Oracle CEO Ellison: Network Computers Will Feature a Video User InterfaceNCs Will Outsell Traditional PCs Nine to One By the Year 2000, CEO Tells Audience at CMP's Networked Economy ConferencePRNewswire Oracle Chairman and CEO Larry Ellison said today at CMP's Networked Economy Conference that the initial network computers (NC) his company will unveil next month will feature a "video user interface," or VUI. According to Ellison, the VUI will make it easier for new users -- including students -- to master basic tasks such as writing and sending e-mail. In his half-hour keynote here today, the CEO also discussed via satellite his plans to infuse the consumer market -- particularly America's schools and homes -- with NC technology. In particular, Ellison envisions classrooms configured with an NC server and a client on each student's desk. "Only when everyone can have a computer will we have an information age and a networked economy." Ellison also revealed his high expectations for the NC platform, saying that NCs will outsell traditional PCs nine to one by the year 2000. "The next generation telephones, TVs and computers will be based on NC technology," Ellison said. In fact, in Japan next month, Oracle will introduce four NC products, two clients and two servers--one of which will house software and the other data. Ellison also said that it will be possible to emulate an NC environment using a scaled-down PC with only 16 megabytes of RAM, and a modem or ethernet connection. "All NC software can run under the auspices of a browser such as Netscape Navigator or (Microsoft's) Internet Explorer." CMP's Networked Economy Conference, which is being Webcasted at http://www.networked-economy.com/, is presented by CommunicationsWeek (http://www.commweek.com/), The Networking Newspaper. CommunicationsWeek delivers news and analysis that helps network IT management translate evolving advances in communications and computing technology directly into business advantage. In addition, the newspaper features Web Commerce, a biweekly section that provides in-depth features and analysis of electronic commerce products, technologies and case studies. Telepath, a monthly supplement to CommunicationsWeek, is directed to the innovators behind converging networks. CMP Media Inc. provides publishing, marketing and information services to the entire high-technology spectrum -- the builders, sellers and users of technology -- through print and electronic media. All of CMP's publications and online products can be accessed through the company's TechWeb® site on the World Wide Web (http://www.techweb.com/). Print titles include EE Times, Computer Reseller News, InformationWeek and WINDOWS Magazine. -0- 3/19/97 SOURCE: CMP Media Inc. CONTACT: Steve Rubel, 516-562-7434, or srubel@cmp.com, Leslie Dunbar, |