Versant Corporation Announces Initiative to Integrate

IBM's WebSphere Application Server with Versant's EnterpriseContainer FREMONT, Calif. (PROTEXT) - Agreement Combines Best-Of- BreedTechnologies to Deliver Telecom and Finance Industries ScalableEnterprise JavaBean Application Servers Using Java Products Versant Corporation (Nasdaq: VSNT), a leading provider of highperformance enterprise database management systems, todayannounced an initiative with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to integrate IBM'sWebSphere* Application Server with its Versant EnterpriseContainer (VEC). Versant Enterprise Container introduces atransparent Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) interface and is based uponVersant's Object Database Management System (ODBMS), providingrobust enterprise-caliber middleware for multi-user distributedapplications. Through this software initiative with IBM, Versant willreceive co-marketing funds to support marketing and developmentof an integrated ODBMS and WebSphere solution. The agreement willenable Versant to offer customers, particularly those in thetelecommunications and banking/financial industries, a mature,robust, and scalable solution for the creation, management, andretrieval of complex data. Integration with IBM's WebSphere willallow Versant's ODBMS and Enterprise Container to seamlesslycommunicate across a range of operating systems platforms. "As companies leverage software for competitive advantage,many are turning to Java and Enterprise JavaBeans. Versant is ina unique position to succeed in this green-field opportunity, aswe've been satisfying the needs of enterprise object deploymentsfor over 10 years," said Barry Wetmore, Executive Director,Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Versant Corporation. "With ourstrong customer base in telecommunications and financialservices, Versant is ideally positioned to leverage IBM'sWebSphere Application Server such that our mutual customers canfor the first time deploy sophisticated n-tier enterprisesolutions easily and cost-effectively using pure objectimplementations." The WebSphere/VEC integrated solution provides breakthroughdevelopment ease and deployment confidence for businessesbuilding distributed n-tier, Java-based applications that requirethe utmost in performance and reliability. The Versant ODBMSoffers many benefits in the context of enterprise applicationservers like transparent persistence based upon patented cachemanagement facilities. On-line accessibility and management ofcommerce applications is further enhanced due to Versant's uniqueon-line schema evolution facility which maximizes uptime andrevenue recognition processes. Versant's ODBMS also providesevent notification for database events based on object updatesand support for existing industry standards including ODMG andCORBA. "The telecommunications and finance industries share many ofthe same complex computing issues -- including leveraging massiveamounts of complex data from multiple sources in a computingenvironment that includes a variety of distributed applicationsand platforms," said Paraic Sweeney, Vice President, WebSphereMarketing, IBM Software Group. "To be effective, anorganization's data management system must be able to meet thesechallenges and solve real problems quickly and cost effectively.Combining IBM's WebSphere with Versant's ODBMS solution willallow us to offer high-end application servers with the muscleand integrity to address the most stringent performance,availability, and maintainability requirements." According to George Franzen, CTO Versant Corporation, "TheVersant Enterprise Container could quickly become the preferredintegration vehicle that extends existing enterprise data toaccess by new middle-tier object-oriented applications. In thissolution, some EJB components can be accessing existingenterprise data while other components access object data. Thisillustrates both the strength and the flexibility of Versant'sdistributed computing architecture." About IBM WebSphere Product Line The IBM WebSphere Application Servers, along with LotusDomino, represent the industry's most complete range of Webapplication server environments that support businessapplications from simple Web publishing through enterprise-scaletransaction processing. IBM's WebSphere Application Server,Advanced Edition, expands on the capabilities of IBM's WebSphereApplication Server, Standard Edition, by providing customers withsupport for the industry-standard Enterprise JavaBean programmingmodel. IBM WebSphere Studio is a comprehensive tools environmentfor building Web applications that leverage existing enterprisesystems and extend them to the Web, while running on multiple IBMand non-IBM platforms. WebSphere Performance Pack is a uniquecombination of caching, proxy and filtering functions; filecontent management and replication; and load balancing in asingle Internet hosting infrastructure.www.software.ibm.com/websphere About Versant Corporation Versant Corporation is a leading provider of high-performance,enterprise database management systems in complex data anddistributed computing environments. Versant solutions are usedacross a broad range of industries including telecommunications,financial services, health care, energy and the emerging marketfor intranet and transactional Internet applications. The VersantODBMS and its related products offer distributed enterpriseslarge- scale reliability, scalability and performance formission-critical applications within existing computingenvironments. Versant is a member of the IBM Solution DeveloperProgram. Versant customers include ADC Telecommunications, AT&T,Alcatel Network Systems, Banque Nationale de Paris, BritishTelecommunications plc., CalFP, Chase Manhattan Bank, ChicagoStock Exchange, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, DSET, EDS, EquitableInsurance, Fleet Bank, GTE Data Systems, Hitachi Telecom, HNCSoftware, Lucent, National Westminster Bank, NationsBank,Northern Telecom, Sabre Decision Technologies, Samsung, Siemens,Sprint, Schweizerische Mobiliar Versicherung, Texaco, TRW, andMCI WorldCom. Versant is headquartered in Fremont, California.Additional information about Versant and its products may beobtained by phone at 510-789-1500 or via the World Wide Web atwww.versant.com. This press release contains forward-looking information withinthe meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 andSection 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and issubject to the safe harbor created by those sections. Theseforward- looking statements include those related to thefunctionality of the Versant Enterprise Container and thepartnership of Versant and IBM. Versant assumes no obligation toupdate the information contained in this press release. Thematters discussed in this press release also involve risks anduncertainties described from time to time in Versant's filingswith the securities and exchange commission (SEC). In particular,see "risk factors" in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-Kand the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Thesedocuments contain and identify important factors that could causethe actual results to differ materially from those containedherein. NOTE: Versant and Versant ODBMS are trademarks of VersantCorporation. All other company names and product names aretrademarks of the individual companies. * Indicates trademark or registered trademark or InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation. ** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of MicrosoftCorporation. *** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of SunMicrosystems. All other trademarks are the properties of their respectivecompanies. ots Original Text Service: Versant CorporationInternet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Brian Cronkhite ofJONA Group, 415-552-1515, or brian@jonagroup.com, for VersantCorporation; or Barry Wetmore, Executive Director, WorldwideSales & Marketing of Versant Corporation, 510-789-1688, orbarryw@versant.com Web site: http://www.versant.com Web site:http://www.software.ibm.com/websphere

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