Be Makes Internet Appliance Announcement

Be Inc. today announced that BeIA, the complete solution for Internet appliances, passed Sun Microsystems' certification requirements for PersonalJava technology. This allows Web appliance device manufacturers building devices based on BeIA to provide their customers access to the thousands of Java applets on the Internet. Sun's certification of BeIA for PersonalJava technology indicates that Be meets Sun's high standards of excellence.
For the Internet to reach its full potential, easy-to-use specialized devices, intended to access services and content available on the Web, must become mainstream. These devices are dedicated primarily for web browsing, e-mail and e-commerce transactions. PersonalJava is designed specifically for these types of systems that are often compact and low-cost with simplified user interfaces. BeIA's responsive, stable, glitch-free playback of audio and video, combined with its compatibility with PersonalJava, makes BeIA the ideal software platform for developers building Internet appliances.

"Today, devices connecting consumers to the web are proliferating, bringing web access to millions of new users. PersonalJava technology is designed specifically for these low-cost, consumer-friendly, simple-to-use, devices whose main functions are Web browsing, email and on-line purchasing," said Curtis Sasaki, director of marketing, consumer technologies, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Be's adoption of Java technology ensures consumers will be able to access the breadth of Java technology content such as games, productivity applications, and utilities already available on the web and allows application developers to deploy on Be's popular media rich platform. We look forward to seeing the innovative new consumer products enabled with Be and Java technology."

"The Web is a vast and varied environment made up of simple HTML-based news pages to sophisticated entertainment sites that use audio and video technologies," said Lamar Potts, vice president of sales and marketing of Be. "Consumers do not want to worry about the applications and plug-ins they need to access different Web sites. Sun's certification of BeIA allows device manufacturers and partners to offer their customers systems that can access sites which take advantage of Java technology."

About PersonalJava
The PersonalJava application environment (PJAE) is a Java application environment that executes software written in the Java programming language. The PJAE addresses the software needs of networked applications running on personal consumer devices such as Internet appliances, set-top boxes and smart phones, rather than desktop computers.

About the BeIA Internet Appliance Platform
BeIA is an integrated package of client-side software, development and customization tools, device management services, and key third-party services and technology that delivers a complete Internet appliance solution to device and service providers and consumer electronics companies. BeIA delivers powerful functionality, including a comprehensive web browser, support for popular streaming media formats, application support and remote device management all in an exceptionally compact footprint.

About Sun Microsystems Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The Computer -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses. With $15.7 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at www.sun.com

About Be Inc.
Founded in 1990, Be Incorporated creates software platforms that enable rich media and Web experiences on personal computers and Internet appliances. Be's headquarters are in Menlo Park, Calif., and its European office is in Paris, France. It is publicly traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol BEOS. Be can be found on the Web at www.be.com.

Source: Be Inc.