webMethods Announces Enterprise Strength XML Initiative for Robust Business-to-Business E-Commerce Solutions.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 1998--

XML-Based Solution Offers Enhanced Security, Scalability and

High-Availability Features; Facilitates Reliable Inter-Enterprise

Application Integration Over the Internet

webMethods Inc., the leading provider of XML-based business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and integration solutions, today launched its "Enterprise Strength XML" initiative, offering the industry's most secure and robust solution for XML-enabled business-to-business e-commerce solutions.

The company has incorporated significant security, scalability and performance enhancements into the recently announced 2.0 release of its webMethods B2B(TM) product, providing a comprehensive solution for integration of business-critical applications between trading partners. In addition, webMethods will integrate ObjectStore(TM) from Object Design Inc. (Nasdaq:ODIS) with its webMethods B2B products to provide high-availability, continuous operation capabilities. webMethods B2B, comprised of the B2B Integration Server and the B2B Developer, is first to market with its ability to enable secure and scalable inter-enterprise application integration based on XML and standard Internet protocols such as HTTP and SSL.

"webMethods continues to enhance its XML-based application integration technology and is clearly emerging as one of the market leaders in this market segment," said David Alschuler, managing director, E-Commerce, Enterprise Business Applications at Aberdeen Group. "The announcements today reflect a response to usage by early adoptors, and position the B2B Integration Server to manage mission-critical supply chain integration processes."

"Our Enterprise Strength XML initiative marries industry-proven capabilities for security, scalability and fault tolerance with our XML-based B2B integration solution," said Phillip Merrick, president and chief executive officer of webMethods Inc. "XML can now be used as the basis for reliable integration of key business applications between trading partners, without the costs and complexity associated with conventional electronic data interchange (EDI)."

Numerous FORTUNE 500 corporations have already developed and deployed solutions with webMethods' XML-based products, exchanging mission critical business data and automating inter-enterprise business processes across the supply chain. These applications include supplier integration, inventory management, automated procurement, and order processing and logistics support.

Security

webMethods' Enterprise Strength XML initiative includes significant security enhancements to the company's B2B product set. webMethods B2B now supports X.509 digital certificates, ensuring that business services are accessed and transactions are initiated only by specified business partners.

The use of X.509 certificates, coupled with built-in Access Control Lists, offers companies a highly secure authentication and authorization mechanism, protecting access to B2B transactions such as purchases and inventory inquiries over the network. Additional security features include embedded Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and RSA cryptosystem support. Together these features comprehensively address the security requirements of companies that want to use the public Internet as a platform for business-to-business integration.

Performance and Scalability

webMethods B2B delivers high performance and scalability with a unique multi-server, multi-threaded architecture. Workloads can be distributed among multiple servers running on separate machines for applications with very high transaction rates. Data that is not time-critical can be cached at the local server for improved response times. For manageability, packages comprising server-hosted integration logic and WIDL interface specifications can be automatically replicated among multiple servers. Load balancing features that automatically and evenly distribute transaction workloads across servers provide even greater scalability.

High-Availability and Reliability

As companies move away from overnight batch-oriented EDI data transfers to real-time, zero-latency integration with business partners, support for 24x7 continuous operation will become a mandate for business-to-business integration solutions. webMethods is addressing these high-availability requirements in webMethods B2B by adding fault-tolerant features such as automatic fail-over in multi-server, multi-machine configurations, providing the highest-possible level of integrity for inter-enterprise data transactions.

Benefits of Partnership with Object Design Inc.

webMethods has teamed with Object Design Inc. (ODI) to provide a complete solution for XML-based business-to-business integration for mission-critical applications. webMethods B2B will be integrated with the ObjectStore ODBMS, and will take advantage of ObjectStore's industry-leading high-availability, continuous operation features. Additionally, this integration provides webMethods B2B with a dynamic repository for the storage and maintenance of XML documents. "We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Object Design, and we are convinced that together our products offer customers the industry's most robust solution for XML-based business-to-business integration," said Merrick.

Support and Compatibility

webMethods B2B is available for all platforms that support Java, including Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT, Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq:SUNW) Solaris, Linux, Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HWP) HP-UX, Compaq (NYSE:CPQ) Unix, and IBM (NYSE:IBM) AIX, AS/400, and OS/2. The product integrates with DBMS products such as Oracle (Nasdaq:ORCL), Informix (Nasdaq:IFMX), and Microsoft SQL Server (Nasdaq:MSFT), and Web server products from Microsoft and Netscape (Nasdaq:NSCP). webMethods B2B for R/3 provides off-the-shelf integration with SAP R/3 (NYSE:SAP) and can be customized to integrate with other ERP applications including Baan (Nasdaq:BAANF), PeopleSoft (Nasdaq:PSFT) and J.D. Edwards (Nasdaq:JDEC).

Pricing and Availability

Many of the features of the Enterprise Strength XML initiative are currently available in webMethods B2B 2.0. Additional features will be delivered in early to mid-1999. webMethods B2B 2.0 and B2B for R/3 are now shipping; pricing starts at $49,995.

About webMethods Inc.

Named one of Red Herring's 1998 Top 50 Privately Held Companies, webMethods is the leading vendor of XML-based solutions for business-to-business integration. webMethods B2B products enable corporations to use the open standards of the Web for business-to-business e-commerce applications such as supply chain integration and automated procurement.

webMethods delivers real business value to companies who want to leverage their investments in legacy, ERP and Web-hosted applications to link their business processes with those of their key business partners. With webMethods, companies can connect applications to applications, Web sites to Web sites, or business or desktop applications to existing Web sites.

webMethods' award-winning products are in use at leading companies including DHL Airways, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP), Ericsson, Cisco Systems (Nasdaq:CSCO), Discovery Communications, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, and Security First.

Founded in 1996, venture-backed webMethods Inc. is based in Fairfax, Va., with offices in San Francisco.

For more information, contact webMethods Inc., 3975 University Drive, Suite 390, Fairfax, VA 22030. Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; Email: [e-mail]; Web: http://www.webMethods.com

webMethods and webMethods B2B are trademarks of webMethods Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.