Improved Market Opportunities for Internet Service Providers in Europe: Siemens Nixdorf Launches ISP Initiative With Sun and Intel

Business Wire, June 9, 1998

PADERBORN, Germany/PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 1998--Siemens Nixdorf, Europe's largest IT vendor, announced today at Sun Microsystems' Semiannual Inside Sun Software Day, that it is launching a new initiative for Internet service providers (ISP) in Europe. The initiative aims to better position the Internet service providers to conquer new segments of the lucrative yet increasingly competitive Internet market by providing qualified added-value offerings. The initiative is being run in close cooperation with strategic partners Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA., and Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA. Internet service providers taking part in the program will receive the Internet Value Partner designation from Siemens Nixdorf.

A European Commission study on the European market for Internet access predicts that this market will in the future be dominated by a handful of Internet service providers with a global presence and the European telecommunications companies. Those Internet service providers whose service portfolios are based primarily on access service will need an attractive added-value offering to stand a good chance in the marketplace.

The Siemens Nixdorf initiative is designed to provide its partners with complete solutions at the same time as beefing up the specialized value-added services the Internet service providers offer their customers. Examples of added value include system integration, consulting, publishing, Intranet, the integration of existing applications, database integration, electronic commerce and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

Pooling the individual strengths of strategic partners Siemens Nixdorf, Intel and Sun ensures the best Internet solutions for Internet service providers. Sun's Solaris operating environment provides the reliability and scalability demanded by ISPs and is already the dominant Internet platform for the development of new Internet applications. Sun's Solaris Net Business Suite of products, also announced today, is designed to help both ISPs and enterprise service providers reliably deliver next-generation mail and messaging services faster and more effectively over public and private networks. Java technology, also developed by Sun, has become the standard in the dramatic evolution of the Internet.

Intel supplies processor technology for the server solutions of the future with an unsurpassed price-performance ratio. Siemens Nixdorf's Primergy servers combine these superior base technologies into a complete solution for Internet service providers -- optimized for use in the Internet environment. With Primergy servers, Siemens Nixdorf can offer a complete range of top-quality Intel-based servers boasting world-winning reliability.

This initiative for Internet service providers also includes specialized technical training as part of a special program offered by Siemens Nixdorf. New customer target groups will be reached through joint sales and marketing initiatives run by Siemens Nixdorf and the Internet service providers. This will include joint advertising and tradeshow appearances, as well as customer events.

About Siemens Nixdorf

Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG, Paderborn, Germany, is a systems partner with universal expertise in the field of information technology. It is one of the world's largest companies in this area and is the largest supplier of information technology of European origin. In the past fiscal year (October 1996 - September 1997) Siemens Nixdorf had incoming orders worth DM15.9 billion and revenues of DM15.4 billion. The company has a workforce of about 36,000 and is represented in about 60 countries. Further information about Siemens Nixdorf can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.siemensnixdorf.com.

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 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

    CONTACT:
     Siemens Nixdorf Open Enterprise Computing Line of Business
     Berni Lorwald
     Tel.: ( 49) 5251 / 8 14560
     loerwald.pad@sni.de
     or
     Sun
     Cecilia Denny
     Corporate Public Relations
     Solaris Software Division
     Sun Microsystems, Inc.
      1 (650) 786-7970
     Cecilia.Denny@Sun.COM