Lotus, Ashton-Tate Unveil New Software Programs

Two software makers, in a neck-and-neck race to be the leader in the industry, unveiled products Wednesday that work with a new circuit board by Intel Corp. to increase the memory of IBM Personal Computers and compatibles.

Lotus Development of Cambridge, Mass., said it will introduce two versions of its popular personal-computer software packages, 1-2-3 and Symphony, so that both can store more information. The changes were made in conjunction with San Jose-based Intel, which held its own unveiling Wednesday for a circuit board called Above Board that enables IBM PCs to run the enhanced software.

Ashton-Tate of Culver City announced simultaneously that it will release in late summer a new version of one of its key personal-computer software packages, Framework, to work with Intel’s new circuit board.

Lotus and Intel, which worked together to create the enhanced software and hardware, said their products set an industry standard for electronic memory, the details of which are now public and can be used by any computer or computer component manufacturer.

Ashton-Tate, however, said Intel had previously disclosed enough details about Above Board that Ashton-Tate could make its Framework software compatible with it.

Lotus said an enhanced Symphony program will be available in the summer and an enhanced 1-2-3 program in the fall. In addition, Lotus said it will introduce a software program this summer called Symphony Link that will allow personal computers using Symphony software to hold two-way communications with IBM mainframe computers.

In separate statements, Lotus Chairman Mitchell D. Kapor and Ashton-Tate President and Chief Executive Edward M. Esber Jr. said the new software packages will allow personal-computers users to process more data.