Sun Delivers Rich Set of Java Media and Communications APIs; Powerful Multimedia APIs Interoperate With Existing Technologies.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 1997--Sun Microsystems Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW) announced the release of the Java 3D(TM) application programming interfaces (API) specification 1.0, as well as early access releases of the first set of its comprehensive suite of Java(TM) Media and Communications technologies, including the Java Media Player API, the Java 2D API and the Java Sound Engine.

In addition, Sun announced the Java Sound API (for more information: http://java.sun.com/products/java-media).

The Java Media and Communications family of APIs expand the Java platform by providing enhanced multimedia and communications capabilities. These critical technologies will allow software vendors and enterprise developers to include a variety of media in their applications, from streaming audio and video for training applications to telephony and speech for building complete on-line customer support centers.

The Java Media and Communications APIs also provide more traditional media markets with enterprise strength capabilities for compelling and effective on-line games and Web content, including consistent, reliable stereo-quality sound, high-end graphics and font-handling capability.

"Today's announcement provides Java developers with a wide variety of the newest and most exciting technologies available," said Jon Kannegaard, vice president of software products at JavaSoft, a business unit of Sun Microsystems Inc. "We expect that Java Media and Communications technologies will help drive the Java platform forward as the need for dynamic, cross-platform content and advanced communications grows within business communities."

Using the Java Media and Communications APIs, developers can create richer, more dynamic applications and applets while leveraging the inherent strengths of the Java platform, decreasing time-to-market and reaching a broader audience by running on multiple platforms, and lowering costs by distributing applications over the web.

Java 3D API

Sun's Java 3D API 1.0 specification allows developers to take advantage of a simple programming model that empowers them to build, render, and control the behavior of 3D objects and visual environments. Because Java 3D brings the "Write Once, Run Anywhere(TM)" concept to 3D graphics applications, developers should be able to more easily incorporate high-quality, scalable and platform-independent 3D graphics into Java-based applications and applets.

As a high-level API, Java 3D will be layered on top of existing popular 3D APIs, including OpenGL, Direct3D, and QuickDraw3D, thus providing portability across platforms while leveraging these lower level APIs for high Java 3D performance. Java 3D API can support the same application on either a high-end or a low-end graphics platform whether for browsers, 3D games, CAD systems, graphic design, or VRML implementations. The Java 3D API specification was developed in conjunction with Apple Computer Inc., Silicon Graphics Inc. and Intel Corp.

Java 2D API

The Java 2D API extends the capabilities of the abstract windowing toolkit (AWT), the standard API for providing GUIs for Java programs, by providing high quality, device and resolution independent graphics and enhanced text handling capabilities to the Java Virtual Machine. Java 2D is part of the Java(TM) Foundation Classes, a comprehensive set of Java graphical user interface (GUI) components and foundation services.

The Java 2D API's rich set of features allows developers to create and manipulate shapes and utilize expanded font support to create graphically enriched user interfaces, multilingual applications and Web pages. The specification for Java 2D was developed in conjunction with Adobe Systems Inc.

Java Media Player API

The Java Media Player API receives, controls, and plays time-synchronized media, such as audio and video, in a wide variety of formats enabling developers to embed them into Java applications and applets. Data can be played from any source, whether local or on a network. Java Media Player is the first phase of the three phase release of Java Media Framework, a set of interfaces that will play, capture and conference media. Sun has developed the Java Media Player specification in cooperation with Intel Corp. and Silicon Graphics Inc.

Java Sound Engine

The Java Sound Engine is a high quality audio rendering and sound synthesis engine. It offers reliable, consistent, stereo-quality sound on Java-enabled platforms without the need for a high end sound card. Java Sound will be an essential component of the next release of the JDK(TM), and Sun plans on fully integrating it into the Java Virtual Machine.

Java Sound API

Sun's newly announced Java Sound API will allow sound designers to integrate their work into Java applications and onto the Internet. This Java Sound API will enable a wide variety of markets, from education to advertising to telecommunications, to take advantage of a high-quality Web audio experience, making communication more effective and accessible.

The Java Sound API will also work in conjunction with all other Java Media and Communications APIs, allowing developers to utilize Java technologies such as the Java Sound Engine and the Java Media Framework API for a high-quality, feature-rich Java sound application.

