IBM Releases Powerful New Version of VisualGen

Applications Run Ten Times Faster

SOMERS, N.Y., August 30 . . . IBM today announced an enhanced version of
its VisualGen application development environment -- unveiling a new
release that lets programmers develop and deploy multi-platform
client/server and stand-alone applications that run up to ten times faster
than those created with the previous version.

VisualGen delivers a workstation-based, visual programming tool for rapidly
building business-critical applications. The product contains the same
visual construction environment as IBM's award-winning VisualAge
development tools. From an OS/2 development platform, the product can
generate C++ and COBOL applications that run on OS/2, AIX, Windows,
OS/400, MVS, and VSE/ESA.

"VisualGen preserves the value of existing information systems as customers
can leverage their investments in current code and skills," said Tim
Negris, vice president, sales and marketing, IBM Software Solutions.
"Customers using this product can quickly and efficiently build
applications that span the range of client/server systems, from PCs to
workstations to mainframes."

VisualGen is an integrated, visual programming development environment for
creating high-quality, easy-to-use enterprise applications. The product
provides a set of services to transparently weave an infrastructure of
protocols, data formats and data locations to link clients and servers --
no matter how uniquely they are arranged. Developers can focus their
energies on innovation and creativity -- the building blocks of
competitiveness -- confident that tedious but critical interconnections
are being automatically handled.

"The flexibility and scalability of VisualGen Version 2.0 let us develop
and test the application logic while the whole client/server
infrastructure was still being deployed," said Jim Cantin, development
team leader, Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY. "We generated code
for both IBM IMS/TM and Windows, used IBM MQ-Series for communication and
accessed both relational and hierarchical data on the host. I know of no
other single tool that can do that."

VisualGen's integrated test environment permits early application
prototyping so users can be involved during the first stages of the
development process -- helping to avert costly re-writes downstream.

VisualGen helps developers quickly create applications that can access a
wide variety of databases, including IBM's DB2 family, IMS/DB, and VSAM.
In addition, the product has been designed to be totally open and supports
non-IBM relational databases, such as Oracle Version 7 and Sybase Version
4, Release 5, as well as any other database that is ODBC X/Open
CLI-compliant.

In addition to a performance increase, VisualGen 2.0 incorporates new, more
powerful capabilities that include:

o  New Graphical User Interface (GUI) components that
   support file access and scrolled windows as well as
   improvements to existing GUI controls;

o  Ability to develop line-of-business multimedia
   applications that can exploit images, video, audio and
   exchange data with other commercial software via
   Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE);

o  Integration with IBM's TeamConnection for OS/2.
   TeamConnection, now in beta, uses object-oriented
   technology to manage and store application
   components that are shared during team development.
   TeamConnection provides a superior LAN-based repository
   and software configuration management environment
   as well as an automated build process -- beneficial for
   teams crafting new MVS and OS/2 applications;

o  New client/server support that allows OS/2 and
   Windows 3.1 client applications to interact with OS/400
   and IMS server applications -- giving users the ability
   to rapidly develop distributed applications across a broader
   range of platforms and

o  Generation and execution of applications for CICS/6000,
   IBM's powerful and versatile online transaction processing
   system.  This enables users to realize the performance
   and integrity advantages of a leading transaction processing
   monitor for application systems spanning heterogeneous
   networks on all supported platforms.

VisualGen V2 + TeamConnection = Collaborative Development

VisualGen V2 integrates with IBM's TeamConnection for OS/2, the industry's
first robust object-oriented repository. TeamConnection helps businesses
better manage complex collaborative software development -- crucial for a
company to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing business
environment. TeamConnection makes this process seamless and improves team
productivity, product quality and time to market.

It combines configuration, change control, build and release management,
version control, problem tracking, management and electronic delivery
support into a streamlined development process that spans all phases of
the development cycle.

Pricing and Availability

VisualGen Version 2.0 supports OS/2 and Windows client platforms as well as
a number of IBM server environments including OS/2, CICS/6000, OS/400,
AIX, MVS, VSE/ESA and CICS OS/2.

VisualGen Version 2.0 is available now and is priced at $3,999 for the
first license, $3,599 for additional licenses. Existing VisualGen Version
1.0 and Version 1.1 users are entitled to an upgrade price of $719.00 for
the first license, $649.00 for additional licenses (US only).

TeamConnection, currently in beta, provides platform support for OS/2
servers, OS/2 GUI clients, and OS/2 and MVS build. Pricing will be
announced when the product becomes generally available.

For additional information on VisualGen Version 2.0, users in the US and
Canada can call 1-800-IBM-3333 or access the IBM software page on the
World Wide Web at http://www.software.ibm.com (Select "for developers").
The IBM home page can be found at http://www.ibm.com.
 
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