Press Release

Sun Microsystems and Industry Leaders Join Forces to Revolutionise Software Development

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JavaOne[sm] Developer Conference - June 7, 2000 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. today introduced a new model for software development backed by several offerings geared to streamlining the development and integration of enterprise and Internet applications. Industry leaders including Informix Corporation and Rational Software also today announced their support for these programs.

Specifically, Sun announced:

• The Forte[tm] for Java[tm] Portal, a site where Java[tm] technology developers can share information, software components and ideas around the Forte for Java development environment;
• The Sun Development Framework Portal, a site designed to bring together in-house developers with a select community of independent software vendors (ISVs) with similar design goals to create cross-platform solutions with the highest levels of integration, interoperability and compatibility;
• The support of more than 20 vendors that plan to participate in the Forte for Java Portal, which will speed the pace of innovation related to Java technology (See related release titled: Industry-Leading Vendors Endorse Sun's New Forte for Java Portal.);
• The NetBeans.org site, which will provide the source code for Forte for Java Community Edition and host the community of NetBeans Open Source Technology developers; and
• HotDispatch, a new online support service for Java platform users.

These announcements mark the next step in an effort to revolutionise the way developers work. Innovation and time to market are paramount concerns for every development organistion, yet developers' productivity is still hindered by incomplete, incompatible and proprietary tools. Sun is working with other vendors to make available interoperable, cross-platform tools, components and services that address every aspect of the analysis, development and deployment cycle.

"Software developers need to operate in 'Internet time' and get their solutions to market as fast as possible. Through this initiative, they will not waste valuable time searching for the appropriate components or applications for a business system, only to find they are incompatible," said Patricia C. Sueltz, President of Software Products and Platforms at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Working together with other leading vendors, these offerings can fuel a renaissance in software development, freeing developers to do their best work with proven high-level components and applications."

Forte for Java Portal
The Forte for Java Portal (www.sun.com/forte/ffj/resources) brings together ISVs, integrators and developers at large, all collaborating to build a set of plug-and-play products and components that make development teams more effective. With its roots in open sourced technology, all participants in this open, active marketplace are assured a level playing field based on a common code base.

Primary benefits of this new Forte for Java Portal include:

• Availability of interoperable tool extensions that support the entire development and deployment lifecycle, eliminating the nightmare of switching back and forth between mismatched products several times during the build cycle;
• The ability to extend the Forte for Java environment, giving vendors and their customers an easy upgrade path as their needs evolve, without fear of wasted investment and high transitional costs; and
• Improved productivity and reliability through re-use, enabling developers to select and share proven, compatible application components.

In addition to launching the Forte for Java Portal, Sun today announced that more than 20 vendors plan to participate in the site by extending it with complementary products and services.

Forte for Java Community Edition is based on NetBeans[tm] Open Source Technology. Sun is today delivering on its promise to release the NetBeans source code under the Mozilla public licensing model version 1.1. The product source code is available at www.netbeans.org, which will be the site for all future Sun and community development and will be run on open source principles. This site will provide configuration management and other services required for open source-based products and components that will be available for download without charge. Collab.Net, a leading provider of collaborative software development services based on open source principles, is providing the project hosting environment for the netbeans.org site.

Sun Development Framework Portal
The Sun Development Framework Portal community (www.sun.com/sdf) is designed to bring together in-house developers with a select community of ISVs with similar design goals to create cross-platform development solutions with the highest levels of integration, interoperability and compatibility. These solution sets enable rapid implementations of enterprise and Internet applications.

Key developer benefits include:

• Flexible framework of development solution providers;
• Consistent documented cross-platform development infrastructure; and
• Development infrastructure solution sets.

E-Support Now Available Through HotDispatch
In addition to these two initiatives, Sun today announced that HotDispatch Inc., a third party, online support service alternative, now offers cross-platform, multi-operating system and multi-programming language support. HotDispatch is a virtual trading floor where Java technology and other software platform developers actively buy and sell technical expertise on a pay-per-incident basis. HotDispatch gives developers greater access to readily available, cost-effective support. User profiles are provided to help other users assess the quality of the solution being offered.

Users can purchase online support 24x7x52 through thousands of support providers via the online marketplace at www.hotdispatch.com/sun.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc. Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - The Network is The Computer[tm]- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses. With US $15 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, The Network Is The Computer, Forte, JavaOne Developer Conference and NetBeans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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