Kelly Hindley, Martha Felt Group for USWeb Corporation, 801-328-1113 or
[email protected]
Megan McKenzie, Waggener Edstrom for Microsoft, 503-245-0905 or
[email protected]
USWeb and Microsoft to Collaborate on Architectural Foundation for USWeb Electronic Services Offering
USWeb Selects Windows NT Server 5.0 and the Microsoft Active Directory as Strategic Components of USWeb Electronic Services Architecture
SANTA CLARA, Ca. and REDMOND, Wa. - October 14, 1998 - USWeb Corporation (Nasdaq: USWB) and Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced a relationship to build an extended IT infrastructure, called the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture (ESA) which will serve as the foundation for the USWeb Electronic Services offering. USWeb Electronic Services are a set of externally managed custom and packaged Internet applications that extend the reach and capabilities of corporate IT. Key services planned include custom and packaged offerings in the areas of financial services, distribution, manufacturing/supply chain management, email, human resources/payroll, sales force automation and electronic commerce.
USWeb has selected the Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system 5.0, which includes the Microsoft Active Directory as the strategic foundation for the USWeb Electronic Services offering. Internet applications optimized to these industry standards will have the flexibility to run either within the four walls of a company or on the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture.
USWeb Electronic Services offer companies greater ability to seamlessly and cost-effectively run both custom and packaged applications wherever it makes the most sense from a management and scalability perspective. USWeb's selection of Windows NT 5.0 as the foundation for the Electronic Services Architecture provides further evidence of the increasing confidence in the Windows NT platform to successfully run 24-by-seven mission-critical applications and environments.
"The USWeb Electronic Services Architecture is built upon the core management, security and scalability features of Windows NT 5.0," said Sheldon Laube, chief technology officer of USWeb. "Windows NT 5.0 provides the range of features necessary to build a mission-critical Commercial IT Superstructure which enables the seamless integration between externally-managed USWeb systems and a wide variety of internally-managed client IT systems. We believe Windows NT 5.0 is the integrating platform."
To provide this offering, USWeb operates two redundant Internet data centers, one in the Silicon Valley (Calif.) and one in Herndon, Virginia. These data centers provide the 24-hour-per-day mission critical infrastructure, redundancy and staffing required for clients' mission critical business applications. USWeb plans to build two additional Internet data centers, in Europe and in Asia, to serve the needs of its international clients.
"Microsoft is thrilled to support USWeb's plan to implement Windows NT Server 5.0 as the architectural foundation of its high-value Electronic Services," said Ed Muth, group product manager, Enterprise Marketing Group at Microsoft. "USWeb's decision to use Windows NT highlights the growing awareness among the Internet professional services community of the advanced security, e-commerce and information access features that are the centerpiece of our investment in Windows NT 5.0 Server." Microsoft Windows NT Server 5.0 builds on the strengths of Windows NT Server 4.0 by providing a platform that is faster, more reliable and easier to manage. Most important, it delivers a comprehensive set of distributed infrastructure services based on the Active Directory service, the first multipurpose directory service that is scalable, built from the ground up using Internet-standard technologies, and fully integrated at the operating system level. Windows NT Server 5.0 offers significant new functionality and has been designed for modular deployment to allow customers to take advantage of this new technology at their own pace. Windows NT 5.0 will deliver increased manageability, a comprehensive platform, and even higher scalability and availability to support mission critical business applications. The Microsoft BackOffice� family of server applications, which include Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition and the Microsoft Commercial Internet System will provide USWeb's Electronic Services offering with an application foundation to meet the requirements of their customers.
About USWeb
USWeb Corporation (Nasdaq: USWB) is a leading strategic Internet services firm helping clients achieve revenue, profit, market share, and customer loyalty objectives through Internet strategies and systems. USWeb partners with a diverse and prominent portfolio of clients, from medium-size organizations to Fortune 100 corporations. The Company, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., recently announced that it intends to merge with CKS Group, Inc. pending regulatory and stockholder approval. Additional information about USWeb Corporation is available by calling 408-987-3200.
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.
Microsoft, Windows NT 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.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as defined under securities law) regarding the planned strategic partnership with Microsoft, implementation of Electronic Services, completion and inmplementation of four Internet data centers, ability to move business operations into an Internet-based environment and potential advantages of planned activities. USWeb's actual results, including those in achieving or implementing any of the planned objectives, may differ materially and adversely from those discussed in this press release. Factors that may cause such a difference include, without limitation, risks associated with implementation of a new service offering, risks regarding market acceptance, technical challenges, costs associated with formation of Internet data centers and diversion of management and employee time and energy from other aspects of the Company's business. For additional information about factors that could affect the Company's business, see the documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Note to edtors: 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.