IDEA and Alcatel Telecom Partner to Deliver a Network Computer - the IDEA
Internet Client Station

IDEA SELECTS ALCATEL TELECOM AS PARTNER IN DELIVERY OF ITS INTERNET CLIENT
STATION SOLUTION

SAN FRANCISCO -- May 20, 1996 -- IDEA, a leading provider of comprehensive
access and integration solutions for IBM host and network-based
applications, today announced it has selected Alcatel Telecom as a key
distribution partner for its new IDEA Internet Client Station. Under the
terms of the agreement, Alcatel Telecom, a leading provider of SNA,
networking, storage and service solutions, will provide distribution,
installation and support services to its customers worldwide.

The partnership with Alcatel Telecom helps IDEA realize its goal of being a
leading provider of Internet/Intranet solutions to organizations
worldwide, transforming current networks into full-fledged members of the
World Wide Web and corporate Intranets. The IDEA Internet Client Station
adheres to Oracle's Network Computer (NC) reference profile which provides
a framework for the implementation of easy to use, low cost computing
devices based on open Internet standards. The IDEA Internet Client Station
is an affordable, diskless workstation that delivers graphical Web
browsing, host computer access, multiprotocol communications, and the
ability to execute Java applets at the desktop.

"Alcatel Telecom's large scale and proven ability to successfully market,
distribute, install and service technology solutions on a global basis
will help ensure that users are able to reap the benefits of reduced
support costs, application portability, and host and Internet connectivity
at a competitive price point-- significantly below that of a PC," said
IDEA Executive Vice President Pierre Violo. "Our common focus on SNA,
networking and the Internet makes this a strong partnership."

Alcatel Telecom recently announced its AVANZA strategy for extending its
networking expertise to the Internet arena. The company now provides all
the technology and services necessary for bringing turnkey
Internet/Intranet access to companies of all sizes. Alcatel Telecom also
announced the formation of an internal team dedicated to delivering the
new services to its customer base. According to Lothar Jung, Director
Business Segment Workgroup Products, Alcatel Germany, "The combination of
IDEA's innovative technology and Alcatel's host environments, networking
and services will provide Alcatel customers with leading edge expertise in
the areas of network computing and client/server solutions that brings
access to thousands of customers/suppliers with the security of a diskless
desktop".

Corporate Profiles

ALCATEL

Alcatel Telecom is a subsidiary of Alcatel Alsthom, a worldwide supplier of
high tech systems in the telecommunications, electronics and
electro-mechanics fields. Alcatel Alsthom has organized itself into
sectors to enable it to adapt to developments in its markets and to their
globalization, and to respond more effectively to its customer's
requirements. Its main sectors are Telecommunications, Cable, Systems, GEC
Alsthom, and Batteries.

With more than 185,000 employees around the world, in 1995 Alcatel Alsthom
had a turnover of 160.4 billion in French francs. In the forefront of the
new technologies, the group devotes 10.1% of its sales (more than 20% in
certain key Telecommunications sectors) to R&D. This strategy is
accompanied by a partnership and association policy in complementary
fields that reinforce the position of some of the Group's activities.
Alcatel Alsthom has set up industrial installations and has forged local
partnerships in more than 20 countries, and has business dealings in 130
countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim and in the Americas.

ALCATEL TELECOM

Through Alcatel Telecom, Alcatel Alsthom is one of the world leaders in
telecommunications systems. Its activities cover all public and private
requirements, from the operator to the final user, offering products and
services ranging from digital switching to transmission systems, from
radio or spatial links to mobile cell telephone systems and services.
Alcatel Telecom is a leader in the highly competitive mobile cell
communications market where its range covers switches as well as base
stations and terminals. Thanks to its R&D investment, Alcatel Telecom is
one of the leading world players in information highway technology-- ATM
wide-band switching and SDH (called SONET in the U.S.). Network link-ups
and customer services are also essential components of Alcatel Telecom's
range.

IDEA

IDEA designs, manufactures and markets data communications and networking
solutions that enable end-users to easily access data located on diverse
hosts and servers within heterogeneous enterprise networks. IDEA products
include IDEAcomm client software and emulation boards, IDEAConcert
communication processors for access to AS/400, mainframe and UNIX hosts
and IDEA Transaction Stations and Desktop Client Stations, which unify
traditional terminal and PC LAN technologies. IDEA has also recently
introduced a suite of Internet products, including the IDEA Internet
Terminal Server, which provides Web browsing access for SNA terminals and
the IDEA Internet Host Server, which provides highly secure, real-time
access to IBM host data from any standard Web browser.

IDEA products are targeted to users who need access to IBM mainframes,
AS/400s, UNIX and other TCP/IP-based systems from terminals, PC's or
workstations. With an installed base of more than one million seats
worldwide, customers include all sizes of industrial and manufacturing
enterprises as well as entertainment and service companies, financial and
academic institutions and federal and state agencies. IDEA's home page is
located at http://www.idea.com.
 
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