Borland Becomes First to License the Microsoft .NET Framework Software Development Kit; Borland Accelerates Entire Application Development Lifecycle for Microsoft .NET.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2003

Borland Software Corporation (Nasdaq:BORL) today announced it is the first to license the Microsoft .NET Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) for distribution, which will help to accelerate the .NET application development lifecycle. This licensing agreement underscores the Borland commitment to provide fast, flexible .NET Connected solutions.

"Borland is the first company to license the .NET Framework and this represents a key milestone for customers," said Eric Rudder, senior vice president for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "This is one in an extensive range of initiatives to help bring the benefits and capabilities of .NET technologies to enterprises of all sizes. The .NET Framework offers companies the opportunity to build competitive, innovative solutions."

With this licensing agreement, Borland plans to introduce a new development solution for Microsoft .NET later this year and will also provide the existing three million-plus Borland developers with more opportunities to quickly and easily build and deploy software applications on the .NET Framework.

"As the first company to license the .NET Framework SDK, we are expanding our offering of enterprise solutions that accelerate software development for all major platforms," said Frank Slootman, senior vice president and general manager of Borland software products. "We are committed to providing the best independent, .NET Connected development solution that will help our customers speed the application development lifecycle."

"As .NET continues to gain momentum in the marketplace, enterprises are going to demand unique .NET solutions that expand upon existing skills, investments and assets," Mark Driver of Gartner said. "An independent application lifecycle solution will provide an attractive alternative for developers who wish to capitalize on the .NET Framework while maintaining a best-of-breed approach across vendors."

About Borland

Borland Software Corporation is a leading provider of technology used to develop, deploy, and integrate software applications. Delivering best-in-class technology solutions dedicated to interoperability, Borland allows enterprises of all sizes to move into Web-based computing while leveraging legacy systems. From the Fortune 1000 to the Borland Developer Network comprised of millions of developers around the world, Borland provides customers the freedom to develop applications, deploy them anywhere, and integrate and manage them across the enterprise. Borland solutions enable organizations to increase productivity and deliver higher performance projects faster and on budget, while lowering total cost of ownership.

Founded in 1983, Borland is headquartered in Scotts Valley, California with operations worldwide. To learn more, visit Borland at http://www.borland.com, the Borland Developer Network at http://bdn.borland.com, or call Borland at [phone].

All Borland brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Borland Software Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is subject to the safe harbors created by such laws. All statements that are not historical are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Borland future financial performance, capital expenditures, revenues, acquisitions, earnings, costs, product development plans, global expansion plans, estimated size of potential customer markets, demand for Borland products, the projected acceptance by existing or potential customers of new technologies and the potential features of, or benefits to be derived from, the products developed, marketed or sold by Borland, market and technological trends in the software industry and various economic and business trends. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of uncertainties and risks that may cause actual events or results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially include, among others, the following: general economic factors and capital market conditions, general industry trends, the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, costs associated with acquisitions, diversion of management attention from other business concerns due to acquisitions, undisclosed or unanticipated liabilities resulting from acquired companies, the potential effects on Borland of competition in computer software product and services markets, growth rates in the software and professional services markets that Borland participates in, rapid technological change that can adversely affect the demand for Borland products, shifts in customer demand, market acceptance of new or enhanced products or services developed, marketed or sold by Borland, delays in scheduled product availability dates, open source technologies that compete with Borland products, actions or announcements by competitors, software errors, reduction in sales to or loss of any significant customers, the ability of Borland to protect its intellectual property rights, the dependence on technologies licensed from third parties, the ability of Borland to attract and retain qualified personnel, the ability of Borland to contain costs and unanticipated impact on economic and financial conditions in the United States and around the world resulting from the geopolitical conflicts and other consequences of the United States' war against terrorism. These and other risks may be detailed from time to time in Borland periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and its latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained from www.sec.gov. Borland is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.