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/// 400 JOBS LOST AT CIRRUS /// Company officials at Cirrus Logic Inc. were blaming "poor financial performance" as the reason that it had to lay off 400 workers last month. Cirrus acknowledged that in addition to the lay offs, it would also have to consolidate its operations into four divisions. The company indicated that the consolidation would be a means to provide better communications with its customers, while at the same time, allow a higher priority for research and development operations.

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/// HITACHI ENTERS RECORDABLE DVD ARENA /// Hitachi America Ltd. has announced that it will be shipping its recordable DVD (Digital Video Disk) drive by the end of this year. An industry spokesman said that Hitachi's move to produce the DVD-RAM devices puts them about one year ahead of schedule, and that the new technology will no doubt shorten the life-span of competing optical devices such as the recordable and rewritable CD-R and CD-W drives.

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/// IDT JOINS x86 FREE-FOR-ALL /// Another chip maker has decided to join in the competition with Intel, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Cyrix Corp. with the introduction of still another x86 microprocessor. Integrated Device Technology Inc. has come up with its own Pentium-class chip, which made its debut at the PC Tech Forum in California last month. The question of licensing of the Pentium-class technology still remains unanswered, according to one source. One option IDT may exercise would be to obtain a contract with IBM or another manufacturer that does hold a patent license agreement with Intel, or acquire some type of a cross-licensing agreement directly with Intel.

Topic 4

/// TI IS CLEARING AWAY MORE COBWEBS /// Texas Instruments appears to be doing some more corporate house cleaning, as reported by last month's Electronic Buyers' News (EBN) magazine dated 04/28/97. Apparently TI sold off its last non-semiconductor-related operation when it delivered its software business to Sterling Software Inc. for the sum of $165 million. Sterling, located in Dallas, Texas, will integrate the TI soft- ware business with its present software development business, according to the EBN report.

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/// PENTUIM II BOARDS READY FOR PRODUCTION /// Along with the official roll-out of Intel Corp's Pentium II, the company has announced that it will introduce a line of mother- boards to support the new Pentium linage. The first board is designated as the CN-44FX, and is positioned to boost the sales of Pentium II chips to counteract the new K6 processor being offered by AMD. The CN-44FX boards will be shipped with the 233/266-MHZ Pentium II chip installed, and will be based on Intel's NLX con- figuration.

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/// AN INTELLIGENT UPS /// A new un-interruptible power supply (UPS) being produced by SL Waber has some rather intelligent attributes. Designed for file servers and their connected workstations, as well as stand-alone personal computers, the "Upstart Network" UPS can save all open files on the workstation(s) and safely shut down an unattended computer system via its "Save and Restore Software" application. When power is lost to the server, a copy of the file normally residing in the server can be saved to the local workstation's hard drive. The operator at the workstation can continue working until power is restored to the server, which then re- boots and restores all open files-- just as they were running before the interruption of power. When a workstation experiences power loss, Upstart Network will then log it off from the server and save all open desktop files and running applications. Upon the restoration of power to the workstation, all previously running applications and files are restored. The Upstart Network also provides continuous surge protection for the computer and telephone modems. Backup power to the system is maintained for periods up to either 15-min. or 30- min. depending on which of the two models are placed in use. The model 350 offers an average of 15-min. of backup time, while the model 550 can provide up to 30-min. run time during a power outage. Prices announced by SL Waber show $199 for the Upstart Network 350 and $249 for the 550.

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/// MICROSOFT THINKING BIG AND SMALL WITH NT AND SQL /// Microsoft Corp. last month rolled out two new products that represent the high end and low end of its corporate markets. The introduction of SQL (pronounced "sequel") Server 7.0 and Windows NT 5.0 Enterprise Edition by the software giant ex- hibited Microsoft's latest thrust into the high-end corporate client/server field. According to a press release from Redmond, Washington, NT 5.0 Enterprise Edition will include such features as message queuing, built-in transaction processing, clustering, and other unique services within the base operating system. Some analysts are also impressed by the improvements in the multiprocessing core that will allow NT to support more than four processors. The new edition of SQL Server, which went into beta testing last month, will support more users and larger database sizes than previous versions. For the smaller business accounts, Microsoft may unveil a more scaled down edition of NT Server, which is slated for beta- testing sometime this summer.

