---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash HOT OFF THE PRESS, December, 1992 SunFLASH Vol 48 #5 December 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUN'S MOMENTUM SMI Highlights SunConnect Highlights SunExpress Highlights SunPics Highlights SunPro Highlights SunSelect Highlights SunSoft Highlights SunSolutions Highlights STATE OF THE BUSINESS SPARC Facts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation --------------------------- HOT OFF THE PRESS --------------------------- Recent News December, 1992 Published by SMCC Public Relations ******************************************************************************* SUN'S MOMENTUM SMI Highlights ----------------------------------------------------------- * Sun reported record first-quarter revenues of $855.9 million, up more than 13 percent from the $754.9 million reported for the corresponding period of fiscal 1992. Net income for the first quarter was $4.8 million, or $0.05 per share, compared to $26.8 million, or $0.27 per share, for the same period a year ago. (For more detail, see "State of the Business" section). SMCC Highlights ---------------------------------------------------------- * SMCC introduced the SPARCclassic, SPARCstation LX and the SPARCcenter 2000: SPARCcenter 2000 * Industry's most powerful, expandable and affordable high-end UNIX server - a mainframe-caliber system for data center applications * Up to 20-way multiprocessing through an advanced new bus technology * At least two to four times less expensive than comparable systems from other vendors SPARCclassic * The world's least expensive color RISC system - up to 50% less expensive than a similarly configured PC * Based on revolutionary new 50-MHz microSPARC processor from SMCC and Texas Instruments - the most highly integrated, low-cost RISC processor * The SPARCclassic Server, based on the same technology, is available as a low-cost workgroup server SPARCstation LX * The lowest-cost accelerated graphics workstation available * GXplus accelerator, CD-quality audio, 424-megabyte internal disk and built-in ISDN * SMCC remained the top workstation vendor in Japan, with Sun having led in that market since 1987, according to Dataquest. Sun was the market leader in Japan during 1991, with 29,800 units shipped and $483 million (U.S.) in revenues, up 26 percent and 22 percent, respectively, from 1990. Sun accounted for approximately 25 percent of the Japanese market in terms of both units and value of shipments for 1991. * Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (E&S) and SMCC introduced a breakthrough 3-D graphics accelerator family for the SPARC/Solaris platform. The Freedom Series delivers the industry's fastest graphics, offering over twice the 3-D graphics speed of any other workstation. E&S and SMCC will market the new Freedom Series jointly; Evans & Sutherland will sell the products. * SMCC created SunIntegration Services, a new group focused on helping its worldwide customers implement open client-server solutions that include the SPARC/Solaris platform. SunIntegration Services will assist customers in planning and executing major technology transformations, select the best integrators and technology partners for customers' needs, and sometimes act as a project manager or prime contractor. SunIntegration Services will partner with world-class systems integrators and technology vendors -- such as GE Information Systems, Andersen Consulting, SAIC, SynOptics, Cabletron, Cambridge Technology Partners, AT&T and Cap Gemini Sogeti -- on a per-project basis. * SMCC and Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP INC.) entered into a joint marketing agreement to offer customized client-server solutions to manufacturing clients and to assist them in their move from primarily proprietary environments to ones based on open systems. SMCC and CTP will identify manufacturing accounts that desire to rightsize, then specify a cohesive plan for open system application migration and development. In addition, SMCC and CTP will host a seminar series on rightsizing for manufacturing companies. * SMCC and LEGENT Corporation signed a cooperative marketing and joint development agreement to port Legent's system management tools to the Sun SPARC/Solaris platform. This agreement will give mainframe users who rightsize to a UNIX client-server environment the system management capabilities they are accustomed to in a traditional mainframe data center. Legent is a leading supplier of system software and services for the management and operations of Information Systems (IS) enterprises with more than 64,000 products in use at more than 10,000 customer sites. * SMCC unveiled the highest-capacity, lowest-cost SPARCserver 690MP data center package ever available from the company and has reduced prices from 7 to 17 percent on its popular SPARCserver 600MP Series of multiprocessor servers. In addition, SMCC unveiled new high-performance disk storage solutions for its servers that are less than half the price of comparable products from major UNIX server manufacturers. * SMCC also reduced prices on its SPARCstation IPX color workstation by as much as 13 percent. * SMCC expanded its SPARCengine family of single-board computers with the new low-cost, high-performance SPARCclassic engine and the SPARCengine LX. The SPARCclassic engine offers twice the performance at less than half the price of SMCC's lowest-cost SPARCengine board to date. These SPARCengine boards are compact, highly integrated units designed for reliability, low power usage and flexibility. Both boards take full advantage of the real-time, multitasking capabilities of Solaris 2.1. * ACCESS Graphics, Inc., has added SMCC's entire line