JavaStation Computers Go To Work in Big Apple Elementary School

Pilot School for New Technology in New York Embraces Java Computing

Brooklyn, NY -- May 27, 1997 -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. showcased one of the first elementary school classrooms in the country to be connected with Sun's new JavaStation™ network computers at a kick-off event at John J. Pershing Intermediate School (IS220) in Brooklyn today.

Pershing is one of the New York City Board of Education's pilot schools for new technology. Concurrent with this project, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Schools Chancellor Rudolph Crew have launched Project Smart Schools, an initiative which will bring computer technology to every public school by the year 2000. The first phase of Project Smart Schools will put an average of four computers and a printer in every middle school classroom by mid 1998.

With their 30 JavaStation computers connected to the Internet, Pershing students and teachers will be able to incorporate creative learning activities such as collaboration with students at other schools, science experiments and online research, and communication via email. And while they will have access to tremendous amounts of educational material online, Pershing students will be protected from undesirable Web content since the JavaStation computers are running I-Gear, unique Web filtering software from Sun associate URLabs.

"Our dream for the past two years at Pershing Intermediate School has been to have a fully networked technology infrastructure with computers and on-line capabilities in each of our classrooms," said Beverly McCormick, Principal of Pershing Intermediate School. "With the latest computer systems and expertise from Sun, we are on our way to making that dream a reality. We can't wait for students and teachers to begin using the new JavaStation computers, which will make our classrooms a much richer educational environment."

"The education market - from elementary schools to graduate institutions - is embracing Java™ technology," said Barbara Gordon, vice president, academic and research computing, Sun Microsystems Computer Company. "Schools are under tremendous pressure to keep costs down while providing students with new, exciting technology. Working with schools like Pershing Intermediate, we can demonstrate the effectiveness of JavaStation systems and the network computing model in achieving both these objectives."

Pershing is just the latest academic institution exploring the power of Java Computing. The city of Amsterdam recently made a strategic decision to start wide-scale implementation of JavaStation network computers and Sun Netra™ j Internet servers in education, beginning this month with six schools. And earlier this year, Marquette University deployed JavaStation systems in a 24-hour computing lab.

Because Java technology allows software developers to write applications that will run on any type of PC or desktop computer device, Java Computing shifts applications and storage from the desktop to the network and the server. This can save anywhere from 50 to 80 percent on the total cost of ownership, based on figures compiled separately by Sun and a major market research firm looking at "fat-client"-related costs.

The JavaStation network computer is very lightweight and has no hard drive, no floppy, no CD-ROM player, no jumpers, no moving parts to worry about. The basic components include: a microSPARC IIO chip; memory scaling from 8MB to 64 MB; 10BaseT networking; and either a 14-inch or 17-inch XFGA color monitor.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer™," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ "SUNW") to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $8 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Java, JavaStation, Netra j, and The Network Is The Computer are all trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web using a tool such as Netscape Navigator or Sun's HotJava. Type http://www.sun.com at the URL prompt.