Agile Software Debut Marked by Strategy to Target Fast-Changing Environments of High-Growth Companies; Once Costly and Proprietary Tools for Managing Engineering Changes Now Available to Mid-Size Manufacturers through Windows NT, Internet.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 1996--Agile Software Corporation, after 18 months of product development and customer testing, today publicly unveiled its strategy to introduce to mid-size manufacturing companies easily installed, client/server applications for managing data, documents and workflow.

Agile Software's Windows NT(R)-based, off-the-shelf products create scalable, client/server Product Data Management (PDM) solutions for administering the constantly changing production environments of today's high-growth manufacturers.

"With today's debut of Agile Software and its products, we are addressing the fastest-growing PDM customer whose very specific problems have traditionally gone unsolved: the mid-sized manufacturer," said Bryan Stolle, President and CEO of Agile Software. "Today more than ever, high-growth manufacturing companies face tremendous competitive pressures as product cycles shrink and design changes are imposed from design center to shipping dock. We have developed the Agile Software suite of desktop PDM applications to give these customers the flexibility to think and act faster, defining for them a significant new competitive edge."

"Agile Software has assembled an experienced product and implementation team to develop a highly functional, implementation-friendly, cost-effective PDM solution for mid-sized discrete manufacturers," said Ed Miller, President of market research firm CIMdata.

Offered as a set of core Windows(R) applications that integrate with the World Wide Web and corporate Intranets, Agile Software's desktop PDM products help fast-paced manufacturing companies streamline the process of managing product information from product conception to delivery. Agile Software applications allow a company's internal departments and external suppliers to access design documents, parts information, change orders and other constantly changing yet critical information. Far more cost-effective than proprietary, large-system solutions that traditionally have served the largest manufacturing operations, Agile Software's desktop PDM environment is easily installed and grows as quickly and inexpensively as the customer desires.

EARLY CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE

Working closely and confidentially with more than a dozen product manufacturers in several industries, Agile Software spent the past 18 months creating a suite of desktop PDM products. Agile Software's list of established customers includes Storage Dimensions, the leading LAN storage systems supplier; Northern Telecom, the No.1 provider of voice/data multiplexers; California Amplifier, the leading maker of satellite transceivers; and Xircom, the top supplier of PCMCIA cards.

Resulting from Agile Software's close collaboration with customers is a rich, stable and proven product line that, even as the company makes its debut, is already shipping its flagship Agile Configurator(TM) application in a mature Version 2.0 release. "Agile Software's suite of desktop PDM solutions was just what we asked for: inexpensive, painless to install, and simple to configure," said Ray Hein, Director of Engineering at Storage Dimensions. "The Agile Software solution solves our business process needs by delivering a fast and visible return on our PDM investment."

STRATEGY ADDRESSES KEY MARKET TRENDS

Agile Software's strategy to focus on high-growth, mid-size manufacturing companies addresses three fundamental trends in the marketplace; the first, a move toward greater automation among mid-size manufacturers; the second, the growing acceptance of Windows NT as a powerful enterprise platform; and third, the expanding impact of the World Wide Web as a communication medium within manufacturing companies and with their external suppliers.

Industry research shows that most manufacturers seek to automate their engineering change management and configuration management operations, but have been underserved by traditional PDM solutions. "Gartner Group believes a major stumbling block which has prevented SMEs from availing themselves of PDM technologies has been the lack of affordable, easy-to-implement solutions," said David Burdick, vice president and Research Director of Gartner Group's Applications Solutions Service. "Since SMEs generally have limited IS resources and a much shorter ROI threshold, it is imperative that PDM technologies targeted for SMEs focus on compressing PDM production timetables, and lowering the cost of acquiring, installing, training and implementing the solution."

"Small to mid-sized discrete manufacturers have been ignored by most PDM suppliers," said CIMdata's Miller. "Over the last year, several new companies, such as Agile Software, have targeted this untapped market. We believe this trend is clearly needed and is good for the industry."

Agile Software also is leveraging the growing acceptance of Windows NT by delivering products with a client/server architecture designed to run on affordable network servers and personal computers. "The SME PDM market is poised for rapid expansion during the next several years with the availability of Windows NT-centric architectures that are affordable, and easier to use and implement," said Gartner Group's Burdick.

Also key to Agile Software's strategy is the explosive growth of the World Wide Web, already in use with 50 million computer users and fast becoming the cross-platform solution for far-reaching corporate enterprise networks, or Intranets. With the Agile Software solution, manufacturers can integrate the Agile Software PDM solution into their own Intranets for secure access to different databases and designs, and to allow suppliers and customers secure access to information about their parts, products or accounts.

AGILE SOFTWARE'S DESKTOP PDM PRODUCT SUITE

Two main components comprise the flexible Agile Software change management environment: the flagship Agile Configurator 2.0, the backbone Agile Software application and an engineering records management application for on-line storage and viewing of product configurations and documents; and Agile Connect(TM), which automatically synchronizes product information between the Agile Software system and a company's MRP/ERP system. Anchoring the Agile Software suite is Agile Administrator(TM), which allows users to configure the different Agile Software PDM modules to most effectively meet their needs. Also, with the Agile Configurator Web Extensions, manufacturing organizations can integrate the Agile Software PDM solution into their own Intranets for secure access to different databases and designs.

Agile Software Configurator 2.0 is available now and is priced at $1,000 or less per seat for a 50- to 100-seat configuration. Agile Software Connect, also available now, is priced at $5,000 for an enterprise license. Agile Administrator and the Agile Configurator Web Extensions are included with the purchase of Agile Configurator 2.0. Additional modules also will be available next year.

ABOUT AGILE SOFTWARE

Founded in 1995 by former employees of leading PDM suppliers, software technology suppliers and PDM customers, Agile Software leverages its mix of supplier/customer experience to create products which incorporate the features customers want but can be installed and implemented with minimal resources and effort. Privately funded at its outset, Agile Software in 1995 received more than $5 million in equity financing from Silicon Valley venture capital leaders Mohr, Davidow Ventures and Sequoia Capital.

Agile Software Corporation is the leading supplier of Windows and Web client/server applications for desktop-based product configuration management and change control. Providing affordable and scalable PDM solutions for mid-sized manufacturers, Agile Software is the leader in the rapidly growing desktop PDM market, offering products and services through a direct field organization and selected VARs. Agile Software is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.

CONTACT: Agile Software

Doug Molitor, 415/322-9056

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