MENLO PARK, Calif. -- May 19, 1997 -- Sun
Microsystems, Inc. announced today a new series of
innovative Internet commerce solutions available for the
Sun(tm) platform from Actra. Actra, a member of Sun's
Internet Associate Program, has developed CrossCommerce, an
integrated family of products comprised of Actra's ECXpert,
OrderXpert Seller, OrderXpert Buyer and Netscape
Communications Corporation's MerchantXpert and
PublishingXpert which are the next releases of Netscape's
Merchant and Publishing System. Designed to tie the
enterprise together with the merging Internet marketplace,
the combination of Sun hardware running the Solaris(tm)
operating environment, the Java(tm) platform and Actra's
CrossCommerce Internet applications will deliver one of the
most secure, reliable and deployable Internet commerce
solutions for the network. Today, more than 80 percent of
Netscape's Merchant and Publishing Systems run on Sun
hardware providing successful platforms for commercial
retailers including Travelocity, Sportsline USA and The
National Geographic Society Store. The availability of Actra
CrossCommerce on Sun systems now allows enterprise users to
take advantage of state-of-the-art commerce solutions and
create business-to-business network applications that reduce
costs, decrease cycle times and improve the quality of core
business functions.
"Doing business over a network continues to be the
fastest growing application of today's computing resources,
particularly those that enable the extension of the supply
chain to the Internet," said Mark Tolliver, vice president,
Market Development, Sun Microsystems Computer Company. "What
Actra and Sun are providing is a tightly integrated set of
technologies that take companies to the next level in
generating revenue over the Internet."
"Today's enterprise computing environment demands that
solutions be scalable and deployable across many different
platforms," said Jim Sha, president and CEO of Actra. "We
are working closely with Sun because of the scalability and
openness of the Sun technology. Sun's continued vision of
the `The Network Is The Computer' provides a natural
platform for Actra's multi-tier, distributed
Internet-centric architecture. Our customers have millions
of subscribers and users on the Internet and Sun technology
allows for the development and deployment of highly scalable
Internet solutions."
Actra CrossCommerce Solution Built On Reliable And
Innovative Sun Platforms
Developed in the Sun Solaris operating environment, the
Actra CrossCommerce suite will address Internet EDI, full
service payment and order processing and content management.
Solaris delivers total system reliability and
interoperability for Actra CrossCommerce components. Because
Solaris is a mature operating environment with a long
history of supporting the Internet, it readily communicates
with other
platforms throughout today's heterogeneous networks.
Consequently, it meets stringent interoperability
requirements and complies with all leading industry
standards.
In addition to the benefits of Sun's Solaris operating
environment, the Java platform enables customers to
immediately deploy Actra CrossCommerce in distributed
computing environments for business-to-business and
business-to-consumer Internet commerce applications. The
Java platform allows programs to be written once and run on
a variety of platforms. Not only does this feature help save
customers time and money, it also saves Actra time to market
and development costs to create a secure and standardized
Internet commerce solution. For more information on Actra
products please visit the company's Web site at
http://www.actracorp.com.
Sun Offers the Tools, Software and Hardware For
Electronic Commerce Applications
With products like the Java platform, the Solaris
operating environment, Solstice(tm) SunScreen(tm) and the
Netra(tm) family of Internet servers, Sun is well equipped
to be a leading
vendor of innovative electronic commerce solutions. In
addition to the products that Sun produces, the company has
devoted resources to develop partnerships with other leading
companies, who in concert will continue to address the needs
of Sun's current and prospective customers. The fruits of
this commitment are seen in the success of projects like the
Internet Associate Program and the Java Electronic Commerce
Framework.
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 hardware, software and services for
establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the
power of the Internet. With more than $8 billion in annual
revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on
the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Pamela Mahoney
Sun Microsystems
Computer Company
(415) 786-4109
pamela.mahoney@sun.com
Colin Sanford
Thomas Associates, Inc.
(415) 596-2700
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun Logo, Java, Solaris,
Solstice, SunScreen, Netra and The Network Is The Computer
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems,
Inc. in the United States and other countries.
