DataDirect Technologies` Mainframe Integration Platform Scoops Prestigious SOA Award

DataDirect® Shadow® Awarded Best Integration Solution at the Forum SOAdvanced
2009 Event
SLOUGH, U.K.--(Business Wire)--
DataDirect Technologies, the unparalleled leader in data connectivity and
mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation
(NASDAQ: PRGS), has received an SOAward in the category of `Best Integration
Solution` for its DataDirect® Shadow® product, a unified integration
architecture that accelerates the participation of mainframe systems with
Service Oriented Architectures (SOA).

The SOAwards is organised by the Institute for International Research (IIR)
Spain, an organisation dedicated to bringing the most sought after experts in
various sectors to industry professionals through numerous conferences and
events. Winners of the SOAwards 2009 were chosen in an open vote on IIR Spain`s
Web site. After a three-week voting period held in March, DataDirect Shadow was
announced as a winner at the Forum SOAdvanced 09 in Madrid on 29 April.

"The SOAwards recognise Spain's best system architecture products and project
implementations," said Javier Velasco, sales manager for Spain/Portugal at
DataDirect Technologies. "We are extremely proud that DataDirect Shadow has
beaten stiff competition from major global brands. It is testament to the
quality of our technology."

DataDirect Shadow simplifies the integration of mainframe data or applications
(business logic, data logic or screen logic) with applications built on
distributed Java or .NET application frameworks. The DataDirect Shadow product's
industry standard architecture can support a wide range of integration paradigms
including SQL, Web services, data events (change data capture) and Web
enablement across a comprehensive list of mainframe data sources.

Built to optimise IBM specialty engine exploitation, DataDirect Shadow maximises
productivity of the mainframe while at the same time potentially helping to
lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Using patent-pending technology it can
seamlessly divert processing intensive SOA workloads from the mainframe's
General Purpose Processor (GPP) to the no-charge System z Integrated Information
Processor (zIIP) specialty engine, reducing MIP and MSU utilisation. Recent
benchmark tests show use cases in which greater than 99 percent of mainframe Web
services related processing can be diverted to the zIIP using DataDirect Shadow.
This zIIP exploitation has been shown to reduce monthly license and support fees
as well as generate future savings in the form of deferred upgrades through the
improved ability to manage workloads against capacity requirements.

DataDirect Technologies is headquartered in Massachusetts, USA but has
operations in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan,
North America, UK and Spain.

About DataDirect Technologies

DataDirect Technologies is the software industry`s only comprehensive provider
of software for connecting the world`s most critical business applications to
data and services, running on any platform, using proven and emerging standards.
Developers worldwide depend on DataDirect products to connect their applications
to an unparalleled range of data sources using standards-based interfaces such
as ODBC, JDBC and ADO.NET, XQuery and SOAP. More than 300 leading independent
software vendors and thousands of enterprises rely on DataDirect Technologies to
simplify and streamline data connectivity for distributed systems and to reduce
the complexity of mainframe integration. DataDirect Technologies is an operating
company of Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS). For more information,
visit www.datadirect.com.

DataDirect and Shadow are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress
Software Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and
other countries. Java and all Java based marks are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Any other
trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

UK media
Strive Public Relations
Sherrilynne Starkie, +44 (0) 1624 613434
Sherrilynne@strivepr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009