the FAA action plan, remains critical of the pace of change. The tower at O'Hare, Simon said recently, needs major investments ``from its leaky roof to the outdated computers in its basement.'' By Jean S. Bozman <<<>>> Title : FBI system escalation lac Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: fbiredux Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: SAN FRANCISCO _ Efforts by special interest groups to rein in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's expansion of its database system for the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) have been effectively accomplished because Congress has not been inclined to authorize the $56 million needed for the job. NCIC is used mainly by police officers to check the identity of suspects, missing persons and stolen vehicles. At its semiannual meeting last week, NCIC's Advisory Policy Board made few decisions affecting the breadth of the FBI's database _ a controversial topic because some police organizations initially wanted it linked with other large databases such as those at airline reservation terminals and credit card companies. This drew the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR). Other plans Gray Buckley, chairman of the policy board, which is composed of law enforcement representatives from each state, said that those controversial areas were eliminated a year ago. This year, the group is more interested in selling the FBI and Congress on its final plan, called NCIC 2000, and is trying to use its leverage to fund the project either through the next federal budget or by rearranging the FBI's priorities. The FBI and the board agree on most of the plan but still disagree on what level of data security is appropriate, such as authorization or encryption. The board overwhelmingly rejects those levels of security on some files. The ACLU and CPSR are not convinced that a new system will protect citizens' rights, primarily because the system is only spelled out in the budget, not in any laws. ``We're concerned that the database could be funded in one way and constructed in another,'' said Gary Chapman, director of CPSR. That group is attempting to put the database under statutory authority. By J.A. Savage, CW staff <<<>>> Title : AT&T seeks to ease restri Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: attnet Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ AT&T last week filed with the Federal Communications Commission its latest attempts to ease Consent Decree restrictions, which the company claims give its chief rivals unfair opportunities to eat AT&T's lunch. Proposed tariff revisions to AT&T's switched and dedicated long-distance services would ``establish the concept'' whereby AT&T could offer special promotional deals on those services, according to spokesman Jim Byrnes. For example, AT&T might waive or discount service-installation charges, flat monthly fees or usage charges for a specific time in a certain geographic area. If the FCC approves the proposal, AT&T would be able to offer flexible deals to its customers, without having to go through an arduous regulatory process _ a liberty that MCI Communications Corp. and U.S. Sprint Communications Co. have enjoyed all along, Byrnes said. If the carrier cannot respond to special deals that MCI and Sprint are already offering as incentives, customers ``are not going to be content to stay with the old standby,'' he claimed. AT&T also filed last week what would be its first tariff to take advantage of the above proposal: a price restructuring, plus volume and term discounts for its Dataphone Digital Service (DDS), which would save DDS customers as much as 27% on their bills, AT&T said. DDS is a family of digital leased-line offerings that support speeds of up to 56K bit/sec. The tariff reportedly would allow for intercity portions of DDS circuits to be discounted 3% and 5% for three- and five-year plans, respectively, with additional volume discounts available. Flexibility factor The two filings appear to be an attempt to match MCI and U.S. Sprint promotional offerings, said Larry Blosser, a partner at Fisher Wayland Cooper & Leader, who represents the International Communications Association. ``Some further degree of flexibility [for AT&T] is warranted, [and the move] furthers the objective of users to have freedom of choice among competing providers,'' he added. AT&T is, in fact, no longer the dominant carrier and thus deserves equal treatment under FCC regulations, said Frank Dzubeck, president of Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Communications Network Architects, Inc. The company is ``an underdog in a lot of procurements,'' at least partly because MCI and Sprint do not have to go through the tariff process every time they want to offer prospective customers special deals, Dzubeck added. U.S. Sprint and MCI said that they were not yet ready to comment on AT&T's filings. However, an MCI spokesman said that the company would probably make a competitive response in the future to AT&T's proposed DDS tariff. Pending FCC approval, AT&T's overall tariff revisions are scheduled to take effect Jan. 11; the DDS tariff Jan. 21. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM AIX exec signs on to Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: lowen Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: X/Open Consortium Ltd., a group of international computer systems vendors, last week named Stephen G. Lowen to the new position of chief marketing officer for worldwide operations. Lowen comes to X/Open from IBM, where he held various management and marketing positions in the last 26 years, most recently as director of IBM's AIX program in Europe. Lowen is not the only executive involved with AIX at IBM to leave in recent months. Daryll Wartluft, former director of AIX for the U.S., left IBM in October to join Honeywell Bull, Inc. Lowen will set up shop in a new X/Open office in the New York area. X/Open said it expects to hire additional staff members in the near future, including a person dedicated to working with the federal government. X/Open's common application environment, a set of specifications that defines an environment around the Unix kernel, has been gaining momentum as a standard. It is widely endorsed in the industry by end users and Unix vendors. <<<>>> Title : Correction Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: correct Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: In the Viewpoint column [CW, Nov. 28] by Dale Kutnick, editing changes resulted in errors. The OS/2 LAN Server should have been attributed to IBM and the LAN Manager to Microsoft Corp. In addition, Motorola, Inc.'s reduced instruction set computing controller chip should have been listed as the 88000. <<<>>> Title : 25,000 reasons to celebra Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: stevie Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: IBM must be feeling pretty good right now _ at least in the mid-range market. The company said last week it shipped its 25,000th Application System/400 unit at the end of November. At the First Boston Corp. technology conference in Boston last week, IBM Vice-President Stephen Schwartz revealed that a surprising 30% of AS/400 shipments have gone to customers outside the System/36 and 38 installed base. Schwartz said this was a higher percentage than IBM had expected. In response to a later question about whether a small number of non-System/36 and 38 buyers could have inflated that number, IBM Director of Investor Relations Frank Hillenbrand replied that the 30% figure was ``well-distributed by geography and customers.'' Schwartz declined to give specific shipment numbers to investors but said, ``We have a very aggressive plan for the AS/400, and we are on that plan.'' Estimates of AS/400 shipments released earlier this year by many analysts were in the 25,000 range for 1988; IBM will beat that by a small amount as it continues to ship systems this month. Unlike other market research firms, International Data Corp. in Framingham, Mass., had estimated that IBM would ship only 12,000 AS/400s by year's end. An IBM spokesman said the total includes the 1,000-plus machines that went out before general availability to IBM sites and to early support customers and developers. By Clinton Wilder and Rosemary Hamilton, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM reshuffle means littl Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: q Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: The long-anticipated departure of IBM's primary Personal Computer executive, William Lowe, caused little stir among the company's large user accounts last week, with most customers voicing the conviction that product strategy overshadows any executive reshuffling. But some of those key customers also expressed the hope that the replacement of the low-end systems president by James Cannavino will accelerate the pace at which IBM brings to market key products that realize its stated strategy. Cannavino, former president of IBM's Data Systems Division, takes the helm of IBM's most visible department, which produces AT- and Micro Channel-based machines. Responding to the structural realignment, some of IBM's biggest customers and industry analysts said Cannavino will continue Lowe's PC-to-mainframe integration charter and usher in the era of lower cost coprocessing PC products to interactively share data with the host system. ``If anything, this move could signal a visible, identifiable effort on IBM's part to move more quickly,'' said James Sutter, MIS director at Rockwell International Corp. in El Segundo, Calif. ``Their present strategy will move forward.'' But IBM's current strategy is causing confusion among its customers as the company pushes the Micro Channel without explaining its specific role in Systems Application Architecture, said Elouise Buzbee, a senior information systems management consultant at GTE Services Corp. in Stamford, Conn. As IBM inserts AT-based PCs with its Micro Channel product announcements, it only compounds the confusion as to which PC will have what role in the mainframe environment. ``I see no definite strategy as to where their low-end is going,'' Buzbee said. ``At the AS/400 announcement, they just skirted the issue. Now, they just keep saying, `It's imminent, it's imminent, it's imminent.' '' ``I'm a little uncomfortable,'' said Tom Pettybone, vice-president of information systems at New York Life Insurance Co. in New York. ``We are going with the Micro Channel, as it is the only way to successfully run multitasking software efficiently and quickly. But how this will interface to the mainframe is a different kettle of fish.'' IBM response An IBM spokesman responding to customers' impatience said IBM is ``aware of the customers' interest in that area.'' IBM chose Cannavino to head the low-end systems division because his mainframe development background will be instrumental in bringing the Personal System/2 to its role as an integrated mainframe extension, said Clare Fleig, director of research at International Technology Group, a market research firm located in Los Altos, Calif. Ironically, the same reasoning was applied to Lowe's appointment three years ago. IBM also announced last week that it has broken out its Advanced Engineering System within the Engineering Systems Divison into a separate entity, now called the Advanced Workstation Group. The Unix-based division will be headed by Nicholas Donofrio, former vice-president of development in IBM's Entry Systems Division. The division's mission will be to develop a Unix-based product line ranging from the PS/2 to 3090 mainframes, according to an IBM spokesman. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : News shorts Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: short121 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Bolger seeks incentives Bell Atlantic Corp. Chairman Thomas E. Bolger has urged the administration of President-elect George Bush to offer incentives to encourage private communications companies to build a switched, broadband network, which is necessary for information services to become universally available. Private companies will not undertake the massive investment without an infusion of billions in capital, and that may take guarantees that the investment will pay for itself, Bolger warned. ``The extraordinary quality of voice services . . . masks the reality that the U.S. is falling behind in creating an information infrastructure for the information age,'' he said. NEC to become a PCM Japan's NEC Corp. is close to wrapping up technology transfer talks with Honeywell Bull, Inc. to manufacture IBM 3090-equivalent mainframes in the U.S., according to reports from Tokyo. NEC's technology would enable Honeywell Bull to produce NEC's ACOS 1000 mainframe in this country. Such a move toward a U.S. production base would allow Honeywell Bull, which is controlled by France's Groupe Bull and 15% owned by NEC, to meet conditions necessary to sell to the U.S. Department of Defense as well as commercial customers. Brookhurst ends Zenith chase Stating that the end of its consent solicitation is in the best interest of Zenith's shareholders, former avid pursuer Brookhurst Partners Limited Partnership has crossed Zenith Electronics Corp. off its Christmas list. Zenith's officers, according to Brookhurst Partners' Herbert Abelow in a prepared statement, ``have persuaded the company's shareholders that Zenith is pursuing programs that will maximize shareholder value.'' Zenith and Brookhurst have also agreed to call off all pending litigation relating to the erstwhile takeover. Noftsker haunts Symbolics Symbolics, Inc. had an unexpected guest at its annual meeting last week: deposed chairman and co-founder Russell Noftsker. Noftsker, who still holds 340,000 Symbolics shares, or about 1.25% of the Cambridge, Mass.-based firm, nominated himself as a director _ a move that was seconded _ but he was solidly defeated in the vote. In remarks at the meeting, Noftsker attacked Symbolics' management for terminating development of a reduced instruction set computing chip and certain other research projects. Noftsker was forced to resign in February. Symbolics, after major layoffs and other cost cuts, reported its first profit in two years for the quarter ended Oct. 2. Nixdorf ahead of schedule Retail giant Montgomery Ward Co. and Nixdorf Computer Corp. last week reported the completion of a $50 million store automation project one year ahead of schedule. Under a contract awarded to Nixdorf in 1986, Montgomery Ward installed 12,900 Nixdorf point-of-sale registers and 620 Nixdorf Model 8862 minicomputers in 324 Montgomery Ward stores. HP shares the wealth Hewlett-Packard Co. reached a milestone this year when it signed more than $10 billion in orders, and HP President John A. Young said the company will distribute $72 million to 78,500 employees. The checks, when combined with a second profit-sharing distribution in the spring, amount to two to four weeks of extra pay. Profit sharing in one form or another has been part of the company since it was founded 49 years ago. Biin joins software council The Transaction Processing Performance Council, based in Los Altos, Calif., collected another member last week when Biin, the Hillsboro, Ore., developer of a hardware/software transaction processing system, became the group's 26th member. The council is attempting to develop a standard for Debit/ Credit benchmarks of database management systems. ET <<<>>> Title : MAI presses Prime campaig Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mai Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: TUSTIN, Calif. _ MAI Basic Four, Inc. last week accelerated its campaign for corporate credibility and escalated the hostility level of its ongoing bid to acquire Prime Computer, Inc. Early in the week, MAI chairman and controversial New York financier Bennett S. LeBow took the podium in a conference room at the World Trade Center in Manhattan and urged his technological credentials on market analysts and reporters. LeBow rebutted speculation that the proposed deal is an attempt to produce a financial windfall for his MAI shares, which were recently shopped around, or that he would carve up the resulting company and sell off large chunks to finance the acquisition. ``It is not a financial transaction for finanacial purposes, LBO [leveraged buyout] or otherwise,'' he said. ``The main thing we want to convey to you,'' LeBow said on behalf of himself and longtime partner William Weksel, ``is that [MAI and Prime] are a strategic fit and that we are computer people.'' Between them, LeBow said, he and Weksel have from 20 to 30 years' worth of experience in the industry. ``We understand the computer business,'' he said. Weksel reiterated the intent to create a larger computer company. ``There is no plan to bust up or sell off any assets of Prime,'' he claimed. Earlier attempts to sell MAI notwithstanding _ including an attempt to interest Prime in buying it _ Weksel said, ``MAI is not for sale _ period.'' Raising consciousness Stephen Dube, an analyst at Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., said that the presentation successfully raised his consciousness of MAI as a contender. ``After the briefing,'' Dube said, ``I still see their justification for going after Prime as weak, but I see their resolve as strong.'' In addition, LeBow said that MAI would consider sweetening its current $20-per-share offering price if Prime would sit down at the bargaining table _ provided that the friendly posture was accompanied by financial information showing that an increase was warranted. The prospect of friendly negotiations between MAI and Prime receded further at midweek, however, with a volley of actions fired off by MAI. The would-be buyer extended its cash tender offer through Dec. 21 to give the Delaware Chancery Court time to rule on MAI's attempt to dissolve Prime's ``poison-pill'' provisions. Earlier in the week, Weksel stated that while failure to dislodge the poison pill would be a deal-breaker for MAI, ``we mean ultimate failure.'' If the Delaware ruling is adverse to MAI, ``we would appeal and look at other actions, such as a proxy fight,'' he said. MAI also filed an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, leveling charges of securities fraud against Prime. By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Duquesne links arms with Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: moremori Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: PITTSBURGH _ Duquesne Systems, Inc. and Morino Associates, Inc. _ two of the largest independent mainframe-oriented systems software players in a market in which Computer Associates International, Inc. reigns supreme _ are about to join forces to form a $400 million, 600-employee contender. Following an announcement Friday by the two companies, industry reaction hailed the proposed merger as one of the most compatible and genuinely strategic alliances since Luke Skywalker linked with Han Solo. ``Clearly, this is a move to offset the strength of . . . Computer Associates,'' said David Eskra, chief executive officer of Lisle, Ill.-based Pansophic Systems, Inc., also a competitor in the systems software market. ``It pleases me that we have an industry that is mature enough to deal with threats from corporate predators and to address the needs of users for ongoing support and viability at the same time.'' Users agreed. ``I think that this is nothing but great news for us and for the industry,'' said David Burke, vice-president of Pittsburgh National Bank's data center in Pittsburgh. Calling the combination ``a merger of equals,'' Burke, whose department uses software from both Duquesne and Morino, cited the companies as complementary when it comes to product lines, but identical in preaching and practicing strong user orientation. ``I can't see anything going wrong with supply or service,'' said Burke, who acknowledged that such was not always the case. ``A lot of us are suffering from deterioration in services as a result of mergers _ not of equals.'' The new and as-yet-unnamed company will present a profile of all additions and no subtractions, according to executives of both merging firms. ``There will be no redundancy _ only one of our [respective] products, the billing package, overlaps _ so there will be no layoffs,'' Duquesne Chief Financial Officer Arthur F. Knapp Jr. said. ``We're going to be hiring, not firing.'' Products will not be dropped, he said; plants will not be closed. Morino CEO Mario Morino will serve as chairman of the new firm; Duquesne CEO Glen Chatfield will become CEO. Growth by friendly acquisition, often of entrepreneurial companies, is high on the new firm's agenda, Morino said. ``We're sending a very strong message to the market,'' he said. ``Here's an alternative to CA, a growth avenue you can explore without tearing up your company.'' Commented Pittsburgh National Bank's Burke: ``If these guys can't make it happen, then the data processing industry is in sad shape.'' By Nell Margolis, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Prepping for another DB2 Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: db2news5 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: CHICAGO _ IBM, which announced Version 2.2 of its DB2 relational database management system in October, does not plan to ship the product until the third quarter of 1989. But users and consultants alike are already taking a look at a laundry list of changes they will need to bring Version 2.2 on-line. DB2 Version 2.2 will give large users the ability to distribute DB2 databases throughout their organizations. The various DB2 systems will be able to communicate in real time, giving users a sense of a single DB2 system. Users will not, however, be able to update remote DB2 systems; that feature is planned for future releases. John Deere & Co. in Moline, Ill., one of the first DB2 users, said it plans to install Version 2.2 as soon as it becomes available. ``Right now, in order to access data in another system, you have to run a job to extract the data and move it to your machine,'' said Chuck Mairet, manager of systems planning and data administration at Deere. ``With 2.2, you'll be able to read the remote data on-line. That would benefit us, since we have several DB2 systems running'' at different sites. Before users such as Deere can put Version 2.2 on-line, they will have to learn a new lexicon of DB2 terminology. Each DB2 site will own its own data through a unique set of naming conventions. A new data dictionary for the entire network, called a communications database, will keep track of all users and their authorization codes, or Authids. Martin Hubel at DB View, Inc., who spoke before 200 users at the Midwest DB2 Users Group here last week, listed some new phrases ushered in by Version 2.2. Among them are Alias, which is a public name for a table or view; Luname, which is an eight-character VTAM label for the destination of a given data request; and Newauthid, which is a site-specific version of a user's authorization code. Transparent translator The communications database will have software translators that automatically change Authids into Newauthids, Hubel said. ``Naming conventions will control who can look at the communications database,'' he explained, ``while the communications database controls all access to the various DB2 systems in an organization.'' End users, however, will be unaware of the data requests shooting across the corporate network. If an end user's request for data is not satisfied by his local DB2 database, the request will be sent to remote DB2 systems on other host computers. But Version 2.2 is not expected to support remote data requests from other kinds of databases such as IBM's IMS, Hubel said: ``You won't be able to do writes to remote sites for CICS and IMS. You can only do that locally.'' Whatever convenience distributed DB2 databases may bring, the change may further complicate DB2 security and administration problems. Ironically, many DB2 security concerns were only resolved in the last release, Version 2.1. ``Imagine the fun that users can have with two or more security administrators,'' Hubel said. ``Management issues will begin to come to the surface. Doing cold starts after one mainframe has shut down, for example, could be tricky in terms of synchronization.'' Remote updates of multiple DB2 systems are probably still several DB2 releases away, consultants said. ``There won't be a two-phase commit protocol in Version 2.2,'' said Dale Kutnick, an independent consultant in Redding, Conn. ``DB2 Version 2.2 will allow distributed viewing and sharing but not distributed updating.'' Handshake of integrity Two-phase commit implies handshaking between databases both before and after a transaction _ something IMS has done reliably for years. The handshake is a final check to make sure both systems are running before an update occurs, which helps guarantee the data integrity of both systems after the update. For security reasons, IBM will have to find a way to make naming conventions act as an airtight protection against hackers and unwanted invasions of remote systems. ``There are still four or five things IBM has to work out about distributed DB2 database security,'' Kutnick said. ``There's a need to coordinate and to synchronize multiple databases across an organization.'' Consultants do not expect that IBM will work out all the kinks in its distributed DB2 plan until 1990 or 1991. ``IBM's probably prototyped the remote update capability for multiple nodes, but they probably haven't resolved all the concerns people have about security and synchronization,'' said Michael Hermida, vice-president of Knauer Consulting, Inc. in New York. ``But IBM remains first and foremost a marketing organization. They've decided to introduce new DB2 features as they become available,'' he added. By Jean S. Bozman, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Navy accused of favoring Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: bias Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ Six vendors of IBM-compatible data processing systems have taken the unusual step of writing to Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci to complain that the U.S. Navy is steering contracts to IBM. Late last week, a federal contract appeals board overturned a Navy contract award to IBM that was challenged by Pacificorp Capital, Inc., a systems integrator in Reston, Va., and one of the vendors that waged the protest. The Nov. 17 letter, signed by executives from such firms as Amdahl Corp., Storage Technology Corp. and Vion Corp., said that from 1983 through 1988, the Navy has repeatedly wired its contracts for IBM 370-compatible hardware to ensure that IBM products are used. This conflicts with federal regulations requiring full and open competition. Lt. Jim Wood, a Navy spokesman, said the matter has been referred to the Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General. He declined further comment while the investigation is pending. The Navy's alleged bias toward IBM has its roots in the ``security blanket effect'' that results from buying from IBM, as well as peer pressure among Navy DP personnel, according to one of the letter's signers, Sidney M. Wilson, vice-president of Pacificorp Capital. `Neither full nor open' The Pacificorp Capital challenge involved bids for about $150 million in data processing work, which the appeals board ruled featured less than full and open competition in the Navy's bidding process. Contract protests in the highly competitive federal market are usually handled by the General Services Administration's Board of Contract Appeals on a case-by-case basis. But Wilson said the group took its concerns to the top because the alleged abuses represent a continuing pattern of discrimination. ``The Navy ADP Selection Office has resigned itself to taking the easy approach and giving in to biased technical users,'' the letter stated. The letter alleged that Navy technical personnel routinely write specifications to favor IBM equipment and manipulate the procurement process to ensure that IBM wins the contract. The letter said the abuses were evident in at least five specific Navy contracts that date back to 1983 and have a combined worth of more than $1 billion. The latest controversy, the complaint said, concerns ``alarming evidence'' that the Naval Data Automation Command intends to take extraordinary measures to give IBM a 10-year, $150 million contract. