If the ICL publicity machine were not quite so terminally dozy, the company would have some pretty stiff words to say about NCR Corp’s claim that it is the first major personal computer vendor to introduce an Integrated Services Digital Network-compatible workstation that can simultaneously handle voice and data, because ICL has not only had such a product out for at least a year but has been trying to persuade the Baby Bells in the US to adopt it (see below). As part of NCR’s announcement, it launched an ISDN speech and data management application that provides voicemail features with simultaneous data transfer of files and screens, and there is an adaptor board that enables users to turn existing NCR or other AT-alikes to ISDN workstations. The NCR ISDN Workstation uses a 16MHz 80386SX running OS/2 1.1 and Presentation Manager and the Personal Computer Terminal Adaptor board which works with the ISDN Basic Rate Interface, at $7,800; the board, sold separately for $1,700 has an onboard 80188 CPU running at 8MHz with 256Kb memory and a 25MHz Texas Instruments 32010 signal processor that provides speech compression for recording and playback of messages left on the hard drive, plus a a two-channel HDLC controller, which connects into IBM SNA networks. It enables identification of an incoming telephone caller via a display window; records incoming messages from callers; can call preselected numbers, and keep directories of numbers. An ISDN Voice Data Manager, $200, enables the thing to be used to merge calls into a conference call; record special messages for selected callers; transfer or re ceive files and screens with simul taneous phone conversation; use feature buttons such as hold, transfer and conference calling; and have the appearances of multi ple telephone calls over a single line. It was developed with the help of Natural Microsystems Inc. ICL’s ISDN station also uses OS/2 and was introduced in the US as long ago as April 1988 (CI No 940).
