Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Wed, Aug 19 1992 Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 04:20:00 EDT Message-ID: 08-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Aug. 19, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network AST INTRODUCES MULTIPROCESSOR: AST Research Inc. Tuesday introduced the Manhattan SMP, its fully symmetric multiprocessor, marking the company's entry into the rightsizing:super server market. Designed to be an alternative to minicomputers, it is engineered with open architecture. It supports a variety of shrink-wrapped operating systems. Prices start at $26,995. They will be available in December. WANG FILES FOR PROTECTION: Wang Laboratories filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday, casting fresh doubt on its future as a stand-alone computer maker. The filing protects the company from creditors and gives it time to reorganize assets while continuing to operate. Richard Miller, Wang's chief executive, said he expects Wang to emerge from Chapter 11 as a smaller company. (For more, see special Wang package below.) SUN TO JOIN S&P INDEX: Shares of Sun Microsystems Inc. could rally because Standard & Poor's Corp. will add the stock to its benchmark S&P 500 index at the close of trading Wednesday. S&P said it's adding Sun, based in Mountain View, Calif., to replace Wang Laboratories Inc., which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Sun has a 40% share of the workstation market. IBM, SEARS TO BUILD NETWORKS: IBM and Sears are joining forces to create the largest computer-network services company in the USA. The joint venture, Advantis, will come online by year's end. It will provide electronic mail; linkups for personal computers among branch offices or within an office; and the ability to manage businesses' existing computer networks, fix problems and add locations. MOVE IS PART OF IBM'S STRATEGY: IBM and Sears have created a computer network services company called Advantis. "This is really part of IBM's attempt to transform itself into a service business," says William Bluestein of Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass. Information among companies on the network won't be exchanged unless customers want to link up. Because the computer network carries voice and data, Advantis also will become a long-distance telephone provider. TRUETYPE FOR DOS UNVEILED: MicroLogic Software Tuesday said it has introduced TrueType for DOS version 1.0. It enables users of DOS versions of WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Works to use the TrueType font format. The TrueType for DOS package comes with 36 TrueType typefaces that, once installed, are accessed from the regular font-selection menu. The suggested retail price: $99.95. CRANE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Shuttle Endeavour remains on the floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building while Kennedy Space Center managers continued to debate whether the building's giant cranes are safe to use. Officials are still concerned about the assembly building's cranes because of an incident last week in which one of them began moving faster than it was supposed to while carrying a solid rocket booster segment. MUSIC FIRMS TO USE NEW FORMAT: PolyGram says its first digital compact cassette titles will be available as soon as the product premieres at a suggested price of between $12 and $17. Other companies, including BMG International, EMI, MCA, Sony Music and Warner, say they will release titles, too. DCC players, which play both digital tapes and old-style analog tapes, should be available in time for Christmas. TEAM DESIGN TO BE DISCUSSED: Making America's electronics companies and universities more market-driven will be the focus of a one-day conference, "The Changing Role of Engineers," Sept. 22, at Motorola University in Schaumburg, Ill. Sponsored by the American Electronics Association, the conference will focus on improving product quality and time-to-market performance through team-oriented product design. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON WANG: WANG TO CUT 5,000 JOBS: Richard Miller, Wang's CEO, plans to slash 5,000 jobs, or 39%, from Wang's 13,000-member workforce. He also wants to shrink Wang to a company with annual sales of $1.4 billion. Tuesday, Wang said it had revenue of $1.9 billion in fiscal 1992, and lost $139.2 million vs. a $385.5 million loss a year ago. It also filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Few analysts were surprised by the news. OFFICE SOFTWARE TO BE FOCUS: Miller's strategy is to focus on a wide array of office software products, particularly products that allow customers to scan paper documents and turn them into electronic files that can be stored in computers. Beyond bolstering its product line, analysts say Wang will have to develop strategic alliances. So far, Wang has had a tough time in that area. IBM, WANG ALLIANCE SMOLDERS: Last June, in a move seen as crucial to its survival, Wang announced it would sell IBM computers and adapt its products to work on them. Wang has yet to met IBM's sales targets, and has failed to qualify for a $75 million cash infusion, according to news reports. Dale Kutnick of Meta Group of Westport says Wang must find a way to become a profitable vendor of other firm's computers. WANG NEVER JOINED PC MARKET: Wang, founded by Chinese immigrant An Wang in 1951, enjoyed great success as a maker of word-processing equipment and minicomputers, and employed more than 31,000 in its prime. But with the rise of the personal computer in the early 1980s, both product lines became increasingly obsolete. (End of package.) Technology Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM