Microsoft Announces the Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 6, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of the Web Solutions Kit for the Microsoft® Visual InterDev
™
Web development system, a free CD-ROM available to order online at http://www.microsoft.com/vinterdev/us/kit.htm . The Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit combines a fully functional, 30-day trial version of the award-winning Visual InterDev Web development system with an extensive gallery of learning materials and sample code. The kit makes it easier for developers to adopt Web technology in their corporations to build Internet, intranet and extranet applications that provide a competitive advantage. In addition, the kit contains dozens of essential add-ins from a growing list of software vendors providing components that extend the capabilities of Visual InterDev.

“We wanted developers to have a more productive, richer way to learn about and take advantage of dynamic, data-driven Web applications,” said Paul Gross, vice president of the tools division at Microsoft. “Using the resources and free trial version of Visual InterDev in the Web Solutions Kit, developers will find it easier to adopt these critical new technologies to build HTML-based applications. We are also quite excited that so many leading software vendors are participating in the kit with value-added components specifically designed to work with Visual InterDev.”

Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit Eases Migration to Web Technologies

With tutorials, sample code, articles and technical documents, the kit is a complete, all-in-one resource. The kit contains the following:

  • The Microsoft Visual InterDev Web development system. A fully functional, 30-day trial version is included.

  • Free software. Essential add-ins include new design-time control authoring components for Visual InterDev and new Visual InterDev templates. In addition, the kit contains components from leading software vendors that provide capabilities such as turnkey host-to-Web connectivity, enhanced Web reporting, Web transactions across heterogeneous data sources and more.

  • Sample code, sample applications and a comprehensive product tutorial. A complete gallery of learning materials makes it easy to get started right away.

  • Special materials for developers using the Visual Basic
    ®
    programming system. The kit contains a white paper and a sample application that demonstrates how a developer can easily use Visual InterDev and Visual Basic together to build mission-critical, cross-platform Web applications.

  • Reference materials. Materials are provided on Microsoft Internet Information Server, maintaining a secure Web site, Web scripting and other topics.

Visual InterDev, part of the Microsoft Visual Studio
™development system family, allows developers to build database-driven, HTML-based Web applications that are browser- and platform-independent. It provides an integrated visual development environment for rapidly building Active Server Pages (ASPs), which run natively on Microsoft Internet Information Server. By enabling the integration of reusable, server-based COM components and business objects developed using Visual Basic, the Visual C++® development system, Visual J++
™
development software and the Visual FoxPro
™
database management system, as well as a variety of third-party development tools, developers can easily take advantage of investments in existing tools and integrate client/server development with Web technologies.

Visual InterDev Becomes a Leading Web Application Development Tool

Since its release in March 1997, Visual InterDev has been rapidly adopted worldwide by leading corporations. More than 200,000 professional developers are using Visual InterDev worldwide, making it the leading Web application development tool, according to an independent research study conducted in August 1997 by Market Decisions Corp., a Portland, Ore.-based independent research company that regularly tracks professional software developers. The Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit contains links to some of the public Web sites now using Visual InterDev, such as CNN/SI (http://www.cnnsi.com/) , Hallmark (http://www.hallmark.com/) , RCA Electronics (http://www.rca-electronics.com/) , United Airlines (http://www.ual.com/) , BarnesandNoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/) and others.

“We are using Visual InterDev to build an intranet-based procurement system that will be deployed to our entire organization,” said J. Boyd Nolan, senior specialist engineer, Boeing Aerospace Operations. “The system interfaces with our PeopleSoft installation and centralizes data management for our material organization across several locations. We chose Visual InterDev because it allows us to leverage our skills in Visual Basic while enabling integrated team development of client-side pages, server-side script, and database objects all from within a single IDE.”

“We are using Visual InterDev to generate the sports statistics pages for CNN/SI,” said Kurt Hoyt, senior developer for CNN/SI Interactive. “This constitutes a tremendous amount of dynamic information stored in our Oracle database. For example, we track and maintain all the key statistics for every player in the four major professional U.S. sports – baseball, basketball, football and hockey. We also maintain statistics on every major league baseball player who has ever played the game. We evaluated other tools, but chose Visual InterDev because it allowed us to use familiar Web development techniques and get the project done so we could launch on time.”

