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DISTRIBUTION: Business Editors and Computer & Entertainment Writers

LENGTH: 546 words

HEADLINE: Sun Microsystems puts the Rolling Stones on the global Internet; "Home Page" gives fans Internet access to concert information music, videos and memorabilia

DATELINE: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.

BODY:
Sept. 12, 1994--Renowned for their cutting-edge music, the World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band is also pushing the envelope of high technology with the advent of the Rolling Stones' "Voodoo Lounge" CD and worldwide tour.

With the help of Sun Microsystems Inc., Thinking Pictures has put the Rolling Stones on-line, creating their own electronic "home page," a user-friendly graphical interface for navigating information across the global Internet.

Managed by powerful Sun computers, the Stones World Wide Web server is connected to the Internet, giving fans a whole database of Stones information. Data includes concert dates, video and audio clips from the world tour and a library of band photographs. In addition, fans can purchase official Voodoo Lounge tour merchandise via the Internet and upload their own pictures, band impersonations and software animation/graphics for Stones -related Internet contests taking place during the year-long worldwide tour.

Sun is the major player on the Internet, the worldwide "network of networks" that has some 20 million users. According to the Internet Society, 56 percent of the Internet traffic runs on Sun servers, while the vast majority of Internet applications were developed on Sun.

Sun's own "home page" on the World Wide Web portion of the Internet is one of the most-accessed information sources. Sun's Sun SITE information repository, which archives everything from public domain software and government information to Internet Talk Radio and recipes, receives as many as 140,000 "hits," or queries, a day.

The Stones tour, which began Aug. 1 at RFK Stadium in Washington, will include more than 90 stadium shows during the next 12 months. Their album is currently among the top 10 CDs, according to Billboard magazine.

Thinking Pictures Inc. is an M.I.T. Media Lab spin-off corporation with offices in New York, New Jersey and Switzerland. In addition to providing online services, the company produces video games, multiuser games for virtual environments, content for interactive television and motion theater rides and creates interfaces for interactive television.

Sun Microsystems Inc. is the world's top supplier of open network computing solutions. Its SPARC/Solaris workstation and server family leads the UNIX market. The company has its headquarters in Mountain View.

To visit Sun's home page, type http://www.sun.com at the URL prompt in the Mosaic interface. From there, simply click on the Stones icon, or type http://stones. com for direct access to the band's page.

Note to Editors: Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Solaris and Sun SITE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems Inc.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, exclusively licensed through X/Open Co. Ltd. All other products or service namesmentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Sun Microsystems Computer Co., Mountain View Cindee Mock 415/336-3563

SECTION: BUSINESS; Technology; Pg. 1

LENGTH: 694 words

Cyber-rock

You never know who you'll find on the Internet.

The Rolling Stones now have their own site on the global network of computer systems, sponsored by Sun Microsystems, makers of high-end computer workstations, and Thinking Pictures, a new company that makes interactive movies.

Stephan Fitch, Thinking Pictures' chief executive, says the site has the blessings of the Stones, who are in the middle of a United States tour to support their new album, Voodoo Lounge.

The site is on the World Wide Web, an Internet feature that's accessible using the popular, free software program called Mosaic. The address is http://www.stones.com.

The site features sound clips from Stones performances on the tour, as well as brief movies and still photographs. Fans of the band can order T-shirts ($ 21 to $ 32), caps ($ 20 to $ 40), shorts ($ 30) and even a leather backpack ($ 125).

Fitch says plans are under way to broadcast about 30 minutes of a live Stones concert over the Internet, the first time a major rock concert has been beamed into cyberspace. He would not say which show would be broadcast, but he did allow that the Stones' Nov. 13 date at the Astrodome ""might'' be under consideration.

""We would like to see how far you can push the envelope,'' Fitch says.

It won't be too far, however. Only those with Sun workstations and special software, and who are connected to the Internet via a high-speed cable, will be able to receive it. And there's a possibility that it might be video or audio, but not both.

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH LOAD-DATE-MDC: September 13, 1994