The alliance between Microsoft Corp and the Deutsche Bundespost Telekom initially centres on putting Windows95 onto a new multimedia office personal computer being developed by the German telephone monopoly and Intel Corp, Reuter reports from Frankfurt. Windows NT on servers is also thought to be in the plan. The goal of the co-operation is to build a Windows-based system that can offer services and uses on existing infrastructure, especially the ISDN network and on future Telekom networks the phone company said. Deutsche Bundespost Telekom owns and operates the largest ISDN network in the world. Meantime Microsoft’s Marvel on-line service is expected to be designed so that the preferred mode of corporate access will be via a company server onto which users will log, so that users can communicate with Marvel at network speed via the server rather than at dial-up speed. According to Infoworld, Microsoft is looking to charge as little as $4 to $5 per month for basic services, and to offer other services at an extra charge. Marvel is expected to be announced at Comdex/Fall, with formal launch in the second quarter of next year when both Windows95 and the Microsoft Exchange messaging server are ready: it will be incorporated into Windows95 and it will use Exchange for network access.
