2008-09-18 22:13:06 -
www.microfocus.com/ - Micro Focus Tim Brill, +44 1635 565364 Tim.Brill@microfocus.com or LEWIS PR Dan Gaffney, 617-226-8844 microfocusus@lewispr.com Micro Focus(R) (LSE.MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application management and modernization solutions, today launches the extend(R) 8.1 suite of products, one of the key product sets in its COBOL-based product portfolio. extend(R) provides businesses with an unprecedented way to modernize their COBOL
applications in an evolutionary manner, thereby providing more value from their investment.
Using the ACUCOBOL-GT compiler and runtime system, extend(R) allows developers to update the look and feel of their graphical user interfaces by using the native controls of the Windows XP, or Vista operating systems, without changing their code. The enhancement is implemented through a configuration file variable, eliminating potentially-costly coding changes and the need to retrain existing users. In addition, extend(R) is now certified with Windows 2008, bringing it up to speed with the latest Windows technologies.
The release of extend(R) version 8.1 follows the launch of Net Express with .NET as another Micro Focus product to push the boundaries of what developers can achieve with COBOL, establishing the most-used operating language in the world today on a level playing field with those more contemporary languages.
Stuart McGill, Chief Technology Officer, Micro Focus, said: "The launch of Extend 8.1 underlines Micro Focus's continued investment in an integrated solutions portfolio, following the Acucorp acquisition last year. We have enjoyed fantastic feedback from our customers, so we are very excited to launch this new version of the extend(R) software suite, to deliver on our commitments for important and relevant feature additions. This, the latest Micro Focus product development, further reinforces COBOL as the modern language at the heart of organizations' core IT systems."
Other extend(R) version 8.1 enhancements include:
-- Inclusion of AcuBench, the graphical development environment, Acu4GL, the seamless interface to databases, and AcuXDBC, which provides the ability to organize VISION data files into a database-like management system, so indexed file data can be retrieved, transformed, and secured using SQL.
-- Thin Client technology which allows users to host their graphical applications on a Unix server, and use Windows clients to host the graphical user interface.
-- Wider support for the AcuXU1 - making it easier for customers to adapt existing applications to the product by adding support for the grid control, tab control and character screens allows ACUCOBOL-GT graphical applications to be displayed by a Java Runtime Engine
-- Support for bitmap scaling in AcuBench's Screen Designer.
-- New entry-points in AcuBench's Report Designer to hold the code for the primary print loop, and the code associated with the use of the Report-Grid control. With this enhancement, all code associated with a graphical report can now be stored in the graphical designer, increasing programmer productivity through the creation of graphical reports.
-- The compiler now supports the ANSI 2002 Standard implementation for Conditional Compiles, including support for $IF, and $SET syntax.
-- A number of enhancements have been aimed at increasing performance, both in the Runtime, and in the Acu4GL modules.
About Micro Focus
Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovative software that allows companies to dramatically improve the business value of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus Enterprise Application Modernization and Management software enables customers' business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embrace modern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additional information please visit www.microfocus.com
Micro Focus, Net Express for .NET, and Extend are registered trademarks of Micro Focus.
--Micro Focus continues to build COBOL product portfolio
incorporating Acucorp expertise--
