From: product_feedb...@NeXT.COM (NeXT Announce)
Date: Wed,  7 Feb 96 15:36:20 -0800
To: news_from_next_...@NeXT.COM, next-annou...@digifix.com
Subject: NeXT announces WebObjects free Download
Reply-To: product_feedb...@NeXT.COM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Kindle DiGiusto
NeXT Software, Inc.
415-780-3781
or
Nicole Overson
Copithorne & Bellows
415-975-2219

NeXT ANNOUNCES WebObjects (tm) PRODUCT LINE TO DEVELOP
DYNAMIC SERVER-BASED WEB APPLICATIONS

Customers can download free beta via the World Wide Web

WEBMANIA, San Francisco -January 30, 1996-NeXT Software, Inc. today
announced its multi-product solution for building interactive server-based
Web applications for both the Internet and the Enterprise.  NeXT's
WebObjects product suite is designed to meet a variety of business needs-
WebObjects (tm), the free entry-level product, allows organizations to start
building dynamic Web sites today, WebObjects Pro gives developers the
ability to build reusable Web components, and WebObjects Enterprise brings a
corporation's entire computing infrastructure to the Web.

Addressing the need for real Web-based solutions, NeXT's WebObjects product
line is designed to deliver quantifiable results to organizations
investigating custom Web development tools.  In this volatile marketplace,
businesses are often confused by the new technologies, emerging standards,
and how to benefit from the Web while leveraging their current investment in
technology.  NeXT's goal is to cut through the confusion and deliver
solutions-based Web tools that offer a competitive advantage that translates
into increased revenues and greater marketshare.

Leverage current technology investment
Companies today have already invested thousands, if not millions, of dollars
in their information technology.  WebObjects is designed to work with this
existing infrastructure enabling corporations to expand the reach of their
systems to the Web without having to rewrite data and applications.

        *       WebObjects works with industry standard data sources such as
Oracle, Informix, and Sybase databases and,             through third party
software, can support mainframe and legacy access.

        *       WebObjects is browser independent working with standard
browsers such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, and               Mosaic.

        *       WebObjects is operating system-independent spanning both
UNIX and Windows environments.  
        *       WebObjects is HTTP server independent, OLE compatible, takes
advantage of native server APIs, such as                Netscape's NSAPI,
and can use existing programming languages such as PERL, C, and C++
languages.              

WebObjects supports current and emerging Web technologies
The Web offers marketers and corporations the promise of ubiquitous
availability and new and exciting technology that brings their messages to
life.  WebObjects offers highly interactive, dynamic Web-based applications
and is designed to interoperate with emerging technologies such as VRML,
Shockwave, Real Audio, Java, and JavaScript standards.  WebObjects will
allow you to reach people with real-time information about flights, personal
banking accounts, and product demonstrations, all while capturing data for
future marketing programs.

WebObjects delivers real power to the World Wide Web
NeXT's WebObjects solution brings real value to the World Wide Web.  Using
component technology, WebObjects allows Web developers to deliver dynamic
Web-based applications faster than with traditional development tools.  
Customers can reuse components and can modify several applications at once
by editing a single component.  This environment translates into a large
competitive advantage that leads directly to increased revenues and greater
marketshare.

WebObjects also enables corporations to scale and manage their Web sites.  
Webmasters simply plug in additional resources without having to take their
machines and applications off line-this is critical for corporations
experiencing "grid lock" on their site due to increased traffic.  WebObjects
facilitates this by managing incoming HTTP requests and distributing Web
application processes across multiple machines.

Security solution
WebObjects offers a secure solution for corporations building
commerce-enabled applications for the Web.  NeXT has leveraged existing
security standards such as Netscape's SSL on the HTTP server.  NeXT also
provides authentication services via Security Dynamics' SecurID software,
offering enterprise network security through one-time password identity
verification.

"The WebObjects product line offers Web developers an easy entry point to
the world of dynamic services," said Steve Jobs, chairman and CEO of NeXT
Software, Inc.  "NeXT has a long history with the Web and now, through
WebObjects, we are able to deliver real value to enterprises wanting to
exploit the promise of the Web."

"At Dreamworks Feature Animation, we were faced with the situation of
getting our production management system, a vital tool for organizing and
monitoring the work on a production, up and running much sooner than we had
originally anticipated," said Dylan Kohler, co-head of the animation
technology division. "Fortunately, our discovery of WebObjects enabled us to
quickly rethink our design. WebObjects will enable us to build a production
management system elegantly and efficiently, with an interface second-nature
to anyone who has ever surfed the Web, and with our users able to benefit
from changes to the system as soon as they are put on the server.  With our
new plan, drawing on WebObjects, we will be up and running much sooner than
before, and with, quite frankly, a better and more future-oriented design."

THE WEBOBJECTS PRODUCT FAMILY

WebObjects
The base product, WebObjects, offers an easy entry point for building
dynamic Web-based applications.  With WebScript you can easily build
interactive applications using the pre-built components supplied with the
product.  This free download, is designed to introduce developers to NeXT's
powerful environment and includes the Dodge Virtual Showroom application,
allowing Web developers to get started today.

The WebObjects beta release is available today for free download via NeXT's
Web site at ”http://www.next.com.  Future components and upgrades will also
be available via the Web.

WebObjects Pro
WebObjects Pro answers the needs of Web developers wanting to move beyond
script-based development to build more complex applications.  The WebObjects
Pro version includes the ability to incorporate C, C++, and Objective C code
into Web-based applications and, through OLE connectivity, the Pro product
enables developers to access data stored in Windows applications such as
Excel spreadsheets.  WebObjects Pro also provides for distributed Web
application servers allowing organizations to add more power as there system
grows.

WebObjects Pro product will be available for $2,999 through NeXT's telesales
organization who can be reached at 1-800-TRY-NeXT.

WebObjects Enterprise
WebObjects Enterprise is NeXT's complete dynamic Web development solution.  
Targeted to customers who want a solution that encapsulates their existing
data and applications, the Enterprise solution allows corporations to
preserve their technology investment while building new internal and
external Web applications.

WebObjects Enterprise will be sold through NeXT's direct salesforce for
prices starting at $24,999.

NeXT Software, Inc.

NeXT delivers an open development environment for building custom
applications for both the World Wide Web and the Enterprise.  NeXT's
development software adds value to today's business by shortening the
development cycle, working with an organization's existing technology,
supporting current and emerging standards, and enabling organizations to
grow and change with ease.

Providing its customers with a combination of award-winning software and
professional services, NeXT delivers real-world solutions.

NeXT Software, Inc. is headquartered in Redwood City, California, and has
offices in North America, London, Paris, Munich, and Tokyo.

For more information please visit NeXT's Web site at ”http://www.next.com or
call 1-800-TRY-NeXT.

Trademark Info:
NeXT, the NeXT logo, OPENSTEP, WebObjects, PDO, Portable Distributed
Objects, Enterprise Objects Framework, D'OLE, and NEXTSTEP are trademarks or
registered trademarks of NeXT Software, Inc.  All other trademarks mentioned
belong to their respective owners.

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