REDMOND, Wash. - Feb. 12, 1996 - Microsoft Corp. today announced Internet tools and licensing for Microsoft® SQL Server™ that will enable customers to deliver a new class of business applications on the Internet.

In combination with the Microsoft Internet Information Server, also announced today, Microsoft SQL Server and the Microsoft BackOffice™ family of products make it easier for organizations of all sizes to build interactive, client-server business applications on the World Wide Web.

"Customers are rapidly gaining business benefits by linking their client-server infrastructure with the Internet," said Gary Voth, group product manager of the business systems division at Microsoft. "Microsoft BackOffice provides the richest foundation for a new generation of Internet-enabled applications, and Microsoft SQL Server is the engine that makes this possible."

New Tools Provide Easy, High Performance Internet Integration

Microsoft SQL Server offers a secure, easy-to-use interface to the World Wide Web via the Internet Database Connector built into the Microsoft Internet Information Server. The Internet Database Connector provides customers with high-performance integration with Microsoft SQL Server, allowing them to collect and track customer profiles, access history, and create personalized World Wide Web pages based on their individual preferences.

Enhancements to the forthcoming Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5, now undergoing beta testing, will provide the ability to easily and automatically generate Web pages formatted in hypertext markup language (HTML) from Microsoft SQL Server-based information anywhere in an organization. Using wizard technology, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 will make it easier for customers to create interactive, database-driven Web sites with automated information content. With Microsoft SQL Server-compatible middleware solutions such as Microsoft TransAccess or Information Builders Inc.'s EDA/Open Database Gateway, customers can integrate data across the enterprise onto the Internet.

Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector License Provides Low-Cost Unlimited Access From the Internet

The Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector license provides a simple, flexible and cost-effective way for customers to license their databases for use on the Internet or corporate intranets. Answering a question that vexes the industry - How do you count clients when access is via the Web? - the Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector offers a single flat-fee license allowing unlimited Web-based access to Microsoft SQL Server from the Internet or within a corporatewide intranet.

The Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector license is an open solution providing access to Microsoft SQL Server from the Microsoft Internet Information Server or from third-party Web servers. The Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector license will support customers using either Microsoft SQL Server version 6.0 or the forthcoming Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5.

Customers Gain Immediate Benefits Using Microsoft SQL Server and Internet Information Server

"With Microsoft SQL Server, we have a powerful content-management engine that allows us to provide a richer, more dynamic Web site for our customers," said Patrick Connolly, president of Ethos Corp., a Mill Valley, Calif., Internet and database software development company.

Ethos' flagship product, InvestorsEdge, is an interactive service provider delivering up-to-the-minute financial news and research information to more than 300,000 online investors weekly. The InvestorsEdge Web site is among the most active financial services on the Internet, offering stock quotes, corporate summaries, financial news and headline feeds.

"Microsoft SQL Server lets us handle millions of Internet transactions daily while protecting customer needs for reliability and privacy," added Connolly. "We've switched to Microsoft Internet Information Server because of its tight integration with Microsoft SQL Server."

Pricing and Availability

The Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector license is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 1996 for approximately $2,995. That license allows unlimited Web access to a single Microsoft SQL Server. Users need one license for each Microsoft SQL Server they wish to connect to a Web server.

The Microsoft Internet Database Connector is included at no additional charge as part of the Microsoft Internet Information Server. More information on the Microsoft SQL Server Internet Connector and the Microsoft Internet Information Server is available on the Microsoft BackOffice Web page.

To try out an application using the Microsoft Internet Database Connector, search the Microsoft Events calendar on www. microsoft.com today, and find the next event near you!

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

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