Sterling Software Ships Key for Workgroup; open, flexible, Windows-based software suite integrates work flow modeling, BPR, process management, application analysis and visual development tools.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 1995--Sterling Software Inc. (SSW-NYSE) today announced the immediate availability of KEY for Workgroup, the first single-vendor client/server application development suite that includes tools for work flow modeling, business process reengineering (BPR), process management, application analysis and visual development.

"With KEY for Workgroup, we are bringing to market a suite of team-based LAN development products based on an object-oriented framework that allow developers to take advantage of new and emerging technologies," said Stephen M. Bashada, president of Sterling Software's Applications Development Division. "By implementing this application-assembly environment, users can streamline business processes and quickly deliver client/server solutions in response to changing business needs."

"The new wave of application development is based on a business process reengineering approach that focuses on implementation using repository-based visual development and rapid deployment," said Mike Blechar, research director at Gartner Group. "When coupled with object-oriented principles, this solution provides efficient, effective and maintainable business software applications over the long term," he added. "And Sterling Software's KEY for Workgroup targets this evolving market."

KEY for Workgroup Suite

The KEY for Workgroup suite from Sterling Software provides a work flow approach to building applications using powerful visual development tools such as Sterling Software's KEY:Assemble, Microsoft's Visual Basic or Powersoft's PowerBuilder. Consisting of six integrated products, KEY for Workgroup rapidly turns business requirements into prototypes and application designs. This object and component assembly approach increases the ability to easily and cost-effectively maintain and expand applications, while reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming recoding.

"KEY for Workgroup has enabled us to include reengineering and business analysis as part of the whole development lifecycle and extend them into the design and development of our applications," said Brad Masters, beta tester and senior business systems analyst at Webcraft Technologies in Chalfont, Penn. "Given my personal experience with the suite thus far, I'm confident that KEY for Workgroup will save Webcraft a great deal of time, effort and money."

KEY for Workgroup is a scalable client/server development suite. For application development environments, KEY for Workgroup supports Windows NT Servers and Windows Clients. For application deployment, client support includes Windows 95, Windows NT and Windows. Server support includes Windows NT, UNIX, MVS and AS/400 through inter-process communications (IPC).

Available directly from Sterling Software, project team licenses for the KEY for Workgroup suite begin at $25,000 for four concurrent users. Each component may also be purchased separately. Introductory component pricing available until Dec. 31, 1995 is as follows: $1,499 for KEY:Advise; $4,999 for KEY:Model; $1,499 for KEY:Empower for Visual Basic or KEY:Empower for PowerBuilder; and $3,499 for KEY:Assemble. (KEY:Components is bundled with all product configurations that include KEY:Assemble.)

The KEY Product Family

The KEY product family from Sterling Software--which now consists of the KEY for Workgroup and KEY for Enterprise suites--is designed to eliminate the barriers between business understanding and application development. Both suites allow users to examine and understand their overall business processes, so that the resulting applications effectively leverage business understanding for competitive advantage.

While KEY for Workgroup is a new addition to Sterling Software's product portfolio, the Company has more than a decade of expertise in developing enterprise-wide client/server application development products. To date, Sterling Software has sold more than 100,000 application development software units to 5,000 companies in 50 countries.

Sterling Software, headquartered in Dallas, is a worldwide provider of software products and services for electronic commerce, applications management and systems management, as well as highly technical professional services for the federal government. Sterling is one of the 10 largest software companies in the world with more than 3,600 employees, 75 offices worldwide and an estimated installed base of almost 40,000 customer sites in over 60 countries. -0- EDITOR'S NOTE: This press release refers to numerous products by their trade names. In most cases, these designations are claimed as trademarks or registered trademarks by their respective companies. Product prices are subject to change.

CONTACT: Sterling Software, Inc.

Kerry Stanfield, 404/231-8575, ext. 2311

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Sterling Communications, Inc.

Marianne O'Connor, [phone]

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