Applied Engineering, Inc. Becomes Sun's Technical Support Partner in ND.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

BISMARCK, N.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2001

Applied Engineering, Inc. was designated by Sun Microsystems as the System Support Engineer (SSE) Partner for North Dakota and parts of Minnesota. This agreement marks the first time Sun is utilizing a member of the reseller channel as a Sun technical services partner. As the SSE Partner, Applied Engineering will provide support to the high-level Sun equipment in this territory. This agreement allows Sun customers to purchase Sun's most comprehensive Gold and Platinum support contracts, which will be fulfilled by Applied Engineering's technical staff.

About Applied Engineering

Established in 1986, Applied Engineering, Inc. currently employs nearly 100 employees in 5 branch offices across the Midwest in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota (operating as Applied CAD/CAM, Inc.), and South Dakota (operating as AE Solutions, Inc.). Applied Engineering's mission is to provide complete engineering solutions and high quality computer products and services on the cutting edge of technology. Visit Applied Engineering on the World Wide Web at www.ae-solutions.com.

About Sun Microsystems

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer(TM)" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to take their businesses to the nth. With $19.2 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.