Fox Network Group Selects DataDirect Technologies for Superior Database Connectivity for its Mission-Critical .NET Applications.

Fox Joins More Than 100 Leading Organizations to Deploy DataDirect Connect([R]) for ADO.NET Data Providers for Improved Speed and Reliability of Business-Critical Applications

BEDFORD, Mass. -- DataDirect Technologies, the leader in data connectivity and mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), today announced that Fox Network Group has selected DataDirect Connect([R])for ADO.NET data providers to improve performance of its proprietary advertising sales application ensuring fast, secure and reliable connectivity between the Sybase database and the latest version of the Microsoft .NET platform.

Fox Network Group offers a variety of popular entertainment and sports channels including National FX Cable, Fox Sport Network, Fox Film Library and the Fox Reality Channel. The IT department wanted to upgrade its home-grown advertising sales application to the .NET Framework to leverage the inherent functionality and advanced features of .NET 2.0. However, the native drivers available in its existing Sybase database did not support the upgrade, causing connectivity failures that dramatically increased costs and hindered user productivity.

"Using DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data providers in conjunction with .NET helps ensure our database intensive applications are fast performing, reliable and secure," said Todd Swygert, senior application developer at Fox Network Group. "Now that we are able to use the 2.0 version of the .NET Framework we can develop faster, we're more productive and we save money."

The DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET suite is the industry's only suite of ADO.NET data providers with a 100 percent managed code architecture, eliminating the need for database clients and libraries, boosting performance and delivering a flexible, secure connection to Oracle, DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase. Offering unparalleled interoperability for .NET applications by abstracting differences between different databases and database versions, developers can use DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data providers to write and deploy applications more quickly, connect to multiple databases with ease, and use less code for greater efficiency.

"Fox Network Group is a great example of the difference that robust data connectivity can make for complex business critical applications," said John Goodson, vice president of product operations at DataDirect Technologies. "Unfortunately users often find out too late that database vendors just don't offer the dependability, security and performance standards found in best-of-breed connectivity solutions like those from DataDirect."

Fox Network Group joins more than 100 forward-thinking organizations to deploy DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data providers. Recognizing the use of third-party data connectivity as a software development best practice, companies worldwide such as Lillian Vernon, Beverly Enterprises and Italy's largest banking group, Banca Intesa have selected the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET product to guarantee secure, high-performance connectivity for its most critical systems and .NET applications.

Launched in May 2006, DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET v. 3.0 data providers meet or exceed the latest specifications for ADO.NET version 2.0 and feature new functionality including extensive metadata management support, Visual Studio 2005 integration and a common programming model - making DataDirect the only data connectivity vendor offering a comprehensive database-independent ADO.NET product suite.

About DataDirect Technologies

DataDirect Technologies is the software industry's only comprehensive provider of software for connecting the world's most critical business applications to data and services, running on any platform, using proven and emerging standards. Developers worldwide depend on DataDirect([R]) products to connect their applications to an unparalleled range of data sources using standards-based interfaces such as ODBC, JDBC(TM) and ADO.NET, XQuery and SOAP. More than 300 leading independent software vendors and thousands of enterprises rely on DataDirect Technologies to simplify and streamline data connectivity for distributed systems and to reduce the complexity of mainframe integration. DataDirect Technologies is an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS). For more information, visit www.datadirect.com.

DataDirect and DataDirect Connect are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.