Ardent Software Announces First ODMG-Compliant Object Database for Linux.

WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1998--

Ardent O2 System Delivers Powerful Web-Oriented Development

Environment For Linux Users

Ardent Software, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARDT), a global data management company and a leading provider of advanced database technology, today announced the availability of the O2 Object Database Management System (ODBMS) for the Linux operating system. Ardent's O2 System, the first ODMG-compliant ODBMS available on Linux, gives developers access to language bindings, OQL (Object Query Language), and O2Web, an integrated set of tools for simple and rapid development of Web applications. Ardent's high-performance O2 ODBMS on Linux, coupled with the company's extensive service and support, meets the market demand for a flexible, scalable, object-oriented development environment for the estimated 8 million Linux users.

"We have noticed a distinct market need for increased Linux support," said Francois Bancilhon, Chief Technology Officer at Ardent Software. "We have responded quickly to this industry opportunity, demonstrating our corporate commitment to meeting customer needs with versatile database solutions. O2 on Linux offers developers the flexibility and scalability that is crucial to building database applications for the management of complex data."

C-DOT, India's premier telecom technology development center and the world leader in rural telecommunications, recently selected Ardent's O2 ODBMS for its new generation of products. C-DOT is running O2 on multiple platforms, including Linux. "O2 on Linux was a natural choice. The combination gives us the portability and performance we need to meet our long-term requirements," said Mr. A.G. Dixit, General Manager, Product Development for C-DOT. "Our complex applications must be deployed using various hardware specifications, forcing us to look for development tools that allow hardware independence."

For Web-oriented Linux developers, O2Web provides a functionally rich layer for rapid integration of corporate data resources into Web applications. By acting as an intelligent access layer between the HTTP Server and corporate data sources, O2 Web helps build and execute queries and dynamically generate content based on query results. By leveraging Ardent's O2 ODBMS engine, O2Web is able to minimize coding and support - even for the largest web applications with extensive data volumes or complex multimedia data types.

In response to Linux's broad, Web-based user community, Ardent is offering extensive Web and phone-based service and support for users of O2 on Linux. This 24/7/365 service meets Linux user expectations for extensive, sophisticated communal support. The O2 System on Linux is available initially for Red Hat version 4.2. Support for Red Hat version 5.1 will be available during the first quarter of 1999.

About O2

Ardent's O2 ODBMS is an open, standards-compliant object database designed to support complex, scaleable database applications. It combines standard database features with all of the benefits of an object data model. Ardent's Object Technology product line includes the O2 Object Database System and the JRB and CRB relational bindings for Java and C++, which provide database independence and transparent database access for relational database applications.

Ardent's object technology partners include BEA Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens-Nixdorf, Iona Technologies, Rational, Symantec, Silicon Graphics, Verity and Sun. Customers include Clarks International, Renault, British Telecom, Bellcore, Xerox, Alcatel, Matra Systemes et Information, Rome Airport, Paradis Insurance Group, Thomson, Interface & Control Systems, Fujitsu, Motorola, Sun, National Semiconductor, Aerospatiale, France Telecom, NASA, Grolier Studio, Lucent, and the U.S. Army.

About Ardent Software

Ardent Software is a data management company with a range of software products, including database systems and data warehouse development tools. Its products include the O2 System(R), a high-performance object database management system; DataStage(R), a data warehouse development tool; and UniVerse(R) and UniData(R), extended relational database management systems for packaged business applications. With worldwide sales and service operations, as well as 1,000 resellers in more than 50 countries, Ardent is one of the top software companies in the world. More than 50,000 customers and over 2,000,000 users in virtually every aspect of business and government use Ardent's products to overcome their most complex data management problems. Additional information is available on Ardent's web site at www.ardentsoftware.com.

Statements expressing the beliefs and expectations of management regarding future performance are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results and other risks. These risks are detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 1997. Actual results may differ materially from management's expectations.

COBOL Direct Connect, DataStage, O2 System, RedBack, System Builder, UniData UniVerse and wIntegrate are registered trademarks of Ardent Software, Inc. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of the respective trademark holders.