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Progress Software Plays Key Role in Big Bang Experiment

Oct 28, 2008
Progress Software Plays Key Role in Big Bang ExperimentLondon, UK, October 28,  2008 — Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS), a leading provider of application infrastructure software to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, announced today that scientists working on the biggest physics project in history, used the Progress SonicMQ enterprise messaging solution for the Large Hadron Collider project.

SonicMQ was chosen by officials at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research – CERN – to form the communications backbone of its Technical Infrastructure Monitoring (TIM) system, designed to alert researchers in the event of an emergency.

The TIM network is used to collect, evaluate, store and distribute information around the clock, to ensure the smooth running of the world’s largest physics laboratory.

SonicMQ allows the system to immediately alert operators in the control centre if there is a project-threatening disruption, such as a fire, cooling system failure or technical breakdown, so that it can be tackled quickly.

Peter Sollander, Technical Infrastructure Operations Section Leader at the project, said: “We chose SonicMQ to form the communications backbone of our technical infrastructure monitoring for its performance and scalability and for its flexible configuration options.”

“We also received the highest level of support from Progress Software. The solution has proven very reliable and ensures a high level of performance. The system must never go down – we are online 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. As a result, SonicMQ’s role is essential.”

The solution is central to helping the TIM system to process 2.1 million items every day from 150 systems and 50,000 measuring points. It unites disparate data and systems without hampering CERN’s research efforts.

Dr. Giles Nelson, CTO of Progress Software, EMEA, said: “CERN’s complex research cannot afford to be halted due to technology infrastructure failure of any kind.  SonicMQ features a message delivery system that ensures information is never lost due to software, network or hardware failure.”

“Organisations like CERN can depend on Sonic for their most complex business transactions and mission-critical communications, whether they are discovering the origins of the universe or simply taking a customer order,” he added.

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.

Artix, IONA and Progress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one ot its affiliates or subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

About CERN

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.