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Oracle to offer portable Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: oraclene Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Oracle Corp. will formally launch its office automation efforts tomorrow by unveiling Oracle Mail, an electronic mail product with links to its Oracle relational database management system. Oracle claimed that the product is the first portable distributed E-mail offering. However, in its initial release, Oracle Mail runs only with Digital Equipment Corp.'s VAX/VMS operating system and Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s version of AT&T's Unix operating system. Oracle promised that the product would support other platforms in the future. Ronald Wohl, vice-president of office automation products at Oracle, explained that Oracle Mail data, including messages, user lists and configuration information, is stored in the Oracle database. He said an application written for Oracle Mail can draw on this information, offering more functions than E-mail packages not tied to a database. ``When hooked into a database, messages can automatically be sent to people who need to know the information,'' Wohl said, offering one application example. Slow acceptance ahead John McCarthy, an analyst at Forrester Research, Inc., said that many accounts already use E-mail products offered by established vendors. ``Selling into big DEC, IBM and DG accounts will be hard. This product is going to be a slow-burn product.'' ``It would be good to have a consistent Oracle user interface,'' said Dale Lowery, senior systems analyst at the National Council on the Aging, Inc. in Washington, D.C., and president of the Mid-Atlantic Oracle Users Group. A Data General Corp. user with a Novell, Inc. LAN, Lowery said he would have to justify spending money on Oracle Mail because it would duplicate some of tha capabilities offered with Novell's Netware. Ultimately, Wohl promised, Oracle Mail will be able to provide transparent communications on many different vendors' systems. ``Users on any machine can address users on any other machine,'' he said. Other features to be offered later are full text retrieval and user interfaces based on Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh and IBM's Presentation Manager. By Stanley Gibson, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM attends inaugural OTF Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: otf1 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: BURLINGAME, Calif. _ The Open Token Foundation (OTF), an industry consortium of token-ring suppliers led by 3Com Corp., staged its coming-out party last week, bolstered by the attendance of IBM. The OTF's stated purpose is to promote interoperability among token-ring products. At its first formal meeting, the group elected the following officers: Robert Madge, president of Madge Networks Ltd. in London, was elected chairman; Bill Swift, token-ring product manager for 3Com, became treasurer; and Richard Bennett, director of local-area network marketing at Memorex Telex Corp., was selected for the post of secretary. 3Com founder Robert Metcalfe, chairman of the Corporation for Open Systems, presided at the inaugural meeting. Other companies represented at the Tuesday meeting included Apollo Computer, Inc., Intel Corp., Wang Laboratories, Inc. and Texas Instruments, Inc. A total of 40 representatives from 23 companies attended the gathering. Metcalfe said he was heartened by IBM's participation. ``The fact that anyone from IBM showed up at all means a great deal, since we gave them practically no notice,'' he noted. ``We're encouraging their participation as much as possible.'' Not `IBM bashers' ``It's important that we don't get positioned as IBM bashers,'' Metcalfe said. According to 3Com and Madge, IBM holds about 90% of the token-ring market. At one point during the session, IBM's representative walked out of the meeting room, Metcalfe said. ``One of our speakers made the mistake of getting into a discussion of market share and business practices. The IBM representative was uncomfortable with the nature of the discussion,'' he explained. After a break, he returned to the meeting, Metcalfe said. One of the issues the consortium hopes to address is the lack of suppliers of token-ring chips. So far, TI is the only supplier of both a 4M bit/sec. and a recently announced 16M bit/sec. token-ring chip set. IBM entered into a joint-development agreement with TI for the first chip set of this kind. ``It's very important to encourage alternative suppliers if this market is going to grow,'' he noted. ``My secret theory as to why that hasn't happened is that token-ring is a very difficult technology to implement.'' Patent controversy Another issue that OTF faces is the claims of Olof Soderblom of Willemijn Holding BV in the Netherlands, who maintains that he is the inventor of token-ring and holds the patents to prove it. Soderblom has been issued 36 patents worldwide for token-ring technology. While most vendors challenged by Soderblom have signed licensing agreements, Apollo and Madge have refused to acquire licenses. He, in turn, has filed lawsuits against Apollo and Madge. Soderblom's claims have hindered growth in the token-ring market, Metcalfe said. By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : DEC, Cullinet in marketin Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: culldec Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: BOSTON _ Cullinet Software, Inc. sought last week to sharpen its profile as a developer of Digital Equipment Corp. VAX-based software by revealing three Cooperative Marketing Program (CMP) agreements with DEC. Under the agreements, DEC and Cullinet will jointly market Enterprise:Builder, Enterprise:Generator and Enterprise:Expert. Enterprise:Builder and Enterprise:Generator were formerly called Knowledgebuild. In addition, DEC tapped Enterprise:Expert as the development tool kit of choice for Decvoice, a speech-synthesis and voice-recognition hardware option announced by DEC in October. The DEC-Cullinet agreement is similar to one announced in October between DEC and Relational Technology, Inc. However, company officials explained that under that pact, called a Digital Distributed Software agreement, Relational Technology's Ingres database tools are sold directly by DEC's sales force. Under the Cullinet agreement, as with all CMP plans, DEC personnel would recommend rather than sell Cullinet software. At the announcement, Cullinet Executive Vice-President John Landry demonstrated an application he currently uses to track product development. Managers can report to him by voice using the system and can update a database using voice commands. At Cullinet's annual User Week held in St. Louis in October, the company announced that Enterprise:Generator and Enterprise:Builder will support DEC's RDB relational database. <<<>>> Title : Ho-ho-hum Author : Nell Margolis Source : CW Comm FileName: 1212stoc Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Earlier signs of Christmas spirit notwithstanding, technology stocks last week evoked more ``ho-hum'' than ``ho-ho-ho.'' Apple Computer, Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Ashton-Tate Corp., which led what looked like a possible upturn in the beleaguered tech sector, veered toward the ``bah, humbug'' direction: Apple closed Thursday at 39 , down ; Microsoft dropped of a point to close at 49; and Ashton-Tate underwent an identical drop to close at 22. Digital Equipment Corp. closed at 94 , down of a point from 95 at the week's start. In brighter news, Sun Microsystems, Inc. continued upward, gaining a point to close at 30 . Justifying industry analysts' assessments of a strong local-area network market, 3Com Corp. picked up an additional 1 points to end the week at 22 . IBM closed up of a point at 119 . As Prime Computer, Inc. continued to resist the advances of MAI Basic Four, Inc., MAI dropped of a point to 8 and Prime rose the same amount to close at 17 . Computer Consoles, Inc., ending its first week as an acquiree of British giant STC PLC, closed Thursday at 12 , up 4 points. NELL MARGOLIS <<<>>> Title : Internet sites gird for h Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: moreviru Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Officials at research centers, universities, military installations and other sites are scrambling to blunt what many experts believe is the beginning of a major assault on the nationwide Internet computer network. A rash of break-ins following last month's worm incident prompted the U.S. Department of Defense last week to initiate security measures that some computer scientists and security experts said were long overdue. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced that it had established a Computer Emergency Response Team that has been charged with assisting researchers on the Internet network in responding to emergencies such as the worm program. The agency said it is gathering a team of 100 experts who will be called on when needed and is establishing a center for communications that will be based at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Recent breaches In the month since the Internet worm attack, computer researchers at two sites have reported several instances in which their computer security systems were breached. Internet, sometimes described as a network of networks, consists of some 1,200 networks nationwide that link computers operated by defense contractors, universities and other institutions. Among the largest networks on Internet are the National Science Foundation's NSFnet and the Defense Department's Arpanet and Milnet. While the latest break-ins have not caused any damage, researchers are alarmed because many feel the battle to defend their systems against unauthorized intrusion has only just begun. Last week, computer scientists at the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in Livermore, Calif., discovered that an unidentified hacker had been rummaging through its computer files. The intruder managed to penetrate five computers over a period lasting more than two weeks before he was finally locked out of the system (see story below). An unidentified intruder penetrated a Digital Equipment Corp. VAX at Mitre Corp., a defense contractor based in Bedford, Mass., at least four times in November [CW, Dec. 5]. No files were tampered with, but the break-ins prompted the Defense Department to sever connections between Milnet and Internet for two days while the system's security was beefed up. The number of break-ins is likely to accelerate, said Bob Campbell, president of Advanced Information Management, Inc., a computer security firm in Woodbridge, Va. Copycat hackers, some of whom have been studying the coding techniques used in the Internet worm program, have been inspired to emulate Robert T. Morris Jr., the graduate student suspected of perpetrating the worm, Campbell said: ``They are thirsting over the code.'' ``The recent break-ins are not that unusual; I think that we're just more attuned to it,'' said Rick Rashid, associate professor of computer science at Carnegie-Mellon. While many computer researchers fret that hackers will be inspired to demonstrate their technical prowess by cracking supposedly fortified systems, others are slow to take the necessary preventive measures. Several of the flaws in Unix that have been used to penetrate the system are well known to computer scientists, but not all sites have applied the software patches to fix the bugs. Also, many sites seem content to rely on the good nature of Internet users not to abuse the system, Campbell said. Uh-oh But last week, a West German computer operator sent out a warning on Usenet, an informal bulletin board network under the Internet umbrella, warning of the existence of a Unix loophole that makes it possible for even tyros to penetrate computers on the network. The bug is not new but was presumed to have been fixed, said David Fiedler, editor of Unique, a journal for Unix system operators published by Infopro Systems in Rescue, Calif. While regrettable, the break-ins have galvanized system administrators to boost the security of their systems, said John McAfee, chairman of the Computer Virus Industry Association, which is based in Santa Clara, Calif. ``They have shown the world that Internet is vulnerable to attack and not as secure as people would like,'' he said. By Michael Alexander, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Morris case creeps along Author : Michael Alexande Source : CW Comm FileName: morrisid Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Robert T. Morris Jr., the alleged author of a worm program that knocked out 6,200 computers on Internet last month, continued to lie low last week while a federal grand jury in Syracuse, N.Y., looked into the incident. Three witnesses have testified before the grand jury in recent weeks, said Thomas Guidoboni, a Washington, D.C., attorney retained by Morris. ``We know that they have subpoenaed documents and executed search warrants, but beyond that, we can only speculate on what they are investigating,'' he said. Guidoboni guessed that the grand jury may take two to three months to decide what charges _ if any _ to bring against his client. ``It's no surprise that they are investigating him, but the ball is in their court,'' Guidoboni said. ``Our present posture is not to say anything.'' In the interim, the attorney said, he is learning all that he can about computers in order to prepare for his client's defense if needed. ``Morris is educating me,'' he added. MICHAEL ALEXANDER <<<>>> Title : Quoth the hacker, `Liverm Author : Michael Alexande Source : CW Comm FileName: labside Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Computer researchers at the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories said last week that an unidentified hacker broke into five computers at the research center but did not tamper with data files. ``The hacker created a password and account for himself, looked at some system files and looked to see what other computers the host computer communicated with to see how to get to elsewhere from here,'' said Chuck Cole, deputy security manager at Livermore. The security breach is the latest of several that have occurred on Internet, a nationwide network linking computers at defense research centers, universities and other institutions in recent weeks (see story above). ``It was not the same kind of attack, and we don't suspect that they are related,'' Cole said. The hackers may have been motivated to attack for the glamour of doing it, he added. ``The intruder looked at system program logs, presumably to hide his entry, but that wasn't done well,'' Cole explained. The break-in was discovered by an assistant programmer who spotted a user name that he did not recognize, Cole said. ``He alerted the system manager, who looked through the records and discovered the new user was created by an unauthorized user.'' The lab left two computers unsecured as bait in an unsuccessful bid to identity the intruder. Cole said that the first break-in happened Nov. 22; the last happened Dec. 3. The intruder entered the Livermore systems by means of computers at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., in an attempt to cover his trail, Cole reported. MICHAEL ALEXANDER <<<>>> Title : The weekend pit stop Author : Patricia Keefe Source : CW Comm FileName: metbar9 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: If an average system response time of 1.4 seconds doesn't impress you, perhaps a track record of successfully converting four remote sites _ in less than 48 hours, with no disruption of services _ will. Thomas Waltz, manager of Metropolitan Life's Greenville, S.C., computer center, credits cooperative planning with virtually pain-free rollovers to a remote IBM Token-Ring system. Metropolitan Life's remote data entry centers operate nonstop from 6:00 a.m. Monday to 4:00 p.m. Saturday. That leaves a mere 38 hours to execute a complete system changeover _ with no room for error. ``We go out to the offices and get them prepped long before we ever get any equipment delivered,'' Waltz said. During the preconversion visit, an installation team determines where new equipment and circuit terminations will be located and what changes will be needed to facilitate the conversion. To prevent any unpleasant surprises, a test run is made by setting up a control model in the computer data center. Once everything is powered up, the computer center remotely dials into the IBM 3720 at the remote site, configures it and downloads an internally built Network Control Program into the box. The Network Control Program software controls the 3720 and connected devices. ``Now comes the weekend,'' Waltz said. An installation team, made up of computer center personnel and home office data communications staff, disconnects the coaxial cable from all old control units, attaching them to replacement computers. On Sunday, the computer center brings up the new system, activates the remote devices and tests every application. On that first Monday, the team remains on-site. From the user perspective, nothing has changed. ``They sign on as usual, and their screens remain the same,'' Waltz said. The only visible difference, he noted, is a much faster response time. PATRICIA KEEFE <<<>>> Title : Going the IBM route Author : Patricia Keefe Source : CW Comm FileName: metside Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Thomas Waltz considered two major options when planning a revamp of Metropolitan Life's remote data entry operations. In the end, Waltz and Daniel Flood, an information systems specialist in the New York home office, had no trouble warming up to Plan B, as in Big Blue. What IBM proposed was a unique adaptation of its standard Token-Ring network, which typically involves intelligent workstations _ that is, personal computers _ attached to a file server. The alternative, channel extenders, was rejected primarily because it involved stringing costly 1.5M bit/sec. T1 lines between the Greenville, S.C., computer center and the remote sites, Waltz said. ``It far outweighed the cost of two 56K-bit lines,'' he said. Moreover, this solution would have required channel extension-type nodes at the remote sites _ which were determined to be more expensive on a per-unit basis than the IBM 3720 communications processors that were eventually installed _ and back at the computer center. This was not required under the IBM solution, which uses an existing 3725 instead. Degradation At the time, the remote sites were using dumb CRTs _ 3178s and 3179s _ tied to IBM's 3274 cluster controllers, which could support a maximum of 14 terminals before serious response-time degradation set in, Waltz said. For example, boosting the number of CRTs to 20 would result in average response times of 3 to 4.5 seconds. The 3274s were connected to a data compression box that could support up to three modem-sharing devices. The latter linked up to a 3090 host at the computer center via dedicated leased lines operating at a speed of 14.4K bit/sec. Metropolitan Life took a conservative approach to testing the IBM proposal, launching a pilot in December 1987. A test network was first set up within the computer center to familiarize Waltz and his colleagues with the new equipment. Flood and his staff developed the required software. From there, the pilot moved out into one remote site, where the configuration was slowly expanded to four cluster control units supporting 128 terminals. Response time dropped to 0.9 to 1.1 seconds. Today, the revamped network looks like this: In a cascading configuration, the 3274s were replaced with 3174 Model 3R controller units, which can handle up to 32 CRTs each. The 3174s were linked via shielded twisted-pair cable to an IBM 8228 multistation switch, which in turn is connected back to a 3720 also residing at the remote site. A Token-Ring Interface Coupler situated on the 3720 allows conversation between the cluster controllers and CRTs over the Token-Ring protocol. The 3720s are connected back to the host site over two 56K bit/sec. dedicated leased lines per site to a 3725 back at the host site. Under the old system, additional overhead was created by forcing the 3725 back at the host site to poll each CRT device linked to those circuits, creating a lot of unnecessary traffic up and down the line. In the new environment, the intelligent 3720 back at the remote site handles polling activities, allowing the lines to carry data more efficiently. PATRICIA KEEFE ARCW chart, Turning up the volume, source: Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. <<<>>> Title : Unix Author : Amy Cortese Source : CW Comm FileName: unitrend Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: Unix-based systems will be one of the fastest growing segments of the industry in the next five years. International Data Corp. (IDC), a Framingham, Mass.