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Sun-Netscape Alliance Unveils Comprehensive Portfolio of E-Commerce Software

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Sun-Netscape Alliance, a strategic collaboration between America Online, Inc. and Sun Microsystems, Inc., has announced a comprehensive portfolio of e-commerce software aimed at accelerating the growth of the Net Economy. As part of their vision and strategy, the companies have unveiled details of their product strategy in the e-commerce infrastructure and application software areas, as well as organizational structure in sales, services, and support.

The Alliance product portfolio will provide customers with the industry's most scalable, integrated infrastructure software and a family of production-ready e-commerce applications. Products will be offered on the industry's most widely available computing platforms, including HP, IBM, Linux, Windows NT, and Sun. The Alliance e-commerce infrastructure is the industry's most comprehensive and highly integrated software that delivers secure communications, collaboration, and commerce services.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Sun-Netscape Alliance has announced a comprehensive portfolio of e-commerce software, aimed at accelerating the growth of the Net Economy.
  • The Alliance product portfolio will provide customers with the industry's most scalable, integrated infrastructure software and a family of production-ready e-commerce applications.
  • Products will be offered on the industry's most widely available computing platforms, including HP, IBM, Linux, Windows NT, and Sun.
  • The Alliance e-commerce infrastructure is the industry's most comprehensive and highly integrated software that delivers secure communications, collaboration, and commerce services.
  • The infrastructure product portfolio includes messaging (e-mail) and calendar, collaboration, web, application, directory (network phone book), and certificate (security) servers.
  • The Alliance offers a family of production-ready applications, including commerce exchange, procurement, selling, and billing.
  • The software family allows enterprises to bring the best of their business practices online, integrate with a wide range of existing enterprise applications, reduce the cost and increase the speed of doing business, develop loyal customer relationships, and get to market faster with comprehensive functionality.
  • The Alliance has already released the next generation of both companies' products, including Sun's NetDynamics application server and Netscape's application server scheduled for release later this year.
  • The Alliance will deliver a collaboratively developed product in early 2000.
  • The sales force will consist of both Sun and Netscape software solution experts, offering a full spectrum of support and integration services.
  • Sun has unveiled a 50-city worldwide seminar series aimed at customers seeking more details on how to ".com" their company.

Statistics:

  • 500-member sales force dedicated to selling the full suite of products on multiple platforms.
  • 16 million members on America Online, Inc. as of March 1999.
  • 2 million members on CompuServe.
  • $10 billion in annual revenues for Sun Microsystems, Inc.
  • 150 countries where Sun can be found.
  • More than 16 million members on the America Online, Inc. worldwide Internet service.

Sources:

  • "Sun-Netscape Alliance Unveils Comprehensive Portfolio of E-Commerce Software" ( BUSINESS WIRE, March 30, 1999)
  • America Online, Inc. website (http://www.aol.com)
  • Sun Microsystems, Inc. website (http://www.sun.com)
  • Netscape website (http://www.netscape.com)

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