BancoCidade Solves Y2K Challenge With Assist from DTS Software Latin America.

MIAMI and SAO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 1999--

Uses Revolve/2000 from Micro Focus to Help Convert

Nearly 24 Million Lines of Code 

Responding to the December 31, 1998 deadline set by Brazil's Central Bank to prepare the entire national financial system for the millennium bug, BancoCidade was able to successfully finalize its correction project -- and did so three days early, well before the onset of New Year's Eve festivities.

Headquartered in Sao Paulo with 24 agencies located throughout Brazil, BancoCidade selected and used Revolve/2000, an analysis tool from Micro Focus(R) (NASDAQ:MIFGY) (London Stock Exchange:MICF) sold exclusively in the country by DTS Software Latin America, to assist in the conversion of its systems, written for IBM mainframes and totaling some 24 million lines of code.

Y2K Problem Faced in 1996

BancoCidade started to think about overcoming the Y2K problem at the beginning of 1996. "In principle, the conversion was performed manually using in-house staff concentrating on the transformation of the most critical systems," said Celso Monzani, the institution's Superintendent of Information Technology.

According to Monzani, this first phase served as a test to evaluate the work that had been developed and to determine the type of external assistance needed. The decision was made to continue the conversion in-house, both to save money and to leverage the staff's knowledge of the systems. That determination made, BancoCidade began a search for an analysis tool that would help facilitate the conversion work. Revolve/2000 was the one chosen.

BancoCidade had an ongoing relationship with DTS, the largest value-added distributor of application development (AD) solutions in Latin America. It had worked with DTS on other projects, and had acquired COBOL Workbench from DTS to help downsize its development platform. "Our decision was simple," said Monzani, "as Revolve/2000 suited our needs well and we had confidence in working with DTS."

To date, all BancoCidade programs have been corrected, tested and implemented. According to Monzani, although the deadline was tight, everything went as anticipated. "Our strategy was to expand the date field for all systems, since windowing would, in the near future, have made the required maintenance difficult," he explained.

Monzani said tests were conducted at each finalized stage, facilitating and accelerating certain minor modifications. In addition, BancoCidade relied on an internal audit and an external audit as well as an all-important audit by Brazil's Central Bank.

For Monzani, certain factors were essential for the success of the lengthy marathon that transpired up to the implementation of the corrected systems. "Careful planning and competent professionals, together with appropriate tools of the latest generation, made the process more user-friendly," he asserted.

'Gratifying to Know Everything is Working'

"It is very gratifying to know that everything is working and will go on working," Monzani said. "We had already undergone similar tests with the advent of the government's various economic plans, but none of these required such complex changes."

About Revolve/2000

Revolve/2000 is a code analysis tool made by Micro Focus designed to facilitate alterations for the Year 2000. Available exclusively from DTS Software in Brazil and throughout Latin America, Revolve/2000 provides a variety of methods for one to understand, analyze and maintain large systems. Besides automating the search for date fields in the systems, Revolve/2000 verifies the impact each alteration will cause upon the system. Micro Focus' Revolve was selected "Best Product in Its Class" in the first competition for Year 2000 solutions held by the ISCA (Institute for Software Quality Automation), one of the principal software research institutes in the U.S. Among larger companies using Revolve/2000 in the conversion of systems for the Year 2000 in Latin America are BCN, Bradesco, Banco Santander (Colombia), CPM Sistemas, CTC - Cia. Telefonica do Chile, EDS, IBM Argentina, IBM Brazil and IBM Chile.

About DTS Software Latin America

DTS Software Latin America (www.dtslatin.com) is the leading value-added distributor of Application Development Solutions (AD Solutions) throughout Latin and South America, offering sales, marketing and support, plus installation, training and implementation services. DTS has its international headquarters in Miami, its South American headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazilian offices in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, and Recife, other major facilities in Buenos Aires, Bogota, Caracas, Lima, Mexico City and Santiago, and resellers in all major business centers in Latin and South America and the Caribbean. Since being founded by its President and CEO Fernando C. Parra in 1983, DTS has achieved an enviable record of growth. DTS has achieved an enviable record of growth: In 1997 it surpassed $28 million (U.S.) in sales, more than double the previous year's revenue. For fiscal 1998 (ending January 31st), DTS is on another record pace. Spurred by an exponential increase in software development in its marketplace, revenues through its third quarter were $32 million, well on the way to the projected $40 million.