“We’ve found Visual InterDev to be an outstanding product for Web application development for several of our clients at Coopers & Lybrand across the U.S.,” said Nick Evans, manager, national Internet practice, Coopers & Lybrand. “It’s been particularly effective in the creation of business-to-business applications where requirements have included emphasis on security, scalability, flexibility and, of course, dynamic database access.”

ISVs Building Design-Time Controls and Wizards for Visual InterDev

A rapidly growing number of software vendors are building design-time controls and wizards that seamlessly extend Visual InterDev with exciting new capabilities. The Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit contains trial versions of many of these components. For example, to enable a comprehensive Web reporting solution in conjunction with Visual InterDev, Seagate Software is providing design-time controls with a full evaluation version of its latest release of Crystal Reports 6.0.

“Seagate Crystal Reports 6.0 is the market-leading query and reporting tool designed to take full advantage of Microsoft Visual InterDev and Internet Information Server,” said Mark Sochan, director of strategic relations, Seagate Software. “Developers using Visual InterDev can seamlessly integrate presentation-quality reports into Active Server Pages using the Seagate Crystal Reports Design Time Control and take full advantage of Seagate Crystal Reports’ page-on-demand technology to distribute reports efficiently via intranets or extranets.”

In addition, ARANEX, a leading developer of enterprise-to-Web software solutions, is providing a design-time control that works with its Internet Host Server for development of Web applications with connectivity to applications and data running on host systems such as IBM mainframes.

“Although 70 percent of corporate data resides on SNA hosts, most companies have yet to integrate this mission-critical data with Web applications,” said Mike Chatterton, vice president, ARANEX Internet marketing. “To easily build interactive, transactional Web-based applications, they need leading-edge tools such as Microsoft Visual InterDev. ARANEX Internet Host Server (IHS) complements and extends the capabilities of Visual InterDev by providing a design-time control for mainframe and AS/400 host data integration using point-and-click techniques. IHS enables companies to leverage their existing SNA-based applications and data to present business-critical information more flexibly, powerfully and easily. We are pleased to work with Microsoft to help organizations gain competitive advantage by building interactive Web applications.”

Ordering Information

The Visual InterDev Web Solutions Kit can be ordered online at http://www.microsoft.com/vinterdev/us/kit.htm . For a limited time, the kit will be sent free of charge to addresses in the United States. Thereafter, a shipping and handling charge will apply.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Note to editors : If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

Appendix


The following is a sampling of ISVs that are creating innovative technologies that complement and extend the functionality of Visual InterDev:

ARANEX

Deborah Cobb

[email protected]

(http://www.aranex.com/)

“Although 70 percent of corporate data resides on SNA hosts, most companies have yet to integrate this mission-critical data with Web applications,” said Mike Chatterton, vice president, ARANEX Internet marketing. “To easily build interactive, transactional Web-based applications, they need leading-edge tools such as Microsoft Visual InterDev. ARANEX Internet Host Server (IHS) complements and extends the capabilities of Visual InterDev by providing a design-time control for mainframe and AS/400 host data integration using point-and-click techniques. IHS enables companies to leverage their existing SNA-based applications and data to present business-critical information more flexibly, powerfully and easily. We are pleased to work with Microsoft to help organizations gain competitive advantage by building interactive Web applications.”

Chili!Soft

Charles Crystle

(717) 290-8346, ext. 26
(http://www.chilisoft.net/)

“Visual InterDev is priceless to Chili!Soft – it puts a friendly face on building Active Server Pages and applications and serves as a great host for our ASP tools like Chili!Reports,” said Charles Crystle, CEO of Chili!Soft. “Chili!ASP runs any ASP application built with Visual InterDev on a variety of Web servers, so developers can now use Visual InterDev to build compelling ASP applications like Chili!Reports spreadsheet reports on a wide variety of servers. The combination of Visual InterDev and Chili!ASP gives developers a solid platform for building the most portable, powerful Web-enabled applications possible.”

Hunt Interactive Design

John Hunt, president

[email protected]

(425) 485-0868

(http://www.huntinter.com/)

“Our WebWizards and Themes seamlessly extend the functionality of Visual InterDev and make Web development of Active Server Pages easier,” said John Hunt, president of Hunt Interactive Design. “With the extensible Wizard features of Visual InterDev, we saw the technology our customers were demanding to make it easier to build compelling and dynamic Web site content. Our Wizards automatically generate server scripting code to create and manipulate server-based text files, implement ad rotators, check browser capabilities, implement auto-content linking, plus much more. And our themes allow even graphically challenged Web builders to integrate professionaly designed backgrounds and page elements into a site.”

