NCR Widens Pen-Based Software Options in Alliance with GRiD

June 24, 1992 — NCR Corporation Wednesday announced a strategic software alliance with GRiD Systems Corp. under which NCR will offer GRiD’s PenRight! pen-computer software platform on NCR 3125 NotePad systems.

NCR, which is the only notepad maker to offer Microsoft Corporation’s Pen for Windows, GO Corporation’s PenPoint and CIC’s Pen-DOS support, has licensed PenRight! to provide users and independent software vendors (ISVs) with the fullest suite of pen- centric software options in the industry.

“Our new relationship with GRiD offers even more options to those developing or considering pen-based computing solutions,” said George Simmons, assistant vice president, NCR’s Pen-based Computing Business Unit, who pointed out that more than 400 ISVs are creating PenRight! applications.

Designed for Data Collection

PenRight! was designed to support “mission-specific” data-collection applications based on MS-DOS. It contains an application program interface (API) with more than 300 functions and a handwriting engine.

In addition to the PenRight! graphical application platform, NCR also will offer GRiD’s PenRight! Pro software, a development toolkit for programmers writing to the “C” language.

The GRiD software systems are aimed at industry-specific forms-based solutions, which represent a large number of the millions of mobile workers NCR believes will become automated using pen-based computers. NCR sees its light-weight mobile 3125 NotePad being used by sales forces, field technicians, service providers and mobile executives to collect, process, analyze and respond to data in real time.

“GRiD’s vertical market focus complements our relationships with Microsoft Corporation, GO Corporation, and CIC,” said Simmons. “It should help equip mobile workers with an efficient means to fill in electronic forms, quote price lists, and provide product and service information at their customers’ sites, while maintaining an electronic connection with their corporate computing enterprise.”

GRiD designs, manufactures, markets and services laptop, pen, desktop and multimedia computers, and pen-based software development tools, electronic mail and networking systems. GRiD, located in Fremont, CA., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tandy Corporation of Fort Worth, TX.

NCR, the Networked Computing Resource of AT&T, develops, manufactures, markets, supports and services enterprise-wide information systems for worldwide markets.

NCR is the registered trademark of NCR Corporation. PenRight! and PenRight! Pro are trademarks of GRiD Systems Corp. MS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

CONTACT:
NCR Corp., Dayton, Ohio
Jeni Cozart, 513/445-5648
or
Manning, Selvage & Lee, New York
Bob Gilbert, 212/213-7045