Vento Software and Sequent Team to Provide Complete Decision Support and Executive Information Solutions for Data Warehousing Environment; Strategic Alliance to Provide Revolutionary, Easy-to-Use, Total Turnkey Business Application Solutions for Management Users

Business Wire, Oct 28, 1996

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 1996--Vento Software and Sequent Computer Systems announced they will begin jointly marketing the Vento Software suite of business applications running on Sequent servers.

This joint effort will be targeted at customers needing a total turnkey business solution for their data warehousing and decision support applications primarily in the retail, distribution, financial and telecommunications industries.

"The need for access to timely and relevant business information is increasing as rapidly as the underlying business itself," said David Blyer, president and co-founder of Vento Software. "Vento's suite of products revolutionize the way business managers can analyze information from their data warehouses.

"From an overall perspective down to the minutest detail, Vento's software products provide multidimensional analysis with a click of a mouse. The built-in ability to monitor key performance indicators on a daily basis, while utilizing relational database technology and Windows clients, offer managers the competitive edge needed for their businesses' success."

Vento Software's business application suite includes a client/server product using Open Database architecture. This architecture is built with an OLAP engine on the client side and a relational database on the server. The Vento software extracts data from multiple sources and organizes that information into a true business application, secondary database for high-level, business executive analysis and business-decision making. According to reports from Forrester Research, the business intelligence application market could reach $700 million by 1997.

"We are pleased to have Vento as a software partner for our data warehousing and decision support solutions," said John McAdam, president and COO of Sequent. "By partnering with Vento, we are able to offer our clients a complete solution with all of the required components from the hardware platform to the database to the fully functional application."

Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNT), is a leading architect and provider of open client/server solutions for enterprise business computing. With an installed base of nearly 8,000 systems, Sequent leads all other vendors of high end UNIX systems supporting very large-scale on-line transaction processing (OLTP), decision support (DSS) and internet-based applications. Sequent's project-oriented offerings include consulting, educational and professional services geared to help organizations re-architect their existing information technology infrastructures. Sequent's World Wide Web address is http://www.sequent.com.

Vento Software, founded in 1993 by David Blyer and John Gomes, is a leading provider of business intelligence applications specializing in providing solutions for telecommunications, retail, banking and distribution industries. The company grew 250 percent in 1994 alone and is creating alliances with companies like Sequent to provide multidimensional information to managers and executives in a business-driven format. Based in Miami, Fla., Vento is penetrating markets in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Vento's World Wide Web address is http://www.vento.net. -0-

Note to Editors: Sequent, Symmetry and DYNIX/ptx are registered trademarks and NUMA-Q and IQ-Link are trademarks of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. All other trademarks, brand and product names are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Sequent Computer Systems

Linda Poniktera, 503/578-4857

or

Vento Software

Jeanne Wolfe, 305/625-5554