(February 5, 2003) - Borland Software Corporation has become the first to license the Microsoft .NET Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) for distribution, which will help to accelerate the .NET application development lifecycle. This licensing agreement underscores the Borland commitment to provide fast, flexible .NET-connected solutions.

"This represents a milestone for customers," said Eric Rudder, senior vice president for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "This is one in an extensive range of initiatives to help bring the benefits and capabilities of .NET technologies to enterprises of all sizes."

With this licensing agreement, Borland plans to introduce a new development solution for Microsoft .NET later this year and will also provide the existing three million-plus Borland developers with more opportunities to build and deploy software applications on the .NET Framework.

"As the first company to license the .NET Framework SDK, we are expanding our offering of enterprise solutions that accelerate software development for all major platforms," said Frank Slootman, senior vice president and general manager of Borland software products.

"As .NET continues to gain momentum in the marketplace, enterprises are going to demand unique .NET solutions that expand upon existing skills, investments and assets," Mark Driver of Gartner said. "An independent application lifecycle solution will provide an attractive alternative for developers who wish to capitalize on the .NET Framework while maintaining a best-of-breed approach across vendors."