IBM Extends Support for Microsoft LAN Manager Technology
in OS/2 Extended Edition 1.20

Redmond, WA -- May 16, 1989 -- IBM's SAA OfficeVision announcement
today detailed use of Microsoft networking technology in three areas.
First, IBM announced that IBM(R) Operating System/2(TM) Extended
Edition Version 1.20 will support 13 categories of LAN application
programming interfaces (APIs) that are derivations of comparable
Microsoft(R) LAN Manager API categories. Second, IBM's OfficeVision
product line makes use of the IBM EE 1.20 LAN Requester, which is
based on LAN Manager technology. Third, IBM announced EE 1.20 support
for selected EtherNet(R) adapters written to the Microsoft/3Com(R)
Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS).

Together, these announcements strengthen Microsoft LAN Manager's
position in two key areas -- developing network applications and
providing a standardized LAN adapter card interface to network
protocol software.

"For third-party software developers, end users, and hardware vendors,
life just got a lot easier," said Steve Ballmer, senior vice president
of systems software at Microsoft. "In the same way that NetBIOS
spurred development of the first networking applications, LAN Manager
APIs will facilitate building the next generation of true distributed
applications."

Interoperability

IBM's use of LAN Manager technology in SAA OfficeVision ensures that
end users will be free to choose their network environment. IBM OS/2
Extended Edition workstations running SAA OfficeVision software will
be able to use resources on LAN Manager-based servers, and LAN Manager
workstations will be able to access IBM LAN Server.

LAN Manager APIs

The LAN API support announced today in IBM's OS/2 EE 1.20, when
combined with the named pipes support already available in IBM OS/2
EE, provides a set of 89 APIs in 13 categories of the Microsoft LAN
Manager APIs. The LAN Manager APIs provide powerful services to the
applications developer, including the following:

   Interprocess communication between programs across the network that
   enables the development of distributed applications

   Remote querying of the network for resources such as servers or
   printers

   Network administration facilities, such as remote operation and
   alerts to the network administrator on operating conditions of
   interest

More than 100 independent software vendors and corporate developers
are writing applications that make use of LAN Manager APIs. The
implementation of a standard set of APIs in EE 1.20 and Microsoft LAN
Manager means that developers of network applications have to write to
only one set of interface specifications in order for their software
to run on both IBM LAN Server and LAN Manager networks.

Announcement Draws Industry Support

The announcement drew a broad range of industry support.

"Ashton-Tate is fully supportive of the IBM and Microsoft agreement to
adopt a common LAN API interface," said Ed Esber, chairman and CEO of
Ashton-Tate. "That IBM is announcing its support is very significant
to our customers."

Jim Acquaviva, president of Revelation Technologies, added: "Since our
product, Advanced Revelation(R), is widely used to develop multiuser
applications on LANs, this development is significant, because
complexity is lessened and compatibility is increased by writing to a
single API for both environments. More important, our users are
assured of a safer and more-level playing field, protecting their MIS
investments."

And Wayne Carpenter, president and CEO of Saros Corporation, said:
"This step in supporting a common API opens the door for distributed
applications such as ours to span not only workstations and servers
but networks as well. We see this as a major step, allowing developers
to produce both network-independent applications and internetwork
distributed applications."

Network Driver Interface Specification

More than 35 vendors are writing to the NDIS specification, including
major computer manufacturers such as IBM, AT&T, NCR, and Hewlett-
Packard, leading networking companies such as 3Com, Ungermann-Bass,
Proteon and INTERLAN, major card vendors such as Standard
Microsystems, Intel, and Western Digital, and key network transport
protocol vendors such as Retix, FTP Software, Madge Computers Ltd.,
and Sytek Inc.

IBM's licensing of the Microsoft LAN Manager Network Driver Interface
Specification (NDIS), jointly developed by Microsoft and 3Com, cements
industry commitment to NDIS. The OS/2 Extended Edition implementation
of NDIS announced by IBM today allows SNA, NetBIOs and programs
written to the IEEE 802.2 programming interface to operate over
EtherNet LANs, improving support for multivendor connectivity.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ "MSFT") develops, markets and supports a
wide range of software for business and professional use, including
operating systems, languages and application programs as well as
books, CD-ROM products and hardware for the microcomputer marketplace.

# # #

Microsoft, MS, and the Microsoft logo are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.

3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation.

Ashton-Tate is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate Corporation.

IBM is a registered trademark and Operating System/2 are trademarks of
International Business Machines Corporation.

EtherNet is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation.
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