Sun Microsystems Acquires NetBeans, a Leading Supplier of Java-Based IDE for Linux - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Oct 25, 1999

Sun Microsystems, Inc. Wednesday announced it has acquired NetBeans Ceska republika a.s., a Czech Republic joint stock company (NetBeans), by means of an asset purchase. NetBeans is a leading developer of cross-platform Java-based integrated development environments (IDE). NetBeans IDE products combined with products from Sun's acquisition of Forte Software, Inc., also announced Wednesday, will provide the million-plus Java Development Kit (JDK) software customers with software choices that range from entry-level offerings for individual developers and students to enterprise-class offerings for team development. Sun will also provide customers with the expert consulting and support services they need to dot-com their businesses.

Free versions of NetBeans Developer IDE for the Solaris Operating Environment, Linux, and Windows 98 and Windows NT are now available for download from http://www.netbeans.com/product_dl.html.

"NetBeans is a leading Java IDE for the Linux community," said Roman Stanek, NetBeans founder. "Whether developers are running Linux, Solaris or Windows, there is a free version of NetBeans Java IDE available to them over the Internet from Sun."

NetBeans development tools are a complementary extension to the Java platform providing developers from entry level to professionals with a powerful, customizable environment for developing web applications for the Internet and intranet. NetBeans Developer visually extends the Java Development Kit (JDK) and includes integrated visual design, editing, compilation, and debugging tools. NetBeans software is based on an open API, which provides an extensible platform for development of third party, customizable, modular tools for the Java platform. The current tools suite supports the Java 2 platform including JavaServer Pages, Servlet, XML, CORBA, RMI and JDBC technologies platform.

"With more than 100,000 downloads, NetBeans is well positioned to be a leading entry level Java technology IDE on the market," said Stanek. "Being acquired by Sun now gives us the industry visibility and additional resources required to make the NetBeans Developer IDE the portal of choice for software developers who need to get productive fast."

"The acquisition is a good move for both Sun and NetBeans," said Mark Driver, research director for GartnerGroup's E-Business Technologies. "Sun has acquired an important piece of the Java tools puzzle and NetBeans now has the Sun resources to be better positioned as a competitive force in the market."

Free Download of NetBeans Developer Early Access Free early access versions of NetBeans Developer 3.0 Entry IDE for the Solaris Operating Environment, Linux and Windows 98 and Windows NT platforms are available for immediate download at http://www.netbeans.com/product_dl.html.

NetBeans software for Linux is distributed over the Web and through RedHat, SuSe, and Linux-Mandrake.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, The Network Is The Computer, 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 $12.4 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.