IBM Introduces New Content Manager Software. IBM began shipping IBM Content Manager software for managing unstructured data. The product debuts at a time when companies find themselves wrestling with huge volumes of electronic documents, digital audio and video, and intarnet/ Internet content.

Meta Group predicts that the market for content-management software is growing 20% every year and will reach $10 billion by 2004. The rise of the Internet and the growth of E-commerce is spurring the need for technology that can manage electronic documents, digital media assets such as digital video and audio, and Web content, says Janet Perna, general manager of IBM's data management operation. "Data is not just rows and columns anymore," she says.

IBM Content Server will combine technology from IBM's VisualInfo electronic-document-management software and its Digital Library software for media asset management. The system will provide advanced search and rights-management capabilities, and will support more than 200 media format standards.

The content-management system will be bundled with IBM's Websphere application server, DB2 database, and Tivoli Storage manager. The package is priced at $15,000 per workstation server, plus $2,000 per concurrent user. The software is available for IBM AIX and Windows NT platforms, with versions for Sun Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux due to ship shortly.

(Source: http://www.informationweek.com)

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Dell says it will also use Ariba's software to connect more efficiently with its own suppliers, such as circuit-board and memory manufacturers. Company officials say they expect the move will save the company $2 billion annually in procurement costs. Under the terms of the deal, Dell is taking an equity stake in Ariba, details of which were not disclosed.

Last week, IBM disclosed a similar pact with Ariba, and IBM also took a stake in the company. Observers say the moves are part of PC makers' continuing efforts to diversify beyond manufacturing. "More and more, they want to define themselves as services companies," says Bill Lesieur, a Technology Business Research analyst.

(Source: http://www.informationweek.com/769/eds.htm)

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UPS/ USA, Electronic commerce has evolved into a driving force for the shipping business, and package-delivery company United Parcel Service of America Inc. is looking to take full advantage of online opportunities.

UPS is forming a sales force and technical support team that will focus specifically on getting customers to integrate its latest E-commerce offerings into their current systems, the company said yesterday. UPS recently expanded its electronic capabilities by adding UPS OnLine Tools, which includes seven shipping and logistics applications, letting customers see shipping rates, timetables, address validation, and service mapping.

The company's Internet offerings already include secure document exchange and UPS Internet Tools for package tracking. UPS says its new sales force will help customers create a more customized E-commerce shipping system from the company's array of offerings.

The company also recently emphasized the importance of E-commerce to its overall financial performance. UPS's logistics group, which encompasses E-commerce and supply-chain products and services, saw a 41% increase in net income quarter over quarter.

(Source: http://www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?INW19990419S0025)

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The server software, formerly known as LotusPump, lets developers integrate supplier-relationship management, customer-relationship management, and other types of ERP applications with Domino Application Server R5.

Lotus Enterprise Integrator's features include event-driven transfers and data archiving services; a forms-based data mapping interface that lets managers check off fields in Domino and map them to PeopleSoft applications; and support for SAP R/3, J.D. Edwards' One World, Oracle's Applications/Financials, PeopleSoft, and BEA Systems' Tuxedo.

(Source: http://www.informationweek.com/731/eai.htm)

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To help operators meet this anticipated demand, Nortel Networks* [NYSE: NT/TSE: NTL] has introduced an innovative portfolio of subscriber services called e-mobility* services.

Featured at the third annual Universal Wireless Communications (UWC) Global Summit in Miami, this recently-announced offering from Nortel Networks pushes the envelope for Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) services, providing rapid, flexible deployment of leading-edge voice and data capabilities optimized for Internet Protocol (IP) environments.

"Wireless operators want service differentiation for revenue enhancement, with a sensible evolution to IP-based services," said John Vice, vice-president and general manager, Wireless Solutions, Nortel Networks. "Our e-mobility services are designed specifically to meet this need."

Nortel Networks e-mobility services available today include Wireless Prepaid, Group Conferencing, Smart Mobile Access, Wireless Voice-Activated Dialing, Mobile Messaging Gateway and Information Management Services.

"We have an extensive portfolio operators can implement to generate revenues right now," Vice said, "and an evolution strategy that capitalizes on existing infrastructure investments - rather than discarding them - to move from a circuit-based WIN environment to packet-based IP."

e-mobility services are an important element in the Nortel Networks plan to deliver the Wireless Internet. Nortel Networks is also showcasing another key element at the UWC Global Summit this week - its RF technology leadership, including advanced, multi-beam antenna technology and the industry's most comprehensive RF management portfolio.

Nortel Networks multi-beam antenna technology, demonstrated in trials last year with Cellcom Israel, reduces bit error rate to as little as one tenth of a percent on both forward and reverse links, offering the high signal quality needed to reliably deliver e-mobility services.

The Nortel Networks RF management portfolio includes an RF Toolkit, which improves system performance, capacity and audio quality to help operators increase revenues and subscriber satisfaction. Nortel Networks also offers Hierarchical Cell capability for improved coverage and capacity, allowing operators to target niche markets and increase revenues.

Collectively, these industry-leading RF technologies offer very high spectral efficiency, eventually allowing operators to overlay third generation radio technology within existing spectrum.

Nortel Networks e-mobility services are available over an open, distributed, redundant network architecture that leverages these advanced radio technologies, industry standard computing platforms and a packet backbone for a high degree of availability and reliability.

Elements of this architecture include the Nortel Networks Standalone HLR (Home Location Register) for seamless roaming and mobility management, and the Nortel Networks Wireless Service Node, a distributed computing platform that delivers services over a TCP/IP backbone.

The Nortel Networks Standalone HLR features an on-board Java* virtual machine, supporting downloadable, platform-independent software. This allows third-party software developers to easily integrate customized services.

Nortel Networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified Networks* solutions, spanning mission-critical telephony and IP-optimized networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.

Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.

* e-mobility, Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks Globemark, Unified Networks and How the world shares ideas are trademarks of Northern Telecom Limited.

*Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.nortelnetworks.com )

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In a series of agreements signed in conjunction with today's visit by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Nortel Networks concluded additional equity investments of more than US$30 million in joint venture company Guangdong Nortel to initiate local manufacturing of cdmaOne* and GSM wireless equipment for the Chinese market.

Nortel Networks also signed agreements worth US$60 million with China Unicom for expansion of two existing GSM digital wireless networks in Zhejiang province.

"These agreements continue our 27-year history of investment in the Chinese market," said Robert Mao, CEO and president, Nortel Networks China. "Now we look to the future, harnessing our innovation to help evolve China's communications infrastructure to deliver the integrated data, Internet, video and voice services of tomorrow."

The Chinese Premier's visit included a preview of the future - the world's first public demonstration of cdma2000* third generation digital air interface technology for delivery of very high-speed (384 kilobits per second) data, video and other wireless Internet services.

Today's preview also included a demonstration of sophisticated software for controlling quality-of-service over IP (Internet Protocol) networks. This software allows an operator to ensure the highest levels of transmission quality and reliability to users of premium services.

