HyPerformix Launches Enterprise Performance Engineering Certification - EPEC - Program; Software Company Leads the Industry in Program to Certify Performance Engineering Best Practices.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 2003

HyPerformix Inc., a leader in predictive enterprise application performance software, today announced the launch of its Enterprise Performance Engineering Certification(tm) (EPEC) Program. This product-independent certification program is product-independent and designed to help IT organizations develop the necessary skills to effectively implement proactive performance engineering disciplines, particularly in the early development lifecycle of new enterprise applications.

"An industry initiative to certify professionals in performance engineering has been needed for some time, but only recently recognized as critical to many IT organizations," stated Noel Barnard, president and chief executive officer of HyPerformix. "This program will prove invaluable for corporations wanting to proactively assess the business impact of enterprise application performance."

"In today's unforgiving business environment, a failure to maintain adequate service levels can mean the difference between bankruptcy or success," said Cameron Haight, Research Director, Gartner Inc. "Unfortunately, many IT organizations feel they lack the time or necessary skills to develop the appropriate performance engineering processes so critical to their company's livelihood. Because of what is at stake, it is in the interests of these organizations to seek out best practices and products that can act to reduce the performance engineering learning curve across the entire application lifecycle."

Dr. James C. Browne, Regents Chair in Computer Sciences at the University of Texas and world-renowned expert in performability, will serve as Chairman of the EPE Certification Board. Inaugural members of the EPEC Program include, among others, HyPerformix's customer advisory council, comprised of several Fortune 500 companies in the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance and Telecommunications industries, as well as a number of strategic partners that HyPerformix will engage to help support client success. Representatives from these companies have already begun the certification training and will independently monitor and advise HyPerformix on its certification process going forward.

The EPEC Program is designed to help IT professionals -- including those with a limited background in performance engineering issues -- gain the necessary education and hands-on skills required to tackle and solve real-world problems. The EPEC Program is based on time-tested, proven methodologies successfully adopted by many Fortune 500 companies over the past 8 years.

    Curriculum for certification is comprised of two levels:

    1.) Level I - focused on understanding Performance Engineering
        fundamentals, including examining the system lifecycle, metric
        identification, data collection, data analysis, model
        building, scenario selection, predictive analysis (what ifs),
        and overall project management. Students will be required to
        attend a two-week course and pass a comprehensive examination
        at its conclusion.

    2.) Level II - deals with advanced topics in Performance
        Engineering including complex IT environment analysis, complex
        modeling, performance project management and performance
        innovation (organizational and process improvement). Students
        will be required to pass an interview component to demonstrate
        professional competence, as well as participate in remote
        study activities to accommodate lab exercises and case study
        work. Successful completion of Level I certification is a
        prerequisite for Level II enrollment.

"Our proven approach to performance engineering has allowed companies to greatly reduce risk, avoid unnecessary costs and reduce time-to-market for new application deployments," stated Shauna Osborne, vice president of performance engineering services for HyPerformix. "Our goal is to share HyPerformix's industry-leadership in performance engineering with as many customers, strategic partners, and independent service providers as possible, and in doing so, foster proactive performance practices earlier in the application development lifecycle."

About HyPerformix

HyPerformix offers enterprise performance solutions to Global 2000 companies, enabling them to predict, optimize and validate end-to-end performance of mission-critical, enterprise applications and IT infrastructures. HyPerformix's enterprise approach to performance management combines leading-edge predictive modeling and data analysis software technology, extensive performance-engineering expertise, and a proven performance-assurance methodology. Specifically, HyPerformix enables its customers to predict enterprise-wide performance, optimize existing IT infrastructures for improved return on investment, and validate mission-critical systems before and after deployment. HyPerformix is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has offices throughout the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. To learn more about HyPerformix, please visit www.hyperformix.com.