ParcPlace-Digitalk Introduces a New Version of Its Distributed Computing Frameworks; New DST Environment makes Distributed Application Development Easier and Faster, Features Tight Integration with other Object and Internet Technologies.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 1997-- ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc. (NASDAQ:PARQ) today announced a new release of its Distributed Smalltalk (DST) environment, a proven architecture for developing mission-critical, enterprise-wide distributed applications.

Already CORBA 2.0 compliant, DST release 5.6 features a number of improvements to ease and accelerate application prototyping and to improve overall interoperability with other object and Internet technologies. Together, these improvements reaffirm DST as one of the premier environments for the creation of distributed applications that truly leverage the power and flexibility of enterprise networks.

"As corporate computing infrastructures grow even more complex due to the added layer of the Web, the demand for tools that address the rigors of distributed computing will increase," said Evan Quinn, Research Director of Internet Software at International Data Corporation. "ParcPlace's infusion of Web development features and object standards into DST 5.6 places DST at the forefront of products addressing the unique requirements of distributed computing."

Cliff Kotnik, Computer Engineering Fellow for Federal Express Corporation and a user of DST, noted: "By using a distributed computing architecture, we've been able to move our internal package tracking applications closer to the actual field locations, making it possible for local stations to proactively monitor their operations. Distributed Smalltalk from ParcPlace delivered the robustness and ease of use necessary to make this program a reality."

In a distributed computing architecture, the processing of various application tasks is distributed across network systems, rather than being centralized in a specific location. This model of distribution enables corporations to improve efficiency and performance of the overall enterprise network by leveraging the computing power of multiple systems for a given task, either with systems that would otherwise be underutilized, or with systems that are geographically "closer" to the user.

DST 5.6 provides an integrated set of object-oriented frameworks for the development and deployment of multiuser, enterprise-wide distributed applications. The software provides developers using ParcPlace's VisualWorks object-oriented programming tools or VisualWave client/server/web development environment with a complete platform for development and deployment of complex, dynamic distributed applications.

New to version 5.6 of Distributed Smalltalk:

A key new technology introduced in DST 5.6 is Implicit Invocation Interface, or I3. This new I3 technology enables programmers to easily and quickly develop and test scaleable distributed applications. This innovation provides remote message passing between objects located in multiple VisualWorks images distributed over a network, without requiring developers to create static IDL interfaces until the application is final. This flexibility eliminates the need to constantly update these interfaces during the development cycle and greatly aids the prototyping of distributed applications and accelerates their time to market.

Easier and faster development cycles will also result from the simplified configuration management, and re-architecting of system components to be loadable as smaller, more-efficient parcels. In addition, DST 5.6 enhances its interoperability with other ORBs in the application environment with its new support for Cryptic Object References (CORs). These CORs understand all the IORs (Independent Object References) or "object names" from any ORB vendor, such as Visigenics, Orbix or Expersoft. DST 5.6 also has improved IIOP interoperability.

Developers will find release 5.6 to have performance improvements between 30% and 100%, due to changes in object marshaling (the encoding and decoding of messages across the wire).

Product Pricing & Availability

Distributed Smalltalk is available now from ParcPlace-Digitalk. Its pricing remains unchanged from the previous version; the cost for the DST Developer product (which consists of the ORB, CORBA services, and the distributed toolset) remains $4,995 for Unix and $2,995 for desktop platforms. CORBA connection fees vary based on size of application. Upgrades for existing customers will vary depending on support plans.

ParcPlace is a leader in object-oriented components, frameworks and tools for the development of enterprise distributed computing applications. The company's mission is to help our customers build software that keeps pace with their business. ParcPlace's products support open computing, portability, and industry standards for distributed and web-based enterprise computing. The company also provides a comprehensive range of services, including customer support, training, on-site assistance, and consulting. With headquarters in Sunnyvale, the company maintains offices across the United States and internationally in France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, and a network of distributors throughout the world. For more information, visit our web site at www.parcplace.com or call us at 800/759-7272 or 408/481-9090. -0-

Note to Editors: ParcPlace, Digitalk and VisualWave are trademarks of ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc.

CONTACT: ParcPlace-Digitalk, Inc.

Roseanna K. Marchetti, 408/481-9090

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Sterling Communications, Inc.

Carol Nash, 408/441-4100

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