Computer Independent Software Modeling

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — Excel Software has established a strategic
initiative to deliver computer independent software modeling (CISM) products
for Windows 95/NT, Macintosh and UNIX/MAE computers this summer. First, the
company will begin shipping the new WinA&Dx product line to provide unmatched
ease-of-use, integration and comprehensive support for today’s most popular
software engineering methods. Second, a new release of its Macintosh product
line, MacA&Dx 5.1 will use the new CISM document format. Third, aggressive
upgrade pricing will be available for a limited time to customers switching
from competing software engineering products to MacA&D on the Macintosh.

WinA&D 1.0 provides system analysts and software designers with comprehensive
software engineering methods including object-oriented analysis and design
(OOA/OOD), structured analysis and design, real-time and multi-task design,
data modeling, integrated code editing and browsing, requirements
traceability and use cases, multi-user team dictionary and team requirement
documents and code generation. The OOA/OOD support includes the Booch, OMT,
Shlaer/Mellor, Coad/Yourdon, Jacobson and Fusion methods. Users can pick and
mix the best aspects of each method and do significant customization with
hundreds of diagram style options, templates and a user definable symbol
library.

With a decade of experience in delivering software engineering tools to
thousands of current MacA&D customers in over twenty countries, Excel
Software now addresses the needs of professional developers, consultants and
educators using Windows computers. From the start, WinA&D was developed for
the new 32 bit API of Windows 95 and Windows NT computers. Unrestricted by
not force fitting its powerful capabilities into the old 16 bit world, WinA&D
offers impressive speed, ease-of-use and support for new operating system
features like long file names. Details on WinA&D’s technical capabilities,
product options and competitive pricing will be made available and products
will begin shipping this summer.

MacA&D 5.1 for Macintosh computers ships this summer making its documents
interchangeable with WinA&D products. MacA&D products also run on UNIX
workstations using Apple’s MAE (Macintosh Application Environment) software.
Documents created with older versions of the software are automatically
converted to the new CISM format with MacA&D 5.1.

Software developers can edit design documents from any platform while
retaining the unique capabilities of each operating system. For example,
MacA&D supports publish and subscribe within all diagram editors. This
unique Macintosh technology can be used without affecting Windows users of
those same documents. In addition to sharing documents between different
platforms by diskette, these products fully support team editing on a mixed
platform network. For example, documents edited from WinA&D will show up
with standard Macintosh icons if they physically reside on a Macintosh file
server. The tools can also transparently adjust for differences in fonts,
sizes and text file formats between different machines and operating systems.
Users have complete flexibility in partitioning their projects across shared
drives in a heterogeneous, networked environment.

Current Macintosh products are at version 5.0 and include MacAnalyst at $995,
MacAnalyst/Expert at $1595, MacDesigner at $995, MacDesigner/Expert at $1595
and the full MacA&D at $2995. Each product require 8 megabytes of RAM,
System 7 or later and runs on all Macintosh, Power Macintosh and UNIX/MAE
computers. Both 5 User and Unlimited User Site Licenses are available. To
accommodate developers in their transition to CISM documents, Excel Software
is offering attractive competitive upgrade pricing for a limited time. From
June 1 through August 15, 1996 owners of qualifying, competitive products on
any platform can switch to MacA&D at a $500 discount, to MacAnalyst or
MacDesigner and save $300 or save $750 on a site license. In addition, all
products purchased during this time frame will include a free upgrade to
version 5.1 so documents will be compatible with WinA&D products. Existing
MacA&D customers with update service will automatically receive version 5.1
this summer within days of its availability.

For Information Contact:
DevDepot (for sales) or
Excel Software * P.O. Box 1414 * Marshalltown, IA 50158
Ph: (515) 752-5359 * Fax: (515) 752-2435 * Internet: casetools@aol.com