Altova Introduces New UML 2.0 Modeling Tool with Mass Market Appeal to Facilitate Visual Software Design and Analysis.

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Altova UModel 2005 Makes UML-Based Software Development Practical for Programmers and Project Managers Everywhere

Altova(R) (www.altova.com), creator of XMLSpy(R), MapForce(R), and other leading software development and data integration tools, today announced that it has added a new Unified Modeling Language(TM) (UML(R)) development tool to its award-winning product line. With support for the latest UML standard, Altova UModel(TM) 2005 is an appealing and affordable UML 2.0 tool that makes visual software design practical for programmers and project managers everywhere. Over and above its powerful diagramming capability, UModel also provides advanced code generation, reverse engineering, and round-tripping functionality with initial support for the Java programming language.

Maintained by the Object Management Group(TM), the UML 2.0 specification defines a graphical language for visualizing, specifying, constructing, and documenting object oriented software systems. It is the industry standard for exposing and analyzing development project requirements and for designing more efficient software applications. Despite its clear benefits, demand for UML has been pent up due to the relative high cost and complexity of earlier UML tools. However, with Altova UModel 2005 project managers and developers from code-writing backgrounds now have a UML tool that is easy to learn and use, visually attractive, and sufficiently cost effective to implement on a broad scale.

"UModel 2005 breaks the myth that developing with UML is an elitist activity reserved for software architects and big budget development projects," said Tim Hale, Director of Marketing for Altova. "We've transformed visual software design into an accessible endeavor that developers of all sorts will enjoy and benefit from. What's more, we've made it inexpensive enough that everyone can afford it, easy enough to get started right away, and versatile enough to fit diverse project requirements and personal styles."

Altova UModel 2005 simplifies mastery of software modeling by providing helpful design aids and concentrating on the UML diagrams that are most useful early on in the development process and that yield immediate benefits to project team members. These include the Use Case, Class, Object, Component, and Deployment diagrams. The rich visual interface and easy-to-use features of UModel 2005 help level the UML learning curve, allowing developers, including those new to software modeling, to quickly leverage UML to enhance their productivity and maximize results. UModel 2005 takes the mystery out of UML with context sensitive entry helpers, color coding, cascading styles, customizable design elements, multiple layout views, unlimited undo/redo, and many other inspired usability features.

UModel 2005 also offers advanced Java code generation, reverse engineering, and round tripping capabilities. Users can draw up their application strategy and generate standard Java source code from their plans, or reverse engineer Java programs into clear, accurate UML diagrams to quickly comprehend the software architecture. They can then amend the generated source code or rendered graphical models and complete the round trip by automatically creating new diagrams or regenerating code. Either way UModel keeps their project synchronized and up to date. UModel generated code is customizable via user defined templates and is compatible with popular Java development environments.

More information on all the powerful features of Altova UModel 2005 can be found at: http://www.altova.com/products_umodel.html

Availability and Pricing

Altova UModel 2005 is immediately available for download and purchase. A special half-price introductory offer is available for UModel purchases made by August 21, 2005. Under the terms of this offer, the price for a single-user license starts at (USD) $129. After this date the list price will be (USD) $259. Purchases can be made via the Altova Online Shop at: https://shop.altova.com. A 30-day free trial may be downloaded from: http://www.altova.com/download.html.

Altova encourages the purchase of the Altova Support and Maintenance Package (SMP) with UModel 2005. Altova SMP provides free major software updates, all maintenance releases, and priority technical support for the duration of the support period. It can be purchased for 25% of the product license price for a one-year period or 20% per year for a two-year period. SMP renewals are available beginning 90 days prior to expiration.

About Altova

Altova accelerates development and integration projects with software, services, and solutions that enhance productivity and maximize results. As an innovative, customer-focused company and the creator of XMLSpy, MapForce, and other leading software development and data integration tools, Altova is the choice of over 1.5 million clients worldwide and virtually every Fortune 500 company. With customers ranging from vast development teams in the world's largest organizations to progressive one-person shops, Altova's line of software applications and custom-tailored professional and educational services fulfills a broad spectrum of business needs. Altova is an active member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Object Management Group (OMG) and is committed to delivering standards-based platform-independent solutions that are powerful, affordable, and easy to use. Altova was founded in 1992 and has headquarters in Beverly, Massachusetts and Vienna, Austria. Visit Altova on the Web at www.altova.com.

Altova, XMLSpy, MapForce, and UModel are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Altova GmbH in the United States and/or other countries. Object Management Group, OMG, Unified Modeling Language, and UML are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Object Management Group, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of and reference to other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.