News in brief - part 2

Microsoft has halved the minimum entry-level requirement to qualify for a volume licence agreement on Windows 95 and Office 95 products. Extra discounts are available for those who purchase 25 copies of Windows 95 or Office 95, or 13 copies of either product plus maintenance.

Lexmark dealer Preview Data Systems has won a u500,000 contract to install Lexmark's personal printer the Optra E at Lunn Poly's Holiday Shops across the UK over the next 18 months.

Network switches are the fastest growing products in the UK Lan market, according to an ECS sponsored survey. The survey anticipates a 4,000 per cent increase in the value of the installed base of switches from $25.1 million in 1994 to $1,084.5 million by 1999.

Software development tools provider Professional Software will distribute US-based XVT's software development solutions in the UK. They are designed to diversify the portability of GUI applications.