of SPARCengine board products, including the new SPARCclassic engine, to the list of products it now distributes through Sun authorized resellers in the United States. ACCESS already carries SMCC's complete line of workstations and servers. * Computer Associates and SMCC entered a strategic alliance to provide CA's industry-leading CA-UNICENTER systems management solution for Sun SPARCserver and SPARCstation families, based on the Solaris 2.0 system software environment. * Universal Software is porting its Open/36 product to SMCC's SPARC/Solaris platform. Open/36 enables IBM System/36 users to move their applications, without recompilation, from the proprietary System/36 environment to Sun SPARCservers and SPARCstations. The Open/36 product gives System/36 users a complete System/36 environment on a Sun system that includes all their familiar tools. * Texas Instruments entered into a joint development and marketing relationship with SMCC to port TI's integrated computer-aided software engineering (I-CASE) solution, the Information Engineering Facility (IEF) onto the SPARC/Solaris platform. Customers who use IEF on mainframes can regenerate their applications on Sun systems, allowing them to run their applications immediately in a client-server computing environment at a lower cost. * Andersen Consulting's Foundation software organization announced its intent to port its client/server computer-aided software engineering (CASE) product, Foundation for Cooperative Processing (FCP), to Sun's SPARCservers and SPARCstations running the Solaris operating system. * Lotus Notes, the leading workgroup computing application for PCs, will be added to the suite of Lotus business productivity applications available for Sun systems, including Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Realtime and Lotus cc:Mail. Notes for the SMCC platform will be among the first UNIX versions of the product to be available. It is expected to be shipped in the first half of next year. * SMCC has opened a new product delivery center in Montfoort, Netherlands. The center will improve system delivery to customers throughout Europe and also demonstrates SMCC's commitment to growth in the European market. SMCC also plans to expand its manufacturing facility in Linlithgow, Scotland. * SMCC established its 20th worldwide subsidiary, located in Hungary. The new office will allow the company to provide local sales, service and marketing support directly to SMCC's distributors, value-added resellers and customers throughout Middle Europe, which includes Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Baltic states. With this addition, SMCC now has a total of 11 subsidiaries in Europe. * SynOptics, 3Com, LAN Media, SMCC and other leading networking suppliers endorsed a list of goals for implementing Ethernet networks at 100 megabits per second (Mbps) using unshielded twisted pair (UTP) 10BASE-T wiring. The vendors also pledged support to expedite a workable standard for the industry. * SMCC formed an educational technology alliance with the General Electric (GE) Advanced Concepts Center for the delivery of customer training courses in object-oriented software design methodologies. * SMCC teamed with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) Commercial Services Group, a leader in providing information technology services to large commercial customers, to offer retailers high-performance, low-cost Solaris-based UNIX client-server solutions. EDS has developed automated software tools based on Sun SPARC workstations and servers, that can be used to quickly and easily create a portfolio of customized retail applications. * Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), a leading developer of executive information systems (EIS) and decision support systems (DSS), ported its first full client-sever UNIX system software to the Sun platform. Under a joint marketing and sales agreement, IRI will sell its EXPRESS-brand software on Sun SPARCstations and SPARCservers running Solaris. The company will offer EIS and DSS systems for finance, sales, marketing, human resources and quality assurance applications to Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies. * Sun Microsystems Federal, Inc., will ship its distributed, secure UNIX operating system, Solaris CMW 1.0 (Compartmented Mode Workstation), through SMCC channels this December. Solaris CMW is the culmination of over four years' effort by Sun Federal to develop the only secure UNIX operating system with a distributed, trusted computing base to be under evaluation by the National Computer Security Center. * SMCC and the Office of Information Technology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill unveiled a new interactive information repository for the education and research communities that lets users of Sun systems easily access public domain software, shareware and other material such as research articles and images. The repository, called SunSITE (Sun Software, Information, and Technology Exchange), resides on a dedicated SPARCserver. Users access SunSITE from the Internet, a global wide-area network that includes a myriad of regional and local college and university networks. * Oracle Corporation selected the Sun platform as its primary development platform for its next-generation RDBMS software products. Under this agreement, Oracle will purchase several hundred SPARCstation and SPARCserver systems over the next two years. * The Chicago Board of Trade, the oldest and largest futures exchange in the world, has selected Sun SPARCstations as the official workstation for the Board of Trade. * Dunkin' Donuts has selected Sun workstations as the computing platform for its Shop Information System (SIS), an integrated information system for the retailing, distribution, and production of donuts and bakery products. Dunkin' Donuts, the world's largest retailer of donuts, said the company will install a network of SPARCstation IPC computers running the Solaris distributed computing environment in more than half of its 1,600 U.S. franchise operations over the next four years. * Six leading pre-press software and systems vendors will market new applications for SMCC's SPARC/Solaris platform. The developers offering new applications on Sun systems include Crosfield Electronics Ltd., Digital Technology International, DuPont/Camex, ECRM, Linotype-Hell Company and System Integrators, Inc. Their products will be used for output and production flow management, display ad make-up, spot and process color imaging, raster image processing and database management. * National Instruments Corporation has ported its industry-leading LabVIEW graphical programming software to the Sun SPARC platform. The availability of LabVIEW software for Sun systems gives users a powerful, easy-to-use tool for creating programs in automated testing and laboratory research applications. This is the first UNIX port for LabVIEW. * SMCC, Tektronix, Inc., and National Instruments Corp. have formed an alliance to develop, market and sell a new line of integrated test and measurement systems called Open Measurement Solutions. These solutions will comprise SPARCstation and SPARCserver systems from SMCC; VXI and GPIB test instrumentation from Tektronix; and LabVIEW graphical application software and instrument controller hardware from National Instruments. Open Measurement Solutions will be targeted at industries such as aerospace, automotive, telecommunications and electronic design automation. SunConnect Highlights -------------------------------------------------- * SunConnect unveiled three new high-speed connectivity products that allow users to easily take advantage of applications and network resources. The new products, SunLink ISDN, SunLink Frame Relay and SunLink PPP, enable applications that traditionally are limited to use in local area network environments to run faster and more economically over global networks. * SunConnect has expanded its SunConnect Partners program, which provides customers with global network integration, connectivity and network management solutions. More than 30 new partners have recently joined the program, bringing the overall total to more than 100 leading software developers, resellers and distributors, network and system integrators, and international network carriers. SunExpress Highlights --------------------------------------------------- * SunExpress is now operating in Europe, providing a new distribution channel for easy ordering and fast delivery of Sun products. Choosing items from the SunExpress catalog, customers can place orders by telephone, fax or post and receive products within five business days. SunExpress Europe will initially support customers in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The opening of the new European office follows the recent expansion of SunExpress into Japan. SunPics Highlights ------------------------------------------------------ * SunPics has established operations in Europe to market its entire line of hardware and software products. The SunPics European headquarters is located in Bagshot, U.K., and serves all of the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. * SunPics unveiled the NeWSprinter 20 laser printer, a 20-page-per-minute PostScript-language-compatible printer. The NeWSprinter 20 product works with NeWSprint software to extend open network printing to large workgroups. The product complements the SPARCprinter laser printer, which leads the UNIX print market in price/performance for smaller workgroup and desktop use. * SunPics hired Lalita Tademy as vice president and general manager. Tademy has 20 years of experience in the printing and imaging market, having held positions at Xerox, ALPS Electric (USA), ITT/Qume and other companies. SunPro Highlights ------------------------------------------------------- * SunPro has contracted with a team of 33 highly skilled software engineers from Russia as an extension to its core engineering group. The Russian team will work on enhancements to SunPro commercial software development products. The work will be conducted in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk under the direction of Russian supercomputer inventor Dr. Boris Babaian of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The agreement is among the first in which Russian scientists have been employed by a Western firm to develop commercial products for distribution in key markets including the U.S., Europe and Japan. * SunPro shipped the ProWorks family of development environments for the Solaris for X86 operating environment. The initial ProWorks offerings provide the principal development component of the Solaris for X86 early access kit from SunSoft. * SunPro and MetaWare, Inc., entered into a licensing agreement in which MetaWare's highly regarded x86 code generation technology is used in a new family of SunPro compilers for personal computers. The family, called ProCompiler, are the first compilers for developing applications on the Solaris for X86 operating environment. * SunPro entered a technology development and licensing agreement with Rogue Wave Software, Inc., a leading supplier of C++ class library technology. The agreement centers on Rogue Wave's Tools.h++ class library product, a complete "toolbox" of nearly 100 reusable C++ classes. Enhancements to the libraries will be developed to address areas such as performance, ease of