AppsCo Achieves Partner Status In Microsoft's Data Warehouse Alliance 2000.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1999--

AppsCo's AppsMart makes it easy to develop, customize and

deploy SQL Server 7.0-based data marts and analytic applications 

AppsCo(R) Software Limited, a UK-based provider of data mart design and analytic application development solutions for Microsoft(R) SQL Server(TM) 7.0, announced today it has achieved Partner status in the Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance (DWA) 2000.

Achieving Partner status -- the highest level possible -- indicates that AppsMart(R), AppsCo's software development environment, conforms to the highest level of support for Microsoft's Data Warehousing Framework and ensures it is fully integrated with Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, Microsoft(R) Office 2000 and the Microsoft Windows NT(R) platform.

AppsMart, which AppsCo introduced to the U.S. market last month, was certified under Microsoft's Data Warehousing Build and Management Tools category, consisting of solutions that are primarily focused on data movement and transformation from source databases into a data warehouse. Using AppsMart it is possible to start your design using a best-in-class analytic application template, iterate the application design to meet your requirements, and deploy the solution to Microsoft SQL Server 7.0. AppsMart includes features for star schema design and deployment, automatic population of the data mart with sample data and OLAP Services cubes, data transformation services (DTS), as well as Microsoft Office2000 reports and documentation. This gives developers a rapid start, and consistent methods and techniques when implementing a data mart on the Microsoft platform.

In addition, AppsMart boasts unparalleled integration with Microsoft Repository, a component of SQL Server 7.0 that provides life-cycle management services to store and share software components along with their descriptive information. AppsMart's tight integration with Microsoft Repository ensures it can be seamlessly integrated with leading business intelligence and OLAP tools to provide high-end analytics and data mining over and above those capabilities provided by those in Microsoft Office 2000.

Microsoft's Data Warehousing Framework has been designed from the ground up to provide an open architecture that can be extended easily by Microsoft customers and business partners using industry standard technology. This allows organizations to choose best of breed components suited for the task at hand and still be assured of integration with data warehousing technologies provided by Microsoft and Data Warehousing Alliance members.

"AppsCo has worked diligently to achieve an extremely high level of integration with Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and Office 2000, said Andrew Hoover, group industry manager of business intelligence and data warehousing for Microsoft. "AppsMart greatly reduces the time and cost associated with data mart and analytic application development, enabling small to medium sized companies that previously lacked the expertise or budget to rapidly implement powerful data warehousing solutions on SQL Server 7.0 that provide significant business value and a quick return on investment."

Added AppsCo CEO Brian Burnett, "Our close relationship with Microsoft and our unmatched integration with SQL Server 7.0 -- including Microsoft Repository -- ensures full integration and seamless access to the capabilities native to SQL Server 7.0 and tools from other Data Warehouse Alliance members. We are pleased to be recognized for our unsurpassed integration and are committed to providing Microsoft Certified Solution Providers with the most powerful platform for developing SQL Server 7.0-based data marts and out-of-the-box, end-to-end analytic applications," Burnett said.

About AppsCo Software Limited

AppsCo Software Limited, founded in 1998, is a leading supplier of data mart design and analytic application development tools. AppsCo, a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (MCSP), develops and markets AppsMart, an analytic application development environment. A patent pending technology, AppsMart enables data mart application builders to design data marts based on vertical market solution templates, and standard methods and processes. Backed by venture capital firms 3i, Vertex Management Group, Scottish Equity Partnership and Grampian Enterprise Limited, AppsCo is a privately held company. AppsCo is based in Surrey, United Kingdom, and has U.S. operations in Bellevue, Washington. More information on the company and its AppsMart solution is available on the Web at www.appsco.com, or by calling 425/451-9777.

AppsCo, AppsMart and the AppsCo and AppsMart logos are registered trademarks of AppsCo Software Ltd. Other products mentioned in this document are registered, trademarked, or service marked by their respective owners.

Note to Editors: Copies of previous AppsCo press releases and corporate and product information are available on AppsCo's Web site at http://www.appsco.com