Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL) and Visigenic Software, Inc. today announced that Oracle has licensed Visigenic's distributed object technologies for use within Network Computing Architecture. Visigenic is a leading provider of IIOP-based distributed object technology for integrating mixed software environments. Oracle is the leading provider of transactional, object-based Internet servers, with over 5,000 customers using its Web Application Server 3.0 in beta today. Today's agreement extends Oracle's commitment to objects, open Internet standards and Java technologies, and will benefit Oracle customers and developers by expanding the tools available to build application cartridges using Java and C++. In addition, this agreement further enhances Oracle's strategy to combine HTTP and IIOP for Internet communications.

Based on the agreement, Oracle will license VisiBroker for Java and VisiBroker for C++ object request brokers (ORBs) to provide cartridge developers with a rich development environment within Network Computing Architecture. Oracle will also license Visigenic's VisiBridge software to enable ActiveX desktops to interact with both Oracle and third-party application cartridges. Oracle expects to begin offering Visigenic's products integrated into NCA in the second quarter of 1997. Oracle also has the right under this agreement to incorporate Visigenic technologies into Oracle's servers, tools and application products. This agreement expands Oracle's successful relationship with Visigenic to include both Visigenic's data access and ORB technologies.

"Visigenic's leading technology combined with Oracle's Web Application Server will make it easier to build application cartridges and will extend the strength of Oracle's database, Web server and object development tools to new audiences," said Jerry Held, senior vice president of Oracle Server Technologies. "Today's announcement continues our rapid delivery of products for Network Computing Architecture."

Using Visigenic ORB technology, application cartridges can now be developed in multiple programming languages for Oracle's Web Application Server, while maintaining the high performance characteristics of Oracle's Web Request Broker and its native connection to mission-critical databases and Netscape ONE desktops. VisiBridge will extend that connectivity to ActiveX desktops, which can now directly access CORBA- or Java-based application cartridges. In addition, VisiBroker's Caffeine technology will allow rapid deployment of native Java applications that can easily interact with CORBA and other objects to extend the reach of Network Computing Architecture and Java.

"The power of Network Computing Architecture is that it is based on standards like HTTP, IIOP, CORBA and Java that optimize it as an open protocol for high-performance enterprise computing," said Roger Sippl, chairman and founder of Visigenic Software. "We are thrilled that Oracle has selected us to provide our object technologies so mainstream developers can take immediate advantage of what CORBA and IIOP have to offer."

Network Computing Architecture is the fulfillment of Oracle's vision for network-centric computing, allowing any Network Computer, PC or other client device to interact with any Web server, application server or database server over the network. The platform enables all these components to communicate in a business-critical environment that offers optimal performance, scalability, security, availability and reliability.

"With its design of Network Computing Architecture, Oracle has emphasized the important role of IIOP-compliant CORBA technology in today's distributed business applications," said Chris Stone, chairman of the Object Management Group (OMG). "The widespread use of CORBA technology ensures that developers will have a clear pathway to developing open solutions for the widest possible market."

For customers and third-party developers, Network Computing Architecture provides the ideal standards-based platform to build new, innovative network applications that extend the core capabilities of Oracle software. Interoperable components called "cartridges" can be developed for any tier of the architecture-client, application server or database. By including VisiBroker for Java and VisiBroker for C++, Oracle extends the cartridge development environment and the benefits of Network Computing Architecture to Java and C++ objects built using Visigenic ORB technology. NCA seeks to consolidate the industry around open standards, freeing ISVs and customers to focus on delivering business solutions without worrying about competing and incompatible standards.

About the Products

VisiBroker for Java is the first Java-based ORB and offers an open solution for deploying distributed enterprise applications across the Web. VisiBroker for Java is a fundamental technology that enables and manages distributed applications to be developed in Java, and deployed over enterprise architectures such as Network Computing Architecture to provide transparent access to and interaction with requested servicers and functions. Objects created with VisiBroker for Java can form to the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) 2.0 and Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP) standards and are accessible by other CORBA 2.0/IIOP-compliant objects in a distributed objects computing environment.

Visigenic's VisiBroker for C++ is Visigenic's CORBA 2.0-compliant and IIOP-native ORB for building C++ objects that can participate in a CORBA distributed object environment. VisiBroker for C++ runtime software enables C++ objects to transparently access other CORBA-compliant objects written in C++, Java, Smalltalk and other languages.

VisiBridge is a connectivity tool that enables ActiveX controls implemented in Web pages, Visual basic applications, or OLE-enabled applications to interoperate with CORBA objects. This technology provides customers the flexibility to operate in Microsoft applications and development environments, with the added benefit of transparently accessing distributed objects based on CORBA standards. Additionally, the VisiBroker for ActiveX Bridge also serves to bridge the Microsoft DCOM environment to the VisiBroker CORBA/IIOP environment.

About the Companies

Visigenic is playing a key role in creating the foundation on which mission-critical applications of tomorrow will be written -- the open, distributed, object-based architecture for the new global enterprise. Building on its expertise in standards-based distributed object and data access technologies, Visigenic has become a leader in managing distributed business logic and its access to data.

Oracle Corporation is the world's largest supplier of software for information management, and the world's second largest software company. With annual revenues of more than $4.8 billion, the company offers its database, tools and application products along with related consulting, education and support services, in more than 90 countries around the world.