Avalon Software, Inc. Names New Chief Executive Officer James Gagnard to Join as Senior Executive.

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 1995--Avalon Software(TM), Inc., a leading provider of client/server software applications for manufacturing, distribution and financial management, today announced the appointment of James R. Gagnard as chief executive officer.

Gagnard has also been named to Avalon Software's board of directors.

Gagnard brings to Avalon more than 20 years of senior management experience in high technology companies, located in the US as well as abroad. He joins Avalon following a successful five-year tenure as president and CEO of Trinzic Corp., recently acquired by Platinum Technology, Inc.

"I joined Avalon because I consider this to be a unique opportunity to work with a group of highly dedicated employees who will be able to help me leverage the incredible potential of this company. Avalon is in a very strong position in the exploding ERP market, and I am committed to helping the company realize tremendous success," stated Gagnard.

Gagnard brings to Avalon a successful track record and proven ability to enhance companies' market positions. Gagnard led the successful merger of Aion Corp. and AICorp to form Trinzic Corp. in 1992. In the years following the merger, Gagnard successfully repositioned the company into new markets, developed and acquired new products and expanded the indirect sales channels, which resulted in ten successive profitable quarters.

Prior to Trinzic, Gagnard spent eight years as senior vice president and general manager of Pansophic Systems, Inc. in the United States and the United Kingdom. He has also served in management positions with Control Data Corp. and IBM, in both the United States and Europe. He holds a bachelor of sciences degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Gagnard is a member of Avalon's board of directors. Other members named to the board were Bernard Lacroute, a KPCB partner and former COO of Sun Microsystems; Douglas Mackenzie, also a KPCB partner; Jeffrey Trendell, managing director of Arrival Software; Matthew Crotty, a UK investor; and Kim Sheridan, Avalon's founder and chief technology officer.

Avalon Software provides a leading-edge enterprise-wide solution for mid-range and high-end manufacturing and distribution companies worldwide. The company's flagship product, AVALON Applications, is a suite of client/server software for manufacturing, distribution, and financial management. Avalon offers the only solution that leverages the native technology of Oracle and Sybase relational database management systems, and supports client/server architecture on a range of hardware (including IBM, HP, Sun and DEC) and operating platforms. The AVALON 9 release features a new application architecture and support for Microsoft Windows.

AVALON has been implemented at more than 225 blue-chip customers worldwide in 375 sites. The company offers its products in 13 languages and in 26 countries. Avalon operates within a network of regional direct offices that support leading technology distributors around the world. The company has strategic marketing and development partnerships with major hardware and software vendors and offers a full spectrum of implementation and consulting services. -0-

Note to Editors: Avalon is a trademark of Avalon Software, Inc. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Avalon Software

Tim Burr, 520/512-2812

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