CRESCENT TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS TO SMOOTH DEVELOPMENT
TRANSITION

NEW PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND PROGRAMS LOWER CORPORATE DEVELOPER OBSTACLES IN
TRANSITION TO WINDOWS 95 AND VISUAL BASIC 4.0 ENVIRONMENTS

Bedford, Massachusetts, September 12, 1995 -- The Crescent Division of
Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS), the leading provider of
tools and services for corporate Microsoft Visual Basic developers, today
announced a broad array of solutions aimed at easing the transition to the
next generation to operating platforms and attendant development tools.
Crescent unveiled tools and programs aimed at application developers
moving to Microsoft Windows 95, to 32-bit applications development, and to
Visual Basic Version 4.0.

The announcements encompass the following elements: Specialized tools and
information services to ease the transition, embodied in its VB4 Jump
Start Kit and Enhanced Support and Software Maintenance (ESSM) program

Updated versions of all its award-winning Visual Basic tools, to support
32-bit development and the OLE Controls (OCX) environment of Visual Basic
4.0, in addition to the 16-bit VBX environment

New functionality and an upgrade to its ground-breaking multi-vendor suite
of Visual Basic tools, PowerPak Pro*

"Visual Basic has become the most popular programming language since COBOL.
But until recently there has been a real lack of high-caliber tools and
support that meet the very unique requirements of the corporate IS market.
And, until today, no complete solution to ease the transition to
next-generation platforms and development tools," said Jennifer J.
Bergantino, director of the Crescent Division. "As corporate developers
strive to keep pace with ever-changing and complex business needs, they
need a more sophisticated level of functionality, service and support than
was traditionally available from Visual Basic component vendors. Crescent
successfully led the transition from DOS BASIC to Windows and Visual
Basic, and stands ready to help again. By leveraging the client/server and
service and support competencies of our parent company, Progress Software,
we are ideally suited to take the lead in offering corporate users the
most robust tools and services for meeting their business needs head-on."

EASING THE TRANSITION

Corporate developers are simultaneously facing a transition from Windows to
Windows 95 operating platforms, from 16- to 32-bit applications
development, and from Visual Basic 3.0 to Visual Basic 4.0. And, for some
period of time, a mixture of all these environments.

To ease this transition, Crescent has developed the VB4 Jump Start Kit
embodying its accumulated experience in this and previous transitions.
With 10+ person-years already invested in these new environments and
tools, Crescent has formulated the VB4 Jump Start Kit to share this
knowledge with its customers, and with the Visual Basic marketplace in
general.

"Crescent's transition package is a great service to the Visual Basic
community," said Ron Kalin, vice president of engineering of Business
Matters, Inc. "Crescent has compiled into one source the information
needed for developers to more easily migrate from Visual Basic 3.0 to
Visual Basic 4.0 In fact, the Jump Start Kit would have saved us a great
deal of time when we began converting our VB3 applications to VB4."

The Crescent Jump Start Kit contains a Visual Basic development tool and
detailed documentation designed to give corporate developers a "leg up" in
moving to Windows 95 and the new version of Visual Basic. Among the
contents are an Upgrade Wizard that automatically makes many of the most
common changes from Visual Basic Version 3.0 code to Visual Basic 4.0.
Also included is a Transition Guide, detailing many of the considerations
to be factored into the migration process. This Transition Guide
supplements the standard Microsoft product documentation, and will allow
Visual Basic developers to more quickly take advantage of the new
environment.

"While many corporate developers are deciding how and when to build their
first Visual Basic 4.0 application, we've shipped our first one
commercially," said Eric Frey, vice president of engineering for Crescent.
"Our newest product, EnQuiry, was written in Visual Basic 4.0, and takes
advantage of its many new and advanced features. Add this experience to
the process of updating all our tools, and we already have ten-plus
person-years invested in Visual Basic 4.0 and Windows 95 that we can share
with customers."

The Jump Start Kit is available directly from Crescent at no charge by
calling 1-800-35-BASIC (from outside the U.S. dial 01-617-280- 3000), or
by FAX at (617) 280-4025. The Jump Start Kit is also available free of
charge by registering on the Crescent Web site
(http://www.progress.com/crescent), or by sending an e-mail request to
Crescent (crescent@progress.com).

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Crescent has also announced its unique Enhanced Support and Software
Maintenance (ESSM) program for PowerPak Pro, its multi-vendor suite of
industry-leading Visual Basic development tools. The ESSM program is the
industry's first-ever comprehensive maintenance program available to users
of Visual Basic tools. Through the ESSM program, users who have decided to
make PowerPak Pro their standard Visual Basic desktop can obtain free
product updates, discounts on major upgrades, and priority access to
Crescent's dedicated 1-800 technical support hotline. The ESSM program is
available at an annual subscription price of $279 per developer seat. For
those who purchase the ESSM program at the time they purchase PowerPak
Pro, the first year subscription price is reduced to $199 per developer
seat. For more information or to place an order, users can call Crescent
direct at 1-800-35- BASIC (from outside the U.S., 01-617-280-3000).

Corporate users of other Crescent products also benefit from working with a
"single-source" vendor with extensive service and support resources, the
backing of a major worldwide corporation, and the commitment to ensuring
their business requirements are consistently met.

PRICE PROTECTION

Additionally, beginning with the availability of its new product versions,
Crescent will begin fulfillment of free upgrades earned by users under its
Upgrade Price Protection Program. This customer- driven program is
designed to ensure that developers who have already invested in the
VB3/VBX versions of Crescent products can upgrade to the OLE controls
versions at no cost. Free upgrades are available to users who have
purchased the VBX/VB3 versions under the Upgrade Price Protection Program
between June 26 and September 30, 1995*.

*Free upgrades require a $20 shipping and handling fee, and are available
directly from Crescent. The free upgrade to PowerPak Pro requires a
current subscription to the Enhanced Support and Software Maintenance
(ESSM) program.

Progress Software Corporation,
14 Oak Park
Bedford, MA 01730, U.S.A
 
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