InterMax Solutions Inc.

Laurie Bateman

(415) 358-5900

[email protected]

(http://www.intrmx.com/)

“The InterMax ConstructIT tool set includes a DCOM server component that automates filtering, look-ups and drill-downs across pages and takes full advantage of Microsoft Internet Information Server to deliver server-based solutions,” said Narayan Laksham, CTO of InterMax. “It manages data-source access and manipulation to ensure integrity of multitable inserts, updates and deletions spread across Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server
™
, Sybase, Informix and AS/400 databases. ConstructIT also includes a powerful set of design-time controls (DTCs) that run in the Visual InterDev environment and enable developers to design, implement and deploy applications in the shortest possible time without the need to write complicated transaction or database code.”

IntraActive Software Corp.

Ruth Brown

[email protected]

(212) 425-1122

(http://www.iasoft.com/defroster/)

“With our IDC2ASP Design Time Control, Web designers can create ASP files from IDC templates quickly and easily and can start using Visual InterDev,” said Zor Gorelov, president, IntraActive Software. “Now, with our Defroster product, entire Cold Fusion applications can be automatically converted to ASP, opening the door for Web designers to use Visual InterDev as the development environment of choice.”

Peripherals Plus Technologies Inc.

Chip Umsted, director of marketing

(717) 397-9752, ext. 229

[email protected]

(http://partners.pptnet.com/)

(http://www.pptnet.com/)

“Our design-time controls seamlessly extend the functionality of Visual InterDev and FrontPage® 98 with a variety of capabilities such as Dynamic HTML authoring, turnkey multimedia, data binding, form building, mail services and more,” said Greg Buckwalter, director of development at PPTI”Web developers are telling us that DTCs are a great way to reduce their learning curve and speed development time, as well as keep up with the new technology and techniques. DTCs will help proliferate the usage of Dynamic HTML, and the Visual InterDev integration of DTCs offer a true rapid application development tool for Web developers who are driven to create compelling and dynamic Web site content.”

Sax Software Corp.

Mike Sax, president

(541) 344-2235, (800) 645-3729

(http://www.saxsoft.com/)

“Thanks to design-time control technology, Sax Software can extend Microsoft Visual InterDev with powerful, dedicated editing and development capabilities that make it easier for site builders to create dynamic Web site applications,” said Mike Sax, president, Sax Software. “The close integration lets them work in a familiar environment while making it easy to create the Web site experience they have in mind.”

Seagate Software

Ian Galbraith, public relations

(604) 893-6370

[email protected]

(http://www.seagatesoftware.com/)

“Seagate Crystal Reports 6.0 is the market-leading query and reporting tool designed to take full advantage of Microsoft Visual InterDev and Internet Information Server,” said Mark Sochan, director of strategic relations, Seagate Software. “Developers using Visual InterDev can seamlessly integrate presentation-quality reports into Active Server Pages using the Seagate Crystal Reports Design Time Control and take full advantage of Seagate Crystal Reports’ page-on-demand technology to distribute reports efficiently via intranets or extranets.”

Software FX Inc.

Rene Garcia

(http://www.softwarefx.com/)

Vertigo Software

Scott Stanfield, president

[email protected]

(http://www.vertigosoftware.com/)

(510) 236-0125

“Simply drop Vertigo’s DataGrid DTC in your Web page, and in five clicks or less you can link any database to browser-neutral HTML tables,” said Scott Stanfield, president, Vertigo Software. “Automatic script code handles the client-side record navigation, and ASP script code manages the database connection. Our development and consulting team uses the Microsoft Web platform to find compelling intranet solutions for our clients. We chose Visual InterDev because with its support for design-time controls and Active Server Pages, we deliver dynamic solutions to our customers in less time and at less cost.”

Windowpane

Conan Callen, president

[email protected]

(206) 361-9645

(http://www/windowpane.com/)

“Tabit DTC is a design-time control that automatically generates Dynamic HTML-based tabbed dialog boxes, enabling Web developers to consolidate multiple forms into a single tabbed dialog box, creating a smoother experience for their Web users,” said Conan Callen, president of Windowpane. “We are very pleased with the extensibility features of Visual InterDev; they are a major breakthrough for software developers. By converting our in-house tools to either add-ins or DTCs, we have made them both easy to use and very accessible.”

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