TestBench

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Original Software and SoftLanding Systems Announce the Availability of TestBench™ Version 4.0 from SoftLanding

Stress Testing, Other New Features Added

WESTMONT, IL and PETERBOROUGH, NH — December, 2004 — Version 4.0 of the automated software testing solution TestBench™ for iSeries is now available from SoftLanding Systems. SoftLanding sells and supports the entire range of Original Software's automated testing products.

New features in this major TestBench release include stress testing, results compare, data warping, and many other powerful capabilities. TestBench's native record and playback green screen application testing performance is also greatly improved in Version 4.0.

New stress testing capabilities, Stress_IT, can simulate over 100 concurrent users interactively accessing an iSeries application. In minutes, user screens can be individually tested to determine what end user response times will be like under heavy interactive loads. Individual response time reports expose problems caused by database locks and other issues. Users can synchronize and launch a large number of scripts at the same time, or stagger them to more closely imitate real world system utilization trends.

According to Stuart Bishop, Product Development Manager, at Original Software's UK headquarters, "It's important to know how an application is going to work when a lot of users press the enter key at the same time. Fixing response time and record lock problems before an application goes into production can preserve an organization's image and reduce losses." With organizations opening their systems up to external users like suppliers, dealers, and customers, it is increasingly important to release zero defect software, adds Mr. Bishop.

The "Results Compare" feature, also new to TestBench for iSeries, flags variances in test results from multiple like tests to make the validation of tests easier and less time consuming. With Result Compare, users can derive and define a baseline of test results to prove the validity of future tests. Once a baseline is defined, users can have TestBench for iSeries automatically compare results from future tests to the baseline results.

Modifications made to TestBench for iSeries to facilitate stress testing have improved the product's record and playback performance on an order of magnitude when running multiple scripts.

"We are extremely pleased with the dramatically improved performance levels in Version 4. We are looking forward to getting feedback from our customers now," says Mr. Bishop.

Prior to the release of TestBench Version 4.0, Original Software received several requests from users for data warping, so a feature now included in the solution lets users warp data forward or backward in time to test programs for end of year, end of month, and similar date calculations. Data warping eliminates the need for testers to change dates in databases to perform these types of tests.

Availability

TestBench for iSeries version 4.0 is available immediately from SoftLanding Systems. For information on TestBench for iSeries, contact SoftLanding Systems at 800-545-9485 or 603-924-8818 or visit the TestBench section of this Website.

About SoftLanding Systems

SoftLanding Systems, a leading provider of Software Management solutions for iSeries and multi-platform development, specializes in solutions that streamline the entire software development process, resulting in enhanced productivity, higher quality software, and improved application availability. SoftLanding's strength is in creating the ideal Software Management solution for any software environment, regardless of complexity, by drawing on expertise and tools in the following areas: software change management, database change management, application testing, multi-platform deployment, rapid problem resolution, and security.

About Original Software

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, The Original Software Group was founded in 1997 to develop, market, and support a range of productivity solutions, initially for the IBM iSeries platform. The company sells direct worldwide but has also forged a number of distribution agreements in Europe and North America. Alticor, Atlantic Marine, Circuit City Stores, Cole National, Helzberg Diamonds, LVMH, Oakwood Homes and Diamond Boart are among the US companies to benefit from Original Software's approach to iSeries software testing. Original Software is an IBM Developer Business Partner.