Tokyo, October 31, 2002 -- Fujitsu Limited today announced that it has developed and is commencing worldwide sales of Interstage Business Application Manager for .NET, comprising four products that represent the world's first comprehensive middleware solution for building and operating systems running on the Microsoft .NET environment (*1).

The winning combination of the Microsoft .NET environment, with its cost performance advantages and excellent development environment, and Fujitsu's PRIMERGY Intel-based servers and new Interstage middleware offerings, makes possible the efficient creation of OS platform- and programming language-independent Web services and reliable and highly efficient systems operation.

Fujitsu's Interstage middleware has become a popular and highly regarded solution for supporting integrated corporate information systems, with over 48,000 server shipments to date. Interstage Business Application Manager for .NET enables enterprise applications to incorporate various functions for ensuring stable operations, including business application management using OLTP (*2) technology utilized in Fujitsu's mission-critical systems and operation request control. In addition, by using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, system developers can develop applications using various programming languages, and they can efficiently re-use existing code in COBOL or Visual Basic. Moreover, using Interstage Business Application Manager Component Connector for .NET enables seamless links between systems utilizing different component technologies.

The newly released Interstage products are the fruit of Fujitsu's collaboration with Microsoft Corporation in XML-based Web Services, a key area of focus in their global alliance announced in June. The new products will be compatible with Fujitsu's NetCOBOL for .NET as well as Windows .NET Server 2003.

In Japan, drawing primarily on the resources of the Fujitsu Windows Platform Center and Joint .NET Taskforce (*3), Fujitsu will offer consulting and integration services and support for systems combining Fujitsu hardware and middleware with Microsoft's .NET Enterprise Server. Internationally, Fujitsu's group companies are also working with Microsoft in promotional and support activity.

"The availability of Fujitsu Interstage for .NET - a commitment we outlined together in June - represents a significant milestone for businesses that need to solve the problem of integration across and beyond the enterprise," said Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of the Platform Strategy and Partner Group at Microsoft. "With Fujitsu's Interstage Business Application Manager for Microsoft .NET, businesses can rapidly implement highly reliable, scalable and manageable solutions that integrate systems and data to deliver more value to their employees, business partners and customers."

About Interstage
Interstage is a business collaboration middleware platform designed to support new business activities, such as full-fledged Web services, in the broadband Internet era. Based on an organic platform concept integrating networks, servers, and storage devices, it can help businesses quickly effect radical transformations in their business environment by allowing them to effectively combine and share different business resources made available over the Internet. With products grouped in three key functional layers - Foundation, Integration, and Development Suite - Interstage helps customers build global-scale systems quickly and easily.

About NetCOBOL for .NET
NetCOBOL for .NET is Fujitsu's compiler and rich development environment for COBOL, built for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework. It allows companies with existing COBOL assets to recompile their COBOL85 programs and enhance them using the technologies available in the Microsoft .NET Framework. The ability to compile existing code enables a clear migration path for businesses wanting to move to a platform that can deliver the cost savings and technological innovation necessary to give them a competitive edge.

*1. Microsoft .NET

Microsoft's platform for handling different devices and massive OLTP using XML-based Web Services. XML Web Services are applications independent of platform or programming language that can share data over the Internet so that users can get the data they want regardless of where they are or what equipment they are using. Microsoft .NET includes development tools, management technologies, and the client software that users interact with directly, all based on Internet-standard XML Web Services.

*2. OLTP (online transaction processing)

An approach to processing information where connected clients send messages to a server, which receives them, performs operations on data in its database, and sends the results back to the client.

*3.

Fujitsu Windows Platform Center was established in Tokyo in October 2000 with the responsibility for designing systems that combine Fujitsu hardware and middleware with Windows 2000 products and Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server. The Joint .NET Taskforce is Fujitsu's and Microsoft's collaborative project to provide solutions based on .NET technologies (.NET Solutions)

About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting technologies, high-reliability/performance computing and telecommunications platforms, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts make Fujitsu uniquely positioned to unleash the infinite possibilities of the broadband Internet to help its customers succeed. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 5 trillion yen (about US$38 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/

[Press Contacts] Chiaki Kuwahara, Robert Pomeroy Fujitsu Limited, Public & Investor Relations Tel: +81-(0)3-3215-5259 (Tokyo) Fax: +81-(0)3-3216-9365 Press Inquiries

[Customer Contact] Global Business Group Fujitsu Limited Tel: +81-(0)44-540-4044 Fax: +81-(0)44-540-4117 E-mail: interstage_global@soft.fujitsu.com

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Please understand that product prices, specifications and other details are current on the day of issue of the press release, however, may change thereafter without notice.