EXHIBIT 10 (ff)

                            DATA GENERAL CORPORATION
                   1997 NON-OFFICER EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN


1. Purpose
   -------

        The Data General Corporation 1997 Non-Officer Employee Stock Option Plan
(the "Plan") is intended to provide a method  whereby  employees of Data General
Corporation (the "Company") and its subsidiaries who are making and are expected
to continue making  substantial  contributions to the successful  management and
growth of the Company and its  subsidiaries,  may be offered an  opportunity  to
acquire  Common  Stock,  $.01 par value per share (the "Common  Stock"),  of the
Company in order to  increase  their  proprietary  interests  in the Company and
their  incentive  to remain and  advance in the  employ of the  Company  and its
subsidiaries.  It is also the purpose of the Plan to  strengthen  the ability of
the Company and its  subsidiaries to attract and retain  personnel of experience
and ability by granting  such persons an  opportunity  to acquire a  proprietary
interest in the Company.


2. Administration of the Plan
   --------------------------

        The Plan shall be  administered  by a 1997  Non-Officer  Employee  Stock
Option Plan Committee (the  "Committee")  appointed by the Board of Directors of
the  Company.   The  Committee  shall  consist  of  two  or  more  "non-employee
directors",  as that term is defined in Rule  16b-3,  as in effect  from time to
time,  under the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as amended.  Subject to the
terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee  shall have exclusive  authority
to select the times when and employees to whom Stock Options may be granted, and
to determine the terms and conditions of the option  agreements (as  hereinafter
defined), the number of shares of Common Stock to be acquired by the exercise of
Stock  Options,  the option price (as  hereinafter  defined) and the term during
which the Stock Options may be exercised.

        The Board of Directors may at any time appoint or remove  members of the
Committee and may fill vacancies however caused in the Committee.  The Committee
shall  select one of its  members as  Chairman  and shall hold  meetings at such
times and  places as it shall  deem  advisable.  All acts by a  majority  of the
Committee or acts  approved in writing by a majority of the  Committee  shall be
valid acts of the  Committee.  The Committee  shall keep records of its meetings
and shall make such rules and  regulations for the conduct of its business as it
shall deem advisable.


3. Interpretation and Amendment
   ----------------------------

The interpretation and construction of any terms or conditions of the Plan or of
any option agreement or other matters related to the Plan by the Committee shall
be final and  conclusive.  No member of the Board of Directors or the  Committee
shall be liable for any action or determination  made in good faith with respect
to the Plan.

        The Board of  Directors  may at any time  terminate or from time to time
modify or suspend the Plan; provided,  however, that no such action shall impair
any Stock Option theretofore granted.


4. Participants
   ------------

        Stock  Options  may  be  granted  to  employees  of the  Company  or its
subsidiaries.  No Stock Options shall be granted to an employee who, at the time
the Stock  Option is granted,  owns  capital  stock having more than ten percent
(10%) of the total combined  voting power of all classes of capital stock of the
Company.  The term  "employees"  shall not include  officers or directors of the
Company, but shall also include consultants to the Company and its subsidiaries.
The term "subsidiary" shall mean "subsidiary  corporation" as defined in Section
424 of the Code.

        Subject to the preceding  paragraph,  receipt of stock options under any
other stock option plan  maintained by the Company or any subsidiary  shall not,
for that reason,  preclude an employee  from  receiving  Stock Options under the
Plan.


5. Common Stock
   ------------

Subject to Paragraph 11, no more than an aggregate of 3,500,000 shares of Common
Stock may be issued and sold  pursuant to the Plan.  The shares of Common  Stock
issued and sold under the Plan may be authorized  but unissued  shares of Common
Stock,  or shares of Common Stock acquired by the Company,  including  shares of
Common Stock purchased in the open market.


6. Terms and Conditions of Options
   -------------------------------

Stock  Options  shall be in such form and on such  terms and  conditions  as the
Committee  shall from time to time approve,  subject to the following  terms and
conditions:

        (a) A Stock  Option  shall state the number of shares of Common Stock to
which it relates and no fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued.

