Sun's Customizable HotJava Browser 1.0 Will Ship Later This Month

Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SUNW), JavaSoft business unit today announced that HotJava(TM) Browser 1.0 will be available on March 24.

HotJava Browser is a Java(TM) browsing environment that developers can easily customize to create dedicated information applications such as information kiosks, customer self-service stations, and branded corporate web applications.

"HotJava Browser is for system integrators and ISVs who want a product that will allow them to quickly create customized dynamic user-environments that support HTML browsing and rendering as well as Java applets," said David Spenhoff, director of product marketing, JavaSoft. "HotJava Browser provides a simple, compact solution for vendors of network computers, PDAs, kiosks or other small networked devices who desire web-browsing, dedicated information display or information retrieval capabilities."

HotJava Browser 1.0 is a powerful tool that allows developers to quickly create their own style in the user interface, or create network applications that use URLs and HTTP to transport and locate information. For example, HotJava Browser can be used to develop customized information kiosks that businesses could use to provide information to their customers. The kiosks would display HTML-based pages and customers would use HotJava Browser to browse the information. The kiosks' graphical user interface would be completely tailored to reflect the branding of the business. HotJava Browser is completely customizable and lets any business create a browser-based user environment that is in its own image. Current licensees include Acer, Adobe, Bandai, Borland, CyberCash, Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM, LG Electronics, Microware, Oracle, Pierian Springs, Seiko, Toshiba and Wyse.

Building with the HotJava Browser

HotJava Browser 1.0 supports the following Internet standards:

-- HTTP protocol

-- HTML 3.2 standard

-- GIF and JPEG media formats

-- AU audio format

-- FTP and Gopher file transfer protocols

-- SMTP and MIME e-mail protocols

-- SOCKS security protocol

-- Java Applet API 1.1

-- Persistent Cookies

-- Java archive (JAR) format

-- Object HTML tag

-- Tables

-- Frames

-- Secure Socket Layer (SSL) 3.0

The HotJava Browser binary will be available on March 24 at http://java.sun.com .