New Wise Solutions Tool Teams With Visual Studio .NET 2003 to Speed Deployment of Server, Mobile and Web Services Applications.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003

Latest Version of Wise for Visual Studio .NET Strips Away 80 Percent

of Code Required to Prepare Sophisticated .NET Framework Applications

for Deployment

WINDOWS SERVER 2003 AND VISUAL STUDIO .NET 2003 LAUNCH

Wise Solutions, a leading provider of installation authoring tools, today announced the immediate availability of version 5 of Wise for Visual Studio .NET, designed for and fully integrated with Visual Studio .NET 2003. Wise for Visual Studio .NET is one of the only products that automate the creation of installation files needed to deploy server-based, mobile and Web services applications that use the Microsoft .NET Framework. This automation strips away more than 80 percent of the manual coding normally required to create an installation file for a database-driven Web application.

Installation files provide the instructions that tell software how it ought to be deployed. Until now, such files were relatively difficult to create for the desktop without help from a Wise tool and virtually impossible to develop for database-driven Web applications. Database-driven Web applications - such as Web services - offer deployment challenges because developers have to configure Web servers, manage user privileges and configure databases. This is a time-consuming effort. To get around it, some developers simply don't write installation scripts instead putting the onus on users by including large manuals with detailed instructions for configuring servers and performing other administrative tasks. Wise for Visual Studio .NET automates all aspects of deployment preparedness by generating the needed code for easy installation.

"Nearly all new software being created these days is prepared for life on the Web or in a global network, especially with the emergence of Web services," said Wise CEO John McMillan. "Such applications demand incredibly complex infrastructures, which makes deployment - at best - a tough job. Creating smart installations using Wise for Visual Studio .NET can ease the process significantly and allow developers to focus on code that delivers business results."

"Microsoft is pleased to see Wise Solutions' support of Visual Studio .NET 2003," said David Lazar, director for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "Wise for Visual Studio .NET makes the creation of complex installations easier, allowing our developers to turn their digital dreams into code that will define new ways to do business around the globe."

"We've been using Wise to deliver our SnagIt and Camtasia Studio installations to millions of our customers worldwide for several years now," said Dewey Hou, SnagIt Technical Product Manager. "As our products evolve and as we begin deploying Wise for Windows Installer and Wise for Visual Studio .NET, our developers are able to create, customize, and run maintenance seamlessly within a familiar integrated developer environment. We see impressive functionality, increased time-savings during our development life cycle, and a better quality installation file that targets our Windows users. Ultimately our customers benefit from a quick and clean Web-deployed install."

Wise for Visual Studio .NET version 5 provides several specific features that assist with automating the creation of installations. Among them:

-- Synchronization: Wise for Visual Studio .NET works inside of

the Visual Studio .NET 2003 development environment. As a

developer works on a .NET development project, Wise for Visual

Studio .NET generates the installation project automatically.

Changes in the project are also accounted for so that the

solution and installation project are always in sync.

-- Support for easily configuring Microsoft Internet Information

Server (IIS): Microsoft IIS uses a virtual directory to access

Web applications. Wise for Visual Studio .NET offers

industry-leading support for creating and managing these

virtual directories.

-- Support for connecting to and configuring Microsoft SQL Server 

databases: nearly all Web applications are database-driven.

Installing these applications involves connecting to and

configuring databases, a process that usually involves an

administrator configuring the database to a developer's

specifications before the application is installed. Wise for

Visual Studio .NET offers support for easily configuring

Microsoft SQL Server databases during installation.

-- Support for Mobile applications: a new class of applications

is emerging on corporate networks - those available via

handheld devices. Wise for Visual Studio .NET supports the

Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, Pocket PC, Windows CE .NET

and Palm OS and Microsoft SmartPhone standards, allowing for

the creation of installations across the widest variety of

mobile devices.

Pricing and Availability

Wise for Visual Studio .NET version 5 is available in Enterprise, Professional and Standard Editions, and can be purchased directly from Wise Solutions, or through select resellers. Special pricing is available for current users of Wise for Visual Studio .NET versions.

About Wise Solutions

Wise Solutions is the leading provider of application installation and management software and services to Fortune 1000 companies. With a worldwide customer base, Wise Solutions' global headquarters is located in Plymouth, Mich., with regional sales and professional services offices in Washington, D.C., Redmond, Wash., and the Netherlands. Learn more about Wise Solutions on the web at www.wise.com.

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