-based research firm, predicted that shipments of Unix-based systems should grow at twice the rate of all computer systems combined. Unix systems will not grow the same across the board, however. IDC pointed out that Unix is not a market unto itself but is a feature of a range of systems bought for different reasons. Personal computers and small systems will experience dramatic growth during the next five years, while medium-size and large systems will inch ahead. Shipments of Unix systems as a whole by 1992 will be four times greater than they were in 1987, according to IDC. Last year, Unix systems accounted for only 2.2% of all computer shipments, but that is expected to grow to nearly 5% of all computer systems shipped by 1992. Unix systems will grow from $4.46 billion, or nearly 10% of all computer systems sold in 1987, to $13.88 billion, or nearly 21% of all computer systems sold. There are many factors that will spur acceptance and growth of Unix systems, according to IDC. The most touted benefits of Unix are its portability and attractive price/performance levels that keep improving. IDC also observed that users have become accustomed to the freedom that comes with the standard operating system and low prices of the IBM Personal Computer world and are looking for the same in their multiuser environments. AMY CORTESE <<<>>> Title : Inside lines Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: liner121 Date : Dec 12, 1988 Text: A done deal? A ``financial-type'' announcement is planned by IBM for Tuesday, at which time it should finally become clear what is going to happen to IBM's Rolm Systems subsidiary, according to a source with close company connections. The source predicted IBM will form a joint venture with another company _ either GTE or Siemens, as mentioned in recent reports _ which will share the job of selling and supporting Rolm private branch exchanges. The future partner will probably take over responsibility for the lower end of Rolm's installed base, leaving IBM free to concentrate on major corporatewide accounts, the source said. Still ripe for the picking. Peachtree Software, the Atlanta-based microcomputer accounting software firm that once represented Management Science America's disastrous foray into personal computer software, has changed hands again. The new owner is New York investment partnership Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, which bought Peachtree from Intelligent Systems late last month. Just cross this line, buddy! Maybe the U.S. Air Force contract prize that so many vendors fought for isn't a done deal for AT&T after all. Not only is the Honeywell Bull challenge to the $929 million award scheduled for a Dec. 19 hearing, but other vendors are watching to see if they can steal chunks of AT&T's business. The gap that one vendor says remains open is in the structure of the procurement process. The Air Force, as the lead agency in the deal for up to 20,000 Unix-based systems, will be buying from AT&T. But the other agencies and contractors covered by the pact are apparently free to buy systems from vendors other than AT&T if they can prove the products meet contract specifications and if there is a reason to leave AT&T _ such as failure by AT&T to deliver on schedule. Monkey see, monkey do? Reports surfaced last week that third-party maintenance firm Sorbus may be raising its rates 3% to 5% in the near future. The Bell Atlantic subsidiary may simply be striking while the iron is hot in the wake of a similar increase by IBM this past summer. Or, when coupled with the company's recent layoff, the move may indicate that something is rotten in Frazer, Pa. Stay tuned. Ho, ho, ho! Returning from flying practice over Armonk, N. Y., a group of reindeer returned with the following intelligence report: IBM's VM/XA/SP 2 will ship in December as planned _ in time for Christmas. Server with a smile. According to sources close to both firms, Lotus and Oracle are discussing a deal whereby Lotus would serve as OEM to Oracle's OS/2 Server product, set to ship next month. Lotus, which already has a server deal with Gupta Technologies, is clearly more interested in selling the unshipped Lotus front-end tools than being a server player. The 9370 pictured above at Unix Expo is the one neither we nor IBM spokesmen could find at the show, as we mentioned here Nov. 7. The machine, now pretty much designated a Unix box, got bumped from a networked ``power of Unix'' IBM display. Company contacts there told us there just wasn't room for it. Somebody back at HQ knew it had to be somewhere and dug up proof. If you can help IBM find other missing pieces of its product strategy, call the hot line at 800-343-6474 or 508-879-0700; News Editor Pete Bartolik will be happy to draw a map for the blue-suited execs. ET <<<>>> Title : OSF new-year plans: a ble Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 2interfa Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: CAMBRIDGE, Mass. _ By year's end, the Open Software Foundation will cease to be a consortium in search of an interface. The OSF interface specification, due to be announced shortly, will combine elements of Digital Equipment Corp.'s X Window System-based user interface with Presentation Manager/X, which is an interface developed by Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. for Unix, sources close to the OSF said last week. The sources added that Adobe Systems, Inc.'s Display Postscript graphical display technology will be offered as an option. The mixture of technologies the OSF selected is critical to the group's strategy, as it will be supported with DOS, IBM OS/2, DEC VMS and Unix applications already under development. This critical mass of applications presents the OSF with a viable weapon to lure Unix users away from the opposing Sun Microsystems, Inc.-AT&T offering. Ted Wilson, who oversees the OSF's user interface product development, confirmed that the announcement of an interface would be made by Jan. 1. But the consortium's director of development, John Paul, cautioned that although the group was close to a decision, business and licensing terms were still being worked out, and an agreement had not yet been cemented. However, analysts briefed by OSF members said they were told that the selection had been made and that it is not likely to be changed this late in the process. The user interface component, combined with a Unix kernel based on IBM's AIX Release 3, will constitute OSF/1, the group's first product release, which is due late next year. MIS directors at Unix sites welcomed the news of the selection plans. ``We're looking for a standard, and this sounds like a fairly reasonable marriage,'' said Jack McDougal, a systems development manager at Amoco Corp. in Houston. Another MIS director, Ed Gavalek of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, was pleased simply because there will be a decision. ``That's all that matters,'' he said. Compromises Ross Chapman, a product manager at Microsoft, confirmed that the OSF had been discussing contractual issues with HP during the past week. He also said that participants in OSF technical meetings have indicated that the decision was weighing heavily in favor of a merged Presentation Manager/X and XUI solution. Similarly, a DEC spokesman stated that its OSF representatives have reported that a hybrid interface would be selected. Since the formation of OSF precursor Hamilton Group in January, it has been widely anticipated that Decwindows would play a major role in the graphical user interface component. However, Chapman pointed out that he has every reason to believe that it will be Presentation Manager/X and that he would not be surprised at the inclusion of Decwindows as a face-saving move. The decision puts the OSF one step closer to the starting line, but the group still lags behind AT&T, which is scheduled this summer to unleash a major new version of its Unix System V that will merge the major variants of Unix. Another timing disadvantage working against the OSF is that Unix software vendors are already developing software to exploit AT&T's proposed Open Look interface in addition to the existing cadre of Unix applications. Reacting to the expected announcement, an AT&T spokesman downplayed the user interface decision, emphasizing the Unix kernel as most significant to the operating system. He contended that the decision will not impact Unix customers' buying decisions. But the OSF selection may sway key software vendors that thus far are uncommitted to either Unix camp. A Presentation Manager-like interface based on the X Window standard would bridge the Unix world with the growing base of OS/2 users by providing a consistent interface between the two environments. Narrowing the field Uncommitted vendors said the OSF selection will not obliterate opposing interface standards. However, the selection will pare down the number of interfaces to develop for, they said. ``The key is to be agile,'' said Lotus Development Corp. Vice-President of Research and Development Ed Belove. According to Belove, the overlap that exists between high-end personal computers and workstations may create a standard that could ironically result in stealing some of IBM's and Microsoft's Presentation Manager thunder. Senior Editor Douglas Barney contributed to this story. By William Brandel and Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Correction Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: cor Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: In the In Depth article, ``Is your PC software running wild?'' [CW, Dec. 5], author Irv Brownstein's biography should have also stated that he is affiliated with Howard Rubin Associates in Pound Ridge, N.Y. <<<>>> Title : CAMBRIDGE, Mass. _ By ye Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: interfac Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: CAMBRIDGE, Mass. _ By year's end, the Open Software Foundation (OSF) will cease to be a consortium in search of an interface. The OSF interface specification, due to be announced shortly, will combine elements of Digital Equipment Corp.'s X Window System-based user interface with Presentation Manager/X, an interface developed by Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. for Unix, sources close to the OSF said last week. The sources added that Adobe Systems, Inc.'s Display Postscript graphical display technology will be offered as an option. The mixture of technologies the OSF selected is critical to the group's strategy, as it will be supported with DOS, IBM OS/2, Digital Equipment Corp. VMS and Unix applications already under development. This critical mass of applications presents the OSF with a viable weapon to lure Unix users away from the opposing Sun Microsystems, Inc./AT&T offering. Ted Wilson, who oversees the OSF's user interface product development, confirmed that the announcement would be made by Jan. 1. But the consortium's director of development, John Paul, cautioned that although the group was close to a decision, business and licensing terms were still being worked out, and an agreement had not yet been cemented. However, analysts briefed by OSF members said they were told that the selection had been made. The user interface component, combined with a Unix kernel based on IBM's AIX Release 3, will constitute OSF/1, the group's first product release, which is due late next year. Scott MacGregor, a former Microsoft engineer who helped develop Windows and now a program architect for DEC's XUI efforts, said that by changing some of the CXI base code, Presentation Manager can access the XUI tool kit. ``Just how the code can be changed is the question,'' he said. MIS directors at Unix sites welcomed the news of the selection plans. ``We're looking for a standard, and this sounds like a fairly reasonable marriage,'' said Jack McDougal, a systems development manager at Amoco Corp. in Houston. Another MIS director, Ed Gavalek of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, was pleased simply because there will be a decision. ``That's all that matters,'' he said. Ross Chapman, a product manager at Microsoft, confirmed that the OSF had been discussing contractual issues with HP during the past week. He also said that participants in OSF technical meetings have indicated that the decision was weighing heavily in favor of a merged Presentation Manager/X and XUI solution. Similarly, a DEC spokesman stated that its OSF representatives have reported that a hybrid interface would be selected. Since the formation of OSF precursor Hamilton Group in January, it has been widely anticipated that DEC Windows would play a major role in the graphical user interface component. However, Chapman said he has every reason to believe that it will be Presentation Manager/X and that he would not be surprised at the inclusion of DEC Windows as a face-saving move. The decision puts the OSF one step closer to the starting line, but the group still lags behind AT&T, which is scheduled this summer to unleash a major new version of its Unix System V that will merge the major variants of Unix. Another timing disadvantage working against the OSF is that Unix software vendors are already developing software to exploit AT&T's proposed Open Look interface, in addition to the existing cadre of Unix applications. Reacting to the expected announcement, an AT&T spokesman downplayed the user interface decision, emphasizing the Unix kernel as most significant to the operating system. He contended that the decision will not impact Unix customers' buying decisions. But the OSF selection may sway key software vendors that thus far are uncommitted to either Unix camp. A Presentation Manager-like interface based on the X Window standard would bridge the Unix world with the growing base of OS/2 users by providing a consistent interface between the two environments. Uncommitted vendors said the OSF selection will not obliterate opposing interface standards. However, the selection will pare down the number of interfaces to develop for, they said. ``The key is to be agile,'' said Lotus Development Corp. Vice-President of Research and Development Ed Belove. According to Belove, the overlap between high-end personal computers and workstations may create a standard that could ironically result in stealing some of IBM's and Microsoft's Presentation Manager thunder. Senior editor Douglas Barney contributed to this story.welcomed the news of the selection plans. ``We're looking for a standard, and this sounds like a fairly reasonable marriage,'' said Jack McDougal, a systems development manager at Amoco Corp. in Houston. Another MIS director, Ed Gavalek of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, was pleased simply because there will be a decision. ``That's all that matters,'' he said. Compromises Ross Chapman, a product manager at Microsoft, confirmed that the OSF had been discussing contractual issues with HP during the past week. He also said that participants in OSF technical meetings have indicated that the decision was weighing heavily in favor of a merged Presentation Manager/X and XUI solution. Similarly, a DEC spokesman stated that its OSF representatives have reported that a hybrid interface would be selected. Since the formation of OSF precursor Hamilton Group in January, it has been widely anticipated that Decwindows would play a major role in the graphical user interface component. However, Chapman pointed out that he has every reason to believe that it will be Presentation Manager/X and that he would not be surprised at the inclusion of Decwindows as a face-saving move. The decision puts the OSF one step closer to the starting line, but the group still lags behind AT&T, which is scheduled this summer to unleash a major new version of its Unix System V that will merge the major variants of Unix. Another timing disadvantage working against the OSF is that Unix software vendors are already developing software to exploit AT&T's proposed Open Look interface in addition to the existing cadre of Unix applications. Reacting to the expected announcement, an AT&T spokesman downplayed the user interface decision, emphasizing the Unix kernel as most significant to the operating system. He contended that the decision will not impact Unix customers' buying decisions. But the OSF selection may sway key software vendors that thus far are uncommitted to either Unix camp. A Presentation Manager-like interface based on the X Window standard would bridge the Unix world with the growing base of OS/2 users by providing a consistent interface between the two environments. Narrowing the field Uncommitted vendors said the OSF selection will not obliterate opposing interface standards. However, the selection will pare down the number of interfaces to develop for, they said. ``The key is to be agile,'' said Lotus Development Corp. Vice-President of Research and Development Ed Belove. According to Belove, the overlap that exists between high-end personal computers and workstations may create a standard that could ironically result in stealing some of IBM's and Microsoft's Presentation Manager thunder. Senior Editor Douglas Barney contributed to this story. <<<>>> Title : IBM Netbios-compatible so Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: net1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: IBM Netbios-compatible software that provides application-level compatibility with Novell, Inc.'s Netware has been unveiled by Performance Technology Corp. Powerlan 1.2 permits elective sharing of workstation-connected resources, such as drivers, printers and plotters, and runs applications under DOS, OS/2 and Xenix operating systems. Registered users of Powerlan 1.1 will receive the upgrade version free. Performance Technology, 800 Lincoln Center, San Antonio, Texas 78230. 512-349-2000. <<<>>> Title : Next year, I'll just give Author : Michael B. Cohn Source : CW Comm FileName: cohnchri Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: We weren't really an unruly bunch. We kept our desks clean, recycled all our printouts and even worked a few weekends. No one tried to put a Kim Basinger poster on the cubicle wall or smuggle out felt-tip markers in a briefcase. But just the same, on the first Monday in December, the vice-president of information systems summoned us together to lay down the law. ``This will be a short meeting,'' she said. ``I've had operations dump a few of your libraries, and I'm afraid we've got a little misunderstanding. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, none of you pitched in to pay for the mainframe. ``Now, I'm not going to mention any programmers' names,'' she continued, ``but I want everything cleaned up immediately. No more resumes. No more bowling scores. The computer is for business. Period. If anyone has a problem with that, I'll be glad to discuss it during your exit interview. Any questions?'' We all kind of slinked back to our terminals. At one point or another, we started deleting our personal files and downloaded them to a disk, or at least renamed them with very business-sounding file names, hoping our boss wouldn't notice. Now, I'm not exactly a daring fellow, but during the pre-Christmas rush, people do things they might not try during the year. I parked illegally at the mall for eight minutes. I crashed the express lane at a department store even though I had more than six items. And one Thursday night, I stayed at work until 7:30 p.m., intending to commit a brutal white-collar crime. Snooping around My 5-year-old nephew, Andrew, is a Snoopy freak. I had bought him a Snoopy coloring book last Christmas and Snoopy pajamas the year before. But this year was going to be the best. My buddy in the information center had a little program that drew a Snoopy on the laser printer. It was one of those typical little batch jobs that prints out a Snoopy in special characters, running the length of four or five sheets of computer paper. He told me it just took a couple of seconds to print out a big, smiling Snoopy wearing a Santa Claus suit. Along the bottom, just under Snoopy, it printed big letters that read, ``Seasons Greetings to . . . ,'' and you could put in any name you wanted. Despite the new department crusade against such a dastardly deed, I figured I'd be safe running this job in the evening. I'd just dash down to the computer room, tear off the printout and sneak away into the night. I put my plan in motion. The whole floor was dark, and I called up the ``Snoopy file,'' typed in Andrew's name and submitted the job. It popped into the queue with only half a dozen files ahead of it. I figured I'd wait 10 minutes, then shoot downstairs. By then, the little job would be out of the queue and waiting on the printer. I was almost out the door when the phone rang. ``Hi, this is Jim from operations. Thank goodness you're working late. The weirdest thing is happening down here. The system seems to have locked up, like some job is in a loop. The printer is going crazy _ one job has already gone through 1 boxes of paper.'' ``Well, Jim, I . . . uh . . . I don't know what production job that might be, but I'll come down and take a look at the printout and see if I can help.'' It couldn't be! Not my Christmas job! Had I missed a comma or something? Been set up? It had to be some other, ``real'' production job chomping on some diseased database. I raced downstairs, bypassing Jim's office. I bolted through the printer-room door and into the roar of a machine out of control. It was a frightening sight. Mega-Snoopies. Snoopies were coming out of that printer faster than the eye could see. Snoopy Snoopy Snoopy Snoopy Snoopy, page after page after page. Snoopy was in a loop, and I was in a panic. I grabbed a phone and called Jim. I didn't have time to compose myself. ``Cancel that job! It's a mistake! I . . . I . . . I'll resubmit it tomorrow. OK?'' Jim obviously had his own problems, because he wasn't able to kill the job for another 50 or 60 beagles. But finally, the printer stopped, right in the middle of Snoopy's head. I tore off the remains of the final beagle. I managed to hoist the three-foot stack of printouts and made a rapid retreat. I headed for the elevator and pressed my elbow into the ``up'' button. The doors opened. My career came to an end. Standing in the elevator was the vice-president. Oh, how I wish she had been wearing flat shoes. With those few extra inches, she was able to look down upon that last half a dog, which rested just beneath my chin. She looked very surprised to see me. ``Are those Snoopies?'' she asked. In four years with the company, I never imagined that this would be the first question a vice-president would ask me. ``Yes, Ma'am,'' I replied, figuring that I was about as red-handed as they come. ``Well, you can put them in my office. Follow me.'' The 30 pounds of paper seemed light when compared with my likely sentence. I followed her upstairs, off the elevator and down the hall. I wondered if I had thrown out the Help Wanted section of last Sunday's paper. ``Just put them on the desk,'' she said, opening the door for me. I set the stack down on an empty corner of her desk, but the top 20 Snoopies lost their balance and spilled over onto the floor. Then I got to see the whole Snoopy card with the message at the bottom reading, ``Seasons Greetings to Patrice.'' ``Patrice?'' I stammered. ``Oh, that's my youngest daughter,'' she replied. ``She loves when I print little things like this. She's a real Snoopy freak. You should really try this sometime.'' ``Sure,'' I said with a sudden sense of innocence, ``maybe I will someday.'' By Michael B. Cohn; Cohn is a quality assurance representative based in Atlanta. <<<>>> Title : The hitch to a switch Author : J.A. Savage Source : CW Comm FileName: buynas1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Other Japanese high-tech companies, circling like vultures over the limp old lion of the U.S. economy, are on a mission to learn American culture and marketing techniques, but Hitachi is not the sort to jump into new situations. So if the rumors are true about a Hitachi takeover of National Advanced Systems, the mainframe user base can expect a slow and conservative transition. Hitachi has been dragging its feet in assimilating U.S. sales know-how and incorporating non-Japanese into its fold. This lack of aggressiveness is important if, indeed, the rumors turn out to be true and Hitachi buys out NAS. IBM and Amdahl, currently the only competition for NAS, would be quite happy with a Hitachi rival; it would be like facing McHale's Navy after battling the U.S. 7th fleet. ``Hitachi?'' ``Marketing?'' That, followed by a great belly laugh, is the standard answer to the company's effectiveness. For instance, one recent addition to Hitachi's U.S. staff knew so little about the product he was supposed to market that he asked a journalist how he should go about it. Perhaps a Hitachi-owned NAS will have field representatives asking users how to best use their mainframes. So what would that mean to you, dear mainframe user? It means that while the field reps may not actually be asking you about how these things work, they may be difficult to find while gearing up to a new company. If you already have a NAS machine and are anxious for the fastest compatibility with IBM's latest breakthroughs, a Hitachi takeover would have you cooling your heels. NAS' biggest contribution to the company is designing the IBM-compatibility specs for Hitachi to incorporate. IBM compatibility is not Hitachi's forte. The quality of the machines will not change, and they may even get cheaper. With the strong Japanese yen, Hitachi can manufacture in the U.S. _ and already is _ with economies like that of a U.S. company manufacturing in Taiwan. Beyond the marketing lessons, Hitachi would face more deeply