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CONTACT: Nicholas C. d'Arbeloff
         Public Relations Specialist
         (617) 256-6600, x4499
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{!THE NET WORTH OF A NETWORK!}
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CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS -- Increasing the flow of information,
providing quick and easy access to a large database, facilitating intra-
corporate communication, automating sales orders, inventory, and even the 
product design process--these are all important items of concern for today's 
high-growth companies.
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Acquiring such corporate characteristics, however, is easier said
than done. In the early stages of growth, a company rarely worries about such 
factors. Since the organization is small, communication is not usually a 
problem.
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Yet the potential for problems remain. Suddenly, the company isn't
functioning effectively. Communication is hampered. Orders are received and 
processed haphazardly. Locating information becomes very difficult. Products
just aren't getting out the door.
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Avoiding these problems before they materialize is crucial. 
Establishing a system that is designed to accommodate growth should be a high
priority from the start.
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One company has done just that; Apollo Computer Inc., headquartered 
in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Before the company had made its first shipment, 
Apollo was using its own computers to manage the flow of information, track 
incoming and outgoing parts and supplies, and even aid in the design of future 
products.
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The company, founded in 1980 by John William Poduska Sr., 
manufactures dedicated, high-performance, 32-bit professional workstations, 
which operate in a distributed, local area network. These workstations are 
currently used in Computer-Aided-Design (CAD), Computer-Aided-Engineering (CAE),
engineering and scientific problem solving, computer science education and 
research, and Computer-Aided-Software-Engineering (CASE).
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"Apollo was designed to be a high-growth corporation", said Poduska,
the company's chairman of the board and chief executive officer,  "In light of 
this, we knew the in-house network would prove to be an invaluable resource, 
and we were determined to reach a high level of productivity from day one."
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Since the company's founding when just a small handful of computers,
or "nodes", were sufficient, the Apollo in-house network has grown in pace with 
the company. Today, while net sales have grown at an annual rate of 
approximately 500%, the network boasts some 475 nodes, facilitating almost  
every activity from design to marketing to manufacturing.
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Linked to all departments corporate-wide, the network is used for a
wide range of applications. Common to all users is the substantial benefit of
resource sharing. The network allows any user at any node to "reach" into a 
multitude of other computers and "pull" information on an as-needed basis. 
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In addition, Apollo's local-area network offers the unique capability of 
virtual memory and demand-paging across the network--providing a level of
functionality to which only the DOMAIN system may lay claim.
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Overall, the network offers approximately 480 million bytes (MB) 
of main memory, and forty-five billion bytes (gigabytes, or GB) of disk 
storage. On an average day, three-quarters of the nodes are in use at a given 
time, and  roughly two-thirds (30 GB) of disk capacity is taken up by stored 
information.
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Connected by over eighteen miles of high-speed coax cable among four
Chelmsford sites, the nodes can exchange information at a speed of up to twelve 
million bits-per-second. At this speed, users can view documents or run programs
located elsewhere in the network almost instantaneously.
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"The network offers extremely fast response time," said Tom
Esposito, Apollo's director of MIS and chief administrator of the network. 
"This speed is achieved primarily as a result of the Apollo system's dedicated 
architecture--each workstation has its own 32-bit processor, so users needn't
wait for access to a mainframe."
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Although a number of the applications on the network are quite 
complex and specific, many are used by everyone.  These common applications are 
provided by DPSS, Apollo's DOMAIN Professional Services Support.  DPSS is a 
comprehensive, user-oriented package of integrated administrative tools 
including DPSS/DOCUMENT, a structured document editor;  DPSS/MAIL, electronic 
mail; and DPSS/CALC, an electronic spreadsheet.
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Each of these tools can be accessed from anywhere on the network.
If a file is created at one node, using DPSS/DOCUMENT, it can be called up from 
any other. For example, if someone in R&D writes a report and wants the piece 
edited by someone in marketing communications, all that is needed by the editor
is the name of the node and the sub-directory, or the "pathname". The 
Communications employee can simply access the specified directory from his/her
own node, edit it, and put it back. The system automatically keeps a back-up 
file of the original, unedited document.
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DPSS network-wide electronic MAIL sends, receives, and forwards 
messages, documents, and programs, and data. It is integrated with other DPSS 
tools, giving users the capability to manage and transmit reports easily. 
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MAIL provides complete interoffice and even inter-building 
communication. Be it simply a quick message or an entire document, MAIL allows 
for faster and easier communication--something from which any corporation might 
benefit.                                                          
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"The time-saving capabilities of these tools are extensive," said
Edward J. Zander, vice president of marketing. "Ordinarily, contacting people 
in other departments, or accessing necessary documents or files is extremely 
time-consuming. With DPSS, it's simply a matter of sitting down at a node and 
telling the network what it is you want."
