VERSANT SHIPS VERSION 7.0 OF FLAGSHIP OBJECT DATABASE.

Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNTD), Fremont, Calif., an industry leader in specialized data management and data persistence software, has shipped Versant Object Database 7.0, with ANSI standard C++ compliance and preview support for the new industry-standard interface Enterprise Java Bean (EJB) 3.0 persistence. Other new features are improved server-side ad hoc query as well as improvements in performance, scalability, and reliability. Version 7.0 offers the query language JDOQL and a preview of the upcoming EJB 3.0 application programming interface. Object databases are perfectly suited for storing data from objects that have hierarchical and recursive structures, and/or deep inheritance hierarchies. The Versant Object Database is used worldwide in a variety of mission critical applications, particularly in telecom, defense, transportation, finance, simulation, and knowledge management.

"The use of object-oriented techniques has become mainstream," said Robert Greene, vice president of product strategy at Versant. "And with it, there has only recently been a standardization of how to relate object-oriented programs and relational storage systems. Instead of thinking in SQL to solve business problems, programmers will increasingly think in terms of objects. The Versant database leverages the new EJB standards and the new thinking to offer easy performance upgrades to applications written in this style. These forces are moving the Versant Object Database toward the mainstream of application development."

"Versant Object Database 7.0 is a foundation of the future growth of Versant," said Jochen Witte, chief executive officer of Versant. "The architectural forces that led customers such as Borland, British Airways, Factiva, Lucent, MCI, Oracle, Sabre, Siemens, and others to choose Versant are coming more broadly into play, and will help Versant grow its business with Versant Object Database 7.0."

About Versant Corporation

Versant Corporation is an industry leader in specialized data management software. Using Versant's solutions, customers cut hardware costs, speed and simplify development, significantly reduce administration costs, and deliver products with a strong competitive edge. Versant's solutions are deployed in a wide array of industries including telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, and defense. With over 50,000 installations, Versant has been a highly reliable partner for over 15 years for Global 2000 companies such as British Airways, US Government, Financial Times, IBM, and MCI.

For more information, call 510/789-1500 or visit http://www.versant.com.