Nortel Networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified Networks* solutions, spanning mission-critical telephony and IP-optimized networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.

Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.

* Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks Globemark, Unified Networks and How the world shares ideas are trademarks of Northern Telecom Limited.

* cdmaOne is a trademark of the CDMA Development Group.

* cdma2000 is a trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.nortelnetworks.com )

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The new products shipped this week include the VST FireWire Hard Drives in 2, 4, and 6 Gigabyte sizes, combining a variety of storage sizes with hot-plug/unplug and blazing transfer speeds, up to 8 MB/sec. This unparalleled combination provides seamless storage performance for any FireWire-equipped computer. Just cable the drive and computer together, and the volume mounts automatically, ready for high speed file transfers.

"VST's new FireWire drives combine the best aspects of portability, modularity and FireWire connectivity to offer the most exciting high performance storage product the industry has seen yet," said Vincent Fedele, Chairman and Founder of VST Technologies. VST's ultra compact drives measure only 3 in (W) x 5.5 in (D) x 0.7 in (H), and weigh only 6.5 ounces. "FireWire technology is already proving its superiority in moving today's large multimedia files and data between devices. We're certainly excited about what this technology means for the performance of peripheral storage devices and ultimately for the people who use them everyday."

Introduction of the VST FireWire drives marks the company's first offering of desktop peripherals devices, and one that is completely platform independent. "The desktop is a natural expansion of VST's peripheral product offerings," explained Fedele. This is the first of many VST desktop peripherals that will take advantage of today's superior technologies, allowing VST to effectively transfer its expertise from the mobile environment, to the desktop and reach across platforms.

VST Technologies, Inc. is a market leader in the design, engineering and marketing of peripheral products for the notebook and desktop computer industries. VST peripheral products can be found as optional features or as after market add-ons from leading OEMs and from notebook manufacturers, including Apple Computer, Fujitsu, NEC, and IBM. In addition to the VST FireWire Drives, VST Technologies, Inc. manufactures notebook Zip Drives, SuperDisk TM Drives, Hard Drives, AC/DC Power Adapters, Battery Chargers and Auto Adapters.

VST's products can be viewed and purchased through their web site at http://www.vsttech.com and from major distributors, resellers and catalog mail houses.

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Corp. Inc. SuperDisk is a trademark of Imation Corp. IBM is aregistered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Zip is a registered trademark of Iomega Corp.

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.vsttech.com )

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BOSTON - Dedicated to offering telecommunications service providers and enterprise customers with the capabilities needed to quickly and efficiently deploy and manage large-scale BayRS* router networks, Nortel Networks* [NYSE: NT/TSE: NTL] announced the general availability of their online Router Management Labs (RML). The RML configuration tools and support facilities, available at http://www.nortelnetworks.com/rml, provide free and unlimited access to router management support for all visitors. Creating easy access to open, scriptable, text-based software utilities, Nortel Networks' RML is designed to simplify the labor-intensive configuration, monitoring and reporting tasks typical of large network installations.

Customers benefiting from the online RML include those who are deploying or maintaining a large BayRS router network, and require the productive roll-out of new networks or the efficient upgrade of existing networks. RML's easy access through the Web allows network administrators and operations managers to utilize network management tools that provide scalable solutions for the carrier and managed service provider environment.

"When faced with the challenge of upgrading a 1000 router network maintained for a bank, we immediately turned to the facilities provided by the Router Management Lab," said Guido Suter, product manager for Swisscom, in Zurich, Switzerland. "The RML's utilities and support facilities were used in a prior roll-out to enhance functionality. The flexibility of the tools allowed us to create a fully customized application, which automatically upgrades the router's software suite at predetermined times, dramatically simplifying and speeding up the deployment. Network management staff is thus free to focus on other important activities. We are very pleased."

The tools available through Nortel Networks' RML allow a central site to create and customize router configuration files on flash cards that can then be directly deployed on BayRS routers. RML's online tools focus on increased ease-of-use, device monitoring and reporting, while reducing the time it takes to manage the inevitable changes that happen with every network.

Service providers and telcos who have installed the software utilities, such as MCI Worldcom, have seen significant benefits including scaling a configuration process that would have taken two days down to about two hours.

"These tools have saved us time and money; it's that simple," said Greg Starks, senior manager, Network Delivery & Implementation, MCI Worldcom. "Nortel Networks' web accessible software utilities, available through their Router Management Labs, have greatly simplified the management of our network, and have provided MCI Worldcom the benefit of being able to enhance our network operating staff's productivity."

Improving the productivity of the staff responsible for deploying and maintaining router-based networks is critical. RML offers rapid generation of configuration data for network roll-out, and saves valuable time in the deployment of new services and installations. Nortel Networks' RML also enables the development of custom applications, enhances customers' existing network management capabilities, and allows for centralized management and manipulation of configuration data.

"The tools included in Nortel Networks' Router Management Labs provide an invaluable resource for Service Providers deploying large scale managed router services for enterprise customers," said Michael Speyer, industry analyst at the Yankee Group, located in Boston, MA. "By having the ability to update, configure and provision multiple nodes in an expansive and geographically distributed network installation, Service Providers are able to reduce operational costs associated with network support and maintenance, in addition to freeing up valuable employee man-hours and enhancing overall productivity."

RML online capabilities are also critical in giving network operators the tools necessary for bringing an existing network of routers into Y2K compliance in a productive, timely manner.

"Nortel Networks Router Management Labs has demonstrated dramatic economic and productivity gains for users of the tools," said Ron Sutherland, senior manager at Nortel Networks. "Network savvy engineers are expensive and often hard to retain. The RML utilities are designed to make operators of a network more productive by providing the tools they can use at a central site to set up or re-configure a network more quickly."

The specific utilities currently available through Nortel Networks' Router Management Labs exist for both router configuration and management and include:

Configuration. CUSTCFG allows user to define and maintain versions of BayRS router configurations as templates. The templates can generate multiple ASCII router configuration files. Mass-merge capabilities are available which facilitates the configuration (or re-configuration) of a large number of routers.

RPT2CFG converts ASCII configuration files created by CUSTCFG or Site Manager Report Generator to bootable binary for eventual loading on a BayRS router flash card.

BNFS95 enables the network manager, using a Windows PC, to manipulate the file system on the BayRS flash storage media used by the router. The tool works with flash cards inserted in a PC's PCMCIA slot and enables the user to format, partition, compact, delete and copy files between the PC and the flash card or between separate flash cards.

Management. PERL/SNMP is an application program interface (API) that allows the creation of customized applications that monitor and manage BayRS routers in ways that are tailored to specific customer needs. The tool provides a full-featured SNMP client side API written in Perl5 for accessing and manipulating BayRS SNMP router attributes.

HDWRPT is a hardware inventory report tool that polls BayRS devices and catalogs the equipment installed. The tool also assists in timely part replacement by retrieving Field Replacement Unit (FRU) numbers for each BayRS router installed in the customer's network.