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In addition to these network-wide facilities, there are a number of 
applications specific to each department. Marketing, for instance, uses the system
to create, edit, and store its promotional literature, write monthly reports, 
memos, press releases and even business letters.
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Another marketing application involves customer demonstrations.
During customer visits, the network is used to highlight system capabilities.
Also, prepared demonstrations may be accessed on demand from anywhere on the 
network, allowing the visitor to view a full range of graphics and programming
possibilities, such as solids modeling, finite element analysis, or graphic
simulation. These demonstrations use application software from third parties.
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Apollo's Software Supplier Program has over 250 widely-used, high-quality
software packages which run on the DOMAIN system. As the need arrives, any one
of these packages may be put on-line to meet the requirements of a given 
in-house project.
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"In customer presentations, the in-house network speaks for itself,"
said Zander. "When customers see firsthand the speed, performance, and application
possibilities of our systems--on a network as large as our own--they are always 
impressed."
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Sales order reporting and analysis is also on-line.
Marketing Administration manages all sales data and statistical breakdown on 
networked nodes. Thus, sales reports and projections can be generated within 
the network as well, allowing information from 25 sales and service offices
in North America and eight international subsidiaries to be compiled and 
analyzed.  
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Another important function served by the corporate network is
centralized dispatching, whereby customer inquiries and service requests are 
processed and sent to the appropriate office in a fraction of the time it would
take by any other method.    
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Finance & Administration uses the network for budgeting, financial 
planning/reporting, business systems development, payroll management, and the
employee stock option plan. Employment records for over 1800 employees, 
including information on insurance programs, state and federal taxes, and 
remuneration are managed and stored within the network. In addition, Apollo
employee stock options are recorded and handled on-line.
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Manufacturing's use of the network is somewhat more complex. One of
the primary applications is called the "automated slot plan." When an order is 
received, the information is fed into the system and matched against 
manufacturing's assembly schedule. Dates are then set for the assembly and 
shipment of the order, and customers are notified when they can expect to receive 
their Apollo equipment. Because these manufacturing nodes are networked, other 
departments such as Marketing Administration can access this information for their
own reports, projections, and sales order management.  
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Quality reporting, another manufacturing application, is also 
maintained on the network. As parts and peripherals are received, the system 
automatically pulls the appropriate shipping records on each separate item 
using Apollo's D3M database management software. This package allows users to
organize and access information located anywhere in the network. 
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Using D3M, a user can
combine whole or partial views of many individual databases into a single database
view for both query and update purposes. The incoming parts enter an inspection 
process whereby those found unsuitable are set aside. Those accepted are then 
bar-coded and ready for stocking. 
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Inventory control is also managed on the network. Once processed, 
all incoming shipments are given a "move ticket", each with a unique bar-coded 
label. The system, which has been programmed with a complete layout of the stock
room, places each order in storage according to size, weight, fragility, and the 
duration of storage. 
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The system chooses the quickest path to retrieve or store a 
given item, increasing overall efficiency and decreasing clerical and processing 
tasks.
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"It's hard to imagine processing incoming and outgoing orders without 
the help of the network," said Herb Morton, manager of manufacturing systems. "The
entire process lends itself to mistakes and clerical errors, causing costly 
delays. The network, however, allows us to get our products out the door with 
very few problems whatsoever."
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Research & Development, using the Apollo DOMAIN Software Engineering
Environment (DSEE), a set of four integrated software management functions,
enhances and develops software. In the design of new products, Apollo engineers 
use Apollo computers for their own in-house Computer-Aided-Design applications. 
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"Overall, the Apollo network allows for an extremely smooth and
efficient flow of information," stated Poduska. "The classic bottlenecks which 
normally develop after a period of high growth are absent, as the network lets
employees access the information they need, regardless of where in the 
organization it's located. The corporate efficiency resulting from such easy 
access gives Apollo an edge over competitors." Poduska continued, "If a problem 
arises, whether technical or logistical in nature, the network architecture 
allows for a program to be written and shared by all users, thus providing a 
company-wide solution."
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Allowing for a great deal of flexibility, the Apollo network 
provides all employees a wide range of applications and automated tools with 
which to perform their jobs. While many systems can offer one or the other, the 
Apollo workstation is a general purpose system capable of anything from routine 
DPSS functions to complex Computer-Aided-Design. 
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The Apollo network, although quite sizable in its present form, 
will expand. Links will be installed across the U.S., providing home-office to
field communications. Expanding communications even further, Apollo will
integrate its international operations as well.  "In the not-too-distant future,
we plan to have one of the few private transcontinental networks in the world,"
Esposito remarked.
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