DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET Data Providers Named 2007 Editor's Choice Award Winner by SQL Server Magazine

Bedford, MA — August 02, 2007 — DataDirect Technologies, the leader in data connectivity and mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), today announced that its DataDirect Connect® for ADO.NET data providers were named a winner of the Editor’s Choice Awards in the development tools category by Penton Media’s SQL Server Magazine®.

The SQL Server Magazine Editor’s Choice Awards recognizes outstanding products that have been covered in the pages of SQL Server Magazine and its online newsletter. SQL Server Magazine is the only "All SQL Server, All the Time" independent, technical resource for developers, database administrators and business intelligent architects. Eligibility for consideration for an Editor’s Choice award is limited to products that received coverage from January 2006 to March 2007 in the magazine or online newsletter.

"The 2007 Editor’s Choice Awards utilize our editor’s product knowledge and subject matter expertise to identify exceptional products that have been covered in the pages of SQL Server Magazine and its online newsletters, and which benefit the SQL Server Magazine reader community," said Kim Paulsen, group publisher.

Named Editor’s Choice in the development tools category, DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET is the industry’s only suite of ADO.NET data providers built on 100 percent managed code, enabling developers using the most recent version of Microsoft’s .NET development platform to securely, quickly and efficiently access application-critical data from any major database including Oracle, DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server.

The reality for most developers using the .NET development framework is a heterogeneous, complex environment where business-critical data is stored in relational databases other than SQL Server. DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data providers ensure high-performance data connectivity when using any database or database version, may it be SQL Server, DB2, Oracle or Sybase. Its unique architecture eliminates dependency on database client library software and offers enhanced performance, reliability, scalability and simplified deployment.

"Our editors are tough, in-the-trenches critics," Paulsen continued. "They demand solid value and performance from the products they select. Editor’s Choice Award winners can feel proud that the products and services they developed have earned the respect and recognition of the SQL Server Magazine editorial staff."

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® products to connect their applications to an unparalleled range of data sources using standards-based interfaces such as ODBC, JDBC™ 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.

DataDirect and DataDirect Connect are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataDirect Technologies Corp. 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.

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