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/// BATTLE OF THE VIRUS KILLERS /// A law suit has been filed by Symantec Corp.(Norton) against its virus utilities adversary, McAffe Associates Inc. over the alleged piracy of software code. The allegation states that McAffe used "reverse-engineering" to cop Symantec's [Norton] Crash Guard architecture for use in its own software titled "PC Medic." To further insure against copy- right theft in the future, Symantec announced plans to form a coalition of software companies to combat the problem.

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/// H-P ACQUIRES VERIFONE INC. /// In a surprise move in April, Hewlett-Packard Co. acquired Verifone Inc. Industry sources stated that the acquisition could spark an upturn trend in electronic commerce. Under the terms of the agreement, H-P will introduce a line of electronic commerce systems built around its own technology in addition to Verifone's payment processing software. The one- for-one stock exchange is valued at $1.2 billion, according to one leading trade magazine. Verifone's specialty line of "black box" electronic trans- action processing systems and card readers netted the company about $472 million in revenue last year. According to one source, much of that revenue was generated from the sales and support business garnered from Bank of America and Citicorp. Both companies will continue to focus on the development of secure electronic protocols for credit card transactions and electronic commerce in general.

Topic 10

/// INTEL PICKS UP THE SPEED AND CUTS CHIP SIZE /// Intel Corp has initiated manufacturing procedures that cuts the size of the layers of silicon used in processor chips down from 0.35 microns to only 0.25 microns in thickness. The 0.25 micron technology will first appear in high-volume production of Intel chips later this year, and is referred to by the company as P856 technology. One of those chips will be a Pentium MMX (Multimedia Extension) processor designed for port- able/mobile computers, which will run at 200-MHZ on the clock. Power consumption will be limited to just two watts for the new microprocessors, and only six volts are required for operation. The low power requirements of the new chips will help overcome the heat dissipation problems associated with high-speed micro- processor applications in notebook computers in the past. Samples of the new chips have been produced, and notebook PC makers can expect to receive volume shipments later this year, according to Intel sources.

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/// NEW VIDEO MODEMS FROM OCI /// A company called Objective Communications Inc. has developed a modem technology that supports bi-directional transmissions of sound and video communications over POT (plain old telephone) lines. OCI's VidModem allows a PC to receive a wealth of video data, which up to now, has required those very expensive digital telephone lines. The company employs a combination of hardware and software in the VidModem technology, and should have the system ready this summer. The VidModem is based on an analog signal processor, which passes the audio/video information to a PC through a single twisted pair cable. Aimed at the corporate level, the VidModem [system] will be priced in the $5,000 range.

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/// CALL THE DOCTOR BEFORE YOU GET THAT VIRUS /// A company located in Burlington, Mass. called Dr. Solomon's Software Inc. is selling its anti-virus products under the trade name of MailGuard. The software specifically targets the potential viruses spread through E-mail file attachments. Working at the network server level, MailGuard scans all inbound and outbound mail for viruses. The software is compliant with MS Windows NT servers, and is priced at $1,200 for a 50 user network.

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/// MOPIERS AND OTHER DEVICES /// Xerox Corp. announced production of its "Mopiers" and new color laser printers last month. A color laser printer for less than $3,600 is about ready to market, according to Xerox. The company has assigned the code name "Tsavorite" to the color printer, which is geared to the mid-range market. A print speed of 3 pages per minute in color and 12-ppm in black is obtainable with the Tsavorite printer, which has pre-loaded software that allows it to be managed via the Internet. Now... What is a "mopier?" As described in the April 28 edition of Computer Reseller News, a mopier is a printer that has the speed and paper handling features of a copy machine. A print speed of 30- to 40-ppm will be achieved by the Xerox Mopier to be introduced before the end of this year.

