SYBASE ANNOUNCES ROADMAP DEFINING NEXT PHASE OF CLIENT/SERVER COMPUTING

Leading Client/Server Vendor Unveils Vision and Products for a New Class of
Applications that Unify Departmental and Corporate Computing

EMERYVILLE, CA, November 10, 1992 -- Sybase, Inc. today unveiled its
Enterprise Client/Server Roadmap, outlining its vision of the next phase
of client/server computing. Sybase believes that Enterprise Client/Server
represents the integration of departmental and corporate Information
Systems (IS), enabling a new class of applications that span the
enterprise and leverage existing central and "line of business" systems.

Enterprise Client/Server computing allows organizations to employ
information systems to meet the enterprise-wide operational needs of
mainstream business. Sybase's Enterprise Client/Server Roadmap describes:

* The motivations for client/server computing;
* The transition from departmental to Enterprise Client/Server;
* The new functionality requirements for Enterprise
  Client/Server; and,
* SYBASE System 10, the company's next generation server products
  to be delivered in 1993.

Mark Hoffman, Sybase president and CEO, commented, "Most of our customers
are building and deploying industrial strength client/server applications.
Many of these customers have realized the benefits of client/server in
several major areas of their business. They are now ready to move towards
implementing client/server as the architecture for their enterprise-wide
information systems strategy. Our Client/Server Roadmap guides customers
in identifying the business and technical issues involved in making that
transition. SYBASE System 10 provides the technical solutions that enable
enterprise-wide client/server applications."

Sybase is a leading vendor of client/server-based relational database
management systems (RDBMS), development tools, connectivity software and
consulting services. The company is generally acknowledged as one of the
pioneers in client/server computing -- a term which describes computing
environments in which software applications are separated and distributed
across various hardware platforms and communicate over a network.
Client/server computing typically includes PCs and workstations connected
to servers. The client/server market is currently one of the fastest
growing areas in the computer industry according to market research firms
including Forrester Research, Gartner Group and International Data
Corporation. 

Motivations for Client/Server Computing

There are two key motivations for adopting client/server computing: to
build information systems that provide a competitive edge; and to reduce
the long term costs of information systems.

Dr. Robert S. Epstein, Sybase executive vice president, commented, "Our
general experience is that departmental IS is motivated by competitive
pressures to build 'line of business' applications that take advantage of
leading edge technologies. Corporate IS is generally more concerned with
deploying cost-effective systems that leverage existing investments."

Departments are often mandated with establishing a leadership position for
a product or service, or generating more revenue. Sybase customers have
used information systems to achieve those business objectives through
building new client/server departmental systems such as Smith Kline's
Marketing Finance System, Silicon Graphic's Product Line Configuration and
Quoting System, Norton Company's Automated Job Scheduler, or Teachers
Insurance & Annuity Association's Portfolio Management System.

Corporate IS is also moving towards client/server to run a company's
central operations. The primary motivation for this is cost-effectiveness.
Client/server computing offers corporate IS professionals the benefits of
lower cost hardware, more productive development tools, and flexible
maintenance and growth. Sybase customers that have rightsized traditional
mainframe applications include AT&T with its Customer Service System,
American Airlines's Yield Management System, or Orient Overseas Container
Line's Order Processing System. 

Why Enterprise Client/Server?

Sybase customers have been building client/server applications since 1987,
with systems being developed and deployed in both departmental and
corporate IS environments at over 5,600 directly-supported sites
worldwide. Many large companies now want to deploy client/server
applications on a larger, often global, enterprise-wide scale. These new
applications often represent the integration of departmental and corporate
systems. Sybase identifies this as Enterprise Client/Server computing.
Several key factors are driving this transition:

* Maximizing the value of information by increasing its
  availability: Customers want to integrate different systems 
  so that up-to-date data and information is instantaneously
  available across the company.
* Using new technology systems to re-engineer business processes:
  Customers want to use new systems to streamline organizations,
  provide new services, reduce costs and increase profits.

Epstein commented, "Our customers are beginning to use client/server
computing to enable new business processes that help them address
corporate business objectives. As a result, they are viewing this
technology as a strategic component of their overall business plan, rather
than an adjunct component."

The Transition to Enterprise Client/Server

Over the past two years, Sybase customers have begun to use client/server
architecture to integrate departmental and corporate IS systems. The first
step is interoperability. Sybase customers are using SYBASE mainframe
integration products to integrate departmental systems with the
mainframe-based applications traditionally managed by corporate IS.

In the next phase of client/server, large corporations are beginning to
build a new class of applications that span the enterprise. These new
systems use a comprehensive architecture that is used by both departmental
and corporate systems to provide value throughout the organization.

Many of Sybase's leading edge customers have adopted Enterprise
Client/Server to address global business needs. For example, Goldman
Sachs, BP Exploration, JP Morgan and Brussels Airport Terminal Company are
each implementing client/server infrastructures for building
enterprise-wide applications that span their global operations.

However, not all corporate IS organizations have been aggressive in moving
core business applications to the client/server architecture. Information
systems professionals are now demanding even greater functionality from
client/server software for building large distributed systems that handle
hundreds of gigabytes of data, support thousands of users, and are
available all the time. In addition, many corporate MIS managers are
asking for greater levels of security and control provided by the new
generation of products client/server products must now also provide the
assurances of the traditional mainframe environments.

New Functionality Requirements

Stewart Schuster, Sybase vice president of marketing, commented, "We have
worked closely with our leading edge customers in understanding the
functionality they require to run 'bet your business' applications across
their companies." Based on customer input, Sybase recognizes the following
new requirements for Enterprise Client/Server computing:

Proven Advanced Technology: Customers building enterprise-wide applications
are betting their business on their information infrastructure. They must
be confident that the products and vendors they select are trustworthy,
reliable, and have proven themselves in the market.

Scalable High Performance: Customers today require scalable solutions that
match their current needs and will also scale to grow with the business.

Interoperability between Applications: Companies building enterprise-wide
systems must integrate a variety of business functions. Consequently,
Enterprise Client/Server applications must integrate the various databases
used to support those business functions.

Reliable Distributed Systems: As companies deploy business-critical,
distributed applications, they must minimize the cost of downtime.
Products must deliver data and transactions when needed, wherever needed,
despite system and network failures.

Operational Control: Finally, IS managers must be able to manage their
computer resources effectively. They require the operational control of
the mainframe, applied to a new class of distributed applications in other
words, central control to manage decentralized systems. 

SYBASE System 10

SYBASE System 10 consists of a modular family of integrated products:
SYBASE SQL Server 10, SYBASE Navigation Server, SYBASE OmniSQL Gateway,
SYBASE Replication Server, and SYBASE Control Servers. These products
extend SYBASE's architecture to address the five critical areas of
Enterprise Client/Server computing, as follows: 

Technology Requirement                    SYBASE System 10
-------------------------------------     ----------------
Proven Advanced Technology                SQL Server 10
Scalable High Performance                 Navigation Server
Interoperability Between Applications     OmniSQL Gateway
Reliable Distributed Systems              Replication Server
Operational Control                       Control Servers

Sybase, Inc

Sybase, Inc. (NASDAQ: SYBS) develops and markets the SYBASE system, a
leading client/server-based RDBMS product family for on-line,
enterprise-wide applications. The company offers proven products and
services to provide customers with complete desktop to mainframe
solutions. Headquartered in Emeryville, CA, Sybase markets its products
worldwide through its direct sales force, telesales, distributors, OEMs,
VARs, and systems integrators.

SYBASE, 6475 Christie Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608
510-596-3500,  fax: 510-658-9441

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