Sun Microsystems names Robert A. Gingell Sun Fellow; leader in system software engineering

Business Wire, Feb 13, 1995

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 13, 1995--Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced the promotion of Robert A. Gingell to the position of Sun Fellow, the company's highest technical level.

Gingell, Distinguished Engineer and Chief Scientist for the computer firm's SunSoft software subsidiary, was accorded the honor in recognition of his contributions to system software technologies and development practices in the areas of distributed operating system and programming tools. Gingell is the fourth Sun Fellow named since the position was created in 1991.

Gingell, 40, also becomes a Vice President of Sun, where he has spent the past decade helping establish the Solaris operating environment as the industry benchmark for advanced application performance.

In addition to his engineering contributions to the firm's system software products, Gingell has developed a variety of practices for software development that Sun applies to increase the quality and rate of software development.

He has also made key contributions to a number of industry initiatives relating to the development of open systems computing, including the recently developed SPEC1170 standard being used as the basis of the UNIX operating system trademark. Gingell also serves on the board of directors of the X/Open Company Ltd. and the Open Software Foundation.

Gingell will continue to serve as Chief Scientist for SunSoft, where his current engineering work involves the creation and application of technologies to yield software components that exhibit a high level of modularity and flexibility required for today's enterprise marketplace.

"Rob is a rarity in the technical community," said Eric Schmidt, Sun's Chief Technical Officer. "He not only has a strong grasp of technical concepts and theories, he understands how to apply them to provide real-life solutions to our customers worldwide."

As a Sun Fellow, Gingell joins the ranks of a small but distinguished group. With Jim Mitchell, an innovator in the fields of distributed object-oriented systems and programming language design; Bob Sproull, a leader in computer graphics and VLSI design; and Ivan Sutherland, a pioneer in interactive computer graphics and systems architecture, Gingell has reached the highest levels of technical achievement within one of the world's top technology companies.

Sun's organization offers a dual ladder structure, providing equal advancement opportunities for people in the technical and management disciplines. The company created the rank of Fellow in 1991 as the top rung on its technical ladder. Sun Fellows enjoy the freedom to communicate freely within the company and largely set their own work agendas.

The company looks to its fellows to help guide its technical development, identify new technical opportunities, and advise management on technical matters.

SunSoft Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems Inc., with offices worldwide. SunSoft's charter is to design, market, sell and support the industry's highest-quality software environment for enabling businesses to gain a competitive advantage through information systems.

The products are licensed by SunSoft and distributed through major computer manufacturers and resellers worldwide.

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Note to editors: (c) 1995 Sun Microsystems Inc., SunSoft, and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, exclusively licensed through X/Open Company Ltd. All other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: SunSoft Inc.

Judy Zimbelman, 415/336-5091

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