Topic 14

/// PENTIUM II SUPPORT CHIPS DELAYED /// Intel Corp. has reportedly delayed the release of some critical support devices for the upcoming Pentium II microprocessor, which according to some industry sources, leaves the door open for some heavy competition from several chip-set and graphics chip vendors to jump at the opportunity. The introduction of its 440LX chip-set has been delayed by Intel until sometime during the third quarter of this year, as told by one reliable source last month. Reports also indicated that other chip-set and graphics chip makers are positioned to launch their own products supporting the Pentium II by 1998. Intel's LX chip design includes Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) technology, and the capability to squeeze out more performance from synchronous-DRAM (SDRAM) memory chips. The delay by Intel however, may force some equipment makers to develop their Pentium II systems around the existing 440FX chip-set. Two chip-set manufacturers, Opti Inc. and VIA Technologies Inc., announced plans to sell their own AGP versions by the end of this year. But because of the proprietary core logic used in the Pentium II, some analysts are doubtful that third-party chip-set vendors can come up with a viable product.

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/// OKI & NEC ARE LEADERS IN RDRAM RACE /// Executives at Oki Semiconductor and NEC Electronics seem to be enjoying a two-to-three month lead over their competitors in the deployment of concurrent Rambus DRAM (RDRAM) memory modules. One trade publication reported last month that Oki is engaged in talks with SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, where SGS is being requested to package RDRAM with ST's upcoming Mpact media chip. Officials at Rambus would only say that Oki and one other company are the early forerunners in the RDRAM race.

Topic 16

/// CLINTON EXPORT CURBS MAY END /// The House Judiciary subcommittee approved a bill last month that calls for an end to the Clinton administration's export ban on computer encryption technology. The bill, as sponsored by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), would counter the Clinton export bans on any encryption systems currently available in the global communications markets. The bill would also serve to greatly limit the pressure from the White House put upon computer makers to include a key-escrow back door in their encryption systems. The key-escrow scheme would allow wiretapped information to be decoded by law enforcement agencies. Similar bills were slated to come before the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Science Committee for a vote last month. The U.S. computer industry has challenged the Clinton encryption policy over the last several years on the grounds that it is losing an enormous amount of overseas trade to foreign competitors who are offering state-of-the-art encryption systems that can be sold without restrictions.

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/// OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF PENTIUM II /// Intel Corp. officially launched its Pentium II microprocessor last month as part of a major offensive strategy against its competition. Although there were documented reports of Pentium II chips being sold in the "gray" market as early as April, the week of May 5th marked the company's formal release of the new micro- processor chips. Initial shipments of 233- and 266-MHZ Pentium II chips have been completed, and a 300-MHZ version should be ready to ship this fall, according to a recent press release. Intel also has the "Merced" 64-bit processor in the works, which will attain clock speeds in the 400- to 450-MHZ range, but availability for that technology will not be until sometime in 1999. Intel has inked contracts with a host of computer manufacturers including IBM, Acer, Packard Bell/NEC, AST, ALR, and Digital Equipment Corp. to employ the Pentium II chip. On the down side however, Intel officials have admitted that a "floating-point" flaw has been discovered in the Pentium II microprocessor-- similar to that found in the original 60-MHZ Pentium chip back in 1994. But this time, Intel is openly acknowledging the problem, and has disclosed the details to the media. According to one trade magazine, Intel engineers are actively investigating the possible floating-point defect, and are expected to reveal their findings shortly. Early reports indicate that the new chips improperly report numbers stored as integers. The Pentium II chips are built in a modular cartridge design, which requires that the motherboard be designed according to Intel's NLX specification. The MMX multimedia technology pioneered by the company for use in 166- and 200-MHZ versions of the Pentium and Pentium Pro chips has also been engineered into the Pentium II.

Topic 18

/// APPLE MAC O/S 8 WILL SHIP THIS SUMMER /// A bundle of new features will be included within the Apple MacOS 8 operating system when it is released this summer. Apple Computer Inc. has been pushing hard to get its MacOS 8 to market as an attempt to augment its lagging sales. According to one analyst, the company has also entered into negotiations with Mac-clone vendors to extend the licensing and proliferation of Mac operating systems in general. Some of the changes in MacOS 8 will include options to allow the user to change the look and feel of the O/S. An architecture called the Apple "Java Virtual Machine," which is tailored to small software developers who work with the Java language is also included in the new MacOS. Looking ahead, Apple is tuning its "Rhapsody" object oriented operating system, which should debut in mid-1998.

