June 1,1992 (Washington, DC)- North American software firms' sales
increased 10% to $398 million in Western Europe during First Quarter 1992,
the Software Publishers Association announced today.

Thirty-nine US-based software firms, including Lotus, Microsoft,
WordPerfect, Aldus, Claris, Software Publishing, Borland, Symantec,
Wordstar, T/Maker, and others participated in the SPA's data program by
submitting confidential data to the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen,
who prepared the report for the SPA. The data was collected in 20 software
categories (including word processors, spreadsheets, presentation
graphics, and others) and in six different software formats (including
Macintosh, MS-DOS, and Windows).

The 39 firms reported aggregate European software sales of $398 million in
First Quarter 1992. First quarter sales grew 10% from first quarter 1991.
The growth rate varied widely from country to country as follows:

Software Sales in US Dollars:

               1Q92 Sales of     Growth
               Participating     1Q91 to
             Firms (Millions)     1Q92

Benelux           $ 38            18 %
France              70            (5)%
Germany/Austria     95            (8)%
Italy               16             5 %
Scandinavia         42            30 %
Spain/Portugal      17            16 %
Switzerland         13            25 %
UK/Ireland         107            37 %
---------------   ----            ----
Total             $398            10 %

The United Kingdom/Ireland region was the largest region for US publishers
in the first quarter with sales of $107 million, an increase of 37% from
the prior period. Germany/Austria and France, the second and third largest
regions in the first quarter, experienced modest sales declines. In 1991
they had been the regions with the highest growth rates, at 56% and 37%
respectively.

For the first time ever, Western European sales of applications running on
Windows were higher than sales of DOS applications. Windows application
sales accounted for 49% of North American software firms revenues in
Western Europe in First Quarter 1992, versus 24% in First Quarter 1991,
and grew 123% from the prior period. DOS application sales continued their
slide, accounting for 41% of application sales in Western Europe in First
Quarter 1992, versus 66% in the prior period. Macintosh applications sales
held steady at 8% in First Quarter 1992, and grew 7% from First Quarter
1991.

"This quarter's results reinforce the trend in Western European sales - the
movement from DOS-based to Windows-based applications," said David
Tremblay, SPA's Research Director. "Sales of DOS applications have been
declining on a year-to-year comparison basis since the third quarter of
1991, while Windows applications' sales have registered 120% to 160 %
increases. In four of the eight regions we track in Western Europe,
Windows applications outsell DOS applications. In one other, they are at
parity."

"The growth in sales has slowed to 10% this quarter, from 26% in the fourth
quarter and 32% for the full year 1991," said Gerard Gabella, SPA Europe's
Managing Director. "This reflects both the strengthening of the dollar as
well as the return to a more sustainable pace after last year's blistering
growth rate."

These figures should not be considered estimates of market size, since the
sample only includes the sales of the major North American software firms
in each market. Generally, in European software markets, North American PC
software sales are approximately 70% of the total market in each country.

The Software Publishers Association is the principal worldwide trade
association of the PC software industry. Its more than 900 members
represent the leading publishers of business, consumer, and education
software in North America and Europe. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the
SPA 's European office is located in Paris, France.

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