Micro Focus Delivers COBOL Capabilities to Eclipse Environment

Net Express and Server Express for Eclipse enable efficient cross-platform development environment for COBOL applications 

NEWBURY, England, December 17, 2008 — Micro Focus® (LSE.MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application management, development and modernization solutions, today announced the availability of Micro Focus COBOL for Eclipse, encompassing versions of Micro Focus’ industry-leading Net Express and Server Express solutions designed specifically for the rapidly growing Eclipse open source ecosystem.

Micro Focus COBOL for Eclipse provides a rich, integrated development environment across multiple platforms enabling organizations to save up to 40% on development costs while increasing agility and productivity. Organizations are able to create the same development environment across Windows, Linux and UNIX, making it easier for programmers to move between languages and platforms while using the tools they are familiar with.

“The release of COBOL for Eclipse is an important step for Micro Focus as we look to provide our customers with the tools needed to develop applications across any environment,” said Stuart McGill, CTO at Micro Focus. “Enterprises today are putting a premium on cutting costs and increasing flexibility, and we’re responding by helping developers improve productivity with support for the leading cross-platform integrated development environment. Eclipse is the de facto standard Java development environment, and it is critical that developers in this ecosystem have access to tools enabling them to create the COBOL-based applications at the heart of their business.”

Using Micro Focus COBOL for Eclipse, developers have access to rich tools to support the edit, compile and debug process. It also provides tools that help developers expose COBOL program interfaces as Web services, enabling organizations to reuse existing capabilities in SaaS, SOA or cloud computing environments leading to cost savings and increased efficiency.

Expanding Net Express and Server Express capabilities to the Eclipse environment, further underlines Micro Focus’ commitment to maximize customer choice for modernization. With Micro Focus, customers can move existing applications to an SOA or cloud computing architecture without the need for rewriting or replacing any code.

“Across the enterprise, COBOL houses mission-critical business logic that must be captured as applications are developed and modernized,” McGill continued. “As infrastructures evolve and we start seeing more and more applications built as Web services, as part of a service oriented architecture or on the cloud, flexibility becomes paramount. These tools enable developers using the world’s most popular cross-platform IDE to take advantage of COBOL tools, helping them create a solid foundation for contemporary applications and services.”

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

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All product names are registered trademarks of Micro Focus.  Other products mentioned in this announcement are trademarks of their respective owners.