Fourth Shift to Develop Objects Enterprise Software Based on Windows NT; Company Demonstrates Continuing Support For Microsoft Platform

Business Wire, Oct 14, 1996

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 1996--Fourth Shift Corporation (NASDAQ:FSFT), a leading provider of software systems for decentralized manufacturing and distribution companies, today announced that its next-generation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, OBJECTS Enterprise Software, will be released on the Microsoft Windows NT platform.

OBJECTS will be the industry's first communications-centric, extensible and open enterprise software system designed to meet the growing needs of decentralized manufacturing and distribution enterprises worldwide. It will provide the benefits of autonomous site operations and the ability to consolidate information at the enterprise level. OBJECTS will extend the functionality of Fourth Shift's existing product, Manufacturing Software System (MSS), by providing real-time information to operations around the globe by way of the Internet. In addition, OBJECTS message bus architecture will allow it to operate with in-place legacy systems, enabling the software to be implemented into the enterprise in an evolutionary manner without replacing all existing systems at once.

The first component of OBJECTS is currently in betatest and will be available for general release in Q1 1997.

"Microsoft's demonstrated commitment to the manufacturing enterprise software market is extremely important to our customers," said MM Stuckey, CEO of Fourth Shift. "Windows NT is the ideal platform for OBJECTS because it is simple to use, supports any client and provides a common GUI, API and tools on the client and server."

"Fourth Shift is a noted ERP visionary in the mid-market," said Holly Henson, ERP industry marketing manager at Microsoft, "and the marketplace is eager for component-based solutions like OBJECTS. We're very pleased that OBJECTS takes full advantage of the Windows NT platform and SQL Server technologies that are widely accepted within the industry."

About Fourth Shift

Fourth Shift Corporation is a global applications software company that develops open, client/server software for manufacturing and distribution enterprises worldwide. The company's Manufacturing Software System has been licensed by more than 2,500 customer sites in 60 countries including 150 from the Fortune 500 U.S. companies and over 50 from the Fortune Global 250 industrial companies. For an unprecedented third consecutive year, Fourth Shift received the Readers Choice award for Best PC/LAN-based MRP II Software from Manufacturing Systems magazine.

-0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Fourth Shift, OBJECTS Enterprise Software, and OBJECTS are registered trademarks of Fourth Shift Corporation. Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Point your browser to the Microsoft manufacturing home page at http://www.microsoft.com/industry/man/.> CONTACT: Fourth Shift Corporation

Karen Klimas, 510/866-0111

Internet: http://www.fs.com

or

Walt & Company

Melissa Deagman, 408/496-0900

mdeagman@walt.com