Informix and Sun Join Forces To Address Retail Business Problems With Turnkey Internet Solutions - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Oct 4, 1999

Informix Corporation, the technology leader in enterprise database-powered solutions, and Sun Microsystems, Inc. (SUNW), the leader in enterprise computing Monday announced they have joined forces to deliver strategic Internet solutions for retail business problems.

Informix and Sun are working together to connect retailers to consumers easily and quickly through E-commerce software solutions, combined with the industrial strength Sun platform. To minimize the impact of the revolutionary change in the retail industry, Informix has developed two turnkey solutions, i.Sell and i.Reach, which will be demonstrated at Sun's booth (no. 439) at the show.

This alliance further solidifies Informix's commitment to providing innovative database products that can assist major companies in attaining a competitive advantage without excessive cost and risk.

Together, Informix software and Sun's cost-efficient, high-performance and highly scalable Sun Enterprise servers improve online customer services with fast response times and the reliability needed for retailers' web storefronts, avoiding costly downtime and lost customers. Informix and Sun Microsystems have a long history of success in serving customers together, including such companies as Sears, Roebuck and Co., Circuit City, Conforama, JC Whitney & Co. and SKECHERS USA, Inc.

"Our alliance with Sun is paramount as it allows us to provide solutions for retail business problems, while also meeting our goal to help customers succeed in the i.economy," Kenneth Leung, Informix manager, global retail industry marketing. "Together, we can produce the most comprehensive and optimized solutions, while providing customers with a best-of-breed platform offering stability and consistency."

"Since Informix develops its solutions on Sun systems, we are in a great position to provide retailers with an optimized solution that delivers the best price performance possible, and the industry-leading scalability and reliability that will help handle the seasonal peaks retailers face," said Bob DeLaney, worldwide market development manager, retail and distribution, Sun Microsystems. "This is another example of how Sun and its allies like Informix can dot com our customers' business and help them complete in the Net Economy."

i.Sell Solution

Informix offers a complete end-to-end e-retailing solution with i.Sell. This solution combines the most powerful database transaction engine, Informix Dynamic Server, with a best-of-breed e-retailing application suite, and consulting services from i.Informix or third-party systems integration partners, with global support. With i.Sell, Informix is the first to offer a solution that is a complete package of products and services at a fixed price. It combines all the necessary components to build an online storefront.

i.Reach Solution

Informix also offers i.Reach, a combination of Web technology and Informix's industry-leading database technology to form a comprehensive content management system. With this solution, end-users can use a familiar Web browser interface to search for and retrieve information that is up-to-date and relevant, and is organized and presented in a consistent fashion.

Teaming with Sun enables Informix to provide retailers with a new i.economy giving retailers the power to connect online with consumers. The alliance helps provide low-risk deployment in 8-16 weeks to become "Click and Mortar" and compete with Internet-only startups, develop multiple channels of communication to the customer and improve customer services online with fast response times and personalize web shopping experiences.

It also enables customers to avoid costly downtime and manage the exponential explosion of data generated by Electronic Retailing, from transactions to customer information.

National Retail Federation gives exhibitors a new and exciting opportunity to discuss, network and learn how to be a successful Internet Retailer. NRF.com is designed to help retailers identify the opportunities and challenges of the next great retail channel and to show attendees what is current, best of breed and what to expect in the future. Panel discussions addressing challenges facing Internet-only retailers will be held during the event.

Sun in Retail

Sun's global retail clients include electronic retailing merchants, department stores, soft and hard goods specialty chains, discount and mass merchandisers, grocery chains, convenience store chains, chain drug stores, catalog and home shopping organizations as well as hotel and restaurant chains. FMI: http://www.sun.com.

Informix Corporation, based in Menlo Park, Calif., provides innovative database solutions that assist the world's major corporations to attain competitive advantage. Informix is widely recognized as the technology leader for corporate computing environments ranging from small workgroups to very large parallel processing applications.

Informix's database server, application development tools, superior customer service, and strong partnerships enable the company to be at the forefront of major information technology solution areas including data warehousing, high performance OLTP and Web/E-commerce. FMI: http://www.informix.com.