Separately, IBM announced plans to incorporate Build-IT into the IBM WebSphere Studio, an integrated set of Web site development and management tools for the WebSphere Application Server family. Build-IT technology will be incorporated in the next release of WebSphere Studio's workbench. This workbench gives a unified view of all components in a Web site, from which individual tools, such as NetObjects Fusion™, are launched to aid in creating and updating a Web site.

The Build-IT technology and the WebSphere workbench complement and enhance NetObjects' collaborative Web authoring product, NetObjects Authoring Server™ Suite. The workbench, which provides an unstructured application assembly environment, will enable NetObjects to further enhance the NetObjects Authoring Server Suite's controlled, collaborative Web authoring environment for both Web site builders and application developers.

In addition, the workbench can launch NetObjects ScriptBuilder™ and NetObjects BeanBuilder™, as well as manage the scripts and JavaBean-based applications created in those products. NetObjects Fusion users can use the workbench to manage the assets of complex Web sites.

"Licensing Wallop Build-IT and workbench, coupled with our close collaboration on the WebSphere project, reinforces the strong relationship between IBM and NetObjects," said Morris Taradalsky, executive vice president of the enterprise division at NetObjects. "We are excited about the possibilities of integrating the workbench with our products, especially NetObjects Authoring Server Suite, to offer users of third-party tools an efficient way to take advantage the suite's robust site authoring and management environment."

In addition to leveraging the synergy between workbench and its own products, NetObjects will continue to play an important role in the evolution of the WebSphere Studio through integration with its family of Web development products.

About NetObjects
The NetObjects product family consists of NetObjects Fusion Personal Editor, NetObjects Fusion, NetObjects Authoring Server Suite, NetObjects ScriptBuilder and NetObjects BeanBuilder. NetObjects develops and markets award-winning Web site building software for businesses.