TI Scripts provides networks administrators with valuable information about router performance. TI scripts are command line utilities that run from the router console's Technician's Interface (TI). The TI 'show interfaces' tool, for example, provides monitoring and diagnostic information. These scripts augment the existing TI commands shipped as part of the standard BayRS software suite.

"The web is increasingly the preferred method of accessing and collecting information," said Joe Marzot, principal engineer for Nortel Networks' Router Management Labs. "The RML web site allows the customer to access and download the utilities on an ad hoc basis, getting the most current version of the utility, and to ask questions via email."

Nortel Networks' Router Management Labs is currently available to all customers. Access to the utilities is provided via the web site at http://www.nortelnetworks.com/rml, and there is no charge when the utilities are downloaded. Other support facilities available via the RML web site include an Email Help Line, Frequently Asked Questions listing, Contributed Tools, Related Links listing, and Hot News.

Nortel Networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified Networks* solutions, spanning mission-critical telephony and IP-optimized networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.

Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.

*Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks' Globemark, Unified Networks and How the world shares ideas are trademarks of Northern Telecom Limited.

*BayRS is a trademark of Bay Networks, Inc.

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.nortelnetworks.com )

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GK Tricom reviewed all of the leading telephony and data vendors and chose Nortel Networks as the best supplier of Unified Networks solutions. Extensive research conducted by GK Tricom found Nortel Networks to be ahead of the industry in developing and delivering high quality, reliable, end-to-end integrated network solutions.

David Parker, director of channels UK and Ireland for Nortel Networks said, "By developing the best business partner relationships possible, Nortel Networks is forging the way ahead as the undisputed leader in the unified networking market. We want to work with partners that understand the concept of voice and data integration and who are gearing their organisation to reflect this change in the networking industry. GK Tricom is one of the frontrunners in this field. With their proven capability in providing LAN and WAN infrastructures and stated mission to deliver real business benefits and to become 'the Partner of Choice' for integrated network projects, they are an ideal company to take on as one of Nortel Networks strategic channel partners."

GK Tricom will focus on Nortel Network's range of Passport* products which complement the company's strengths in data/telephony convergence across enterprise networks. Their association with Nortel Networks will allow them to build "Industrial Strength Networks" with a common management platform that can be monitored from a state-of-the-art Service Centre at the company's headquarters in Stokenchurch.

GK Tricom (previously GK Data Services) is one of three lines of business under the multi-million, multi-site GK Communications Groups, an engineering and technology group. GK Communications - which in turn is part of $1billion world-wide integration specialist Dimension Data - has over 5 locations around the UK with its main HQ based in Stokenchurch and a staff level of over 350.

GK Tricom have operated in the Network Integration market place since 1982. The company specialises in the Design, Implementation and Service of end to end Network solutions from Concept to Reality. The Company's stated intention is to become the 'Partner of Choice' to both customers and suppliers alike when working on integrated network projects.

Nortel Networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified Networks solutions, spanning mission-critical telephony and IP-optimized networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.

Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.

*Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks Globemark, Passport, Unified Networks and How the world shares ideas are trademarks of Northern Telecom Limited.

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.nortelnetworks.com )

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GreenCommute is an attempt to change the commuting habits of Nortel Networks' workforce located at the company's Carling campus in Nepean. The program will provide a wealth of incentives and information to remove some of the misperceptions and obstacles to alternative forms of transportation - carpooling, transit service, biking, walking, and telecommuting - in an effort to reduce the level of single-occupant automobile traffic to the campus.

"GreenCommute is a joint effort to learn how to positively influence transportation choices for the health of the region and environment," said Bob Chiarelli, regional chair. "We are pleased to be working with the region's largest private sector employer on an initiative that will benefit us all."

Al Loney, chair, OC Transpo, said: "This pilot program offers exceptional opportunities for OC Transpo to reach and educate new parts of the population on the merits of one of the most effective transit services in the province. Through GreenCommute, we can experiment with new types of marketing and services that should help boost ridership in Ottawa-Carleton."

"GreenCommute is a step towards our fulfillment of commitments we made to minimize the traffic impact and need for parking spaces fueled by our expansion of the Carling campus," said Peter Becke, vice president, corporate services, Nortel Networks. "It also promotes healthy lifestyle choices for our employees and has significant potential in helping people make informed choices about their methods of transportation."

Nortel Networks' employees at the Carling campus are being equipped with a variety of tools providing a wealth of information on commuting options. The company has invested in a new transit hub and made several routing changes to reduce transit time by bus. Nortel Networks is also expanding or enhancing access by bicycle and walking trails. For its part, OC Transpo has implemented changes that effectively double the number of buses serving the campus and reduce the travel time for individual bus routes.

Incentives include preferential parking treatment in the province's first-ever parking garage dedicated to carpooling, opportunities to "test ride" OC Transpo's transit service, a web-based tool for finding and matching carpoolers, information kiosks and sessions, contests, and more.

The knowledge gained from the program will be used to shape future commuting initiatives at other Nortel Networks locations in the region and will be applied to the Region's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) efforts.

Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.nortelnetworks.com )

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With the new IBM Magstar 3590 E-Model tape drives, IBM continues its leadership role in delivering strategic enterprise-class tape storage solutions while protecting storage investments. The new Magstar 3590 E drives are backwards-read compatible with cartridges written on current Magstar 3590 drives and can be upgraded onsite. When used with the new drive, the more than seven million Magstar cartridges already owned by customers can potentially be doubled in capacity and doubled in value. The drives will begin shipping in May.

With these new enhancements, IBM continues to meet changing enterprise customer requirements driven by higher performance backup, the growth of server storage for e-Business, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other storage-intensive environments.

IBM Magstar products connect to major server platforms, both IBM and non-IBM, and are supported by leading storage management software products. With the recent introduction of the IBM SAN Data Gateway, Magstar products are already attaching to Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks (SANs). They are also building blocks for IBM's Seascape enterprise storage architecture. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.ibm.com)

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Streaming Server source code available to whomever wants to improve it, the technology will continue to evolve thanks to the applied collective brainpower of the open source community.

A note on streaming-seeing is believing. There are basically two types of streaming-HTTP streaming and RTP streaming-and QuickTime does them both.

HTTP streaming works by downloading an entire movie to your hard disk. QuickTime has supported HTTP streaming for over a year. QuickTime streaming files formatted for HTTP via the Apache Server work so well on both Macs and PCs that-in addition to a large Macintosh user base-QuickTime HTTP streaming has attracted millions of Windows users as well. Fact is, the quality of QuickTime HTTP streaming is one of the reasons why the release of the Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace trailer turned into the biggest online download event in history.

Just-in-time streaming. RTP (for real-time protocol) is a just-in-time streaming technology that keeps your computer in constant touch with the server running the movie. Digital data is transferred and displayed-and discarded once you've seen it. Though a 3-10 second cache of data is stored to compensate for occasional network "burps" that might otherwise compromise quality, at no point is the entire movie stored on your computer.

