MERANT Brings Java Technology to the Enterprise Change Management Arena

Business Wire, June 5, 2001

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2001

MERANT (NASDAQ:MRNT; LSE:MRN), a leading provider of software solutions, today announced its intention to bring Java(TM) technology to the Enterprise Change Management (ECM) space. Enterprise Change Management is a platform of best practices, processes and technology that lets organizations facilitate changes to the digital assets of the enterprise without losing control.

MERANT PVCS(c) Dimensions web client is architected using the JavaServer Pages(TM) (JSP(TM)) framework. The new web infrastructure allows for customer processes -- from marketing professionals to software developers -- to be integrated into a complete, automated lifecycle with a single, simple browser interface.

"The use of JSP technology allows customers to tailor the PVCS(c) interface quickly to suit their needs," said Ashley Owen, director of Enterprise Change Management at MERANT. "Many of our customers are already deploying web servers and application servers within development. We can now integrate with these investments to allow for automation of processes, accelerating deployment of mission critical systems."

The PVCS(c) Dimensions product, which currently supports more than 700 customers with more than 40,000 users, is a market leader in the Change Management space. The Solaris(TM) Operating Environment is a popular platform for the growing Dimensions customer base. The new release, PVCS Dimensions 7.0, is currently in field test and is scheduled to be generally available to customers in mid summer.

"In a complex, multi-platform environment, customers need to be able to manage change through a simple interface," said Scott Clinton, group manager, Enterprise and Web Development at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "MERANT's change management solution leverages the strengths of the JSP framework to integrate the developer with the business user in an automated lifecycle, helping speed time to deployment in mission-critical systems."

About MERANT

MERANT is a leading provider of software solutions for enterprise change management; for legacy development, transformation and integration; and for enterprise data connectivity. MERANT provides market-leading products and services under the PVCS, Micro Focus and DataDirect brands. The company's technology is in use by more than 5 million customers at over 60,000 sites, including all of the Fortune 100 and the majority of the Global 500. MERANT is the OEM partner of choice for more than 600 technology companies, and is a strategic partner with IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Compaq. For additional information, visit www.merant.com.

MERANT is a trademark of MERANT. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Java, JavaServer Pages, JSP and all Java-based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.