ISSN 1 0 3 9 -5 0 0 8 AUGUST InformationAge CONFRONTING CONFRONTING four technology green

1996 times that easy

$4.95

The

we Australia's the

means

did paperless amount

What 10

years we

love It's

of a

TOMORROW TOMORROW consume

being office? joke

paper

ago. of

office ...

not

TODAY TODAY

the Australian

Official &

Computer Publication

Society

of

the -

:

. A Publication

Strategic It never works as well without l the middle. \ 1

e v Introducing IBM Software Servers. The missing part of the client/server picture.

(K>

You’ve got clients. You’ve got servers. But to build the most efficient client/server system, you’ll need the stuff that works in the middle - linking them all together. That’s where the new IBM Software Servers come in. There are seven in all, each designed to make a specific client/server solution live up to its promise. They work alone, they work together, they just plain work - because they’re based upon IBM technologies proven to be ruthlessly reliable in businesses the world over. And they’re built to run on your choice of platforms: OS/2,® Windows NT™ and AIX.® Now, as you demand more of your network, make sure you have software that’s up to the task. With IBM Software Servers, you’ll never again have that empty feeling in the middle. If you’d like more information visit our Australian homepage at http://www.ibm.com.au or phone 182 426 and ask for SOFTWARE/INFO.

Lotus® Notes® Database Server Internet Connection Server Transaction Server Systems Management Server Communications Server Directory & Security Server

i

Solutions for a small planet” INTEROP 96

NETWORLD+INTEROP 96 SYDNEY

ei rr

REAP the benefits of the Global 21st Century Technology event. Where you: Gives you the edge with ■ ACQUIRE leading edge networking know how at high quality networking know how tutorials and conference ■ CONNECT WITH year-round community building - round the world ■ ENJOY the most interactive trade show floor - hands-on access to the latest products, services, solutions, applications powered by the InteropNet ■ EXPERIENCE the best networking market place - where professionals and decision makers, in need of solutions, meet the key players and vendors in the industry

iring the

Tutorials 25-26 November 1996

Conference 27-28 November 1996

Exhibition 27-29 November 1996

ion Centre, Darling

FEATURING INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTES INCLUDING: JOHN W. GERDELMAN President networkMCI Services MCI Communications Corporation, USA

TOM BENNETT International Asia Pacific Marketing Manager Netscape Communications Corporation, USA

To obtain your FREE VIP Exhibition Pass or information on NetWorld+Interop 96 Sydney call us on +61 2 9369 1242, visit our web site on http://www.interop.synergy.com.au

e-mail us at [email protected] or fax your details to +61 2 9387 5482.

NAME ......

POSITION ......

COMPANY ......

Co-prodjiuced with SOFTBANK Expos MAIL by Synergy Conventions 7/96 Contents

22 The paperless joke Twenty years ago the notion of the “paperless office” seemed like science fiction, but its arrival was said to be imminent. We’re still waiting, and using more paper than ever.

28 Videoconferencing's impaired vision No-one really doubts there is a market for videoconferencing, but it’s taking longer to catch fire than anticipated. Frequent flyer programs are still going strong.

€ 34 Microstuffed? Could Microsoft be the Macaulay Culkin of the software industry: once a bankable star, now something of a has been? You be the judge.

40 Absolutely interactive Musician Charlie Chan admits to being part computer dweeb, part artiste - and understands the value of the Internet as a marketing tool.

44 Brain tank The world's digerati recently converged in the Swiss Alps to clear their heads and shoot the breeze on the key issues facing society in the information age.

departments

Fluxus Kennedy 21 PIN numbers are out, iris scanning is Computer games and other indoor sports. 1996 in; De Niro joins the multimedia mob; Web tips for clothing stain removal; Society pages 45 Computer chips to foil athletic cheats. Governments should think twice about AUGUST

Net regulation. 14 Informer AGE The month’s IT news in review. events@venue .world 49 Conferences and exhibitions. Reportage 19 The technical specifications for the Boardtalk 50 network computer are taking shape. Cashing in on electronic commerce. INFORMATION

IS INFORMATION AGE AUGUST 1996 editorial

It’4 net eaiy being Paper, paper, everywhere green he paperless office? What a joke..." So begins this month’s cover story by Victoria Campbell, who insists the article was inspired by the disaster area that doubles as my COVER: photography by Michael Frey, workstation. Guilty as charged. There is barely a spare design by Hilbert Ho square inch on my desk. What I can see is a sea of notepads, printouts, business cards, diaries (plural Editor Adam Lincoln intended), magazines, newspapers, faxes and press kits. Features Editor Victoria Campbell Even the in-trays that should bring order are drowning. Art & Production Editor Murray Finlayson A couple of months ago I went to one of those courses Chief Sub Editor Nicole Parish where you learn how to turn yourself into a lean, mean, Sub Editor Rachel Sullivan working machine. The trainer explained the average office Graphic Designer Hilbert Ho worker wastes eons of time trying to find things in their Layout Artist Sussanne Caccamo office, and one of the keys to success is a clear desk. Editorial Coordinator Cass Warneminde I came away inspired, but it didn’t last for long. A few Advertising Melanie Gray, Justin Randles, weeks later the trainer visited the office to check on progress Peter Curcuruto and she was visibly shaken by the sight of my desk. I tried to USA Sales Global Media Representatives, Inc explain that there was some sort of creative maelstrom in progress but I Circulation Services Mark Mason don’t think she bought it for a second. Publisher Alistair Gordon The truth is, I love being surrounded by paper. In an age of multimedia, I would Published by Strategic Publishing Group, Level 6,131 York rather look at a photo printed on paper. In an age of electronic funds transfer, I would Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Postal address: P0 Box Q400, rather hold a cheque in my hand. And one of the reasons the paperless office is taking a Queen Victoria Building, Sydney NSW 2000. Ph: (02) 286 5900 long time to arrive is because there are millions like me. Fax: (02) 267 2094. InformationAge is the official monthly publication of the Australian Computer Society (ACS), and is According to The Environmental Impacts of Paper-Consuming Office Technologies in published monthly February-November by Strategic Australia, a report published recently by the Australian Conservation Foundation, I970s Publishing Group, on licence from the ACS. The Australian predictions of the impending paperless office' overlooked some fundamental issues. Computer Society, P0 Box 319 Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Paper copies facilitate easier document skimming and rapid reference between non- Ph: (02) 211 5855 Fax: (02) 281 1208. President Tom Worthington adjacent text. Paper copies are handy for passing between people, requiring no Vice-presidents John inlanders, Prins Ralston Past President hardware or special skills. It is oh so easy to generate hard copies using computer L Garry Trinder National Treasurer Glen Heinrich Publications technologies. There is a perception that digital communications are insecure. Above all, Board Director John Hughes Contributing Editor for ACS there is the psychology and tradition of paper copy. Caroline New CEO Arthur Dyster. Editorial Advisory Board: Craig Baty, Charles Brass, Phil McCrea, JoAnn Pretty, But while the 'paperless office’ still looks distant, the 'less paper office’ is being created Dale Spender, Brendan Welsh. Subscriptions: $36.00 now. Paper consumption is declining in some offices due to advances in imaging, workflow (10 issues), Copies are distributed free to members of the and intranet technology. The conservation foundation echoes earlier predictions of a large ACS. All material in InformationAge is protected under the shift to digital record keeping in the next few years. Governments can play a role and use Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. sticks if necessary — in the US, for instance, all 15,000 public companies have been Global Media Representatives, Inc is located at 611 Veterans Boulevard, Suite 205, Redwood City, California, USA 94063 ordered to file their annual reports electronically from this year on. Ph: (415) 306 0880 Fax: (415) 306 0890. Overall we are using more paper than ever. As with air pollution, what’s missing is a Film output and colour proofs by ACP Colour Graphics, widespread sense of urgency. Like many others, 1 salve my conscience by recycling and Printed by Offset Alpine Printing, share a recycling box with a few colleagues. It’s overflowing, of course. ACN 054 973 652 ISSN 1039-5008

Average distribution 'CAB' AUDIT, (period ended 31/3/96) 16,437 STRATEGIC PUBLISHING Adam Lincoln GROUP lnternet:[email protected] Post:PO Box Q400 QVB Sydney 2000 ^ Sgruig^1

CONTENTS 1 0H- >KEnNG.DISTR.«.^

W'"*»NR 'RESOURCE®’

We’ve discovered a new way of viewing your company’s contents.

In 1994, Sequent Computer Systems was one of the most successful companies in the world. But we had a problem. With data stored on around 1500 PCs worldwide, we had no idea of exactly what we knew, no method for capturing it, and no knowledge of what kinds of information within the company were valuable. So we developed Knowledge Depot. Knowledge Depot allows us to store corporate information in a secure, centralised repository that enables the publishing, managing and distribution of knowledge. Now, in 1§96, everyone in our organisation accesses data easily and efficiently. So efficiently, in fact, that we decided to offer Knowledge Depot to you. That way, you’ll be able to view all of your company’s contents, too. For more information, call 1800 655 070. BSEQUEnT - m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 to will accept within the Like beware-the card, a machine be have have US you'll off coded The F

spokesman

the

able

All your orget identification company future

have fingerprints,

to to

or

just individual.

‘ five

would-be

into to fear living, worry

eyes not to sunglasses.

theirs and memorising

walk will

have seconds.

begin

a robbery. having

“

in

machine computer.

take The Sensar. for about functioning redundant.

be r. US,

customer's technology Japan allows videotaped up

to be

plastic

automatic still eye the the Bank

plastic machine, in number, irises

cash money to remember

for scanned

it,

two ”

losing

traditional a developer, outlaws

You'll Trials

and “ and your

a will new

customers cash You

machine are card

bank banks, free,”

have out

you one only

soon

irises'. irises

that

and your personal making unique won teller simply are

by

to of

won't

says the in

take

one set

it ’

t

of to the

it

the final the site Canberra Canberra For tourism, Britain invaluable better Commissioner and Carrick, Canberra, BISA on business, World offers in Australians Commission as best services British aren site launched kangaroo Internet Country Best I

t but

Australia),

explaining

sport,

Early may The

High modern Called a For

is

literature. is ’ design of t,

taste

the

site another

understanding hot an

Wide the is

High those Britain

be British

are believes site.

work

arts

Commission. provided

of and

government, access

links

based Grammar

Australia's

will

education, hopped links Sir BISA, reference British fashionable of

Australia/Britain and

(and

still

Web

to

Britain, what about the

BISA Roger British

on promote

Canberra

based between High in to

company

implementation

strong:

the the

point

British

to Britons the High sites by it

School

to

point the

site has the hit of most

make to The

in Commission

Australia

http://www.bisa.netinfo.net company, in Old

Information

to was

information the

Lighthouse,

for

1995 comprehensive Internet and offer,

the

s Re ■rAal Dart.

relationship. antipodes performed information

£dit Netsie.

some

Canberra trek, Document has ”

View

and

[ he http Netlnfo.

service

go

Mvww.

in been Unksto Information Services as Done

says.

about 660,000 Horn*

the

Bookmarks in

Canberra

tea. to

well

by

conjunction

netinfo.

erstwhile University. on undertaken “ range A pooh about sites, wide here more people, For questions. those

diplomatic

This

provider students

Options catalogue the

net/

as

travellers,

what are

range who Australians covering

about Britain. of Australia,

ex-pats

topics, the

those

O«ectoiy UK.

want of pooh

the service of answers has

a common business

web

UK, in modern wide to and

§5 Mother and

know Window As

for

to

at

The

who

with

Britain, by a

Op*ti

. o»

well

the Help

is the

an Pmt P

Find iS * researchers. to information background releases Briefing more. people, have which Australia. any General British the services offices Canberra, Commission Contact

journalists

British questions

regarding

may

Government around

notes, and

information and ofFered details

High and ofinterest answer

much

in and

you

news travel, other

and by

~3|

a?

"3 zi Netscape - [THE VILLAGE] File £dit View Go fiookmatks Options gireciofy Window Help

<> & * & a sfi • Back Edit Reload ' ' Open Print Find ij Location: ]http:/Twww.village, com. au? ~3

TVw |WHAV0 x9.< 1-11 Wee k t y News Update

Week ending 5th of Julv, ow and Telstra believe the Internet is the 1996 ing tool of the 21st century and have joined e it. With the aid of Show-Ads Interactive, ft a f Mission Impossible 3 giants have created a state of the art Mi Wl» site, called The Village, which showcases Johnny Ice- Digital Detective Village Roadshow's range of entertainment products and services. Check out Telstra’s hosting of the Village Roadshow site marks BlinkyBill the beginning of the telco's move into the Web hosting

New Releases business. The Village is housed on Telstra's Web server, BBC Comedy Mont h which has a high speed link into the Internet. Visitors to the site can view regularly updated information about Village Roadshow's 1700 videos and HAR TIN/M0L10Y MMM Sydney games products, what films are showing-and where-in Village Roadshow cinemas Document: Dor^fl around Australia, and the latest buzz from the film A global Village industry. Most democratically, The Village is available in high bandwidth, where users need Netscape 2.0 and a Shockwave plug-in; as well as low bandwidth, where users need no additional software or hardware. AmencaOne The Village can be found at http://www.village.com.au. CHALLENGE FOIL AMERICA’S CUP XXX

Sick and wired?

nternet stock mania seems unaffected by lack of revenues in many companies, but what about those actually (UUl tv«u>vcl?.f*vd>v£. I making a loss? V——...... Y Wired Ventures, the San Francisco publisher of Wired magazine and creator of the Hot Wired Internet site, has 1996

A Netscape navigator never actually made a profit, and lost US$3.4 million on turnover of US$7.6 million in the first quarter of this year. In he St Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco has light of these results, unidentified underwriters reckon the AUGUST

I Tannounced that Jim Clark, chairman of Netscape company is worth only US$450 million! Communications, will chair its AmericaOne syndicate to But the Wired juggernaut won’t be denied. In order to raise AGE build a yacht to compete in the America’s Cup in cash to invest in its HotBod search engine, the publishing New Zealand in 2000. Clark wants to use the Internet to house is putting out 6.3 million shares -17 per cent of the raise money to finance the challenge although Netscape is equity - and is hoping for a target price of $12 a share. not directly involved. Set sail to http://www.ac2000.org. INFORMATION

IS m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 fanfare. http://showbiz.starwave environment dedicated voices adventure house Reeve. of actor S De "Clean Aerosmith to the The such Aptly stain apparel advises most of to crux service, methods first The database entirely the Detective established www.clothesline.com it Gamble's online now tuck Tribeca I The The

travel, t claims help blemished laundry. ’

s Niro, Robert service Chicago

stained

site

in Stain Web including

of the

Painter revolutionised as removal. effective in game game, De named the

community.

the users fabric

the

to of

wearers devoted which

game"

is

real Internet

is Interactive, for

Niro

called

site

is

Tide the

the state that pegged De

threads the goes A

and

up ’ is

godfather 60s? the what called

based Mark estate The

get

due fans actor,

type Niro,

James takes that

division

the

of disrepair

through

your

clean. is GT

Tide

for Ryden

9, at

might and

Procter set and CD-ROM to the might

of

at: a was players Interactive

http://

release

Belushi,

------publish the new

ClothesLine, to

stain world commerce; has

. .

helped categories also act

clean com.starbios/robertdeniro. inspired be world

media

&

and

on source

right this

will

of of

dive a

Cher

up

a ’ Software “ decay. to s 2b

psychedelic

feature journey company

month;

by up multimedia into create

and

the your

a

Christopher

Web music a watch through a the shelling has people alley. Surfs A

host founded surreal

world Manhattan In

US$150 CD-ROM teamed site

ClothesLine and true of out

are

a out celebrity

to

for

lyrics

resort New by among

up as a with offer

the month

apartment

much York

in

high

the

fee

fashion, Manhattan

as

jrjzSA tenants; File speed, Writer T.¥-PgISonali;ty Publisher Producer Musician Model Director Athlete Actress Actor Browse AilMILMItLRIS^ Browse Search Star Back Netscape

to Submit £dit US$500

Netsite:

Bios block

Document:

by Mr. by gain View

profession last

I Query Showbiz

-

http:

■ [Stai

an direct

name £o

already //'showbiz,

Done has access

Home Bios: a eclectic a £ookmatks |

week

Robeit

star

become Internet wave. ______the Abbott; Relations: Quote: Education: Birthdate: and Sign: York Birthplace: Profile: Facts Edit Robert

more

flptions De

to

way com/statbiosAobertdeniro/'index. Art for

|

crowd Niio] Sun Bio

the

There kids: dropout

Reload I Actor,

graphy

work. directory a in

than Ex-wife; August the

High

access New Leo, De

Raphael, one service, is

Director

| 3.

— a Credits

School

Moon

of York, first Niro Robert certain Window

17,

Diahnne 70 bedroom

twin students, 1943

in New

of

per in

combination residential De Pisces Help boys Music

html

well-heeled

all Niro cent Print a

of

apartment.

its of models of

anarchy

them

units. building

residents

and

and are

discipline In

addition connected. business in

the in

are 3 ca-? maixii

S3

to __

j

y ^ «

Right noun thousands of people are headed straight for your Web site Tomorrow there could be millions more. What message do you want to send them?

Server unavailable. Try again later. Connecting to Server.

f.M 9 9 r sf /A

y M < V if f'

The RS/6000 Web Server In business today, you can’t always get your Web site up and running fast, including IBM’s Internet predict how unexpected events will impact your Web site. But with the Connection or Netscape* Navigator.” RS/6000''' Web server, you can be prepared for whatever comes your way. If you’re serious about doing business on the Web, start with a For example, RS/6000 UNIX'® servers can outscale anything out serious server: the RS/6000 Web server. For our free guide, “Building there, giving you the flexibility to respond to any business opportunity - Your Web Site,” call 132 426 and ask for ilSINTERNET/INFO.’ or for whether it’s around the bend or down the road. more information visit our home page at www.ibm.com.au Just as important, you won’t find a more security-minded server. i From authentication to access control, the RS/6000 provides security features designed to prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands. And we offer RS/6000 Web servers with the options you’ll need to Solutions for a small planet™

IBM is a registered trademark and RS/6000 and Solutions for a small planet are trademarks of IBM Corp. UNIX is a registered trademark in the u'.S. and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Limited. All other company and/or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. The IBM home page can be found at www.ibm.com.au ©1996 IBM Australia Ltd. ACN 000 023 733 Ogilvy IBMMID0042 !

HINFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 for to timing 35,847 Thanks your for transferred competitors, start consolidates checkpoints The the found At reach Marathon races, receipt received. transmitter record line could system, athlete skiing. sporting line messages same TIRIS and marathons, on run Federation, 19-26 A Perfect

embellish

the

timing a But a used n Receivers The

Endorsed time

in records pick

admission system

short high innovation line mates, July.

managed technology the

be

but that Australia half

the and systems ’ fun

time Ground

s

Champion at to

at more

events, up

at registered shoe.

start A frequency

the the know also

transmitted from cut, the way which with

runners, by developed

the attached receiver the the

mountain can the at but

along the the

timing slower by

located start

than

the disk Chip, the for Atlanta

line.

to

same controls During antennae

transmission signal mark

a assume a

that Real

at if

be the truth in times

from

the four

microchip

split

you

is finish. the

end

the

Champion and to Chip computing

used 1000

stand each

International used at organisers runners

36,261

identification

to Time time. message 35,995 a

at

about

metre athletics

number bike fail Gold course. of number by times for the finish a Olympics

report

runners each

the

all in has test

not

the

minute.

receive Texas for

warned. each to

finish

runners buildings.

Champion In competitors races were start only

application Coast

your wide can race. and complete it security of and

computer a

Chip

These and was timing and was

race runner. and of

Instruments.

soldiering take

was and athletic

Amateur

this

Marathon

You started system triathlons, will

with

times given

cross technology locks minutes /' Chip

year

a Conventional

know. may that

cross

in race, / many

prowess

the

called a ’

are

Athletics country

on, s is

in its /M w **\L^"*S be Week,

range 0 •

Boston

the based 1 The

or race. cars

just

to

first while able ®

r

opt

$?g

a

'0J

to

to of

*.

f

*

„ the mm will video The crystal less movie being Following they headphones, even away electronics executives nothing er, Positioning installed managing The S |%oon, ^people

have ingaporean enthusiasm. The By According The personal

play

than head

can

my

on display compact in

changing shutter,

satellite

thanks PLM-50

system,

embraced a more back own

business mi be

in

half

set

cinema the mad

director of

are

a company, hidden

System

movie

vehicle

measures you detectives, images a novies to sinister screen personal

having to disk with businessmen viewers kilogram

Glasstron, jointly the

’

Jagan Sony

ll or

trips,

a

anywhere player, be

player the

degree

satellite digital of

and

from mounted

a

their than uses

able

as

developed watching security

stereo, Corp, can hissing 20.6cm

the to ”

(312g) traced

he

and

which ensure a

to collecting cars tracking introduced a spousal of either

tracking

video admits. network.

with miniature -

you'll bump transparency

will and

Sony in

by

and from agency, through monitored

a

the will

cuckold

by gain their 11.9cm cassette screen include

no-one not costs

technology

into

devices has your a

head come the

SM

university

the in wives receiver

only

reports

them

the

now

Japan

kids by leash

US$814. Walkman Jagan,

hanging

complexes set. stereo

impression when

with is recorder

of

25.9cm, be US are

are come safe.

from as the

able

which with late suspicious an Global

so

and they well. the up earphones.

liquid

in

“ individual school.

small,

up

to weighs in I

to

or venom

track mid

go

is of June, drive with a

air.

-

Single Point Control

Norton Administrator Suite™ Essential Edition Version 1.0

Norton Administrator Suite - Essential Edition does more than any other product to make a LAN administrator’s joh easier and more productive.

Norton Administrator Suite provides the most functionality, and the most integration of any network administration solution - so you can perform more administrative tasks, more efficiently, without ever leaving your desk. And Norton Administrator Suite’s components are the proven leaders in their categories, with the most advanced technology and the most extensive support.

In today’s increasingly complex computing environment, Norton Administrator Suite makes things simple. Norton Administrator Suite

Norton Administrator Suite is supported by Symantec’s is the most integrated and Enterprise Alliance Members. NSW: Clear Technology; Connections, Essentially platform independent solution Solutions, Ferntree, Senteq, Starcom Business Systems, Unisys Network Enable.

VIC: BCA, Ferntree, Hewlett Packard, Ipex, Senteq, for network administration. Unisys Network Enable.

ACT: Ipex, SCI. All these network administration WA: AMS, Ferntree. ck SA: AMS, Ferntree. r j functions in one box: Enterprise Alliance NZ: Axon, Computertime, Computerland Wellington, Essentially Solutions.

• Hardware and software inventory Call for information (02I 879 G577 ext 116 and ask for Carolyn Hay or visit www.symantec.com. • Software distribution All brand names or trademarks are the property of their owners. ©1996 Symantec Corporation • Software metering

• Desktop configuration management

• Remote control

• Virus protection

• Scripting tools

• Printing and reporting tools i SYMANTEC. SYM 1238 H INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 take with of desktop shows a 87 the of desktops, still Explorer. Microsoft easy companies The ©redwood Navigator, primary one have California browser, remain Communication's Browser

fluid

desktops. per users,

That

primary

running employees analysts the

Internet to access

cent

that market.

loyal

substitute

wins,

browser could easy

but according

Explorer

when users compared

based

of which city, often desktop do

Navigator

to it to

Explorer found users, option ”

is be not

A two

Zona one should Windows

ca-

for on turn Zona what

lot

good sits

browsers, mandate is Web

browsers to 17 particular most only but

of

currently and with browser Netscape said.

on

fickle 3.0, per a

lands Research. users are 1.0

use. news

few browser survey

59

4 default

users 95 cent if which per

per

which users

"It's will ships on so

for and for

cent the

of cent

the it's by

is to

if

Link @london vulnerable with only from the companies plans based recovery avoided, Most Disasters deal world. @beijing between 17 people, important balance Intellectual

June

Almost most

it 14 on

threatened

companies at for

on

As

per

intellectual China

in

figures

the board with plans, their

populated

manual

- - than

expected

Beijing. to

cent

all sponsored Food

waiting More two

interruption

both

the and PC

resolution?

level. intellectual compared

are place

sanctions.

countries claim

in I procedures, than

companies

networks. 'T'

the A sides still

property me, country by mouths WW

trade

but a

to

USA many to 80 r by

:-: monetary more

backing -

happen take

per with IBM

with was war property

and reached in rights Indeed

Chinese

cent

surveyed

business and

the UK. 56

only

trade

per down value

of

only However, on

57 customer

in

a leading

cent

embed

per

(86 on 5 recovery

per

treat of cent the per

for who from other JavaSoft owner word computer attempt warning companies @silicon dealer legal it abandon domain companies sparked Microsoft's its bit four Bossiness cent British

service information sent cent)

in

legal the Sun like

seriously,

in

were of 1993,

people squad like offenders.

Javanco

a Javan 10 named

businesses companies insure

Microsoft

stepped

to names letter staff was

a

valley of

publicly the

according

Java.

indignant hardware minor reporting trademark

these battle backfires

continues the

drawing

held tag. their sending

but Keith. to in

and -

function Javanco,

letter,

the over

furor

only recovery Sun

in these

The have technology, now over apologised

to their

elsewhere

problems

and Sun's early at using

63

the parallels

a

a is

on letters letters Sun's have contingency to

but

me. on survey Windows,

common days

per sounding me computers. most software the

hound

line plans

'80s

the Sun a Java business cent

Web with in

but when of

for

to to are

1995.

deal 300 in

its

fji a

> The naked truth of pay TV One voice for messengers

@luxembourg - Interactive television voyeurs (sorry, vendors) appear to have @brussels - Five of the world's none of the squeamishness currently stimulating the online fraternity: Addressing electronic messaging associations a conference in Brussels, Michel Delloye, head of Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de have formed a coalition called the Telediffusion, and Jan Mojto, managing director of Germany's Kirch Gruppe, World Electronic Messaging agreed that pornography would be a key element in getting viewers to pay for Association (WEMA), with the television. Said Motje: "Pornography is a very important element in the pay express aim of promoting the television business ... look at the use of pay television in hotels, the main part is benefits of electronic messaging pornography." For his part, Delloye stressed he wanted to "make the difference around the world. between pornography and eroticism". The five organisations teaming up on WEMA are: Asia Oceania Electronic Messaging Association; Scitec's future is now the Electronic Commerce Association of Australia; The ^Sydney - Scitec may be bracing Electronic Messaging Association (ior an operating loss in the second of the US; EEM A, and the Japan half of the financial year, but the Electronic Messaging Association. Australian company will not go down the gurgler like former indigenous high fliers Exicom and Stanilite. At least that's the view of Electronic commerce SET-back Scitec marketing manager Colin Kempter, who is busy searching for @san francisco - More than 3000 comments to Mastercard/Visa's joint Secure new, more profitable distribution Electronic Transactions (SET) proposals have knocked the standardisation strategies for the voice and data process offtrack. Originally the two organisations had hoped to have conformance frame relay product supplier. testing of software implementations ready by April or May. Flat markets in Asia and the US, By late June, neither company had announced how various SET coupled with technical problems implementations would be checked for conformance to the spec. But a Mastercard earlier this year with a couple of spokesman said there would be a number of announcements "over the coming products, have contributed to weeks and months". They will cover the creation of the SET infrastructure, Scitec's current woes. including conformance testing and the establishment of Certification Authorities Kempter's mission is (CAs), who wi|l issue end users with their digital signatures. underscored by a hint of SET requires a 'digital wallet' for the end user, handling both encryption and sentimentality. The IT industry digital identity certificates. It will be up to individual financial institutions to decide veteran re-joined Scitec in April, what level of credentials they want to be plugged into the wallet. But the banks after starting his Australian career aren't in a hurry to replace SSL, the conventional encrypted links offered by at the company 12 years ago. In the Netscape and Microsoft browsers. intervening period he worked for This leaves Mastercard and Visa in a quandary. Neither is happy with Bay Networks and Madge. "I'm on customers using SSL to transfer card details, but they recognise that SSL is, in the a mission here," he said. "Come words of the Mastercard spokesperson, "better than nothing".

hell or high water we're going to Even when the various CAs and digital wallets are available, the result could 1996

be successful." still be confusing for consumers: some observers predict a future where banks offer competing wallets with competing benefits. AUGUST

AGE U

- T-shirt slogan spotted at the recent Apple developers conference in San Jose

like an object INFORMATION

S m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 to can't ads, advertising with 5-6 signatures, her, reflection plans bear, US$10-15, names spot erstwhile Forward Internet uses students company advertising PrivNet more not may downloading ©chapel could Fast have incorporated Carolina senior program described underpinnings. undermine College the @melbourne people, in dust Australia

block

June,

kbyte

Howard According The want

Federal or

the

also Internet the

Forward

query a written for on

serious to

block

his, year proprietary or

chief

students, server advertisers. and idea

post

digital

its database algorithm there

their database addresses are

should appeal time, the drama

on gang hill, or hackers

surfing

a

is its way ’ at not says being

Bureau s Internet

the a

executive, the

building Fast surfer's whatever of

ads themselves updates

that

purposes. massive moving. the employees

economy

program delicate

are to

- cookies, nc or

'signatures' with an

to

industry studies to kills speed the In use

James themselves.

schools Forward University downloaded. who

can

7500 - updates. set becoming annual habits. of works on corporations the

of the advertisement A

The company advertisements

the

advertising

browser

a

every of

leave

Besides Net graphics prevent

Industry the group financial

have next

IT&T at program dubbed

the so irritation

major algorithms Howard,

Internet

Internet is as with which shopping

jumps fee

that

market that can

turning ads

four program two PrivNet from

used

PrivNet of

companies Australia's of

of

to

a is Web

think and

be blocking North

a

Economics The ads self- years

Internet small days,

Internet that that playing pry

server of their for

by Fast will off used

file

over

on site to and

into

Inc, and

do

a

the IT&T

$33.7 in largest

Australia sheep (BIE),

will will telecommunications discounts government services. two international contract South @adelaide-AAP local, management been Aussie telco-in-waiting Southern unications, the billion

leave industry.

aggregate state. previewed year,

’

s boosted

long

Australian each

employing

telco back the

calls

As

$100 to

comfort

distance

primary According year. which

club

part commercial business

voice

contract million at for

by the

an

the some of the

government. next

Telecomm whole-of- wants industries Austrade

and

the and for development agencies and infrastructure, Authority ©Singapore US$24 Everyone) network initiative US$58 Times. Singapore's signing provision

services

to to

with 160,000

year,

deal,

The data

a

National bring to

users report

million

The million

join the

seminar

money

in has

AAPT of ­ linking

who to

the

of

a of The in is rest the by

develop

-

Singapore,

coming

Science

of Net The

are will to

officials

for of

applications. all fund

the to

result be Singapore Singapore figures and enhancements expect strategies fragment. standardised development Gartner "Java interoperability. encouraged embedding proprietary Unix like Gartner innovations Java systems, Tandem, @boston JavaSoft Graphics, Singaporeans, Hewlett-Packard, Cooling

implement

the

from

used cash

the

&

"In the

JavaScript told

since will Technology

the core will

the incompatible

project. Netscape's will arrangements

the to has says

go South the

may Microsoft

National on

not Since -

like Santa

long

develop its

infrastructure

ONE government extensions

Telecommunication Java With

the also part to

be Gartner

"this paths". Java environment the create any inception" or plug-ins,

from

innovate

"will East term,"

way

used

licensees

may committing of Cruz cautioned

(One

in IBM, project. Hitachi,

sounds

their

and inconsistent

the

Board,

Computer Asia various of the create Internet

not Group

mostly that Operation,

Gartner Novell, that Unix

base Network

Java,

SunSoft and

operating physical more

and Business make

is

Silicon

are

have for than

suspiciously About

dead-end will

its the

leading and

vendors. frets platform, since server

warns

NSAPI a

for

Apple,

clients of

says, the

diminish

three Board plagued Unix. API giant

a all

for that the

API

of

an

It to

Right royalty fuss

Samsung likes Ian's Diery-do @sydney - The Australian Performing Rights Association, which collects copyright fees for music groups, has delivered a demand to about 280 @san francisco - AST Research, Australian Internet service providers seeking $1 a customer for music maker of PCs and servers, says carried over the Net. If, as one estimate suggests, there are about 300,000 Samsung Electronics will pitch in with customers for ISPs in Australia, this would provide a substantial payment US$60 million to help pay off a US$90 to songwriters, composers and performers. million promissory note. At the same The Internet service provider community was not amused by news of time it has announced that Kwang-Ho the demand. Industry consultant Tom Koltai described the concept as Kim, president and CEO of Samsung "a privatised GST on the Internet". Electronics, has been elected chairman of the board of AST. He replaces co­ founder Safi Qureshy, who will More PCs than ever before continue with the company as a board Worldwide PC unit shipments ember and "chairman emeritus". PC doomsayers doomed The US$60 million loan is related to AST's 1993 acquisition of Tandy's PC Fears of a slump in PC sales are manufacturing operations, a deal that dissipating as figures from Dataquest and led to many of AST's current IDC indicate a percentage growth in the problems. Samsung will receive new mid teens in the crucial IJS PC market. shares in return for the loan, taking its Preliminary estimates from IDC for the ownership of shares and options up to first quarter of 1996 show US market the maximum allowable 49.9 per cent. growth of 14 per cent over the first The new chairman was quick to quarter in 1995, to 5.73 million units endorse the policies of chief executive shipped. This is lower than growth rates Ian Diery, the expatriate Australian over the past few years, but IDC said brought in to head the company's shipments were depressed by suppliers turnaround effort last year. "The Source: Dataquest correcting inventory levels rather than a market slowdown. mutual decision to become an even For its part, Dataquest forecasts double digit growth in the PC stronger partner illustrates our market until 2000. The researcher expects the world PC market confidence in Ian Diery's leadership," will grow 19.1 per cent to US$148.7 billion, rising to US$764.3 said KH Kim. billion in 7000. Global PC shipments will reach an estimated 71.7 million units in 1996, rising to 131.7 million units in 7000.

No pain,that's the gain AOL not so nice @miami - Repetitive strain injury (RSI) has driven sufferers to surgery, wrist splints, wrist rests, and even lawsuits to relieve their pain. But a simpler ©Vienna, va - America On-Line, the solution may have arrived. company that espouses the corporate

Florida plastic and hand surgeon Dr Mark Eberbach has designed a pair 1996 motto "Niceness is a competitive of gloves, which he says will treat the real cause of numbness, tingling and weapon", confirms it has been called general discomfort often associated with prolonged use of a keyboard and in for a chat about its business AUGUST

mouse. Each glove consists of two soft foam cushions that run on either practices by the attorneys general of side and parallel to the median nerve at the wrist. Eberbach claims that, several US states. At issue, it seems, AGE when a computer keyboard or mouse user rests their wrists at the computer, is the rounding up to the nearest the so-called SoftFlex pads absorb and divert the external pressure so the minute of per-minute rates. nerve is not compressed. The gloves retail for US$21.95- much cheaper than a law suit. SINFORMATION m INFORMATION AGE AUGUST 1996 traditionally organisations, contained home not said 28 member programs Maurice copied a @sydney man's hundreds issued software. corporate anti-piracy Software have Microsoft, home (BSAA), Home terms former zero programs; retention requirements. association strategy to served purchasing. government context Term ©Canberra Budget believes Association AIIA's comprehensive

Sydney

review July

BSAA Three condone that The

taken

tariff

users. based

home.

Agreement and their by 1995, no

a Labor

companies. Gonsaves plan

while board discussions,

of

man Association is Now, the

at

BSAA the of

purpose, owned -

users unlicensed

chairman Autodesk

of the Federal for group, haven

the removal

best The

urge focused recent

software.

a Wodonga computer cheats

-

illegal

Counsel the wants

BSAA

According

(All

two they on industry

of The the the

all

regime. Partnership the

decided

The of software

known

the member by

computer other

acfion

IT&T the

association

approach industry A)

illegally for day said allege Court body

software

developments. Australian

programs as

several but

the Jim on

claims and association

Howard

will copies Business for A of

well. disks

police

particularly key pirates the board for

development business The

should press

is products; introduction Australia Macnamara

to action of Symantec the

has industry's companies to

urge

watching copied

could exposing

disks

BSAA intensify that "unique-to-government"

from for

use issues bounty an All of to BSAA seized illicitly

had meeting release government established

the software Information

against

outsourcing. AHA Development on

A, be by

and the

will

which - and scrutinised Coalition for

being

government

and

-

bulletin, lobbying

also of programs

in promote

commercial R&D

formulated considered late

push under that transactions acquisition were deals in media of 1994's value California @silicon to industries US$20.7 Broadview in media European mergers Dizzying Industry

government

1995, the 1994 May, settle the and grants

in of

year,

for a have

US

that the the US$14 the total of

to and and Fixed up

the

billion, transactions

on and

valley

based.

