America Online, Inc. and Sun Microsystems, Inc. Form Strategic Alliance
Will Accelerate Growth Of E-Commerce And Develop Next-Generation Internet Devices
DULLES, Va. & PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 1998-- Three-Year Development and Marketing Agreements
Sun to Become A Lead Systems and Services Provider to AOL
America Online, Inc. (NYSE:AOL - news), the world's leading provider of branded interactive services, and Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW - news), a leader in network computing products and services, today announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to accelerate the growth of enterprise-class e-commerce, and to use Sun's Java technology to develop selected next-generation Internet devices that will help Internet users access America Online brands from anywhere, anytime.
The alliance follows America Online's separate announcement today that it will acquire Netscape Communications Corporation.
Under their definitive three-year development and marketing agreements, America Online and Sun will work together to develop the most comprehensive suite of easy-to-deploy, end-to-end solutions to help companies and Internet service providers rapidly enter the e-commerce market and scale their e- commerce operations. Sun will become a lead systems and service provider to America Online, with America Online committed to purchase systems and services worth $500 million at list price from Sun through 2002 for its e-commerce partners and its own use.
America Online will receive more than $350 million in licensing, marketing and advertising fees from Sun, plus significant minimum revenue commitments, over the next three years. |
