PARIS (December 1, 1997) -- To facilitate the development and deployment of Web-based applications, Oracle Corp. and Netscape Communications Corp. today announced the bundling of Oracle Lite, Oracle's lightweight single-use database, into Netscape Visual JavaScript Pro 1.0. Together with Netscape Component Builder 1.0, Netscape Visual JavaScript Pro is part of Netscape SuiteTools 2.0, a suite of application development tools that enable developers to create powerful new applications quickly and easily that link businesses and customers together by extending corporate Intranets out to Extranets. Oracle Lite is a client-side database which enables a new class of Web-based applications that provide mobility, personal information management, and enhanced performance.
"Users are becoming more and more mobile, computing devices are becoming smaller and smaller, and network connections are not yet always available and easily accessible," said Mark Jarvis, vice president of System Products Marketing at Oracle. "Consumers today want secure, private and around-the-clock Internet access to conduct personal and business transactions, and they don't want to rely on a network connection for access and consistent application performance. Oracle Lite running locally and transparently under a Netscape browser offers the security, stability and high performance that Internet users have demanded for some time."
"Including Oracle Lite with Netscape Visual JavaScript Pro 1.0 enables developers to rapidly build the next generation of Internet-based applications -- applications that cut costs, improve efficiency and increase customer satisfaction," said Martin Cagan, vice president for platform and tools at Netscape. "Oracle Lite's power and compact footprint make it the ideal choice for Netscape Visual JavaScript developers who are building and testing applications that access data stored in relational databases."
Using Netscape Visual JavaScript 1.0 with Oracle Lite installed directly on the developer's computer allows developers to test applications quickly without having to install a remote database -- increasing developer productivity, lowering development costs, and eliminating unnecessary database management. Oracle Lite fits in less than 1 MB of memory and requires less than 2.5 MB of hard disk space, yet it provides a robust set of database features, permitting developers to take advantage of functionality normally only found on much more resource-intensive databases.
Netscape Visual JavaScript is a new visual tool for rapidly developing for Intranet and Extranet applications. By dragging and dropping a rich array of JavaBean components -- available from both Netscape and its partners -- from a component palette into Web pages, developers can easily build applications that can access data stored in relational databases. Oracle Lite, along with the included single-user develop and test version of Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0, enables developers to design and test their applications on their own computers.
In addition to its availability in Netscape Visual JavaScript Pro 1.0, Oracle Lite is available as a plug-in to any Netscape browser, allowing users to browse, perform queries and conduct business transactions over the Internet while working remotely or while disconnected from the network. Automatic synchronization with a central server occurs immediately upon re-connecting to the network. Intelligent storage and management of data that does not change frequently, such as personal data, can also be reached locally, which increases application availability, provides consistent application performance and optimizes network efficiency.
Netscape SuiteTools 2.0 is expected to be available in December 1997. Pricing is expected to be US$995 per developer seat. Netscape Visual JavaScript Pro 1.0, Visual JavaScript, and Netscape Component Builder 1.0 are also expected to be available in December 1997 as individual items, and pricing is expected to be US$795, US$495, and US$295 respectively per developer seat.
ABOUT ORACLE LITE
Oracle Lite (formerly known as Personal Oracle Lite) is a small-footprint, single-user database specifically designed for mobile and embedded applications requiring seamless synchronization with central database servers. It provides a robust set of database features fitting in less than 1 MB of memory and requiring less than 2.5 MB of hard disk space. It supports a range of development languages and tools, such as Java, C/C++, Oracle tools, Microsoft Visual Basic, Powersoft PowerBuilder, and Borland Delphi. Data access is supported through both relational interfaces (SQL89, SQL92, ODBC, Oracle Call Interface, JDBC), and object oriented interfaces (Java classes, ODMG).
ABOUT NETSCAPE SUITETOOLS 2.0
Netscape SuiteTools 2.0 is specifically designed to take full advantage of the capabilities of the Netscape ONE platform, enabling developers to build powerful Web-based applications by snapping together pre-built software components called JavaBeans. With Netscape SuiteTools 2.0, developers can both link JavaBeans together into applications and build additional JavaBean components. Netscape is fully leveraging JavaBeans throughout the Netscape ONE platform, and is using the JavaBean component model to make many Netscape services - including messaging, directory and database access - available to developers.
ABOUT THE COMPANIES
Oracle Corporation is the world's leading supplier of software for information management, and the world's second largest software company. With annual revenues of $6 billion, the company offers its database, tools and application products, along with related consulting, education and support services, in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information about Oracle, please call 415/506-7000. Oracle's World Wide Web address is http://www.oracle.com/.
Netscape Communications Corporation is a leading provider of open software for linking people and information across networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of clients, servers, development tools and complementary applications to create a complete platform for next-generation, live online applications. Traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "NSCP." Netscape Communications Corporation is based in Mountain View, California.
Oracle is a registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Netscape, Netscape Navigator, Netscape ONE and the Netscape N and ship's wheel logos are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. Other Netscape logos and Netscape product and service names are also trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation, which may be registered in other countries.
Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to moreinfo@netscape.com. Corporate customers can call 415-937-2555 while consumers can call 415-937-3777 for more information.