550

the and in and were

array 123

based rose

content

content

value Associates. a deals

in

were billion.

acquisitions

per

seven

North

1995, 65

- done up

There

of

consultancy

The of cent

in per worth

48

merger

@beijing The services grow Annual estimated would have per between 1994. Agency China

all according deals North The

American of

in cent per rose

number the from The were

cent

the

number 1994. The

pagers. Sales

46 by

top cent

climb

in

from

to calling America

deals

number demand and the sellers per said up in

18

243

the total -

at 10

1995

to of

million on of Quoting

to

cent

to of US$2,395 the 109

334

two mobile

10

installed to

of for number

million 3.36

million and people

mobile a

telecommunications

government million.

billion the trinity the and challenges their downplayed. announcement unsightly telephone James customers Others Mbps by Ron Greiner, the who chatted Duncan included gum Howard. Optus at capabilities @sydney with Convention out 26 Optus

mobile

of by

Sydney's each the million.

using

Interactive one The realisation

ribbon

phase

online

phones cellular Barassi. were the tree," 2000, loungeroom

cable

of annually

end

Vision And

Packer, on

joins cable.

year to

launch

Armstrong

launch services PBL phones

"The former

pagers

overhead

beamed

- up

a call two

hand of cut services-available to

Howard to

report,

27 modems. at Optus Mr Centre. Darling to phone over

the

from

the managing

use

CEO

Local a services

is of by local million local of

2000

Olympic over

and was

of

of to

star

NSW

was as in year,

Optus's

- its the

Prime installation the

in 20

Optus

celebrate in

1.5 the Vision was pay

China Geoff products cables opined. users

Australian Mrs

domestic the presided and

cable suburban Harbour council

studded

cent

live

next forecast loop

local This will

Chinese million courtesy

Xinhua premier TV,

are

next swimmer Minister estimated director Cox, AFL

via

local Cousins,

in vision local shot five

service, has

were

promised network,

telephony

The

China

video court the

five

were of the

users event over

legend

years. to

rolled News through Sydney. call now up Nick mark calls as

of

for PM

years. John first

the

120 10 from-

by at

with

in a

he Network Computing Reference TProfile 1 proposed by a quintet of visionaries in San Francisco in May, is only the first of many such profiles. The profile was made available for public comment and review in July, and should be finalised this month. The rush to get the thing out seems not to be out of haste, but washing The list of firms endorsing the gold with its RISC chip has had a close along a self-generated wave of standard is expected to grow daily. It alliance with Oracle from the early days. enthusiasm for the new fashion of presently includes telephone Significantly, Sun sent along distributed computing. The companies companies, chip manufacturers, SunSoft president Janpieter Scheerder that put the profile together - Oracle, hardware and software companies to San Francisco. Scheerder made IBM, Apple, Netscape Communications (some as manufacturers, some as no mention at all of the company's and Sun Microsystems - plan to technology partners), distributors and Java terminal, pointing out instead that organise a joint World Wide Web site systems integrators. all SunSparc machines running t will include tests for profile As usual, Ellison stole the show with Solaris already meet the requirements anpliance. Any manufacturer that meets the set of standards will be able to promote their Designing the oracle devices as "NC Profile- The network computer is starting to take shape. compliant" and use the NC logo. Oracle chief Larry Ellison predicts his Microsoft-bashing rhetoric, but IBM, of the new profile. that even his bete noire, Microsoft, will Sun, Apple and Netscape were more On behalf of Apple, chief executive be among those companies eventually low key, emphasising that this is just a Gil Amelio said, “Pippin supports the using the NC logo. set of existing standards, and everybody spirit of what we’re talking about”. The basics of the specification are is welcome to join in. Apple intends to license that machine to that a network computer must have a Ellison, whose company's design is third parties, and make further “simpler minimum screen to be aimed at subsets of Mac OS”. And Netscape co­ resolution of 640 by consumers as well as founder Marc Andreesen optimistically 480-VGA or businesses, opined that the profile would generate equivalent, a pointing predicted devices will hundreds of millions, if not billions, of device, text input eventually be given Navigator users in the future. apabilities and away by That all these companies have lined audio output. The telecommunications up behind Ellison (although few have agreed Internet companies for free. publicly committed themselves to protocols include Ellison teased the concrete figures), hopefully attests to TCP/IP, File Transfer Protocol, Telnet, audience as to the identity of one the future reliability and bandwidth of Network File System where a distributed telecommunications company said the networks themselves. Ellison’s file system is in operation, and Simple to want as many as two million network reasoning is that just as we’ve migrated Network Management Protocol. Other computers. The front runner is from having our own cows for milk and 1996

protocols relate to specific versions of France Telecom, which is expected to our own wells for water, why not migrate the Network Computer, For instance, on replace the Minitel system with the from our own bloated desktop PCs to the Web front, they must comply with network computer. network computers with the software on AUGUST

HyperText Mark-up Language, Some 70 companies have already the server? The cost of these things will HyperText Transfer Protocol, Java endorsed the standard, but Britain's be so low, he believes, that “we can give AGE development environment, Java Virtual Acorn Computer Group is likely to be every child a low cost network Machine and Java class libraries. first out of the gate with an Oracle computer". A worthy goal, as so often Several other mail, security and network computer- its NetSurfer box is “where computers are needed most is multimedia protocols were listed in the due out in September. The small where computers are found least”.

draft profile. Cambridge based company that struck - Morgan Holt INFORMATION

0 EMINENT SPEAKER • ONE DAY OUT OF THE OFFICE • MANAGEMENT FOCUS Telestroika what the Internet and the Superhighway mean for business with A1 Dunn

LL THE

Organised by Strategic Even

STRATEGIC EVENTS /miawzines CONFERENCES* EDUCATION • MEETINGS ■

involvement with a bunch of swirling pixels and squeaky sound effects. When I was working as a bus driver for the Brisbane City Council, the meal room at Brisbane’s Light Street bus depot had a Missile Command machine installed. Perhaps it was there to help us improve our traffic reaction times. Drivers would come in stressed to the max from peak hour bus runs, sit down to a solid hour of Missile Command, bolt a meat pie and chips and then head out for the second half of their shift, 've been a closet computer games especially when there's work to be done. their fingers doing spasms on the door Iaddict since the first Space Invader Put into something productive, the time, control buttons. machines milked the pockets of money and angst I've expended on 15 But coin machines like Missile llions of pimply youths to the tune of year's worth of computer games Command have nothing on the amp-bomp, bomp-bomp and other technology would easily afford me a immersion properties of modern day PC stress enhancing sound effects. house. Or a cash heavy enterprise - like games such as Doom, Duke Nukem and I say closet, because in the IT trade it is considered very uncool to employ time for anything other than extracting Games people play vast amounts of money from All sorts of things happen behind closed doors. the global economy. Mention computer games to a group of IT vendors and out comes the surly inventing a new computer game. Quake where players can spend days eyeball. Except at Microsoft, where they The coin sucking ability of computer lost to the world. will say something like “Computer games was first noticed by Atari Computer games have even been games? Oh yeah, Fury 3 for Windows, founder Nolan Bushnell, who answered used for political effect. One of former cool". And then keep talking about NT. the very first computer game breakdown US president Ronald Reagan's dumber But it’s time to come out of the closet call when he was beta testing the first lines was the one about games because computer games are warping Pong machine in a Californian bar. After preparing American youth for the my perception. I went to bed the other just 24 hours of use, the bar people rang electronic battlefield. light after a long and gory session with Bushnell to say that his prototype Pong Then there was Tetris, the falling Duke Nukem 3D-the latest PC game machine had retired from table tennis. block game coded by a Russian sensation-and the damn thing had Bushnell raced out to check on his programmer in the dying days of the imprinted itself on my mind. I'd close my baby and found the only problem was Soviet Union. Launched in the West as eyes and see herds of murderous pigs - that the coin receptacle had jammed with a harmless piece of shareware, Tetris dressed as cops - blasting at me with the flood of quarters. The production was soon playing havoc with corporate shotguns. My mind's eye would swoop version of Pong scored an extra large productivity rates, as zillions of PC through murky sewers blowing away coin box and the rest is history. equipped office workers played on. giant jelly blubbers and then spin about After Pong came a long line of Tetris had to be a KGB plant. 1996 an old movie theatre, spitting automatic classic coin suckers such as Space Fortunately, my partner Dorothy has fire at everything that moved. Invaders, Defender and Missile a deep and abiding hatred for computer AUGUST

It's very hard to sleep, let alone Command as well as more modern time I games and often helps me to re-enter satisfy a partner's amorous desires, and money wasters like Mortal Kombat. the real world with lists of better things AGE when the mind is replaying mayhem on a Missile Command, the early '80s nuke to do. Like the washing up, cooking, tax level with the battle of Stalingrad. fear classic where missiles and smart returns, vacuuming, hanging out* Being a lazy and easily distracted bombs rain down on a group of cities, clothes, visiting relatives and - sweet soul, computer games often get gave me my first taste of what they now relief-the delights of the conjugal bed.

preference over what I should be doing, call immersion; the almost hypnotic -Stuart Kennedy INFORMATION

S ® INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 four office waiting. environmentally office Twenty paperless

times

technology but, years

Victoria

the deep

ago

rate worker. these satisfy near every past rate. machines T

into

friendly Campbell If Far means

we 10 joke an

Copy

office trees

Australian our

of

years. from An office.

the were are

of Chances sitting he

paper office enormous 10 are technology

reducing faxes,

paperless spewing Some

That's years from Australian we politically

worker, in paper use

’

gos,

premised the

are reports photocopies

an

5000

now

has

almost

number paper reams office

you'll

office? demands is

jumped ago.

including

we no sheets

gobble

of consumption, right 14 see friend

of

What

are sheets

native cur paper and

sound,

piles - trees are 400

the now,

those and of

printouts. a used

still

per

love a at and joke. the forests. are

paper 71 look day, paperless

a that

cent per

each staggering felled stuffed

office

If

per around.

of

don cent you're

in year

to the

’ at

t files

of

go

for

, Aussie of researcher environment. office the analysis Foundation would Australia Environmental Impact Cricket consumables 1.4 inks brick, about greenhouse greenhouse developed calamities are environment,

its million

repercussions Interestingly, But

quick and backyard.

technology steel, 4.8 more company

Ground office

of

toners study

end

to million

laser world.

in Joseph the

(ACF) glass, gas gas than draw

— other

up paper Conducted it's

impact

watchdog Rather, cartridges, to printer -

emission concerned emission

as

the

cover

tonnes industry recently don't not a Office attention of and Gyanesh

countries, 1500 depth is

study the

just

not of

many

the cartridges just the

tonnes paper modern

the of over

the per is

trees of the

drums, project was completed on for

area

disappear carbon Pickin, the to

Australian booming at plastics.

tonne

the yet only culprit.

the a

environmental

not creates

least

worst that of of 12

Australian was dumped Australia's country's ribbons,

health

month landfill. the instigated the dioxide

of are half

the per into paper

commissioned Melbourne production study more

Conservation in

and a

period first

capita

each ozone metre. thin Such Imaging trouble.

— natural

office.

consuming

record well-being by measures

than

ever

air.

year

volume an

in by filters

—

The the

We

for in

9 PHOTO: HEATHER DINAS "Cheap trees at the start, cheap dumps at the end doesn’t help”-Jim Downey, executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation,i in INFORMATION AGE AUGUST 1996 the in Basic

additives or Australia t 72kt

process wastes

18 energy) burnt 198kt life-cycle

wastes fillers destroyed deliberately 46kt estimated

kt

mill for stored Z'

& in

of 1.65 ^ 1994/95, ( useable

'

660,000m woodchips

disposed mi 163kt 72

flows office * in f ^ v l | 0kf

pulp

ion timber landfill) clearance imported typical working 1.6 used hard paper," communications. output passing Australia from the manufacturer and Consuming

trees million (in 4 5 paper

About

The only in

for 9 funded 2 to

the

kt kilotonnes)

2

native

-

Australia

Downey kt bury.

information recycling person.

report,

recovered

to office

and consumed ACF, office

of 230,000 mature recycled 360kt water

by print native Office

”

are forest

and of

Japanese technology

papers

This Environmental

told in

the

in shy on "We

eucalypt

one

forests, tonnes Technologies 1994-95,

each

between Ecosys both amounts

InformationAge. and

feel are of The today's people Old from impact rather Downey boosted technology developments evidence we office computer Australian are fantasies environmental already ever. paperless confirmed executive Australia recommends environmentally in that on

year. electronics

the

sides untrusting

making the of product more

trees are including recycled

yet "There

Launching greatest about printer

habits we

paper The few

to plain

will ourselves

product than to In of

still going

printers

of

suspected.

have Impacts paper said.

in

the confident

in

printer addition, that

that science 30kg office can

be age office

director a help

our

office what

is 200,000 to win Australia office

prefer consumption. range

have

reduced

sheet environmental giant

paper), felling rainforests. die

now backwards. realised.

of

ways a clean

the and recent

"Old

the offices of

in consumption save cost

for long

digital machines offer

with most

is

lines

of is dramatically

wholesale paper' office hard -

friendly, fiction-like Kyocera,

of endorsement dawn conclusive

hard study, the a

Jim some every

and of higher "The

habits that

Paper- incidentally

of up myth. paper. our concludes hectares way

it,"

words

quality (printed

more people

in

paperless In

the Downey

its

copy secure

was of

forests

ACF fact, to

Most

is are than act.

The the and

than

go on

- of

emissions cost consume steady 260,000 hype, more have to dumps dedicated providing by instruments up the is equal It's for in emissions suitable we Righting voracious in that acceptable mills Australia Paper head bigger the environmentally soon. with Australian environmentally Turning production bleaching chemically quickly

not

be landfill landfills,

making recycling

70km. Australia's dump And, cheaper Downey US. Downey Wesley

And But of

might getting

passed safer

(mostly —

than

fax to mill impressive, Downey

recycling

at

about at we

"Landfill

damage load

means

it trees

the according

last about

70,000 is machine the

at

initial appetite were amounts

to from doesn't

is landfill wrongs? were technology. 10 not be at

environmental paper

Vale

intensive

the

is to

least

believes says

for the the operations.

the

recycling. any in into

year, Wesley per end

$100

hoped

now into office says dump

the

Indonesia of cheapest equivalent 640Gwh a

influencing is mill unable

assistance effect 650,000 dumping to

main

acceptable

better. Australia's cent damaging mill just ream

per 70

our

especially

waste look not dumping

to million, imports

for while the only carried the there to

proposal

per for. machine

Vale, garbage

governments

process. year.

photocopiers the has

doesn't about offender. paper providing quite

a

of of pristine

environment like "Cheap

to

culprit;

year.

Yearly

of disposal. One cent When photocopier

are but driving

ACF and is virgin mark replaced commit

standards. Tasmania]

out and grew to

chlorine this electricity for mill prohibitively

behaviour too

also record compared 15kg

no

least

of

[a about in of Despite population Brazil) help,"

report, Waste

without sunrise trees

white

situation associated

we

PC some and

cheap 1980s plans Half the A4 landfill in our by an fall of

to

Lifecycle

environmentally

sales Australia:

no

should

chlorine copy

37 and carbon for

most

are

0.6 average

plain

he at was well better bleaching, of doesn't that

to from

of reams

things

sales the scheme last per longer the

is in industries

the with recycling using

the

says. growing tips the million printers in

will build

powerful paper price."

knocked this expensive short feed

managed

Internet

cent year office redemption

play greenhouse

pulp Australia

start,

technology". world dioxide, remained greenhouse

overseas

we than Japan bleaching

don sized change

stop "That need country.

to a our

to of

a dumped at yet too tonnes more

paper ’ by

build is cheap t part paper

’ to

s there. about a on ’

car

look s

and

it, a

pulp

to no

and why

set

the

a

“i Warm and fuzzy and green

he company most responsible for encouraging drunks to sing Ttunelessly in public - karaoke machine maker Inamori Group, of which Kyocera is a part - redeems itself with its green credentials. Perhaps it’s because Japan has lost so much of its natural environment that Kyocera has adopted a fervently green stance. The Kyocera Environmental Charter is built around “environmental preservation: resource and energy conservation: development of environmentally friendly products and improvements which contribute to global environmental protection in a sustainable manner." If Kyocera is green, it is also very profitable. The Kyoto based concern is ranked the 16th most profitable company in the world, on the basis of its pretax profit to sales ratio. Kyocera's revenues were Yen 647 billion for the year ending 31 March 1996. primarily from jjjie paperless office is a myth. electronic components and semiconductor parts. Kyocera Corporation's founder and chairman. Kazuo Inamori. The environmental cost of the Australian office attributes his successes to his core belief in civic mindedness. The respected philanthropist's beliefs are reflected in the company's corporate is higher than ever" - Jim Downey motto: “Kei-Ten Ai Jin" or "Respect the Divine and Love People". The world’s third largest producer of solar energy cells, Kyocera also of carbon dioxide. The ACF report says these machines leads the market in ceramics technology, which can replace metal parts consume more energy when they are idle than when in machinery such as printers and cars. These super tough ceramics have they are in use. Fortunately, newer models are far the strength of metal but don't heat up as much, reducing overall more energy efficient than earlier ones. On a more temperature, emissions and wear and tear. positive note, substantial gains have been made in Kyocera’s Ecosys laser printer range is only the fifth product to earn recent years in the energy efficiency of office equipment, the endorsement of the Australian Conservation Foundation. The mainly from the incorporation of power management endorsement was granted in 1994 and gives Kyocera's printers entry features which put machines to ’sleep'. info a select club that includes an energy saving light globe, a 100 per cent recycled cardboard shipping carton, a pullover made from Toxic business recycled PET bottles, and a resin from plastic milk bottles that is The manufacture of computer technology is perhaps recycled into garbage bins and other heavy duty plastic items. The he most intensive of all processing industries, with a endorsement program was discontinued for a couple of years while Oignificant output of toxic wastes. The manufacture of manufacturers put their efforts into developing products capable of a 33kg computer workstation generates about 60kg of reaching the organisation’s extremely stringent standards, an ACF factory waste, uses 33,000 litres of water and spokesperson says. consumes 2315 kWh of electricity, mostly consumed by At its manufacturing plant in Japan, Kyocera has taken on board the fans that maintain a dust free environment for the recommendations contained in The Environmental Impacts of Paper- making of silicon chips. In Silicon Valley more than Consuming Office Technologies in Australia as well as those in an 100,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes are produced by independent analysis of printer running costs compiled by industry electronics manufacturers every year. consultant. International Research Bureau. The use of recycled paper

Apart from using far less recycled paper in our will be a fop priority. 1996

office machines, Australia lags in terms of product Managing director of Kyocera Electronics Australia Cliff Smith points out recovery and remanufacturing systems, mainly due to the potential savings for users of his company's printer. "The improvement AUGUST

its small, low density market and distance from the I

in environmental and financial costs is dramatic," he says. “Over its three large manufacturing centres, the ACF says. Secondary year life, just one Ecosys printer can save up to seven mature eucalypts: up AGE ink cartridge remanufacturing has developed into a to five tonnes of greenhouse gas: up to 200 reams of paper up to 29 laser thriving industry, and about one third of laser cartridges printer cartridges and more than $7000 in running costs.” in Australia are remanufactured. Original equipment Now multiply that by 600,000 - the number of laser printers in manufacturers (OEMs), however, haven’t really Australian offices. Quite a concept.

welcomed this move because it displaces sales of new - Victoria Campbell INFORMATION k______A

I m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 influencing "Landfill of

the 'Bachelor Address Student Telephone election Degree, Technology, Technology), I Family I Software Science, decision graduate Departments has needed.The (Computer (Digital Computing Courses Information If

am am

you

most interested/not made interested

name

dumping Technology),

Diploma No to

are of Development,

of Computer

making

(Home) behaviour

Faculty powerful of

Peninsula (if provision Science), Applied the

(Information Information

Faculty a Technology

and known) FACULTY the in

faculty:

or graduate being

Board. body

schools

interested is

Certificate

faculty.

