Exhibit 20.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          TRADED: NASDAQ: WIDEF, WIDWF
JANUARY 30, 1997                                          BOSTON: WDE, WDEW

                     WIDECOM COMPLETES R&D JOINT VENTURE

      MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA--The WideCom Group Inc. announced today 
that it had entered into a joint venture with Societe Innovatech du Grand 
Montreal ("Innovatech") to establish a research and development consortium.

      Each of WideCom and Innovatech, which is an economic development 
agency of the Province of Quebec, have acquired an equal stake in the 
Consortium in exchange for capital contributions from each of approximately 
US$1,875,000. The Consortium expects to be eligible to receive subsidies and 
direct payments under various Canadian and Provincial R&D incentive 
programs, which could substantially expand the amount of research and 
development that the Consortium can undertake.

      Raja S. Tuli, President of WideCom, stated "We are delighted that the 
Company was offered this opportunity. Conducting our R&D through the 
Consortium should permit us to expand the work we can pursue while achieving 
a lower effective cost. This arrangement is a win-win for all involved, and 
could prove strongly beneficial to our stockholders and Quebec over many 
years to come."

      In addition to WideCom's stake in the Consortium, WideCom's management 
will direct the activities of the Consortium and WideCom will have a license 
to any technology developed by the Consortium that is useful to the business 
of WideCom. WideCom and Innovatech have also entered into an agreement which 
may permit WideCom to acquire Innovatech's interest in the Consortium in 
exchange for 253,000 shares of WideCom's restricted common stock.


The WideCom Group Inc. designs, manufactures and markets high-speed, high-
performance, wide-format document management systems. WideCom's product 
lines include its 36" WIDEfax(R) facsimile machines, engineering scanners 
and direct imaging plotters. WideCom distributes its products directly 
through VARs, OEMs and distributors internationally. There can be no 
assurance that the Consortium will be successful in developing new 
technologies useful to WideCom, nor can there be any assurance that the 
Consortium will be eligible for government subsidies or other assistance, or 
that current government programs providing subsidies or assistance to 
research and development will be continued in the future.