use, internationalization, and support for multithreading. SunPro will distribute the product at a future date as an add-on to its SPARCworks Professional C++ development environment. SunSelect Highlights --------------------------------------------------- * SunSelect has acquired the assets of Praxsys Technologies, Inc., a software development firm specializing in personal computer emulation technology. * SunSelect shipped its one millionth unit of PC-NFS software. PC-NFS is now the industry's most widely used PC-to-enterprise networking solution, with a 70 percent share of the personal computer TCP/IP and ONC/NFS networking market. * SunSelect expanded its North American channels through new agreements with leading personal computer networking distributors. SunSelect products are now available in North America through Tech Data, GBC Technologies, Transparent Technologies, Intelligent Electronics (IE), Arrow Electronics, Inc., and Merisel Canada in addition to SunSelect's existing channels, which include ComputerLand, Access Graphics, SunExpress and SMCC. * SunSelect now offers additional volume packaging options for its PC-NFS 4.0 and PC-NFS Advanced Telnet 1.0 software products. The packages (in quantities of 10, 25, 100 and 500) are offered at prices that significantly reduce the per-unit cost of each product. SunSoft Highlights ----------------------------------------------------- * SunSoft introduced a new version of the Solaris 2.0 distributed computing environment. Called Solaris 2.1, the software has new installation, administration, security and internationalization features, providing commercial users with the industry's most powerful 32-bit software environment for the corporate enterprise. Solaris 2.1 also includes full symmetric multiprocessing and multithreading capabilities. * SunSoft distributed Solaris for X86 to select software manufacturers and developers to take immediate advantage of the powerful 32-bit system software. These users received Solaris for X86 software on a single compact disc with ProWorks development tools and documentation. * Adobe Systems and Sun signed a far-reaching technology and marketing partnership agreement, whereby Sun will adopt Adobe's imaging technologies, PostScript and Display PostScript, while Adobe will increase technology and application development for SunSoft's Solaris distributed computing environment. As a result of the agreement, Sun will integrate the Display PostScript system in the Solaris computing environment, clearly establishing Display PostScript as the standard imaging model for UNIX platforms. In addition, the companies will undertake joint marketing and developer support activities. * SunSoft demonstrated the multiprocessing capabilities of Solaris 2.0 on a Compaq SYSTEMPRO Model 486-840 for the first time at the UNIX Expo tradeshow in New York City. Solaris is backed by six of the top 10 PC compatible suppliers in the United States and by three of the top five PC compatible companies in Europe. * SunSoft unveiled SearchIt, a new full-text search-and-retrieval application for the Solaris software environment. The new application acts as a personal reference librarian that quickly and easily locates on-line business data such as reports, proposals, and correspondence stored anywhere on the corporate network. SearchIt seamlessly interoperates with the Solaris DeskSet productivity tools. * ToolTalk, the industry's foremost interapplication communication software, is now available for seven leading computer platforms. ToolTalk communication software brings universal plug-and-play application integration to users of over 75 percent of the world's UNIX workstations, including systems from Cray Research, Inc., Digital Equipment Corp., Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intergraph, Silicon Graphics, Inc., Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. and SPARC-compatible vendors. More than 50 independent software vendors in a range of market segments have endorsed ToolTalk. * SunSoft shipped a new version of its INTERACTIVE UNIX System software with features that increase system functionality and expand the number of platforms and peripherals supported. SunSoft is currently offering an aggressive trade-in promotion that allows Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) XENIX, UNIX and Open Desktop users to switch to the new INTERACTIVE UNIX System at a 50% discount. * SunSoft signed major reseller deals with leading U.S. distributors Tech Data, Access Graphics and Government Technology Services, Inc. (GTSI) for the distribution of INTERACTIVE UNIX. SunSolutions Highlights ------------------------------------------------- * ShowMe, SunSolution's computer conferencing product, began shipping in September and the initial reaction from the press, analysts and customers has been extremely positive. According to a product review published in Open Systems Today (8/31/92), "The user interface for ShowMe is perhaps the most intuitive and easy to use that I've seen under an X-based GUI...this is a program that people can use to get real work done." STATE OF THE BUSINESS -------------------------------------------------- * SMCC remained the workstation/server market leader in 1991, with 39.6% of worldwide workstation/server shipments, according to IDC reports. (HP: 16.8%; DEC: 13.8%; IBM: 5.6%; NeXT: 5.4%) * Sun's Q1 FY93 revenues were a record $855.9 million, a 13% increase over the $754.9 million reported in the same period a year ago. * Net income for the quarter was $4.8 million, or $0.05 per share. * SMCC shipped more than 50,000 units in Q1. Cumulative installed base is more than 700,000 units. * Revenues per employee for the last 12 months were $285,200 - the highest revenues per employee of any computer company utilizing a direct sales business model. * Sun's FY92 revenues were $3.6 billion, up from the $3.2 billion reported in FY91. * Net income for FY92 was $173.3 million, or $1.71 per share. * Sun is ranked #146 on the 1991 Fortune 500 list, moving up from 181 (#133 at present run-rate). Information Systems Visionary of the Year Wells Forgo executive Roy Camblin was awarded the first "Information Systems Visionary of the Year" award, bestowed by SMCC at a special industry dinner in New York City. The award recognizes Camblin's success in creating an organization-wide client-server solution that improves efficiency, saves money, and brings technology into the hands of the front-line employees. SMCC decided to create its information systems visionary award to honor professionals like Camblin who are on the cusp of an important movement in information systems. The company solicited nominations from its worldwide field representatives before selecting Camblin. A $10,000 grant will be made by SMCC in Camblin's name to the higher education computer science department of his choice. Public Policy Forum Activities The SMI Public Policy Process was established to provide coordination to Sun's public policy positions and activities. The work of the process is carried out under the direction of Process CEO Kevin Melia and through the Public Policy Forum, which has representation from each Sun operating company, geography, and major function. (For more information contact pubpol@sun.com). * Ballot Initiatives On behalf of Sun Microsystems, Corporate Affairs, in consultation with the Public Policy Forum, took positions on two initiatives on the ballot in November's U.S. election: support of Santa Clara County, Calif., Measure A, to fund light rail and other transit projects in the county; opposition to Proposition 167 (Calif.), which would have substantially increased the company's tax burden in California. (Note: Measure A passed; Proposition 167 failed.) Corporate Affairs also reviewed a Packaging Reduction and Recycling Initiative on the ballot in Massachusetts and decided to take no position. For more information on Sun's ballot initiative positions, contact Andy.Coe@Corp. * Recent Court Decision: Sega v. Accolade On October 20, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in a landmark decision that a method of reverse engineering a competitor's copyrighted computer program, when required to achieve a legitimate purpose such as compatibility, is perfectly legal. This is a major victory for open systems, and a tremendous setback to proprietary vendors. Sun, through its leadership of the American Committee for Interoperable Systems (ACIS), played a significant role in rallying open systems allies in the industry to advocate this pro-competitive interpretation of the copyright laws. SPARC Facts ------------------------------------------------------------ The success of the SPARC platform is due to a single binary interface based on open technologies that are industry standards -- SPARC/Solaris. This ensures application software compatibility - "shrink-wrapped" software that runs unchanged on a wide variety of SPARC systems. * SPARC is the highest-volume platform in the RISC/UNIX market - the de facto standard RISC architecture: - More than 650,000 systems have been shipped by all SPARC vendors to date - IDC published workstation/server market report indicates that SPARC systems had 63.1% of the RISC workstation market in 1991, with MIPS systems having 16.3% and IBM Power 8%. * SPARCware developers can take advantage of the leading RISC/UNIX platform and the #3 (in volume) ABI in the industry (following Intel/Microsoft and Macintosh). This translates to more market opportunity for developers and more innovative solutions for end users. - More than 5,300 SPARC hardware and software solutions * The SPARC microprocessor architecture is implemented by 10 semiconductor manufacturers into a number of different microprocessors representing a broad performance range -- from 10 to 65 MIPS. - More than 750,000 chips have been shipped to date * SPARC International, through the SPARC Compliance Definition (SCD), will certify hardware and software binary compatibility after performing a series of tests. Only systems and software that are verified through SI will be allowed to use the SPARC trademark. This means vendors and end users are assured of hardware and software compatibility. - SPARC International has verified 23 SPARC systems as compliant with SCD 1.1 - SPARC International now has more than 250 members * More than 40 vendors are currently shipping SPARC compatibles or board products, or reselling SMCC/SPARC systems. Eighty-six SPARC chip implementations are available on the market today. Recent SPARC Highlights * Texas Instruments introduced microSPARC, a highly integrated microprocessor that combines a complete SPARC-compatible processor with critical system features on a single chip. The new SPARC microprocessor is expected to enable low-cost workstations to move into the personal computer price range. Features integrated on the microSPARC processor include: 32-bit SPARC integer unit; low-cost floating point; separate instruction and data caches; SPARC reference memory management unit; configurable DRAM controller; a standard SBus interface with support for five add-in slots. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, uunet.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, 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@Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770. TRACE: To: sunflash@suntri Errors-to: owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com