Science

Bachelor Technology, School Bachelor

using Australian The are Blueprint resources without federal electronic compared recovery cartridges. report

too Gippsland of

for

part instruments

is of

Bachelor Systems, both Computing As When

ACF Systems),

of the price"

cheap the

of of Australian of

(Computing), of

a

Faculty GRADUATES (strike says the

governments.

the obtained of

of Computing cost. first report

election Monash faculty. imperative programs, the

OF

School and

it with

faculty:

equipment pulp Computing, Computer Some Alumni Librarianship Digital of Year

an for comes

...one

step, out)

Packaging Information Bachelor

Faculty

energy

estimated and

the Board makes COMPUTING for of and

of old growth a

now

in to University,

of

Graduation Bachelor Business

and Systems the

greener

Computing

remanufacturing to

Information standing

but

paper and the its

Science

(Work)

run The Bachelor hardware too. end

Information ACF several is Archives

of though

of decades components of of $30 each

in Faculty Faculty and

realistic. Systems,

two

the competing

its materials;

organisation Australia Systems, up Computing Business industry, wants

of for (formerly million

forests

transportation year. and

office

Australia Applied and then

in million

recommendations

most of of Australia

and

Technology to disposal, landfill

Board /

Engineering, Technology. Computing Bachelor Information / commitment

Computing

millennia. This Computer

to technology, you

Systems, Records, industry in these

and varies the Science

consumables

senior Digital items $40

Australian

AND

waste

of believes and

in are decay imports state

of are the million a

Australia

from

and of use overseas.

And, contains small ACF

and

to time

Information it's INFORMATION

degrees Technology, Systems, Associate election Librarianship. (Librarianship), Graduate Graphics, Graduate up register If Bachelor

AUSTRALIA these The

much

to pulp

not worth Monash

you

even

not local

the of

Registrar, WANTED

would

your

of Business

of

Diploma

(Mobile) Given in: Digital Certificates

Technology. University, Diplomas

a Computing Librarianship,

25 printers despite printing stringent, printers one the that the wants purchases agencies. example economic, taken out information recyclable effective and name graduate Doctor be

Arts Business

Faculty to

names chlorine

various The interested Technology, Downey purchase

that paper Communications,

standards

’ 30 in MONASH by S

to whole

Computing,

(Archives

clear

INTERNATIONAL of ACF sending in: per

on in in Please

PO or has ensure

(Digital by in:

recycling This

of Systems,

in

are Philosophy. products,

Australia materials. environmental Australia

Archives

both solutions

being

Library

Computing, promoting

cent

Computing

has believes transfer

line Box

bleaching largely TECHNOLOGY of financial of in

Computer developed includes

register

for

your

Technology),

life standing

office

landfill reduction one sides with part

1

Diploma

Computing, and 97

energy

systems

Postcode and

costing and

details

been have had , as Information

final and

governments

to Caulfield

of

my international

technologies,

of Information advantages.

well

green by

Records the and Information prices for Records

Science, the

the

duplexing, details the

storage. and

ignored: a to: in plea consumption a and

Bachelor

use

built in are election duplex certain Information Alumni paper Computing.

as

paper,

Digital

office periodically

paper

social reflect

to East,Victoria an with of available Computing,

Management, Systems,

into

Management), Technology.

make. UNIVERSITY

paperless

In undertaking

mountain,

duplexing,

should

of function. Studies, ’ of

or ’ date. Communications, practice the best is there Only

and usage.

addition,

costs,

the vastly

Digital the the voting of

faculty.

Technology,

He

practice. guarantees Information true processes for would 2 It faculty

Computer government set made

”

Robotics. per

wants and says Alasters

Systems,

Business systems 3 within

all underused for If

there

1 or an

the 45

all cent to

Arts

that just

the among ->3 more be .

phase steps ACF

is^ for

a of

B3 of

j

>

Why Down Under came cut tops

WELCOME to the 14th World International Congress of the International Federation of Information Processing. Although we are geographically "Down Under”, this event will put Australia on top of the information technology ladder, adding yet another rung to allow world communications to scale even greater heights. The event will be staged in Canberra, our national capital, from 2-6 September. Workshops in Sydney and Melbourne on August 30 and 31 will precede this major event. No science is progressing at such a remarkable rate as communications. Nor can i-rni would any other development realise IS goals without its use. Today's wide-ranging developments are reliant on the use of communications. This £'J2 COMPUTE!! C0NC.J! forthcoming congress will strive to widen those boundaries even further. But, back to earth, and back to Canberra. During the three days, the congress WANG Canon (IF1P 96) will incorporate three outstanding Q NOW YOU CAN world conferences — Advanced IT Tools, Mobile Communications, and Teleteaching 96. PictureTel For the first time a fourth stream, Business Practice, is being added to the agenda. It is the appeal and the opportunities that the four streams offer that were a major factor in attracting our overseas speakers, all world • Apple Computer TOSHIBA leaders in their respective fields. It will also HBB =»;< -j,\ .'I'll > [f»'f HI ;■; [•] :i m»j l M allow the expected 1000 delegates the opportunity of a face to face dialogue with any of these experts. In turn, it will also allow these overseas THE DOCUMENT COMPANY visitors to see our part of the world, for the ORACLE9 Hitachi Data Systems FUJI XEROX first time in many cases, it will be a pleasant and rewarding experience. As a result, everyone will win. Everyone will leave richer for the event. This is the second time that Australia has been chosen as the host country for this World Wizard Computer Congress. Only three other countries Computing with a touch of Magic THE AUSTRALIAN have been afforded this honour. I am confident AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER that following this year’s event, all will leave NATIONAL SOCIETY INC. understanding why the decision went our way. UNIVERSITY Finally, I'd like to mention the registration form on page 12. To ensure your attendance, would you return it to us as soon as possible with the appropriate registration fee. jj. AUSTRALIA We are sure you want to see us, because Department of we most keenly want to see you. nu Industry, Aihley W Goldsworthy SCIENCE FERNTREE amdahl Chairman Congress Organising Committee. COMPUTER CORPORATION TOURISM

IFIP’96 1 716thinredline brought

to

you

by

Microsoft Wang a Call cross-referencing established software. for

key

state-of-the-art

Wang

- with

easy

Retrieval

on the Microsoft

enough

02 world

WANG at

imaging 847 and

the

for has standard

touch

7579

anyone

of

1 4 T H WORLD COMPUTER CONGRESS

A wide land’s capital to host wide-ranging congress

'•jjs-x

CANBERRA will be the centre of world IT closely on the practical applications of participating in IFIP 96. This provides a great interest when the Australian Computer Society technology. The fourth stream, covering opportunity for business, research centres, (ACS) hosts IFIP 96, the 14th World Computer Business Practice, will be totally new to this ITST organisations and governments - at a Congress, on 2-6 September. More than type of event. It will consider not just the very lost cost - to be major participants in the 1000 delegates from over 60 countries will technical but also the social implications of IFIP 96 Exhibition." converge on the national capital to hear some adopting new technologies.” of the world's leading IT authorities speak. Intending exhibitors should contact:

The congress will be opened on 2 September These sessions will focus on the latest Ms Kean Stephenson by the Governor General, Sir William Deane. developments in multimedia, information Tel: +61 2 9955 5199 IFIP 96 features three technical themes: highways and intelligent systems, operating on Fax: +61 2 9955 1883 Mobile Computing, IT Tools, and Teleteaching three tracks: innovative applications in the 96, together with a new addition - Business public sector; innovative applications on the Practice. Delegates will include IT horizon; and intelligent systems. IFIP 96 has attracted support from many of the practitioners, researchers, educators, business big names on the Australian IT scene. Sponsors and government decision makers and vendors. for the congress include the Australian National This conference has two tracks. The first University (ANU), IBM, Hitachi, the Department There will be more than 150 separate concentrates on mobile technology, tools and of Industry, Science, Technology and Tourism presentations, as well as workshops, panel applications, networking issues and human (DISTT), Wizard Computing, Fuji Xerox, $ sessions and an IT exhibition featuring interaction and applications, and the second Chapman S Hall, SMS Consulting, displays by leading vendors. Speakers include: on authentication and security. Communication Partners, Oracle, Toshiba, Canon, Apple, Femtree, PictureTel, Amdahl, Hajime Sasaki, executive vice president Virgo Data and Wang. of NEC, Japan These events will address the use of IT across Professor Luc Steels, director of the the full spectrum of education, having Companies exhibiting their technology during AI Laboratory of the Free University particular relevance to those involved in open IFIP 96 will include AAP Communications, of Brussels learning and distance education. Amdahl, Apple, Asymetrix, APESMA, Cabletron, Professor Wolfgang Wahlster from the Compucat, Cybec, Data Consultation, Digital, University of Saarbruecken, Germany Dominion, Ericsson, Hitachi, IBM, Maestro, Professor Raj Reddy of Carnegie These sessions will consider case studies of Olivetti, SAS Institute, Fuji Xerox, Storage Mellon University innovative applications of IT and successful Technology, Tower Technologies, Turbosoft and Dr Dale Spender of the University approaches to major organisational change Wizard Computing. of Queensland projects in industry and government. Those still wanting to register should contact "Traditionally, IFIP congresses focus on research IFIP 96 is expected to be the most innovative the Congress Secretariat, Australian Convention and emerging technologies in a single, combined and rewarding world IT conference held yet. and Travel Services, GPO Box 2200, Canberra event,” says Professor Ashley Goldsworthy of Alongside the talkfest and interactive ACT. Tel: +61 6 257 3299. Fax: +61 6 257 3256, or e- Queensland's Bond University and chairman of workshops will be one of the largest IT mail ifipsacs.org.au. For further information, the IFIP 96 organising committee. exhibitions ever seen in Canberra, featuring contact the IFIP 96 Website at: displays from a host of the world's leading http://www.acs.org.au/ifip96.html. "This year, to make IFIP 96 more useful and vendors. As George Stacey, the chairman of the relevant, we have chosen to run three exhibition sub-committee, says: A registration form is provided at the back of concurrent conferences, each one focusing "People from all over the world will be this supplement.

IFIP’96 3 1 4 T H W 0 R L ) COMPUTER CONGRESS

process owners at any level, for middle and products in their own countries, and Business senior business and government managers and Australia by the profits to its sellers and a Practice for IT professionals at all levels. Technology and subsequently healthier export market. corporate planners, including IS executives, will benefit greatly from the experiences of those It is these overseas bases that have done so SOME organisations have spent a great deal on who have already evaluated the opportunities much to alert international IT users to the technology with questionable results. Others have (and the risks) of new technology and are capabilities of Australian creativity and invested in moderation, keeping in mind the willing to share their knowledge with you. competition. As a result of this representation principles of good change management. In this and promotion, many Australian products have latter way they have sought to obtain There is a wealth of technology... but can we entered overseas markets. organisational benefits from building productive spend it wisely? workplaces that can still be fun for those involved. Canberra is home to numerous major national research institutions, offering the latest in The Business Practice sessions on Monday and scientific and industrial developments, while Tuesday will provide case studies of the early Technical overseas governments recognise that technology adopters of evolving technologies. Throughout is applied on a best practice basis in Canberra these two days our moderator Charles Brass, exhibition 96 using accepted international standards. from the Future of Work Foundation, will keep us focused on human and organisational values. The Technical Exhibition, to be held at the National Convention Centre, will form an At the time of going to press, the list of Speakers will include: Rt. Hon. Alan Stockdale, integral part of the congress and will feature a exhibitors — including a number of major Victorian Treasurer and Minister for display of the latest equipment, software sponsors — are: Multimedia; Geoff Seymour, first assistant products and services offered by Australian and commissioner, IT Services, at the Australian Tax international organisations. It will be one of the Amdahl; Australian National University; Office; Tony Ayres, secretary of the Australian most comprehensive displays of the latest IT Apple Computer; AAP Communications; Department of Defence; John Rimmer, deputy equipment ever seen, either in Canberra or Apesma; Asymmetries; Australian secretary of the Victorian Department of the throughout the world. Computer Society. Premier and Cabinet; Ray Dundon, CEO of the Canon; Cincom; Cybec; Cabletron; Chapman Department of South Australia; Steven Haines, This is truly the nuts and bolts section of the G Hall; Compucat. deputy secretary of the Tasmanian Premier's congress, an opportunity to see the technology Department. There is a similarly impressive line actually operating. Delegates will be able to Department of Employment, Education 8 up from the private sector. compare like with like, and evaluate costs, size Training; Dominion Systems; Davies Collison and performance. This is where it will all Cave; Department of Industry, Delegates will review the organisational impact of happen - right before the delegates’ eyes. Science G Technology; Digital Equipment; these new technologies and the value they add to Data Consultation. the business, as well as the risks they introduce. Canberra is a suitable and significant venue for Ericsson Aust; Evacom; the exhibition. The Australian government is the Education Networking. Are we making our workplaces better for the nation's largest buyer of information people who work there, for the managers, for technology. Expenditure by government Ferntree Computers; Fuji Xerox. the shareholders? Do technology planners have agencies alone on IT hardware and software is Hitachi; Hypertec. a responsibility to consider the broader around A$1.5 billion annually. implications of their changes? How do we select IBM; Intelligent Business Systems. and introduce new technology so that it is used Canberra also offers a rapidly expanding Maestro; Mosaix. wisely as well as cost effectively? consumer market, with ready access to the major centres of Melbourne and Sydney. As Nortel. The Business Practice stream will look at cases well, the national capital’s international links 0: Olivetti; Oracle. where speech recognition, imaging, multimedia, are significant, with more than 70 diplomatic information kiosks, telecommuting, interactive and trade missions present. PictureTel. applications on the Internet, intranets and S: SAS Institute; Storage Technology. outsourcing are being used. We will hear first These are responsible for presenting, in hand accounts of change management increasing numbers, the Australian designed, Telstra; Toshiba; Turbosoft. approaches that work. developed and manufactured technology to Virgo Data Systems. other countries. In this way everyone benefits - The Business Practice stream will be of value for the buyers by the purchase and usage of the Wang Australia; Wizard Information Systems

4 IFIP’96 ■w 1 4 T H WORLD COMPUTER CONGRESS Teleteaching 96 Mobile Advanced IT

THIS conference will be of interest to IT users of Ccmmunicaticm Tools all ages, from the student to the tutor. All will learn, and benefit, from its lessons. TODAY the smallness and lightness of mobile THIS conference will focus on new applications communications is becoming increasingly based on the latest IT developments in The conference will address the use of these important and commonplace. Australia, for multimedia, information highways and technologies across all sections of education, instance, is one of the world leaders in the per intelligent systems. Throughout the world, including those at elementary, secondary and capita use of mobile phones. This, together with information and communication technologies university levels, as well as the community and a host of other related factors, make mobile are generating a new industrial revolution. They industry in general. It will, however, have computing one of today's major issues in the are also providing huge new capacities in particular relevance for those involved in open computer industry. human intelligence. learning and distance education. Therefore, the questions that will be asked — This constitutes a resource affecting the way in This conference will practice what it preaches, and presumably answered — at this conference which we work and live together. To cover this making use of teleteaching technologies. will be: remarkable and rapid transition, the large area Teleteaching 96 will run a virtual conference in of new technologies and applications will be conjunction with the onsite event. Thousands What are the challenges in developing presented along three tracks: will interact with the delegates from their mobile computing systems and application desktops or access points internationally. software for mobile computing today? Track 1. Innovative applicaticm in the public sector Multimedia and intelligent systems will have Instead of traditional paper presentations and What are the requirements for mobile significant influence in this area. In that keynotes, there will be a total of seven half day computing hardware, infrastructure and regard, the location of the congress in the very interactive events — even a virtual social event communication services? home of the Australian Government will and exhibition. A cyber cafe will be in operation provide a fertile forum in the fields of throughout the conference. • What are the methods and techniques for the administration; transportation; welfare; presentation and interaction with all types of weather forecasting; pollution control; The conference proceedings will not be printed. information and all kinds of media on mobile database and digital library; interoperability A CD-ROM will capture the essence of the computing hardware? standards and medicine. proceedings as it evolves over the four days of the conference. Indeed, some events will The benefit of mobile computing devices for the Track 2. Innovative applications on the horizon actually begin a few weeks before the user will be substantially increased if mobile This will concentrate on how to turn conference and continue afterwards, with computing devices become part of a greater technological opportunities into real benefits Teleteaching 96 providing a "time slice” computing infrastructure. Thus, future mobile will focus on specific areas such as public throughout the entire proceedings. computers will always be equipped with administration network; city planning; Seven events will be included in this conference telecommunication facilities. distribution systems; electronic banking; road under the following headings: traffic management; civil engineering design; To cater for the future consumer and business teleshopping; videoconferencing; information, • Internet Nasties: Myth or Mismanagement? markets in the field of mobile communications, entertainment and many others. Can the Virtual University Deliver the needs of the different participants in this Real Learning? increasing area need to be fulfilled. Some of the Track 3. Intelligent systems • Virtual School Visit pre-formed beliefs in the success of new The number of features of technical life and • Virtual Farm services and products are related to the how it affects us falling under this heading is • Virtual Exhibition necessity of users and carriers to trust in the extensive, but some of the major ones include • Special Needs of Special People new technology. human machine interfaces; computer • Virtual Entertainment supported collaborative work and How will all these be faced and met by the environments; multimedia browsers; dialogue The last event will be of particular interest to consideration of security, privacy, and billing systems; natural language processing; ijnage youthful participants from the distant parts of aspects from the early beginning of design of compression and processing technology; Australia and abroad, who will be able to rock such mobile communication systems? As the database retrieval; object oriented around the Net! In this lesson, Canberra technology itself grows smaller and more programming; software testing; intelligent delegates and virtual delegates will participate in powerful, the demand for its availability agents; autonomous robots; artificial life; an Internet broadcast from an FM radio station. becomes larger and more widespread. neural networks and many others.

