PLATINUM TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES PARTNER PROGRAM FOR MICROSOFT REPOSITORY TO PROMOTE OPEN INFORMATION MODEL AS INDUSTRY STANDARD

Addressing the critical need for an industry standard metadata model, PLATINUM Technology, inc. announced its Repository Partner Program for independent software vendors (ISVs) to license Microsoft Repository, a critical component of SQL Server 7.0, on leading platforms and databases.

PLATINUM ported the Microsoft Repository engine to non-Microsoft platforms and databases and is now introducing the Repository Partner Program to enable vendors to license Microsoft Repository and embed it in their data warehousing and application development tools. This will allow customers who are using tools from multiple vendors to share metadata among disparate sources and leverage their existing investments. The Repository is based on the Open Information Model (OIM), co-developed by PLATINUM and Microsoft, to provide the industry with a consistent format for storing data, software modules, and descriptive information about how components interoperate.

"As one of the leaders in the business intelligence industry, we believe the market is in need of a universal metadata standard, allowing organizations to leverage proprietary enterprise metadata to enhance warehousing and application development efforts," said Tony Wind, vice president of product management at Seagate Software. "Seagate Software's commitment to an open environment for common access to disparate data sources complements PLATINUM's new metadata partner initiative. The combination of the two solutions will benefit our customers by providing an integrated tool set to access, analyze and deliver information throughout the enterprise."

As companies continue to employ data warehousing and application development tools from multiple vendors, their environments become populated with proprietary metadata technologies, which are incompatible with one another. Organizations need to capture, store, and exploit these islands of metadata throughout their heterogeneous environments to derive more benefit from new and existing information assets. Employing a common metadata representation increases the value and reusability of IT assets and enables end users to understand data origins. PLATINUM ported Microsoft Repository to leading platforms and databases to provide ISVs with the de facto standard metadata management solution and customers with a common information model to promote enterprise tool interoperability.

"PLATINUM's partner program establishes the most widely supported repository as the industry standard metadata management solution," said Steve Murchie, data warehouse product manager at Microsoft. "PLATINUM's expertise in heterogeneous environments will enable organizations to bridge the gap between tools that, until now, were unable to share metadata."

"PLATINUM's exclusive ability to deliver Microsoft Repository on leading non-Microsoft platforms, will provide customers with the flexibility to leverage a common model in heterogeneous environments for tool compatibility, " said Tom DePasquale, senior vice president for PLATINUM. "By making Repository widely available through this program, PLATINUM enables customers to integrate metadata from tools across the organization and bolster enterprise-wide application development and data warehousing efforts."

About the PLATINUM Repository Partner Program

The Microsoft Repository is now available from PLATINUM on HP-UX, Sun Solaris, and NT platforms and Oracle 8, Sybase 11.5, and DB/2 UDB databases. PLATINUM's Repository Partner Program provides participating vendors with documentation, training, and technical support to successfully embed Microsoft Repository in their data warehousing and application development tools.

PLATINUM is inviting ISVs to participate in its Repository Partner Program. For further information or to enroll, please visit http://www.platinum.com/partners/repository.

About the PLATINUM/Microsoft Repository Collaboration

In July of 1997, PLATINUM and Microsoft announced an agreement to pursue collaborative development and marketing of Microsoft Repository. Microsoft selected PLATINUM for its cross-platform expertise and established track record in enterprise repository technology and application development solutions. The agreement gave PLATINUM rights to port and license the Microsoft Repository engine on non-Microsoft databases and operating systems. Microsoft and PLATINUM have worked together with more than 60 ISVs in the ongoing open review process for the Repository Open Information Model to provide the industry with a consistent format for metadata exchange.

PLATINUM's Repository Strategy

Rated as the independent repository leader of choice by Gartner Group PLATINUM Repository exponentially increases organizations' success with warehouse implementation and application development. By providing a foundation for acquiring, maintaining, and exploiting metadata throughout the enterprise, PLATINUM Repository helps organizations reduce application development and maintenance costs and derive more value from existing information assets. PLATINUM has a 10-year proven track record in enterprise repository with more than 500 implementations worldwide. PLATINUM's leadership in metadata management is further underscored by the company's strategic, long-term repository development partnership with Microsoft.

About PLATINUM technology

PLATINUM technology, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, had 1997 revenues of $739 million. PLATINUM provides software and services that help IT organizations manage and improve the IT infrastructure. Solutions include database and systems management, data warehousing and decision support, application lifecycle, Internet commerce, and Year 2000 reengineering. For information visit http://www.platinum.com