SEATTLE (12-07-95) - Microsoft Corp. today launched Visual Basic Script, its rival to the Java Script programming language, and announced deals with Spyglass Inc. and Oracle Corp. in a bid to solidify its Internet strategy.
Visual Basic Script offers essentially the same easy-to-use programming features and functionality of Java Script, recently announced by Sun Microsystems Inc. and Netscape Communications Corp. Microsoft will license it at no cost to applications and tool developers.
Microsoft and Oracle are cross-licensing technology to deliver standard scripting and programming features in their Internet software products. Oracle will license Visual Basic Script from Microsoft for its Oracle Powerbrowser, while Microsoft will license Open Powerbrowser OCX software and distribute it to Microsoft developer customers.
Microsoft and Spyglass have announced that Spyglass will support Microsoft's Internet strategy. Spyglass will enhance its Mosaic Web browser with support for Ole controls, Visual Basic Script and the latest HyperText Markup Language (HTML) extensions, as well as offer Microsoft server technologies including secure transfer technology (STT) and private transfer technology (PTT).
Microsoft also today released the beta version of its Internet Explorer browser software for the Windows NT, Windows 3.1 and Macintosh platforms. The software is already available on Windows 95.
Meanwhile, the Redmond, Wash.-based company has developed new technology to bring interactive 3-D multimedia animation to the Internet. The Active Virtual Reality Modeling Language offering is an open industry specification, and Microsoft is submitting it as a VRML 2 proposal.
Microsoft can be reached at +1 (206) 882-8080.
[Copyright 1995 IDG News Service, International Data Group Inc. All rights reserved.]