Eazel Announces Sun to Adopt Nautilus Software for Solaris Operating Environment.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2000

Relationship Will Accelerate the Worldwide Adoption of the

Next-Generation User Experience, the Network User Environment

Eazel Inc., the developer of software and services to make computers easier to use, today announced that Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq:SUNW) will distribute Eazel's Nautilus software on the upcoming GNOME 2.0 desktop user environment for the Solaris(TM) operating environment. The combination of GNOME and Nautilus will provide Linux and Solaris users with the same, easy-to-use user environment across both platforms. In addition, Eazel and Sun will work together to improve the accessibility, internationalization and documentation of Nautilus. A sneak preview of Nautilus can be downloaded on Linux systems today at http://www.eazel.com/download.

The relationship between Sun and Eazel will accelerate the adoption of the Eazel Network User Environment (NUE), a new class of user environment that takes full advantage of the Internet. Unlike previous environments that were designed for standalone desktops and applications, the NUE makes local and remote content, community, commerce, and Internet services a fundamental part of the user experience. Additionally, the NUE promises to create a new standard for ease of use by freeing users from complex and tedious system administration tasks such as system back-ups and software upgrades.

As part of their effort to promote the growth and adoption of a better computing environment Sun and Eazel will:

-- Ensure that the GNOME desktop is accessible to people with disabilities.

-- Drive internationalization and localization of the GNOME desktop
environment. This initiative will accelerate the adoption of the NUE worldwide.


-- Create documentation that supports the GNOME environment.

Eazel has also selected StarOffice(TM) software, Sun's powerful, full-featured, multi-platform office productivity suite, to be the default document viewer for StarOffice and Microsoft Office files in Nautilus. In support of this effort, Sun will develop StarOffice components that can be integrated into the Nautilus software environment.

Sun will also sponsor a section of the Eazel Web site and include Eazel in its sales and marketing training programs.

"The Eazel NUE is being designed to meet the needs of the next generation of computing by placing the Internet at the heart of the user experience," said Mike Boich, chief executive officer of Eazel. "Sun's commitment to Eazel and the open source community will clearly drive the development and widespread adoption of the Network User Environment and help us deliver on our mission to make computers easy and more enjoyable to use."

"We are pleased to join Eazel in developing a superior end-user experience for our customers," said Pat Sueltz, Sun's vice president of software. "The momentum is clearly building behind a new user environment based on open source technology and the Internet."

About Nautilus

Nautilus is the window to a network user environment that integrates access to files, applications, media, Internet-based services and the Web to deliver a dynamic and rich user experience. Nautilus is an open source project being developed under the GPL (GNU Public License) and is a core component of the GNOME desktop project. Eazel and Sun are members of the GNOME Foundation. A sneak preview of Nautilus can be downloaded on Linux systems today at http://www.eazel.com/download.

About GNOME

GNOME (http://www.gnome.org/) is an advanced new user desktop. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Internet, provide a breakthrough user experience, and dramatically increase personal productivity. Built on free source software, GNOME is rapidly gaining user and industry acceptance as it evolves into a standard across multiple UNIX(R) platforms. GNOME's core functionality includes a compelling and dynamic user interface that promotes easier interaction with software and efficient navigation of local desktop files and global Internet resources. It is powered by an advanced workspace manager and file manager, a full-featured office productivity suite, and a collection of useful desktop accessories. GNOME also supports many industry and de facto standards to ensure seamless data interchange and interoperability -- key requirements in today's highly-distributed and heterogeneous computing environments. GNOME 2.0 is scheduled to be available during the second half of 2001.

About Eazel

Eazel (http://www.eazel.com) develops software and services to make computers easier to use. Eazel's Nautilus software provides a superior user experience that embraces and leverages the possibilities of the Internet. Eazel is a private company headquartered in Mountain View, California, and is backed by Silicon Valley venture investors Accel Partners. In May of 2000 Eazel was listed as one of Red Herring Magazine's "Ten Companies To Watch."

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

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 dot-com their businesses. With $17.6 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

Note to Editors: Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun Logo, Solaris, StarOffice, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Eazel disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.