---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SPARC International Announces SPARCBuilders SunFLASH Vol 40 #22 April 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARCBuilders Portfolio Available to SPARC Developers by Mid-Year MENLO PARK, Calif. -- April 7,1992 -- SPARC International (SI) announced today that it is collecting an aggressive technology portfolio to identify and describe all "building block" technologies available to hardware and software developers and integrators of both SPARC-based computer and embedded/real-time products. Called SPARCBuilders, this effort will give developers a single reference to available SPARC technologies, offer technology suppliers a highly-leveraged marketing tool, and meet the demand for a central information resource in the SPARC open, multi-vendor industry model. SPARCBuilders will publish its first issue of the portfolio in the next few months. SPARCBuilders is a strong portrayal of the central information role that SI plays among SPARC technology suppliers and developers. According to Robert Duncan, Chairman and CEO of SI, "The list of deeply invested SPARC technology suppliers continues to grow at an impressive rate. We have created SPARCBuilders to better serve both suppliers and buyers of SPARC technology, and to streamline our own operations as the volume of technology referrals passing through SI continues to build." Portfolio Structure and Content Suppliers listing their technologies with SPARCBuilders offer developers complete, concise technology descriptions and company contact information. SPARCBuilders covers the spectrum of SPARC technologies for developers of end-user directed system hardware, system software and embedded/real-time products. Technologies in the Portfolio include: interface specifications, CPUs, logic chip sets, bus technologies, graphics technologies, operating systems and related software technologies, hardware and software development tools, testing tools, networking technologies, windowing technologies, and others. Technology Classes Mapping to the way technology building blocks are actually packaged and sold, SPARCBuilders divides listed technologies into three classes: interfaces, designs, and implementations. Interfaces precisely define the functionality and/or specifications of particular technology in sufficient detail and accuracy to allow developers to build products that are compatible by virtue of complying with the interface definition. Examples are the SPARC Architecture Version 8, the SPARC Compliance Definition (SCD) 2.0 and the MBus chip interconnect specification, all available from SPARC International and offered in the Portfolio. Designs are engineering data for a component or a system conforming to an interface. Examples are net-lists or Verilog files for chips, CAD databases for boards and operating system source code. Implementations are the actual hardware and/or software components that put interfaces and designs into practice for end-users products. The most common examples are SPARC CPU and logic ASIC chips and binary versions of software, such as the Solaris operating system. Implementations may include a broad range of technologies such as system peripherals and board-level products, or even complete systems defined as "building blocks" for value-added resellers. Sponsors SPARCBuilders is based on an annual sponsorship model with three levels of participation: Principal, Associate and Educational. The base annual cost for a technology listings is $750. Principal sponsors are founding partners in SPARCBuilders, and have purchased up to 24 technology listings in the Portfolio. Associate Sponsors have purchased blocks of 4 listings for $2,000. Educational sponsors pay a flat fee of $150 for an institutional technology listing. Developers requesting a copy of the Portfolio in the first months of availability will receive one copy free. Nominal pricing for subsequent copies and ongoing subscription to the Portfolio Program will be announced at a later date. All founding Principal sponsors SI executive members. Current founding sponsors of SPARCBuilders include: Fujitsu, Ltd., LSI Logic, Ross Technology, Inc., SPARC International, SMCC and SunSoft. Portfolio Enrollment Suppliers wishing to list building block technologies in the SPARCBuilders Portfolio Program should FAX requests for enrollment information and listing forms to SPARC International at 415/321-8015. SPARCBuilders Sponsor Names and Technologies Principal Sponsors: Fujitsu, Ltd. - SPARC Processor and Completion Chips LSI Logic - LSI SPARCKit Family Solutions Ross Technology, Inc. - SPARC CPUs SPARC International - SCD 2.0 and $99 SPARC License SMCC - SPARC Interfaces, Designs, and Implementations SunSoft, Inc. - Solaris 1.0 and 2.0 - Distributed Computing Solutions Associate Sponsors: Analog Devices - AD1849 - 16 Bit SoundPort Stereo Codec Crystal Semiconductor Corp. - Multimedia Audio Chip Technology Edinburgh Portable Compilers - Comprehensive Family of Compilers; Integrated Debugger Elan Computer Group - Elan License Manager Highland Software - Flexible License Manager SunPro - SPARCompiler Family, SPARCworks Programming Environments Texas Instruments, Inc. - SPARC FPU Wangtek/WangDAT - 1/4" Cartridge Tape and 4 mm DAT Drives and Storage Devices Weitek Corporation - 8701 IU FPU; 8720 Color Graphics Accelerator Wind River Systems, Inc. - Real-Time Software Development Tools Educational Sponsors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - X-Window Systems About SPARC International SPARC International (SI), founded in 1989, as a not-for-profit service compa- ny, is an independent association of corporations, institutions and individuals focused on developing worldwide markets for products and services based on SPARC technology. SI currently has 253 members in 18 countries. SPARC Inter- national is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. SPARC International's Mission SPARC International promotes the design, development and application of SPARC to computer and peripheral products; establishes hardware and soft- ware standards, enables compatibility across SPARC branded products; and provides, promotes and protects SPARC and SPARC-related brand names. SPARC International Adrienne Bachleda (415) 321- 8692 x 238 UNIX is a registered trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International. SPARC Compatible, SPARC Compliant and SPARC Verified are reserved trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. All other products are referred to herein by the trademarks as designated by the companies who market those products. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.