Sun Expands
Multivendor
Support with IBM
Agreement
in the U.S.A.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - February 9, 1999 - Sun Microsystems,
Inc. today announced that IBM has joined SunVIPSM (Sun Vendor Integration Program).
Designed to speed problem resolution through technical collaboration, the relationship
targets enterprise customers using IBM's DB2 Universal Database software with Sun's
SolarisTM operating environment. As a member of the SunVIP alliance, IBM's DB2
technical support engineers will work closely with Sun 's engineers to increase
application availability. Customers can now call either Sun or IBM when they encounter
a difficult software problem and can rely on technical cooperation between engineers
at both companies to get them up and running quickly.
"This agreement ensures that IBM and Sun's mutual customers will receive one-stop
shopping service and support," said Jim Kelly, vice president, data management
marketing, IBM Software Solutions. "In addition, it's an important customer
offering to continue the large growth we have seen for DB2 Universal Database on
the Sun Solaris platform, as well as supporting the successful marketing and sales
programs we have launched."
Cooperative Technical Support
The integration of software applications with the database
and the operating system makes it increasingly difficult to pin-point where a problem
may lie. The SunVIP program is the first interoperability support program of its
kind in the industry to offer a one-call solution for customers having mission-critical
support contracts with both Sun and IBM. When the customer calls either vendor,
a service engineering team begins the process of identifying, analyzing and solving
the customer problem. With interoperability and uptime being crucial issues for
mission-critical customers, the SunVIP program facilitates a quicker resolution.
The SunVIP program now encompasses fourteen independent software vendors. In addition
to IBM DB2, the SunVIP program includes alliances with the Baan Company, BEA, Computer
Associates International, Informix, JD Edwards, Lotus, Netscape, Oracle, PeopleSoft,
SAP AG, SAS Institute, Sybase, and Tivoli.
About IBM DB2 Universal Database
DB2 Universal Database is the industry's first multimedia,
Web-ready relational database management system -- powerful enough to meet the demands
of large corporations and flexible enough to serve medium-sized and small businesses.
DB2 Universal Database combines power for business intelligence (decision support,
data warehousing and data mining) with industry-leading performance and reliability
for transaction processing. It delivers on IBM's network computing promise, linking
the world's business information with the Internet. Pricing and Availability The
SunVIP program is available at no additional charge to Sun service customers with
SunSpectrumSM GoldSM and SunSpectrumSM PlatinumSM system support contracts. Customers
must also have customer support contracts with the applicable SunVIP members. The
Cooperative Technical Support Agreement with IBM DB2 is currently available in the
U.S. A current listing of SunVIP vendors is maintained on the Worldwide Web on
Sun's service page (http://www.sun.com/service).
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The
Network Is The Computer,"TM has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW),
to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services
for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet.
With more than $9.5 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150
countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
Sun, the Sun logo, SunSpectrum, SunSpectrum
Gold, SunSpectrum Platinum, SunVIP, Solaris, The Network Is The Computer, and Sun
Microsystems are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
in the United States and other countries. @Macarlo, Inc. @Macarlo's Shareware & Web OS/2 Java Lobby Member
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