Fifteen New Software
Developers Announce Price
Parity Between Solaris and
Microsoft Windows NT
Development Tools!
Software Developers Continue to Support
New Competitive Pricing Paradigm
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- June 16, 1998 -- Sun Microsystems,
Inc. today announced that 15 new leading enterprise software
development tools companies have agreed to offer price parity
across Sun's SolarisTM operating environment and the Microsoft
Windows NT software development platforms. The SunTM
PriceParityTM Program and its initial 34 program participants
was
originally announced as a key part of Sun's January 13th rollout
of
its evolutionary line of UltraTM 5 and Ultra 10 workstations,
which
compete directly against high-end PCs. Today, the 15 new oftware
development solution vendors are: EnterpriseLink Technologies,
Entersoft Systems Corporation, GemStone Systems, InstallShield
Software, Mainsoft Corporation, NCR Corporation, Novadigm,
Objectivity Inc., Objectsoft, PeerLogic, Persistence Software,
Synkronix, TIBCO Software, Tivoli Systems and 4thpass Software.
"The enterprise software development community continues
to
respond enthusiastically to customers' demand for choice in
computing platforms," said Reed Hornberger, director of
market
development for Sun Microsystems' Computer Systems Division.
"As a result, software developers and users now can leverage
the
performance of Sun's Solaris operating environment -- including
its superior scalability and networking capabilities --
at prices
competitive Microsoft Windows NT platforn prices."
The 15 ISVs announced today join the following participants
of the
Sun PriceParity Program: Active Software, Apogee, AXENT
Technologies, BEA Systems, Blue Lobster Software, Bluestone
Software, Bulletproof, Cayenne Software, Computer Associates
International, Cygnus Solutions, Forte, I-Kinetics, IBM, Informix,
Infoscape, KL Group, Metrowerks, Micromuse, NetDynamics,
Netscape Communications Corporation, New Dimension Software,
New Era of Networks (NEON), Novera, Object International,
Platinum, QuickStream Software, RandomNoise, SuperCede,
TakeFive Software, Technology House, Thought Inc., Versant
Object Technology, WebLogic and Zero G Software, all of which
previously announced price parity at Sun's Ultra 5 and Ultra
10
workstation unveiling in January.
Sun Price Parity
Program
This Program combines Sun's Ultra 5 and 10 workstations at
PC
prices with the support of Sun's strategic enterprise software
developers that offer product pricing for their Sun system
solutions at parity with their Microsoft Windows
NT development offerings.
As a result, developers leverage the benefit of the Solaris
operating environment at prices on par with solutions
for the Microsoft Windows NT platform. This helps
developers make platform choices based on platform functionality
-- not price.
Sun provides increased visibility for Sun PriceParity Program
members with Sun's sales force, the media and potential
customers.
Through advertising, public relations, tradeshows, special
events
and other activities centered around price parity, Sun promotes
the Program, Sun's Ultra 5 and 10 workstations, and the
enterprise
software developers who have pledged pricing parity.
To be eligible for the Program, developers must offer equivalent
pricing between products for Microsoft Windows NT and the
Solaris operating environment that run on Sun's Ultra 5 and
10
workstations. Developers must also be members of the SunSM
Developer ConnectionSM Program and agree to participate in
four Sun PriceParity Program activities each year. Currently
limited to eligible independent software developers
(ISVs) in the application development tool, middleware infrastructure
and systems management product segments, the Sun PriceParity
Program is expected to be rolled out to all eligible
Sun ISVs later this year.
Price/Performance
Advantage
Introduced in January, Sun's Ultra 5 and
Ultra 10 workstations
address the needs of software developers, where
price/performance is a critical factor. These PCI-based systems
deliver better application performance than PCs, thanks to
a
270-MHz processor in the Ultra 5 workstation and the 300-MHz
processor in the Ultra 10 workstation, balanced performance
with
exceptional floating-point operations, and the ability to run
all the
most popular technical applications, including Microsoft Windows
personal productivity applications. The Ultra 10 workstation
also
offers high performance 3D graphics with Creator and SunTM
Elite3D options.
In addition to offering UNIX workstation performance at PC
prices,
the new Ultra 5 and 10 workstations offer a new entry point
for
technical and commercial users who want the investment
protection of one proven system architecture that
spans from desktops to high-end servers -- a benefit
only Sun offers. About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network
Is The
ComputerTM," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:
SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality
hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide
intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more
than
$9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than
150
countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
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