Apple and IONA form Strategic Alliance to build Orbix on Mac OS

Companies to build tight integration between Orbix and OpenDoc

Object World East, Boston--May 8, 1996--Apple Computer, Inc. and IONA
Technologies Ltd., today announced that they have formed a strategic
alliance to support Apple's customers requiring connectivity from
OpenDoc-based applications to the world of Orbix and CORBA 2.0. Apple and
IONA intend to work together to ensure that Orbix interoperates easily
with OpenDoc-based applications. IONA intends to ship Orbix 2.0 for MacOS
System 7.5 by early fall 1996.

Orbix is IONA's market-leading implementation of the Object Management
Group consortium's CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture)
specification. With Orbix, programmers can rapidly develop distributed,
object-oriented applications following a consistent and straightforward,
standards-based object and messaging model. OpenDoc is a new plug- in
software architecture from Apple for Mac OS, Windows, UNIX, and OS/2 that
lets developers write software components that can be dragged and dropped
into documents created by any OpenDoc-aware application.

"Apple is seeing initial success with developers adopting OpenDoc as a
standard object and messaging model to build information systems,
application components and Internet applications," said Dr. Ike Nassi,
vice president, System Software Technology at Apple Computer, Inc. "With
Orbix, Apple customers have OpenDoc connectivity between Mac OS-based
systems, and to the wider world of Orbix and CORBA 2.0."

In April 1996, the Object Management Group adopted OpenDoc as its Document
Component Facility, enabling the creation of component software that
supports shareable and customizable compound documents. Under the alliance
agreement Apple and IONA intend to work together to ensure optimal
interoperability between Orbix and OpenDoc. Developers are able to use
OpenDoc and Orbix to replace monolithic applications (in which a single
software package is responsible for all of its documents' contents) into
distributed application components that can plug and play together, not
only on the same desktop but also across heterogeneous networks, including
intranets and the Internet.

"No company runs its business on a single computing platform today. At JP
Morgan, we need to be able to quickly build and deploy interoperable
software applications across a range of operating systems-Mac OS, Windows,
UNIX, and hosts/mainframes-for our trading floor and business operations,"
said Ron Allen, vice president, JP Morgan. "Orbix provides JP Morgan with
a standards-based, open technology for building interoperable object-based
software components."

"As an independent software vendor concentrating solely on Object Request
Broker (ORB) technology, IONA is in a unique position to provide corporate
developers with truly open, standards-based object technology," said
Apple's Dr. Nassi.

"We look forward to working with Apple to help provide its corporate
customers with the cross platform connectivity they need," stated Annrai
O'Toole, chief technical officer, IONA Technologies. "Continuing our
commitment to support current and future Macintosh operating systems, an
integration between Orbix and OpenDoc will provide the facility to create
truly distributed compound documents."

Apple Computer, Inc., a recognized innovator in the information industry
and leader in multimedia technologies, creates powerful solutions based on
easy-to-use personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, personal
digital assistants and Internet content. Headquartered in Cupertino,
California, Apple develops, manufactures, licenses and markets solutions,
products, technologies and services for business, education, consumer,
entertainment, scientific and engineering and government customers in more
than 140 countries.

If you are considering the purchase of an Apple product and would like to
have product information faxed to you, please call 1-800-462-4396 in the
U.S. or 1-800-263-3394 in Canada. If you do not have a fax machine or
would like to locate an Apple authorized reseller near you, please call
1-800-538-9696. Customers outside the U.S. should contact their local
Apple representatives for information.

ABOUT IONA TECHNOLOGIES

Based in Dublin, Ireland and Boston, MA., IONA Technologies is the world's
leading provider of CORBA conforming solutions. Its principal product,
Orbix was launched in June 1993 as the first full and complete
implementation of the Object Management Group's (OMG's) Common Object
Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) standard. With Orbix, programmers can
develop distributed, object-oriented applications following a consistent
and straightforward, standards-based model.

For IONA sales in the USA or Canada call 1 800 ORBIX4U (800 672-4948).

IONA Technologies, Inc.
201 Broadway, Floor 3
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 679-0900
Fax: (617) 679-0910

IN EUROPE CONTACT:
IONA Technologies Ltd.
8-10 Lower Pembroke St.
Dublin 2, Ireland
Phone +353 1 6625255 ext. 233
Fax: +353 1 6627079

Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/
 
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