Bull's ISM Unit Welcomes Two New Business Partners, Adds PC-Workgroup Support for Windows 95, NT and AIX; Demos Secure Network Management at Interop; PS'SOFT, UniPress form alliances with Bull's ISM Unit, bringing asset management, remote PC control to ISM/OpenMasterTM. PC-workgroup support added for Windows 95, Windows NT and AIX. Booth demos showcase Bull's multiplatform solutions.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 1996--At Networld+Interop opening here today, Bull's ISM business unit continued its methodical penetration of the U.S. market by announcing that alliances with two new ISM Business Partners will allow new asset management and remote PC control capabilities to be integrated within the ISM/OpenMaster software suite. ISM also announced that support for Windows 95 and Windows NT clients has been added along with support for AIX servers to complement the support for Novell NetWare-based PC-workgroups already provided by the ISM/PC OperationMaster application.

With these announcements, ISM/OpenMaster becomes the only system and network enterprise management suite to support both NT- and Novell-based networks while also allowing IS organizations to operate more efficiently by streamlining tasks associated with systems and network management, asset management and help-desk/support.

The new ISM Business Partners are PS'SOFT Inc. and UniPress Software, whose respective products, Qualiparc and CoSession PC2X, will be available immediately from Bull and later this year as fully integrated modules within ISM/OpenMaster. Qualiparc is a complete enterprise asset management application that works with leading RDBMSs to control and manage asset data delivered to users via a Microsoft Windows and X/Window-compatible GUI.

CoSession PC2X is client/server software that allows PCs to be managed remotely from within an X/Windows environment. Support for remote management of UNIX systems will be provided via integration with ISM/OpenMaster.

In addition, ISM has expanded the range of workgroup clients and servers supported by ISM/PC OperationMaster, ISM s workgroup management component. Additions include Windows 95 and Windows NT on the client side, and LAN Manager for AIX and Advanced Server for AIX (AS/X) on the server side.

Demonstrations at the company's booth (#226, North Hall) feature advances in system, network and security management running on multiple vendor and operating platforms. ISM/PC OperationMaster demonstrations include Workgroups running under Novell 4.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT; PC Software Distribution, Asset Management and PC Inventory. Security applications include Bull's ISM/AccessMaster and single sign-on technology from ISM Business Partner Mergent, International, a company of the Utimaco Safeware Group, Germany.

Available in the U.S. since January, Bull's ISM/OpenMaster is the only object-oriented, platform-independent system, network and security management software system for PCs, workgroups, UNIX systems, mainframes, data and voice networks, enterprise- wide security and database systems. It is already in use at more than 500 customer sites worldwide. ISM/OpenMaster entered the U.S. market in 1995 and has earned critical praise from industry analysts and journalists, most recently being named one of Data Communications Magazine's "Hot Products" for 1996.

"Bull's ISM is a comprehensive solution for companies' system, network and security management needs," says Patricia Seybold, editor-in-chief, Distributed Computing Monitor. "ISM is based on distributed object technology, and compares in functionality to the Tivoli solution, now acquired by IBM. ISM implemented object-oriented technology before any of its better-known competition and, although the product is not well known in the U.S., we suggest that customers include ISM in their short list of enterprise management solutions."

ISM/OpenMaster comprises six modular yet fully integrated software management suites:

o OperationMaster, for systems o PC OperationMaster, for PCs and workgroups o TransMaster, for networks o TMN Master, for telecommunications devices and systems o SQL Master, for databases, and o AccessMaster, for security.

Business Partners Add Product Strengths, Market Penetration Bull's ISM business unit has technology and/or marketing alliances with more than 30 leading firms worldwide, including:

o Amdahl markets the full ISM/OpenMaster software suite

under the name A+ISM/OpenMaster o Oracle markets ISM/OpenMaster to manage Oracle databases

and to secure its SQL*NET o Mergent International is marketing the ISM/AccessMaster

security component o Cap Gemini integrates ISM/OpenMaster in its systems

integration projects o Tandem Computers supports ISM/OpenMaster on its

Integrity platform o Bull and Microsoft continue to cooperate to integrate

ISM/OpenMaster with Microsoft's Systems Management Server

(SMS) o Bay Networks integrates ISM/OpenMaster on top of its

Optivity network management application o NetTech uses ISM/OpenMaster to develop its EView/Open

software, which controls and monitors IBM SNA networks o Transcend from 3Com is integrated with ISM/OpenMaster

Cabletron's Spectrum Portable Management Application is

integrated with ISM/OpenMaster o Epoch Systems' enterprise file backup and restoration systems

are integrated with ISM/OpenMaster o Novell and Bull cooperate to manage NetWare servers

through ISM/OpenMaster interoperating with Novell

ManageWise.

Background Information

Founded in 1992, the ISM business unit is part of Bull's Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) division. ISM has operations in the U.S., Europe and the Far East. Information on ISM/OpenMaster in the U.S. can be obtained toll-free by calling 800/285-5727 and via the World Wide Web at http://www-ism.bull.com/ism.

With a presence in more than 90 countries, over 25,000 employees and combined revenue of more than $5.4 billion, Bull is one of the world's largest information technology companies and a major systems and technology integrator, offering a comprehensive range of solutions, services and support capabilities for use in multivendor environments. The company's Web address is: http://www.bull.com. -0-

All trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Bill Bradley

Bull HN Information Systems Inc.

508/294-5812

[e-mail]

or

Dave Manley

Duval Public Relations 

617/241-8000

[e-mail]