Progress DataDirect Provides Oracle Connectivity With Latest Release of ADO.NET Entity Framework Data Providers

BEDFORD, MA--(Marketwire - August 17, 2009) - Progress
DataDirect, the data infrastructure division of Progress Software
Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS) and provider of premium, vendor-independent data
access and integration technologies for all major data sources, platforms
or operating environments, today announced the general availability of
version
3.3 of its Progress®
DataDirect Connect® for ADO.NET data providers featuring Entity
Framework support for Oracle.

The introduction of DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET Entity Framework
provider for Oracle provides software developers and architects with fully
featured design to boost success with the Entity Framework. Like its
predecessors before, version 3.3 of the Progress DataDirect Connect for
ADO.NET product has raised the bar for superior performance, security and
interoperability. Using 100 percent managed-code architecture, DataDirect
Connect for ADO.NET eliminates the need for Oracle database client
libraries -- both instant and client. Because managed code runs in the
Common Language Runtime (CLR) environment, it reduces risks such as memory
leaks and closes security holes that unmanaged code leaves exposed,
providing developers secure, reliable and versatile deployment options
available in both application and client-server environments. This allows
software developers and architects to avoid the versioning headaches
associated with the ODP.NET provider and the multiple versions of the
Oracle client libraries and databases used throughout the enterprise.

"Progress DataDirect is a valued partner that Microsoft customers often
turn to for data providers," said Lance Olson, group program manager for
Data Frameworks at Microsoft Corp. "We are pleased to see DataDirect
Connect for ADO.NET Entity Framework provider for Oracle available to
customers who count on Microsoft to deliver ADO.NET Entity Framework as a
comprehensive and flexible data platform for their applications."

Offering support for LINQ to Entities, EntitySQL and ADO.NET Data Services,
the Progress DataDirect data provider exposes Oracle data sources to the
complete functionality of the ADO.NET Entity Framework using any
application development technology. With its deep rooted, technical
relationships with all major database and platform vendors, Progress
DataDirect ensures its data connectivity products support the latest
provider features and database versions. The DataDirect Connect for
ADO.NET Entity Framework provider for Oracle includes support for Oracle 9i
through 11g with a single provider.

"Modifying .NET applications to work with a new .NET provider is hard
work," said Julie Lerman, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP),
author of Programming Entity Framework and Vermont .NET
User Group founder. "During its 20-year history, Progress DataDirect has
built a solid reputation for its data access technologies. I'm confident
the new features found in its ADO.NET data providers with support for the
Entity Framework will help .NET developers address their most pressing data
connectivity and application development needs."

Continuing its commitment to technical innovation and responding quickly to
the needs of software developers and system architects, the DataDirect
Connect for ADO.NET Entity Framework data provider for Oracle leverages the
pedigree and reputation Progress DataDirect has established for Oracle
ADO.NET connectivity. Corporate IT departments at Fortune100 companies and
leading ISVs use the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data provider to build
reliable .NET applications that can connect to multiple databases while
reducing the amount of code necessary to utilize database-specific
features. The DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET product includes many
performance and usability features including application context awareness,
logging application block support, bulk-load operations, connection
failover and load balancing, and enterprise security features including use
of the .NET Framework security controls, SSL data encryption and single
sign-on via Kerberos. To view a complete list of product features, go to:
http://www.datadirect.com/products/net/index.ssp

"With the latest release of DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET, developers get
full support for the .NET environment with a fast, reliable and feature
rich ADO.NET managed data provider that includes Entity Framework support
for Oracle," said Rob Steward, vice president of research and development
at Progress DataDirect. "No matter what your .NET development, deployment
or data access strategy is, Progress DataDirect will support it."

About Progress DataDirect

Progress DataDirect 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 Progress® DataDirect®
products to connect their applications to an unparalleled range of data
sources using standards-based interfaces such as ODBC, JDBCT and
ADO.NET, XQuery and SOAP. More than 300 leading independent software
vendors and thousands of enterprises rely on Progress DataDirect to
simplify and streamline data connectivity for distributed systems and to
reduce the complexity of mainframe integration. Progress DataDirect is an
operating company of Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS). For more
information, visit www.datadirect.com.

Progress and DataDirect are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress
Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the
U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java based marks are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other
countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their
respective owners.