The difference? HTTP streaming is great for short movies and anything else you intend to play over and over again. RTP streaming, on the other hand, is ideal for full-length movies and live events. With a combination of industry-standard streaming protocols and cutting-edge compression technologies, QuickTime 4 delivers perfectly synchronized audio and video streams.

What you need to get started: If you've already installed the QuickTime Streaming Server Preview which shipped with Mac OS X Server, you'll need to download a general kernel update-recommended for all Mac OS X Servers-and QuickTime Streaming Server 1.0.

Minimum requirements are a Power Macintosh G3 computer or Macintosh Server G3 with 256MB or more of RAM, 1GB of hard disk space, and a software update to Mac OS X QuickTime Streaming Server 1.0. The recommended system, of course, is the heavy-duty 400MHz Macintosh Server G3 with 1GB of RAM, 9GB hard disk, 4-port Ethernet card and the software update to Mac OS X QuickTime Streaming Server 1.0.

(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.apple.com).

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Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., IBM chairman and chief executive officer, said: "We started 1999 with a strong quarter. We saw a significant improvement in our business in Asia, and we also had double-digit revenue growth in Europe and the Americas. Our operating results were excellent, led by services and software -- which together produced 60 percent of our gross profits this quarter. Our Technology Group results were mixed, with growth in hard disk drives offset by continued weakness in memory chips. Our PC unit also had substantially improved results.

"What's more exciting, however, is that this quarter's performance is a direct reflection of the power of the strategies we have put in place over the last few years," Mr. Gerstner said. "Services is clearly the largest and fastest-growing portion of the information technology industry, and we continue to extend our leadership position each quarter. Our software business continues to gain momentum. For example, we are now the number one database company in the world. Our strategy of providing leading-edge technology to the marketplace received substantial impetus this quarter as a result of major, long-term agreements we announced with Dell and EMC. And finally, our strategy to reposition the System/390 continued to move forward, with an increase of more than 80 percent in MIPS shipments in the first quarter." In as-reported terms, excluding revenues from the company's original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business, first-quarter revenues from the Americas totaled $8.8 billion, an increase of 13 percent (14 percent in constant currency) compared with the first quarter of 1998. Revenues from Europe/Middle East/Africa were $6.3 billion, up 20 percent (18 percent in constant currency). Revenues from Asia-Pacific increased 20 percent (13 percent in constant currency) to $3.5 billion. OEM revenues totaled $1.8 billion in the first quarter of 1999, a 5 percent increase (5 percent in constant currency) compared with the year-earlier period.

Total hardware revenues were $8.6 billion in the first quarter, an increase of 17 percent (16 percent in constant currency) from the first quarter of last year. Revenues from personal systems increased significantly. Within servers, System/390 revenues increased while RS/6000 and AS/400 revenues declined. Within technology, storage revenues increased and microelectronics revenues declined.

Revenues from IBM Global Services, including maintenance, grew 19 percent (18 percent in constant currency) in the first quarter to $7.6 billion. Excluding maintenance, services revenues increased 24 percent (23 percent at constant currency) to $6.3 billion. IBM signed $9.8 billion in services contracts in the first quarter and concluded the quarter with a total services contract backlog of approximately $55 billion.

Software revenues increased 10 percent (9 percent in constant currency) in the first quarter to $2.9 billion, with strong results from the company's database, Lotus Notes and transaction processing products. Revenues from Global Financing declined 2 percent in the first quarter to $705 million.

Revenues from the Enterprise Investments/Other area, which includes custom applications and other products designed to meet specialized customer requirements, decreased 6 percent (8 percent at constant currency) year over year to $558 million.

IBM's overall gross profit margin was 35.7 percent in the first quarter compared with 36.6 percent in the first quarter of last year.

The company's expense-to-revenue ratio improved 2.6 points year over year to 25.4 percent. IBM's tax rate in the first quarter was 30.0 percent compared with 32.0 percent in the year-earlier period.

IBM spent approximately $2.1 billion on share repurchases in the first quarter. The average number of shares outstanding in the quarter was 911.9 million compared with 950.2 million in the first quarter of 1998. There were 907.4 million common shares outstanding at March 31, 1999.

Debt in support of operations, excluding global financing, increased $1.1 billion from year-end 1998 to $2.8 billion. Global financing debt decreased $559 million from the end of 1998 to a total of $27.2 billion.

Forward-looking and cautionary statements. Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements included in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, as discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.ibm.com)

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As a result of the agreement, Origin will offer a wide range of services for PTC's Windchill and Info*Engine technologies as part of its Engineering and Industrial Solutions (EIS) portfolio for multinational corporations. This partnership will provide Fortune 500 companies access to the resources, expertise, and global scale required to implement end-to-end solutions for achieving product development and worldwide business goals.

Close the gap between product development and ERP. While ERP systems have successfully integrated business-critical transaction-based processes such as purchasing, logistics and human resources, the same has not occurred with the non-transactional systems that support product creation. Today, product development,manufacturing, maintenance and service are addressed by a variety of proprietary systems that share data at a basic level.

As a result, companies must write custom applications or modify off-the-shelf systems in an attempt to make data available to those who need it. The challenge of providing transparent data access across the extended enterprise is complicated by the dynamic nature of product development, supplier relationships and information technology.

The Origin-PTC partnership combines Origin's expertise in product creation and innovation and expertise in large-scale, complex ERP implementations with PTC's state-of-the-art, web-based Windchill product and process life cycle management solution. The companies will help multinational companies close the gap between product development and ERP, and achieve effective information flow across the product life cycle.

"Origin's engineering expertise and knowledge of both the product-creation process and its underlying business drivers make it an ideal partner for extending the delivery of our Windchill and Info*Engine technologies worldwide," said Stacey Lawson, PTC's vice president of Windchill technical and strategic marketing. "The company's commitment to supporting the product-creation and innovation process, and its technical excellence in this area were important factors in our decision to enter into this agreement."

Global strategy for delivering state-of-the-art life cycle solutions Origin's Enterprise Solutions Practice provides the capability and the resources to design, implement and support enterprise life cycle solutions on a global scale. The company's broad experience in implementing and supporting the leading product-data-management (PDM) and ERP systems uniquely positions it to deliver end-to-end support for these business-critical systems.

PTC's Windchill architecture, along with the Info*Engine framework for integrating disparate PDM, ERP and legacy systems, provide the tools and methodologies required by Origin for establishing a coherent foundation for effective data management across the enterprise.

"Our partnership with PTC enhances our ability to deliver enterprise solutions that integrate product development, ERP and the supply chain on a global scale," said John Le Rossignol, vice president, enterprise solutions, of Origin. "The relationship will play an important role in our global strategy for delivering enterprise solutions to the market."