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/// IETF WORKING ON INTERNET PRINTING SPEC /// A protocol for Internet-based printing tasks is being worked out by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in cooperation with several industry leaders. Support for the specification has been pledged by Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp., Netscape Communications Corp., Adobe Systems Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc., Novell Inc., Xenox Corp., and Hewlett-Packard Co. Called Internet Printing Protocol, the specification should permit a client system to print information to any printer connected to the Internet or corporate intranet, according to industry sources. Under the new protocol, a user can submit a printing request to a printer through the URL (uniform resource locator) address of the document. The URL of the printer can also be designated to a document through the print menu. The IETF expects the Internet Printing Protocol to be ready this fall.

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/// HOTMAIL FOR SECURE MESSAGES /// A company called Hotmail Corp. has developed an Internet service that can provide free secure E-mail accounts to any user that has a browser. The user does not even have to purchase any software to gain access to the Hotmail server. They only need to establish a personal account, which stores and sends their messages via their client location. The Hotmail system offers an advantage in that the mail server is remote... E-mail messages do not reside on the user's origin- al network so that they are kept from corporate or other prying eyes. The system has been catching on at the rate of 25,000 to 30,000 new subscribers per day. As of last month, Computer Reseller News reported over 3 million subscribers have signed on with Hotmail. One necessary evil that users must endure is the banner ads that accompany their messages. Because the company is sponsored by advertisers, their ads must be made visible to the users. More information can be found at the Hotmail Web site at: www.hotmail.com

Topic 21

/// MPEG/JPEG VIDEO/STILL CAMERA INTRODUCED BY HITACHI /// Hitachi Home Electronics Inc. has unveiled what is claimed to be the world's first MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) camera. The MP-EG1A KIT ISA camera allows for real-time compression and full-motion video. Hitachi officials stated that the new device stores audio and video information on a 260-Mb PC Card, which is included in the $2499.95 asking price. An interface kit allows recorded video to be transferred to a PC for editing. Hitachi's MPEG camera has a high compression ratio enabling high-capacity storage on a PC hard disk and boasts more than 352 x 240 dots of resolution for high-picture quality. The measure- ments of the MPEG camera are less than that of a conventional camcorder. All of the camera's functions such as real-time compression, full-motion video and playback are handled by a single chip called the MPEG-1 encoder/decoder developed by Hitachi.

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/// INTEL MOVES INTO JAVA FRAY /// The Computer Reseller News (CRN) reported last month that Intel Corp. is making its move into the Java market by developing just-in-time compilers to boost the performance speed of Java applications. Intel's developments are also expected to have a positive effect on the acceptance of Java technologies within the corporate market, with the chip maker standing to earn a major piece of the action in turn. Modifications to the Pentium processor to run Java at a faster pace are on Intel's immediate agenda, as reported in a white paper posted on the company's Web page. Hardware and software improvements will be installed by Intel to increase Java speed, and according to a company spokesman, Intel has developed a Java Virtual Machine designed for Intel- based computers running Windows. Intel also claims that it has exceeded performance benchmarks attained by Sun Microsystem's own optimized SPARC chip when running Java-based applications. Intel has licensed Java from Sun Microsystems.

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/// NOT SO FRIENDLY TERMS /// An industry source reported last month that both Cyrix Corp. and Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC) have hit Intel Corp. with law suits alleging patent infringements. DEC wants to bar Intel from using [DEC's] patented technology to assemble and market the Pentium, Pentium Pro, and Pentium II microprocessors. DEC claims that Intel pirated its designs, which include branch protection, cache management, and high- speed instruction technologies that are employed in the DEC Alpha chips. If Cyrix finds favor with the courts, Intel could face permanent injunctions in addition to monetary damages to compensate for infringements on Cyrix-patented power management and pipeline processing technologies. Both law suits were filed in the U.S. District Court in May. Intel officials who examined the preliminary review of the law suits ascertained that their company has not infringed on the patents, but word has it that Intel will strongly defend itself in court. An interesting side note to the situation reveals that Intel supplies 25 percent of DEC's processor chips while DEC supplies Intel with $50 million in computer equipment annually.

