PRESS RELEASE

Software AG releases powerful Natural add-on tool

With Natural Engineer, enterprises can restructure their business processes for electronic business quickly and cost-effectively. Natural Engineer allows users to encapsulate existing Natural code, such as processing logic, and re-use it in new applications. Thanks to this functionality, the effort involved in Web-enabling legacy programs is minimized considerably. This is particularly important in light of the fact that many applications running on BS/2000 and OS/390 are not Web-enabled and have to be integrated into new Web-based applications, for instance for access to mainframe applications via an Internet browser.

With Natural Engineer, applications do not have to be reprogrammed in their new context, and the value of investments made in existing IT systems is protected. Natural Engineer is the ideal tool for integration of applications with other Software AG products, such as Tamino, Bolero and EntireX.

Natural Engineer also simplifies maintenance of Natural applications considerably, cutting costs and saving time for IT departments.

Software AG's innovative solution allows Natural users to introduce new versions of Natural into their organization quickly and inexpensively. Natural Engineer features a repository containing program code that can be used to determine what modifications are necessary to adapt an existing Natural application to a new version of Natural, thereby making it easier to estimate upgrade costs ahead of time.

The information in the repository is fully parsed and cross-referenced to enable the powerful Natural Engineer search engine to provide a rapid analysis of the impact the upgrade will have. And more importantly, Natural Engineer has facilities to apply the required modifications to program code automatically and consistently.

At the same time, full audit information is logged in the Natural Engineer repository and is available at all times to facilitate management control of the maintenance process. All of Natural Engineer's maintenance activities are recorded in detail, allowing users to check status of individual processes by way of the audit log. Using Natural Engineer for reengineering projects saves companies' valuable time and resources.

"Adapting software to changing business processes is expensive. Natural Engineer allows you to analyze the costs of restructuring existing applications and significantly reduce the time and money needed for the process," explains Schalk Viljoen, VP of Product Marketing at Software AG. "This way we are helping our customers control and minimize their IT costs."

Natural Engineer is initially released for OS390 and BS2000 platforms. Other server platforms are planned to follow. The PC component runs under Windows 95, 98, 2000, and Windows NT.

Please visit us on the Internet: www.softwareag.com

Software AG, Darmstadt, Germany, is Europe’s largest system software provider and a major global player offering cutting edge technology for data management and electronic business. Since 1998 the company has focused its development activities on XML products for the Internet. With more than 2,600 employees and representatives in 60 countries, Software AG achieved sales revenue of DM 716 million in 1999. Its distribution and technology partners include market leaders such as IBM, Microsoft and SCO as well as innovative IT solutions providers like Extensibility, Softquad and Instranet. Software AG’s products control the central IT processes of thousands of renowned companies worldwide. Some examples of these are Lufthansa, British Sky Broadcasting, ZDF, Dresdner Bank AG, Deutsche Bahn AG (German Rail), BP and VIAG Interkom. Software AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (MDAX, Security identification number 724260 / SOWG.F).