Xerox, Microsoft announce sweeping alliance for knowledge sharing

Combining Microsoft's vision of the "digital nervous system" and Xerox's emphasis on linking the digital and paper worlds, the two companies have announced sweeping technology and market development initiatives.

"We are empowering knowledge workers by unifying the digital and paper worlds," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft president. "Xerox's dynamic vision and leading role in the office will allow our customers to more easily share, communicate and manage company information."

Central to the agreement is a direct link between Xerox Document Centre and the MS Exchange Server, available Q3 '99. Similar to the existing Lotus Notes link to Document Centre, the link (which has beta users including the Wisconsin Legislature) allows users to scan directly to Exchange.

This is the first leg in what appears to be a significant agreement between the companies to streamline information delivery to knowledge workers.

Said Xerox CEO and President Rick Thoman, "Integrating the technologies and product capabilities of Xerox and Microsoft enables the timely delivery of information--it is the catalyst for knowledge-sharing to become a realistic and relevant capability in the office today."

Developments slated for the future include:

• Xerox Document Centre running on the Windows NT Embedded 4.0 operating system, as part of a just-announced licensing agreement.

• A combined Xerox-Microsoft interface for the Internet. Microsoft has licensed Xerox's WebForage, a user interface technology designed to make leafing through Web pages like flipping through the pages of a book. The technology will be combined with similar Microsoft research.

• Xerox service division Xerox Connect will work as a Microsoft Enterprise Alliance partner. Xerox Connect will promote and support the Microsoft BackOffice family of products.

• Compaq Computer, already a reseller of Microsoft network software, will become (along with Xerox Connect) the primary delivery channel for the Xerox Connect/Exchange products. This results from a separate marketing alliance signed between Xerox and Compaq.