Psion Software Releases Rapid Application Development Environment for EPOC/16 Handheld Platform; OVAL supports Oracle Mobile Agents; Develop in Microsoft Visual Basic Compatible Environment

Business Wire, Sept 30, 1996

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1996--Psion Software PLC, world leaders in ROM-based computing platforms, today announced a Rapid Application Development environment for their EPOC/16 platform. OVAL (Object-based Visual Application Language) is a Microsoft Visual Basic-compatible development environment and is available for EPOC/16 platforms from Psion.

OVAL is a complete development environment which runs under Windows on a PC. It allows developers to write programs on EPOC/16-based platforms such as the Psion Workabout and recently-announced Psion Series 3c, using the industry standard Microsoft Visual Basic programming language.

The OVAL development environment provides:

-- visual layout of controls on forms

-- a code editor with syntax color highlighting

-- a fully featured debugger

-- extensive on-line help

-- advanced resource file support

-- automatic downloading of applications and data files to the

EPOC/16 platform

"Developers today expect to use visual, integrated development environments. OVAL provides EPOC/16 developers with the tools they need to develop high-quality, visually appealing applications in the shortest possible time" said Simon East, Product Manager at Psion. "Rapid Application Development for EPOC/16-based computers is now a reality with OVAL."

OVAL will also support the EPOC/16 client for Oracle Mobile Agents (OMA) announced jointly today by Oracle and Psion Software. This will allow existing Windows OMA applications to be ported to an EPOC/16 platform in a matter of days.

OVAL for EPOC/16 will begin shipping within 30 days.

The recently-announced EPOC/32 platform from Psion, which is being developed for high performance ROM-based computers, will support a 32-bit version of OVAL and is due to be released in Q2 1997.

About Psion Software PLC

Psion Software PLC design, market and support operating systems, application and software development tools for ROM-based computing products. This includes the previously proprietary EPOC/16 platform, which lies at the heart of the world's best-selling palmtop computer, the Psion Series 3a, and the EPOC/32 platform, which is being designed for future high-end high performance products such as communicators, smart phones, intelligent terminals and mobile web browsers. Based in London, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Psion PLC.

About Psion PLC

Psion PLC is an international computer group committed to developing, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and distributing portable computers, data communications and software to increase personal and corporate productivity. Providing its customer base with features and functionality to satisfy their business requirements, Psion has pioneered new markets in handheld computers. Psion began shipping the first digital organizer Organizer II in 1984 and it paved the way for others to enter the PDA marketplace. To date, Psion has shipped over 2 million palmtop computers world-wide. Psion PLC's web site can be found at http://www.psion.com/.>CONTACT: Psion

Simon East, 44-171-208-1800 (UK)

Nick Twyman, 415/373-3224 (US)

or

Cain Communications

Susan Cain/Mark Alden, 408/291-2580

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