Document:

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                                                                    Exhibit 10.8

[Inprise Letterhead]
100 Enterprise Way
Scotts Valley, CA95066

July 14, 2000

Frank Slootman
[ADDRESS INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]

     RE: Employment Agreement

Dear Frank:

     On behalf of INPRISE Corporation ("INPRISE"), I am pleased to confirm our
verbal offer of employment to you for the position of Vice President and
General Manager of Software Products, reporting to Doug Barre. This letter sets
out the terms of your employment with INPRISE, which will start July 17, 2000.

     You will be paid a base salary of $10,576.92 every two weeks (which equals
$275,000.00 per year), less applicable tax and other withholdings. You are
eligible for an annual bonus opportunity in the amount of $110,000.00 (40% of
base). You will also be eligible to participate in various INPRISE fringe
benefit plans, including: Group Health Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts,
401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Tuition Reimbursement and the vacation
program. These benefits will be explained to you during your Employee
Orientation. Please refer to the attached document, which explains the new
employee orientation process.

     Subject to the approval of INPRISE's Board of Directors, you will be
granted an option to purchase 150,000 shares of INPRISE common stock under
INPRISE's stock option plans at an exercise price equal to the fair market
value of that stock on your option grant date. Your option is subject to the
terms and conditions of INPRISE's stock option plans and standard form of stock
option agreement and shall vest over a four year period, with twenty five
percent (25%) vesting on the first anniversary of the option grant date and the
remaining seventy five percent (75%) vesting over the remaining three years on
a monthly basis.

     Your employment with INPRISE is "at will"; it is for no specified term,
and may be terminated by you or INPRISE at any time, with or without cause or
advance notice. In acceptance of your employment with INPRISE, you represent
that you will not be acting in breach of any agreement with any of your
previous employers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if INPRISE terminates your
employment without cause, and contingent upon the signing of a general release
by you, of known and unknown claims, in a form satisfactory to INPRISE; INPRISE
will provide you with a lump sum severance payment equal to your then current
base salary for four (4) months, less applicable taxes and other withholdings.

     INPRISE is very impressed with the skills and experience that you will
bring to us and we hope that you will consider this offer carefully. Should you
accept this offer, I would like to remind you that it is INPRISE's policy to
avoid situations where information or materials might come into our hands that
are considered proprietary by individuals or companies other than INPRISE.
Indeed, as a condition of employment, you will be required to sign an agreement
not to
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expose either or us to legal liability by divulging trade secrets or
confidential information of any employer. We are interested in employing you
because of your skills and abilities, not because of any trade secrets you have
learned elsewhere. It is important that you take care not to bring, even
inadvertently, any books, drawings, notes, materials, etc., except your
personal effects as you leave your current employer. Thus, you represent and
warrant that you are not acting in breach of any non-competition, employment or
other agreements with your current employer or any of your previous employers.

     As a condition of your employment, you will be required to provide
INPRISE with documents establishing your identity and right to work in the
United States. Those documents must be provided to INPRISE within three days
after your employment start date.

     In the event of any dispute or claim relating to or arising out of your
employment relationship with INPRISE, this agreement, or the termination of
your employment relationship with INPRISE for any reason (including, but not
limited to, any claims for compensation, benefits, stock or stock options,
wrongful termination, breach or contract, fraud or age, sex, race, disability
or other discrimination or harassment), you and INPRISE agree that all such
disputes will be fully, finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration
conducted by the American Arbitration Association in Santa Clara County,
California under its then-applicable employment dispute resolution rules. You
and INPRISE hereby knowingly and willingly waive your respective rights to have
such disputes or claims tried by a judge or jury. Provided, however, that this
arbitration provision will not apply to any claims for injunctive relief by you
or INPRISE.

     This agreement and the employee confidentiality and if applicable stock
option agreement referred to above constitute the entire agreement between you
and INPRISE regarding the terms and conditions of your employment, and they
supersede all prior negotiations, representations or agreements between you and
INPRISE. This agreement may only be modified by a document signed by you and
the Chief Executive Officer of INPRISE.

     We look forward to working with you at INPRISE. Please sign and date this
letter on the spaces provided below to acknowledge your acceptance of the terms
of this agreement. This offer is valid until 12:00 PM on July 12, 2000.

                                    Sincerely,

                                    INPRISE Corporation

                               By:  /s/ Dale L. Fuller
                                    ----------------------------
                                    Dale L. Fuller
                                    Interim President and
                                    Chief Executive Officer

     I agree to and accept employment with INPRISE Corporation on the terms and
conditions set forth in this agreement.

