IBM Announces Agreement for New E-business Solutions in China

Business Wire, June 5, 1998

BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 1998--

Network Computing and Java Initiatives Promote Open Standards in China

IBM today announced strategic agreements with the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry and key industry partners to expand the development and use of e-business solutions in China, advance open standards for network computing in China, and create new Chinese versions of key e-business software tools.

Under the initiatives, these new solutions will be based on IBM's Network Computing Framework and Java technology. IBM also will work with local companies and developers on Chinese versions of JavaOS for Business, Lotus Notes/Domino, VisualAge for Java, eSuite, and IBM San Francisco business application components.

E-business describes the way organizations are reinventing their business models around networked transactions of all kinds -- with partners, suppliers and customers -- and requires advanced computer and networking systems, software, storage devices and IT services.

"Software applications, and, in particular Java, are focal points of today's agreement between the MII and IBM," said Mdm Zhang Qi, Director General of China's MII. "In our efforts to further economic growth as well as the growth of Information Technology, the MII encourages the cooperation between domestic and international companies. The is the latest in a series of joint agreements between IBM and MII."

"Thanks to this cooperation between IBM and the Chinese government and local developers, we will be able to support rapid deployment of new applications, provide businesses in China with choice and independence, and extend the reach of existing business solutions," said Mike Lawrie, General Manager, IBM Network Computing Software Division. "Java allows for faster development of e-business applications, which means businesses operating in China can realize a faster return on investment and respond more quickly to changing requirements. This will also augment local Java programming skills and support a growing local software industry in China."

"Sun and IBM are jointly developing JavaOS for Business. We are pleased that IBM, along with Sun, is helping customers in China realize the true benefits of thin client computing, namely ease of use, centralized management, rapid deployment of IT solutions and reduced cost of ownership," said Paul Li, Deputy Managing Director, PRC/Hong Kong of Sun Microsystems LTD.

IBM is leading a number of e-business initiatives in China. For example, IBM announced in April that it had become the first international provider of e-business services in China, extending total e-business technology and applications to strategic sites in the country, as well as announcing major initiatives with China Telecom to jointly develop other technology-based operational solutions for China's telecommunications industry.

Under today's agreements, IBM also has formed a strategic relationship with China's Great Wall Computer Group to co-develop a Chinese version of JavaOS for Business, the industry's most efficient operating system optimized for running 100% Pure Java applications in a centrally-managed computing environment.

IBM already provides support for Independent Solution Vendors (ISV), developers and educational institutions in China. IBM's Java initiatives in China currently includes a Solution Partnership Center in Beijing that provides application porting and tuning assistance to ISVs and developers. The IBM Java-in-schools program assists university professors in creating Java curriculum as well as train students and IT professionals in Java application development.

IBM also has worked with Chinese software development companies, such as Systems Incorporated, Great Wall Computer Group, and the Chinese Academy of Science, to develop localized versions of VisualAge for Java, Lotus eSuite/Domino, and IBM San Francisco business application components. IBM's Research Lab in Beijing also is working on key Java development projects.

Background on JavaOS for Business

JavaOS for Business, the result of a collaboration between Sun Microsystems and IBM, is one of the industry's most efficient ways to run cross-platform Java applications. It is designed to give OEMs, hardware device suppliers, independent software vendors, channel integrators, and enterprise customers with an industry standard operating system designed from the ground up to run Java applications in a network computing environment.

JavaOS for Business is designed for enterprise users -- such as insurance adjusters, bank tellers and call center employees -- that use line of business applications. The applications are stored and managed on the server, where IT professionals can focus on maintaining the computing environment centrally. This server-managed style of computing assists companies in rapidly deploying applications and services to the end user. Customers can benefit from a lower overall cost of computing while employees are able to concentrate on using computers as a simpler, more efficient tool for doing their jobs.