MACOLA ENHANCES ITS PROGRESSION SQL PRODUCT

Powered by a new architecture, Macola Software's Progression SQL product is propelling users into the future. The ability to make smarter business decisions faster, according to Macola SQL customers is what Progression SQL is all about. For over two years, Macola, the company that delivers software that businesses never outgrow, has provided enterprise systems in the Microsoft SQL Server platform, but today's product has been enhanced even more to be one of the best priced, most powerful performers in the mid-market.

Customer response shows that Progression SQL provides users with significantly more power than ever before in the areas of data access performance, integration with other Microsoft desktop products, scalability, ease of use, and data security.

"Macola is very pleased with the market response to Progression SQL. This full-featured, high-performance SQL Server product is the backbone of our e-Business strategy," says John Antjas, Macola's executive vice president of Systems Technology.

The differentiator that makes Macola's e-Business solutions the preferred choice in the growth-oriented small to midsize marketplace is that this single source solution is built upon a tightly integrated manufacturing, distribution and financial solutions backbone that includes one of the most tightly integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM), real-time e-Commerce solutions in the marketplace today. This, combined with advanced analytical tools such as data warehousing and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), creates quite a powerful system, says Antjas.

Additionally, Progression SQL takes full advantage of Microsoft SQL Server 7.0/2000.

"Progression SQL provides further evidence that applications built on Microsoft's SQL Server 2000 offer even the most demanding e-Businesses a cutting edge advantage," said Steve Murchie, group product manager for SQL Server, Microsoft Corp. "A key design goal for SQL Server 2000 is rapid timeto -market, and Macola has proven that high-performance, high-function applications can be delivered quickly and easily."

In this environment, Macola has continued to leverage other Microsoft technologies such as Microsoft's Digital Dashboard for its executive information systems and embedded Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that allows users to extend their business logic without touching source code.

"These are all easily possible for us in the Microsoft SQL Server world and would not have been possible in other platforms" says Antjas.

Macola SQL customer Ted Gentsch, director of information systems for Lauren International, Inc, says the power of SQL already is impacting his organization on a number of levels.

"The largest benefit to the SQL version is having everything in SQL. The end result in all this is increased performance and the resultant exponential increase in user productivity." Gentsch adds, "Having all my mission-critical applications in SQL, makes for easier data access, aiding the movement of information into the hands of the people who can use it - empowering decision makers to make decisions on current, relevant data."

Other Macola SQL customers also have seen dramatic increases in data access performance from other platforms and earlier releases of Progression SQL.

Macola customer Alan Jones, director of MIS for Henderson, Black and Greene Inc, a company that moved from an earlier release of Progression SQL has seen his processing performance improve in some areas.

These performance enhancements noted by customers are the result of how Macola's Progression SQL product was designed to work with Microsoft SQL Server7.0/2000- to take full advantage of these technologies. Feedback from Macola customers who are not on Microsoft SQL Server today indicates that a number of them will be making this their information technology platform of choice due to all the benefits it offers, according to Antjas.

Macola delivers Microsoft-based technology solutions to growth-oriented small and midsize companies. Enterprises worldwide operate their businesses using Macola software, relying on it to manage over $100 billion annually. Four new companies commit to Macola Software every day. Since 1990, Macola's corporate growth has continued to average over 30 percent a year. During the last two years, Macola experienced a dramatic expansion of more than 347 percent in international sales, which now represent approximately 15 percent of annual revenues.

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Marion, Ohio, Macola is a privately owned global company with over 300 employees. Macola provides feature-rich SQL Server manufacturing, distribution, financial, integrated e-Commerce, integrated customer relationship management, customization, and business intelligence solutions in more than 100 countries including Mexico, South Africa, The United Kingdom, The United Arab Emirates, and China through its Business Partner Network.

Macola is a Microsoft Solution Provider Partner, offering a product line that takes full advantage of the Microsoft Windows and BackOffice environments. Macola's signature product, Progression Series 7.5, is a client/server application designed to combine robust functionality with flexibility and scalability that businesses can leverage today and well into the future.

Macola Software's Progression Series is an award-winning product line. Macola was named by start magazine as one of the "Hottest Companies of 1999." Macola was also included in Manufacturing Systems' list of the "Top 100 Manufacturing Software Vendors" for 2000. Accounting Today magazine named Macola's Progression Series Distribution software as one of the "Top 100 Software Products in 1999." For more information, access www.macola.com.

Contact Macola Corporate Communications, Laura Ustaszewski, 800-468-0834 x365, lustaszewski@macola.com.