INDUSTRY

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Sun today announced the new iForce(SM) Partner Program for the Sun(TM) Open Net Environment (Sun ONE), offering partners a detailed program to support them in the deployment of open, best in class solutions for Services on Demand. This new iForce specialty will be initially rolled out in North America only and will provide a common framework for the current iPlanet(TM), Forte(TM), and Solaris(TM) sales distribution partners to take Sun ONE products to market. This effort recognizes the investments that Sun's partners have made in developing the specific skills and resources required to architect, develop, deploy and support solutions built on Sun ONE. Service provider and enterprise organizations will now benefit from being able to clearly identify those partners as ``best source'' suppliers. The program also represents a natural evolutionary step for Sun's iPlanet partners, coinciding with the incorporation of iPlanet as a division of Sun. The first phase of the program focuses on transitioning iPlanet channel partners to the iForce Sun ONE program. The new program recognizes the important role that software specialized partners play in the delivery of solutions to enterprise customers. It incorporates the best parts of the existing iPlanet partner program and enhances the business proposition that this represents by providing access to the Sun iForce branding, community, resources and customer base. This program will also provide Sun partners with a revenue enhancing opportunity to resell Sun ONE -- Sun's vision, architecture, platform and expertise for developing and deploying services on demand. The iForce Partner Program for Sun ONE is segmented by partner type and business model. Systems Integrators, Channel Development partners, Enterprise Partners and OEMs will receive a range of benefits depending on the level of qualification. All partners will enjoy a strong portfolio of benefits offered through the iForce community of initiatives including iForce Solutions, iForce Ready Centers and iForce go-to-market programs enabling them to roll out solutions to their customers faster. ``Sun has a long standing history of recognizing the critical role that partnerships play in our success. We also recognize and appreciate the investments that our partners have made in developing the specific skills and resources required to sell, deploy and support Sun ONE Services on Demand Solutions,'' said Bob Lamvik, Vice President, iPlanet Field Operations. ``We are providing new opportunities for our partners and helping them differentiate their services from the competition in today's tight economy. The combined value proposition of Sun's leadership and its partners' resources and expertise provide customers with a collaborative solution for success.'' Broad Range of Value Added Resources The iForce Partner Program for Sun ONE uses a tiered architecture to offer partners a strong business proposition. To better align customer requirements with partner capabilities, the architecture segments products based on complexity and matches partner expertise to customer requirements. This approach ensures a strong match between customer needs and the partners' ability to translate business requirements into implementable technical solutions. In addition, Sun ONE partners will have access to a range of resources including: iForce Partner Portal provides easy access to detailed online product information and the latest news on Sun's partner support offerings. iForce Ready Centers participate in the proof of concept projects for a broad range of Sun ONE solutions, these will then be jointly promoted by Sun and partners. iForce Executive Management Forum Series -- New topics and speakers will be presented every four-six weeks exclusively to partners qualifying for the Sun ONE program. These sessions are intended to provide the competitive edge partners need to address some of their most challenging issues by delivering business and technology perspective and insight. Sun ONE Customer Briefing Centers -- Partners qualifying for the Sun ONE program will have the opportunity to showcase their technologies and solutions in the briefing center thus promoting their expertise in a variety of areas and industries. Sun ONE Partner Web Site -- Qualifying partners will receive a designated and highly visible location on the Sun website for customers looking for additional resources and support during their implementation. More Than Just Resources -- Access to Product Expertise Partners qualifying for the iForce Partner Program for Sun ONE will receive training and preferred access to Sun ONE marketing and product development resources for Forte Tools, Sun ONE Application Services, Sun ONE Directory Services, Sun ONE Portal Services, Sun ONE Identity Management, Sun ONE Business Integration Services and Sun ONE Communication Services. In addition, detailed product guides enable partners to leverage the integratable and interoperable Sun ONE offering, allowing them to build standards based, flexible Services on Demand solutions. This in return provides the end user with customized and flexible solutions that meet their individual needs. Availability The iForce Partner Program for Sun ONE will be available to North American iPlanet(TM), Forte(TM) and Solaris(TM) sales distribution partners in Quarter 1 2002. Sun will roll out this program on a worldwide basis subsequently. Visit www.sun.com for more information.