Microsoft and Banyan Systems Announce Global Alliance To Deliver Messaging, Enterprise Networking and Internet Solutions

WESTBORO, Mass., and REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 13, 1999 — Banyan Systems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. today announced a strategic alliance to bring enhanced business value and a competitive advantage to enterprise customers through integrated messaging, networking and Internet solutions. The two companies will increase the interoperability of their products through the creation and enhancement of connectivity and migration tools. They will also collaborate on the design and implementation of packaged services, solutions and support offerings based on the Microsoft® enterprise platform.

The alliance will focus on meeting customer needs in the following areas: integrated messaging infrastructure, including interoperability and migration between Banyan BeyondMail® and Microsoft Exchange; enterprise internetworking and directory services, including interoperability and migration between Banyan VINES® and StreetTalk, and Windows NT Server and Windows® 2000 Server including directory services for the Windows NT® operating system and the Microsoft Active Directory; and Internet infrastructure and Web application solutions.

“Banyan is uniquely positioned to work with Microsoft to achieve a competitive advantage for our customers,” said Bill Ferry, chairman and CEO of Banyan. “This will be accomplished by combining our knowledge of large enterprise networks and directories with Microsoft’s industry-leading technologies and products. As a result of this agreement, new and existing customers will have the ability to expand their networks cost-effectively and realize the benefits of the Internet by deploying the Microsoft enterprise platform.”

As a cornerstone of this alliance, Banyan plans to certify at least 500 network professionals as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSEs) or Microsoft Certified Solution Developers (MCSDs) and expand its global network services organization to more than 1,000 certified professionals. The company will establish Customer Solution Centers and work with Microsoft to develop worldwide sales and marketing programs involving both companies’ field organizations to support the rollout of these new offerings.

“With over 15 years of experience, Banyan is well-respected for assisting customers with networking and directory deployments,” said Jim Allchin, senior vice president, personal and business systems group at Microsoft. “We are seeing accelerated momentum of Windows NT Server and BackOffice-based solutions in the enterprise. Through this alliance, enterprise customers will get the best of both worlds: the Microsoft platform of products and technologies, including networking and directory services, and Banyan’s worldwide network and directory professionals. Together we have the experience and expertise our customers are looking for to implement enterprise solutions.”

Integrated Messaging Infrastructure

Banyan’s commitment is to enable the more than 2 million users of BeyondMail and Intelligent Messaging to easily adopt Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 and the Microsoft Outlook® 98 messaging and collaboration client. Banyan has delivered and will enhance its connectivity and migration tools as well as utilize its acknowledged networked messaging expertise by working with Microsoft to deliver electronic mail, collaborative applications, scheduling, calendaring and related communication infrastructure solutions. As a result, Banyan will work to ensure the seamless interoperability between these products and, for those customers that desire a move, migration to Exchange from BeyondMail.

Enterprise Internetworking and Directory Services

Banyan and Microsoft will collaborate to provide service offerings in the following areas: WAN internetworking and directory services, secure remote access, virtual private networks (VPNs), single sign-on, personalization and network security. The companies will work together on a product interoperability and migration road map that will include directory synchronization and migration tools as well as a comprehensive portfolio of architecture and design, planning, implementation, coexistence and migration services offerings. Through the alliance, the companies will coordinate infrastructure development, network deployment and network design guides for customers currently using Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 and Banyan VINES or StreetTalk. Banyan will also develop tools and packaged services to assist customers that want to migrate from a Banyan VINES or StreetTalk-based environment to a Windows NT Server-based directory or a Windows 2000 Server and Active Directory environment.

Intranet Infrastructure and Applications

Banyan will work with Microsoft to plan, design, implement and support Internet infrastructure and Web application solutions. These solutions will enable supply chain management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer management and human resource applications to be deployed cost-effectively and securely via the Internet. These solutions will be based on the Microsoft commerce platform, which includes Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition, SQL Server
™
and Internet Information Server. A key focus will be interoperability with both new and legacy technology.

Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) and Banyan personnel will collaborate to develop solution frameworks, packaged consulting and support services focused on the targeted customer segment initiatives. These activities will apply Banyan’s extensive networking, messaging, directory and Internet experience and Microsoft’s platform and product expertise in BackOffice® , Exchange, Site Server, Windows NT Server and the upcoming Windows 2000 Server, including Microsoft Active Directory. In addition, Banyan will team with the Microsoft Premier Support organization to assist customers during consulting and support services engagements.

Banyan also plans to internally deploy the Microsoft enterprise platform on a worldwide basis, which will include implementation of Windows NT Server, Microsoft Site Server, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Exchange for global messaging and collaboration.

The Microsoft enterprise platform is based on the Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system and includes Microsoft Office desktop applications, Internet solutions, development tools and the BackOffice family of integrated server applications, such as Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server. In the future, this platform will include Microsoft Windows 2000 Server with the Microsoft Active Directory.

About Banyan Systems

Banyan Systems Inc. (Nasdaq “BNYN”), founded in 1983, is a leading provider of advanced enterprise solutions that integrate multivendor networking environments. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Banyan supports hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies and government agencies worldwide. Banyan provides products and services that integrate core business applications and intranets creating highly reliable, easily managed and secure global networks. The company also provides coexistence and migration services, secure and remote access for business applications and tools to deploy and manage intranets, directories and messaging. Its majority-owned Internet subsidiary, Switchboard Inc., is a leading online white- and yellow-pages directory. For more information about Banyan, visit http://www.banyan.com/ . For more information about Switchboard, visit http://www.switchboard.com/ .

About Microsoft

Microsoft and its worldwide enterprise solution providers deliver a total solution: integrated platforms, powerful business applications and comprehensive global services that drive the success of the company’s enterprise customers. Large organizations can work directly with Microsoft or choose among the many highly qualified Microsoft enterprise solution providers to implement solutions based on the Microsoft enterprise platform. Based on Microsoft best practices and supported by over 340,000 Microsoft Certified Professionals, almost 14,000 customers in 55 countries are realizing significant business value and competitive advantage from Microsoft’s worldwide enterprise solutions.

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.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Outlook and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Banyan, please visit the Banyan Web page at http://www.banyan.com/ . 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.

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