DIGITAL SETS PLAN FOR LEADERSHIP IN NEXT-GENERATION MOBILE SALES FORCE
AUTOMATION

U.S. Initiative Includes Recruitment of Leading Field Automation Partners,
Aggressive New Mobile Pricing

MAYNARD, Mass. -- August 22, 1995 -- Citing the rapidly increasing
requirement for mobile automation among corporate sales forces and a
spectrum of other groups of field professionals, Digital Equipment
Corporation today announced first steps in a U.S. strategy to capture a
leadership position in sales force and general field automation. Centered
around the popular Digital HiNote and HiNote Ultra notebook computers, the
initiative calls for recruitment of leading field automation software
firms whose applications require affordable, lightweight portable systems
optimized for multimedia presentations. To aggressively launch the
initiative, Digital also announced price cuts in the U.S. of 14 to 30
percent across its entire notebook line.

"Competitive necessity is driving today's sales forces and other on-the-go
professionals toward true mobile automation, the next generation of sales
force automation," said Skip Gladfelter, vice president of marketing,
Americas, for Digital's Personal Computer Business Unit. "Sales people
today must be able to do business in a 'virtual office,' anywhere -- from
obtaining product specifications, pricing and availability; accessing
account information and placing orders; to delivering increasingly
sophisticated sales and product presentations."

Customer demand in the portable market is being fueled by the rapid
development and deployment of sophisticated communications and multimedia
products that when integrated with lightweight, powerful computers,
provide an ideal platform for field professionals. "Digital's HiNote
Ultra, especially with the new Mobile Media Module, is an ideal tool for
sales force automation and is one of the best implementations of
multimedia notebooks I have seen," commented Tim Bajarin, president of
Creative Strategies Research International, Inc.

Although this next generation of sales force automation requires
increasingly capable portable devices that capitalize on the trend to
smaller and lighter designs, the company noted that success is reliant on
providing more than just hardware-based solutions. Digital's strategy is
to work in partnership with selected vendors to deliver comprehensive,
industry-leading sales force and general field automation solutions
through traditional channels of distribution.

"Market-driven computing and communications products, robust and intuitive
software, key technologies such as high-performance audio and video, and
comprehensive service and support programs are all key ingredients for
success," said Tom Esperson, manager of mobile product marketing,
Americas, for Digital's Personal Computer Business Unit. "Our strategy
goes beyond the hardware platform and includes plans to align with leading
industry-specific and general field automation providers who specialize in
equipping medium to large corporations with the latest tools to maximize
field productivity."

Aggressive New Pricing Will Bolster Field Automation Strategy

In addition to recruiting sales force software and consulting partners,
Digital made price cuts across its entire line of HiNote and HiNote Ultra
notebooks to position its mobile offerings more aggressively.

Digital's HiNote Ultra family is targeted to ultra-mobile professionals who
place a premium on sleek form factors with the high performance normally
found on larger, bulkier computers. Price reductions for the HiNote Ultra
family range from 14 to 27 percent, or $440 to $1,330.

Also thin and lightweight, Digital's HiNote family is designed for value
conscious buyers who seek to maximize price/performance with superior
ergonomics. Price reductions for the HiNote family range from 15 to 30
percent, or $310 to $1,170. A complete summary follows:

HiNote Ultra

   Model  Configuration    Old SRP   New SRP  % Change  Price Delta

   CS450  4MB/340MB        $3,139    $2,699   14%       $440
   CS475  8MB/510MB        $3,879    $3,259   16%       $620
   CT450  8MB/340MB        $4,369    $3,259   25%       $1,109
   CT475  8MB/340MB        $4,849    $3,519   27%       $1,330
   CT475  8MB/528MB        $4,999    $3,859   23%       $1,140

HiNote

   Model  Configuration    Old SRP   New SRP  % Change  Price Delta

   CS450  4MB/340MB        $2,049    $1,739   15%       $310
   CS475  4MB/510MB        $3,039    $2,249   26%       $790
   CT450  4MB/240MB        $3,049    $2,369   22%       $680
   CT475  4MB/340MB        $3,439    $2,389   30%       $1,050
   CT475  4MB/528MB        $3,799    $2,629   30%       $1,170

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server
solutions from personal computers to integrated worldwide information
systems. Digital's Intel and 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.
 
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