INDUSTRY LEADERS FORM COMPONENT INTEGRATION LABORATORIES TO DELIVER SOFTWARE INTEROPERABILITY Apple, IBM, Novell, Oracle, Taligent, WordPerfect, and Xerox to Speed Development of ÒPlug and PlayÓ Software Interoperability Across Multiple Computer Platforms SANTA CLARA, CaliforniaÑSeptember 16, 1993ÑIn an effort to create a common framework for interoperability between applications on all desktop platforms, seven industry-leading hardware, software, and networking companies have united to form the Component Integration Laboratories (CIL). Apple Computer, Inc., IBM, Novell, Oracle, Taligent, WordPerfect Corporation, and Xerox Corporation participated in the announcement made today at the Windows Solutions Conference here. The purpose of CIL is to establish, promote, and certify specifications and reference implementations of key technologies that integrate information and media from many applications within a networked environment. It is intended to develop certification processes for software products that conform to CIL specifications and documentation, as well as training for developers who want to use CIL technologies. In addition, CIL will serve as a distribution center for contributed software, design discussions and technology definition and evolution. CIL technology is designed to fundamentally change the way a user works with a computer, evolving the focus from application-centered to document-centered computing. This new architecture allows users to embed feature sets from different applications into a single working document so that essential editing tools are always quickly accessible. Users will be able to integrate multimedia, three-dimensional models, text, graphics, and other types of information in any application. ÒWhen end-users can access information they need from across an entire enterprise, they will achieve extraordinary gains in productivity,Ó said Dennis Andrews, president of the XSoft division of Xerox. ÒXeroxÕs commitment to the document as the basis for information sharing and decision making leads us to understand the importance of early participation of CIL. We believe our current and future document management applications will take significant advantage of the CIL APIs.Ó Even though CIL is a newly formed organization, members will have immediate access to software architectures that have been completed. Initial CIL technology will include the following: ¥ The OpenDoc software architecture for Windows, OS/2, Macintosh and UNIX to enable embedding of features from different applications into a single working document. ¥ Bento for the storage and interchange of multimedia information. ¥ The Open Scripting Architecture (OSA) for the coexistence of multiple scripting systems. ¥ IBMÕs System Object Model (SOM) architecture, a highly efficient platform and language-independent runtime mechanism for dynamic object linking. ÒOpenDoc is an exciting foundation that allows developers to move their existing applications to the compound document world, and provides interoperability across Macintosh, OS/2, DOS, Windows and UNIX operating systems," said David Nagel, senior vice president and general manager of Apple's AppleSoft division. "As well, OpenDoc will interoperate with TalentÕs new object-oriented operating environment, assuring a smooth path between OpenDoc and Taligent electronic documents.Ó ÒCIL is the outgrowth of individual vendorsÕ efforts toward the development of compound documents, scripting and automation interfaces and standards for object interfaces," said Cliff Reeves, director of Object Systems, from IBM's Personal Software Products (PSP) division . "We see joining CIL and contributing the SOM technology as an opportunity to leverage and speed this development cycle.Ó ÒWe support the goals of CIL and plan to ensure interoperability of its technologies with the Taligent environment,Ó said Michael Potel, vice president of technology development at Taligent. ÒWe believe CIL technologies are an important step for migrating existing applications to a compound document architecture. Interoperability will ease the migration from todayÕs procedural applications to tomorrow's object-oriented solutions on the Taligent platform.Ó Developers writing to the associationÕs specifications will be able to create plug-and-play applications that can be partitioned into independent components. As part of CIL, they will receive early access to leading-edge technology, training, co-marketing and technical support. Once their products are ready for market, they can be tested and certified by CIL indicating that they meet the software integration standards adopted by industry members. As members, developers will be able to upgrade and migrate their products as the interface standards evolve. ÒCIL technology provides a new business model for software developers by letting them exploit their development strengths to bring products to market more quickly, without spending cycles and resources recreating existing software,Ó said Jed Harris, AppleÕs manager of Component Software Alliance Strategy. ÒIt opens the door for developers to create profitable market niches while decreasing investment risks.Ó ÒCIL technology is ideal for midsized companies with internal developers who create and manage applications and tools for component integration. These developers traditionally lack resources to develop the complete technology. At the same time, they are getting tremendous demand from the end-user for increased function and interoperability,Ó said Layne Cannon, director of advanced technologies for WordPerfect Corporation. Cannon continued, ÒWordPerfect CorporationÕs large installed base of small, midsized and large enterprises, as well as strength and experience in the Windows environment, brings immediate cross-platform expertise to CIL.Ó Bento, the Open Scripting architecture, and SOM are currently available from Apple and IBM and will be made available to members. For more information regarding membership, contact the Component Integration Laboratories at (415) 750-8352. The Components Integration Laboratory, based in San Francisco, Calif., is a non-profit association dedicated to software plug-and-play interoperability across multiple computer platforms and applications. -30- Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.