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/// 20 GIGABYTE DRIVES FROM START-UP COMPANY /// There is an upstart company in the hard drive industry called TeraStor Corp. that has attracted industry leaders to its support. One of the most noted companies to offer its vote of confidence for the Near Field Recording technology was Seagate Technology Inc. It was announced by TeraStore that Seagate would be manufacturing recording heads for its drives. Based in San Jose, TeraStore inaugurated its technology plans in March for the new mass-storage devices, which share some technology from both conventional hard drive and optical record- ing drives. The company is claiming a ten-fold increase in storage capacity over conventional storage media through the use of its flying optical heads (co-developed by Seagate), which employ a solid immersion lens (SIL) technology that permits TeraStore to increase the recording density per square inch. The first products to be manufactured by TeraStore will be in the 20-Gigabyte storage-class, as disclosed by company officials. TeraStore is expected to announce production of its Near Field Recording drives by late fall, but marketing of the new units will not begin until 1998, according to a company spokesman.

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/// MICROSOFT BUYS DIMENSION X /// Microsoft has taken another step in its march toward total domination of the multimedia application market with its acquisition of Dimension X, which is based in San Francisco. Dimension X is a noted developer of Java multimedia tools, and will now move most of its operations and 40 employees to the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Although the terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, one source mentioned that Microsoft would use the Dimension X "Liquid Motion Pro" and "Liquid Reality" 2-D and 3-D multimedia tools in its DirectX media Software Developers Kit, which ships to all Microsoft developers. A Microsoft spokesman commented that Dimension X application program interfaces (API) would remain in Java format. JavaSoft tended to downplay the acquisition by commenting that it will have little impact on Java's market strength. And some developers are saying that the buy-out illustrates the obvious importance of the Java architecture, even if Microsoft fails to admit it.

Topic 26

/// MORE THAN A TOUCH PAD /// A company called Interlink Electronics Inc. manufacturers the "VersaPad" device, which allows fingertip or stylus cursor control-- much like that of a mouse, but with the addition of its own toolbar that can be customized to perform specific tasks for Windows applications or Web browsing. Text editing, signature input, and graphics commands can be executed with the VersaPad, which should be available this month for about $69.

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/// MINIATURE DISPLAYS OFFER FULL-SCREEN TEXT /// A breakthrough in miniaturization has given the flat panel display (FPD) industry the ability to develop tiny viewing screens to monitor E-mail and Internet images on devices small enough to be worn on the wrist. FPDs that are fitted to pagers, portable phones, and other mobile communications devices are being engineered by a brigade of U.S. vendors including Reflection Technology, Waltham, Mass., Planar America, Beaverton, Ore., Kopin Corp., Taunton, Mass., Lucent Technologies, LM Erickson, Nortel, and Motorola. Planar America is already selling an active-matrix electro- luminescent (AMEL) screen to Honeywell of Minneapolis for use in a military prototype of a wrist-mounted device. Military personnel wearing the wrist devices can view a full screen of text or detailed images. With AMEL technology, the user enjoys the advantage of being able to view a full virtual-VGA screen rather than having to scan through multiple screens as would be required with other FPD technology to read the same amount of information. The design competition is getting tough, and the contenders are aware of the need to convince prospective customers in the military, industrial, and consumer industries that their mini- panels are the best, and most readily available.

Topic 28

/// RAMBUS STOCK TAKES WINGS /// Rambus Inc. took Wall Street by storm last month as it went public with its stock shares. The initial public offering (IPO) from Rambus opened at $12 per share, and then shot up to over $24 on the first trade, and continued to climb until it closed at $30.25 on May 14. Rambus, backed by Intel Corp. and 10 of the 20 dynamic RAM manufacturers from around the globe, claims an interface tech- nology that allows data to be moved at speeds up to 600 Mbytes per second between a logic chip and DRAM at a frequency of 600-MHZ.