     Date: July 14, 2000            /s/ Frank Slootman
                                    -------------------------
                                    Frank Slootman<PAGE>   1

                                                                    Exhibit 10.9

                           REAL ESTATE PROMISSORY NOTE

Amount of Loan:    $ 1,000,000.00                     Scotts Valley, California

Due date:          May 18, 2005                       Date:  June 26, 2000

Property Address:  [ADDRESS INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Doug Barre ("Employee") and Gre Barre collectively
the ("Borrower"), whose current address is [Address Intentionally Omitted],
jointly and severally promise to pay to the order of Inprise Corporation, a
Delaware corporation ("Inprise"), and its successors and assigns (any such
holder of this Note, the "Note Holder"), at its office at 100 Enterprise Way,
Scotts Valley, CA 95066-3249 or at such other place as the Note Holder may
designate in writing, the principal sum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) (the
"Principal Amount") in lawful money of the United States, together with accrued
and unpaid interest from the date of disbursement of funds on the unpaid and
unforgiven Principal Amount of this Note from time to time outstanding at the
"Interest Rate" (as hereinafter defined), which the Borrower also promises and
covenants to pay to Note Holder, as follows:

         1. Time and Place of Payment. The unpaid and unforgiven Principal
Amount, together with all accrued, unpaid and unforgiven interest, shall be due
and payable on May 18, 2005, subject to required pre-payment, in whole or in
part, to the extent hereinafter provided. All payments due hereunder shall be
made at the offices of Inprise Corporation, 100 Enterprise Way, Scotts Valley,
CA 95066-3249, or to such other place as the Note Holder may designate in
writing and shall be made in immediately available funds. Borrower agrees and
acknowledges that upon Note Holder's request it shall provide Note Holder with
any reasonable documentation or authorization required to permit Note Holder to
debit designated bank accounts maintained by Borrower for the full amount of all
payments due and payable hereunder.

         2. Use of Proceeds. Borrower agrees that the Principal Amount may only
be used for the purchase of the residence located at [Address Intentionally
Omitted] in the County of Santa Clara in the State of California (the
"Residence").

         3. No Other Security Interest. Borrower hereby represents that no other
party has a security interest in the Residence and agrees that, until such time
as the Principal Amount and all accrued interest thereon has been completely
forgiven or paid in full, Borrower shall not take any action to adversely affect
Inprise's Mortgage security interest in the Residence or the first priority
status thereof.

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         4. Forgiveness of Indebtedness. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing
provisions of this Note, Inprise shall forgive $200,000 of the Principal Amount
and accrued interest, then due and owing on May 18, 2001; an additional $200,000
of the Principal Amount and interest, then due and owing on May 18, 2002; an
additional $200,000 of the Principal Amount and interest, then due and owing on
May 18, 2003; an additional $200,000 of the Principal Amount and interest, then
due and owing on May 18, 2004; and the remainder of the Principal Amount and
interest then due and owing on May 18, 2005, if on such date all the following
conditions are met:

                  (i) Borrower has, at all times since the date of this Note
         remained in the full-time employ of Inprise; and

                  (ii) this Note has not been either (A) declared by Inprise to
         be immediately due and payable pursuant to its option to accelerate or
         (B) accelerated automatically by its terms.

         5. Interest Rate. The unpaid and unforgiven Principal Amount from time
to time shall bear interest at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum (the
"Interest Rate"), and shall be computed on the basis of a 365 day year. Interest
shall accrue beginning on the date that the Principal Amount is disbursed to
Borrower and continuing until the full Principal Amount has been paid in full.
Any interest hereunder not paid when due shall be added to the Principal Amount
and bear interest thereon at the Interest Rate provided herein.

         6. Acceleration. It is hereby expressly agreed that the entire
outstanding Principal Amount and accrued but unpaid interest owing under this
Note shall become due and payable, at the option of the Note Holder, (i) upon
the happening of any default in the performance of Borrower's obligation under
the Deed of Trust, this Note, the First Deed of Trust (as defined in the Deed of
Trust) or any note secured thereby, or other Loan Documents to which Borrower is
a party, or upon the happening of an event by which, under the terms of the Deed
of Trust, Note, First Deed of Trust or any note secured thereby, said principal
sum may or shall become due and payable; (ii) upon the termination of Employee's
employment with Inprise for any reason; (iii) upon the death of Employee; or
(iv) if Borrower breaches any of the representations made thereby which are
contained in this Note.

