GRiD Broadens Market for Pen-Based Computers; Introduces Development Product for Non-Programmers
NEW YORK — June 26, 1991 — GRiD Systems Corp. and Pen Pal Associates Inc. Wednesday introduced GRiDPen-Pal, the first applications development environment that will allow non-professional programmers to develop applications for GRiDPAD, GRiD's pen-based computer.
GRiDPen-Pal will enable small and medium sized companies, which typically lack high-level, in-house programmers, to develop pen-based applications similar to those used by Fortune 500 companies.
GRiD President Alan Lefkof said: ''This is a major step forward for the pen-based computer industry because it will significantly broaden the market for computers which use a pen, rather than a keyboard, for data and graphics input. GRiDPenPal will bring the benefits of these computers to thousands of new users.''
GRiD also announced that it will conduct a national series of workshops to introduce smaller businesses and departments in large corporations to pen-based computing and the ease of developing pen-based applications with GRiDPen-Pal. The workshops will be held in some 45 GRiD Systems Centers around the country.
Pen Pal Associates Inc., based in Los Altos, Calif., is headed by Samuel Wiegand, the former president of GRiD. The company's first product, GRiDPen-Pal, is an application-development environment specifically designed for use by individuals who have an understanding of programming but are not professional programmers.
GRiDPen-Pal was developed with input from GRiD and will be sold and supported as a GRiD product. GRiDPAD, the only pen-based computer shipping in North America, is the only hardware platform that will support GRiDPen-Pal.
Lefkof said: ''Since we started shipping GRiDPAD in January 1990, we have been very successful in selling pen-based technology to large companies, which either have large MIS departments with their own group of experienced applications developers or have budgets to hire third parties to develop applications.
''Now GRiDPen-Pal will allow GRiD to bring all the benefits of pen-based computing — increased productivity, greater accuracy and speed of data collection and faster dissemination of field information — to the small and medium-sized company with typically fewer than 30 users.
''In addition, we have expanded our efforts in this area by creating a sales, marketing and support group that focuses on GRiDPAD and GRiDPen products exclusively,'' Lefkof said.
(GRiDPen is GRiD's pen-based software environment and graphical user interface running under MS-DOS. GRiDPen-Pal incorporates the GRiDPEN API routines and hand-writing recognition engine into its environment.)
The new GRiDPAD marketing program will include a full range of products and services to support these smaller customers. Included are the application development tool kit, local workshop and local training and support contracts — a combined offering that will give customers the ability to easily and cost-effectively implement the power of pen-based computing into their operations.
Wiegand said that the GRiDPen-Pal applications development environment is the key to this strategy. He explained that GRiDPen-Pal's ''icon-based environment is totally integrated. This means the development and testing of an entire application, including file management and data communications, can be done in one environment.
''Most importantly, however, GRiDPen-Pal does not require the knowledge or experience of a C or Clipper programmer. This is a tremendous asset for most companies because currently there is a shortage of these programmers and that keeps many companies from using pen-based computers. They also believe it is too expensive to hire third-party programmers.''
Wiegand added, ''When you match GRiDPen-Pal's ease of use with the GRiDPAD's intuitive and user-friendly interface, you have the ultimate field data-collection tool: one that is powerful yet simple to develop.''
The GRiDPen-Pal application development tool kit is priced at $1,650 with the run-time control program priced at $425. Both programs are currently in field test and shipments will begin in August. The workshops are slated to begin in August in the GRiD centers.
GRiD designs, manufactures, markets and services laptop, pen-based and desktop computers, pen-based software development tools, electronic mail and networking systems.
GRiD, which has a worldwide direct sales and support organization, demonstrates products at 45 GRiD Systems Centers and sells products through value-added resellers (VARs). GRiD is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, Calif., 94538. GRiD also has offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Belgium and Denmark.
GRiD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tandy Corp., Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and computers. A New York Stock Exchange company, Tandy has sales in excess of $4.5 billion annually.
Note to Editors: GRiDPAD and GRiDPen are registered trademarks of GRiD Systems Corp. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
CONTACT:
GRiD Systems Corp.
Mike McGuire or Bob Goligoski, 415/656-4700