Microsoft Licenses VRML 2.0 C++ Implementation From Intervista Software

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has licensed Intervista Software Inc.’s WorldView
™C++-based VRML 2.0 viewer implementation to use as the basis for the Microsoft® VRML 2.0 viewer for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Microsoft plans to incorporate the technology into Microsoft Internet Explorer as an ActiveX
™
control, offering users access to the rich, dynamic world of interactive 3-D on the Internet.

“Microsoft sees tremendous value in the VRML standard and its potential for raising the bar on Internet content, and we’re committed to attracting as many developers as we can to it,”
said John Ludwig, vice president in the Internet client and collaboration division at Microsoft.
“By adding Intervista technology to Microsoft Internet Explorer, we offer an important segment of the developer community – C++ programmers – the opportunity to take advantage of VRML and make high-quality interactive 3-D the expectation instead of the exception on the Internet.”

Over the past six months, VRML 2.0 has quickly emerged as an industry-standard approach to enabling users to interact with complex 3-D worlds over the Internet. VRML 2.0 environments are being used for 3-D Internet applications such as interactive advertising, collaborative engineering, 3-D chat and worlds, online multimedia presentations, and entertainment.

WorldView is a well-established C++-based 3-D VRML 2.0 viewer that capitalizes on the power of Microsoft DirectX
™
multimedia system services such as the Direct3D
™, DirectSound® and DirectInput
™
APIs, to deliver impressive 3-D experiences over the Internet. Incorporated into Microsoft Internet Explorer as an ActiveX control, the viewer will give C++ developers an outstanding, widely deployed Microsoft platform for which they can create compelling, high-quality 3-D content, applications and tools for the Internet.

“We are delighted to have WorldView 2.0 incorporated in Microsoft Internet Explorer,”
said Tony Parisi, president and chief technical officer for Intervista Software.
“The agreement moves us closer to making 3-D ubiquitous on the Web. Bringing a VRML-standard viewer into Microsoft Internet Explorer creates an attractive market for developers that will go a long way in making VRML worlds proliferate. And end users gain access to the hottest VRML 2.0 content on the Internet through the familiar face of Microsoft Internet Explorer. This is exciting for both the VRML community and the Web-browsing experience.”

WorldView 2.0 is a highly optimized VRML 2.0-compatible ActiveX control for viewing, interacting with and navigating through online 3-D worlds. Optimizations in WorldView make it faster than competing products today, and because it is written on top of DirectX, it will automatically take advantage of future hardware innovations, including Intel’s MMX technology.

A beta release of Microsoft VRML 2.0 viewer for Microsoft Internet Explorer is scheduled to be released at the World Movers Conference in San Francisco on Jan. 30. Microsoft plans to have a full release ready for developers in March.

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, ActiveX , DirectX, Direct3D, DirectSound and DirectInput are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

WorldView is a trademark of Intervista Software Inc.

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

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