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AOL-Sun-Netscape Alliance Unveils Strategy with Unified Product Line and Accelerated Timeline

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As part of their $10 billion acquisition, America Online Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. have outlined their strategy under the AOL-Sun-Netscape alliance, aiming to provide a unified and comprehensive product line for e-commerce infrastructure and application software. The alliance plans to develop a next-generation product line on an accelerated timeline, while maintaining support for current products from both Sun and Netscape.

The strategic alliance will provide a scalable, integrated software infrastructure and a family of production-ready e-commerce applications, to be offered on various widely available computing platforms. Key roadmaps have been announced across the entire product portfolio, including directions for messaging and collaboration, directory and security, and application servers. The alliance aims to release collaboratively developed products, with the first shipment scheduled for the first quarter of 2000.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AOL-Sun-Netscape alliance plans to develop a unified, next-generation product line on an accelerated timeline, with a focus on e-commerce infrastructure and application software.
  • The alliance aims to ship its first collaborative product by the first quarter of 2000, targeting a wide range of computing platforms, including HP, IBM, Linux, Windows NT, and Sun.
  • The strategic alliance will maintain support for current products from both Sun and Netscape while focusing on the development of new, comprehensive, and integrated solutions for the e-commerce value chain.
  • The alliance plans to deliver a collaboratively developed product in early 2000, with a dedicated sales force that will sell the full suite of products on multiple platforms.
  • The group will also offer a full spectrum of support and integration services, consisting of both Sun and Netscape software solution experts.

Statistics:

  • The alliance plans to maintain support for current products from both Sun and Netscape, while developing a new unified product line on an accelerated timeline.
  • The first shipment of collaboratively developed products is scheduled for the first quarter of 2000.
  • The alliance will offer its products on multiple platforms, including HP, IBM, Linux, Windows NT, and Sun.
  • The dedicated sales force will consist of 500 members.

Sources:

  • America Online Inc.
  • Sun Microsystems Inc.
  • Netscape Communications Corporation

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