WRQ Reflection for the Web and WRQ Reflection for IBM Outperform IBM Websphere Host On-demand and Personal Communications in Independent Lab Tests.

Business Editors, Technology Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 16, 2002

WRQ Host Access Solutions Deliver Performance and Productivity Gains

for the Enterprise

WRQ, Inc. today released independent test lab results showing that WRQ Reflection(R) for the Web 4.5 and WRQ Reflection for IBM 9.0 outperform IBM WebSphere Host On-Demand 6.0 and IBM Personal Communications 5.5 in many areas.

The Tolly Group, a strategic consulting and independent benchmarking lab, conducted the evaluation. The Tolly Group tests validate that Reflection is sending a clear signal to enterprise organizations seeking faster host access and, ultimately, increased worker productivity and cost-savings. This is the 10th competitive test commissioned by WRQ since 1997, which The Tolly Group has performed on Reflection. In all of the tests to date, Reflection has repeatedly outperformed competitive products under test.

"As enterprise organizations today are challenged to do more with less, they are demanding that vendor solutions provide rapid and cost-effective results," said Kevin Tolly, president & CEO of The Tolly Group. "In both the thin-client and thick-client tests, WRQ products bested rival IBM offerings, delivering performance savings that drive much-needed enterprise productivity."

Test Focus

The Tolly Group's engineers subjected WRQ and IBM products to a series of tests to measure the performance of their respective Web-to-host "thin clients" and TN3270 "thick clients." The tests focused on four areas of performance in typical, everyday terminal emulation functions, specifically: "first-connect" times for downstream clients to access mainframe data via the Web, TN3270 file-transfer upload/download times, HLLAPI performance via 3270 sessions and screen updates via TN3270. The Tolly Group published a summary of the test results in its April 2 Tolly Online newsletter; interested parties may view the news item at: http://www.tolly.com/News/NewsDesk/TS202104WRQFeb02.asp.

"We know from our customers that our Web- and Windows-based solutions perform remarkably well and allow for substantial time-savings and increased productivity," said Randy Robinson, vice president and manager of the Reflection Business Unit at WRQ. "Now we have independent proof to share with the marketplace that shows just how far Reflection outperforms rival offerings."

The Tolly Group Test Results

In testing first connections by Reflection for the Web vs. Host On-Demand, the WRQ product proved faster:

-- Because Reflection for IBM supports a 32K-byte data block size and Personal
Communications does not, The Tolly Group engineers tested both products using
the next fastest common speed, 16K-byte. In these tests, the WRQ emulator
completed the upload in 21% less time and the download in 9.35% less time than
the IBM emulator.

-- In testing in the 32K-byte block size configuration, Reflection for IBM
managed the download in just 25.21 seconds or 22.4% faster than the IBM
product.

-- Test results of HLLAPI performance showed that Reflection for IBM returned a
response time for HLLAPI tasks in 0.26 seconds, versus 0.32 for Personal
Communications, which equates to a 22% time-savings with the Reflection
product.

-- In testing thick-client screen updates, trials demonstrated that Reflection
for IBM accomplished screen updates in 41% less time than the IBM offering.

In Reflection for IBM and IBM Personal Communications comparison testing, including file transfer, HLLAPI and screen updates, WRQ consistently outperformed IBM:

-- Because Reflection for IBM supports a 32K-byte data block size and Personal
Communications does not, The Tolly Group engineers tested both products using
the next fastest common speed, 16K-byte. In these tests, the WRQ emulator
completed the upload in 21% less time and the download in 9.35% less time than
the IBM emulator.

-- In testing in the 32K-byte block size configuration, Reflection for IBM
managed the download in just 25.21 seconds or 22.4% faster than the IBM
product.

-- Test results of HLLAPI performance showed that Reflection for IBM returned a
response time for HLLAPI tasks in 0.26 seconds, versus 0.32 for Personal
Communications, which equates to a 22% time-savings with the Reflection
product.

-- In testing thick-client screen updates, trials demonstrated that Reflection
for IBM accomplished screen updates in 41% less time than the IBM offering.

In both Web-to-host and TN3270 host access tests, WRQ performed better than IBM.

About The Tolly Group

The Tolly Group, an independent testing and strategic consulting organization based in Manasquan, N.J., offers a full range of services designed to furnish both the vendor and end user communities with authoritative and unbiased information. Additionally, The Tolly Group is recognized worldwide for its expertise in assessing leading-edge technologies. For more information on The Tolly Group's services, visit its Web site at http://www.tolly.com, E-mail inquiries to [e-mail], call 732/528-3300 or fax at 732/528-1888.

WRQ Products

Supported by quality consulting services and technical support, WRQ Reflection and WRQ Verastream(TM) transform IT obstacles into opportunities. Reflection solutions are designed to simplify and reduce the costs of accessing applications and data on host systems. These solutions offer important added value by allowing businesses to take advantage of new technologies for increased security, broader access and improved administration. Building on WRQ's expertise in host-intensive environments, Verastream solutions are designed to help customers integrate vital data, applications, and business logic across the enterprise. With Verastream, businesses can adapt and reuse existing data and business logic trapped in host legacy systems without altering original code.

About WRQ

WRQ provides integration software and services for host-intensive environments. For 21 years, we've been helping our customers access and integrate information to transform the way they do business. With more than 26,000 customers representing eight million users worldwide, we are one of the top software companies in the U.S. We sell our award-winning Reflection and Verastream products directly and through a global network of business partners. For more information, please visit www.wrq.com.

WRQ and WRQ products are trademarks or registered trademarks of WRQ, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names or company names referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their respective owners.