rooted phenomena in American culture _ its largest corporation, IBM, and the U.S. government's fear of contracts with Japanese companies. While IBM can certainly hold its own, analysts think the elusive government prejudice is a force beyond the rules of capitalism. The government's fortress is built with xenophobia and a logic that is not applied to firms from other countries. Let a Japanese company try the same bids and it's great shades of the last World War. Both Hitachi and Fujitsu, its Japanese rival, have skirted the issue by selling products through U.S. companies _ respectively, NAS and Amdahl. Take your choice If Hitachi buys NAS, it faces three possibilities: The U.S. may define procurement restrictions more clearly, with either a good or bad effect on Hitachi; Hitachi could bow out of seeking government business; or it could continue selling processors to the government with today's restrictions, much as Vion Corp., a Washington, D.C., systems integrator, does today. Then again, if Hitachi does not buy it, NAS is going to have a tough time clawing its way back to revenue respectability. It is unlikely that NAS' parent company, National Semiconductor, could fund it to a higher marketing profile, because National Semi itself is far from flush. It is clear to NAS watchers that something has to happen. While Hitachi was a dark horse until recently, it may win the race, but to what avail? The true prize _ the company's user base and loyalty _ will be more difficult to win than just buying the company in name, and Hitachi is going to have to be more savvy in the U.S. market than it has shown in the recent past to make it worth anyone's bet. By J.A. Savage; Savage is a Computerworld West Coast correspondent <<<>>> Title : Medicomp: What the doctor Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: medicomp Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: WASHINGTON, D.C. _ The problem with most medical records systems is that doctors do not like to use a keyboard to enter data. But the corporate medical director for C&P Telephone Co. here may have that problem licked. The trick, said Dr. Albert G. Bickelmann, is to have patients, nurses and doctors fill out questionnaires the same way students mark their answers in standardized tests: They use a No. 2 pencil to blacken a circle next to the proper answer, the page is scanned by a dot reader and, eight seconds later, the data has been entered into the computer. ``This is the first time that I've been encouraged about the use of computers in medicine, because we have a way to get the data in,'' he said. Working with Medicomp of Virginia, Inc., Bickelmann has developed several dot-reader forms that enable patients to fill in an extensive medical history, after which nurses fill in laboratory data and test results and doctors fill in results of the physical examination. Now that doctors have a comfortable input method, they can reap the benefits of a sophisticated medical records system that also includes artificial intelligence features to assist with diagnoses, Bickelmann said. The software, called Medicomp and commercially introduced in November, was written during a 10-year period by Peter Goltra, president of Medicomp in Fairfax, Va. C&P Telephone paid $125,000 for its 15-terminal system. The latest version, 5.0, is written in C and runs under AT&T Unix System V, according to Medicomp officials. Designed for hospitals, clinics and corporate health administrators, the package includes integrated modules for pharmacy and laboratory data, patient records and diagnostics. ``I think it has marvelous potential,'' Bickelmann said after working with the software for the past 18 months. ``Despite the headaches of learning the system and trying something different, eventually it will save doctors an awful lot of time, and they'll be able to do their jobs better. But first,'' he added, ``you have to convince the users that it's going to be useful.'' At C&P Telephone's headquarters here, Medicomp runs on an IBM Series/1 and handles records for about 15,000 employees, Bickelmann said. He acknowledged that the Medicomp system still has some bugs to be worked out. ``We're still not where we want to be in terms of training and function,'' Bickelmann said, ``but we're coming along quickly because of the dot-reader system.'' Eventually, the system will be made available through a dial-up network to the company's six other clinics. It will then cover 32,000 employees, who get free medical exams at the company clinics. ``Each of the doctors in those clinics reports to me, and I want them to have the advantage of the marvelous diagnostic capability that artificial intelligence offers them,'' Bickelmann said. In essence, Medicomp can match a patient's medical situation against a knowledge base of thousands of diseases based on symptoms, physical findings and lab results. The result is a list of possible diagnoses ranked in order of likelihood. ``So far, there has been no computer system introduced with enough artificial intelligence to outdo a doctor. [Medicomp] may not do it, but it's awfully close,'' Bickelmann said. ``You can get an awful lot of suggestions from the computer, including lists of diseases that the doctor may not have ever seen.'' Another advantage of the system is that it can identify all employees who, for example, take a particular medication. This can help spot employee health trends and take steps to curb absenteeism, the corporate medical director said. By Mitch Betts, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Hypermarket challenge Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: larrysid Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Hypermarkets _ huge retail stores surpassing the size of largest department stores _ are a full-grown phenomenon in Europe but are just beginning to appear in this country. The growing trend may mean that MIS staffs at more than a few conventional retailers will someday be faced with the special challenges of supporting this new breed of retail operation. Hypermarkets are distinguished from supermarkets or department stores by their large size _ about 60,000 square feet on average _ and wide range of products and services. In hypermarkets, food, soft goods, hardware and appliances coexist with services such as dry cleaning, photo processing and haircutting. Carrefour, a French hypermarket chain with 43 stores in Europe, now has an outlet in Philadelphia, and Walmart, a U.S. store chain, has one hypermarket in Bentonville, Ark., and another in Garland, Texas. Meanwhile, Auchan, a West German company with 12 stores in Europe, is said to be considering opening a U.S. branch. In many ways, the information systems requirements of hypermarkets are similar to those of other large retail organizations. But two aspects of hypermarkets pose unique challenges: the diversity of products and the large number of price lookups performed at any given time. Covering the bases Thomas Friedman, publisher of the ``Retail Systems Alert'' newsletter, notes that it is no mean programming feat to create a system that is both sufficiently accurate and user-friendly to permit checkout personnel to deal with price per pound in foods, price per item in hard goods and the variety of sizes and colors in soft goods. ``To create a viable system,'' he says, ``you have to build one from the ground up that takes into account the extreme variety and number of products.'' Friedman estimates that a supermarket may have about 20,000 stockkeeping units (SKUs), but a hypermarket may have more than one million. ``You can't increase a database system 50 times with just a few maintenance changes,'' he says. Bob Smith, marketing manager at ICL, Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based company that specializes in installing computer systems in hypermarkets, adds that the problem of the large number of SKUs is compounded by the large number of registers. Hypermarkets typically have 60 registers, compared with 10 to 12 in supermarkets or retail stores. This can cause wild fluctuations in the number of price lookups throughout the day. ``You have to have a system that won't degrade when the number of lookups surges from 10 each second to 60,'' Smith says. Smith's answer is to distribute as much of the operation as possible, dedicating microcomputers to specific activities such as price lookups, inventory, communications, receiving and file maintenance. In the interest of speed, memory should be random-access memory-based rather than disk-based, Smith says; 4M bytes of memory per machine is sufficient to handle each operation. Fault tolerance, although it might be seen as a luxury in most retail operations, has to be a consideration in hypermarkets, in which the impact of one system failure could affect several hundred customers at one time. For that reason, Smith advocates duplicate processors running in tandem. ``I wouldn't want to be there when 600 people in line who have spent two hours shopping are told that the registers will be closed for 15 minutes while you get the system back up,'' he says. ``Do that a few times and people will blame it on the size of the store, and they'll go back to their supermarkets and department stores.'' Another way to protect processing time and also plan for future expansion is to have smart terminals at the registers. Smith recommends 512K-byte microprocessors, which will be sufficient to hold an entire customer transaction along with any instructions needed for handling the transaction. The data can then be held at the register until the customer pays. This allows the clerk to void any item on the list without having to make a call to the controlling computer, and the batch mode also makes more efficient use of communications resources. A further advantage of having smart terminals at the registers is that, because some of the burden is assumed by the unit itself, increasing the number of registers does not strain the system as much as adding dumb registers does. Intelligent registers that are, for example, programmed in Cobol rather than with firmware can provide more flexibility for new tracking and promotional plans. ``There might be mailings to customers. There might be promotions in which coupons are automatically generated depending on what products the customer buys,'' Friedman says. Hypermarkets, unlike retail store chains, are their own distribution center. That means that those who build systems for them will have to consider issues such as electronic data transfer and just-in-time inventory, which are normally dealt with on a regional or national level. Friedman and Smith agree that the hypermarket phenomena will grow in this country. But Friedman warns that it is difficult to say from the European experience exactly what form hypermarkets will take in North America. ``The key to success,'' he recommends, ``is flexibility. The system will have to be able to change to meet new marketing needs.'' By Lawrence Stevens, Special to CW; Stevens is a free-lance writer based in Springfield, Mass. <<<>>> Title : NEC Information Systems, Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwnec Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: NEC Information Systems, Inc. has announced price reductions ranging from 15% to 23% for designated models of its Astra XL series of Unix-based multiuser systems. The systems, based on Motorola, Inc. 68020 and 68030 microprocessors, are reportedly capable of supporting up to 64 users. The models affected by the price reductions include the Astra XL/8, XL/16 and the XL/32, which are now priced at $7,995, $9,995 and $12,995, respectively. The company noted that the list price from the Astra MicroXL remains at $5,895. NEC, 1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxboro, Mass. 01719. 508-264-8000. <<<>>> Title : A single-board coprocesso Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: hwmercur Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A single-board coprocessor that accelerates compute-intensive vector and scalar operations for Motorola, Inc.-based VMEbus hosts, including Sun Microsystems, Inc. workstations, is now available from Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. The MC-VM-I/O is an extension of the vendor's MC3200 family and was designed for users who need to acquire data directly and in real time from devices such as A/D converters and image digitizers. The two 16-bit I/O ports reportedly permit data transfers at a combined rate of 40M byte/sec. Scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 1989, the MC-VM-I/O is priced from $13,335. Mercury, 600 Suffolk St., Lowell, Mass. 01854. 508-458-3100. <<<>>> Title : A performance modeling sy Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swdbmsin Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A performance modeling system for Cullinet Software, Inc. IDMS/R users has been announced by DBMS, Inc. Called DB/DVP, for Database Design Validator and Predictor, the software reportedly assists users in determining which application design and hardware configuration is best suited to their needs, according to the company. The program utilizes on-line menu-driven screens and includes logical schema and design generation, physical database analysis and device media allocation capabilities. DB/DVP costs $55,000. DBMS, 600 Olympian Office Center, 4343 Commerce Court, Lisle, Ill. 60532. 312-505-3267. <<<>>> Title : Intex Solutions, Inc. has Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swintexs Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Intex Solutions, Inc. has released Version 2.0 of SQL:Docufact, which is the organization's tool for documenting and modifying IBM's SQL/DS and DB2 database structures and migrating applications. The program downloads data to a personal computer, according to the company. Release 2.0 was designed specifically to provide SQL/DS users with reorganization and reclustering capabilities, the vendor said. Monthly licenses for SQL:Docufact range from $300 to $500; perpetual licenses are priced from $7,500 to $12,500, depending on CPU group, the company said. Intex, 161 Highland Ave., Needham, Mass. 02194. 617-449-6222. <<<>>> Title : XA Systems Corp. has rele Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: swxasyst Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: XA Systems Corp. has released a mainframe software productivity tool for IBM DB2 users. Dubbed DB2-Xpert, the product assists in application development and runs as a dialogue under IBM's ISPF using menu-driven, ISPF-like displays, the vendor said. The software provides edit, browse and extract capabilities and loads DB2 tables under TSO/ISPF, according to the company. DB2-Xpert is scheduled for shipment in February and will have a price tag of $28,000. XA Systems, 983 University Ave., Los Gatos, Calif. 95030. 800-344-9223. <<<>>> Title : Caution: Computer on boar Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: laptop1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: DENVER _ The ideal holiday gift for that hard-to-please businessperson on your list might just be a car seat for your laptop computer. Zirco, Inc., a 1 -year-old start-up, has designed a car seat to cradle most laptops on the market today. The car seat was described by Zirco President Mark Zirinsky as ``a cross between a desk and a baby's car seat.'' ``It just holds a laptop instead of a child,'' he said. To complete the package, Zirco has added a power supply that plugs into a car's cigarette lighter for laptops that cannot run on battery power. The car seat sells through retail outlets for $79.95; the power supply is an additional $179.95. The laptop car seat and power supply is Zirinsky's brainchild. Before starting Zirco, Zirinsky wrote technical manuals and guides and consulted for high-technology companies in the Denver area. He found himself on the road frequently. Close call ``One day when I was driving to an appointment, I had to hit the brake rather suddenly,'' Zirinsky remembered. ``The laptop flew off the car seat and hit the windshield.'' After the incident, Zirinsky called a number of retail outlets looking to find a car seat for his computer. He was unsuccessful. Thus, Zirco was born. Zirinsky said he is surprised by how well the product has been accepted so far. About 30 domestic retail outlets now carry the product. It has been particularly popular with salespeople and journalists, he noted. Although he would not disclose shipment figures, Zirinsky said Zirco will break even this year. Zirco has also attracted the attention of the media. Recently, Newsweek magazine, in a recent article on the laptop boom, mentioned the car seat. ``The [car seat and power supply] package is very powerful for us,'' he said. ``It really is a trend. People are working out of their cars and using computers. Denver policemen wish they could turn back the clock. ``I find it hard to believe that people are working on a computer and driving at the same time on these roads,'' Denver police officer John Wyckosf said. Zirinsky said he is not encouraging bad driving habits. On the contrary, the car seat promotes safety, he contends. ``It will at least let people focus their attention on avoiding an accident, rather than protecting their computer,'' Zirinsky maintained. Firm endorsement Vicky Mason, a systems software product manager at laptop manufacturer Grid Systems, Inc., said Grid is endorsing a similar product from Buffalo, N.Y.-based Mead-Hatcher, Inc. Grid said it selected the $98.50 Mead-Hatcher laptop car seat because it is adjustable and is made from steel, as opposed to molded plastic. Also, Mead-Hatcher's product has been selected for use by Upjohn Co., a large Grid customer. Mead-Hatcher is a long-established firm, Mason said. Mason said the car seats are practical, especially for traveling salesman. ``If you've been visiting a customer, you might want to enter the order into your laptop when you get back to the car,'' she said. ``You can't really do it on your lap because the steering wheel is in the way.'' By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Users eagerly discover So Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: sbb Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Batch languages may be a bit boring, but the Bridge/386 batch language from Softbridge Microsystems Corp. is allowing some firms to exploit the exciting world of multitasking, graphical user interfaces and sophisticated data exchange. Pfizer, Inc., a New York-based chemical company, has been trying to consolidate financial data from its 80 worldwide subsidiaries. This task is becoming increasingly automated with the help of Bridge/386. As it stands, the information is relayed either over a General Electric Co. network or sent by disk. Scott Bedrick, a project analyst at the company, then uses the Bridge product to automatically upload information to the mainframe database. With the help of Bridge, Bedrick said this program took him less than three weeks to develop. That is only the beginning. Bedrick is also using the product with Microsoft Corp.'s Excel spreadsheet program to build a common-user shell for an executive workstation. These personal computers would include preformatted pull-down menus and pop-up windows and would pull data from Lotus Development Corp.'s 1-2-3 spreadsheet. Pfizer management would then have easy, direct access to the company's most up-to-date financial information. Remote support Steve Morse, senior technical officer at Manufacturers Hanover Corp. in New York, is using the product to support remote loan offices on a local-area network. Morse is using the Bridge product to build a pop-up window environment, from which account officers will be able to access data using object-oriented banking terms located on the screen. ``We haven't even scratched the surface yet in what we can do with this,'' Morse said. He added that he has tried other products, ``but nothing has come close to Bridge's performance.'' Despite Softbridge claims that the product is easy to use, Morse cautions only experienced users to crack the shrink-wrap. ``This is not for the end user; you need a little program development to develop with it,'' Morse said. ``But that's not necessarily a reflection on this product. Object-oriented programming still has a way to go.'' Some vendors are also jumping on the Bridge/386 bandwagon. Pawan Gupta, applications software manager at Kofax Image Products, Inc. in Irvine, Calif., is using Bridge/386 to develop an end-user interface for an image processing product. Gupta said the package would be advantageous to PC software programmers because most are already familiar with the DOS batch language. In addition to building the user interface, Gupta is also using the product to test the hardware and software he develops. ``It is very interactive,'' Gupta said. ``You can go into the script and see automatically where your development errors are. With this, you can step through development very quickly.'' The Bridge/386 product follows a similar offering for 286-based PCs from Softbridge, which does not include multitasking and is limited to task-switching between Intel Corp. 80286- and 8086-based machines. The Intel 80386 version of the product is being packaged with Bridge/286 and a developers tool kit for $695. Without the tool kit, Bridge/386 costs $299, while Bridge/286 is priced at $149. Put to good use DOS and Microsoft Windows integration is made possible by Bridge's multitasking and cross-application control. With its own batch language and dynamic data exchange, programmers who can write a batch file can use 386 windowing applications using Bridge/386. There is full control of each application running under Bridge/386, end users said. For example, if the product is used in conjunction with Windows and has an in-house application running as well, all three are viewable on the PC screen. Bridge/386 runs on 386-based systems. When used in conjunction with Microsoft Windows/386, it requires more than 2M bytes of memory. It also supports IBM Netbios-compatible networks. By William Brandel, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Proteus Technology Corp. Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micprote Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Proteus Technology Corp. has expanded its line of personal computers with the 286 Provu and the 386/25MX. According to the company, the 286 Provu is a laptop PC based on an Intel Corp. 80286 CPU and offers switchable operating speeds of either 10 or 12 MHz. Weighing approximately 14 pounds, the standard unit is equipped with 640K bytes of random-access memory and a 1.44M-byte 3 -in. microfloppy disk, the vendor said. It is priced from $1,995. The 386/25MX is based on Intel's 80386 processor and is said to operate at 25 MHz with zero-wait state. The machine is expandable to 8M bytes on the system board and incorporates a 32-bit memory slot with expansion capabilities up to 32M bytes. The base model is priced at $4,395, which includes 1M byte of RAM and 32K bytes of cache memory. A floor-stand version is also available. Proteus, 377 Route 17 S., Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. 07604. 800-782-8387. <<<>>> Title : Data Design Associates, I Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micdatad Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Data Design Associates, Inc. (DDA) has announced that its line of mainframe financial software is now able to run on IBM personal computers and compatibles. The applications include the company's general ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, fixed asset accounting and project accounting products. The current release reportedly allows users to download and upload entire files and is priced from $10,000 to $15,000 per package for companies that purchase DDA mainframe software. DDA, 1279 Oakmead Pkwy., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086. 408-730-0100. <<<>>> Title : Applied Business Technolo Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micappli Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Applied Business Technology Corp. has announced Version 3.0 of Project Workbench-Advanced System, the company's project management software system for IBM Personal Computers and compatibles. Enhancements include resource management, tracking and decision support functions. The software is not copy-protected, according to the vendor. Project Workbench-Advanced System 3.0 costs $1,275. Applied Business Technology, 361 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10013. 212-219-8945. <<<>>> Title : EWDP Software, Inc. has r Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micewdp Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: EWDP Software, Inc. has released Version 7.6 of Filebase, its variable field length database management program. New features reportedly include ``table look-up'' functions designed to reduced the number of keystrokes when entering recurring data. The software requires 128K bytes of memory and DOS 2.1 or higher. Both 3 -in. and 5 -in. disk formats are available. Filebase 7.6 costs $99. EWDP, P.O. Box 40283, Indianapolis, Ind. 46240. 