SAN JOSE, Calif., April 30, 1996 — Vendors looking to develop leading-edge business applications are rushing to embrace the Microsoft®
BackOffice
™
family as their platform of choice. Praising the server suite’s integrated technologies – especially its capabilities for the Internet and intranets – more than 500 independent software vendors (ISVs) are now shipping products that work with Microsoft BackOffice.
“It’s gratifying to see both leading software companies and up-and-coming technology providers rallying around the Microsoft BackOffice platform,”
said Pieter Knook, general manager of business customer marketing at Microsoft Corp.
“The swift pace at which firms with line-of-business applications and cross-industry solutions are taking advantage of Microsoft technologies continues to fuel growth in the breadth and depth of solutions available to our customers.”
Built on the foundation of the Windows NT®
operating system, Microsoft BackOffice integrates client-server messaging, systems management, database, Internet and connectivity services.
“Our clients demand nothing less than the best business-computing platform available,” said Al Blair, president and chief operating officer of MTX International Inc., a supplier of Windows®
operating system-based accounting systems.
“The power, features and extensibility of Windows NT make it the logical choice.”
With the release of Microsoft BackOffice version 2.0, Microsoft becomes the first company to offer a complete, Internet-capable server suite.
“Microsoft Internet Information Server and the Internet Server API will allow us to provide the high-performance imaging and workflow solutions for Internet and intranet environments that the majority of our customers want,”
said Mark Schenecker, vice president of research and development at Optika Imaging Systems Inc., a global leader in high-performance, client-server, integrated imaging systems and development tools.
“Microsoft BackOffice is a superb complement to our Internet strategy.”
“Our biggest success story is a result of the momentum for Windows NT Server and Microsoft BackOffice,”
agreed Gary Harpst, president and CEO of Solomon Software (a company of TLB Inc.), a supplier and developer of accounting software for Windows and Windows NT.
”
Our support of Microsoft BackOffice started in November 1995 with the release of the Windows NT Server version of Solomon IV
™
for Windows. In the first month of its availability, that product represented 9 percent of our business. Now, after being available for four months, Solomon IV for the Windows NT Server platform has grown to represent more than 25 percent of our business. We are looking forward to this momentum continuing and accelerating as we add increased support for Microsoft BackOffice with support for Microsoft SQL Server
™in the spring and Microsoft Exchange Server later in the year.”
“Microsoft BackOffice is a natural fit for our Internet and intranet customers – especially those looking to exploit Internet technologies,”
said David Harris, president of SBT Internet Systems, a leading developer of modifiable database accounting software.
“Microsoft BackOffice is easy to administer and offers great performance. The integrated database and messaging capabilities allow our customers to access and share information more efficiently. In addition, its security layer lets our customers perform Internet transactions safely.”
“We’re betting our business on Microsoft,”
said Pat Carey, CEO of Intuitive Manufacturing Systems Inc., which provides discrete-manufacturing software to small and medium-sized companies.
“But given the strategic thinking behind Microsoft BackOffice, especially its integrated Internet and intranet capabilities, we think it’s a pretty safe bet.”
“Gone are the days when we had to cobble technologies together to satisfy our customers,”
said Duncan Arnold, field marketing manager at Centura Software Corp. (formerly Gupta Technologies Inc.). Microsoft BackOffice gives us everything we need – including an integrated, extensible platform for developing future solutions easily.
“
”
With ActiveX
™technologies, Microsoft provided us with a revolutionary component architecture to build RUMBA® OFFICE 95/NT, the first commercial Windows application to ship a set of ActiveX controls,”
said John Wall, founder and executive vice president of Wall Data Inc., a leading provider of enterprise access and information publishing software.
“The combination of the ActiveX architecture and the Microsoft BackOffice platform allows us the flexibility to deliver groundbreaking products to our business users now and in the future.”
Microsoft BackOffice applications work with each other and with client desktops to provide seamless access to servers, legacy systems and the Internet. The combination of leading-edge technology and comprehensive Microsoft support make it a powerful attraction to technology suppliers.
“Microsoft BackOffice provides vendors a brand name that may influence customer decisions and a best-of-breed tool suite that lets them deliver Internet-ready products,”
Microsoft’s Knook explained.
“Today’s companies want reliable and integrated state-of-the-art solutions, which is why so many vendors are adopting Microsoft BackOffice as their platform of choice.”
Technology vendors that have announced or have Internet-related products in development for the Microsoft BackOffice suite include ADP Financial Information Services, Agena Corp., Andrew Corp, Autodesk Inc., Bankers Systems Inc., Bloomberg L.P., Brock International, Centura Software Corp. (formally Gupta Technologies Inc.), Cheyenne Software Inc., Computer Associates International Inc., ComShare Retail Inc., CSS, FlexiInternational Software Inc., Folio Corp., Fourth Shift Corp., Intellution Inc., Intergraph Corp., Keyfile Corp., Macola Software, MTX International, Onyx Software Corp., Open Systems, Optika Imaging Systems, PC DOCS Inc., Plaid Bros., Platinum Software Corp., SAP AG, Saros Corp., SBT Internet Systems, SEER Technologies Inc., Showcase Corp., Solomon Software, Sterling Software Inc., Avio Inc., Wall Data and XcelleNet Inc.
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, BackOffice, Windows NT, Windows and ActiveX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Solomon IV is a trademark of TLB Inc.
RUMBA is a registered trademark of Wall Data Inc.
Microsoft BackOffice comprises the following suite of products, designed to run exclusively on Windows NT Server: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SNA Server and Microsoft Systems Management Server.