IFIP’96 5 1 4 T H WORLD COMPUTER CONGRESS

Topic Computer tools for legal and Workshops management professionals Come tjly with me Outline The workshop will present Who’ll say what, options for enhanced legal when and where retrieval systems. These can be used in a variety of professional domains, HALF-DAY workshops, presented by including finance, law experts of international standing, will and management. focus on specific aspects of technologies Presenter Dr John Zeleznikow related to the conferences. LaTrobe University Bundoora, Victoria, Australia The workshops will be presented in Up, up in a balloon. Ballooning will be one Sydney and Melbourne on the Friday and of the many social activities that will offer Topic An update on the Saturday before the congress and during delegates, their friends and families an emerging standard the IFIP workshop in Canberra. enjoyable break from the congress. Outline This will provide an overview Among the other entertainments that will of the emerging next This will allow delegates to visit a State be offered during their stay in Canberra generation of the SQL capital city with time to look around before will be: standard, with principal the congress starts. Details of the workshop focus on the objected sessions are: A tour of the National Art Gallery and oriented features. cocktail reception Presenter Jim Melton, Sybase, USA The Congress Dinner to be held in the Great Hall of Parliament House Topic Software agents and Topic Trusting your computer or Canberra walking tours electronic commerce data network security The Best of Canberra (a tour of the Outline This focuses on how software Outline This will provide a basis for major features) agents can be a fundamental the security evaluation of A guided walk through the Australian building block to resolve computer and network National Botanic Gardens issues related to information systems. A range of Balloon rides retrieval, information evaluation criteria relevant to Historic homes, a nature reserve and presentation and security. commerce, government and the Deep Space Tracking Station Presenter Professor Luc Steels industry will be presented Political Discovery Tour Department of Computer and discussed. Orientation tour of Canberra Science Brussels, Belgium Presenter Professor Bill Caelli Wilderness tour Queensland University of Great Gardens of the Topic The 'business case' for human Technology Southern Highlands factors in IT Brisbane, Australia National Science fi Technology Centre, Outline This workshop will show the the Mint and National Aquarium "bottom line" potential of ergonomics (human factors) through designing usability There are also pre-congress and post­ into IT. congress tours, including: Presenter Professor Brian Shackel HUSAT Research Institute South Coast scuba diving and deep Loughborough, UK sea fishing Sydney and the Blue Mountains Topic Mobile networking with Sydney's historic areas TCP/IP Alice Springs and Ayers Rock Outline Explanations of recent key Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef developments in mobile communications technology — Those wishing to attend any of the pre- or including the use of Internet post congress tours, please indicate your Protocols (IP) — will be given. preference on the registration brochure. Presenter Charles Perkins, IBM, USA Please note all costs are in Australian dollars.

6 IFIP'96 Registration form Credit card users can fax completed form to +61 6 257 3256

Register today for IFIP96—and feast on the future of IT

Title:...... Surname:...... Given name:...... Badge Name: Organisation:...... Address:...... Postcode...... Country: Telephone:...... Facsimile:...... Email:.. Special requirements:...... Accompanying Person: Surname:...... Given Name:.

I wish to attend (tick as required): EH Full Congress, with proceedings of (tick one): I I Advanced IT Tools EH Mobile Communications EH Teleteaching T_l Business Practice Stream—2-3 September only I__I Teleteaching 96—Virtual delegate only EH Single Day only, (tick day): EH Monday EH Tuesday EH Wednesday EH Thursday EH Friday EH As a student delegate (Your registration form must be accompanied by evidence that you are a full-time student)

Fees By 31.7.96 After 31.7.96 Total A$ Full Congress A$950 AS1050 Business Practice A$595 A$645 Single Day only A$450 A$500 Student (Full Week) A$350 AS450 Welcome Reception A$25 per person A$25 A$25 National Gallery A$40 per person A$40 A$40 Breakfast Forum A$40 per person A$40 A$40 Pioneer Event only A$25 per person A$25 A$25 Pioneer Dinner A$45 per person A$45* A$45 Congress Dinner A$85 per person A$85 A$85 Total remittance

Payment Bank cheques in Australian dollars drawn on an Australian bank should be made payable to ‘IFIP 96’ or fill in the following: Debit my: EH Bankcard EH MasterCard EH Visa EH American Express EH Diners ;Expiry date:...... the amount of Australian $ Cardholder’s signature: Card No: I I I I ~l I I I I ~l I I I 1 ~l I I I I ~l Cardholder’s name:

Please complete form and return with remittance to: IFIP 96 Secretariat (ACTS) Telephone: +61 6 257 3299, Facsimile: +61 6 257 3256 GPO Box 2200 Email: [email protected] Canberra ACT 2601 Australia http: //www.acs.org.au/ifip96.html Send me more information on: i EH Business Practice Stream EH Workshops in Sydney, 30-31 August EH Workshops in Melbourne, 30-31 August

EH Workshops in Canberra EH Accommodation and travel EH Exhibition EH Pre and post-Congress tours We’re We’re the world leader in videoconferencing*, and every day we help businesses communicate with each other.

Making So whether you need to get in touch with someone It Easier across the road or across the globe, PictureTel can make For People business easier. To find out how we can help your business, 5 To Do call 1800 620 268 today.

Business. ^Source - Gartner Group 1995 PictureTel Feast on t^e Future

Feast on the future of IT at IFIP 96. • innovative applications for public service IT; This 14th World Congress of the International • new ways of communicating; and Federation for Information Processing presents much, much more. a smorgasbord of things to come in the world of Local and international organisations will be IT. displaying the latest in technical Hosted by the Australian Computer equipment, and software products and Society, IFIP 96 runs 2-6 September services. in Canberra ACT. IFIP 96 introduces the tools Featuring more than 150 papers and techniques you’ll be and presentations by the world’s using and the applications most innovative and creative IT you’ll be developing. developers, IFIP 96 promises to Plus, you’ll have the chance to bring you up-to-date on the expand your IT network. latest in these critical areas: Catch up with colleagues— ❖ advanced IT tools; both national and international—and earn up ❖ mobile communications; to 30 PCP hours. ❖ teleteaching 96; and And don’t miss the special ❖ business practice. display of historical IT equipment—dating back to 1956 Book for IFIP 96 now and take when the first computer in Australia advantage of workshops and sessions on the was switched on. research and practical aspects of: IFIP96, IT—The Global Horizon ❖ network security; For more information on IFIP 96 ❖ trusted networks; 2-6 September in Canberra ❖ the newest mobile technology tools and applications; ring 1 800 626 029 or 06 257 3299 ❖ interactive television; Internet: [email protected] ❖ intelligent systems for application http://www.acs.org.au/ifip96.html development; ❖ electronic commerce; IFIP 96 is proudly sponsored by the Department of Industry Science and Tourism, IBM, Hitachi, Wizard Computing, ❖ object-oriented SQL extensions; Oracle, Toshiba Information Systems, Apple, Australian ♦♦♦ multimedia; National University, Canon, Ferntree, Picturetel, Amdahl, Wang, Virgo Data Information Science Studio ❖ latest advances in teleteaching; and Communication Partners Canberra. 11156 m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 videoconferencing using It premises

it.

Kenny

sc

much,

Maclver videoconferencing their been CEOs perhaps patiently the communications, combination recognised dramatically well survey meetings, travelling launched Change frequent T

That hundred

market sentiment aware

making and

also your

yet

influenced should waiting

flying.

the ago, compared a he Recently, other - on

that of thousand

showed,

to

world's or Life' reduce locks of

those customer

first

a sc

they company

so video single has senior, videoconferencing have is

for may articles videophone far vendors

yet industry, kinds are

Chief still by

to their corporate

however, their

US sounded at

camera,

technology

be

'Multimedia research

calls now non-technical to

relatively sub-offices, CEOs

Executive of

why the journeys.

found turn market waiting

active

noises spending and all answer

and computers that in like of leaders into

the

carried in

to

1970. to in

that

whom

found

inflight music ever

executives Computing systems, conferences. magazine

Two the

the

catch to

to

managers much to

could

The are

shareholders tew kind their since out

thirds VIS

have that, to and

magazines, take fire. road trouble

the more 10 the too- of

talked ATST

are

been were will years

But,

ears weary. have The

of

oft-

is,

their to

of

time widely sharing groupware videoconferencing other telecommunications made paved but components proclaim, contortions to of all that vendors market videoconferencing, package Integrated US$7.5 analysts, corporation half market stampede

the convene companies

The Trying Key they a their

component by decade.

US$1 the billion

available.

for and

standards and fact

find are different are

such

own to the

way to

Services visual

billion

functions

their

many

of 'whiteboarding and that in also videoconferencing that

that

stir

next various

in

as realistic for explanation. place

room public

most the And the first

10 services increasingly make

prices figure of mark. manufacturers. are communications year.

products vendors Digital

— its

notion - Gartner

such

because video hardware corporate also

based in

and estimates

organisation

analysts up a Behind have

almost

little

will

as Network a now

’ they

. meeting that After

like and videoconferencing

and document Group,

fallen, be able semiconductor

embarrassing,

set the technology and have

all to work.

services every

executives worth

desktop for The all,

in to quote between cases scenes,

(ISDN)

the software is who has 1995

vendors anticipated stone mesh

necessary

embracing major Not

an co-editing,

cost

the

still public sector revenues say

lines astonishing

only the that with and

products have

sector

of

the given falls and

same

-

have that, the

for

still are shy

for file in

PHOTO: THE PHOTO LIBRARY ^ A

mm

For many customers,the rule of thumb is that if systems do not allow them to see the difference between a smile and a grimace,there is probably a good case for getting on a plane,

■•-■mm m INFORMATION AGE|AUGUST 1996 Source:

Forrester

Research jerky world videoconferencing The Cost established, to-point high installation videoconferencing US$100,000 multinational, technology cost handle equipped bandwidth the In important obviously talking movement) videoconferencing inches frames (the from demand and on

the

issues

line, The

Nevertheless,

prices psychology. for lower speed

picture system

barrier that meantime,

wide all heads a

market moving

connections says driven.

second

with of

of aspects

online of end it at networks

ISDN

or right

in quality, again to

wants little to

with installing

the

at running

the

with

a order

systems equip

system,

is

pictures

30 Picture video

line video

through very

Forrester meetings. users

problem the use sometimes of by

- capabilities systems to frames three

cost,

videoconferencing, for are to and

hiring

between three barriers

hook to

camera

much

image videoconferencing, charges, adherence. in implementations Unfortunately, interchange and the standards are components on smile see probably the and systems will

maintain need with

and

several will

people

ubiquitous

that regional quality to connectivity,

all a

a - What key rule the

Research the boardrooms operating need up And is

ISDN

plane.

TV

audio second. displays

technology and fall and

to

into unsynchronised

slowly there. does

are

and

individual regularly, difference

video are T.120

quality of

do squeeze or

keen hours for

a to

is a to and a lines, pay -

a

thumb real, centres

good quality the not A software high. level

clear grimace,

not zero. — H.320

window throw many

and for

The

The standard few

group, coming

element ranging in for are to

suppliers' relay

cost a

allow

applications but and include

a

case

depth

for conduct of week. A

PCs the

rather can is group may the years

the former is PCs video

there

between for customers, varies

around high

that fluid including

that of

that

centre

when

additional vary

there that a 10 of come

down. them privilege. from for

can

lay using H.261,

couple audio for

of

Point- down to cost of multiple

the also. than system the

again

if widely

getting out is can

be 20 both data

high the is

to

a a

a

of is

Where US$346.8 around demand president and drawing 30 groups reside. better reckons tracking, a directional to systems. greatest The codec. US$36,000, however, with videoconferencing typically for for lies, and everything Research software telecommunications audio camera video Estimates (coder/decoder centred demonstration important, operating cases, prospect costly

wireless

'roll

frames so the

As Take Until Most The Most desktop documents,

workstations but 31,750

processor

and called

and

prohibitive. shown on A

around

of "With next

US$700

mounted

psychological

around vanilla 20,000 on it for

long-term the

up

These in the and systems and of million of

put between

people PCs, of by within a

keypad, is data

inflexible.

but from units

microphone,

a

onscreen

the video-enabling according of such second

few

worldwide

not may

room

technology

industry company a action the at document

by

’

videoconferencing this

photo less large projects

are the feeds,

million

”

engine), desktop

its system such

years. card

where individual

shipped the in

this systems explains value around on be also pre-configured

kit or

is 'Look-at-Me hundreds

potential market centre, either understood. 1995, with

where top rise

boardroom network,

where

new whiteboards, group or Even units to provide

is analysts and and opportunities

consisting

boardroom

of the last

unit, sales of of

for

interchange

systems. perfect is loudspeakers, takes of up research the

during

is set

the

medium Stephen

transmits this practical

a at cheaper,

more were cameras a

money the

market videoconferencing a year.

growing the videoconferencing 36

powerful

for world of multimedia

at US$54.1 up LAN known

PC

invariably

video type document Personal per

publicity

Buttons' suppliers best

PictureTel.

videoconferencing the speech permanently system

shipped expensive,

based With of

for

Typically, has is,

by

— is cent are Crummey,

sharing leader conferring

costs

a problems

and

faster, year.

them systems and fast,

streams in facilities. or today video. as million

Telespan,

camera, been

computer

revenues

equally

display

most

a a

from lip-sync, you Technology for shots boards

the PC ISDN. in offering reaching trolley codec on collaboration That

PictureTel, across

and - schematics

strongest

1995. a camera

as the

can

average in early

will or 1994, from vice main - of

multi

at and

well screen, is have 1995,

works which

to even

and of

have is split,

a

PCs a the used

­ as

V

There are two ways to remember Strategic Events 1. Tie a knot

YOUR GUIDE TO HIGH QUALITY EVENTS FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT 1996 diary

24-26 Aug Cape Schank 5^ Victoria first annual conference for CFOs

Emerging 2 Sept Canberra SuperN etworks 5 Sept Sydney STRATEGIC 6 Sept Melbourne Management briefing with A1 Dunn

MIS NZ 23-25 Nov Taupo first New Zealand IT management

conference st

Call Nathaly on +61 2 9286 5900 for further information on sponsorships or registration.

STRATEGIC t ¥ EVENTS CONFERENCES* EDUCATION • MEETINGS i 2. Stick it in your diary INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 videoconferencing Teleconferencing was R&D In surprisingly, Baker

the

the spends.

has picture:

star

a

attraction his plum Baker

Dr

predictions

Association Rich

job:

could explained meetings, echelons of also distributors videoconferencing given get or hours players Research. PictureTel

of Baker, PictureTel's room PictureTel

the Such

joined change a

up

a

videoconference

technology for —

day.

systems,

systems competing

at of

most PictureTel's to and As can

the the

corporate

the for

Thus

an the 150

has

cost

revenues. claim

350 notably

the market endorsement end

way

are according the been people

right kit is distributors

company.

with

51

of typically not

primary application businesses and management Boston per

IBM at May. are lauded

hosted PictureTel's often

across have cent this

and to bullish.

As

MCI of used

based Personal

stage, much

that of become for an British by how

communicate. 15 and the

the by innovator. and its bring in

group of sites difficult several chief

market

Zenith the

generous an Telecom

Australasian Technology only system

is

upper the issue. scientist,

business two

for major Data it for ways

is

-

a thirds Not In group

to have few have

will measured videophones, only around dry, video Video and initial Poor for says existing For technology. companies corporate clients computational US$4000 of hardware According Market like enough network Forrester more for the service. videoconferencing videoconferencing Pincince, hidden infrastructure part will office business building communications, enhance videoconferencing contrast,

the

the

a

The That The price firms Forrester

continue bandwidth

British mean languishing

just Pincince. of

video video-ready

than call wave total LANs

were enabling

the

infrastructure pioneers market

it other only to

videoconferencing Although

leaves the

upgrade

applications, being collaborative

of with range the for an found

and to

in that LAN.

to handle

US$6000 just

Telecom, mainstream quality

cost. is

To desktop of

necessary against the a analyst sweet

other

Forrester,

to business

Research

but video still

software

dispersed co-worker until

products,

desktop demands. put improved. and don

desktop "MIS

networking for

be that until

tens The in

flop

costs

unit is infrastructure Intel video's

prohibitive,

and

it slow. reasons," from most spot to an this ’ cost,

the

t

less market

putting conferencing, with

a is but three bluntly, rest have

of the

costs the

sales

ISDN seat,

insufficient case

worried working

and networking sound and puts

conferencing

area far corporate making the

thousands videoconferencing

for easy getting to with vigorously: released locations,

but

corporate end down bandwidth of Forrester's

Customers

any

quarters

side

systems total others

the will for flop

the with unit, of videoconferencing

the the

foundation include to overwhelmingly,

says

MIS prices of

synchronisation

all say

business

spreading about

price up the or market 2000.

prevent

bill case make. has

the is

onboard cost

market

does videophones

in

Pincince.

