MKS Announces Implementer 5.5 Enhances Process Control and Developer Flexibility

New process management controls and integrations more deeply connect iSeries, distributed and mainframe development

Waterloo, ON - March 2, 2004: MKS Inc. (MKS) (TSX:MKX), a leading provider of enterprise software configuration management (eSCM) solutions for the Global 1000, announced today the release of Implementer. 5.5, the latest edition of the company's market leading solution for change management on the iSeries platform. Implementer is a core component of MKS Integrity Solution., MKS's complete enterprise software configuration management (eSCM) solution.

"This latest release provides IT organizations even greater flexibility, visibility and control over the enterprise change management process, and connects iSeries development more tightly to software development activity on other enterprise platforms. As more organizations move to build cross-platform applications, the need for consistent tools, processes and improved management visibility also grows," says Marty Acks, MKS's iSeries Product Manager.

Implementer 5.5 delivers a number of new enhancements including:

Enhanced and More Flexible Production Deployment Controls

• MKS has tightened the connection between Implementer and MKS Integrity Manager., MKS's customizable and scalable process and workflow management product, now offering development teams a faster and more simplified process for deploying native iSeries and cross-platform applications. MKS Integrity Manager provides a departmental role-appropriate user interface to promote and deploy software to production without requiring the use of developer-oriented tools. Now QA and IT staff can launch promotions or can perform activities directly within the MKS Integrity Manager browser, graphical user interface (GUI), or command line interface (CLI).

Deeper WebSphere Integration

• MKS enhances its plug-in support for WebSphere Developer Studio client for iSeries (WDSc) 5.1 allowing common change control tasks to be performed directly within the WebSphere development environment. New Implementer object properties windows and user customization features allow developers to tailor their WDSc experience to their specific needs.

Improved SQL Stored Procedure support

• MKS extends its existing SQL support with simplified management of SQL stored procedures. Implementer supports both source-based and non-source-based SQL procedures while eliminating undesirable polymorphism. Internal procedures, utilizing SQL Procedure Language (SPL) and external types of stored procedures are both allowed natively within Implementer.

Greater Control Over Multiple Development Paths

• Implementer 5.5 now offers new options for customizing parallel development. Developers now have greater flexibility with the choice of automatically or manually selecting a specific version of source to be modified.

Impact Analysis to Protect Application Quality

• Dependency and impact analysis enhancements during promotions improve application quality through automatically detecting and eliminating dependency failures earlier in the QA process. Utilizing the unique application pathing facility in Implementer, new promotion/deployment scanners ensure all impacted production objects are analyzed and recompiled into the correct testing libraries, as needed.

Improved integration with Customer-written applications

• New and improved commands for the Implementer Clipboard allow additional flexibility for interfacing Implementer into custom-written enterprise applications and tools.
• As part of the MKS Integrity Solution, MKS also releases today MKS Source Integrity. Enterprise Edition and MKS Integrity Manager offering extended control to the mainframe with an integration to CA Endevor; enhanced process capabilities including new templates for Waterfall and iterative development; development staging capability via a enforceable change package audit review process; a new Open API enabling rapid integration into enterprise applications and environments, new integrations into Mercury Interactive TestDirector. and help desk environments. 

Availability
Implementer 5.5, part of the MKS Integrity Solution, is available direct from MKS. For pricing and sales information, please contact your MKS sales representative at 1-800-265-2797 (North America), +44 1483 733919 (UK) or +49 711 351775 0 (Germany).

About MKS
MKS Inc. ("MKS") (TSX: MKX) provides award-winning enterprise software configuration management (SCM) and interoperability software solutions enabling Global 1000 companies to better manage and control the complete process of software development. The company's family of SCM products offers advanced technology with robust workflow, version control, and impact analysis capabilities. Under its widely known MKS Toolkit. brand, MKS provides UNIX-Windows co-existence, and system administration that significantly cut development and administrative costs and reduce time to market while enabling enhanced performance. Founded in 1984 with over 10,000 customers worldwide, MKS has built its brand on the foundation of advanced technology, superior quality and extraordinary customer service. More information about MKS can be found at http://www.mks.com, or by calling 1-800-265-2797 (US & Canada), +49-711-351775-0 (Germany), and +44-1483-733900 (United Kingdom).

Copyright ) 2004 MKS Inc. MKS, Implementer, MKS Integrity Solution, MKS Integrity Manager, MKS Source Integrity, and MKS Toolkit are registered trademarks of MKS Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to such risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made including those factors detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated or expected. The Company does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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