317-872-8799. <<<>>> Title : A software utility that p Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micinter Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A software utility that prints envelopes in an Epson America, Inc. dot matrix printer environment has been announced by International Systems Services, Inc. The Envelope Printer 1.03 reportedly prints addresses from a mail-merge file one envelope at a time and prints envelopes in end-feed position on the printer with bit-image print mode. The package requires DOS 2.0 or higher and is priced at $24.95. International Systems, P.O. Box 4920, Tulsa, Okla. 74159. 918-744-8528. <<<>>> Title : Quantum Leap Technologies Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micqltec Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Quantum Leap Technologies, Inc. has announced a compact disk/read-only memory (CD-ROM) disk for the Apple Computer, Inc. Macintosh. Called Mega-Rom, the product reportedly contains over 335M bytes of Macintosh public-domain and shareware files on a single, unerasable disk. The Apple CD SC or the NEC Corp. CD-ROM drive is necessary for operation. Mega-Rom costs $49. Quantum Leap, 314 Romano Ave., Coral Gables, Fla. 33134. 305-446-2477. <<<>>> Title : Seikosha America, Inc. ha Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: micseiko Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Seikosha America, Inc. has announced a dot matrix printer for the Apple Computer, Inc. marketplace. The SP-1000AP offers Apple II series and Macintosh compatibility with Imagewriter I emulation, according to the vendor. The 9-pin unit reportedly prints 75 char./sec. in draft mode and 15 char./ sec. in near letter-quality mode. It costs $349. Seikosha, 1111 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, N.J. 07430. 201-529-4655. <<<>>> Title : A guide to working with M Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: bits1128 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has published Understanding MAP _ Your Key to Achieving the Integrated Factory. The book is said to provide basic principles of Manufacturing Automation Protocol and information on how to implement the networking standard and use it in computer-integrated manufacturing. Order from SME, 313-271-1500, extension 418 or 419. TDCC/The Electronic Data Interchange Association (EDIA) has appointed Alvan S. Bixler as director of technical operations. Bixler is in charged of reviewing TDCC/EDIA's current programs, including the group's software source code and EDI system testing service and hot line. In addition to developing new services, he will serve as a liaison to the many EDI standard groups. MCI Communications Corp. and Microtel Ltd. recently became full members of the Open Systems Interconnect/Network Management Forum. The Forum also gained five new associate members: Computrol, Contel Technology Center, Fujitsu America, Siemens AG and Tech-Nel Data Products Ltd. Total Forum membership is 34, including 13 voting members and 21 associates. The group was formed earlier this year to speed up vendor agreement on and facilitation of an OSI network management standard. APL Group, Inc. has agreed to market IBM's Information Network value-added service, which provides mailboxes for companies that want to exchange documents via EDI. APL has interfaced IBM's service with its own EDI software, QualEDI, and will market the two together as a complete pacakge. Microsoft Corp. recently hosted a number of vendors demonstrating support for OS/2 connectivity. The following demonstrations supported the Ashton-Tate/Microsoft/Sybase SQL Server: Ashton-Tate Corp.'s Dbase, Borland International's Paradox, Dataease International, Inc.'s Dataease, Information Builders, Inc.'s OS/2 Focus, Popkin Software's System Architect and CASE Tool and a preliminary version of Synex Systems Corp.'s Blueprint driver. Yet another licensee of LAN Manager is here. NCR Corp. rolled out its version of Microsoft Corp.'s network software, which runs on NCR's PC Token-Ring. The nameless software is compatible with the Microsoft Networks-based version of NCR's current network operating system, features OS/2 client and server support and is slated to ship March 1. <<<>>> Title : A fault-tolerant Ethernet Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netalant Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A fault-tolerant Ethernet communications capability for personal computers has been announced by Alantec. The Fault-Tolerant Ethernet LAN (FTEL) consists of a dual-port Ethernet adapter card running fault-tolerant driver software. Mounted in an IBM Personal Computer AT compatible, the product reportedly provides redundant Ethernet connectivity for PCs in the event of a transceiver or cable fault. The FTEL 1.0 package includes a dual-cable Ethernet arbitrator that supports up to 30 users, software drivers for Novell, Inc.'s Netware and fault-tolerant protocols. It is priced at $10,080. Alantec, 101 Hammond Ave., Fremont, Calif. 94539. 415-770-1050. <<<>>> Title : A local-area network cont Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netcompe Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A local-area network controller card that utilizes bus topology and supports up to 32 nodes has been announced by Compex, Inc. The A-Net 42 is reported to be an Arcnet controller with four active ports and allows workstations to be connected to coaxial cables via T connectors. The system is priced at $499. Compex, Unit H, 4075 El LaPalma, Anaheim, Calif. 92807. <<<>>> Title : A prepackaged local-area Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netclrfa Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: A prepackaged local-area network designed to accommodate the needs of the medium-size to very large tax departments of accounting firms has been announced by CLR/Fast-Tax. Dubbed the Network Control Center, the product is available in two configurations and incorporates network equipment, cabling and both network and tax application software in a single cabinet, the vendor said. Both versions contain IBM Personal System/2 Model 80 file servers with up to 600M bytes of fixed storage. The company's tax software is pre-installed on each model. The Network Control Center is priced from $47,500 to $69,500, depending on configuration. Both prices include all software, equipment, implementation and training. CLR/Fast-Tax, 2395 Midway Road, Carrollton, Texas 75006. 800-327-8829. <<<>>> Title : Proteon, Inc. has unveile Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netprote Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Proteon, Inc. has unveiled a router designed to interconnect Novell, Inc.'s Netware and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol networks. It is especially suited for small work groups, isolated departments and remote office environments. The P4100 Router reportedly allows users to develop medium-speed backbone networks, connect to wide-area networks and integrate Ethernet and Token-Ring local-area networks. P4100 costs $3,750 for the base unit. Proteon, 2 Technology Drive, Westboro, Mass. 01581. 617-898-2800. <<<>>> Title : Mux Lab has announced a p Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: netmuxla Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Mux Lab has announced a powered two-port star-wiring panel designed to increase cabling flexibility in IBM System/34, 36 and 38 environments. Double Twinstar allows peripherals to be connected in a star configuration with virtually no distance constraints and provides line isolation between each device port. According to the vendor, the product works in conjunction with the company's Miniplex twinax balun and costs $817 per unit. A product designed for Wang Laboratories, Inc. VS users has also been unveiled from Mux Lab. The Dual-Coax Octopus reportedly connects a group of eight Wang peripherals over unshielded twisted-pair wire, thus allowing the complete elimination of dual-coaxial cable, the vendor said. The Dual-Coax Octopus costs $480. Mux Lab, 165 Graveline, St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada. H4T 1R3. 514-735-2741. <<<>>> Title : Users want some peace and Author : John J. Xenakis Source : CW Comm FileName: pclead1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Kathy Fleck has just about reached the end of her patience. Fleck, manager of end-user computing at TRW, Inc. in Cleveland, is fed up with listening to vendors fight. ``I think the whole thing is outrageous, with different people in the industry going in different directions,'' she says of the split between IBM _ whose Personal System/2s implement the Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) _ and Compaq Computer Corp. and others that promote the Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA). ``The group doing EISA may have done the right thing [in terms of a bus standard], but if the industry doesn't stop changing so much, we won't be able to standardize for the rest of our lives.'' Chester Hopkins, information processing manager at the Buick Division of General Motors Corp. in Flint, Mich., just wants a little peace and harmony. ``We really need to maintain compatibility,'' he says. ``I hope the industry doesn't decide to go in two separate directions.'' Fleck and Hopkins are just two voices, but their statements are reflective of a growing strain of resistence in the community of corporate personal computer users. ``MIS directors are really tired and bored by the little vapor clubs,'' says Nancy Kirk, director of industry research at The Sierra Group, Inc. in Tempe, Ariz. They are tired, she says, of being told about new approaches that they never asked for and do not need and of hearing about alternatives that do not exist yet. For a long time, corporate users were willing to let vendors set the pace of change and willing to debate compatibility differences between computers. In fact, they seemed to relish the challenge of comparing machines. They appointed committees to study and evaluate different systems, and they created departments to diversify machine populations. But now users are starting to rebel. If a technology is working, they do not want to be pressured into giving it up. And when they are ready to make a change, they would prefer not to have to choose between diametrically opposed alternatives. Evaluations are time consuming, and tightened budgets leave less latitude for exploring paths that might turn into dead ends. Power struggle Most of the annoyance that is boiling up these days has to do with the bus debate, but some users are also digging in their heels over generational issues. Although pressure is strong to convert from Intel Corp.'s 80286 to 80386 microprocessors, some users are just flat out refusing to buy the argument that they need that much power. Steve Derry, manager of Corporate Information Systems at Borg-Warner Corp. in Chicago, is not swayed by the advice to purchase 386-based machines and stay away from Intel 8086 or 286 machines. ``The whole issue of 286 and 386 relates only to compute-intensive work,'' he says. ``I have those battles among the people on my own staff, where I have programmers who complain that it takes too long to do a compile. It's always possible to use up horsepower, as we've seen on mainframes, and I think the same thing applies to PCs.'' Derry says he wants to get his company off its IBM 4341 mainframe and convert to a PC-based local-area network. IBM's PS/2 figures into those plans to some degree, he says, but only at the lower end of the line. `` We have half a dozen [non-MCA] PS/2 Model 30s but nothing at the high end,'' Derry says. ``We haven't seen any benefit for us from the Micro Channel. For the money we could spend on an expensive PS/2 or even on a Compaq, we could get an [AST Research, Inc.] machine for $3,000 or $4,000,'' he says. Bob Palakov serves as manager of end-user computing at Ryder System, Inc. headquartered in Miami. For Palakov, who is in charge of computer acquisitions, the issue is a matter of money. He says he does not feel it is important now to pay the additional cost of 386 machines. ``Going to the 386 is another big price jump where the price/ performance benefits are not that clear cut,'' he says. ``We have not gotten very far toward the 386 machines _ we have some, but the standard workstation is a 286-based machine.'' Although Ryder shifted to purchasing PS/2s right after the line was introduced, the new equipment is mostly [286-based] Model 60s. ``We still use a lot of old ATs, and we even still find new uses for old PCs as workstations,'' Palakov says. Palakov claims he is not too excited about the MCA bus, but he is not anxious to put his support behind the EISA bus, either. ``It's a splintering of an already small market and there's nothing out there to take advantage of the expanded architecture of either the MCA or the EISA,'' he says. ``A lot of us still see a lot of value in the old AT standard.'' That is why Palakov is keeping his eye on the non-MCA PS/2 Model 30/286. ``It's priced so low and since it doesn't have the Micro Channel, it appears that IBM is using it to rejustify the old AT bus,'' he says. In terms of performance, Palakov says the Model 30/286 is comparable to the PS/2 Models 50 and 60, which are also 10-MHz machines. ``Its main disadvantage is that it still has that three-slot limitation, but in the right places, the Model 30 can be a very attractive machine, and it's an alternative that we can live with, from the point of view of a shop that wants to stay Blue. We leave the door open to clones but are not very anxious to go that route.'' Terry Marksberry, director of management systems at Pillsbury Co. in Minneapolis, was not too anxious either, he says, but when IBM ``took a left turn'' with MCA, standardizing on Compaq seemed like the most sensible choice. ``It gave us the future we needed, and it protected the large investment we had in AT-type equipment. We're trying to keep things simple by avoiding the Micro Channel,'' Marksberry explains, ``trying to keep as many things constant as we can, not only architecturally, but also in terms of support. If you try to mix too many technologies, starting with the bus technologies, you get into trouble.'' A godsend While a considerable number of corporate managers made similar decisions, many were concerned, either overtly or secretly, that they were making a mistake by purchasing old technology as opposed to the newer MCA technology. For those people, the EISA announcement was a godsend. ``We were very pleased to see the EISA come out,'' Marksberry says. ``It's important to us to the extent that if it does what they claim, then it validates our decision to continue on course, and it extends the architecture and the current investment that we have.'' Borg-Warner's Derry is somewhat more reserved in his endorsement. ``I have a position on EISA only insofar as it remains compatible with the industry standard, which I think is a good idea. A lot of companies have paid a small fortune for PCs and PC XTs, and they don't want to write that off just because the latest thing is completely different.'' It is, however, the same worry that current equipment may be made obsolete that causes TRW's Fleck to be so frustrated by the ongoing bus wars. Even though there have not been any real problems with the MCA PS/2s that TRW has purchased, there is not enough certainty about the direction of the industry to allow the company to feel secure in its choice. ``We're very concerned that the PS/2 machines [with the MCA] that we've bought may become obsolete,'' Fleck explains. ``Those are expensive machines, so that's a big issue to us.'' Better shop around Although Fleck says the confusion has not affected her purchasing decisions yet, she does say that TRW, which has always been an IBM shop, is beginning to look at other alternatives. ``We're going to be looking at Compaqs and other 386 machines as well.'' IBM draws much of the fire from users for touching off the whole bus compatibility issue in the first place. For example, Ivan Brass, vice-president and director of information systems at Manufacturer's Hanover Trust in New York, says that, while the MCA vs. EISA debate does not affect him personally as a user of Compaq, Toshiba America, Inc. and Zenith Data Systems equipment, IBM's decision to move to the Micro Channel is indicative of a general disregard of user interests. ``IBM never considers the user when making their changes, and that's what happened with the MCA. They don't consider people who've made significant investments in current technology. They change their standards too easily,'' Brass claims. Compaq also culpable However, Linda White, an analyst at Future Computing, a market research firm in Richardson, Texas, says that IBM is taking more than its fair share of the blame for the current schism. According to White, at least part of the current fuss can be connected to what might be a potentially deceptive marketing ploy by Compaq. ``Compaq has been waging a very verbal battle against IBM,'' she says. ``Compaq has been saying in their ads that they've been selling more computers than IBM, but they've been taking those results from Storeboard, which only reports on computer stores. There are a lot more channels besides computer stores _ direct sales forces, VARs and so forth. The truth is that Compaq has a 4% market share vs. 16% for IBM. And even in Storeboard's results, sometimes Compaq does better, but sometimes not. ``So Compaq has veered from the path of IBM compatibility. And they came up with the terminology `industry-standard technology' _ not `IBM-compatible.' They've promulgated the EISA bus. The other vendors have had a little input into the design, but not much,'' White adds. Dual doubts Although White says she believes that EISA will succeed in creating a dual-standard IBM world, she expresses some skepticism about when the standard will actually be finalized. ``We don't think it will be out for a long time,'' she says, noting that her organization's attempts to obtain the specifications for independent testing have so far been unsuccessful. ``That makes us uncomfortable, since we're an independent testing firm,'' she says. ``When someone won't give you specs, it makes you kind of skeptical.'' Robert Holmes, a computer technology researcher at the Southern California Gas Co. in Los Angeles, also has his doubts about EISA, although he concedes that the consortium behind that bus standard has outgunned IBM in terms of marketing. ``IBM always shoots itself in the foot when it comes to marketing,'' Holmes says. ``There hasn't been any real attempt to convince people who don't understand the technical merits of the MCA that it's worthwhile. People don't want to have to deal with different boards now, and they don't look ahead. But IBM hasn't tried to prove to people that that way of thinking isn't very good.'' Holmes, whose company has invested heavily in PS/2 computers with the MCA, says IBM has done an excellent engineering job with the MCA's design. On the other hand, Holmes is not sure about the technical merits of EISA. ``The way that I would characterize it,'' he says, ``is that you're now building a machine with two buses _ it has a high-speed 32-bit bus, but it also has the 8/ 16-bit bus at 8 MHz. Building a dual-bus machine with buses running at two different speeds is more complex, and we won't know how expensive those machines will be until they're out.'' Despite the unresolved questions about a dual-bus system, Holmes adds, the group behind EISA has outdone IBM in selling its approach to the medium- and low-tech people. ``And that,'' he says, ``is ludicrous.'' Right now, many organizations can sidestep the decision entirely because, as Ryder's Palakov points out, the applications that would make expanded bus architecture a must have not yet arrived. ``People tell me if they're going to buy a bunch of PCs to solve problems that they have right now, then MCA or EISA doesn't make any difference since there's nothing out there yet that proves to anyone the advantages of either architecture,'' says John Murphy, an industry analyst at Wohl Associates in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. The conclusion Murphy draws from that fact, however, is not one that is likely to comfort users who are hoping for a speedy resolution of the bus dilemma. The current quandry is likely to persist, he says, for at least three years. By John J. Xenakis; Xenakis is a computer columnist for the Boston Globe and software editor of Boston Computer Society's BCS Update Magazine. <<<>>> Title : Delicate detente for MIS, Author : David Gabel Source : CW Comm FileName: gabside1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: The days of anarchy in microcomputer acquisition are on the wane, although some organizations are still struggling to create order from the chaos of brands and models that emerged when individual preference reigned supreme. Indications are that MIS is asserting itself and taking control of the acquisition and use of small computers in corporate America. A recent study by the Toronto office of Peat, Marwick, Main & Co. found that 86% of Fortune 100-type firms and large government agencies surveyed now exercise some sort of control over the information technology department of the company. In a few cases, information systems governance of personal computer selection extends to actual purchasing. The Spicer Transmission Division of Dana Corp. in Knoxville, Tenn., is one such case. ``I recommend and buy all equipment,'' says John Zanetti, network administrator for the division. Zanetti sets up corporate accounts with local dealers and, using these accounts, gets significant discounts for computer equipment. ``The advantages to buying the way I do,'' Zanetti says, ``are price, reliability and compatibility.'' The Knoxville division has several PC networks in place and must communicate with mainframes at corporate headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. ``I'm in charge of maintenance, so keeping everything standard is very important for me. I have to make sure that things stay up,'' he adds. Central funding is more the exception than the rule, however. According to Peat Marwick, MIS organizations use a number of tactics to restore order, but in its sample, less than 25% of MIS departments actually governed the purse strings. More commonly, control is exerted in less overt ways _ through the establishment of approved lists of computers for which funding is authorized or through partial or complete withholding of support for nonapproved computers. Terry L. Eikenbery, executive officer of data processing at Sovran Financial Corp. in Hyattsville, Md., has developed standards and convinces his users to comply with these in-house regulations. For example, when desktop publishing first became popular, he says, his staff examined the hardware and software available and developed a corporate standard with which his users willingly complied. Both MIS and end users are learning to compromise, notes Ron Evans, director of end-user computing at Nolan Norton & Co., a market research and consulting firm in Lexington, Mass. ``Users know there's enough of a hornet's nest out there that they have to accept some direction. And sometimes MIS will go with something not technically superior because the users need it. Both sides have compromised,'' he says. However, not all the battles for centralization have been totally painless, and some IS managers have been unable to achieve the level of standardization that they would like. Holding pattern Take, for example, the case of Ron Rice, manager of data processing at Pertec Peripherals Corp. in Chatsworth, Calif. Because the company has several different kinds of equipment on five-year, long-term leases, Rice cannot just get rid of it all and start over again, at least not until the leases expire. ``It's a real headache,'' he complains. ``I can find three versions of Lotus' Symphony running on 10 different PCs.'' But what is worse is that for every would-be PC-purchasing rule, there appears to be an exception. ``If the vice-president of engineering says that he can't run his department with some standardized piece of software, he gets what he wants,'' Rice says. Like Rice, other managers have had their tough times. John Dunkle, vice-president of work group computing at Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based market research firm, says that the MIS executive these days is caught between pressure from top management to get involved and pressure from the user community to let them continue to run their own shows. ``MIS got volunteered,'' Dunkle says. ``Top management said that if the company information is dispersed without control, then we have chaos. MIS, you will control the situation.'' MIS organizations are moving in to restore order in the PC territory, but it may still be some time before peace can be declared. By David Gabel; Gabel is a free-lance writer based in Northport, N.Y. <<<>>> Title : Board makers hop the