PRESS:INFORMIX UNVEILS PRODUCT STRATEGY FOR UNIVERSAL SERVER

Informix Unveils Product Strategy for Universal Server

              New Content Management System 
               Heralds Paradigm Shift in 
                Information Management

MENLO PARK, Calif. (February 6, 1996)-- Informix Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFMX), the leading provider of parallel processing database technology, today announced its product strategy for INFORMIX-Universal Server, the first enterprise-capable, fully extensible relational database management system. Universal Server will be the first in a completely new class of information management systems designed to address the growing demand from companies seeking a high-performance, scalable and fully integrated database system that can manage ALL information assets--including numbers, images, maps, sound, video, Web pages, and text as well as any other user-defined, rich data types.

On December 20, 1995, Informix announced that it would acquire Illustra Information Technologies, Inc. and integrate Illustra's dynamic content management system into its core parallel database technology, Dynamic Scalable Architecture (DSA). Universal Server will combine the best features of two proven, leading database technologies: Informix's DSA, and the unique extensible architecture from Illustra, including existing DataBlade modules.

Universal Server will change the way companies store, retrieve, manage, use and re-use their information assets. It will also enable customers to develop new applications never before possible, integrating core business systems and traditional data with new, emerging data types such as time series, multimedia and the HTML markup language of the World Wide Web.

Universal Server will be ideally suited for data warehousing and other mainstream business applications, as well as for the growing number of specialized industries whose livelihood depends on the ability to efficiently manage more non-traditional data types. Those industries include digital publishing on the Web and other delivery media, multimedia and entertainment, earth sciences, and financial services.

Users will also be able to build their own DataBlade object-oriented class libraries to develop customer applications and provide immediate productivity in complex management with INFORMIX-NewEra and Illustra's application development tools.

"We are extremely excited about bringing the Universal Server technology to a market that is ready and waiting for a streamlined, seamless solution to manage complex data," said Phil White, president and CEO of Informix. "Because of the more than 10 years of work Informix and Illustra have invested in the development and commercialization of our respective technologies, we know we can deliver this product within the year. While our competitors talk about their single-purpose solutions for the Web and other markets, industry experts tell us that we've taken a significant lead in being the first to market with a high-performance, single-database solution that will enable customers to extend their core business systems and very large databases with a completely extensible solution for all types of content-rich data."

Universal Server Roll Out
The initial version of Universal Server will be rolled out in three phases over the course of the year as follows:

• Informix gateway-- Informix will initially enable customers to link Informix's DSA technology with Illustra databases through a new gateway product. Using the Informix gateway, customers will be able to build Illustra applications that transparently integrate complex data stored in the Illustra Server with traditional data stored on Informix. The Informix gateway product is scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 1996.
• DataBlade Developer's Tool Kit -- In the second phase, Informix will deliver a DataBlade Developer's Tool Kit for DataBlade module developers. The tool kit will provide the guidelines for building data structures, functions and access that will run against both Illustra and the Universal Server. The DataBlade Developers Kit is scheduled to be available during the second quarter of 1996.
• Universal Server -- In the third phase, Informix will deliver Universal Server, which will blend "industrial-strength" relational database technology with "snap-in" DataBlade modules. The product will enable fully extensible management of complex, rich data in one complete high-performance system, driven by a core engine based on DSA's robust, scalable, parallel technology. Universal Server is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 1996.

Migration Plans
Current and prospective customers of both Informix and Illustra can start development immediately, knowing that their applications and DataBlade extensions can be migrated easily and quickly to Universal Server. Informix customers will be able to run their Informix-based applications on the Universal Server without having to recompile or make any changes to their applications. Illustra customers will be able to easily migrate their applications and DataBlade extensions to the merged Universal Server product. Existing and new Illustra customers who buy Illustra database licenses with support will be able to upgrade to the Universal Server at no additional charge.

About Illustra
Headquartered in Oakland, Calif., Illustra Information Technologies, Inc. is the leading worldwide supplier of content management systems in multimedia and entertainment, digital media publishing, earth sciences, and financial services. The company's flagship product, the Illustra Server, allows users to store, manage, and analyze complex multimedia data such as audio, video, and images, in a single database, along with traditional characters and numbers. The company was founded in 1992. For more information on the company and Illustra's products, please visit http://www.illustra.com.

About Informix
Informix Software is the leading supplier of high performance, parallel processing database technology for open systems. Informix products also include application development tools for creating client/server production applications, decision support systems, and ad-hoc query interfaces, and connectivity software that allows information to be shared transparently from PCs to mainframes within the corporate computing environment. Informix's corporate headquarters is based in Menlo Park, California. Received on Wed Feb 21 1996 - 00:00:00 CET