DataDirect Technologies to Bring High Performance Data Connectivity to Microsoft SSIS Packages Accessing Sybase, Oracle and DB2

Business Wire, June 5, 2007

DataDirect Connect64([R]) for SSIS Fills Critical Need for SSIS Data Access; Simplifies Development, Deployment and Migration of SSIS Packages

BEDFORD, Mass. -- DataDirect Technologies, the unparalleled leader in data connectivity and mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), introduces the DataDirect Connect64[R] for SSIS product. Offering support for every phase of the SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) application life cycle, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS will enable development, deployment and 32-bit or 64-bit runtime execution of Microsoft SSIS packages for non-SQL Server databases including Sybase, Oracle and DB2. DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS is currently available for the Sybase database platform and will soon support Oracle and DB2.

Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services is a popular platform for building high performance data integration solutions including Extraction, Transformation and Load (ETL) packages for data warehousing. Due to the memory-intensive nature of SSIS design, packages perform best when executed in 64-bit mode. As such, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS will allow 64-bit execution of SSIS packages that access Sybase, Oracle and DB2. Common SSIS development tools only support 32-bit packages, leaving developers in a lurch when they wish to reap the performance benefits of deploying on 64-bit platforms. Unlike other alternatives, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS will support both 32-bit and 64-bit deployment scenarios.

Using the same high-performance wire protocol design of DataDirect Technologies' market-leading ODBC drivers, the clientless architecture eliminates the need to install and configure database client libraries on each platform where the packages will be deployed. DataDirect Technologies' unique architecture allows the DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS product to support multiple versions of each database and connect directly to the desired database, thereby simplifying installation and administration while creating the best possible execution runtime performance.

"Because almost all SSIS development and debugging will use the Microsoft BI Development Studio which can only load 32-bit drivers, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS will bridge the connectivity gap for Oracle, DB2 and Sybase users looking to execute in 64-bit mode," said Bob Beauchemin, data access expert and prominent author on ADO.NET, OLE DB, ADO, SQL Server application development and Java Data Access. "Using 64-bit mode for SSIS packages will result in more available linear memory, which translates into faster execution and data transformation - making 64-bit support for any data source a plus and the DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS providers a reliable and robust solution."

For organizations that utilize the Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio to develop new SSIS packages or migrate old Data Transformation Services (DTS) packages to SSIS in 64-bit mode, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS also contains a 32-bit OLE DB provider to meet the requirements of the BI-Studio. By providing a matched set of 32-bit and 64-bit providers for each database that must be accessed, packages developed using the BI-Studio can be easily run in either 32-bit or 64-bit mode.

"As more enterprises look to develop SSIS packages for Sybase, Oracle and DB2 and run them in 64-bit mode for optimal performance, DataDirect is there to offer the very best in database connectivity," said John Goodson, vice president of product operations for DataDirect Technologies. "Because of its clientless, wire protocol architecture, DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS goes a step further than other offerings, allowing the deployment of multiple SSIS packages that require access to different versions of a database - helping organizations avoid the time and expense involved in package retesting and re-qualification."

More information about the DataDirect Connect64 for SSIS product will be available at Microsoft Tech*Ed 2007, the premier annual conference for IT professionals and developers being held June 4-8 in Orlando, Florida. Visit the DataDirect Technologies' conference booth, #829 or go to the product home page at www.datadirect.com/products/ssis/index.ssp to download a free 15-day evaluation copy.

About DataDirect Technologies

DataDirect Technologies is the software industry's only comprehensive provider of software for connecting the world's most critical business applications to data and services, running on any platform, using proven and emerging standards. Developers worldwide depend on DataDirect([R]) products to connect their applications to an unparalleled range of data sources using standards-based interfaces such as ODBC, JDBC(TM) and ADO.NET, XQuery and SOAP. More than 300 leading independent software vendors and thousands of enterprises rely on DataDirect Technologies to simplify and streamline data connectivity for distributed systems and to reduce the complexity of mainframe integration. DataDirect Technologies is an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS). For more information, visit www.datadirect.com.