        (b) The  option  price  per  share of  Common  Stock  issuable  upon the
exercise of a Stock  Option  shall be  determined  by the  Committee;  provided,
however,  that in no event  shall such price be less than the lower of (i) fifty
percent  (50%) of the book value per share of the Common  Stock as of the end of
the fiscal  year  immediately  preceding  the date of grant or (ii)  twenty-five
percent  (25%) of the fair market value per share of Common Stock on the date of
such grant.

        (c)  Notwithstanding  any other  provisions  of the Plan,  the term of a
Stock  Option shall not be more than ten (10) years from the date such option is
granted.


7. Restrictions on Disposition and Obligation of Resale
   ----------------------------------------------------

        Shares of Common Stock acquired by an employee  pursuant to the exercise
of a Stock  Option under the Plan shall not be sold,  transferred,  or otherwise
disposed  of and shall  not be  pledged  or  otherwise  hypothecated,  except as
provided below. (Any such sale, transfer or other disposition,  or any pledge or
other hypothecation shall hereinafter be referred to as a "disposition.") In the
event of the termination of employment for any reason except death or retirement
with the consent of the Company, such shares shall, except as provided below, be
offered for resale to the Company at their original acquisition price. Shares as
to which the  restrictions  against  disposition and the obligation of resale to
the Company have lapsed in accordance  with the provisions set forth below shall
be referred to as "free  shares."  Shares as to which the  restrictions  against
disposition  and the  obligation  of resale to the  Company  have not  lapsed as
provided below shall be referred to as "restricted shares."
        (a) The restrictions against disposition and the obligation of resale to
the  Company of shares  acquired  pursuant  to the Plan shall  lapse as Board of
Directors or the Committee shall determine, and such terms shall be incorporated
into and be made a part of the option  agreement  between  the  Company  and the
employee.  Any provision for the lapse of the restrictions  against  disposition
and the  obligation  of resale shall apply with respect to shares  subject to an
Option whether or not the Option has been exercised in whole or part on the date
of lapse.

        (b) Upon the occurrence of the earlier of the death of the employee, the
retirement of the employee with the consent of the Company or the  attainment by
the  employee  of the  age  of 65  whether  or not  the  employee  retires,  the
restrictions  against disposition and the obligation of resale to the Company of
shares as to which such  restrictions  and obligation have not otherwise  lapsed
under the Plan shall immediately lapse.

        (c) In the event of the  termination of employment for any reason except
death or  retirement  with the  consent  of the  Company,  shares  issued to the
employee pursuant to the exercise of an option under the Plan, which shares have
not, as of the date of termination of employment,  become free shares as defined
above, shall become subject to an obligation of immediate resale to the Company.
Shares  subject to such  obligation  of resale shall be delivered to the Company
within 30 days following the termination of employment. Within 60 days following
a timely  delivery of shares,  the Company will  compensate the employee (at the
original  acquisition  price) for such number of shares as the Company elects to
purchase and will return to the employee any shares not so purchased. Restricted
shares  which are not  delivered  to the Company  within 30 days  following  the
termination  of  employment  shall remain  subject to the  restrictions  against
disposition and such restrictions  shall not lapse as otherwise provided in this
Section 7 and in the  employee's  option  agreement.  Nothing in this  Section 7
shall  require the Company to repurchase  shares  issued to employees  under the
Plan.

        (d)  Notwithstanding  any  of the  foregoing  restrictions,  any  shares
acquired under the Plan may at any time be pledged or otherwise  hypothecated to
secure  borrowing by the employee to obtain the acquisition  price to be paid by
the  employee  for such  shares;  provided,  however,  that the  amount  of such
borrowing may not exceed the acquisition price of such shares.

        (e) The  provisions  of this Section 7 and the  provisions of any option
agreement  between  the Company  and an  employee  relating to the  restrictions
against disposition and the obligation of resale to the Company shall be applied
according to their terms or according to such other terms and conditions,  or at
such times and dates,  as the Board of Directors or the  Committee may from time
to time establish.

        Any  questions  as to whether and when there has been a  termination  of
employment, and (subject to Sections 6(b) and 6(c) of the Plan) any questions as
to the acquisition price of shares, shall be determined by the Committee and its
determination of such questions shall be final.