About Origin B.V. With revenues of $1.9 billion (US) in 1998, Origin B.V. is one of the largest full-service information-technology service providers in the world. Headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, the company has more than 17,000 employees in offices in 32 countries. According to leading IT analyst firms, Origin ranks #1 as the provider of full life cycle management for your ERP system. The company has strategic partnerships with the major ERP vendors, including SAP, Baan, QAD, and PeopleSoft, and is also recognized as a global pioneer in ERP outsourcing. Origin can be reached via the Web at http://www.origin-it.com

About PTC Parametric Technology Corporation, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Waltham, Mass. develops, markets and supports integrated product development and life cycle management solutions that help companies spur innovation and achieve sustained competitive advantage. PTC's software solutions are complemented by the strength and experience of its professional services organization, which provides training, consulting and support to customers worldwide. In its fiscal year ended September 30, 1998, the company achieved more than $1 billion in revenue. PTC can be reached at 781-398-5000, or via the Web at http://www.ptc.com. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.ptc.com)

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Siebel also announced yesterday a multiyear partnership with IBM that will see the front-office vendor bundle IBM's DB2 database with its Siebel 99 sales, marketing, and customer-service applications. Customers who buy the bundled package will pay "substantially less" for the two products than if they buy them separately, and IBM also will provide service and support to those customers. While Siebel will continue to support other databases, including that from its front-office rival Oracle, DB2 will be integrated closely with Siebel applications. The integrated package will be available in the third quarter.(This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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The merger will bolster DataChannel's XML Framework, a package of products and services that includes DataChannel's XML applications and systems integrators. Isogen brings experience in designing, integrating, and implementing XML applications for clients such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Lockheed Martin, Lucent Technologies, and Nortel Networks. The combined companies will employ about 40 systems integrators. "This is the largest concentration in the world of people who are intimately familiar with building XML applications," says George Kondrach, general manager at Isogen.

DataChannel and Isogen will work to flesh out DataChannel's XML Framework 4.0, due for release next quarter. They will enhance the framework's XMLBluePrint, XML Design and Architecture, and training components. "We'll be putting together a packaging of the XML Framework so other integrators, consultants, and developers can license technologies, for example," Kondrach says. "We think XML has its greatest value in becoming ubiquitous." (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Lucent rolled out the Mobility Server last month, and yesterday unveiled interfaces with switches from Ericsson, Hitachi, Nortel Networks, Panasonic, Rolm, and Siemens. The Definity pocket phones handle three phone lines and screen, forward, transfer, and place calls on hold. Users can also access and forward their voice mail, and use most of the features that they use at their desks.

Companies can connect to the Lucent Mobility Server via a bridged analog connection on the station side; on the trunk side, the PBX connects via tie trunks such as ISDN PRI. The system has a transmission range of 2.4 million square feet, and can support 1,500 pocket phones. The system operates at a low power level in the 1.9-GHz frequency. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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The current quarter's results included a $42 million net favorable impact from non-recurring items including an after-tax gain of $50 million resulting from the sale of 2 million shares of ARM Holdings plc., and a net restructuring charge of $8 million associated with improving the flexibility and efficiency of manufacturing operations. Without these non-recurring items, the Company's net profit for the quarter would have been $93 million, or $.60 per diluted share.

Strong sales of iMac™ and Power Macintosh® G3 computers drove overall unit growth to 27% year-over-year. This compares favorably to IDC's worldwide forecast for industry growth of 14%.

"We are delighted that Apple grew faster than the industry in its sixth consecutive profitable quarter," said Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO. "Demand for iMac exceeded our most optimistic forecasts, with Apple's share of U.S. retail and mail order desktop sales climbing as high as 12.5 percent during the quarter, as reported by ZD Storeboard. And Apple continues to lead the industry in asset management by ending the quarter with a record 1 day of inventory, beating Dell for the third quarter in a row."

"Strong demand for iMac and new Power Macintosh G3 computers combined with continued operational efficiency and asset management improvements resulted in positive cash flow from operations of $269 million," said Fred Anderson, Apple's CFO. "Apple now has over $2.9 billion in cash and short-term investments."

Apple® also announced today the early call for redemption on June 1, 1999 of all of its 6 percent convertible subordinated debentures due June 1, 2001.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the effect competitive and economic factors and the Company's reaction to them may have on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; the ability of the Company to make timely delivery of new products and successful technological innovations to the marketplace; the ability of the Company to successfully evolve its operating system and impact on the Company's business due to internal systems or systems of suppliers, infrastructure providers and other third parties adversely affected by year 2000 problems. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the 1998 fiscal year, and the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 27, 1999, to be filed with the SEC.

Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission&emdash;to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.apple.com).

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"The iMac combines the simplicity and ease of use of Macintosh; the excitement of the Internet; Pentium-toasting performance; and great design," said Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO. "This powerful combination is making iMac one of the most popular computers around the world."

The 333MHz PowerPC G3 processor brings blistering performance to iMac customers. A processor comparison based on the BYTEmark integer index gives the iMac with 333MHz PowerPC G3 processor a score of 11.1, while a new Pentium III desktop running at 500MHz scored a 6.7. In real-world game performance tests comparing Dark Vengeance software, the latest iMac clocked 26.5 frames per second, beating out a Compaq 5240 with 400MHz K6-2 processor which rated 18.3 frames per second.* (*Actual user experience may vary depending on components and software. )

iMac, the complete Internet-age computer right out of the box, features:

• A fast PowerPC G3 microprocessor running at 333MHz with a high-speed 512k backside L2 cache;
• Built-in 15-inch high-quality display with 1024 x 768 resolution (13.8-inch diagonal viewable image size);
• The world's easiest to use operating system, Mac® OS 8.5.1;
• 32MB SDRAM, expandable to 256MB;
• RAGE Pro Turbo Graphic controller and 6MB SGRAM;
• 6GB IDE hard disk drive;
• 24x CD-ROM drive;
• 10/100BASE-T Ethernet;
• 56Kbps modem that supports V.90 and K56flex;
• Two 12Mbps Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports;
• Built-in stereo speakers with SRS sound;
• Apple USB Keyboard and Apple USB Mouse.

Pricing and Availability. The 333MHz PowerPC G3-based iMacs are available immediately via The Apple Store™ (www.apple.com), and through Apple® Authorized Resellers for an estimated retail price of U.S. $1,199.

Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission-to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.apple.com).

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The software helps manufacturing departments manage their product-related data and associated processes required to design, manufacture, and maintain products throughout their entire life cycles. SAP says the product is integrated within its core R/3 suite.

The new software includes functionality for document management, engineering change management, parts management, and workflow for engineering processes. It also includes integration with SAP's logistics software, including production planning, plant maintenance, and service management. Product data management software can also be integrated with non-SAP applications, such as CAD systems. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Enhancements Accelerate Information Flow Throughout The Enterprise WALTHAM, Mass., April 19, 1999 -- Parametric Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: PMTC) announced Windchill Release 2.1, an update to its family of solutions for product and process life cycle management. Windchill Release 2.1 provides a richer environment for managing and visualizing product and process information within a company and across its supply chain, allowing customers to collaborate more easily with partners and suppliers and streamline the product development process.

