Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site microsoft.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!hoxna!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!microsoft!gordonl
From: gordonl@microsoft.UUCP (Gordon Letwin)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Microsoft/IBM Announce JDA
Message-ID: <8778@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 12:05:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: microsof.8778
Posted: Mon Aug 26 12:05:57 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Aug-85 20:23:22 EDT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Lines: 39

From the Wall Street Journal (Thurs Aug 22, I think), copyright (c)
the Wall Street Journal:

"NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. and International Business Machines Corp.
said they signed a joint development agreement [JDA], signaling IBM's
apparent commitment to maintaining present standards for its Personal
Computer software.

  The agreement, which calls for the two companies to work together
for "long-term" development of certain software for IBM desktop
computers, converts a loose alliance into a formal partnership.

	...

  IBM isn't invensting in Microsoft, which also sells software to almost
all of IBM's competitors.

	...

  Industry executives said the agreement adds credibility to IBM's
commitment [to the open architecture concept].  "The way I read it,
IBM plans to continue to support [MSDOS] and its ongoing evolution on
a very significant basis," said Paul Ely, president and chief
executive officer of Convergent Technologies.

	...

  William Gates, Microsoft's chairman and co-founder, said the company
will double its system-software staff to speed development of new
software that will exploit more fully powerful computers such as IBM's
PC AT and ease networking of PCs with other IBM products.

`A Unique Agreement'

  Without the agreement, Microsoft and IBM couldn't share information
as e freely, Mr. Gates said.  "Up to now, IBM has been buying standard
products," he said.  "Now we've put together a unique agreement that
allows IBM to come to us at a very early stage, helping influence what
the design is."