                  When Borrower is in default as described above, and the Note
Holder does not elect to accelerate the entire Principal Amount and accrued
interest thereon due and owing, the Note Holder shall not be deemed to have
waived any rights hereunder.

         7. Payments and Withholding Taxes. To provide for the payment of
Federal, State and local income and employment taxes required to be withheld
from the Employee at the time any portion of the Principal Amount and interest
may be forgiven ("Withholding Taxes"), the Employee agrees that after any such
forgiveness to pay to Inprise (and Employee authorizes Inprise to deduct and
withhold from the compensation otherwise due to the Employee) on each payday a
proportionate part of the Withholding

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Taxes due upon the forgiveness of any portion of the Principal Amount and
interest. Inprise shall notify the Employee of the estimated amount of the
Withholding Taxes and the amount of each payment to be deducted on each payday.
If, on the date any installment of Principal Amount and interest is to be
forgiven, the amount theretofore paid by (or deducted from) Employee to Inprise
is less than the amount of the Withholding Taxes due with respect to the amount
forgiven, Employee shall promptly pay any deficiency to Inprise, and if the
amount paid is in excess of the amount of the Withholding Taxes due, Inprise
shall promptly pay such excess to Employee. Employee agrees to be solely
responsible for the payment of all taxes imposed on Employee which may become
due as a consequence of the loan evidenced hereby or the terms of this Note and
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Inprise with respect to any failure on the
part of Inprise to collect any Withholding Taxes. Inprise makes no
representation as to the occurrence or non-occurrence of any tax event with
respect to this Note and Employee represents that he is not relying on Inprise
in any manner whatsoever in respect thereto.

         8. Costs and Expenses. Borrower agrees to pay any and all costs of
collection and enforcement, in case payment under this Note is not made when
due, or in case it becomes necessary to protect the security for this Note,
whether or not suit is commenced for such purpose, or in regard to any defenses
to the Note or counterclaim brought in the action to enforce this Note,
including attorneys' fees, court costs, title insurance expenses, costs of
appeal, and other costs incurred by the Note Holder in such circumstances.

         9. Waiver. Note Holder may, without waiving or losing any of its rights
under this Note: (i) accept late payments, (ii) accept partial payments marked
"paid in full," and (iii) delay in enforcing any of its rights under this Note,
and Borrower hereby expressly waives the benefit of any statute or rule of law
or equity now in effect, or which may hereafter be in effect, which would
produce a result contrary to or in conflict with the foregoing. The Borrower
waives presentment for payment, demand, notice of nonpayment, notice of protest,
and protest of this Note, diligence in collection or bringing suit. The
liability of Borrower shall be absolute and unconditional without regard to the
liability of any other party.

         10. Borrower's Right to Prepay. Borrower has the right to prepay the
unpaid Principal Amount, in whole or in part, at any time together with accrued
and unpaid interest hereon to the date of prepayment, without penalty or
premium. Any partial prepayment shall be applied first to accrued but unpaid
interest and then to the Principal Amount outstanding in the manner set forth in
Section 11 below, and shall not extend or otherwise postpone the due date of
this Note.

         11. Application of Payments. All payments received by Note Holder shall
be applied to payment of, in the following order: (i) costs and expenses of
enforcing this Note, (ii) accrued and unpaid interest, and (iii) the Principal
Amount outstanding.

         12. Arbitration Clause. Inprise and Borrower agree that any action
instituted as a result of any controversy arising out of this Note, or as a
result of any interpretation

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thereof, shall be fully, finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration
conducted by the American Arbitration Association in Santa Clara County,
California.

         13. Not an Employment Contract. Employee expressly acknowledges that
this Note is not an employment contract or an agreement to employ him for a
specified period of time or a promise of continued employment with Inprise for
any period whatsoever.

         14. Responsibility of Persons Under this Note. If more than one (1)
person signs this Note as Borrower, each of them is fully and personally
obligated to pay the full amount borrowed together with interest and other
charges and to perform all of the obligations contained in this Note. Note
Holder may enforce its rights under this Note against each Borrower individually
or against all Borrowers together. This means that any one Borrower may be
required to pay all of the amounts owed under this Note.

