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Press Release


Progress Software Announces Actional(R) Diagnostics

Jan 26, 2009
Progress Software Announces Actional(R) DiagnosticsBEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2009--Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS), a global supplier of application infrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, today announced the availability of Progress® Actional® Diagnostics. Leveraging recently acquired Mindreef® SOAPscope® technology, Actional Diagnostics is a standalone, quality and validation desktop product that helps application developers build, test, and deliver high quality XML based services, including SOAP, REST, and POX.

Actional Diagnostics can detect issues early in the software development lifecycle such as policy compliance; in addition, software developers can use the product to quickly understand whether a service fits their needs before any code is written. Once services are identified for use, developers can inspect, invoke, test, and create simulations for prototyping and problem solving.

Actional Diagnostics is currently in beta testing with customers and will soon be available as a free download. Developers wishing to be sent an alert when the software download is available can register at: http://www.progress.com/web/global/alert-actional-diagnostics/index.ssp.

Actional Diagnostics helps application developers, client developers and consumers meet the demands of aggressive development schedules by providing code-free problem resolution, deep visibility into service behavior and performance, quality and compliance validation. Existing Mindreef customers will continue to benefit from SOAPscope features including early service simulation, design-time policy validation, and unit, functional, regression, and acceptance testing.

Capitalizing on patented Actional Flow Mapping™ technology, Actional Diagnostics includes a new feature called Application X-Ray. With Application X-Ray, developers get an easy-to-understand view of what happens inside their service. For example, developers can see how downstream services are being used, what messages are sent on queues, details of Enterprise JavaBean invocations, database queries, and other relevant interdependencies along their transaction path. This information helps them identify why tests have failed or why services are not performing as designed so that a service can be reengineered as needed before it moves to production.

Load checking is also included with Actional Diagnostics to allow users to test the performance and scalability of services before they are delivered to a performance testing team. With a few simple clicks of the mouse, developers can set up a load check for dozens of simultaneous threads or users per service, monitor CPU utilization and how much Java™ VM is being used. Developers can then review the test results immediately. By load testing early in the development cycle rather than before or during deployment, problems can be identified and fixed more easily and in less time.

"Actional Diagnostics is a powerful tool that leverages market-leading Mindreef technology and key Actional capabilities, such as Flow Mapping," said Dan Foody, vice president of Actional Products, a Division of Progress Software Corporation. "Developers have long sought a feature-rich diagnostics and testing solution that provides insight early in the development cycle. Actional Diagnostics offers the visibility needed to fully understand how services will interact and behave in production. This results in higher quality services and faster time to delivery."

Actional Diagnostics includes all the features that have continued to make SOAPscope an award-winning product, including XML visibility and problem solving, early service simulation and design-time policy validation.

About Progress Software Corporation

Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS) provides application infrastructure software for the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. Our goal is to maximize the benefits of information technology while minimizing its complexity and total cost of ownership. Progress can be reached at www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000.

Progress, Actional, Mindreef, SOAPscope, and Flow Mapping are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java-based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.