Sun-Netscape Alliance Achieves Market Momentum with 365 Customers and Leading Systems Integrators

Strategic Insights -

The Sun-Netscape Alliance, a provider of e-commerce and infrastructure software solutions, has achieved its goal of being a leading provider of Internet business applications to service providers worldwide. In its first six months of operation, the company has established a rich product portfolio, formed relationships with leading systems integrators, and built an international customer base of 365 service providers in 45 countries. The alliance has also been recognized as the largest supplier of applications to the worldwide Internet commerce market in 1998, according to market research firm IDC.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Sun-Netscape Alliance has achieved its goal of being a leading provider of Internet business applications to service providers worldwide in just six months, citing its rich product portfolio, relationships with leading systems integrators, and international customer base of 365 service providers in 45 countries.
  • The alliance was the largest supplier of applications to the worldwide Internet commerce market in 1998, based on revenue, according to market research firm IDC.
  • Service providers account for 40% of the Alliance customer revenue, with more than 60 million seats sold, making the alliance's messaging products number one among service providers.
  • Eight of the ten largest Fortune 500 telecommunications companies in the United States use Alliance software.
  • The alliance has launched a wide-ranging family of e-commerce applications and Internet infrastructure software for service providers, including the iPlanet product portfolio, which provides basic services such as encrypted remote access and universal messaging.
  • The alliance's product strategy supports a rapidly changing market, allowing service providers to adopt different strategies to exploit Internet business opportunities.
  • The alliance offers a family of production-ready applications for e-commerce, including commerce exchange, procurement, selling, and billing.
  • The alliance has established partnerships with leading systems integrators, including American Management Systems, AnswerThink, and Cap Gemini, which have optimized the alliance's applications for massive scalability.
  • Key partners and service providers, such as American Management Systems, AnswerThink, and Cap Gemini, credit the alliance's applications for creating momentum with systems integrators in the service provider market.

Statistics:

  • 365: Number of international customers of the Sun-Netscape Alliance in 45 countries.
  • 40%: Share of Alliance customer revenue from service providers.
  • 60 million: Number of seats sold for the alliance's messaging products.
  • 40 million: Number of members on America Online and CompuServe, operated by America Online, Inc.
  • $11 billion: Annual revenues of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in 1998.
  • 150 countries: Number of countries where Sun Microsystems has operations.
  • 18 million: Number of members on America Online.
  • 2 million: Number of members on CompuServe.
  • 4 billion Euros: Revenues of Cap Gemini Group in 1998.
  • 38,000: Number of employees in the Cap Gemini Group.
  • 45: Number of countries with international customers of the Sun-Netscape Alliance.
  • 10: Number of largest Fortune 500 telecommunications companies in the United States using Alliance software.

Sources:

  • Sun-Netscape Alliance press release, October 12, 1998.
  • IDC press release, 1998.
  • American Management Systems press release, 1998.
  • AnswerThink press release, 1998.
  • Cap Gemini press release, 1998.
  • Cisco Systems press release, 1998.
  • Digex press release, 1998.
  • Sun Microsystems press release, 1998.