Windchill Release 2.1 introduces three new components: Pro/INTRALINK Gateway, making Pro/ENGINEER data managed within an engineering workgroup available to a broader enterprise community, Info*Engine enterprise application integration software and ProductView visualization technology.

This combination of gateway, data acquisition and visualization capabilities allows Windchill users to access external data sources, include external data in Windchill processes and make the data available to the entire enterprise for visualization and mark-up. Utilizing these three new components, Windchill users can unleash valuable information to members of the extended enterprise who only need a web browser to access the information.

"Windchill's federated software architecture is built upon three powerful web-based information handling capabilities: data management, data acquisition and data visualization," said James Heppelmann, PTC's senior vice president and chief technology officer. "With our recent acquisitions of enterprise application integration and visualization technologies, we now can uniquely provide customers information connectivity, despite the diversity of systems and processes they and their supply chain partners employ. The significance of this latest release is that we are accelerating our ability to provide customers browser-based access to nearly any type of information, from on-line forms and applications to nearly any type of graphical information."

"With Windchill, we will be able to integrate multiple PDM, ERP, database and legacy systems so that the information they contain can be more easily and efficiently shared throughout our enterprise," said Frank Cappuccio, vice president and program manager of Lockheed Martin's new Joint Strike Fighter program. "This unique ability makes Windchill the ideal solution for our Joint Strike Fighter program."

Pro/INTRALINK Gateway Pro/INTRALINK is PTC's premier data management environment for Pro/ENGINEER users. Focusing exclusively on managing Pro/ENGINEER data, Pro/INTRALINK facilitates collaboration among design teams and effectively manages the power of Pro/ENGINEER's associativity. The Pro/INTRALINK Gateway maintains connectivity between Windchill and Pro/INTRALINK by publishing references for parts, assemblies, product structures and meta-data from Pro/INTRALINK into Windchill. While the actual Pro/ENGINEER files remain outsourced to the local Pro/INTRALINK vault used by engineering, visibility to this information is now made available through a web browser to enterprise users via various Windchill applications that are used throughout the product development process.

Windchill Info*Engine Windchill Info*Engine data acquisition capabilities "web-enable" legacy and incumbent information for use during the product and process life cycle. Windchill Info*Engine provides a general-purpose integration framework that unlocks legacy information so it can be incorporated into web pages and

Windchill-based information structures and processes. The Windchill Info*Engine architecture uses a combination of an HTTP-based hub (to which references to outsourced data are made) and a series of "adapters" which are capable of extracting information from legacy information sources. PTC offers a set of pre-built adapters as well as the ability to build custom adapters. With Windchill Info*Engine, companies can now make critical product and process information available to the extended enterprise.

Windchill ProductView ProductView allows users throughout the enterprise to view all types of product-related information - from documents such as Microsoft Office files and 2D drawings, to 3D models - all in a familiar web-based framework. With Windchill ProductView, users can employ their web-browser to visualize,review, take accurate measurements, and markup graphical information from a variety of heterogeneous systems. Windchill ProductView eliminates the need for users to have access to the native authoring application and allows non-engineers to participate in the product design process for the first time.

Pricing and Availability Windchill Release 2.1 will ship to customers this month in English, French, German and Japanese.Windchill Release 2.1 is sold on an enabled-user basis to encourage broad adoption. Windchill Foundation is priced at U.S. $1,000 per enabled user. The Windchill PDM Package is priced at U.S. $1,000 per enabled user. Windchill Information Modeler, the rapid application development environment, is sold separately and is priced at U.S. $10,000. The Pro/INTRALINK Gateway can be ordered at no charge. Info*Engine and ProductView are available for purchase separately or as options within the Windchill product line.

About PTC Parametric Technology Corporation, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Waltham, Mass.,develops, markets and supports integrated product development and life cycle management solutions that help companies spur innovation and achieve sustained competitive advantage. PTC's software solutions are complemented by the strength and experience of its professional services organization, which provides training, consulting and support to customers worldwide. In its fiscal year ended September 30, 1998, the company achieved more than $1 billion in revenue. PTC can be reached at 781-398-5000, or via the Web at http://www.ptc.com.

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Win2000 Beta 3, originally set to ship this week, will be the first version of Win2000 to be "feature complete." New in this release are a global directory service, security system, plug-and-play support for add-in cards, self-healing IntelliMirror software, Windows Terminal Services, and technology that enforces applications-install rules. Microsoft estimates that 500,000 copies of the beta will be distributed. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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IBM executives say the integration will give E-commerce sites and applications easier access to critical data such as product and inventory information, which allows E-commerce to become part of the enterprise. IBM claims that companies wanting to link to back-end systems often spend as much as 50% of their budgets on integration. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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The design of the N class will let customers squeeze a lot of power into a fixed amount of space. A low latency memory controller allows data to move across the bus at 7.6 Gbytes per second, and dual input/output controllers with 12 hot-pluggable PCI slots can move data in and out of the system at speeds up to 5.8 Gbytes per second. Power will come from as many as eight PA-8500 350-MHz and 440-MHz RISC processors.

The Internet capabilities include HP WebQoS 2.0 software, which lets companies distinguish between Internet buyers and browsers, and structure services appropriately. The IA-64 readiness means that an N-class server purchased next month will be able to run both HP-UX and Windows 2000 when the 64-bit chips are available. Even before the dual operating support, an N-class cluster will be available with 99.995% availability guarantees for the server, the operating system, the Oracle database, EMC storage, and Cisco Systems. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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VA TECH ELIN Transformatoren GmbH is a part of the Power Transmission and Distribution Business Division of VA Technology AG. The globally active company delivers power transformers to power utilities and industrial customers. VA TECH ELIN will use Pro/ENGINEER mechanical design, functional simulation, production and data management solutions to further automate its entire product development process.

"After an extensive evaluation of all considerable CAD vendors, VA TECH ELIN has decided to deploy Pro/ENGINEER software as the standard automation tool for all mechanical development and design processes," said Mr. Vötsch, general manager of VA TECH ELIN Transformatoren. "With that decision we'll be able to expand the worldwide leading position of VA TECH ELIN

Transformatoren in the area of Power Transformers to 1300 MVA and 765 kV." (PTC can be reached at 781-398-5000, or via the Web at http://www.ptc.com.)

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He said Compaq is going further than Dell by building a framework for dedicated application appliances using its InsightManager tool set, which would offer better integration and management capabilities between different boxes. The first appliances under development are for Web caching and file serving. But also "under investigation" are dedicated devices for security, database, telecom, Internet serving, and mail and messaging. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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ThermoJet is a professional office printer intended for today's design engineer. But similar to the evolution of laser and ink jet printers, the company envisions the future ThermoJet to be significantly smaller and less expensive -- lending itself to personal office use, and ultimately personal home use.

"Today it's routine to create newsletters and graphic designs on PCs, and to use laser and ink jet printers to put them on paper," said Dr. Richard Balanson, 3D Systems' president and chief operating officer. "Tomorrow, with future generations of ThermoJet, we could just as easily custom-design and 'print' a chess set or a toy, create a model of a new invention, or download a file from the Internet to print out a replacement for a broken plastic appliance part. That's when we enter the realm of personal manufacturing."

