Siemens AG Selects Ardent's DataStage for Global Data Warehouse Initiative; DataStage Powers Data Management for Semiconductor Giant

Business Wire, March 17, 1999

WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1999--Ardent Software, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARDT), a leading global data management software company, today announced that Siemens Semiconductor Group has selected Ardent's DataStage(R) extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) tool to populate and maintain a central corporate data warehouse and several regional data marts throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. DataStage provides a scalable, flexible transformation environment that will enable Siemens to develop and coordinate specialized data warehouse and data mart solutions as the German electronics maker continues to expand globally.

"Key to the success of Siemens' warehouse project is selecting tools that make complexity manageable," said Pete Fiore, vice president and general manager of Ardent's Data Warehouse business unit. "Siemens is dealing with a very large corporate warehouse, processing information that is generated world-wide, a vast undertaking by any standard. Because Siemens is undergoing such dynamic growth, they needed a tool that would simplify widespread development and deployment. DataStage does just that, saving the company time and resources throughout the warehouse development lifecycle."

DataStage's automated workflow environment, re-usable components, and packaging and deployment features ease development across the enterprise, improve warehouse reliability, and support Siemens move to a centralized data storage system. In addition, DataStage's ability to capture meta data enables developers to maintain the warehouse going forward by presenting them with a clear view of warehouse design, where and how code has changed, and where they originated. For business analysts and end-users, DataStage stores information on where the data has come from and how it has been transformed, ultimately giving decision-makers more confidence in their information.

"We decided to implement DataStage primarily because of its easy-to-use graphical interface. This permits us to work more productively in a shorter amount of time," said Albert Maier, Head of Information Systems and Services and Process Support Information Manager at Siemens Semiconductor in Munich. "We also found the flexibility of service Ardent offers on an international basis and the future benefits the company will provide in dealing with meta data quite convincing."

"Establishing relationships with world-class companies like Siemens is very much in line with Ardent's aggressive growth strategy," said Jeff Spotts, vice president of marketing for Ardent Software. "With the pending acquisition of Prism Solutions, Ardent will continue to extend its global reach in providing sales, support and services throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas."

About DataStage

DataStage streamlines the construction and maintenance of data warehouses through its open, scalable and extensible architecture. Its visual design tool allows developers to add more data sources, targets, and transformations without rebuilding applications, thereby reducing cost, time and resources. Using DataStage's modular Plug-In stages, developers can add warehouse functionality, as they need it. Reusable components cut development time dramatically and produce data marts and warehouses that grow with the business. DataStage reduces the complexities of the entire data warehouse lifecycle for many of the world's leading companies.

About Siemens

Siemens Semiconductor Group, based in Munich, Germany, is the 10th largest semiconductor manufacturer worldwide and is a leading provider of integrated circuits, memory products, RF components, chip card ICs, discrete and power semiconductors, sensors and fiber optic components. The comprehensive product line of Siemens Semiconductors serves a wide range of customers active in telecommunications, automotive and consumer electronics, data processing and automation. Siemens Microelectronics is its U.S. affiliate. In fiscal 1997/98, the Semiconductor Group achieved sales of $3.8 billion (DM 6.7 billion) and employed 25,000 people worldwide. For more information, contact Siemens Microelectronics, Inc., 1730 North First Street, San Jose CA 95112; (800) 77-SIEMENS; 408-501-6000; or see http://www.smi.siemens.com.

About Ardent Software

Ardent Software is a leading global data management software company. Ardent develops and markets embedded databases and software tools for enterprise-scale applications and data warehouses. Its products include DataStage(R), a data warehouse development tool; UniVerse(R) and UniData(R), extended relational database management systems for packaged business applications and the O2 System(R), the leading platform and repository for dynamic enterprise-scale content management. With worldwide sale s and service operations, and 1,000 resellers in more than 50 countries, Ardent is one of the top software companies in the world. More than 60,000 customers and 2.2 million users in virtually every aspect of business and government use applications powered by Ardent's products and technologies to solve complex data management problems. Additional information is available on Ardent's web site at www.ardentsoftware.com.