State of Wisconsin Implements SOA Using NEON Systems' Shadow z/Services To Streamline Interagency Access to Mainframe Data; Faster Access to Complex Data Systems Speeds Citizen Service and Increases Caseworker Productivity

Business Wire, June 20, 2005

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- NEON(R) Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:NEON), The Mainframe Integration Experts, today announced the successful implementation of Shadow z/Services, a component of the Shadow RTE mainframe integration suite, by the State of Wisconsin for streamlined interagency access to legacy data housed on aging mainframes. The deployment of Web services and SOA created with Shadow z/Services has allowed State of Wisconsin caseworkers real time access to mainframe-based records, thereby leading to improved caseworker productivity and customer service.

The State of Wisconsin operates more than 30 agencies with staff accessing internal systems that continue to be housed on mainframes, alongside new systems development on client/server and Web platforms. These systems hold information that is critical to providing public services for the 5.5 million residents of Wisconsin.

Caseworkers within the State of Wisconsin required improved client-centric services when accessing computer systems across multiple state agencies, often while the client was on the phone or in the office. With its unified mainframe integration architecture, Shadow RTE provides a single integration solution for bringing together the State's complex, heterogeneous IT infrastructure. Shadow z/Services' ability to support Web services publishing and consumption provides key SOA interoperability needed to integrate the state's various mainframe subsystems -- which included IMS, CICS, IDMS, VSAM and DB2 -- with applications and data supported on Microsoft .NET, IBM WebSphere and Oracle.

"Shadow z/Services has proven to increase our staff's productivity and real-time response rates to client inquiries," said Paul Noeldner, Application Infrastructure Consultant at the Department of Workforce Development. "Unlike many technologies that make empty promises, you don't have to wait until the future for this technology. This works now, and in addition to the software's performance, I am extremely impressed with NEON Systems' personal service during the entire installation and troubleshooting process. We received great support."

"In a state operated environment, interagency data access is a daily necessity. By deploying Web services, a state government is able to quickly access and deploy legacy data in real time. This saves time for Wisconsin's employees and residents while providing an improved service statewide," said Mark Cresswell, president and CEO, NEON Systems. "By choosing Shadow z/Services to enhance interagency data access, the State of Wisconsin benefits from a proven, industry standard approach to mainframe integration," he added.

Following the initial implementation spearheaded by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Shadow z/Services was chosen to provide complete production level mainframe integration across multiple state agencies.

NEON Systems' mainframe integration technology, Shadow RTE, is the leading technology for mainframe integration and has recently been evaluated by the IT industry research firms Gartner and Forrester(1) Shadow RTE mainframe integration technology underpins the mission critical integration of more than 500 of the world's largest enterprises. IBM WebSphere(R) Business Integration Mainframe Adapters(2) leverages Shadow RTE technology for direct access to mainframe data and applications.

About Shadow RTE

NEON's Shadow RTE technology provides a robust technical architecture to support the broad range of customer requirements for mainframe integration. Shadow RTE is the foundation upon which customers can integrate mission critical mainframe resources into a Real-time Enterprise. A single unified platform, Shadow RTE enables real-time mainframe integration with industry standard application development platforms -- .NET and/or J2EE -- in support of Web services for Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), real-time events for Event-Driven Architectures (EDA), SQL for direct data access and transactional (XA) support, and Presentation integration for Web-enablement of legacy screen-based applications and data. Shadow RTE provides the auditing, tracing and logging layer required to meet new compliance reporting. With Shadow RTE, customers have a mainframe integration infrastructure that at its lower levels is designed and proven to be secure, scalable, high performance, reliable and manageable.

About NEON Systems

NEON Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:NEON) -- the Mainframe Integration Experts -- is a leading provider of enterprise-class mainframe integration solutions, delivering the only unified mainframe integration platform to support the entire range of requirements for Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) and Event-Driven Architectures (EDA) -- key requirements to underpin the Real-time Enterprise. NEON's Shadow technology is designed to reduce the complexity of mainframe integration allowing large organizations with significant commitment to mainframe systems to streamline incumbent technologies and lower total cost of ownership. NEON's Shadow z/Services and Shadow z/Events offerings attack the emerging mainframe Web services and real-time mainframe event-driven markets and are unique in their depth and breadth of support for the requirements of such markets. With extensive mainframe integration expertise, NEON is uniquely qualified to solve the complexities of supporting new business initiatives that must integrate with critical mainframe systems. For more information on the Powering the Real-time Enterprise, see our Web site at http://www.neonsys.com or call 800-505-NEON.