computing

inter-business still are bandwidth, some

less first the rather and buyers

hall

of

is can century, been desktop,

in the "Lack

Panasonic,

and network can against of will

at

traditional

a

pushing its The

outlay the not prohibitive. than

for

base," hardware compelling. a

combination demand to do early the desktop analysts,

penetration

now not Fortune PC

videophones. than PC

of

say

US$3000 be several consider cost the "high

desktop

a

powerful

waiting broad LAN

video

become to

required built

1990s, quarter strategy buy says

their and in

down millions. job," are

on

of AT&T

for

and issues

the

based into

and

1000

ISDN

the Tom

a

to the

is is

of

years will be room based systems. "Until the year 2000 its CU-SeeMe technology, claim they can provide the big three vendors - CLI, PictureTel and VTel — will videoconferencing across the Internet. In the continue to reap the lion's share of their revenues from meantime, expensive fast lines will be the standard. high end room systems, while their desktop offerings The slower than expected take off of desktop wither on the vine," says Pincince. He is even less videoconferencing has left the market highly hopeful for companies that promise a software-only fragmented, while many companies experiment with solution. "Start-ups like Vivo and InSoft will face the price points and package combinations in search of double whammy of no demand and strong customer customers or applications that have appeal. allegiance to room systems." Certainly, vendors have come to realise there is no Various specialists are working to do away with the horizontal market for desktop video board, either by providing the functionality of videoconferencing. Most are the codec in software, or by trying to grease the path chasing vertical sectors such as to mass market video by embedding video on the main education, health, finance and processor, as Intel and Sun have done. retail. "It is a market based on But Stephen Crummey at PictureTel sees a gulf very specific applications," between desktop and room videoconferencing that says Butcher. ese efforts will fail to breach until the next decade, Schools in remote areas are tI ere are going to be classes of systems,” says using videoconferencing to Crummey. "There will be a mass market, eventually, deliver better education, which says 'maybe put it in the chip or do it in software designers are showing early only and let the average person who does not require versions of their products to the quality, a hobbyist maybe, use it.’ And then there is clients, engineers are going to be the professional market. That’s where we collaborating on projects, judges are, that's where the money is and that’s where you are are considering using going to need the hardware board.” videoconferencing to interview But can Intel — and Sun with its Sparc chip - get the witnesses, farmers are viewing Source: Personal Technology Research equivalent of that video board down onto the base livestock, and so on. But most chip? "We don’t believe it. Having standard MPEG demand comes from the business meeting market. compression on a chip is one thing. Having real time In the meantime, nobody seems certain of when 30 frames a second video flowing through that chip, no the long heralded surge in videoconferencing will way. You are not going to get good video without using come. Analysts such as Forward Concepts, who say the some form of hardware [board], I don’t care what market was worth US$866 million in 1995, believe a anyone says, Intel included," says Crummey. "Look at US$3.6 billion market will emerge by 2000. Personal Microsoft's Video for Windows, look at Apple's Technology Research reckons the market for PC based uickTime for Mac. They're a joke. That's not video, systems will be worth US$1.5 million in 1999, when that’s a toy, that's a postage stamp.” This leaves the 3.8 million units will be shipped. room systems in the driving seat - 70 per cent of the The turning point, according to bearish analysts, will market value is today derived from room systems. be when videoconferencing is installable for US$200 per node - and is simply a mix of camera and software. Internet approach More realistically, analysts at research houses Ovum and No-one doubts there will be a mass market for Insight say their feedback from customers suggests the videoconferencing, but there is great debate about the mass market threshold is closer to US$1500. What is

form it will take and when it will arrive. clear is that there is huge latent demand. 1996

The mass market may well be set in motion by To take just one geographical market: a recent another trigger, the Internet. Already, software survey of 200 of the Times 1000 companies in the UK companies are offering phone calls and video clips — AUGUST found that a mere 9 per cent had installed some form albeit low quality — across the worldwide network at a of videoconferencing. Astonishingly, 53 per cent said AGE fraction of the cost of using telephone lines. Although they planned to implement the technology in 1996. This the problems of creating a quantum leap in quality are suggests that for those whose work depends on formidable, few experts doubt that in the early decades geographically dispersed collaboration, the frequent of the next century, videoconferencing will be Web flyer miles may be reaching their peak. W1

based. A few companies, like White Pine Software with — Kenny Maclver is editor of Computer Business Review. INFORMATION

m Microsoft once seemed invincible, but chinks are appearing in its armour. Bill and the gang, who once seemed unable to put a toot wrong, are suddenly performing backflips and turnarounds in their quest to find favour with users. One year after the fanfare of the Windows 95 launch,

Clare Haney describes what some consider to be Microsoft's transition from being

'the’ company, to being just one of the pack. >>> ILLUSTRATION: IAN HAIG

SsA' V m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 "Twelve comprehend system called

per plans

a

cent halt Microsoft's

because A \

of

Where operating to understand equilibrium truck coming, operating and prove under Rather latterly got something second, Internet Mac industry the like substantial A W '

those their

Microsoft 40 Uncanny rails. Golden

the one will

-

it them

years

like

they the ” Windows

/ of rest, r just

even

.

does necessary has

end perhaps? operating The strategy"

The surveyed systems. systems. of

those

someone company guy the and —

fortune,

like caught under

is resemblance up How didn't

a teenage when puffs trouble another, Microsoft

reveal

Microsoft

mere has

Internet, Microsoft anything mistake, waiting hen eye,

its looking

tearing the

juvenile NT.

come? get

Once

Microsoft

We dignity. out his been?

it hidden

having

Mr

you're growing guess

product average frequently

life who window

for is anything

All

was is, Macaulay the ’

belt? re or writing in donna retiring shocked Microsoft in face terrible

its struggling Gates

for

just didn

up a is the the

that

say

and

that

Well, just

talking anyone horror has

delinquent is impression bankable bearing chest

something time.

never

Equally, to an

in

want one you

and just

most Certainly, company like ’

product. the map, person

t

dressing

other we had promote looking Bill makes

making seems overall

see more about

(natch!) actor,

Microsoft

to lacking. blueprint look,

and his Don Culkin

such

or wrong Bill have easy. DOS, ’ ’ can

s s

to

part, the down to slip

if

the

vaults, interest

writing stuff, panic, mouth

star,

up

’ you maintain than says, when in

to t

you

a

wild be his a of with go he

direction like rug it

The has

you a World

for Windows

up the Everyone's

the celebrity.

of under the

star, from believe Redmond thing

up

We strategy that

a like

will is now

hands

pulled

seem, today? applications

made

is the and after

shifting the

"Sure,

cats too sense bit or

rise although his think wide he latest either street. as

about

for absolutely have

but

a

its sort

-

both.

Wide

’ —

like software the s

enfant he its famous make

much

10

of gone

is it - finally it

to its

at

open

more that and we of

from

goes.

to The

ton to to the is is public

prima his least

Web

not

you

a

to

off

for

a those codenamed on think comprehend operating cent the bet go upgrading Microsoft third users under Surely and confusion operating were three there will strategy, Where the Microsoft's 32-bit surprisingly Windows built the sound disjointed Microsoft's keep Like non-homegrown it intend Rampager fully lose Windows

split

does.

with

regardless.

What Also, Take Has necessary for Dig reality. Microsoft Let moment

or

where support,

circus

in of

on

had ’ shifting assured

it

questioned s existing communication

Desktop

the

as some whim.

’

to their no s its those a has,

because the

But

shifting

does examine the such

in little though

delayed about

embed

95 to

system 95, systems aegis operating about where

to confusion strategy really

and act

positioning

areas company a

then Cairo?

but enough,

particular mistake? publicly as existing and

Microsoft's the

it and surveyed recent

it will

say, arithmetic, operating as

deeper,

plate

—

Microsoft seems when a

was). of that the

sand,

they

they of isn next Java it again, Windows NT face produce.

said plans

darting

deciding tell Microsoft's

the Sun

strategy Well, is.

messages,

’ Redmond focus

spinners, t Workstation; worldwide systems

interesting

NT out

dissuade Microsoft

to got didn't

Called

in

you saving It were version problems in designed they which ’ company,

and s

computing called of

and because so

seems employ Java.

Server. the systems

its operating it

there a

about and

the

in

until

does That's

appears NT

problem? 40 which were

(well

thought operating think

when know which

business

The play. the device.

heartland

operating a Also, two or

of that Rampager

per Bill Workstation Windows

to

about

white

it temporary to survey everyone But to

that glitch

the

they

close

company announcements NT, "confused Best

at

- ’

not resemble

s

operating to

This and

cent and needs. operating

dispel

keep

means

systems on blue it's

to the least

this NT up

release use

plagued

Many the

to didn of paper

Way systems, be

that the

to the on

often carried on of Workstation. Redmond going? to

systems say supporting in each is

was

95 Windows marches that users a another

that roles

Hmmm.

the

around ’ else. go desktop, at the guys t can the

halt ’’ third to forced

people a 4.0 users strategy.

on system it by

4.0, systems.

results

the ’ odds house all the a of s server,

doesn't

of spur

confused ’

face move out what and its because to

have

out of

better

from

its that of 12 Do their

with

95

of that

to

per and in

we to

C

genesis of Windows New Technology, back in the days been a smart, bold move, when everyone else in the when it was OS/2 3.0. Developers entombed inside market was busy trashing Visual Basic as so low end as Microsoft's Redmond edifice don't seem to want to talk to be beneath contempt. Ah, but the developers to each other, preferring to compete rather than understood, and there were at least a million of them cooperate. The company claims, citing in its defence out there. Suddenly, Oracle, IBM and Apple woke up analysts such as Gartner and Meta Group, that very and realised there was gold in them few users will want to go this route. But if they do, the thar Visual Basic hills and began incompatibilities between the two operating systems to bring out their own mean reinstalling all existing Windows 95 applications product, or at least talk to run under NT 4.0. Cool... not! about it. So, Microsoft David Bridger, Windows product manager at licensing Visual Basic Microsoft UK explains: "It’s a major function of the now is a bit like directions the two products are coming in. Their shutting the stable focuses are different. Windows 95's main focus is on door after the prize compatibility with 16-bit applications and device mare has bolted. In drivers, while NT Workstation is all about being totally a word, pointless. »ust, scalable and secure. Similarly, with NT "If you're coming from two different directions Server as competition there's going to be a conflict in product for Unix, Microsoft is development. ” The point at issue is that the registry also bringing up the rear. for the two operating systems is different in two Microsoft's vice president areas: where it stores applications, and where it Paul Maritz announced a 64-bit stores device drivers. "Potentially we could have version of NT at Comdex Spring in done it better,” Bridger concedes. Chicago earlier this year. This release of the operating system "It's wondering what to do... Changing times should appear towards the end And Microsoft is changing, oh yes! The company has of 1997 or early 1998, with the Microsoft has hundreds of millions of reorganised its product development team on the first platform of choice desktop, merging the two divisions that deal with naturally enough being Digital's dollars invested in products that Windows 95 and NT Workstation development. The Alpha. The two companies are resulting desktop and business systems division is working jointly on the software suddenly no-one cares about" designed to make the guys in the labs feel like they're which has been set up as an all on the same side. answer to the 64-bit initiative established by These moves are all part of the latest Microsoft Hewlett-Packard. operating systems strategy, in the words of company man Bridger, "to synchronise how Windows 95 and NT Wherefore art thou Cairo? Workstation look”. To this end, the next major release Just to show how much has shifted, remember when of ail three Microsoft operating systems is entitled the Cairo was to be the third horse in the object oriented Shell Update Release, but don't look for that until next operating systems race, alongside NeXT and Taligent? year. All you'll be seeing this year is Nashville, an Well, earlier this year, Microsoft abandoned what was Internet add-on pack for the triumvirate of the supposed to be the jewel in the Cairo/NT 4.0 crown, its Redmond Rampager's operating systems. It is expected Object File System, for an enhanced version of the 1996

to include Internet Explorer 3.0, and will offer the existing NT File System (NTFS). Something to do with if ability to do data conferencing and peer-to-peer it ain't broke, don't fix it, I suppose. capability over the Net. To be fair, look at what happened to the AUGUST

Ultimately, Microsoft is in reactive, not pro-active competition. NeXT is still running apparently, although mode now. You can see that stamped on everything these days Steve Jobs is acting like an all out Redmond AGE the company does. Rampager fan and Taligent has been consigned to Take, for instance, the suggestion it is to finally oblivion with the only thing to show for the many license its Visual Basic Applications, as a feeble millions of dollars poured into its development being a attempt to staunch all the many wounds inflicted upon bunch of class libraries being added to IBM's OpenClass

it by Sun's Java. About 18 months ago, that could have libraries for its VisualAge development tools family. INFORMATION

^ m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 ensuring itself perpetual By irrelevance hell,

in

seems damning

the

increasing users Microsoft

upgrade

future.

to

to

for its be

a

ago and computing. talking would commentator the enormous Finkelstein Net done client/server Performance Traditional fortune richest starve. Windows worldwide very systems Intel decline report those those but open global systems. cent decade. positive Datapro's Unix the Odyssey healthy measure products Unix D

What Internet. Richard

basically nightmare

a

Whatever

On “ Windows they

dominate

Unix atapro few the centralised complete

decline

systems and

systems. of for

He difference 2001: the purchases individual

to

after

change

for estimated 8 about

This global

This will “strong attributes all The

computing

will until Finkelstein,

purchases

and non-Unix Microsoft

it's was "It's principal per Computing

technology,

other

on NT be, mainframe midrange variants Information

in Internet

be will

are

1998 means An grow the happens.

NT easier about all

Intel cent

a the

recently NT's shipments precipitated

market

'non-Unix' deployment, whole

classified

Unix/RISC

not

Information matters hand, a market. likely market

will be by

turn at his

year

clip

systems,” by

prospects. Windows and platform. analyst

turn.

to

jobs of overall

Forbes that accompanied president

US$18 really and

change concluded applications

be

different NT? 8

connect

named Unix, the to of for

Bill shipments has through

installed

per Services connected

But will will a split by in surpass as the purchases,

well

by Gartner Unix represents made. Gates for variants

will

magazine, not

the 1996

cent and

since niche billion. of says

be According decline and

century. the The Technology

evenly

of

the up Unix issue.

distributed

heart known

year grow based that the Chicago

beyond

-

that Windows Group is a rise

Only Mary

browsers IBM

then

will Windows Adam analyst

world's

will by offerings. with by

year, Group

unlikely will

end

and

Windows

to

You're between

including 2000. and by

browsers

2000 by an

at

AS/400 12 sharply software

with he

exceed Hubley,

the

survive,

predicts to

equal while months the a based of 2001, Lincoln

8

rise

has says

is

to its

and

” per now the

a to . NT

of

NT

wondering software companies upon People operating company believe disconnected to sudden millions "The has work And to workstation workstation IBM there's NT trying its has Services brewing. server. centre they're working have TCP/IP the through by that eminently concept Web efforts were have People longer Unix.

compete change doesn't yet other own

That "Microsoft's "The Saints "How problems Finkelstein "The now

had

faced Sun, NT

company

developers to larger initially on the

Why?

to

of any

in

will are a NT and

no-one users operating come will

problems time of

of

whole become NT (formerly said, market Internet

get good with Novell IBM gravity will last doesn't general

systems preserve its

10 more will

dollars what

the reason went exhausted

platforms, not Java, against and scale Because

environment, environment.

NT

to culture. to

geared Sun are and out Microsoft 10 from ’ there

not

s

deal start sit Unix scale

pooh Microsoft

cares

become 15 like larger feverishly

problem on scalable.

years is commentators to feel

about

has uncertain," where

waiting is get with as

have

had

systems. Hewlett-Packard years so in invested back to

developing

any

NetWare

do. what's

a the

of

a us server, are falling

a

high

most

much very managing shifted poohs the towards good mainframe? distribute about.

it

The

chicken

in by work

servers." as ... a

Microsoft

shifted more. presumably

replacing mainframe. that

and

take some people

ago whole a

trying

most

by as a Microsoft's is

operating

for

It's

people match

of whole going different to and

stuff.

beyond behind

to There

which

huge in the

wait Unix

people any

from when Directory

Finkelstein NT, the

Windows scale preposterous

They're

Unix

strange

products

with comfortable.

Novell across

to

be

transform new its argument are processors; that

analyst's

We've on which

development for for

compared has does.

perfectly

in It the era done. turn is is

own again."

it their

and

four

its situation, familiar are

systems because don

that operating literally

also NT centralised Redmond NT Unix, was

strategy. hundreds

to

desktop Directory of so

NT head

Services)

Unix

There's to is 97. directories not so spun that will ’

processors,

systems t Unix continues.

lunacy they

out

talk

called

essentially

alliances it want put

admission, development pointing evolve.

The to

good sitting to

we’ with cut to evolve

into all paradigm would Microsoft of

our forward

of where

actually

suggest with to system. be

are the efforts I

no ll just of of

it. off

when look upon

and IBM

to

a the up. the

able

a back,

The

so one

in to

so

f

rim mosmr mm, open mspems wheels for 10 years." Finkelstein believes the Internet wil enable the industry to move ahead with greater speed. "The first nail in the coffi is the Network Computer which is really a discussion of whether we really need the Windows operating system at the desktop," he says. "The NC’s hardware and capacity are the same as Windows, but it accepts the premise to deploy applications at the server, while Windows' whole premise is applications deployed at the desktop."

J^Sing up vhiatever you think of the claims of Oracle’s head honcho Larry Ellison and Sun's main man Scott McNealy, the NC has lit a fire 96 & Asia under the industry equal to that of Java, with everyone rushing to promise a prototype. It’s undoubtedly a sign of the rest of the W°rld Wide industry ganging up on Microsoft, which stubbornly believes that whatever the question, Windows, in some shape or form, is the answer. Says: Finkelstein: "Microsoft doesn’t add value to a word comot processor. It just keeps changing the operating system underneath it. It’s like changing the colour of your walls. It forces you to MIEILIBOIIJIRKflEs change your furniture. ’’ This year Melbourne will host THE conference and exhibition that brings Finkelstein compares such shenanigans to the way car together world leaders of Information Technology with a focus on: manufacturers in the 1950s added fins to their automobiles in the INTERNET SECURITY • PUBLISHING ON THE NET vain hope that such a purely cosmetic change would add value. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE "People have become very sceptical about that kind of thing. Is there any real reason to go Windows 95 or 97? Windows 95 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS as done an excellent job of highlighting the basic problem BILL CHESWICK RANDY MOREL Windows based systems — how do you maintain them Senior Researcher AT&T Oracle Corporation going forward?" MIKE GREENHAJLGH TERRY NOREAULT By damning its users to a perpetual upgrade hell, Microsoft Professor of Art History ANU VP Oracle Corporation seems to be ensuring increasing irrelevance for itself in the future. ROGER FRAUMANN ROB KOLSTAD What will the world be like when the Redmond Rampager is, in the TOP END Business Unit NCR Corp. President BSDI words of Finkelstein, only "a" company, not "the” company? BRUCE WILSON "Microsoft are kids that don’t understand the repercussions of Cybercash what they're doing. People will say you have to experience or get ORGANISED BY TUTORIALS burned to understand. Microsoft has not been burned yet, because it didn't have to eat the food it served. For the first time Microsoft Into SGML, Java, Setting Up a Web Site, Virtual Reality, Networked Publishing, is in reactive mode, no longer in control. That's what it means to Cryptography, Intellectual Property on the continually change direction, re-orientate your organisation and auug Web, IP Routing, ATM Internetworking. software in order to chase a moving target. It needs to do a little CHARLES STURT growing up now.” ESI UNIVERSITY THE CONFERENCE AND Ejb EXHIBITION SECRETARIAT \J/ This article first appeared in Software Futures, of which PO Box 468 Paddington NSW 2021 AUSTRALIA Clare Haney is UK editor. In Australia, this publication is available Telephone + 61 2 9332 4622 Facsimile + 61 2 9332 4066 through Strategic Newsletters. Contact Adrian Shaw on *61286 5900. E-mail: [email protected] URL h ttp ://www. csu.edu. au/special/auugwww96 MMHg-smKSVZ

'The visual and audio aspects of creative work are converging more so than ever before” -Charlie Chan PHOTO: FRANK LINDNER the the accompany pictures, technology, first CD at side a contains who and recalls there clips, of friend interactive for interactive use West. interactive Absolutely

C PC

Sony

Macs

Extra," computer The With Charlie "It

CD. application (Macromind)

self Australian was had or

pictures for As took Anthony

pair Chan.