Java Internet Business Expo

The Java(SM) Internet Business Expo(SM) show takes place August 25-28, 1997 in New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The Java industry will converge on this event to showcase the latest applications, hardware and solutions that take Java beyond the desktop -- from consumer electronic devices to enterprise-wide Java computing. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.javaexpo.sbforums.com or call 888-528-2397

About Sun

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 hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $8 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com . -0-

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, "The Network is The Computer," JavaSoft, Java 3D, Java Internet Business Expo, JDK, "Write Once, Run Anywhere," and Java are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc. in the United States and other countries. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc. Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.

For inquiries about Java technologies and services, telephone [phone]

Technical Specifications

Java Media and Communications APIs Developed in partnership with industry leaders, the Java Media and Communications family of APIs includes Java 2D, Java 3D, Java Animation, Java Media Framework, Java Speech, Java Telephony, Java Sound, Java Advanced Imaging and Java Collaboration. This complete set of technologies provides seamless integration of a wide range of media and communications capabilities for Web-based Java applications, extending "Write Once, Run Anywhere" to developers requiring richer, more dynamic applications. (URL http://java.sun.com/products/ java-media).

The Java 3D API

Set of object-oriented interfaces for Java applications requiring high performance, cross-platform, interactive 3D graphics. Key features include:

-- scene-graph-based programming model provides simple, flexible mechanism for representing and rendering complex 3D environments

-- layered upon low-level APIs such as OpenGL, Direct3D and QuickDraw3D allowing for higher level of performance because computationally intense tasks such as rendering are passed down to these APIs

-- scales to all 3D-capable hardware platforms, from low-end desktop machines to high-end power workstations, allowing applications written with Java 3D full platform performance scalability

-- supports run-time loaders for variety of vendor-specific CAD formats, interchange formats, VRML 1.0, and VRML 2.0

-- includes 3D spatial sound and behaviors

-- allows sharing of large models over network

-- advanced features including input model, geometry compression, behavior modeling, multiprocessing support, and compiled mode

-- new viewing model feature accommodates display devices including flat screen displays, portals/caves, and head-mounted displays without modification to code

The Java 2D API

Flexible framework for device and resolution independent 2D graphics extending capabilities of Sun's Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT). Key features include:

-- backwards compatibility with older versions of java.awt

-- component of the Java Foundation Classes (JFC), a set of classes simplifying GUI development.

-- enhanced graphics capabilities including antialiased rendering, Bezier paths, coordinate transforms, alpha blending, compositing and transparency support; richer text attributes, arbitrary fill styles, stroking parameters for lines and curves

-- extended font support including internationalized text handling, advanced text layout (such as bi-directional line layout), antialiased text rendering

-- additional imaging capabilities including flexible in-memory image layouts, extended image filters (such as convolution), lookup tables, affine transformation

-- support for graphics devices such as printers and displays

-- color management capabilities, ICC profile support for color conversion from different color spaces

The Java Media Player API

Receives and plays media from any source, across all Java-enabled platforms, separating issues relating to data type from transport protocol. First phase of Java Media Framework (JMF) three phase release (Player, Capture and Conference) which supports synchronization, control, processing, and presentation of compressed streaming and stored time-based media, including video, audio and MIDI. Key features include:

-- allows creation of media Player directly from URL

-- supports streaming protocals, such as RTP streaming

-- supports variety of audio and video formats/codecs and transport protocols including MPEG-1, QuickTime, AVI, MIDI, AU, WAV, AIFF, Motion-JPEG

-- open architecture for extending Player capabilities for new protocals and media types

Java Sound

High-quality 32 channel audio rendering and MIDI -controlled sound synthesis engine and Java audio API. Java Sound engine contains high-quality General MIDI sound bank. Key features include:

-- consistent and reliable sound on all Java-enabled platforms

-- no need for high-end sound cards

-- requires minimal CPU to process multiple high-quality sound files (eg, 24-voice MIDI file uses 20% of the CPU on a Pentium 90 MHz system)

-- total access to the underlying synthesis and rendering engine

-- alternate sounds to be loaded into the synthesis engine

-- supports variety of audio file formats including: AIFF, SUN/NeXT(AU), WAV, TYPE 0 and TYPE 1 MIDI, and RMF 

-- ability to render 8 or 16 bit audio data, with sample rates from 8KHz to 48khz

-- supports streaming audio

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