Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) today announced a contract with Buzzeo, Inc. to assist in the development of Buzzeo's ZEOLogix(TM) suite of software applications for the higher education market using Java(TM) technology. ZEOLogix will be the first academic and administrative applications developed completely in the Java language and will enable colleges and universities to lower deployment and administration costs. This agreement follows a recently announced Joint Marketing Agreement between Sun and Buzzeo to develop a model for administrative computing in higher education using Sun's Java technology.

"Colleges and universities have used the Internet since its inception to share information," said Paul Rochester, vice president and general manager of Sun Professional Services. "Buzzeo is paving the way for the academic community to take advantage of Java technology and the benefits it affords them."

Java technology is well suited for distributing information across the Internet and college and university intranets. Once Java applications are written, they can run anywhere on the network and allow a much larger number of users access to more information, regardless of the computing platform used. Browsers will expand access to applications over campus or system intranets and the WorldWide Web.

Gene Buzzeo, president of Buzzeo, Inc., described the decision to contract with Sun as "a significant step" in the ZEOLogix development project. "This agreement sends an important message to our current and prospective customers," said Buzzeo. "Sun Professional Services' Java engineering expertise will help us achieve our long-standing, clearly defined company objective: the development of technically distinctive products that bring true value to our customers."

Buzzeo ZEOLogix technology is multi-tier and distributed. Buzzeo solutions are scalable, giving higher education IT managers the ability to respond quickly to fluctuating requirements. The ZEOLogix framework structure is designed to accommodate third party tools through published API's. Buzzeo's ZEOLogix suite of applications for higher education include SISLogix(TM) Student Information System, HRSLogix(TM) Human Resource System, and FINLogix(TM) Finance System.

Sun Professional Services provides a flexible portfolio of services that can be customized to meet precise requirements. This includes services for IT Planning and Integration, Systems and Network Management services, Internet and Java Services and IT infrastructure services for enterprise business applications. Sun's Internet professionals are experienced in helping commercial enterprises and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with all phases of creating and implementing Internet/intranet and Java solutions.

Sun is a leading information technology provider to the worldwide academic and research computing marketplace, including primary, secondary and higher education institutions. Sun offers a complete range of network-based solutions for administration and libraries, distance learning and high-performance computing.

About Buzzeo, Inc.

Buzzeo, Inc. is a software engineering firm engaged in the development of multi-tier, object-oriented framework technology and a suite of administrative applications for higher education. Buzzeo, Inc.'s headquarters are in Phoenix, Arizona. Buzzeo has sales and support offices nationwide and is opening an engineering office in Santa Clara, California.

About SunService

SunService, a Division of Sun Microsystems, Inc., provides systems and network support and management services, training and education services and consulting, and professional consulting and implementation services for Internet and corporate intranet services. SunService supports more than 700,000 systems worldwide and is the largest UNIX(R) training organization in the world, training more than 74,000 people each year.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $8 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the WorldWide Web at http://www.sun.com.

SOURCE Sun Microsystems Inc.