TOKYO - April 5, 2005 --- At a press conference today, NEC
Corporation and Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq:SUNW) today announced an
agreement to expand the strategic alliance between the two firms.
This expanded alliance plans to create new system solutions,
incorporating technology and products from both companies that are
scheduled to be made available in Japan and globally.
The strategic alliance will cover a broad range of areas between
the two companies including an expansion of the joint systems
integration business relationship, development of secure voice and
data solutions and enhanced collaboration in the development of
middleware software.
"NEC started OEMing Sun products in 2000, since then we have
continued to broadly develop our partnership," said Akinobu
Kanasugi, president, NEC. "Today's announcement is about expanding
this product based partnership into a strategic systems integration
collaboration targeting the global market by developing solutions
based on IT and network technologies from both companies."
"Today the Sun and NEC relationship has reached a new level," said
Scott McNealy, Chairman and CEO, Sun Microsystems. "Our visions
have always been aligned and now we can say that our products and
services offerings are more complimentary than ever, a synergistic
partnership from ASICS at the chip level to the middleware layer
all the way through systems integration. Customers throughout the
world are experiencing the benefits of our joint solutions."
Key elements of the new alliance include:
- An expanded set of systems integration offerings that the two
companies plan to provide including standards-based, highly
scalable, secure, mission critical offerings targeting mobile phone
carriers and network markets such as telecommunications.
- Plans for both companies to expand support for NEC's Multimedia
Information Platform (NEMIP) solution based on Sun's Solaris (TM)
Operating System (OS) platform in the global market including Asia
and Europe.
- NEC is increasing its systems integration capability dedicated
to the Solaris (TM) operating environment in addition to other
platform environments and targeting multi-vendor implementations
such as server consolidation. Furthermore, NEC will deploy its Open
Mission Critical System (OMCS) technology on Sun's Solaris platform
in Japan and other countries.
- Sun is expanding its support structure both in Japan and the
United States in order to support this systems integration business
expansion.
- Both companies are combining NEC's IP telephony product,
UNIVERGE/SV 7000, and Sun's Sun Ray (TM) ultra-thin client
technology into secure solutions.
- NEC is using this architecture as a key component of its
customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for
next-generation call centers. The first reference site for this new
solution is Plala Networks, which started its operations in March.
This Next Generation Contact Center is expected to be the biggest
in Asia with more than 1,000 seats. Sun and NEC plan to jointly
promote this solution worldwide as a Sun Ray-based reference
platform for joint customers.
- Sun and NEC are jointly investigating technology collaboration
for next-generation client architecture definitions for future
mobility and security clients based on Sun Ray ultra-thin client
and NEC network technology.
- NEC and Sun have concluded integration test and quality
verification for key components of their middleware stacks, the NEC
"VALUMOware" and Sun Java(TM) Enterprise System. NEC's "WebSAM
MCOperation" and "DiosaGlobe MCOne" has been integrated with the
Sun Java Enterprise System for operations management and operating
platform solutions.
- NEC and Sun have integrated the Sun Java(TM) System Access
Manager and the Sun Java(TM) System Identity Manager software with
the NEC Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) products as a systems
integration solution for the identity market.
- Both companies are investigating further technology
collaboration in the areas of autonomic computing and Web
services.
- Both companies intend to expand these middleware collaborations
from the Solaris Operating System running on UltraSPARC(R)
microprocessors to include the Solaris Operating System on the x86
and x64 platforms.
In order to demonstrate and accelerate the above initiatives,
both companies are establishing joint solution teams to execute
proof of concepts for customer requirements at NEC's iBest Solution
Center in Mita, Japan, the NEC Broadband Solution Center in
Shinagawa, Japan and the Sun iForce (SM) Center in Yoga, Japan. Sun
and NEC have collaborated for years, with NEC integrating thousands
of systems using the Solaris Operating System over the past five
years. In addition, NEC Electronics Ltd. provides system level
semiconductor products for Sun.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (Nasdaq: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) is one of the
world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and
enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized
needs of its diverse and global base of customers. Ranked as one of
the world's top patent-producing companies, NEC delivers tailored
solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron
devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks,
and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC
Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000
people worldwide and had net sales of 4,906 billion yen (approx.
$47 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 2004. For additional
information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com/.
NEC's Multimedia Information Platform (NEMIP) is a mobile
communications platform providing Mail, Web Portal, Ring Tones and
other type of multimedia services . NEMIP is a proven solution with
implementations in more than 8 major mobile carriers.
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 industrial-strength
hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be
found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at
http://sun.com/.
Subscribe to Sun newswire at www.sun.com/news. Sun Microsystems K.K. is the
Japanese corporation, 100% subsidiary of US headquarters and was
established in 1986.
Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Java, , iForce, Sun
Ray ,and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other
countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are
trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in
the United States and other countries. Products bearing SPARC
trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun
Microsystems, Inc.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Russ Castronovo
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Tel: 650-257-4460
russ.castronovo@sun.com
Mr. Chris Shimizu
NEC Europe, Ltd.
Tel:(44)20-8752-2794
chris.shimizu@uk.neceur.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.sun.com/news
Contact: allpress@sun.com