Torrance-based Ashton-Tate, a major competitor in the...

Torrance-based Ashton-Tate, a major competitor in the battle over the $250-million market for business computer software, said that its earnings rose 33% in the third quarter and 146% for the nine months. The company said it was enjoying strong sales of its dBase III, a database management system, and initial shipments of its Framework II, an integrated software package for handling business spreadsheets. In September, the company unveiled Framework II as a faster and more powerful alternative to Lotus Development Corp.’s Symphony program, which currently is outselling Ashton-Tate’s older Framework I by three to one.

For detailed data and results of other companies, please see accompanying tables.