Visible Systems leverages XML and eXcelon® to provide unified enterprise solutions.

Waltham, MA (February 4, 2000) - Visible Systems Corporation today announced the new release of their enhanced Visible Advantage™ Enterprise Architecture EA tool set and Visible Analyst application development tool which supports eXcelon Corporation's (formerly known as Object Design, Inc.) eXcelon™ dynamic application platform.

Visible Advantage EA is a powerful software modeling and design tool, which supports Forward and Reverse Engineering, and Enterprise Engineering. It provides full support for strategic planning, activity modeling, activity based costing, data modeling, process modeling, object modeling, database design and generation. Visible Analyst is a leading database design and data modeling tool. In addition to automating all of the traditional structured methods, it also features advanced database engineering, transition to object oriented design, repository extensibility, distributed repository capabilities, and model permission controls. eXcelon is an XML-based dynamic application platform that enables companies to manage and distribute eBusiness information. XML can be used to represent any kind of information--both structured information in databases and unstructured information on desktops, Web servers, email servers, etc. Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst can generate XML formatted files that represent the physical database model (the Design View) that can be read by eXcelon.

The ability of Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst to generate XML files opens an enormous opportunity for companies to integrate a variety of existing information systems into their XML development, enterprise portal development or business reengineering projects," said Clive Finkelstein, Chief Scientist of Visible, Managing Director of Information Engineering Services Pty Ltd in Australia and co-author of “Building Corporate Portals with XML”, McGraw-Hill (1999). "I discussed in my recent book the potential for these products to generate XML definitions and tags, ready to be used by products such as eXcelon. I am delighted that these suggestions have been adopted. The products' ability to interface with eXcelon will help companies seize this opportunity with a productive XML solution to maintain model information over the web."

Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst allow you to leverage all your corporate information - from the structured data in your databases to semi-structured and unstructured data in spreadsheets, COBOL files, documents, annotations, and even Web pages. For each model that Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst generate, two XML files can be generated. The model itself is generated as an XML Document Content Description (DCD) file, while any data defined for the objects in the model are generated as a structured XML file. The generated XML DCD contains metadata descriptions for all tables/entities on a given model, including attributes, textual descriptions, and relationships. The data defined for any object is contained in a separate XML file. Both files can be imported into eXcelon to create a complete model.

XML allows you to unlock enterprise information and makes it accessible through Enterprise Portals (EPs, also called Corporate Portals). Portals are based on Data Warehousing technologies using metadata and XML to integrate both structured and unstructured data throughout an enterprise. Structured data exists in databases and data files that are used by current and older legacy operational systems in an enterprise. Structured data comprises about 10% of the data, information and knowledge resources of the business; the other 90% exists as unstructured data in the form of text documents, email, graphics and images, or in audio or video formats. Unstructured data sources are not easily accessible to Data Warehouses, but EPs use metadata and XML to integrate both structured and unstructured data seamlessly, for easy access throughout the enterprise.

Mike Paul, VP of Product Development at Visible added, " the addition of our new XML interface to eXcelon in both products will enable our customers to work more effectively by giving them highly targeted access to a wealth of information that had previously been unavailable to them. In the past, an organization was not able to leverage all of their information effectively, simply because there was no flexible, easy way to manage and deliver the information. But now Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst solve this problem and allow them to build models and separate the data from presentation, via the web and XML generated files."

"Visible and ODI's products are a natural fit with each other," said Dan O'Connor, Senior VP Business Development at Object Design. "The most compelling aspect of XML and eXcelon is the ability to leverage both structured and unstructured data for extensible eBusiness applications. Our strategic partnership will provide our respective customers with a superior structured modeling and design tool integrated with eXcelon's XML as a protocol for transferring structured data back and forth."

The two companies will engage in a variety of collaborative sales marketing programs in the coming months, including joint conferences, advertising, and direct mail programs.

Visible Systems Corporation

Visible Systems Corporation ( www.visiblesystemscorp.com ), headquartered in Waltham, MA, is a leader in application development tools, training, and consulting. Visible has almost 100,000 users of its products worldwide. Besides Visible Advantage and Visible Analyst the company's product line includes Visible Universal Model, a fast-start metadata definition repository for XML using Visible Advantage, and Razor®, a configuration management and problem tracking software solution.

Visible's training and education services are focused on helping client personnel develop mastery of the company's products using business-driven, model-based, object-oriented approaches. The company also offers interactive computer-based training (CBT) courses on application development and software project management. Facilitation and consulting services range from periodic to full-time support of client projects. Visible's products are available by contacting Visible directly at (800) 684-7425 or through international distributors around the world.

eXcelon Corporation

eXcelon Corporation ( formerly Object Design ), is a leading provider of products and services that enable companies to engage in dynamic business-to-business (B2B) commerce across the Internet. eXcelon Corporation's dynamic B2B solutions are 100 percent standards-based, thus eliminating technical barriers-to-entry for doing business across the Internet. Companies use eXcelon's dynamic B2B solutions to establish high-value electronic partnerships that are built for change. eXcelon sells and supports its products through branch offices across the U.S. and international subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Australia, as well as a worldwide network of distributors, value-added resellers, systems integrators and other indirect sales partners. eXcelon Corp. is located on the World Wide Web at www.exceloncorp.com .

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©2000 Visible Systems Corporation. All rights reserved. Visible, Visible Advantage and Visible Universal Model are trademarks of Visible Systems Corporation. Visible Analyst and Razor are registered trademarks of Visible Systems Corporation. eXcelon is a trademark of Object Design. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.