Topic 29

/// MS PRESET PLAN UPSETS VENDORS /// In an apparent shameless effort to exploit Internet technology, Microsoft Corp. plans to pre-configure 11 of the 12 premium "channels" on its next release of Internet Explorer. According to some industry analysts, version 4.0 of MS Internet Explorer is likely to meet with staunch resistance from a host of original equipment manufacturers and resellers who have already been quite vocal about their distrust of the strategies employed by Microsoft of late. One leading trade publication described the term "channel" as applied to this situation as resembling a screen saver, except that with IE 4.0's integration with the operating system and the Internet, it would be more like a TV channel that provides changing content and advertisements. The fact that Microsoft would preset 11 of the 12 channels in the new Web browser, would leave little control or options for equipment makers and resellers to customize IE 4.0 for their clients. Theoretically, any Web site provider could also become a channel provider and gain a little money for their efforts, but Micro- soft apparently wants to remind everyone as to just how power- full it is by picking up all the marbles. One very prominent Windows vendor, along with several others fiercely argued against the plan by stating that equipment manufacturers who target specific markets should be allowed to decide which channels are to be pre-loaded on individual PC systems. The industry spokesman went on to say that he and others are looking to the Federal Communications Commission as a "last hope" to counter Microsoft's scheme.

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/// MICROSOFT PLANS INTERNATIONAL TELCO DEAL /// Microsoft Corp. will announce plans this month of an Inter- national telecommunications deal to make the Signaling System 7 (SS7) backbone architecture compatible with Windows NT. Microsoft officials hinted that the software giant is working with several parties in the SS7 effort, but would not divulge the names of its partners. The term SS7 describes both a protocol and actual controls and network systems used by all major telecommunications carriers to perform credit card verification and route toll-free calls. Other technologies such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) work in concert with SS7, as described in a press release from Redmond, Wash.

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/// ELVIS SIGHTING CAUSES CONCERN IN WASHINGTON /// NOT the ghost of the King of Rock & Roll... this Elvis is from Russia. According to a news story out of California last month, Sun Microsystems Inc. plans to sell a product from a Russian en- cryption company called "Elvis+." But in doing so, Sun would be skirting around U.S. encryption laws, and that is what has the people in Washington all up in arms. By mid-August, Sun's international distribution channels will initiate a "reselling" program for the SunScreen SKIP E+ soft- ware that establishes Virtual Private Networks on Windows-based desktop computers that are connected to SKIP-enabled hardware. The SKIP (Simple Key management for Internet Protocols) was offered by Sun to the Internet Engineering Society Task Force as a proposed Internet standard. Algorithms of 56-, 64-, and 128-bit ciphers for encrypting network traffic and keys are included in the SKIP E+ technology, and would appear to be in violation of the Clinton administration's export ban-- or would it? A spokesman for Sun's Network Security Products Group contended that what his company is doing is within the "letter and spirit" of the rules because the rules laid down by the Clinton ad- ministration prohibit exportation of high-level encryption software-- Sun is merely reselling a product overseas that has already been manufactured over there.

Topic 32

/// IBM BETS ON SECRETARIAT TO PLACE IN NT DERBY /// This summer, IBM Corp. will unveil a Windows NT-based product targeted at the small to mid-size corporate enterprise market. Code named "Secretariat," the package will include an ensemble made up of the Lotus Domino database, a fax server, a firewall product, and remote management provisions, as spelled out by an IBM spokeswoman. With the introduction of Secretariat this summer, IBM will be expanding its NT-based software product line which includes VisualAge for Java, DB2, and other Lotus products and NT tools designed for corporations with less than 1,000 employees.

Topic 33

/// NEW LOW-COST CYRIX CHIP OFFERS PERFORMANCE /// Sample runs of a new processor chip from Cyrix Corp. called Media GX shows potential for low-cost PC applications with improvements in audio/video and graphics performance over many current low-end chips. A 150-MHZ version is being put through its paces, and according to Cyrix officials, a 166-MHZ, 180-MHZ, and 200-MHZ GX product will be ready to sample by the fourth quarter of this year. Based on x86 technology, the GX chip will run Windows 95, NT, and Unix operating systems. A $300 "bare bones" system is being built by FIC America, Freemont, California that includes only a chassis, power supply, motherboard, and CPU chip. A complete PC system selling for less than $1,000 (less monitor) is now possible, according to one industry analyst. Cyrix also plans to launch its M2 processor chip this year, which is aimed at the $1,500 to $2,500 PC market.

Topic 34

/// SAMSUNG'S 20X CD-ROM DRIVE SHIPS /// Samsung Electronics America Inc. is now shipping its SCR2330 20-speed CD-ROM drive. The new CD-ROM speedster supports a data transfer rate of 3- Megabytes per second. No price information was included in the May 26 CRN report. Gary Miller


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