Telstra and IBM Announce Licensing Agreement, Aimed at Delivering Standard-Based Internet Directory Servers

Business Wire, March 24, 1997

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 24, 1997--Telstra Corporation Limited today announced an agreement with IBM Corporation to license its LDAP/X.500 Directory Server.

The agreement allows IBM to market X.500 based applications to help customers looking for a flexible directory server for building information on electronic mail addresses, or White Pages type directories, to find phone numbers or index the location of web page addresses.

The IBM Telstra LDAP/X.500 Directory Server software supports the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for Internet directory services. It features very powerful and sophisticated search techniques such as approximate matching capabilities.

Currently the directory software is used within Australia as a White Pages directory containing more than 8 million records, and recently Swiss Telecom PTT, with the help of IBM's Telecommunications and Media Industry Solution Unit, deployed the X.500 solution for an electronic white pages system which contains information on business and residential listings representing the entire country.

"IBM has provided us with a very efficient and powerful system" said Peter Berger, Project Manager, Swiss Telecom PTT. "We have successfully loaded over 4 million listings with acceptable response times. I don't know of any other products that are geared to these numbers."

"This agreement with Telstra allows IBM to offer the directory services that provide crucial capabilities to our customers" said Phyllis Byrne, Vice President, Distributed Systems Services, IBM Corporation. "This new IBM offering supports our customers demand for a high-performance directory server with LDAP support and helps IBM to deliver on the promise to extend enterprise services to the internet and intranets."

Geoff Avard, General Manager, Products & Services, National Directory Services, Telstra said, "We look forward to working with IBM on the deployment of the ViewFinder X.500 system in a wide range of directory-dependent applications. The combination of IBM's hardware, software and integration skills with Telstra's directory technology will help provide a highly effective solution to the information-linking challenges of the new millennium."

Additionally the software is a key component of the IBM Registry and World Registry offerings and will provide cross-cell communications for Distribution Computing Environments (DCE) networks, when combined with technology forthcoming from the Open Group. IBM and Telstra announced a Memorandum of understanding on 16 December 1996 regarding a strategic alliance for the "Telstra World Registry" secure Internet commerce service. The IBM Telstra LDAP/X.500 Directory Server is a key component of the Telstra World Registry.

This solution targets customers looking for a flexible directory server such as in the telecommunications and manufacturing businesses and in state and local federal governments.

As Craig Herbert, General Manager, IBM Telecommunications & Media Industry Solutions Unit, Australia / New Zealand points out, it comes as a result of a lengthy relationship between IBM and Telstra. "IBM has worked with Telstra for more than 15 years. Whilst to date the relationship has been based on providing directory solutions in the Australian market place, we are delighted that this offering marks the extension of our relationship to provide an open, scalable, security enhanced environment for directory based, electronic commerce solutions to market world-wide."

The IBM Telstra LDAP/X.500 Directory Server is now available. The software operates on an IBM RS/6000 workstation using the AIX operating system.

About Telstra

Telstra Corporation is the major telecommunications company in Australia. It is a full-service provider, with significant multimedia, directory and international operations. Telstra can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telstra.com.au .

About IBM

IBM, one of the world's largest software providers, creates, develops and manufactures some of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics.

IBM offers information about the company, its products, services and technology through the World Wide Web. The fastest, and easiest way to get information about IBM is to go to the IBM home page at http://www.software.lbm.com .

CONTACT: Telstra

Cathy Clarke, 203/532-1339

cnca@ix.netcom.com