MCA Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: satchsid Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Twenty months have passed since the fateful day in April 1987 when IBM sprang the Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) on the microcomputer world. Since then, although the world has not exactly beaten a path to the MCA bus, makers of add-in boards have been busy designing and building products for the Personal System/2 _ Models 50, 60, 70 and 80 _ that support it. Not every IBM Personal Computer AT-compatible product can move over to MCA. Disk controllers, for example, are an anachronism on the PS/2 machines, all of which have hard disk controllers on the system board. But most board makers are undertaking the transition, even if it means reformulating their product. For example, instead of making separate video boards, which would not make a lot of sense considering that all four of the MCA PS/2s contain Video Graphics Array (VGA) adapters, vendors will build enhancers that expand the VGA's capabilities. IBM's 8514 adapter, which supports a larger screen, is the first of this new breed, and it will not be the last. Right now, the board category with the longest lead and highest appeal is add-in memory. These boards appeared, it seemed, within minutes of the introduction of the first PS/2 systems. Today, they are at the top of the add-in wish list thanks, in large part, to OS/2's gluttonous appetite for random-access memory. IBM's own memory expansion add-in board held 2M bytes of RAM but, because of third-party development, boards currently exist that stuff 4M, 8M or more bytes onto a single MCA board. IBM itself is rumored to have an 8M-byte board in the works. Because the vast majority of active users are sticking with Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS and IBM's PC-DOS, at least for the moment, PS/2 memory boards that can support Expanded Memory Specification functions are much more in demand than plain-vanilla RAM boards. Connectivity has not been neglected. Network adapters are becoming popular for PS/2 systems, as are local-area network adapters. Micro-to-mainframe communications products are also popular; boards that emulate the IBM 3270 are the hands-down favorites. Modem makers are starting to put their products onto MCA boards. The pace in this category has been slow but should pick up as vendors realize that businessmen really appreciate internal modems. Makers of multiple-serial-port boards have also taken their time getting products into the starting gate, but that may simply be because the people who are interested in those boards are a minority. Unplug the bottleneck The problem with most of today's MCA add-in boards is that they rely on the PS/2's main CPU to do just about everything. This dependency slows down the system, so that the user has to either put up with reduced performance or buy a faster machine. The problem does not arise under PC-DOS because PC-DOS does not let users do computations and transfer data to devices at the same time. However, that is not the case under Unix and especially not under OS/2. Computer scientists are looking toward the MCA for the fulfillment of the exciting promise of so-called ``multiple bus masters.'' The notion is that these boards will handle the system's boring chores, such as shipping data into memory. The result is that instead of being involved in every piece of the action on the system, the CPU can spend more uninterrupted time on more interesting things. IBM showed some of these intelligent boards at Comdex last month. Each of two MCA boards, equipped with 80186 processors, handled eight small computer systems interface mass-storage devices at data transfer rates approaching 16M byte/sec. Add an intelligent LAN adapter to this arrangement, and you have the makings of a slick network file server. The most exciting prospect, though, is multicomputing _ the very close linkage of two or more computers _ for which the MCA is ideal. If systems designers took full advantage of these aspects of the architecture, it would not be long before the phrase ``expanding your computational resources'' meant not having to trade in your existing hardware but rather simply plugging in another computing engine. Sadly, the MCA alone is not enough to bring about this breakthrough. It will have to wait until operating systems exist that can handle multiple processors without coming unstuck. OS/3, perhaps? As the number of MCA systems on the market grows, we look for the appearance of application-specific or frankly oddball add-in boards that take advantage of the capabilities of the MCA bus. Unfortunately, before that can happen, IBM will have to find a solvent that will melt buyers' resistance to the Micro Channel PS/2. By Stephen Satchell and Barbara Clifford; Satchell helped found Infoworld's Test Center and has been writing product evaluations for 15 years. Clifford is an author of several computer books. <<<>>> Title : MCA PS/2s add challenge t Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: nekside Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Local-area network installation is often more difficult than users anticipate, but this is particularly likely to be the case when IBM Micro Channel Architecture (MCA)-based Personal System/2s are involved. Networking PS/2s can be particularly challenging because of the MCA's incompatibility with the standard AT bus and the persistent memory problems associated with all LAN programs. There are currently fewer LAN adapters available for the MCA-based high-end PS/2s than there are for the AT bus, although the numbers are steadily increasing. About half of the LAN board manufacturers now offer Micro Channel versions of their products. Users who rely on smart cards to reduce the amount of memory required for LAN membership will have the most difficulty networking their PS/2s, because MCA-compatible boards of this type are generally harder to find. MCA boards are considerably smaller than AT boards, and some makers of smart adapters _ cards that run the LAN program on the card, instead of the personal computer _ have been unable to offer MCA versions of their products at a reasonable cost. In one respect, installing adapters designed for the MCA should be easier than installing boards designed for the AT bus. MCA adapters have a unique adapter ID that corresponds to a configuration file stored on the PS/2 configuration disk. This file can be used to set the adapter's options, a programming capability that simplifies adapter installation. Despite this convenience, some PS/2 users still find MCA LAN boards more difficult to install because they are smaller than AT boards and because the slide mechanism is more complicated. In general, adapter installation is less of a problem with the PS/2 Model 50 and Model 70 desktop systems than for the floor-standing Model 60 and 80 systems. However, with any model, it is relatively easy to bend some of the guide assemblies, so special care should be taken in handling and manipulating the boards. Insufficient memory is probably the largest problem facing PS/2 LAN users. Users with Intel Corp. 80386-based PS/2s often equip their computers with more memory _ as much as 4M bytes _ but little of this additional memory is available to the LAN program. In a standard DOS 3.3 environment, about 599K bytes of random-access memory is available on the PS/2 for application programs. PS/2 LAN adapters generally do not support IBM's Netbios or LAN primitive functions directly, so a device driver must be loaded into memory when the system is booted. Special PS/2 devices, such as the optional 8514 high-resolution display, also require drivers; after these drivers are loaded, the total memory available on a typical high-end PS/2 falls to about 498K bytes. The situation worsens when LAN software is installed. A messenger configuration for IBM's LAN Program Version 1.2 leaves about 341K bytes available to applications programs _ not enough to run most desktop publishing or graphics systems. If the same system is configured as a server, less than 250K bytes of RAM is available, and few programs other than IBM's DOS utilities will run on it. Although memory problems are common with networked AT-standard PCs, buyers of high-end PS/2s are more likely to want to network their systems and run the latest application software. Most of that software will not run on a PS/2 configured as a server on a LAN, and much of it will not run on a LAN at all. The MCA's potential will not be realized unless IBM's multitasking OS/2 becomes more popular, which should fuel advances in PC hardware. PS/2 LAN users already see conflicts between application programs and system resources, and those conflicts would only intensify if a more sophisticated, real-time adapter were attached to a DOS system. Eventually, as the OS/2 LAN Manager provides increased memory to LAN workstations and third-party vendors offer more support, networking PS/2s should become less of a challenge. By Annette Nekoranik; Nekoranik is a senior editor of Faulkner Technical Reports in Pennsauken, N.J. <<<>>> Title : Ask the vendor Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: askmon Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: I am currently using Ideassociates' Supermax board. The product comes with 8M bytes of memory and two serial ports but it does not have any parallel ports. Does Ideassociates have an 8M-byte board with both serial and parallel ports? If not, are there any future plans for such a board? Gary Cobb Chief Technical Analyst Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Portsmouth, N.H. IDEASSOCIATES, INC.: Our current line of Micro Channel Architecture boards offer two serial ports instead of a parallel port. However, all of our boards for the personal computer bus have parallel as well as serial ports. Arnet has just announced a modular 8-port AT board and a 16-port Personal System/2 board. Does the company have any additional plans to release a 16-port board for IBM PC AT-class machines? Fred Strauss President Multisystems Integrators, Inc. Binghamton, N.Y. ARNET CORP.: We are currently developing a 16-port intelligent serial port board for AT-class machines, to be released in May 1989. The board will employ a 10-MHz 80186 processor to offload I/O processing tasks from the host CPU. The same 16-port external connector housing developed for our IBM Micro Channel boards will be supplied with the new AT boards, providing 16 DB-25 connectors. Pricing for the product has not been set. What is the nature of the compatibility problems between the Hauppauge Motherboard 386 and high-performance 16-bit hard drive controllers such as Perstors PS-180-16F? How can the two products be made to work together to take advantage of the AT-compatible PS-180-16F's greater disk capacity and higher transfer speed? Jeff Davison Vice-President Dacor Corp. Northfield, Ill. HAUPPAGUE COMPUTER WORKS, INC.: The incompatibility that has been found between our Motherboard 386 and Perstors PS-180-16F does not have an easy solution. There are other high-performance controllers that do work with the Hauppauge Motherboard without any problems, such as Western Digital's ESDI Controller. Currently, we do not have a solution to the Perstors incompatibility, but we are working on it. We are using a mass storage subsystem from Racet. If we run it under Novell, Inc.'s Netware operating system, will we still be able to do mirroring and duplexing? Alan Frazier Vice-President First Interstate Bank Los Angeles RACET COMPUTERS LTD.: Our PCMS software provides mirroring and duplexing of data in Microsoft Corp. MS-DOS applications. Under Novell, we elected to use Netware SFT because of its excellent fault-tolerant capabilities. With SFT and PCMS, it is easy to do either mirroring of data or duplexing, depending on the level of fault tolerance you require. Mirroring provides fault tolerance to the disk-drive level of failure, whereas duplexing gives your system redundancy of all storage components to the server's motherboard level. <<<>>> Title : What's news on color moni Author : Charles Bermant Source : CW Comm FileName: monside Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Corporate users who like their personal computer applications served up with color can choose either an a la carte IBM Video Graphics Array (VGA) or an IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) _ a mixed menu on a multiscan monitor that works with several standards. EGA monitors are not obsolete, despite some claims to the contrary. Still, EGA is losing ground as standards and capabilities lead more dedicated users to VGA. Market research firm International Data Corp. (IDC) in Framingham, Mass., for example, projects that sales of EGA monitors will increase at an annual rate of 10% over the next three years, compared with 57% for VGA monitors. VGA's advantages are 640- by 480-pixel resolution, access to unlimited colors through analog output (although current graphics boards can support only 256 colors at once) and a range of software support. Multiscan or variable-scan displays are not as popular as VGA monitors. IDC pegs the annual increase in sales of these units at 29% during the next three years. Still, for many users, these options are a good way to hedge bets. Multiscan capabilities In addition to accepting VGA and EGA output, multiscan monitors can also display IBM Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.-standard graphical output. Depending on the scan rate, they can work with higher or lower frequencies and thus resolutions. This capability allows users to run existing software and theoretically accommodates the next incremental increase in resolution. An EGA user, for instance, can upgrade to VGA with just the addition of a board. The buying decision is not quite so clear for current VGA users. Multiscan monitors can cost as much as $300 more than dedicated VGA monitors, and while it is possible to add 800- by 600-pixel super VGA to a multiscan monitor, the upgrade pushes the limits of the current crop. While the VGA vs. multiscan debate continues, some interesting new products are emerging that may be the harbingers of new design trends. Zenith Data Systems in Glenview, Ill., has thrown considerable marketing weight behind a fancy VGA product, the $999 ``flat tension mask'' screen. The 14-in. monitor combines a flat screen with proprietary technology to provide an image that is almost concave. At 14 inches, the Zenith screen is also one or two inches larger than today's norm. A flat screen offers an advantage over the standard convex curve in that it does not distort images at the edges. It also cuts down on glare and enhances clarity and contrast. Larger monitors offer the advantage of finer resolution. They also offer greater opportunity to take advantage of multiple-windowing capabilities. Zenith is not alone in its push toward a bigger and flatter display. A $995 multiscan monitor from Relisys in Milpitas, Calif., boasts a flat screen that is one inch larger than that of the Zenith offering. This display also accommodates IBM's 8514 extended VGA standard, with a 1,024- by 768-pixel resolution. Still on the horizon, but an important emerging possibility, according to Jim Cavuoto, editor of ``Micro Publishing Report,'' a Torrance, Calif.-based newsletter, is the capability for monitors to accept standard television video signals for incorporation into the PC environment. By Charles Bermant; Bermant is a free-lance writer based in Gladstone, Ore. <<<>>> Title : Building an assistant Author : Jessica Keyes Source : CW Comm FileName: keyeside Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: In 1987, the New York Stock Exchange decided the time was ripe for the momentous change from paper processing to decision processing in the area of financial review. As part of this effort, the exchange voted to explore artificial intelligence _ specifically, mainframe expert systems. At the exchange's Technology and Product Development Group, we targeted the financial review department as a likely place for the development of an expert system prototype. Reams of data _ balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, capital worksheets and the like _ are continually examined by the exchange's financial analysts to determine the financial viability of member organizations. The approximately 700 member firms are required to submit a report _ called the Financial and Operational Combined Uniform Single-Form, or FOCUS, report _ periodically to the department for review. The analysts scrutinize the financial items contained in this long document, looking for trends and financial or operational problems according to the standards set down by the NYSE rules that govern the member firms. The data passing through the analysts' offices is truly staggering, and it increases daily as the exchange's rules are amended and the investment environment changes. In order to do their jobs properly, this department's users must act as everything from financiers to market analysts to loan analysts to auditors. The exchange's general managers knew full well that the amount of raw data analyzed would soon exceed the capabilities of even the most experienced and bright financial analysts. The users The original third-generation computer systems supporting these users were built on IBM hardware using CICS as a transaction monitor and IBM's IMS as a hierarchical database. Personal computers with multiple-session capabilities (IBM 3270 PCs in the past and, more recently, IBM Personal System/2s) permit the users to access one or more of the 23 conventional DP systems _ including complaint systems, enforcement systems and rules systems _ they need to do their jobs. In addition to this mainframe and microcomputer power, the users also possess fourth-generation language capability by using Information Builders, Inc.'s Ramis for ad hoc query and analysis. When the technology group decided mainframe expert systems were worth investigating, it was to these technically proficient end users that we went. We selected two financial analysts who would be used as the ``experts'' for the process. These staff members would also likely be the user champions if our effort was successful. In addition, we chose one of our own systems analysts and an outside consultant to be the knowledge engineers for the project. The consultant, hired from Knowledge Associates in Riverdale, N.Y., also functioned as a trainer for the in-house staff. The goals At this point, we outlined a threefold goal for the implementation of our expert system prototype: Because we did not possess many technical staff members who were well-versed in the art of knowledge engineering, we wondered if, indeed, we could turn a ``typical'' systems analyst into a knowledge engineer. We also wanted to determine whether mainframe expert systems were practical, given capacity constraints and response-time considerations. Finally, given the complexity of the users' jobs, we wondered if we could successfully acquire the users' knowledge in the format required by the selected shell, which initially was Cullinet Software, Inc.'s Application Expert and ultimately was ADS by Aion Corp. In order to answer these questions, we selected a manageable problem to begin our foray into mainframe expert systems. Selecting the entire job description of the financial analysts would have been foolhardy. Given the first-time nature of this project, we decided the problem selected would be one that all parties agreed was clear-cut but dramatic. In our view, this was necessary to ultimately sell it to senior management. The pilot would need to show increasing efficiencies, greater productivity or both. Selecting a cut-and-dried problem that can be done by the expert in a few seconds _ although certainly useful when experimenting with the what and why of expert systems _ would not be enough to sell a major project to management, the technology group decided. We hoped the application area would allow the financial analysts to use the expert system to gauge the level of an organization's risk as determined by the analysis of exceptions to the FOCUS report. This risk-gauging procedure is known as exception disposition reporting (EDR). The analysts could then use the expert system to recommend what action should be taken, while providing an audit trail of action. This application area satisfied our requirements: The EDR process was something our systems analyst understood, as he had worked on the CICS version of it, and the user community was constantly attacking the inconsistency of the EDR analysis process. Thus the application was seen as manageable, well understood and marketable to management. When we had found a manageable application, the technology team set out to find a subtask of the application to turn into a working prototype within six weeks of start-up. The six-week time period was important because this was a new technology to the user area, and we did not want to fund a research and development effort that would last a long time. Ever-increasing time frames diminish users' interest. The subtask we chose was to identify and correct an exception associated with a securities concentration problem. This process entailed capturing the expertise involved in one major EDR as well as several associated EDRs. We perceived that this limited subtask would fit nicely into the six-week time period and would provide a good incubator for experimentation. In addition, the technical team had decided that it was necessary to demonstrate to management some of the more salient selling points of expert systems. By showing the system's ability to handle unknowns, contextual Help features, ranking capabilities (sometimes referred to as confidence factors) and ultimately the ease of use in expert systems, this subtask fit the bill in that way, too. When the field was prepared and the players readied, we made a full frontal attack on management to garner support for the pilot project. They were intrigued by the intensity of the users' early enthusiasm, the possibilities of an automated solution to learning-curve inefficiencies and the potential of increased consistency among analysts. Explaining costs involved Their apparent support notwithstanding, we did, however, make sure that management understood the costs involved in building this prototype. Not only was computer response time a big open question _ management feared the expert system would use too much computer time _ but those users deemed experts needed to be pulled off the line for a while to draw together the rules of thumb and facts necessary to build an expert knowledge base. But management approved prototype development, and it was time for the technology team to put its money where its very large technological mouth was. We had bitten off quite a chunk and had raised the expectations of users; now it was time to deliver. At least six three-hour sessions were held with the user experts to elicit the knowledge-base rules. Analysis of case histories provided the format of these sessions. Between sessions, our two knowledge engineers spent considerable time in the user area observing the experts in action. More than 100 rules were developed for the prototype, which ultimately consisted of only three out of several hundred possible EDRs. After each rule-development session with the experts, we entered the rules learned that day into the shell so that the results of the session could be demonstrated to the experts at the next meeting. The prototype demonstrated many, if not all, of the vagaries and intricacies of the ultimate problem we wished to solve. Because of this, we realized we needed a full tool set: frames to allow for a neat representation of grouped knowledge; certainty factors to allow for representing the user's ``gut feelings;'' recursion to allow the same code to be used more than once; both forward and backward chaining to permit an analyst to review and discover a problem and to seek out justifications and procedures for a given problem; truth maintenance to allow the user to back up and change his mind without restarting the session; and explain, Help and trace features. In addition to the above characteristics, we wanted our shell to hook into existing file structures such as IBM mainframe databases DB2, IMS, SQL and IDMS as well as files such as VSAM and Ramis. Six weeks after it was begun, the completed prototype was able to guide the financial analysts through the steps necessary to resolve 1 to N problem situations in priority order by designated severity level. The prototype demonstrated all that we had set out to do. We found that mainframe expert systems were practical and manageable from a capacity and resource perspective as long as the product was carefully and thoughtfully designed. No cycle hog Our prototype did not chew up computer cycles, and our resource extrapolation for the ultimate product was reassuring. We also discovered that a typical systems analyst can be turned into a successful knowledge engineer, given some training and tutoring. From a user perspective, the prototype