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                                                        The Florida SunFlash

       SMCC AND EDS COMMERCIAL SERVICES GROUP JOIN FORCES
            TO OFFER SUN'S OPEN SYSTEMS TO RETAILERS

SunFLASH Vol 45 #34					      September 1992 
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- September 29, 1992 -- Sun Microsystems
Computer Corporation (SMCC) today announced it has teamed with
Electronic Data Systems (EDS) Commercial Services Group to provide
retailers with high- performance, low-cost Solaris(R)-based UNIX(R)
client-server solutions.  EDS has developed automated software tools
based on Sun's(TM) SPARC(R) workstations and servers, that can be used
to quickly and easily create a portfolio of customized retail
applications.

The partnership between SMCC and EDS, a leader in providing information
technology services to large commercial customers, coincides with a
move by retailers away from traditional, host-based systems to open,
client- server solutions.  According to a recent International Data
Corporation survey, 42.4 percent of the U.S.  retailers polled said
they are planning to pursue a UNIX open systems strategy.  To address
this need, SMCC and EDS are offering a hardware/software solution,
which will reduce retailers' costs for computer hardware, software
licensing, hardware maintenance, programming maintenance and
application development.

An important component of this partnership is INCASE, an automated
software development tool from EDS that is used for designing new
applications and re-engineering existing mainframe software to run on
open client-server platforms.  Running on Sun's workstations and
servers, INCASE enables EDS to rapidly prototype, develop and implement
low-maintenance applications for retailers.

EDS is presently using INCASE to develop a portfolio of retail
applications under its Retail Enterprise Model.  These applications
fully support the retailers' business processes and include: purchase
order management, merchandising, "big-ticket" and finance and
administration.  The Retail Enterprise Model reflects an integrated
approach to business and information planning, process reengineering
and rapid application development to enable retailers to enhance the
overall performance of the retail enterprise through the application of
information technology.

Under a cooperative marketing and sales arrangement, SMCC and EDS are
targeting specialty stores, department store chains and drug and
grocery chains.

"We are working with Sun because they are a leader in providing a
cost-effective, client-server based hardware solution," said Greg
Granello, vice president of sales and marketing for the Retail Services
Division at EDS.  "Their client-server strategy and workstations'
price/performance curve are essential ingredients in successful retail
information technology strategies for the 1990s."

Added Bob DeLaney, SMCC's manager of retail market development, "Our
goal is to help retailers re-tool their information systems.  Since we
offer open technologies that support a multivendor environment,
retailers need not throw away all their existing equipment. Rather,
they can adopt a client-server model that includes both old and new
systems."

SMCC's momentum in the retail industry is continuing to increase.
Retail applications already on the Sun platform include point-of-sale
support, inventory management, credit card authorization, labor
management, location evaluation and many other mission-critical
applications.  SMCC retail customers include McDonald's, Carnival
Cruise Lines, JC Penney, Kash & Karry, Value City, Abraham & Straus and
Dunkin' Donuts, among many others.

EDS is the leader in applying information technology to meet the needs
of businesses around the world.  EDS' Retail Services Division has
signed a dozen retailers, including: PACE Membership Warehouse and
Smith's Food & Drug Centers, Inc., to the Retail Enterprise Model this
year, and is delivering a complete range of services to the retail
industry including consulting, systems development, systems integration
and systems management.


Press Contact
Wendy Moro at Hi-Tech Communications, 415/904-7000 x234.

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