8. Notice of Election under Section 83(b)
   --------------------------------------

        Each employee  exercising a non-qualified  option and making an election
under  Section  83(b) of the Code and the  Regulations  and Rulings  promulgated
thereunder  will  provide a copy  thereof to the  Company  within 30 days of the
filing of such election with the Internal Revenue Service.


9. Termination of Employment
   -------------------------

        If an  employee  shall  cease  to be  employed  by  the  Company  or any
subsidiary for any reason other than disability,  retirement with the consent of
the Company or death,  then any Stock Option granted  pursuant to the Plan shall
terminate immediately.

        If an  employee  shall  cease  to be  employed  by  the  Company  or any
subsidiary as the result of his  disability,  or retirement  with the consent of
the  Company,  then any Stock Option that is  exercisable  by him at the time he
ceases to be employed by the Company or its subsidiaries, and only to the extent
that such Stock Options are exercisable as of such time, may be exercised by him
within twelve (12) months or three (3) months, respectively, after such time.

        Solely for the  purposes of the Stock  Option  Plan,  the transfer of an
employee from the employ of the Company to a subsidiary,  or vice-versa, or from
one subsidiary to another shall not be deemed a termination of employment.


10. Death
    -----

        If  an  employee  shall  die  while  employed  by  the  Company  or  any
subsidiary,  the employee's executor,  personal  representative or administrator
shall have the right to exercise  those Stock  Options  granted to the  employee
that were  exercisable by him at the time of his death at any time within twelve
(12) months from the date of his death (or within such shorter  period as may be
specified by the Company in the option agreement).


11. Changes in Capital Stock
    ------------------------

        Upon any readjustment or recapitalization of the Company's capital stock
whereby  the  character  of the  Common  Stock  shall  be  changed,  appropriate
adjustments  shall be made so that the capital  stock to be purchased  under the
Stock  Option  Plan after such  readjustment  or  recapitalization  shall be the
substantial  equivalent  of the Common Stock.  In the event of a subdivision  or
combination of the shares of Common Stock,  the number of shares of Common Stock
as to which Stock Options may be granted under the Plan shall be proportionately
increased   or   decreased,   respectively,   and  the  Option  Price  shall  be
proportionately  adjusted  by the  Board  of  Directors,  and in the  case  of a
reclassification  or other  change in the shares of the Common Stock such action
shall be taken as in the opinion of the Board of Directors  shall be appropriate
under the circumstances.


12. Transferability
    ---------------

        Stock  Options shall not be  assignable  or  transferable  and during an
employee's  lifetime may be exercised only by him, except by will or the laws of
descent and distribution or as the Committee shall determine.


13. Exercise of Options
    -------------------

        An  employee  electing  to exercise a Stock  Option  shall give  written
notice to the  Company  of such  election  and of the number of shares of Common
Stock that he has  elected to  acquire.  An  employee  shall have no rights of a
stockholder  with  respect  to  shares  of Common  Stock to be  acquired  by the
exercise  of a  Stock  Option  until  the  issuance  to  him  of  a  certificate
representing said shares.


14. Option Agreements
    -----------------

        Agreements  granting Stock Options under the Plan ("Option  Agreements")
shall be in writing,  duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company
to the employee and shall  contain such terms and  conditions  as the  Committee
deems  advisable.  If there is any conflict  between the terms and conditions of
any Option Agreement and of the Plan, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall
control.


15. Payment
    -------

        The option  price shall be payable upon the exercise of the Stock Option
and shall be paid in cash, by certified  check,  by cashier's check or in shares
of Common Stock. If shares of Common Stock are tendered as payment of the option
price,  the value of such shares shall be their fair market value as of the date
of exercise. If such tender would result in the issuance of fractional shares of
Common Stock,  the Company shall require an additional  amount which will result
in the issuance of another whole share.


16. Term of Plan
    ------------

        The Plan shall terminate on July 9, 2007.


17. Continuance of Employment
    -------------------------

        Neither the Plan nor any Option Agreement shall impose any obligation on
the Company or any subsidiary to continue to employ any employee.


18. Effectiveness of Plan
    ---------------------

        The Plan shall become effective on the date of its adoption by the Board
of Directors.