Microsoft Unveils J/Advantage Program To Help Java Developers Achieve Commercial Success

Provides Commercial Java Developers With Technical and Marketing Boost

SAN FRANCISCO - April 2, 1997 - Today at Software Developer West and JavaOne, Microsoft Corp. announced J/Advantage, the industry's most comprehensive support program for commercial Java™ application and component developers. J/Advantage provides technical information and marketing assistance to independent developers, thus providing new marketing opportunities for their Java applications and components and generating higher revenues.

"Java developers want to do more than just play with the technology; they want to make money," said Tod Nielsen, general manager of the developer relations group at Microsoft. "The J/Advantage program delivers on Microsoft's commitment to developers by providing the information and opportunities they need to build successful businesses."

The J/Advantage program offers marketing support and the technology infrastructure that Java application and component vendors need to achieve success in the marketplace. For example, Microsoft is opening up tens of millions of potential customers for Java component vendors through it's automatic and bidirectional integration of ActiveX™ technologies and JavaBeans. This dramatically expands the market for JavaBeans components by allowing JavaBeans to be dropped into many of the most popular business applications, including Microsoft® Office, Lotus Notes, Borland Delphi, Sybase PowerBuilder and the Visual Basic® programming system.

The J/Advantage program will take full advantage of Microsoft's success in creating a worldwide, commercially viable component segment with ActiveX - which the Giga Information Group estimates at over $200 million in revenues in 1996, growing to over $2 billion by the turn of the century - and bring the same focus on creating commercial opportunities to the JavaBeans segment.

"The technology side is fun, but we are in the business of enabling C++ developers to create and deploy highly interactive, thin client Internet applications using Java," said Dale H. Munk, president and CEO of Viewsoft Inc. of Provo, Utah. "Microsoft understands this and has unrivaled experience in making programmers productive. The new J/Advantage program will help us to make developers successful in deploying business applications on the Internet."

J/Advantage Provides Wealth of Benefits

The program includes the following benefits for commercial Java developers:

• Online discussions with Microsoft's Java development teams
• Early access to prerelease versions of the Microsoft SDK for Java
• Early access to prerelease versions of Visual J++™ development software
• Complimentary copies of released versions of Visual J++
• Monthly updates on marketplace developments and opportunities
• Discounts on Microsoft events
• Participation in Microsoft's Java Web site
• Participation in third-party Java Web sites
• Opportunities to participate in targeted marketing activities:

• Exhibiting at Microsoft and third-party events
• Access to customers of Microsoft Visual J++, Site Builder Network members and Solution Providers
• Promotion on the Microsoft Web site for Visual J++
• Presence in in-box catalogs for Visual J++
• Special opportunities with Microsoft channel partners
• Co-op advertising
• Direct mailings
• PR support

"Customers are looking to the Java developer community to deliver a symphony of great components and products to take them to the next level," said Kim Cooper, chairman and CEO of Digital Harbor Inc. "Microsoft understands what developers need to make this happen and has designed the J/Advantage program to help developers succeed, individually and as a community."

"To be commercially successful, we need co-marketing support as well as technical information, and early access to prerelease software," said Roger Franklin, president of JB Development Inc. "Microsoft's J/Advantage program will accelerate the growth of the Java market."

Sixteen leading Java software vendors have already signed up as charter members of the program. Participating vendors include Asymetrix Corp., BulletProof Corp., Calico Technology, Digital Harbor, ELF Systems, JB Development, KL Group Inc., NeuronData Inc., Powersoft Corp., Pure Atria, RandomNoise Inc., Shoreline Teleworks, Stingray Software Inc., Sybase Inc., ViewSoft Inc. and XDB Systems Inc.

J/Advantage is open to all commercial Java developers who are creating Java applications and components with the Microsoft Application Foundation Classes (AFC) for Java, creating components in Java using JavaBeans and/or ActiveX, supporting the Microsoft virtual machine for the Windows® operating system or creating add-ons for Microsoft Visual J++. Developers can obtain additional information and apply for the program online at Microsoft's Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/java/.

Microsoft is delivering comprehensive, end-to-end solutions to help make corporate and commercial Java developers successful. With world-class technologies and programs, including class libraries, virtual machines, component support, tools, technical support and market development programs for commercial developers, Microsoft will help developers create both cross-platform Java applications and Java applications that take full advantage of customers' investments in Microsoft Windows. For more information on Microsoft's Java strategy, please see Microsoft's Java strategy white paper at http://www.microsoft.com/java/.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, ActiveX, Visual Basic, Visual J++ and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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