         15. Security. As security for the payment of this Note, together with
interest and costs of enforcement and collection hereof, including, but not
limited to, attorneys' fees and disbursements, Borrower hereby grants to Note
Holder a first mortgage security interest in all of Borrower's right, title and
interest in and to the Residence and all proceeds thereof (all of the same being
hereinafter called the "Collateral"). Such mortgage shall be evidenced by a Deed
of Trust which shall be executed by the Borrower on the date hereof. Borrower
irrevocably appoints Inprise as his lawful attorney and agent to execute
mortgages, financing statements or other necessary documents in any appropriate
public office for the purpose of perfecting Note Holder's security interest in
the Collateral. At any time and from time to time, Borrower will use his best
efforts to execute and deliver all further instruments and documents, and take
all further action, that may be necessary or desirable, or that Note Holder may
request, in order to perfect and protect the first priority mortgage security
interest granted or purported to be granted hereby with respect to the
Collateral.

         16. Governing Law. Note Holder and Borrower hereby stipulate and agree
that this Note shall be governed and construed by the laws of the State of
California without regard to any conflict or choice of law provisions thereof or
of any other jurisdiction and any applicable Federal law.

         17. Heading. The headings contained in this Note are inserted for
convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this
Note.

         18. Assignments. Inprise may assign this note to an affiliated company
or to a third party and such assignment shall not affect the Principal Amount,
rate of interest, repayment date or any of the other provisions and obligations
contained in this Note. Upon receipt of any notice of such assignment from
Inprise, or its assignee, Borrower agrees to make all payments due hereunder
directly to such assignee who will then be Note Holder. Without the prior
written consent of Inprise, Borrower may not assign, delegate or otherwise
transfer his obligations hereunder, and the Residence may not be sold or
transferred subject hereto, without the prior written consent of this Note
Holder. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Note shall be binding upon the
heirs, executors and administrators of the Borrower.

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         19. Entire Agreement. This Note, together with the related Deed of
Trust referred herein, contains all the terms of the agreement between the
parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof and supercedes all prior
understandings, agreements, negotiations, representations, and arrangements,
both written and oral, with respect to the matters covered hereby. No
representation, inducement, promise or understanding not set forth herein has
been made or relied upon by Borrower in connection with the execution of this
Note and the related Deed of Trust.

         20. Set-Off Not Permitted. This Note is an unconditional obligation of
Borrower to make payment to the Note Holder as provided herein and any claim
which Borrower may have against Note Holder may be asserted only in a separate
legal proceeding. Borrower expressly waives any right of counterclaim,
cross-claim, off-set or set-off with respect to any amounts owed by Borrower
under this Note.

         21. Attachment; Garnishment. Borrower hereby waives all benefits of law
exempting the Borrower's property or any part of it, from attachment,
garnishment or execution with respect to any amounts owed under this Note.

         22. Modifications. This Note may not be modified, discharged or
canceled except in a writing duly executed by the Note Holder and Borrower.

         23. Invalid Provisions. If any provision of this Note is held to be
illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during
the term hereof, such provision shall be fully severable and this Note shall be
construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision
had never comprised a part hereof and the remaining provisions hereof shall
remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal,
invalid or unenforceable provision by its severance herefrom.

         24. Due on Sale Provisions. Paragraph 17 of the Deed of Trust securing
this Note shall contain a due on sale provision which reads as follows:

         "If all or any part of the Property or any interest in it is sold or
         transferred (or if beneficial interest in Borrower is sold or
         transferred and Borrower is not a natural person) without Lender's
         prior written consent, Lender may, at its option, require immediate
         payment in full of all sums secured by this Security Instrument.
         However, this option shall not be exercised by Lender if exercise is
         prohibited by federal law as of the date of this Security Instrument.

         If Lender exercises this option, Lender shall give Borrower notice of
         acceleration. The notice shall provide a period of not less than 30
         days from the date the notice is delivered or mailed within which
         Borrower must pay all the sums secured by this Security Instrument. If
         Borrower fails to pay the sums prior to the expiration of this period,
         Lender may invoke any remedies permitted by this Security Instrument
         without further notice or demand on Borrower."

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         25. Interpretation. The words "hereof," "herein" and "herewith" and
words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to
this Note as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Note. Whenever
the words "include," "includes" or "including" are used in this Note they shall
be deemed to be followed by the words "without limitation." All terms defined in
this Note shall have the defined meanings contained herein when used in any
certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant hereto unless otherwise
defined therein. The definitions contained in this Note are applicable to the
singular as well as the plural forms of such terms and to the masculine as well
as to the gender and neuter genders of such term.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has singed this Note as of the date
and year first above written.

                                        /s/ Doug Barre
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        Doug Barre, Borrower

                                        /s/ Gre Barre
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        Gre Barre, Borrower

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