Informix and FutureTense Announce Strategic Partnership; Adds Java-Based Publishing to Informix's Web Application Development Environment; Informix Licenses FutureTense Texture For Visually Appealing, Highly Interactive Web Page Designs

Business Wire, July 22, 1996

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 1996--Informix Software, Inc., (NASDAQ: IFMX) the leading provider of innovative database technology, today announced a strategic relationship with FutureTense, Inc. that adds Texture, a Web publishing tool, to the Informix Web DataBlade module, a Web application development and management environment.

As part of the agreement, Informix will resell Texture beginning in August. Collaboration between the two companies has resulted in an integrated database driven solution that combines easy creation of sophisticated Web designs with full Web application development, content management, and site deployment. In addition, Informix customers will be first to receive Texture's upcoming personalized publishing feature which enables dynamic customization of Texture publications.

The integration of Texture and the Web DataBlade module will be compelling to Web designers and publishers who need to manage the entire Web design and publication process. When used together, all Web content is stored centrally in the Informix Illustra Server and dynamically presented to the Web site visitor. This enables Texture designers and publishers to more easily manage their publications, securely and remotely collaborate on them, and create unique, personalized experiences for Web site visitors. The integrated solution offers the Web publisher flexibility to reuse content, presenting it in HTML and/or Java. Java-based publishing using Texture enables unprecedented control over layout, typography, layering, navigation, and time-based content updating, all without any Java programming.

"Informix and FutureTense share success in the high-end Web publishing market," said Bill Ray, general manager of the Web business development unit at Informix. "Many of our Web customers have sophisticated Web publishing requirements that move beyond the capabilities of HTML. We identified early on that with FutureTense Texture we can meet our customers' needs for designing richer and more robust interactivity. This strategic partnership extends both companies' leadership position in the Web application developers' community."

"Informix's Illustra Server has gained a reputation as the premier database for Web applications because of its ability to intelligently access all kinds of content including documents, images, Java-applets, video, and other complex data types," said Joel Bresler, president of Future Tense. "The Informix Illustra Server and Web DataBlade module combination represent the ideal complement to Future Tense Texture and raises the bar for complete Web application creation and management."

Features of Integrated Solution

-- Centrally Store and Manage All Content -- Designers can store and manage all Web content, including Texture layout files, in the Informix Illustra Server, facilitating easy tracking, backup and reuse of content.

-- Easily Collaborate on Design and Content -- Texture can be used together with the Web DataBlade module's Application Page Builder, a World Wide Web browser-based tool that makes it easy for teams of Webmasters, designers, and programmers to create and manage sites cooperatively. The Application Page Builder speeds Web publication design by enabling designers to browse all Web site content and incorporate selected objects into Texture designs via copy and paste. The Application Page Builder features user authentication and secure access to content, and can automatically launch Texture.

-- Dynamically Access Content for Personalized Publishing -- Personalized publishing allows Texture documents to automatically deliver tailored content from the Informix Illustra Server using the Web DataBlade module. Texture documents will change based on user preferences or Web site content. For example, a personal newspaper can display different sports stories depending upon whether a visitor prefers tennis or football. Or, an accompanying advertisement could change depending upon time of day, or the latest sale price. This functionality will be available exclusively to Web DataBlade module customers before it becomes a standard feature within Texture.

FutureTense Texture and the Informix Web DataBlade Module

FutureTense Texture is a Web page layout and design tool and a Java viewer that lets designers create Web publications that are visually appealing, highly interactive, and easily updated. It offers unprecedented control over layout and typography, and control over layering, interaction, navigation, and time-based content updating. These capabilities are not possible using HTML. FutureTense Texture does not require writing any Java code or HTML.

The Informix Web DataBlade module is an application development and management environment designed specifically for creating dynamic, scalable, multimedia-rich Web applications that enable developers to simply and quickly keep pace with change. The Web DataBlade module allows Web site content and application logic to be stored centrally in the Informix Illustra Server, enabling Webmasters, Web authors, and programmers to collaborate on Web application development. Modifications to Web applications can be accomplished by simply changing underlying information stored in the database, thereby eliminating the risk of broken links and the need for additional programming. This enables organizations to respond to new Web application requirements in "Web time."