Vision Solutions Expands Cross-Platform Data Replication Capabilities With Release of Symbiator Version 2.6.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1998--

New Features Offer Dramatically Enhanced Performance and

Versatility for Cross-Platform Data Replication, Extraction and

Transformation

Vision Solutions Inc., a leading worldwide provider of data replication software and solutions for continuous availability, clustering, and cross-platform data extraction, Tuesday announced the release of Symbiator Version 2.6, expanding the product's list of supported databases and providing significantly enhanced performance features.

"We are excited about our latest release of Symbiator Version 2.6," said Chris Turner, Vision's chief executive officer. Symbiator Version 2.6 is the result of the collaborative efforts of our experienced Symbiator staff combined with our AS/400 experts at Vision Solutions. Together, we have developed the best performing version of Symbiator yet released, with enhanced capabilities, an expanded list of supported databases, and improved IT management versatility and ease of use."

Broad Range of Supported Databases/Ease of Use

With just one product installation, Symbiator Version 2.6 supports bi-directional data replication between any combination of ODBC compatible databases, including IBM's DB2/400; Microsoft SQL Server and Access; Oracle; Sybase SQL Server, Adaptive Server and SQL Anywhere; and Progress Software 8.2b.

"One of the key benefits to Symbiator, besides the wide range of supported databases, is Symbiator's ease of use," said Turner. "We provide customers with a single point of management and an easy point-and-click GUI screen. From there, mappings to any combination of supported databases can be provided." For AS/400 customers, Symbiator provides managers the flexibility to replicate data using triggers, journals, or APIs.

Strong Data Extraction and Transformation Features for Data

Warehousing

Symbiator Version 2.6 utilizes optimized ODBC drivers, which support Native TCP/IP or SNA Server connections, resulting in dramatically faster speeds to AS/400 destinations. This is particularly useful when the AS/400 is being used as a data warehouse server. With Symbiator's range of supported platforms and databases however, users have the freedom to choose the data warehouse environment best suited to their needs.

To reduce network traffic and costs, Symbiator sends only net changed data on a real-time basis, or if necessary, can provide high speed batch transfer as well. Symbiator allows concatenation of multiple AS/400 fields to create a single SQL column and provides support for one-to-one, cascade, or broadcast replication.

Symbiator Partnership Alliances Strengthened

In addition to Vision Solutions' strong alliance with IBM, Symbiator has strengthened technical partnerships with Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, and Progress Software. This will ensure customers that Symbiator will continue to operate seamlessly with current and future innovative product releases from these companies.

Vision Solutions Company Information

Founded in 1990, with headquarters in Irvine, Vision Solutions (www.visionsolutions.com) develops and markets its award-winning software in over 130 countries through direct sales, business partners, and IBM Global Services. Vision's innovative products are used in a wide variety of industries such as banking/finance, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation, gaming and government. Vision Solutions has over 2,500 installed software licenses which solve a myriad of enterprise data management needs, such as continuous availability for the AS/400, cross-platform data replication for distributed data needs, data extraction and transformation for data warehousing, workload balancing, e-business, and Year 2000 conversion testing.

Vision Solutions is an IBM Premier Business Partner and one of only 15 members of the prestigious IBM Client/Series program. In addition to its IBM partnerships, Vision Solutions is also a member of the Microsoft Alliance for Data Warehousing and maintains technical partnerships with Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, and Progress Software.

Vision Solutions was recently named to Deloitte & Touche's "Fast 500" list of fastest-growing U.S. technology companies and placed 11th among the 50 fastest-growing Southern California companies. Vision Solutions was also named IBM's Western U.S. Business Partner of the Year in 1997.

For more information on Vision Solutions' complete product line including Symbiator, contact Vision Solutions at 800/683-4667 of 949/253-6500 (fax [phone]) and ask to speak with an account executive. To inquire about Symbiator product literature or to receive a free 30-day trial of Symbiator, call to speak with a Symbiator account executive. Or you can visit the company's Web site at www.visionsolutions.com.

Vision Solutions can also be reached via email at [e-mail].