ThermoJet uses the concepts and technologies of solid object imaging pioneered by 3D Systems 13 years ago, and now used worldwide in corporate design and engineering settings. But ThermoJet -- with a U.S. list price of $49,995 for single units -- produces its output quickly and affordably in an office setting.

"Certainly ThermoJet is an exciting new development simply because it makes the advantages of solid object imaging available to many more businesses," said Dr. Balanson. "Now you can finish the design work on a new product and hold a sample of that product in your hand within hours," he said. "ThermoJet offers the flexibility to make changes or modifications easily and to individual specifications -- it's a tool for mass customization."

Bold Vision for the Future. ThermoJet is the cornerstone of a sweeping new 3D Systems strategy to bring a new level of ease and productivity to solid model making. The solid object printer rounds out a series of recent hardware and software innovations intended as next-generation advents for the company that created the industry.

Last month, 3D Systems introduced its latest industrial machine, the SLA 7000, that is capable of near-production parts and is four times faster than its predecessor. Earlier, the company announced 3D Lightyear Windows NT software for its SLA line, which delivers optimum performance with a user-friendly interface.

Applications. ThermoJet's ability to turn an idea into a physical model has significant benefits. A designer who has just created a mechanical part using computer-aided-design (CAD) software can send the file to ThermoJet over an ordinary office network. Within hours, ThermoJet produces a sample in a plastic-like material that the designer can hold and evaluate. The part then becomes a real-world example of what may be difficult to comprehend when viewed as a complex CAD image on a computer screen.

In addition, ThermoJet allows designers to detect flaws immediately. Users can share samples with customer focus groups to obtain useful feedback, or generate ideas for product packaging or potential marketing programs.

The uses for ThermoJet are far-reaching and span many industries. Telecommunications companies can use it to design new cellular phones or pagers, while a sporting goods manufacturer can create a new line of golf clubs. Artists can use ThermoJet technology to print three-dimensional samples of sculptures, just as easily as orthodontists can create models of a patient's smile.

Because ThermoJet files can be sent over any network, including the Internet, the machine can be used as a "3D fax" to send models to other cities or continents in moments, for output within hours. This is especially valuable when complex designs must be communicated in a multi-national, multi-cultural environment.

"This is not virtual reality - this is physical reality," said Dr. Balanson. "And the applications and opportunities go beyond one's imagination."

Availability. Thermojet is available in limited quantities immediately, with full production commencing in April. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.3dsystems.com).

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Intel had originally planned to ship the 433-MHz chip in the third quarter. But the chipmaker stepped up its production and marketing efforts as rival Advanced Micro Devices has grabbed a large amount of business in the sub-$1,000 PC market. Most of the Celeron machines, without monitors, are now priced at $800 to $1,000. Anticipating long-term pressure from AMD, Ron Peck, Intel's director of value PC marketing, described the competition at the low end as a "marathon" rather than a "sprint."

Independent tests show Celeron's performance to be only about 10% slower on common applications than Intel's Pentium III of the same clock speed. But most Pentium III PC prices are at least 20% to 30% higher than Celeron PC prices. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Pro/ENGINEER 2000i, which includes more than 500 enhancements, also introduces new functionality and applications for very large assemblies, adaptive process features, design animation and feature-based production manufacturing tools. In addition, the new release of Pro/ENGINEER software includes major enhancements for sharing engineering information over the Internet and provides significant ease-of-use advancements with its "Designed for Windows" graphical user interface.

"Pro/ENGINEER 2000i embodies significant innovations for mechanical design automation," said John MacKrell, senior consultant of CIMData, an industry-leading consulting firm. "These position Pro/ENGINEER as an engineering tool for the designer as opposed to a product definition and documentation system. With its new behavioral modeling technology and a greatly simplified user interface, Pro/ENGINEER 2000i enhances user productivity and allows more time for innovation. Behavioral Modeler, in particular, reduces the need for designers to iterate through multiple designs to achieve a required result by automatically solving design problems - leaving design engineers with more time to focus on innovation."

Behavioral Modeling With behavioral modeling technology, PTC provides engineers with the tools they need to design product models driven by their requirements and specifications. In traditional MDA systems, designers manually iterate on the geometry of their design, hoping to get close to their objective. Many times, solutions are not identified.

Rather than having to settle on a design estimate that is "close enough," the introduction of Pro/ENGINEER2000i enables design engineers to explore the optimal solution with a complete understanding of the design's performance and behavior.

Behavioral modeling promotes design excellence through the creation of fully engineered designs driven by specifications and requirements within an adaptive, responsive and extensible environment. Behavioral modeling capabilities include smart models (completely captured intelligent designs that adapt to their environment) and objective-driven design (turning models into designs based on specific product requirements). The tool functions within an open, extensible environment that is connected to the entire engineering process. By allowing specific requirements and desired functional behavior to drive the model, Behavioral Modeler helps to improve the functional operation and quality of a design early in the product development process.

"We fundamentally changed the MDA marketplace a decade ago when we shipped Pro/ENGINEER with its paradigm-shifting parametric, solids-based modeling technology," said Jim Baum, executive vice president, engineering, research and development, PTC. "We believe behavioral modeling represents another paradigm shift for MDA software, by fundamentally changing what users expect and can accomplish within the modeling environment. Our nearly 24,000 customers compete every day on the basis of cost, quality and time to market. We believe our behavioral modeler will enhance our customers' competitive positions, no matter what dimension they compete on."

Mechanism Design Pro/ENGINEER 2000i also includes a new module for mechanism design, which allows concurrent design and simulation of kinematic assemblies in a single-user environment. With easy-to-use grab and drag functions, Mechanism Design allows designers to specify functional connections and joints between components in the assembly, test the range of motion against specifications, and check for interferences among adjacent components as the assembly moves. Users can now include functional design intent early in the development process, enhancing productivity and overall product quality.

"Groupe Schneider has worked closely with PTC during development of the new functionality in Pro/ENGINEER 2000i," said Jean-Christophe DeJean, CAD/CAM Manager, Groupe Schneider, a leading supplier of electrical components. "The integration of associative design and simulation in a common user environment is central to our requirements for optimizing our design process. This new capability will allow designers to investigate and improve the functional operation of a design early in the product development process."

Adaptive Process Features The Pro/ENGINEER feature modeling paradigm has been extended to include more applications within the product development process. These features (called Adaptive Process Features) allow behavioral and process intelligence to be built directly into the design which can then influence downstream product development activities.

For example, in the Behavioral Modeler, users can define non-geometric features such as reflectivity, volume and center of mass. These specification features can be used to drive the optimal design of a product model. Or, users can define features such as joints and welds. Assembly features form kinematic relationships that can then be animated for in-process conceptual studies using the new Design Animation module.