Australia a They

and

confessed

left just text a time well Macintosh. a

says

60 time. programmers production ramming album Chan week section us their which

didn't to

frantically

use. set and 10

as running months Mbyte

and production Chan.

the

to Howe ’ days

s

And music. music Director

up could and

jacket movie The

EastG partitions very

know

create computer words of

in code

interactive so to

a her format

to used

deadline

Chan out, tell

tracks,

half

It's stitched last code right clips, it how plan West since

as the at latest for was to

us

like

Chan

Apple moment and ’ the a the

s

whether

use their allows on dweeb up the it, multimedia

playable section back is Chan

for the

having

application is music but just last believed the

the section, together

Sony's and

album.

Sydney a Media programming dawn room

’

artists the plot s

disk. computer Charlie minute because crammed

of programmer East

or a CD on

programming CD

computer

a

of familiar

Tool not "We playable

to

with section a the music East musician

G to

Extra

computer

for PC, be before Chan,

we West

no-one

add sat

code, 2.0

a the G it, to

duet

CD could pair

” to

of as

on

a

just — was handy Chan Prodigy this on to going sample thing plant. would around got as Gay a on appeared keys. have had Performing People Venus

committee what

she audio

tour to

one "I Chan "Nobody wanted thing been composing and

was

the ’ to

She is ve any

"We calls and with perform

had my me. back a of to

very

work. always ’ Lesbian

experience,

s

flexible began doing with interactive

developers. that

those Malaysia affinity Adonis,

work were

Arts a been it I

to from

’

member ve knew

computer - well,

right

We piano demonstrate

until

music began

always had them was

playing just Apple Board

child Mardi doing

the with ” didn which in

on says up computers.

the doing

about. great because so Australia

with of plant, for

But in

Ils and

of until had behalf ’ part Gras. a them Stuart computers keyboard t

the

the I samples

Chan. the

know

just was small the and

1 musician

Director,

Roger it wrote

synthesisers

” was

piano Australia to we

we early as in

X

kept performed of they've 1

people

how

artiste, if really generation ensembles. the When got an weren't hell

Musica

the came Woodward, as at

the

Kennedy

'80s. -

pounding experiment.

States, the

to but

she bent the three tracks

music wanted

always Council

— I

do

back proofs was

we

and sure Viva, is in "dweeb

at on these

who

with and and who another

She's couldn't part would this a for

away. from

making

been that ’ has kid served people s

for

they by

the piano The things. is year's

meets factor

we

been admits

the

it as the 15

link

play I way

computer was

get

as

to

”

Charlie

to

being

geek.

Chan, i

S INFORMATION AGE AUGUST 1996 p IT—tIhe wAy of ThE flJTURE?

IFIP 96, Business Practice Stream 2-3 September 1996 Canberra

IT isn’t just about technology— Hosted by the Australian Computer it’s about people, productivity, Society, IFIP96 is the 14th World opportunities and effective Congress of the International organisational structures for Federation for Information information delivery. That’s why Processing. IFIP96 incorporates a Business IFIP96 also includes streams Practice Stream that examines the on mobile communications, human and organisational issues teleteaching and advanced IT relating to IT. tools, plus tutorials and an This two-day program, exhibition featuring the latest in moderated by Charles Brass, IT and mobile communications. executive director of the For more information innovative Future of Work Foundation, is ideal for contact IFIP96 on middle and senior managers I 800 626 029 in business and government, or 06 257 3299 IT professionals, and Email: [email protected] technology and corporate Feast on new ideas at IFIP96 http://www.acs.org.au/ifip96.html planners. or fax the coupon below to During this special segment of IFIP96 you’ll have the 06 257 3256, or post it to chance to hear from business and government IFIP96 Secretariat managers who have already met the challenge of GPO Box 2200 Canberra ACT 2601. making IT work for their workplace. Learn from their first-hand experience—including the ups and downs— IFIP 96 is proudly sponsored by the Department of Industry Science using speech recognition, imaging, multimedia, data and Tourism, IBM, Hitachi, Wizard Computing, Oracle, Toshiba warehouses, kiosks, telecommuting, the internet and Information Systems, Apple, Australian National University, intranets to successfully: Canon, Femtree, Picturetel, Amdahl, Wang, Xerox, Virgo Data ❖ deliver quality services; Information Science Studio and Communication Partners. ❖ commercialise; ❖ improve market share; Tell me more about the IFIP96 Business Practice ❖ increase speed to market; Stream at IFIP96

❖ improve ROI; Name:______❖ control costs; Organisation:______❖ improve corporate nimbleness; ❖ access new markets; and Postal address:______❖ expand business opportunities.

SsssSi Email:______

Py Phone:______Fax______

Fax this coupon to 06 257 3256 today. Register before 11152 Exhibition enquiries? Call 02 9955 5199. 1 August and get six chances to win Toshiba laptops. Q [yft Netscape - |Lulening Hoom| E*# EdK y«w fio fiookmaks Options Cirectcxy Window Help

■in Ijgj] Location: [http:i: //www. chartiechan. com. au/notlh, him)

;>VS7V? MUSIC ■X t '*■

i hjn

A Himalayan Vision - Lofi

A Himalayan Vision - Hifi

CBS Records 467358.2

The Adventures of - Lofi

The Adventures

Sony Classical SMK 47650

Spring - Lofi

Document Done

instruments and I’ve always been mechanical," she says. meditate,” says Chan. "They might be interested in "1 perceive the visual and audio aspects of creative yoga, they might be interested in feng shui or other work are converging more so than ever before. Not kinds of spiritual aspects. Or, they might not be everybody is an audio - some people are visual and interested in that shit at all and all they might want they respond to colour and light better than they do to to know is where I'll be

sound. It’s really hard to sit there both listening and performing next.” " The whole thing about reading the track notes from the album jacket. It’s so much simpler to click and have the track notes come Geek/artist symbiosis art and creativity id the up on screen while the music plays." Chan says artists wanting to Chan possesses a keen appreciation of the explore electronic media can inspiration you get jjrcm promotional value of the Internet for musicians, and put feelers out to the tech nerd has broadcast concerts over the Net. Her Web site at population and profit from the other people" vww.charliechan.com.au reveals her Malaysian- geek/artist symbiosis. Chinese-Scottish-Australian ancestry, with a navigation "The whole thing about art and creativity is the page set up as the four winds (north, south, east and inspiration you get from other people and the west) of a mah-jong set. inspiration you get from nature and the combination of Wander along the compass points and there are the relationships around you. music clips available for downloading, biographical "You can start developing a great relationship with notes, an event calendar, homilies on meditation and some geeky person who knows how to do tech stuff, creativity, and even an interactive Yoga class where but that's all they know. They would love the people can link in and find a yoga posture to help with opportunity to experience art with an artist in a way 1996 the stresses of the day. they couldn't if they were just dweebing away by "You can dial up the site and say 'It's cold today themselves. They have knowledge but no application AUGUST and I'm in a bad mood’ and a picture of a yoga posture I

sometimes. The artist is the application." will come together with instructions on how to do it,” While Chan owns up to an amount of dweebiness AGE says Chan. Alas, when this correspondent surfed in for herself, she’s not a complete propeller head. ”1 don't a spot of yoga to fix his bad mood and cold extremities, really feel like I'm one, because I can't work out the yoga teacher was away on holidays. Director sometimes. 1 stare at Director and go 'aaah — 1 "People who like my kind of music like certain don't know how this works' and the syntax in Director

kinds of things. They might like to meditate, or learn to is really weird." EH INFORMATION

m El INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 locality Nicholas that are creating "We

is

Negroponte:

gone.

hardwiring

are covers

in a

consciousness

the the

Tea good process online, good govern Washington, today illiterate", political terms of during think impassioned Electronic communication intriguing Leadership

planet, it computer.

industry,

John Describing Tax. now

thing. thing,

it of to

the

new a has

gifts, obsolescence "A all that Perry place

examples Frontier Barlow

Industrial

” Forum bunch Auschwitz been but

of

to media

Not of

we discourse Paris, be ” of

the regulate

Barlow

politicians Barlow, they

from

on

the headed

surprisingly, concepts around

of

products likened

in

industry etc, our

Foundation,

definition colonists

have of

a clueless Revolution Davos,

and said.

political

as

the grasp called have for prompted cyber-ignorance, electronic trade Declaration on co-founder perceptions think The

Brain for

forever,

a

never

I everywhere

the of the Hiroshima, Cyberspace. effects "For

new it

the provided

Switzerland

been

and

legal the they has

old who

the a world's cyberspace of inability

point

recent to same the been. model

used

everything societal online, n

a nation

significance but

men created, control of

Barlow

revolution. building jurisdiction,

an have nation rebelled

serve of

last of of

instantaneous

of it

rate increasingly

the a

the those

I in Independence

as ourselves.

gathering

personal hasn't.

of

variety understand view, 200 a

wired

state.

to World

paradigms Peking, the in

currency.

"cyber- situation to

right state, politicians

it of digerati something

against deliver fact, are from

has write years,

interests planned

not Their of

to

It world,

People

of

seem

its arose

to been

the

of

the such

a

real

we

an

In the

the why for

to to

a

a

recently who state. connected the difficult how definitions, how conflicts related generate pornography, Cultural for Net. milk tell hate in repeatedly obviously recounted play declared, era, will some they Muslim infringed into If

the cyberspace?".

it,

him "But "This One nature First Big-time

fight,

because When play. at speech easily the a don think

and enthusiasm

Internet 1

role

the

do

some that cleric they

to

of

Internet ’ Negroponte guy

create. converged t

controversy

from

is as 1

had

quandaries

not know corner so; an 1 seamlessly of take the

the usually in asked

and want at the 1

will

new thought

it

see have of its disseminating

interview in some

it

never expect the is survival unexpected fundamental wants

down creation

pornography," used the Pakistan conversations, the He

all not

more pornography media is convenience him:

that

same can't no

blowing

of set of sociological

Net.

the been full

noted to to to

it

when the tools

the 1 its "What pornography

tactics

time out get welcome to with

guru be survive.

Net

of of the The

materials demanded to

Net, creatures on go

called

in quarters. what to fear

to the

cultural the holes

right was

whole.

a

raising Nicholas

about down traditional the because clear

illustrate, control on store Barlow of very television

instance because propaganda: among ” problems

nothing

most

politicians, the the Net", of colonialism. in

all

nonetheless silently difficult when of

than

Thus, expression differences

questions the accepted Net, end

said.

it

this. their would Negroponte

of but the ’ those

s

for extradition they where but media

1

reporter too the of I I

do

it

such "I go have who industrial

It's

or example, violence,

to the is

wanted Barlow on crowded!" consider Barlow violence people to are

contrq^ very legal with slowly.

about heads

nation clearly

a can to the buy come

all

"who look

be

of to

It

I

tank and shoot the breeze on the issues facing the online world.

Michael Jackson and Madonna for "behaviour offensive publications revenues with to Muslims worldwide". There was an ever-so-slight freelance writers." ; tie of nervous laughter. "Some of you in the audience suppressed a giggle, because this seems so Law of the land ridiculous," he said. But then he recounted the case of The thought leaders also grappled a Mr and Mrs Thomas, who were successfully with the inability of the law to keep extradited from California and prosecuted under up with change wrought by technology. morality laws in Tennessee for erotic content they had "So far, legislative efforts to establish rules of put on their Web site. behaviour on the Net have resulted in uneven "Of course, we didn't send Michael Jackson and application of moral and ethical rules, often with Madonna to Pakistan; that seems such a ludicrous idea. severe infringement of personal speech," Heller said. John Perry Barlow: But we did send the Thomases to Tennessee! Mr Thomas Private efforts to address the sensitive issues have also ecology of mind. is still in jail and Mrs Thomas is only out on bail. If that proven ill-directed. As a case in point, America On- doesn't worry you... I mean, what is going on here?" Line's attempt to eliminate vulgarity from its online Negroponte also cited the case of University of chat groups was discussed. (That action caused an Michigan academic, Jake Baker, whose sexual texts uproar when users began complaining they could no offended a university alumnus in Moscow. "The court longer discuss breast cancer online because their dismissed the case after he spent 35 days in jail, but... messages were sent back.) why is this happening and why is it so entwined with the Certainly, managing the transition from the 'nternet as a phenomenon? In the US, if you violate local industrial age to the information age will be difficult. recency laws, it is a federal offence. Cyberspace is After all, the transformation to the industrial age anything but local, which is the root of the whole brought civil war to the US, Barlow noted. But despite problem. Where is local? All of a sudden, locality is gone, the upheaval, he believes it will be worth it. and so this problem will be on the front page every other "This is probably the greatest moment in human day in some form or another for the next few years." history. We are in the process of creating a As if on cue, Richard Heller, a partner in the consciousness that covers the planet, we are California law firm Frankfurt, Garbus, Klein S Selz, hardwiring it now. Less than 1 per cent of the human produced copies of the most recent editions of New race is online today, but if it continues to grow at its

York's newspapers. "If there is any doubt in your mind present rate, everyone on the planet would have an 1996

as to how much impact the Net has on us today, just electronic mail address by the year 2003. take a look. On the same day, we had stories about "I believe that in the next 500 years, each synapse AUGUST

I

three 13 year old boys arrested for trying to plant a of that consciousness will be connected to every other bomb in their school and how they got their plans synapse and will create an ecology of mind that will AGE from the Internet; a New Jersey man who filed for make a rainforest look like a desert by comparison for divorce on grounds of online adultery; the Telecom 96 its fecundity," Barlow said. law reforms; Microsoft and the Black Entertainment He was preaching to the converted, and the Network setting up an entertainment service; and a converted applauded. S3

major magazine saying it was prepared to share online - Marsha Johnston INFORMATION

m

1 j m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 ACS Access seconded data responsible with committees, modernisation years have faster in Regular OAM ACS follow information modernisation. questioning kind re-engineering outstanding at committee Vice largest influential Medal Geoff IFIP Current &c\ciety

response the

He Seymour, In

member

for chairman centre its in noticed link

organiser overseeing Seymour, since the Australian to

of up successfully

and Australia.

successful users outstanding

the

the the to

past

IT

upgrade and consolidation

most

the public times

Geoff for from technology

the and

a Order managers, pages one of results

Affairs

of

considerable year

project of Society first a He

has the

office

has complex Taxation

the government joint the

in Seymour the of

outcome. receives

has

service.

defended of is public been Seymour ACS assistant recent

the of been

business IFIP

ATO, now

Australia in

of parliamentary since

moved

the

to has Web industry's

pages

government the

awarded

organising

service. and projects Office widely considerably receives refine one weeks. report.

improvement spent

been

face has pages

commissioner the

study OAM process the

of for

(ATO),

and been

credited of the

of pages several

the most the

will

on

its

to

V access, connected maintained have line, Before Internet ______with will Monday planned Monday seconded ATO's high decision Teleteaching sessions business IT looking Len IT from of concurrently, three envelope the and with IT address needs innovative held to registrations The IFIP Countdown

"By visions realities & new attend

so

This

not Here's Organisers Up

Internet.

Augustine discuss

students new I4th 96,

profile

technology many in

June, 2-3

separate but moving access Geoff

of

service to at technologies. Canberra

only

will World

the

stream is

September, for makers

and business

processes to

with the

1000 now - also to on

where a more - the business

application

Seymour,

their the visionaries This

look

this

the

increased pm am was

draw Jack

96 are a

government. participating Congress,

but

the

and made provider, IFIP home

computer have

World

just delegates Computer Internet will

virtual

part

and Office often and segment educators, at

flooding real

from technology

pages also

McElwee and on

Telstra's

96, some -

weeks

run

practice pushed focusing it its pages managers. to

of The life the Conferences

currently

government introducing 2-6 possible

the

of not slow.

such conference

which implications and the to over Access by in

of

experiences are experiences Government will

afternoon in. Congress,

IFIP

September,

away Access speed in only were a of

Canberra

congress: Bob the academics the

implications

as

is stream 28.8

two the expected

on

AMP feature will

taking Oracle's

One. highlights running for

James and

the

of days

kbps

One,

96

be

an people and

using

to for

us.

of

IT

we

______other there principal marketing than in location," The This Consulting and to technology to technologies technologies Business Tuesday Australia, of business speech can Secretary Stockdale; and Speakers of who several pros particularly Department, Secretary processes Department, Policy/public of practices and the Premier Tuesday importance

every

be a "Tony Information IT new

Australian

it actually

final

Kevin Minister panel Myer segment will are people

and in all avoided.

technology. state recognition

the prominent

editor

Implications and

responsible

now Blackmore

having said and part cons

board, include and

of of

Grace Ray to Nuttall discussion

Secretary

will

business at

in pm

of

to

absorb the the

Cabinet, am

to Tony gain

- Steven such for government director includes service

be of re-engineering the

Dundon; of

restructuring work relatively Securities Chris of have This Industries be to update Victorian

Tasmanian Peter the Bros Multimedia, Victorian a

telecommuting.

short our

the of

among as greater Ayres; be government

and

will session all

input day Gillies Waterfield Haines. of

of for

intranets

directions on Web John to

maximum

done of of Talty.

presentations

this

government. material,

the and

term, consider

continue

the look

evolving will whether new the

Commission

Deputy

the South

organisations as Department

opportunity

pages,

Rimmer; Treasurer

of new Defence at effective Premier's will Deputy

ACS

well." be Alan at

business panellists. and Coles a

and

officials devoted single the

in look benefits

rather

the

but as

pitfalls

IT

Myer CEO

by - use

of

for

-\

J

to the appropriateness of the legislation IT profession’. Some of the subjects for Arguing the case for to protect children from objectionable discussion are-. material and its possible detrimental • electronic academic publishing for the the Jnjejnet...... effect on the development of Australia's IT discipline; online economy. • adapting IT work practices to the online ACS president, Tom Worthington, sent an The ACS and other responsible bodies environment; and open letter to all Australian have been working towards a community • coordinated international online service Commonwealth and State Attorneys consensus on this issue for several years. to IT professionals. General in June to raise awareness of Regrettably, a number of inflammatory Another area which will be focused on is concerns within the industry over plans to statements made in the media during the assistance to the community with online regulate content on the Internet. A full past few months have made that process services, covering: transcript of the letter follows-. more difficult. • Global Internet regulation; In a bid to progress the issue, the • Internet for the third world; An open letter to the Commonwealth and ACS requests that the Standing Committee • assisting online commerce; and State Attorneys General from the president of Attorneys General release for public • cultural enrichment online. of the Australian Computer Society: comment the legislation drafted by the NSW Parliamentary Council. a is in response to concerns from We also suggest that you and your staff ACS members over Internet legislation become more familiar with Internet being prepared for consideration by the technology, to better understand the July meeting of the Committee of benefits and the problems of the Attorneys General. technology and how to apply it. The ACS has participated in a number of The ACS will continue to assist with parliamentary and government enquiries community consideration of this complex into the issue of Internet regulation, and technical and social issue. You and your has facilitated the distribution of staff should consider attending the 14th information to the public on the issue. World Computer Congress, to be hosted by In its submissions, the ACS supported the ACS in Canberra. The Governor General regulation in line with that applied to other will open the event on 2 September. forms of communication in Australia. The International experts in a range of ACS expressed concern about adopting IT fields, including Internet regulation, will models of regulation that did not take into discuss these and other issues in Canberra account the features of the Internet by and via a global online conference. ACS to celebrate 30 years ..which it differs from other media, Tom Worthington This year marks the 30th articularly "broadcasting". anniversary of the founding of the The ACS has noted yesterday's (13 June) The letter also provided details of the Australian Computer Society. decision by a full bench of the US Federal World Net Workshop to be held on Friday It seems too important a Court to grant a preliminary injunction 6 September as part of IFIP 96. milestone to let pass so we re against the government's controversial With the theme 'Going beyond the planning to kick up our heels and Communications Decency Act, which Internet and Web to build the Global celebrate the occasion with a seeks to censor material distributed Network', the workshop will address issues special dinner planned for Sydney over the Internet. of use of the Internet and related in early November.

