DataDirect Technologies, the unparalleled leader in data connectivity and mainframe integration and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), today announced Pervasive Software® Inc. (Nasdaq: PVSW), a global value leader in embeddable data management and agile integration software, has embedded custom engineered DataDirect Connect®for ADO.NET providers from DataDirect Technologies into the Pervasive PSQL Summit™ version 10 relational database. Microsoft .NET Framework users now have reliable, secure and high-performance access to application-critical data residing in the PSQL database.

Pervasive Software provides powerful, highly reliable, embedded databases to small and midsized businesses. The company’s flagship product, Pervasive PSQL, has been used by both independent software vendors (ISVs) and end-users for more than 25 years. With an established reputation for delivering consistently superb application performance and database features that minimize support requirements, the Pervasive PSQL Summit relational database is designed to simplify development and deployment and minimize the adoption challenges of new technologies. With version 10 of the product, Pervasive looked to include cutting-edge .NET support to meet growing customer demand.

“Early on, we had been releasing DataDirect Connect for .NET runtime components on our Website as a separate download for our developer customers,” said Jim Beecher, product manager for PSQL at Pervasive. “In two years we saw a significant jump in .NET downloads. To meet our business objectives and satisfy the evolving needs of customers we wanted to partner with an established player in the .NET community. With its robust product offering, proven .NET expertise and superior support organization, DataDirect Technologies was an excellent choice.”

DataDirect Technologies’ custom built DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET data providers and the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET product line use 100 percent managed code. Managed code runs in the Microsoft Common Language Runtime (CLR), which provides services such as automatic memory management, platform neutrality and cross-language integration, whereas unmanaged code runs outside the .NET environment and cannot use any .NET managed facilities. As a result, the unique architecture of DataDirect Technologies’ data providers eliminate dependencies on database vendor client library software and offer interoperability, enhanced performance, reliability and security.

“For nearly 20 years, DataDirect Technologies has provided premium, standards-based data connectivity products that enable organizations to simplify development and quality assurance efforts, complete projects more quickly and bring products to market faster,” said John Goodson, vice president and general manager of DataDirect Technologies. “We are pleased to provide Pervasive Software with best-of-breed ADO.NET data access middleware that will enable their customers to build first-rate applications and meet the demands of a fast-changing technology environment.”

About Pervasive Software

Pervasive Software (NASDAQ: PVSW) helps companies get the most out of their data investments through embeddable data management and agile integration software. The embeddable PSQL database engine allows organizations to successfully embrace new technologies while maintaining application compatibility and robust database reliability in a near-zero database administration environment. Pervasive's agile, multi-purpose integration platform accelerates the sharing of information between multiple databases, applications, or hosted business systems and allows customers to re-use the same software for diverse integration scenarios. For more than two decades, Pervasive products have delivered value with a compelling combination of performance, flexibility, reliability and low total cost of ownership. Pervasive's hallmark is the size, diversity and loyalty of its customer base, partners and channels: tens of thousands of customers in virtually every industry, in more than 150 countries, rely on Pervasive to manage, integrate, analyze and secure their critical data. For additional information, go to www.pervasive.com

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 Progress Software Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates 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.