New VLA Functionality With significant enhancements for Very Large Assembly (VLA) -- the electronic modeling functionality that allows users to streamline model data for assemblies that contain tens of thousands of components -- Pro/ENGINEER 2000i can now be used to design and manage even the most complex product assemblies. PTC's new Shrinkwrap tools allow users to create lightweight solid model representations that retain accurate surface and mass properties information. This new functionality alleviates hardware system performance issues and allows manufacturers to share designs with component suppliers, for example, without compromising proprietary design information. (See today's related announcement.) Additionally, Pro/ENGINEER 2000i allows maintenance studies for whole products by tracking part removal paths with interference prevention.

Design Animation Design Animation provides Pro/ENGINEER 2000i with a toolset for rapidly producing animations or product assembly sequences using associative design data. Design Animation recognizes the kinematic relationships defined in Mechanism Design, allowing re-use of design intent during product development. This new module also provides powerful tools for communication of ideas and concepts throughout the enterprise.

Expert Machinist With the introduction of Expert Machinist, part of the Pro/NC product line, adaptive process features are also available in the manufacturing environment. With Expert Machinist, manufacturing engineers are able to easily classify design geometry in terms of common manufacturing-specific features. The software generates NC toolpaths that can be custom tailored to the user's environment, resulting in rapid generation of part programs that are efficient and consistent.

Internet-Enabled MDA PTC also has enhanced its Internet-specific applications within the Pro/ENGINEER environment. Pro/ENGINEER 2000i includes drag and drop access to DesignSuite, an online 3D CAD model library of more than 300,000 widely used standard components. Customers can use J-Link, a new Java-based, object-oriented programming toolkit to customize Pro/ENGINEER and create platform-independent applications. Other tools provide capabilities to publish designs to the Web, attach hyperlinks to components in an assembly and view and access 3D assemblies from any Web browser.

Ease of Use "Designed for Microsoft Windows" certified, Pro/ENGINEER 2000i provides customers with user interface enhancements that will increase productivity for new and existing users. Pro/ENGINEER 2000i is coded directly to the Windows NT APIs and conforms to the Windows user interface style guide. PTC also has enhanced usability with new context-sensitive help, on-line tool tips and easy customization of the user environment.

Other Enhancements Pro/ENGINEER 2000i also leverages PTC's associative topology bus (ATB) technology, which supports concurrent engineering across different MDA applications. Pro/ENGINEER 2000i is associative with CADDS 5 and Pro/DESKTOP, allowing real-time sharing of accurate product data. With ATB, users can maintain legacy data while creating an optimal product development environment based on their individual needs. Moreover, Pro/ENGINEER 2000i introduces the Import Data Doctor, an automatic surface clean-up tool that enhances data import capabilities so users can more easily incorporate data from other systems in their designs.

In addition, the new software offers significant productivity and usability enhancements to Pro/SHEETMETAL piping and welding applications.

Availability, Pricing, and System Requirements Pro/ENGINEER 2000i is available for order immediately. An English language version will ship in late April. International language versions will ship later this year. J-Link is available within Pro/ENGINEER-Foundation, priced at US $5,995.

Shrinkwrap functionality is embedded in the Advanced Assembly Extension, which is priced separately. The Behavioral Modeler, Expert Machinist, Mechanism Design, Design Animation and Import Data Doctor modules are sold separately, with prices starting at U.S. $3,495.

Pro/ENGINEER 2000i is available for Windows 95, 98 and NT. A native UNIX implementation is also available. (PTC can be reached at 781-398-5000, or via the Web at http://www.ptc.com.)

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The product, which comes in a PC Card form factor for notebooks and access points and ISA cards for desktops, is targeted at companies interested in establishing wireless connections throughout their enterprises.

The WaveLAN/IEEE Turbo automatically adjusts its speeds as notebooks and other devices are moved into and out of areas capable of supporting higher-connection rates. For example, in a warehouse, where there are few access points and transaction processing applications require only a low data rate, a notebook computer may get a 1.5-Mbps network connection and be able to operate as far as 1,800 feet from an access point. But when the same notebook is moved into an office structure with a higher concentration of wireless access points, the data rate automatically ramps up to as fast as 10 Mbps so long as it remains 400 feet or less from the access point. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Until the AT&T-BT venture receives regulatory approval, AT&T will be reselling Concert Virtual Network Service and Concert Frame Relay Service, joint services of AT&T and BT, U.S. domestic asynchronous transfer mode and frame relay service, dedicated digital private-line services, and inbound and outbound voice services.

In the next few months, Unisys will become one of the first customers to access AT&T's voice and data services over a single network access point. "Pricing will determine how quickly we move to integrated services" on the backbone, says Bard Haerland, VP of worldwide telecommunications for Unisys. "With switched voice becoming so cheap, it almost undermines the costs of moving to an integrated network." (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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AIMx (Asset Investment Management and Execution), according to J.D. Edwards officials, is an integrated software product that lets organizations manage business resources such as people, facilities, customers, and stakeholders. AIMx comprises J.D. Edwards OneWorld applications that are tailored to services companies, as well as industry-specific third-party applications. About 30% of all J.D. Edwards customers are in the services industry.

The AIMx model includes other enhancements for the services industry, such as customer-service management to let managers monitor response times, escalation procedures, and fulfillment rates; a profitability module for managerial accounting, activity-based management, and activity-based costing; and an expanded decision-support system for better analysis of operations, customer, supplier, and employee information. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Vendors showing new Xeon products included top-tier vendors such as Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM. There were also plenty of lesser-knowns, such as Sequent Computer Systems, which builds only very large enterprise servers, and VA Research, which builds only servers running the Linux operating system. Many of the 500-MHz machines will be available immediately. Workstations running at 550 MHz with up to two processors will ship in April. Most servers with at least four 550-MHz processors will not be available until the third quarter.

Intel and the server vendors also talked about the pending standardized architecture for economically building eight-processor Intel servers. Most say they expect to ship eight-way systems, which were originally slated for late last year, by around July. A key obstacle has been the unexpected testing time it has taken to ensure that the numerous software applications being optimized for the new systems run smoothly. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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Integrating the business processes and synchronizing data between the two systems lets IT staff respond or act proactively when departments are acquiring new systems that will need installation, when technologies are being deployed in business units, and when training needs to be arranged for new users or new applications. Should problems arise along the ERP system, trouble tickets are instantly generated at the service desk. "Usually what happens to the IT group is that somebody calls up and says 'I've got a new computer, come help me,'" says Peggy Menconi, an analyst at AMR Research. "If you get all those calls on Monday morning, it can be overwhelming. This hands the IT organization information about how the rest of the corporation is either acquiring or deploying new assets." Pricing begins at $25,000 per suite. (This is a carefully selected hot news item based on http://www.informationweek.com).

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The new measurement company, which will be headed by current measurement organization general manager Edward Barnholt, will include the testing products that accounted for approximately $7.6 billion of HP's $47.1 billion in revenue last year. HP's PC and Unix hardware, printers, and enterprise software will come under the aegis of an independent computing and imaging company.

Lew Platt, HP's