IBM has been forming alliances with multimedia program designers, and extending its support for software developers and dealers. Among the chosen few are Authorware Inc, Britanica Software Inc, Showcase Inc and Synapse Technologies. Authorware is to develop multimedia authoring software optimised to run under OS/2 on IBM personal computers and share its software technologies with IBM; Britanica Software is to market its new Comptons Encyclopaedia for Windows and other CD-ROM based titles, with an IBM PS/1 multimedia expansion option, manufactured by IBM; Showcase has been signed as an IBM Business Partner, to serve modelling agencies and the advertising industry with products providing the capability to search databases to retrieve video, audio and printed information on professional talent; and Synapse Technologies is developing educational multimedia applications with IBM. Another multimedia company, And Communications, is to develop the IBM Classics Series, involving multimedia educational programs on English and American literature. Area Multimedia Centres have sprouted across the US to provide technical and marketing assistance for IBM Business Partners and customers.
