Company

DataDirect XQuery Achieves High Marks in W3C Test Suite

DataDirect XQuery becomes the first product with specialized relational support to post XQTS results on W3C site.

Bedford, MA — October 26, 2006 - DataDirect Technologies, the unparalleled leader in data connectivity and mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), today announced that its DataDirect XQuery 2.0™ product has successfully completed the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) XML Query Test Suite (XQTS), reinforcing the company’s steadfast commitment to standards-based technology.

DataDirect XQuery 2.0 provides fast, reliable and scalable XQuery support for all major relational databases and runs on any Java platform. The standards-based software product enables Java developers to access XML, relational data, SOAP messages, EDI, or a combination of data sources using a single XQuery. This significantly simplifies data management and integration in heterogeneous environments and enables developers to build high-performance applications more quickly and efficiently. More information is available at www.xquery.com.

Achieving greater than 99 percent compliance, the DataDirect XQuery 2.0 product demonstrated near perfect results. Based on the posted XQTS results, DataDirect Technologies is the only vendor to provide the same level of compliancy across all data sources (XML, relational, legacy, etc.), providing software developers the highest degree of standards-based, reliable, and stable XQuery performance in any environment.

"DataDirect Technologies invests a tremendous amount to ensure our products deliver performance, reliability and complete standards compliance -- internal and external testing is a major factor of our product development strategy,” said Carlo Innocenti, XML Program Manager for DataDirect Technologies. “Our customers rely on us to deliver products that provide the standards-compliance and quality that their most demanding applications require. Our testing regimen ensures that they won’t be disappointed."

"The XQuery Working Group has designed an extensive test suite, with 14,637 distinct tests for the minimal conformance level alone”, said Innocenti. "The DataDirect XQuery 2.0 product was more than 99% compatible with the test suite. And we achieve this level of compatibility while offering efficient, scalable XQuery against XML as well as non-XML sources - including relational databases, EDI, and flat-file formats."

For complete test results, visit http://www.w3.org/XML/Query/test-suite/XQTSReportSimple.html

Through continued work with standards bodies such as the W3C, the XQuery Working Group, JDBC Expert Panel, and others, DataDirect Technologies not only designs its products to meet industry specifications but contributes significantly to the direction of those emerging standards.

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 DataDirect XQuery 2.0 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.

For more information:
DataDirect Technologies
April Harned, 646-246-0484
Email: april.harned@datadirect.com

Charles Gold
DataDirect Technologies
Telephone: 703-749-1401
Email:charles.gold@datadirect.com