POWERSOFT ANNOUNCES S-DESIGNOR VERSION 4.2 AND S-DESIGNOR FOR POWERBUILDER; Data Modeling Tools Streamline Design and Maintenance for Large, Complex Applications.

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 1995-- Powersoft Corporation today announced S-Designor version 4.2 and S-Designor for PowerBuilder at its fourth annual International User Meeting and Training Conference. S-Designor is an open data modeling tool that empowers users to design, maintain and reverse-engineer more than 40 databases. S-Designor for PowerBuilder is a PowerBuilder-specific version of S-Designor version 4.2 that has been optimized to take full advantage of PowerBuilder's high-performance application development features.

S-Designor version 4.2 includes conceptual and physical data model generation, open DBMS and 4GL support, an enhanced graphical interface and added ODBC connectivity for the workgroup edition's central dictionary. These features increase productivity and ensure an optimal database structure for users developing large, complex applications.

"S-Designor version 4.2 and S-Designor for PowerBuilder expand our range of sophisticated tools to meet the evolving needs of client/server professionals," said David Litwack, president of Powersoft. "The combination of the open S-Designor product with the development tool of their choice offers users a comprehensive solution for designing quality client/server applications. And for PowerBuilder developers, S-Designor for PowerBuilder supports extended attributes and automatic query object generation that boosts developer productivity and increases application consistency and conformity."

The addition of S-Designor to the Powersoft family of application development tools gives professional developers integrated access to data modeling, a key component of the application development cycle. S-Designor allows users to quickly translate logical concepts into high-quality databases with the ability to define, generate and manage the databases' physical properties. The product's interoperability with popular development environments speeds application development through query object generation and extended attribute definition and helps ensure client/server data integrity.

S-Designor version 4.2 and S-Designor for PowerBuilder are both available in two versions:

o S-Designor Professional enables an individual user to design complex systems by splitting large models into sub-models while maintaining unique object definition. It also provides reverse engineering capabilities for maintenance of an existing database or migration to a different DBMS. S-Designor bridges design and development by fully integrating with major development tools including PowerBuilder, Uniface, Progress, SQLWindows, Omnis, Axiant and others.

o S-Designor Enterprise provides all the functionality of S-Designor Professional, as well as a central dictionary -- located on any ODBC-compliant DBMS or an internal Watcom database -- that allows design data to be shared among several developers. The central dictionary integrates data security with the functions needed to design complex applications.

New Features in Version 4.2

S-Designor version 4.2 includes a number of feature additions and enhancements that provide a unique combination of high performance and usability, including:

o Enhanced User Interface -- The enhanced user interface allows users to enter design information much more quickly and easily. Based upon usability studies and feedback from users, the pop-up editors have been redesigned to simulate a spreadsheet style of data entry.

o ODBC Connectivity for Enterprise Edition's Central Dictionary -- S-Designor Enterprise version 4.2 includes a central dictionary that can now be located on any ODBC-compliant DBMS, allowing design data to be shared among several developers. In addition, the central dictionary may now be located on an internal Watcom SQL database included with the product. The central dictionary integrates data security with the functions needed to design complex applications. Designers can extract models, and, as their designs are completed, the central dictionary is updated to maintain data integrity. S-Designor automatically manages consolidation of the global model.

o ERwin Import/Translation Utility -- As applications grow in complexity, the ability to abstract conceptual and physical data design into separate levels and to maintain a secure workgroup design environment becomes increasingly critical. The new import/translate utility lets developers move effortlessly from ERwin's single-level physical design environment to a bi-level environment of conceptual and physical levels in S-Designor. Complete physical design information from an existing ERwin model translates to an S-Designor physical model at the click of a button. From there, S-Designor can automatically generate a separate corresponding conceptual model with all the intuitive notations -- for non-technical presentation and to ease future maintenance. With S-Designor Enterprise, users can advance to a workgroup design environment featuring a centralized and secure data dictionary.

S-Designor for PowerBuilder

S-Designor for PowerBuilder enables PowerBuilder users to automatically generate query objects to be deployed in multiple instances throughout an application. This feature increases user productivity by eliminating several design steps and increases application consistency and conformity. Since S-Designor for PowerBuilder uses the exact same screens as in PowerBuilder to define extended attributes, such as edit styles, validation rules, and format masks, complete integration is guaranteed. Extended attributes may also be imported into S-Designor's dictionary for reuse in another application, together with the database design structure from a PowerBuilder application.

Designor Tools

The Designor tools offer a set of robust features and functionality for database design, including:

o Modeling -- Uses conceptual and physical models based on the Information Engineering method and include full model object support, inheritance definition and model validation.

o Graphical Interface -- Utilizes a Windows graphical user interface, featuring on-line help, toolboxes, toolbars, pop-up menus, status bars, more than 165 pages of design space and user-definable symbol and text settings (color, font, etc.).

o Database Generation -- Supports more than 40 databases including Oracle, Sybase, Watcom, Informix, Access and Paradox. It enables database creation directly via ODBC or using DDL script and provides support for stored procedures, triggers and declarative referential integrity, where supported.

o Reverse Engineering -- Enables the designer to obtain a "blueprint" of an existing database's structure to easily document and maintain the database or migrate to a different DBMS.

o Reporting -- Designers can generate analysis reports for both conceptual and physical levels. Report features include automatic layout, full report customization, direct print and export in Word for Windows, WordPerfect, PageMaker and AmiPro.

Pricing and Availability

Both editions of S-Designor version 4.2 are currently scheduled to ship by June 30, 1995. Suggested retail prices for S-Designor Professional and S-Designor Enterprise are currently $2,995(a) and $3,495, respectively.

Both editions of S-Designor for PowerBuilder are currently scheduled to ship by June 30, 1995. Suggested retail prices for S-Designor Professional for PowerBuilder and S-Designor Enterprise for PowerBuilder are $3,495 and $3,995, respectively. For a limited time, S-Designor for PowerBuilder will be available at a special introductory price of $2,995 for the Professional edition and $3,495 for the Enterprise edition.

Additionally, PowerBuilder Enterprise and S-Designor for PowerBuilder can be purchased together. The PowerBuilder Enterprise/S-Designor Professional for PowerBuilder bundle is available for $5,495, and the PowerBuilder Enterprise/S-Designor Enterprise for PowerBuilder bundle for $5,995. All products are available directly from Powersoft and its worldwide network of resellers and distributors.

Headquartered in Concord, Mass., Powersoft, the open tools division of Sybase, Inc., develops and markets the Powersoft Enterprise Series. The market-leading scalable family of open client/server tools encompasses the application development and information access needs of professional developers across the enterprise. Powersoft's Watcom division is a leading provider of high-performance compiler, database and other application development technologies. Powersoft's Designor division develops the Designor series of easy-to-use, scalable data modeling tools.

For more information on Powersoft and its products, please visit the company's World Wide Web site at http://www.powersoft.com/.

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All prices quoted are in U.S. dollars.

PowerBuilder, Powersoft and the Powersoft logo are registered trademarks of Powersoft Corporation. S-Designor is a registered trademark of SDP Technologies, Inc. SYBASE is a trademark of Sybase, Inc. Watcom is a trademark of Watcom International Corporation. All other products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.

CONTACT: Rachael Stockton or Brenda Nashawaty

Powersoft Corporation Lois Paul & Partners

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Andrew Lampitt Ann Breslin

Powersoft Corporation Lois Paul & Partners

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