---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash The SPARC Compliant(TM) Trademark SunFLASH Vol 37 #20 January 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a press release from SPARC International. -johnj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPARC International Adrienne Bachleda (415) 321-8692 x 238 Sun, Other Systems Vendors Carry SPARC Compliant Trademark Forty-three Systems Now Verified SPARC Compliant MENLO PARK, Calif. -- January 22, 1992 -- SPARC International (SI), today announced that Sun Microsystems will begin carrying the SPARC Compliant(TM) trademark on all its desktop products and related packaging and promotional materials as of February 1992... SI also announced today that Sun's SPARCserver(TM) 600 MP series has passed SCD 1.1 compliance testing, and will begin carrying the SPARC Compliance trademark immediately. "We view the SPARC Compliant(TM) trademark as a key marketing tool," said Larry Hambly, vice president of marketing, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation. "SCD stands for assured binary compatibility of compliant applications on all compliant systems from SMCC and other vendors. It is concrete evidence of successfully tested products and will generate buyer confidence in multivendor SPARC systems compatibility." "We created the SCD mark of compliance for buyers, not for SPARC International," said Robert Duncan, CEO and chairman of SPARC International. "Buyers need to know a product has been independently tested, as well as which specifications it is compliant with. This knowledge is increasingly important as different versions of UNIX and the underlying SPARC architecture continue to evolve. Unlike the early chaos of incompatibilities in the PC world, the SPARC Compliant(TM) symbol brings discipline and order to the market for workstations and other computers in client/server environments." Expanding Commitment to Compliance and Trademark Use Today, forty-three SPARC systems, from sixteen vendors ranging from laptops to servers to supercomputers have been verified SPARC Compliant(TM). Vendors of these products are in various stages of bringing their systems to market and developing their own programs for use and promotion of the SPARC Compliant(TM) trademark. The effect of these efforts by SI's geographically diverse members will bring worldwide buyer recognition of the meaning and value of SPARC compliance in 1992. From the outset of SPARC Compatible(TM) product deliveries, suppliers have been investing in development and rigorous use of SPARC Compliance Definitions (SCDs), related test suites and procedures that ensure that products advertised to work together in fact will. This directly accrues value to users as the number and diversity of SPARC products grows. SPARC Compliance Definitions and test suites are used during product development. As a result, products are built to be compatible, not rushed to market with possible incompatibilities. The importance of these services is demonstrated by other SI members such as Mobius Computer Corporation and Tatung Science and Technology, Inc. Both of these vendors began investing in the SPARC Compliance program from the outset of their product development and marketing efforts. According to Kam Chan, president of Tatung Science and Technology, "Tatung was the first company to feature the SPARC Compliant(TM) logo on its literature, packaging and other marketing materials. We have also taken the initiative to affix the SCD logo on each system that we deliver. These efforts have helped Tatung to establish itself as the leading supplier of SPARC Compliant(TM) workstations, next to Sun." "Due to SPARC International's independent testing and verification efforts, users can rest assured that SPARC Compliant(TM) systems, such as the new Mobius Mirage Series, are fully compatible with existing Sun SPARC products and those from other SPARC systems vendors," said Craig Stouffer, CEO Mobius Computer Corporation. "Compatibility is key in a true, multi-vendor open systems market. The SCD verification not only assures compatibility, it also opens up a wide selection of viable options from which customers can safely and comfortably select." SPARC International, located in Menlo Park, Calif., was founded in February 1989 as an independent, not for profit corporation chartered with directing the evolution of the SPARC microprocessor architecture (originally developed by Sun Microsystems), developing the market for SPARC-based products and establishing and testing for compliance to SPARC technology standards. Membership is open to all component, hardware and software vendors as well as individuals committed to promoting SPARC as an open RISC standard. ### SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International based on technology developed by Sun Microsystems. SPARC/OS, SPARC Compatible, SPARC Compliant, EmbedSPARC and EuroSPARC are reserved trademarks of SPARC International. SPARCstation, SPARCware, SPARCompilers and SPARCserver are trademarks of SPARC International, Inc., licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 and src.doc.ic.ac.uk 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.