ClientSoft Announces ServiceBuilder's Support for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003

Solution Delivers Secure, High-Performance Legacy Integration

for the Microsoft .NET Framework

ClientSoft(R), a leading provider of secure, high-performance legacy integration solutions for the Microsoft .NET Framework, today announced ClientSoft ServiceBuilder's support for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003. Designed for rapid development on Windows XP and deployment natively on the mainframe or the .NET Framework, ServiceBuilder allows developers to leverage Visual Studio .NET 2003 as they wrap existing legacy programs and transactions into ready-to-use components and Web services.

Additionally, ServiceBuilder is one of the only products on the market that possesses bi-directional Web services support, not only publishing legacy transactions as Web services within the .NET Framework, but also allowing legacy programs to consume Web services. Serving as a complementary solution to Microsoft's Host Integration Server, ServiceBuilder eliminates the need for SNA gateways by providing pure TCP/IP connectivity to host environments. Furthermore, ServiceBuilder includes the following capabilities for the Microsoft .NET Framework:

-- Seamless Integration within Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003

- ServiceBuilder detects whether or not Visual Studio .NET

2003 is installed, and if so, automatically installs within

the Visual Studio .NET 2003 Integrated Development

Environment.

-- Automated GUI Generation - ServiceBuilder generates Windows

Forms, ASP.NET pages, or Visual C# .NET Class Libraries that

provide instant testing of generated components.

-- Automated Generation of Components and Web Services -

ServiceBuilder rapidly generates components and Web services

for deployment within the .NET Framework.

-- Microsoft Visual C# .NET Foundation - ServiceBuilder's telnet

gateway has been written in Visual C# .NET. Additionally,

scripting capabilities have been expanded to include Visual C#

.NET.

-- Native Deployment with the Microsoft .NET Framework -

ServiceBuilder not only works seamlessly with Visual Studio

.NET 2003, but also deploys natively at runtime on Microsoft

Windows Server 2003, BizTalk Server 2000, or anywhere else

with the .NET Framework.

The introduction of ServiceBuilder's capabilities within Visual Studio .NET 2003 represents a significant stepping-stone in the evolution of ClientSoft's product suite. Building upon previous ClientSoft product offerings, ServiceBuilder allows both legacy and distributed application programmers to easily navigate mission-critical host applications and rapidly deploy functional components and Web services within the .NET Framework, including Windows Server 2003, shielding them from the complexities of the host environment.

"As enterprises broaden their computing needs and infrastructures become more complex, the need for legacy integration has never been stronger," said John Montgomery, director for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "Furthermore, as enterprises continue to move toward service-oriented development with the .NET Framework, bi-directional support for Web services and advanced security features are essential ingredients for a solid architectural framework."

ServiceBuilder combines its support for Visual Studio .NET 2003 with these previously announced capabilities:

-- Direct Access to Host Logic - ServiceBuilder deploys natively

on the mainframe and leverages a non-screen based approach,

offering several high-performance methods for direct host

access.

-- Advanced Security Features - ServiceBuilder seamlessly

integrates into the mainframe's Enterprise Security Manager

(RACF, ACF2, Top Secret), providing a centralized approach to

security. Also, ServiceBuilder supports a variety of other

security devices inherent to the .NET Framework including SSL,

X.509 certificates, as well as additional algorithms.

-- Host-initiated Actions Within External Applications -

ServiceBuilder possesses the ability to drive host-initiated

actions on distributed platforms within the .NET Framework.

Examples of these applications may be Microsoft Word and

Excel, or more complex enterprise systems built with Visual

Studio .NET 2003.

-- Mainframe-based Consumption of Web Services - Not only does

ServiceBuilder allow developers to build and publish Web

services from the mainframe applications, the tool also

enables mainframe logic to consume Web services running

systems external to the mainframe

"As the market has evolved, ServiceBuilder has matured in parallel and has substantially raised the bar in the legacy integration arena," states Robert Evelyn, Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Technology at ClientSoft. "For several years, we have watched Microsoft continue to gain traction in the enterprise application development marketplace. By integrating our flagship product with Visual Studio .NET 2003, ClientSoft is committing to Microsoft's vision, and expects more great things from our successful and growing relationship."

About ClientSoft

Founded in 1987, ClientSoft is a leading provider of secure, high-performance legacy integration solutions for the Microsoft .NET Framework. ClientSoft has over 400 customers including, BearingPoint, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Carrefour, Credit du Nord, Do it Best Corp., R.J. Reynolds, First Health, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, The State of California, The Singapore Stock Exchange, and Trustmark Insurance. More information is available at www.clientsoft.com or 1-888-716-1007.

Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.