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	 FOR SUN THIRD-PARTY VENDORS ON-LINE MARKETING,
	SALES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE

SunFLASH Vol 12 #10					 December 1989 
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --Dec. 11, 1989-- Sun Microsystems today
announced it is offering the more than 1,500 third-party vendors in its
Catalyst program an on-line support and information service that is one
of the richest of its kind in the industry.  These vendors can now
access important marketing, sales and technical support data via
NeWSware, SM  a database search and electronic messaging system
co-developed by Sun and GE Information Services (GEIS).

According to Bill Larson, director of market development at Sun,
"Innovative services like NeWSware have helped Catalyst grow into the
industry's largest UNIX-based software program.  It currently includes
some 2,900 products from third-party vendors. With NeWSware, developers
of products for Sun workstations get immediate, 24-hour-a-day access to
information that helps them in their design, porting, marketing and
sales efforts worldwide."

Based on X11/NeWS, OPEN LOOK and WAN Technologies

NeWSware is based on Sun's X11/NeWS(TM) (Network-extensible Window
System) and remote processing and wide-area network technologies from
GEIS.  Making NeWSware very easy to access and use is OPEN LOOK(TM), an
intuitive graphical user interface designed by Sun and AT&T that
features icons and pull-down menus.  There is also a PostScript
interpretive window for full WYSIWYG display of the selected PostScript
text.

Its graphical user interface separates NeWSware from other on-line
support services.  OPEN LOOK facilitates manipulation of the textual
database at the heart of NeWSware.  In addition, users can display
PostScript and PostScript graphics across a wide area network, which is
a feature of X11/NeWS.

OPEN LOOK gives NeWSware an attractive, accessible "look and feel."
After dialing into the system, a user will soon see three windows
displayed on the workstation's screen.  The first is a complete
graphical representation of the database hierarchy, based on the level
of access available to that user.  As he or she selects an icon within
the hierarchy, another window is activated showing text information
associated with the selection.  The third window is used for full
PostScript display of selections.

In addition to information about software, NeWSware includes product
and marketing information bulletins, Sun contacts, worldwide sales
information and software updates.  Electronic mail capabilities allow
communication between Catalyst developers and Sun technical support
personnel.

The NeWSware system complements a range of services already offered
through the Catalyst program.  These services are designed to assist
third-party vendors' technical, marketing and sales efforts.  Included
in the Catalyst program are more than 1,400 SPARCware(TM) applications,
more RISC-based UNIX(R) software packages than all other vendors
combined.  Since April 1989, Sun has shipped some 300 SPARCware
developer's kits, including discounted workstations and software tools,
to firms developing new SPARC-based OPEN LOOK/OpenWindows application
software.

NeWSware Pricing and Availability

NeWSware will be available in the first quarter of 1990 to domestic
Catalyst vendors currently using Sun's existing on-line information
system, SUCCESS.  Availability for other vendors is scheduled for early
1990.  It will be released internationally in late 1990.  Future plans
call for end user access to NeWSware in late 1990.

Pricing will be competitive with other commercial wide-area network
services.

Sun Microsystems, Inc., headquarted in Mountain View, Calif., is a
leading supplier of network-based distributed computing systems,
including professional workstations, servers and UNIX operating systems
and productivity software.

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X11/NeWS and SPARCware are trademarks and NeWSware is a service mark of
Sun Microsystems, Inc.  OPEN LOOK is a trademark of AT&T.  UNIX is a
registered trademark of AT&T.  All other products or services mentioned
in this document are identified by the trademarks or service marks of
their respective companies or organizations.

Press Contact:
Nancy Groves (415) 336-6411