While the Society has been unable to technologies by nations and coordination The exact format for the dinner 1996

obtain a copy of the proposed Australian of efforts for a better world infrastructure. had not been finalised at time of legislation, reports indicate it is based on It is expected that the workshop will be going to press, however, it is AUGUST

an early model in the Federal Attorney followed by more formal meetings later in I expected to be a significant event General's Bulletin Board Task Force Report. the year, to discuss the construction of a with around 500 past and present AGE The BBS report was heavily criticised by the global infrastructure by IT societies for ACS members as well as key ACS and others at the Senate inquiry and in improvement in the use of the Internet. industry figures in attendance. other forums. One of the workshop topics is Stay tuned for more details If this is the basis for the proposed 'coordinated online services by IT about this event in future issues.

legislation, the ACS would have concerns as societies, in support of the international INFORMATION

Eal m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 John Jack John ACS will The ACS Any without A an as be Little disappointment. energy delivering this of to Seating Gold outstanding and special the special rate Good sure from Max including David It's Hotline local loans loan Get

new

what's make a a avocado

been anniversary This

Starting For Fixed

take year special next Gold investment

"musical home

of hit Gillies to Famham Farnham Visa branch outer Card

Shop —

Atkins' front

news

feature

repayments ALL Hearts and

go offers more

on incurring special

with Hotline

arrangement

a

in three sees

few rate Privilege James

in

fast, his booking.

holders

loans

tel: Gold of repayments space all personality and

and on

store: entertainment.

or

a

information, whose

months available clients latest Horrors unique him

tour. last capital is

on the star +61132 long 25 so

of repayments. call

home now Leonie for a Reyne, and

an

- September, the toured Card the call

back Great Program. of can

studded

the years a

like star early Here's are production

investment

blend up

224. available complete loan. also cities. benefits are loans now

will call on with Page. on Flome pagei

home

Christine a now to

White

is

repayment

Australia, since cross

packed

applies contact home

the

just $5,000 to be a through the of

cast Tickets

his

ACS

able

vegetable

Described the avoid

Loan credited music,

road

on

Pointer", a Preferred update between national is

loans home

Visa sample

tour to Anu, with

sure to a fixed your

make

year are but

fee. the the

of

on

to

or

ACS John John John John John Adelaide: The Australian The Winter Tickets The huge Shifting Ballet, Melbourne. republic. timing version spoof A Brisbane: moves Peter Perth: Peter Miss Ballet, Horrors, Sydney the bookings opens this Smokey of Opera, the the The

right

Virginia

membership 17th United Beast, Australian Melbourne Sydney show Queen

Saigon,

Farnham, Farnham, Farnham, Farnham, hit Farnham,

Pan, Pan,

on

royal in as to Disney's

OLD ■ Crazy

Season,

comes in Joe's Heart, Doll,

the Sydney Now The we Sydney are on

guarantees

Open Skylight, The Black Kingdom. Woolf? London's

SI-The

Philharmonic

Kings

satirical

debate Windsors The

For now The Queen Cafe Sale

showing

The our

The The Ballet, AC/DC, Phantom

The Cup, Beauty The The

Rock,

on Australian later Fire You,

being

way Torrents,

Shanghai Shanghai Phantom

The Little

Australian our 13

West 1997

G Now

Royals

riot,

a SmokeyJoe's

on

The September this Disney's

1,

has Who's G in with

great

Three

way

taken.

The

of

the the

Ford

Melbourne, Orchestra, Shop an

End this

year. Shanghai become

the

Downunder perfect

Opera's Summer

Ballet, Ballet, of towards Beast, Australian Snow Shanghai night Afraid

Tenors, ultimate and

of the Ballet, Opera, Beauty

and

across

out.

a

The Cafe,

of a

it

G

It

A way Australians because working cheque manual cheques costs transactions anticipating has debit many terminal Australia, business The towards All All +611800 Bank's advantages largely eliminated, EFTPOS Comm2000. flexibility fraction businesses developed transactions were than after No also $7.00 7.00pm Call

new

bookings cancellations, tickets

That To The The Few been

day

they apply *

85,000

the booking or through

benefits 612

find approach Freecall

account

Commonwealth

card electronic

is EFTPOS charge of is booking weekdays. you days EFTPOS. as choice 023 to

or

built pay

and and 352 also

are

fast

with the

the

out

to frequently. allow

of practice will

the

Clients are 900 will sales with

EFTPOS

take for of 3300

subject lower cost

Comm2000

into 340 EFTPOS Comm2000 fee. cost.

approaching more

a

number card. some

is

needs expect terminals is settlement. subject to availability. to good

not

goods

There small during is exchanges

EFTPOS increasingly efficiency

vouchers credited conducted processing advantages

million A

payments every

and from

confirmed. can

call merchant

about promoter's A need terminals

ticket

to

way

of

offers,

The smart

to a

on your

are and Bank

business use

Commonwealth

a

8.30am the device, choice

medium

can offer minimum EFTPOS to

to EFTPOS to the

need

within purchases.

now when their

is services.

or

nominated future.

your of card

bank has at save in

of

reduce of also fees. leaning

refunds in

the

a

1994/95. in fee more

to the to

credit,

hours.

reader

two sized time, the

ease,

bank may

26-30 August 25-27 September 3-7 December Cairns, Queensland Singapore Shanghai, China PRICAI-96, the Fourth Pacific Rim Comdex Asia '96 will run concurrently with Banking China 96. China's financial industry International Conference on Artificial the I4th General Assembly of ASOCIO, the has undergone major transformation and Intelligence. Asian Oceanic Computing Industry development in recent years with the This biennial event concentrates on Organisation, which represents 12 regional abolition of foreign exchange controls, research and development of AI bodies including the AIIA. Austrade decentralisation of decision making power technologies and their applications in the encourages Australian 1TST companies and the development of money markets and areas of scientific, social and economic wanting to expand into the Asian market to stock and bond trading. importance for Pacific Rim countries. consider participation at this event. With the Chinese government’s For more information, contact Susan Contact Austrade's National Export Hotline advocacy of the so called Golden Card Dickey at Finn Aussi Conference Services, on tel: +61132 878. Projects, the banking industry has entered PO Box 1689, Cairns, QLD 4870, tel: +61 70 a new phase of development. This is 411 844, fax: +6170 411 244, e-mail: 6-9 October China's first step towards electronic finnaussiesinternetnorth.com.au, or Sanctuary Cove, Queensland currency and part of its efforts to reform contact the conference Web page on 1996 Asia Pacific Distributed Solutions the accounting settlement system of the ://www.cit.gu.edu. au/research/groups/ Event. This event brings together People's Bank of China. a, ricai96/. internationally respected industry Ken Wong, Austrade's national analysts, end users, vendors, and manager IT, says Banking China is an 27-29 August researchers to discuss solutions to opportunity for China’s financiers and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia distributed computing problems using real bankers to assess the technology available SEACOMM '96, the second international life case studies. Each case study will focus for the Golden Card Projects. Austrade can South East Asian Conference on on the business rationale for change, the assist Australian exhibitors with Communications and Computer Networks technology strategy adopted, and the professional exhibition management will focus on the theme of New eventual outcome of the initiative. The services, market intelligence and on-the- Applications and Trends for High Speed program incorporates keynote speakers ground assistance from experienced staff. Networks. For more information contact including Patricia Seybold, internationally Exhibitors with a turnover of less than the chairman, SEACOMM '96 Programme renowned expert on distributed systems $5 million may also be eligible for a 40 per Committee, Malaysian National Computer technologies; case studies; and expert cent subsidy on the cost of exhibiting. Confederation, 46A, Road SS2/66, 47300 panel discussions. Contact Rob Martyn, Austrade's Project Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, tel: +603 775 1576, Further information: Manager — Banking China on fax: +603 774 7026. http://www.dstc.edu.au/events/dse96/ or tel: + 61 6 2017656 or fax: + 61 6 2017304. contact Liz Armstrong at tel: + 617 3365 O-31 Aug 4310, fax: + 61 7 3365 4311. 14-18 July 1997 dlanberra, ACT Sydney, NSW ACS Council meeting. 30 October-3 November INTERACT97, the international conference Bangalore, India of IFIP TCB on human-computer 2-6 September India CSI-96 will be staged in Bangalore interaction, will be held at the Darling Canberra, ACT with the theme India, the Emerging Harbour Convention and Exhibition Centre IFIP’96, the 1996 World Computer Information Giant. in Sydney. The theme is Discovering New Congress, will be held at the National The 31st annual conference of the CSI Worlds of Human-Computer Interaction. Convention Centre in Canberra. will showcase India's technical excellence For more information, contact the

in information technology, as well as INTERACT97 Secretariat via Judy 1996 The Congress will comprise three concurrent world conferences on the highlight international efforts in areas as Hammond, Australian representative for topics of: Mobile Communications; diverse as software engineering, parallel IFIP TCB on tel: +61 6 2573299, AUGUST

Advanced IT Tools; and Teleteaching '96, and distributed computing, virtual reality fax: +61 6 257 3256, e-mail: plus a Business Practice Stream. and human resource development. interact97®acs.org.au, or access the AGE For more information, contact the For more information contact: Mr S Sasi Website http://www.acs.org.au/interact97. IFIP 96 Secretariat at e-mail: Kumar, Program Co-chair, CSI 96, Centre i ifip96sact.acs.org.au, tel: +61 6 257 3299 or for Development of Advanced Computing, For details of other IT-related events, check fax: +61 6 257 3256, or access Ramanashree Plaza, 2/1 Brunton Road, out the Open Solutions Centre's full listing

http://www.acs.org.au/ifip96.html. Bangalore 560025. at:http://web.spirit.com.au/WatsOn. INFORMATION

m m INFORMATION AGE I AUGUST 1996 the the shopping. adventurous, their Web increase main shopping Americans on is organisations any positioning present life US model, purchasing using promote hosting model A if

it no Phil

Money

the ’

The than in A advertising. advertising s other

toes

shopping cost credit only have advertising. s Internet the few

a

with Web far

where

credit McCrea

only the on

it themselves in

US form

companies to in for is as

is The created

the

business Web are

card themselves material

is

and the much the

method here,

than

business the

but is catalogues card.

like or

Web of business necessarily model

is

water. still

person users companies advertising

businesses purpose

advertising

because provides

more Many mail-order not it a more

In

is on primarily is home pay

of due

this

have

to because

here. credit, make The

is

the popular

payment for organisations looking

part

a the

model concerned, to

are

of purchasing

respect, mail-order page

moved changes Web. a more business

Web

are an

company is purchases sticking

of wishing major - shopping. displayed and used

much

everyday

at here outline in

of

at

There

the from the for

sorts, Web

is

like the to

of even

‘ e-cash which agreed enter There companies comment SET. transaction 10 ‘ "Electronic implement option main snoop cyberspace, about all percentage use browsers matter inevitably, Informer comparatively companies security. use send

transactions per

One

The But is on

The encryption players,

the

will will cent its placing

of of somewhere the on

progress ’ for main of

section time

a People cost-typically

next

incorporate and companies then take

most a

the SET. pulldown

Web

for will

commerce take points common

based

everything the believing

Mastercard their impediment

e-mail before received

time problems easy use be fall

of

that

We

a key is of feel is some uninitiated.

the certain

into -the the and

in this

being to along details. credit

for

will

take

the message menu

uncomfortable

invited security a software

other

digest

SET-back that

question some taxi. line. someone up

issue).

standard dialogue then

credit

with several

and card made. place. the

percentage

to to which

it credit It This

industry (see 3000

as is credit

have is line. Visa, credit protocol,

card

encrypted

to But,

details

only

The high of ”

as mark to says replies,

card in the

card

have

the

you

card

a two as

of

­

in

’

.

this the for with electronic the Australia, so accepts on for hot present-notablythe need involved. have make You Digicash, ‘ ‘ and a entirely make ‘e-cash lower. purchases, As same system, Transactions as intervention Internet purchasing up processing, coins withdrawal

daily manager

well

purchasing

your covers electronic There This small Payment

Electronic a details area same

space so

then

paper

not

result, not sure a

costs ’

-

Here

newspaper. from

it as

purchase

enabled electronic-there disk Phil

and e-cash. based

in is of been can know

Web One way

go

are

which

covering the and cash the ... are a for the cash.

the

’ ’

in

as s enter

credit your functional which therefore McCrea of in on until Net

be

several cash

how

from as the the cost cash, interesting coins

used

actually

next Cybercash purchases, the Internet can

manual where

a payment

the is ’

You used , recently

certain shopping money

from bank. and the the CSIRO you order

that

cards

to it time, settlement account. entered

merchant it

of market be is Web

the 12

Internet before.

or you works:

is

is e-mail

the

companies a

Dutch existing credit the merchant for

you anonymous, use

months.

are the

as

a

a e-cash, automatically use IT manual cost description,

This

of

your in amount method merchant

bit have cannot credit

and merchant, set very

feature money a industry

is from subject

issuing it-in make

cents share such your

in and of business card

your

more the

will

At company no of ’

money up s

a

bank the tendered the small

process, paper

card

proponent bank fraud.

is Watch the

process, the

human e-cash decide confer wallet.

shop a as, be much

be and that at of bank is vying

an of cards.

to

liaison bank

who and

same

a as used, US.

used say,

and and

sits

tool. the

is

in

j

to

to

BEST PRICES

A FOOL AND HIS WHEN BUSINESS THE BALANCING A MONEY WHEN EAST MEETS FOOL Martin Baker Business ML Patterson, Grenny, EAST Christopher Engholm McMillan & Swiltzet AND An up-to-the-minute =-MEETS----- guide to the world of BUSINESS The guide to practice must read for any HIS finance, explaining and protocol in the business person in MONEY how and why the WEST Pacific Rim. From r Mastering^ pursuit of a down-to- THE GCBDC TO die Competing HIGH FINANCE, LOW LIVING- market moves, the Practice and Protocol boardrooms and Demands of earth, practical, and UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL in the Pacific Rim ^Leaderships MARKETS AND THOSE WHO role of rumour and banquet halls to bath sincere method of WORK IN THEM the irrelevance of CHRISTOPHER ENGHOLM houses, this book will Patterson, Gremiy, McMillan, 4 Smliler taking new ■BBS statistics. guide you through opportunities and the complex maze of reshaping company Asian culture. culture.

THE NAKED HOW'S ALL THE Timm s K Mijfott I,,. j\)AKH) • MANAGER FDR L i j j ai]i COMPUTER TUP Ml AIETTi ETC* RyjygFWjjla MANAGE l: Robert Heller Don Bhhowiak Thomas R. Mylott When the Naked How to manage the Most companies now Manager was first challenges of consider outsourcing 1‘ O R published in 1971, it churning out more a real option. But the quickly became a work with less staff. big questions are how, when and why? NINETIES much quoted classic. Specifically designed The ’90s versions to help after a Mylott, long time IT develops the original downsizing, it is short executive and now an arguments, placing on theory and long on attorney in Texas, them in the context solutions. looks inside of the new economic outsourcing environment.

S/7i&Bookcase ORDER FORM

Title Qty Price Total Name Title Organisation

Address

Book Total FREIGHT AUSTRALIA WIDE $5.00 Postcode Telephone Overseas Air: $20.00 □ Bankcard □ Mastercard □ Visa □ Diners □ Amex TOTAL $ i □ Cheque fax cardNo. i i i i irrmi i i i 11 i i r

Free Phone 131 York St (02) 9264 8993 Expiry Date | | || | | Total $______1800 628 295 Sydney 2000

Note Books will be supplied by Abbey’s Bookshop.Most orders will be despatched within 48 hours of receipt of order. Signature

\ I Introducing the Wysefwinterm^ . Family Microsoft Windows Terminal

• the ease of use-^- , ; lowcost, security anal reliability of.terminals: PLUS! the versatility of MICROSOFT WINDOWS!

3.1 Windows '95 & Windows NT multiuser Windows NT servers

For further detailed information!, please contact TGE - national distributor for WYSE, WYSE Macquarie View Park Estate, Unit 7,112-118 Talavera Road, North Ryde NSW Phone: (02) 888 7779 Facsimile: (02) 878 6862 THE GREAT ESCAPE COMPUTER COMPANY