Third Party Software Component Publishers Band Together to Promote Advantages of Component-Based Development

Non-profit Component Vendor Consortium (CVC) to advocate component usage, facilitate intra-vendor testing and compatibility, and implement component quality standards

Charlotte, NC (March 2, 1999) - Software component publishers now have a unified voice to represent their interests in promoting the advantages of component-based development.

The Component Vendor Consortium (CVC) is a recently formed nonprofit organization whose purpose is to advance and promote the use of "third party" software components and tools by developers, and to enhance the public’s understanding of the reliability of third party tools and the strategic advantage inherent in using "third party" components and tools.

"The concept of component-based development is not new. Application developers, however, may not be aware of the large number of high quality, time saving third party component products that are available for use in their development projects," said Rich Little, President of LEAD Technologies and newly elected President of the Component Vendor Consortium. "Working together, we as software component vendors hope to provide information to promote our common goals of increasing the level of knowledge, understanding and adoption of third party development components."

The CVC focuses on enabling the adoption and usage of components by the marketplace. Initiatives of the CVC include, but are not limited to, developing and maintaining a communications channel with development environment vendors to represent the interests of "third party" ISVs, reaching a broad audience of professional developers to promote the strategic advantages of using commercial components and tools, and developing quality standards for component software.

"Organizations everywhere are facing pressure to reduce time to market and increase quality," said Tom Button, Director of Visual Studio Marketing. "Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 enables developers to build cost-effective enterprise solutions by leveraging re-usable components. Proven third-party components that integrate with Visual Studio, such as those developed by CVC members, ensure developers can quickly realize significant benefits."

A key objective of the CVC is to develop an objective testing, measuring, and branding process to identify vendors and components that meet rigorous quality and support standards. CVC members will work with an industry-leading provider of testing tools to develop the standard and then will provide a logo program that will identify those companies and products that meet the standard. In addition to code quality, the CVC standard will establish minimum requirements for technical support and product documentation. The highly visible quality logo will enable developers to purchase tools and components with the assurance that the vendor is committed to quality and that its wares deliver the promises of component usage.

"Clearly, developers profit from an entire industry dedicated to supporting Visual Studio through software components and development tools. The formation of a trade association signals that Visual Studio -- and the components industry that supports it -- has attained maturity," continued Button.

The general membership of the CVC consists of companies that develop and market commercial software components and/or development tool products. Founding CVC members include leading vendors in the component marketplace such as Advantageware, APEX Software, Artisoft, Bennet-Tec, CompuWare, Dart Communications, Data Dynamics, Data Techniques, Desaware, DBI Technologies, Distinct Corporation, FarPoint Technologies, LEAD Technologies, ProtoView Development Corporation, Sax Software, Sheridan Software, VideoSoft, and Wise Solutions.

"By working together to advance our common goals, the founding members of the CVC have already seen success in developing a communications channel with Microsoft, content publishers and component resellers," said Little. "We are enthusiastic to grow the membership of the CVC, and strongly encourage all software component or developer product publishers to join us to insure that their voice is represented and to benefit from the various programs that the CVC is and will be putting into place."

Software vendors that create and or market products for developers who are interested in membership in the CVC may contact any member of the Executive Committee for more information:

Rich Little  rlittle@leadtools.com  704-332-5532 X1239

Sunny Wong  sunny@apexsc.com   425-402-9393

Toni Molodowitz  toni@advantageware.com   212-319-1903

Bob Wolf  bobw@shersoft.com   516-753-0983

Or visit the web site http://www.components.org

About LEAD Technologies, Inc.
Founded in 1990, LEAD grew out of years of research headed by Moe Daher to find a comprehensive compression standard for digital images. LEAD is now the world-leading supplier of imaging development toolkits, providing technology of the future, today. LEAD brings to the market the most innovative and technically superior products that provide the greatest possible value for its customers. LEAD’s award winning imaging technology is chosen by Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Boeing, Xerox and thousands of other companies for use in their high volume applications and internal systems.