DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION BROADENS GLOBAL SOFTWARE ACQUISITION SUPPORT

-- For multinational companies, Version 1.0 of new Online Services
simplifies volume software purchases --

MAYNARD, Mass., October 4, 1995 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today
announced Release 1.0 of its Online Services for Software Acquisition,
which gives customers who use Digital as their software reseller the
ability to order desktop software over the Internet, using the World Wide
Web.

Using this new service, customers can maximize their software purchasing
power by enhancing their control over enterprise-wide software
procurement. The service also helps customers cut their software
acquisition costs through more efficient use of vendors' volume discount
programs.

With delivery capability in 100 countries and the ability to invoice
locally in more than 30 currencies, Digital is the first global software
reseller to offer its customers an Internet ordering capability.

"Customers are looking to their software resellers to be more than just a
`fulfillment' house for software," said Tim Leisman, vice president,
Productivity Services for Digital's Multivendor Customer Services
Division. "Thus, Digital provides an overall strategy for total software
lifecycle management. As part of this strategy, Online Services gives
customers capabilities that will help them purchase their software more
easily and productively."

According to Steve Clancy, Director/Principal Analyst from Dataquest WW
Services Group, "Dataquest research indicates that a large portion of
distributed computing budgets today are dedicated to software acquisition,
license administration and support. So, any asset management tool or
service that helps control or drive down the costs of this key component
of the distributed computing model will have immediate payback in
customers computing environments."

Release 1.0 of Online Services, available immediately in the United States,
Canada and Europe, provides:

 o  Instant access to the latest list of available products and
    up-to-the-minute changes in volume discount programs, such
    as Microsoft Select and Lotus Passport. Since changes often
    affect discounts and costs for customers, quick access to
    information allows customers to better manage their
    purchases.

 o  "Paperless" high-speed ordering. This virtually eliminates
    the "P.O." process and reduces much of the internal
    administration associated with expediting software
    purchases.

 o  Real-time response to orders, with immediate confirmation
    information. Accuracy of orders is heightened and faster
    delivery of software is now possible.

 o  Purchase reports detailing how and where software dollars
    are spent. The new online service generates reports that
    give a comprehensive, up-to-the minute view of a company's
    worldwide software purchasing activity. With this
    information, CIOs have the necessary information to better
    plan, predict and control their software purchasing budgets.

 o  Safe, secure online software purchasing. Only those
    designated by a company as authorized software purchasers
    have access to these new services. They are assigned a user
    ID and a password that ensures their authenticity as
    designated purchasers.  In addition to other security
    safeguards, transaction confidentiality is also guaranteed
    through the use of public-key encryption, a CRC-type check
    applied to all documents.

"Customers' use of online services," said Kurt Johnson, an analyst with
International Data Corporation, "continues to increase as a means of not
only getting new software installed quickly but as a mechanism for taking
advantage of volume discounts.

"Digital is taking the lead," said Johnson, "in offering multi- national
companies full life cycle services that provide customers with a flexible
and self-sufficient means for both pre- and post- installation of
software."

Access to the services announced today is available through a variety of
easy-to-use Web browsers. For those customers not yet connected to the
Internet, Digital provides Internet Startup Services.

These services will be available in Australia and New Zealand in December
1995. Future versions of this new service will include, among other
capabilities, electronic software download and integration with software
asset management.

Online Services is part of Digital's Software Utility program, which helps
customers increase their control of the software lifecycle in the areas of
software acquisition, management and support.

More information about Digital's Software Utility and related services can
be found by accessing Digital's Home Page at http://www.digital.com/ and
searching for the Software Utility in the Multivendor Customer Services
section.

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server
solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information
systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software
and services, together with industry- focused solutions from business
partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global
marketplace.
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email: rbakerpc@delphi.com  -or- RBakerPC (on AOL/Delphi)
 =========================================================