now generated enthusiasm at a fever pitch. The users finally had begun to understand the difference between paper processing and thought processing. They found much potential in expert systems and pushed strongly to make the prototype a production system. Users saw the unique potential of the product from several vantage points. They saw it as an automated trainer for those new analysts on the job, as a quick reference guide for those more experienced on the job and as a means of ensuring consistency among users of the entire financial review system. Management was invited to an on-line demonstration of the prototype by the technology group, but it was the users who sold the system. The demonstration was given by and for the user group. Instead of the techies gloating over technical tidbits, the user experts presented a tour de force that ultimately convinced management that this was a serious ``toy'' for the R&D staff. Just right Why was this prototype successful when so many others have failed? For starters, we tackled a well-proportioned problem _ not too big and not too small, one that was understood enough by all those involved to be truly meaningful. Second, the lead time between prototype inception and completion was only six weeks _ just enough time to raise and satisfy expectations. Expertise was managed very resourcefully _ we did not turn loose a data-bound analyst on the experts. We combined a seasoned knowledge engineer and trainer, the consultant, with an analyst familiar with the users' tasks. Last, the users believed that this was their project. They lived it, and they sold it through their endorsement and enthusiasm. Today, the prototype is still under development _ it has a long way to go to be deployed in the financial department. But the users want it, andthe plan is to use and expand it to help them make some of their first-level decisions. By Jessica Keyes; Keyes is managing director of the Technology and Product Development Group at the New York Stock Exchange in New York ARIllustration by Anthony Russo; Picture, On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, source: Stock Boston <<<>>> Title : Indiana University charts Author : James Connolly Source : CW Comm FileName: schools Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Business schools may be experienced at teaching students to plan a career in MIS, but general managers graduating from those schools seldom know more about computers than how to work with a spreadsheet or do a little programming according to research by an academician. This is an oversight that Indiana University Professor E. Wainwright Martin hopes to address with a course that will be a requirement in the university's graduate business curriculum. Drawing on interviews with managers from successful firms, Martin complained in a recent report that tomorrow's business leaders are not being trained in the management of information technology. ``Our goal was to develop a course on what the nonprofessional needs to know about computers to function successfully in a management career over a long period of time,'' he explains. Martin says there are three categories in which students need education. The first is a basic vocabulary and knowledge of the technology so that they are not easily snowed by MIS managers. The second is knowing how to develop or acquire systems to solve specific problems. The third is an awareness of organizational issues relating to computers, such as where managers can get help, how much help they can expect and what types of politics are involved. JAMES CONNOLLY <<<>>> Title : In brief Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: 1219week Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Apple's gain, IBM's loss Apple Computer, Inc. has a new vice-president of U.S. customer services and information technology: Eighteen-year IBM veteran Morris Taradalsky, who, at his most recent post, was responsible for the development of the likes of Systems Application Architecture and IBM's computer-aided software engineering tools. The big dipper Novell, Inc.'s increasingly vigorous pursuit of life as a software company is expected to show an unwelcome side effect this week when the Provo, Utah-based networking products company announces its fourth-quarter earnings. The expedited hardware products phase-out, according to an announcement made last week, led to an inventory write-down _ which will cause an unspecified dip in net income. Tough times, but hanging in A softening of the 380M-byte drive market and a lessened aftermarket demand for certain products has led to layoffs and altered production schedules at Longmont, Colo.-based data storage player Miniscribe Corp. Sales for 1988 will be affected, according to an announcement made earlier this month; however, they are still projected at an approximate 75% increase over last year's revenue figures. The name of the game The name of the game in the computer industry continues to be consolidation. Among last week's merger announcements was supermicrocomputer vendor Alpha Microsystems, which will use a subsidiary to acquire financially troubled General Automation, Inc., whose principal product is the Zebra line of Pick Systems-based multiuser business systems. <<<>>> Title : Mapping your future in GI Author : Sheryl Kay Source : CW Comm FileName: careers1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Ask a geographic information systems (GIS) specialist what an oil company, a paper manufacturer and a city government have in common, and he will probably talk about the need to integrate spatial and tabular data. Technological developments and the demands of managing natural resources and public infrastructures have helped create the field of GIS, which now provides an exciting career option, in part because so many applications are just in the developmental stages. GIS specialists tend to perform a variety of tasks, including interfacing with users to analyze their needs. The specialists use this analysis to create databases of information that correspond with automated mapping capabilities. In the majority of large GIS shops, the programming is done with specialized software manufactured by industry vendors such as Intergraph Corp. in Huntsville, Ala., Environmental Systems Research Institute, a nonprofit organization in Redlands, Calif., and IBM. Coding is generally in Fortran. GIS analyst Lisa Sparks knew she needed a change after spending several years developing IBM's IMS/Cobol business applications for General Dynamics Corp. and her current employer, San Diego Data Processing Corp. In 1984, the planning department where Sparks worked began to investigate GIS. ``I was in the right place at the right time,'' she says. ``I was working on a permit system, and IMS/Cobol was getting pretty stale. There's only so much you can do there, while GIS is more like Star Wars.'' User appreciation In addition to technical challenges, Sparks now enjoys users' gratification. ``The customers are so excited about this type of system, especially when they can see nice pictures,'' she says. ``They can relate to it better, and it's very satisfying for me to watch them get what they've needed for so long.'' Robert Bryant, a systems analyst at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Norris, Tenn., notes that a GIS can run on a mainframe, mini or personal computer, so a professional is able to choose the most comfortable environment. Because GIS is an emerging technology, he says, ``there are continually new developments and new releases, as well as an expanding recognition by professionals of the importance of the GIS specialist for resource management.'' Along with the newness of the technology comes a shortage of experienced GIS programmer/ analysts, so many employers have chosen to train people. Someone interested in career opportunities in GIS should have a good database background coupled with programming experience, preferably in Fortran, PL/I or C. Graphics knowledge is helpful, but since not all GIS applications are for mapping, it is not essential. Any experience or education in urban planning or land resource management is a tremendous plus. ``In any discipline, there's a jargon and terminology that is unique to that profession,'' says Steve Smith, inventory systems manager at wood products company Potlach Corp. in Lewiston, Idaho. ``Ours isn't any different, so there will be a fairly high learning curve for someone who hasn't had any exposure to related fields.'' Someone from a business background may have a more difficult time than someone with cartography experience, for example, Smith says. He feels that if a professional has a broad-based education, good quantitative skills and superior communications skills, he should not exclude himself from looking at GIS, even if he has no land management experience. Other GIS professionals agree that the technology and applications can be difficult to learn. ``You have to acquire an understanding of the complexity and relationships of natural features that you find outside,'' the TVA's Bryant says. ``Then you have to figure out how to get into the system, like how to technically manipulate a polygon within a polygon.'' But the experts also say that learning GIS is worth the effort. ``This is what we call bleeding-edge technology'' Sparks says. ``If you're interested in technology that is changing, GIS is it.'' The few experienced GIS technicians seem to display a special brand of loyalty to their organizations, according to George Dix, project engineer at Gainesville Regional Utilities in Gainesville, Fla. ``The GIS projects in the U.S. are in a sort of competition _ who's going to get theirs up and sold to their users first, and who's going to have the best system,'' Dix says. ``We are all trying to get to the gun and draw first.'' Upward mobility Dix also says GIS bolsters career potential with the range of benefits it offers user organizations. ``The upward mobility of a candidate who's involved with the development of GIS is tremendous,'' he says. ``Once all of the interfaces are developed, that person has had exposure to not only engineering and planning but to the whole realm of the operation, so you're talking about someone who's going to have a lot of experience under his belt.'' Salaries vary for experienced GIS professionals, in part because many users are government agencies known for lower wages. National averages for GIS specialists with three years of experience range between $30,000 and $45,000 per year. Such pay may not look like the rainbow leading to a pot of gold, but along the way, a GIS specialist might learn of another route to that goal. By Sheryl Kay; Kay is a Tampa, Fla.-based business consultant and free-lance writer specializing in emerging technologies and human resources. <<<>>> Title : Banner year for Europe's Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: market19 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: For IBM watchers, the fate of the 4381 market during 1988 should surely provoke discussion. With announcements of new models, withdrawals of the old and secondary effects from the IBM 3090 and 3081, 3083 and 3084 lines and, to a lesser extent, the Application System/400, this has been an action-packed year. With the impending announcement of a replacement family, both primary and secondary markets for 4381 equipment have stalled. What little activity there is in the 4381 market is currently concentrated at the top end _ 4381 Model 13s, 14s, 23s and 24s _ where users are upgrading capacity and, in some cases, installing a second processor to push up their overall capacity. This inactivity is a clear indication that large 4381 users are keeping their options open. They are well aware that a 4381 replacement is just around the corner and would prefer to see the offering before committing to the water-cooled mainframe environment. High-end value stableValues for these larger 4381 boxes have remained stable, with only gradual declines over recent months, which contrasts sharply with the rapid declines in prices seen in the first half of this year. For example, the current fair market value of the 4381 Model P14 was about 55% of retail, or $454,000, in February (all values based on the West German exchange rate on Dec. 5). By June, the secondary market price had declined to 44% of retail, or $363,000, a 20% drop over a period of five months. Since June, however, the rate of decline has slowed such that by this month, the P14 was commanding a retail value of about $31,000, or 38% of the West German list price. This reduced rate of decline in value reflects the increased demand for larger 4381 boxes since midyear. Popularity of the smaller models, in particular the 4381 Model 2s, 12s and, to a lesser extent, 13s, led to stable pricing well into the second quarter. This stability was mainly due to the attractive performance size and upgrade options available at the time, but was also attributable to the general market expectation that IBM would shortly reduce the upgrade options of the older 4381 series. Indeed, on June 15, IBM duly withdrew from marketing upgrades of Models 11, 12, 13 and 14. This left only upgrades to the Models 21, 22, 23 and 24 available. While top-end values have firmed somewhat, prices for these smaller models have been experiencing increasing rates of decline. Values for the Models 2 and 12 are converging, reflecting their equivalent performance ratings, but ignoring to some extent their relative ages. They are currently trading at around $61,000 and $84,000, respectively, which indicates a premium of about $23,000 for the Model 12, and this is declining. Both the Models 1 and 11 are very rarely seen. As base boxes within their respective 4381 model groups, most have already been upgraded. Users who have exhausted the growth potential for their 4381 installations and have not been able to wait for the so-called 4391 have in some cases moved to the IBM 3090 series, in which Model 150s were trading on the secondary market in October for around $108,000 per million instructions per second (MIPS). Another mainframe calls Some users moved into the 3081, 3083 and 3084 environment, in which, for example, a 3083 Model JX2 was attracting about $159,000 and offering 8 MIPS, while a Model KX was going for $367,000 with 15.1 MIPS. While moving into the 3081, 3083 or 3084 environment may appear to be a step backward, it allows the 4381 user to convert to the water-cooled mainframe environment very cheaply while they wait for 3090 secondary market values to fall within reach. Although some displacement has occurred, there are considerable complications associated with the switch to the water-cooling method; this is not a common practice. Typical of previous years has been a flurry of activity in the fourth quarter, as data processing managers try to fulfill their budgets. So far, there has been no evidence of this in the fourth quarter of 1988, and trading of DP equipment in general remains quiet. The stall in secondary market activity will continue until the follow-on product debuts in 1989. IBM must be feeling this dearth of activity in the primary market also, so it is expected to attempt to announce and ship the 4391 in the shortest time frame possible. For more information, contact IDC Financial Services Corp.'s Terri LeBlanc at 508-872-8200. By Kate Sturgess, IDC Financial Corp. <<<>>> Title : Creating a learning atmos Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: train19 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Effective classroom learning requires only two ingredients: good material and a good instructor. True? Not by a long shot, because training is not the same thing as learning. A trainer may do the best possible job, but if students do not learn, then the training must be considered a failure. Numerous factors can keep people from learning in a class _ things such as a stuffy room, material presented in a monotone, equipment that refuses to cooperate and distractions such as the snoring in the back of the room. It is not always easy to provide training that is conducive to learning, but the following techniques provide some steps in the right direction. Relate the material to jobs. Systems professionals tend to be relatively quick in picking up new technical material. Even novice personal computer users do not remain novices for long. But one of the greatest gaps in training for both data processors and end users is between product mechanics and the application of the product to business needs. To minimize this gap, prepare exercises that simulate actual use. Not every exercise must have a serious business orientation. One trainer, for example, developed a dating service database. ``You should see how fast they learned to do database queries,'' she reported afterward. But don't forget to relate the process to on-the-job uses. In doing so, it may help to orient training around specific business needs. Have students work on real business problems during class. Computer learning is easily forgotten in the best of cases. The closer training is to on-the-job use, the more likely students are to retain the material afterward. Do not assume that students see the relevance of a particular technique or product capability. Tell them _ and do not be surprised to hear a few ``Ahas'' from the crowd. Make students feel good about themselves. When you are in the training business, you are also at least partly in the psychology business. If people feel they are capable of making progress, they are more likely to do so than if they feel they are in over their heads. To avoid causing this feeling, provide students with frequent opportunities for success. Adults are no different from children in needing reassurance that they are on the right track. Hands-on exercises designed so that students have a reasonable probability of successfully completing them can go a long way in providing this reassurance. Even in a class of first-time users, it is easy to devise simple exercises that let students feel a sense of mastery. In fact, providing these exercises at regular intervals is especially important with nervous novices. Make a point of respecting students as intelligent adults. They may be nervous about learning new material and may make mistakes that contribute to after-hours amusement among trainers. But they are individuals with proficiencies both in and outside computing and should be respected as such. Problems with students who ``just don't get it'' in spite of the instructor's best efforts should be dealt with privately, away from the classroom. Empathize with students' fears, too. Many people, even those with extensive technical experience, approach a technical class with fears. This situation is particularly likely for those learning a new way of computing, such as veteran Cobol programmers who attend their first fourth-generation language class. One of the hardest things for experienced trainers is to remember what it was like not to know. Trainers should do their best to hang on to these memories. The instructor who can remember what it was like can make students feel less uncomfortable about their insecurities. Avoid projecting arrogance. Students already know that you know more than they do. There is no need to hold it over their heads. Make training enjoyable. Everyone can recall classes that were deadly dull, in which time just slowed to a standstill. But just because the material is serious does not mean the class has to be. Students who actively enjoy a class will retain the material longer than students whose toothpicks just barely prop their eyelids open. If you look like you are having a good time, students also are more likely to do so. Use gimmicks, signs and cartoons to help you make your point in an amusing manner. A few magic tricks can give any class a boost. Some trainers maintain a kit of props that they draw from for their various classes. Another technique is to describe your own experiences. Students enjoy war stories, and no instructor is without his fair share. Talking about your own goofs, snafus and outright disasters makes the material more real and down-to-earth for students. Consider being a little outrageous. Do not be too tied to the conventional way of doing things. If imitating a tree will help you make a point about subdirectories, try it. Just use common sense; you may not want to wear a clown suit to deliver an executive training seminar. Then again, perhaps you should not automatically rule it out _ it just may help get a point across. By Naomi Karten, Special to CW; Karten is president of Karten Associates in Randolph, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Integration looms large i Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: mstudy Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: There may be a Vice-President of Integration title in your future. The writers of a recently published report on manufacturing technology think so. ``The 21st century will see much greater emphasis on integration over simple hardware and software issues'' in manufacturing firms, says Detlef K. Koska, principal of A. T. Kearney, Inc., which recently published a report entitled ``The Manufacturing Engineer in the 21st Century.'' This executive will have a working knowledge of both MIS and engineering and some background in marketing and finance. Crystal ball Increased emphasis on integration between engineering and MIS is only one of several major evolutions in the manufacturing sector that the report outlines. It sees desktop computers by the year 2000 having the power of today's supercomputers, a workstation on every engineer's desk and virtually universal connections to central corporate data bases. Expert systems will become ubiquitous, and suppliers will establish much tighter links with their customers. As a result, MIS faces some major challenges in manufacturing, Koska maintains, because much of this technology will need to be implemented and controlled internally. One of the most significant changes will be in the demand for expert systems. ``Over the last few months, hundreds of new systems have been created to do such things as develop process plans or time standards or make purchasing decisions,'' Koska says. He estimates that the 2,500 expert systems now in use in the manufacturing sector will grow to 100,000 by the turn of the century. Much of those systems' impact will be in the most time-consuming elements of manufacturing planning. ``For example, no one will determine the time standards for processes to determine the best process of how to machine certain parts,'' Koska says. As a result, jobs can be done by less skilled workers. The biggest users will be in the aerospace, communications, electronics and automotive industries. Although the expertise will be derived from the manufacturing sector, it will be MIS that develops the systems. A technology akin to expert systems, simulation programs, will also proliferate in the 21st century, the report predicts. Simulation programs used today generally are not linked to databases and, as a result, are not used on large projects. Those links will be tightened in the future. While many systems will be turnkey operations requiring little MIS involvement, others will require integration with production data as well as financial data from the corporate mainframe. The responsibility for this integration will also fall on MIS' shoulders. Need info Koska expects that in general, manufacturing engineers will want greater access to corporate databases. They will need such information as in-house production status, including costs, inventories and capacities; industry data for benchmarking; marketing and sales information of related industries; and information concerning competitors. ``Many service companies will emerge [that are] similar to the credit bureaus we have today, but they will gather information about manufacturing,'' Koska says. ``The closest we can get now is that a company has X number of buildings and they are in good repair.'' But the increased information available to the manufacturing sector will also create challenges. ``Engineers will demand more information, but when MIS supplies it, they will suffer from an overload,'' Koska says. Thus, MIS will have to develop systems to protect database users with software that limits database access and reads and selects material according to parameters defined by a user. MIS will also have to help develop training classes to teach engineers how to successfully access large complex databases. While MIS and manufacturing have historically been somewhat isolated form each other, Koska believes the links between those two areas of the organization will become tighter as we approach the next century. And that, he says, ``will open up a whole new set of challenges and opportunities both for MIS as well as manufacturing.'' By Lawrence Stevens, Special to CW; Stevens is a free-lance writer based in Springfield, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Eliminating paper Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: marietta Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Can you imagine a multimillion-dollar federal government aerospace project without paperwork? Thom Elkinton, senior engineer and Cimlinc system administrator at Martin Marietta Corp.'s Astronautics Group, can. He works in Martin Marietta's prototype development shop in Denver. Oddly enough, 90% of what the shop produces is not prototypes or mock-ups but rather one-of-a-kind deliverable items. Examples are the custom-made, machined-aluminum black boxes that house a spacecraft's electronic components, wind-tunnel models of Titan missiles, a tethered satellite that will be lowered from the space shuttle to study the upper atmosphere and the Magellan satellite, recently shipped to Cape Canaveral and bound for Venus. Prudence and regulations require that when you build an item of this kind, you provide a complete paper trail back through the fabrication process so that if something goes wrong later, you can figure out why. Although the prototype development shop has had a Computervision Corp. computer-aided design (CAD) system for some time, the tedious work of documenting what every part of every item is made of and how it is made was, until recently, done on paper. Today, that documentation, called the process plan, is written, updated and passed along on a network of Sun Microsystems, Inc. workstations running software called Intelligent Documentation (ID), developed by Cimlinc, Inc. in Elk Grove Village, Ill. ID provides, first of all, CAD capability for the designer. Or if a given item has been designed on another machine, the drawing can be downloaded into ID. ID translates data from the drawing into a format that can be understood by the computer numerical control system of the machine tool that will make the part. ID also prompts the designer and everyone else who works on the item for information required by the process plan. Currently, because the entire process is not yet paperless, hard copies are still printed out and hand-stamped at each step along the line to signify approval. Elkinton expects, though, that the shop will soon convert to an ``electronic buy-off'' system, wherein workers will run their badge through a bar-code reader instead of stamping a paper form. Elkinton says that not only does the computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) portion of the Cimlinc system save the time it used to take to key in the machine-tool specifications for a complex part, it also reduces by 75% to 90% the time required to write the process plan. The black boxes that were the first items produced using the new system, starting two years ago, used to take 16 months to produce; they now get made in four. Getting popular Four other groups at the plant have purchased ID systems and are starting to use them: Manufacturing Engineering, Numerical Control, Tool Design and Quality Control. When Quality Control, with its coordinate measuring machines (CMM), is linked into the system, Elkinton says, this will complete the cycle. ``The cycle is, somebody thinks up an idea. And then they draw it up and create a database on a CAD system. Then you take that database, send it to the CAM side, and they machine the part. Then they run it into Quality Control and have them check the part. They use that same database. The CMM runs a similar program to CAM and measures the part,'' Elkinton says. More groups will convert to the system in 1989. ID will be used to eliminate other paperwork as well. Currently, when the prototype development shop requests material from inventory, someone has to fill out a paper accountability document. Eventually, Martin Marietta plans to bar-code-label all materials when they arrive at the plant. Then, when a piece of material moves from one place to another, it can be scanned. The information will go automatically into the inventory-control system and into the process plan, eliminating the accountability form. Asked what he has learned in the process of implementing ID, Elkinton says, ``Don't try to do everything at once.'' He and his group, he thinks, were asked to do too much too soon and were swamped. Learning the new system took longer than he expected. ``Just because a person goes to a week's worth of classes,'' Elkinton says, ``doesn't mean he's going to be highly proficient right off. There must be time allowed for the person to use the system and begin to come up to speed on it before expecting a lot of output.'' By Josh Brackett, Special to CW; Brackett is a free-lance writer based in Rockport, Mass. <<<>>> Title : Consortiums all the rage Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: soup1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: EISA, OSF and OTF. Put them together and what do they spell? Confusion. These three acronyms are perhaps the best-known examples of the biggest trend in the computer industry this year: technology consortiums. ``It's this year's fashion,'' said Dick Shaffer, editor of the ``Technologic Partners'' newsletter. ``Last year, it was strategic partnerships; this year, it's industry consortiums.'' The Open Software Foundation, led by IBM, Digital Equipment Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., was first on the consortium bandwagon last winter with a charter to preserve the ``openness'' of the Unix operating system, owned and freely licensed by AT&T. Personal computer makers banded together in September to form the Extended Industry Standard Architecture group to develop a 32-bit extension to IBM's Personal Computer AT bus architecture. IBM introduced the Personal System/2, its own line of PCs with a 32-bit bus architecture called the Micro Channel, almost 18 months ago. Micro Channel licenses from IBM are reportedly not cheap, costing up to 5% of the sale price of each PC. Compaq Computer Corp., the acknowledged leader of EISA, has criticized IBM for its attempt to control PC technology. Ironically, it was Compaq that developed the EISA specification. Earlier this month, a group of local-area network vendors formed the Open Token Foundation, which has as its guiding force ``interoperability'' among different token-ring products. IBM currently has about 90% of the token-ring market. Shaffer called the formation of OTF ``a group of people who don't have market share leaving out the people who do.'' `All for the customer' Although EISA, OSF and OTF all coalesced around three very different technologies, all three say that their intentions are philanthropic in nature. ``Openness'' is a word used often by consortium members. ``Protecting the customer'' is also popular. Openness will offer the end user more options, the consortiums say. Industry standards will ensure that those options are compatible, they maintain. For their part, customers appear unimpressed with all this concern. ``When I hear that it's in the customer's best interest, I run in the opposite direction,'' said Phil Gordon, manager of office systems at Charles Schwab & Co. in San Francisco. Enzo Torresi at Businessland, Inc., another skeptic of this industry trend, said all the consortiums have a common theme _ preventing further market penetration by the leader in their particular market. ``There's an old Chinese saying that the challenger soon starts to resemble the enemy,'' he maintained. ``To sell on the tactics of fear, uncertainty and doubt places them on the wrong side of marketing strategy.'' By Julie Pitta, CW staff <<<>>> Title : Duquesne, Morino link arm Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: dumore Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: There was not a disgruntled customer to be found at Morino Associates, Inc.'s annual users group meeting in Dallas last week. A notable occurrence under normal circumstances, the satisfaction of Morino's customers following the announcement of its merger plans with Duquesne Systems, Inc. was especially noteworthy. ``The merger of two high-quality vendors is assuring that they are getting up to a viable fighting weight,'' said Daniel Kaberon, a consultant at Hewitt Associates, a benefits consulting firm that uses both Duquesne and Morino software. ``It makes them each a more viable vendor in the long term.'' The merger, pending board approvals, has been widely viewed as a strategic action taken to ward off unwanted takeover attempts by acquisition-oriented companies such as Computer Associates International, Inc. [CW, Dec. 12]. ``I'm glad to see they're not being bought by CA,'' one user remarked. Although CA insists it is not interested in unfriendly takeovers, ``CA can make an offer that is so overwhelming, shareholders can't turn it down,'' said William Franz, a senior systems analyst at The Williams Companies, a telecommunications conglomerate in Tulsa, Okla. Little user impact Wayne Godbehere, manager of storage management and performance at Bell Canada Enterprises, Inc., said the merger will not have a big impact in the short term because it will be transparent to the user. He added, however, that it will put Morino in a better position, which will benefit Morino customers indirectly. The merger is viewed as synergistic by employees of both companies as well as by customers. The product lines are complementary, and many Morino customers are also customers of Duquesne. When Duquesne Chief Executive Officer Glen Chatfield asked for a show of hands from those who were customers of both, nearly half of the members of the packed auditorium raised their hands. The two firms have worked together on development in the past. Morino's flagship reporting product, MICS, already interfaces with Duquesne's Netspy. Logical sets of products will be tied together, and new product opportunities are being explored, Mario Morino, CEO of Morino Associates and chairman of the new company, told customers last week. The only product overlap is with the MICS product and Duquesne's Billing Data Base Facility (BDBF). A migration path will be provided from BDBF to MICS, and eventually the two will be melded together. Morino assured users that no employees or products will be eliminated. By Amy Cortese, CW staff <<<>>> Title : HP ups mini ante, trumpet Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: announce Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: Hewlett-Packard Co. last week announced it will raise prices by 13% on its two high-end HP 3000 minicomputers beginning Feb. 1. The increase in price is not because of escalating manufacturing costs or the scarcity of memory chips, according to Doug Chance, executive vice-president of the company's newly formed Networked Systems Sector. Instead, he said that after benchmarking comparable systems, HP decided that the market would support a higher price. The company also announced that it will lower the trade-in value of its next-lowest minicomputer, the Model 70, by 25%. In addition, according to President John Young, the company expects to be the first to roll out a personal computer with an Extended Industry Standard Architecture bus to rival IBM's Micro Channel. He said that this machine, to be based on the Intel Corp. 80386 processor, will be available in the second half of next year. <<<>>> Title : Undersea fiber link up Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: tat8 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: TUCKERTON, N.J. _ The first fiber-optic transoceanic cable went operational last week, giving users their first _ and, likely, a less costly _ alternative to satellite links for digital communications between North America's East Coast and Europe. Called TAT8, the cable supports a capacity of 560M bit/sec., effectively doubling the existing transatlantic cable capacity, according to AT&T, which owns 34% of TAT8's bandwidth. Among the other 29 co-owners of TAT8 are MCI Communications Corp., British Telecommunications PLC, France Telecom, Inc. and Western Union Corp. The inauguration of TAT8 poses a direct threat to international satellite carriers, such as Communications Satellite Corp., which until now have had a virtual monopoly on digital transatlantic links, industry sources said. Other transatlantic cabling systems support analog communications only. A few years ago, ``people were willing to take bets that satellites would eliminate the need for transatlantic cable,'' said Thomas Nolle, president of Haddonfield, N.J., consulting company CIMI Corp. But fiber-optic cable may force vendors and users to ``rethink what constitutes a valid satellite network,'' Nolle said, since it offers higher capacity and greater reliability than satellite links and is free of the transmission delays that plague satellite networks. TAT8 is also likely to bring prices down for links between the U.S. and Europe, according to Richard Wallerstein, a spokesman for AT&T International. Spreading out costs The system's $361 million installation cost, shared among the 30 co-owners, can be amortized over the cable's 25-year life span. This strategy results in lower service costs, which ``we traditionally pass on to the user,'' Wallerstein said. In preparation for TAT8's going operational, AT&T International revised its pricing structure last month so that inland cities now pay substantially less for transatlantic connections, he added. For example, a Chicago-to-London 56K bit/ sec. connection dropped more than 40% in price, from $7,000 per month to $4,000 per month. Another boon that TAT8 will bring transatlantic AT&T users is the availability of intermediate transmission speeds such as 128K, 256K and 512K bit/sec., Wallerstein said. MCI plans to offer private-line links of 64K bit/sec. and higher on its section of TAT8 as well as voice communications, said Vice-President Larry Codacovi. TAT8 services can provide a crucial backup facility for international corporations, such as brokerage houses, that place a high priority on reliable communications. By Elisabeth Horwitt, CW staff <<<>>> Title : IBM maintains European ac Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: korney1 Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: PARIS _ IBM has agreed to provisionally waive its right to end a 4-year-old antitrust agreement with the European Community. The undertaking was signed in August 1984 by IBM and the European Community's Executive Commission in Brussels. This led the European Community to suspend an investigation of IBM's business practices in Europe. That eight-year investigation had centered on European competitors' accusations that IBM was abusing its dominant position in the mainframe arena. Under the accord, IBM agreed to provide competitors, upon request, with technical data on interfacing specifications of its 370 architecture products. According to the commission, about 20 firms have filed 66 requests involving roughly 700 questions. In a joint statement released today, IBM and the commission noted, ``The undertaking has come to serve as an effective way, under the commission's aegis, to resolve between IBM and its competitors certain interfacing questions.'' By Amiel Kornel, IDG News Service <<<>>> Title : Better to give Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: d19edit Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: THE INDUSTRY HAS given so much to so many this year, and we want to give something in return. Here is our somewhat less-than-serious holiday gift list for certain prominent figures in 1988; we trust they will accept it in the fun spirit of the season. For the Open Software Foundation and Unix International: A Unix-compatible Nintendo system in the hopes that they may find a new way to resolve their differences. For former IBM executive Bill Lowe: A Xerox copy of IBM's PS/2 marketing plan that he can throw away. For Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard: A quick phone call from Lowe to Apple to discuss who really invented that interface. For Prime Computer: A poison pill in a pear tree. For Fujitsu and IBM: Someone to explain what they just agreed to. For Compaq's Rod Canion: A dictionary, so he can mull our definition of oxymoron _ ``Multiple industry standards.'' For Lotus' Jim Manzi: A vaporprofit he can realize from all the vaporevenues generated by the new vaporversions of Lotus spreadsheets, and several thousand shares of vaporstock. For Cullinet's John Cullinane: Someone who will agree with him that DB2 isn't a success. For alleged Internet virus creator Robert Morris: Several thousand E-mail messages from Santa. For fly-by-night computer security firms cashing in on nervous users: A worm on all their houses. For Wall Street MIS executives: A program trading system written in Advil. For Steve Jobs: Something that will make John Sculley cry again. For the IBM 9370: A reason to continue. For the IBM AS/400: A ``told you so.'' For the DEC Vaxmate: A user. For H. Ross Perot: An edible noncompete contract. For AT&T: A letter from someone who really, really wants ISDN for Christmas. For the minicomputer market: A LANslide. For OS/2 users: A lifetime of (1M-bit) memories. For college administrators trying to recruit students for MIS degree programs: Another stock market crash. For Ashton-Tate: A vacation from all the Rodney Dangerfield jokes. For U.S. computer companies doing business in South Africa: A virus they can call their own. For Computer Associates buyout broker Broadview Associates: Nothing. They've got everything already. For the EISA consortium: A chance to reconsider. For MIS advocates of downsizing: A bullet to bite on and all the luck in the world. For ADAPSO: A Christmas card from IBM written entirely in object code. <<<>>> Title : Avoid undertones Author : Ron Baker Source : CW Comm FileName: bakerlet Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: In your editorial, ``No real choice'' [CW, Nov. 7], you claim not to endorse any presidential candidate. Yet by references to the so-called ``Massachusetts miracle'' and ``pro-business atmosphere,'' your tacit embracing of Michael Dukakis is blatantly transparent. The fact is that the only miracle to have taken place in Massachusetts is that Dukakis was elected to its Statehouse in the first place. In some of your recent articles, your publication has evidenced liberal undertones, if not outright bias. Bits and bytes are neither liberal nor conservative, and your reporting should convey the same objective nature. Ron Baker Senior Systems Programmer Wacker Siltronic Corp. Portland, Ore. <<<>>> Title : An unfair slap Author : David R. Cassell Source : CW Comm FileName: casslet Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: As president of the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (NACCB), I feel compelled to respond to your editorial, ``Where was Dan?'' [CW, Oct. 24]. This was an unfair slap at Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan through the use of inaccurate, misleading and incomplete assertions. Sen. Moynihan did introduce Section 1706 on the recommendation of staffers in the Treasury Department and the Joint Committee on Taxation as a last-minute measure to raise needed revenue. It turned out that this recommendation was incorrect and based on secret discussions between a Treasury Department employee and officials of a trade association that represents large technical service employment firms. They were trying to use tax laws to put small brokers and independent contractors out of business. After studying the situation and learning the facts, Sen. Moynihan and his staff helped to lead the effort to fix the problems created by Section 706. We encourage your readers to concentrate their efforts on working with other members of Congress to support S2626 and challenge ADAPSO to listen to their own members and their customers before continuing their fight for Section 1706. David R. Cassell President NACCB Washington, D. C. <<<>>> Title : A good word Author : Gabriel F. Gargi Source : CW Comm FileName: garglet Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: You never have a kind word for IBM, so I have a few. You would expect an individual, independent consultant to receive little or no attention from a multimegabuck corporation such as IBM. So I was pleasantly surprised when the local system engineer spent several hours tracking down information that I needed for a course I was developing on Rexx under TSO. He didn't have to do that for me, because he undoubtedly has customers with a much bigger sales volume than I have. It is always good to give credit where it is due. Gabriel F. Gargiulo G. F. Gargiulo Training Associates North Haven, Conn. <<<>>> Title : Electronic vaulting catch Author : CW Staff Source : CW Comm FileName: evault Date : Dec 19, 1988 Text: MIS managers are continually reminded that the road to bankruptcy court is littered with former executives who made no contingency plans for their data if it were to be lost or mangled. Whether it is a rat chewing through a cable or the Mississippi River opening a new tributary in the computer room, the interruption of data flow is a fear that surely rests in every MIS manager's mind. Recently, disaster-recovery service firms have decided it is one paranoia that needs a little tweaking. The latest technology to rise out of these fears is electronic vaulting, a method of duplicating and transferring critical data to an off-site _ but connected _ system. Vaulting eliminates the daily need to physically transport duplicate backup tapes from a customer's data center to a remote facility _ which is often hours away _ and then on to a recovery hot site should disaster strike. Although the basic technology of transmitting data to a direct-access storage device farm has been available for 10 years, these systems were relatively crude, offering little more than off-site tape vaults with communications facilities. They also did not offer real-time data duplication, which electronic vaulting's use of fiber-optic hookups makes possible. Now, some analysts believe that electronic vaulting has matured enough that it will rapidly make inroads into many offices. ``By the end of 1989, electronic vaulting will be a mainstay process in terms of what a data center manager will be asked to provide,'' said Thomas Martin, president of Network Planning and Management Associates, Inc., a communications consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Vault-tolerant Still, it is not for everyone. Few believe it could eventually wipe out the off-site storage business. Off-site storage companies are also quick to put a bug in users' ears by noting that their customers' data is far too important to be entrusted to an as yet unproven technology. Electronic vaulting also does not come cheap: The monthly cost for electronic vaulting ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 _ depending on the line speed and tape storage requirements _ in addition to other insurances that a user may subscribe to. Additionally, the need for electronic vaulting may be absent in all but the most sophisticated user. ``It's all hype,'' said Paul Catalano, president of Vital Records, Inc. in Hillsboro, N.J., and the man most often described as the father of the technology. ``Electronic vaulting should be used as a redundant service to achieve an operational advantage,'' he said. Still, the possibility of downtime is an often frightening specter to an MIS manager. A recent study by the University of Minnesota claimed that 93% of businesses that lost the use of their computer for 10 days filed for bankruptcy within a year; half filed immediately. But significant strides have been made in getting electronic vaulting into the general marketplace. Total Assets Protection, Inc. has offered nearly instantaneous interactive access since 1986, and in the past year, disaster recovery firms such as Comdisco Disaster Recovery Services, Inc. and Sungard Recovery Services, Inc. have unveiled similar products. Additionally, there were recent rumors that IBM may enter the disaster recovery business with an electronic vaulting offering [CW, Oct. 17]. In June, the technology also got a large leg up when it was introduced into New York's competitive banking environment [CW, June 6] with both Comdisco and Sungard offering competitive 24-hour, seven-day-a-week vaulting services. But electronic vaulting's proponents said it will not remain the exclusive territory of such large data-intensive institutions. ``Everyone thinks it's the banking industry that's really driving this, but it's not,'' said Robert Miano, president of Comdisco Computing Services Corp. ``We have clients in any application where it's critical that you cannot lose data: the grocery business, railroad industry _ you name it.'' There are essentially three levels of electronic vaulting available. Electronic journaling captures and stores only a customer's most critical transaction data off-site on a continual basis. Under electronic file transfer, an institution can automatically update file stores off-site at various times throughout the day. Finally, database shadowing carries the technology to its furthest boundaries yet, by providing for the processing of transactions at the backup database as they are received. This results in an up-to-the-minute image of all critical applications. By James Daly, CW staff