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OPENCONNECT'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TEAM HAS RECORD YEAR
More and more customers are leveraging OpenConnect's expertise to expedite the development and delivery of reliable mainframe-to-web solutions.

DALLAS , TEXAS (July 29, 2005) - OpenConnect Systems, Inc., the pioneer of secure mainframe-to-web solutions, today announced the company has completed a record number of professional services engagements in the last twelve months. From custom development projects, to accelerated implementations of OpenConnect solutions, the professional services team has helped dozens of enterprises with their mainframe-to-web needs.

OpenConnect's professional services team has extensive experience using today's latest enterprise development technologies including IBM's Websphere Studio and zSeries tools, Microsoft's Visual Studio .Net, Sun’s Java Studio Enterprise, and more. By leveraging the latest technology and years of mainframe-to-web development and project management experience, OpenConnect helps enterprise organizations install, configure and customize mission critical solutions.

"Our professional services team has always been in demand, but quarter after quarter, we're seeing an increase in demand for our seasoned mainframe-to-web consultants," said Ed Peters, OpenConnect's CEO. "From AAA, to Loancare, Qwest and more – our customers are realizing significant gains in implementation times and cost reductions by leveraging the expertise of our professional services organization."

OpenConnect has extensive experience deploying mainframe-to-web solutions for organizations that span a wide range of industries. In the last twelve months alone OpenConnect's professional services team has helped several enterprise organizations including …

ECMC
OpenConnect quickly Web-enabled ECMC's existing student loan management application by providing end-users with a user-friendly Web-based application that eliminated the need for individuals to navigate confusing CICS green screens.

AAA
AAA needed to deploy a user-friendly, Web-based application that would enable customer service representatives to access and update information within the company's mainframe "member" application. OpenConnect quickly developed the back-end connectivity required for the Mainframe to communicate with the new Web-based application; when the pieces were put together they worked seamlessly and smoothly. The new system has dramatically increased productivity and improved data integrity.

Mover's Suite
OpenConnect helped Mover's Suite develop and deploy a user-friendly, Web-based application to help manage and update move registration and inquiry data within North American Van Line's mainframe applications. OpenConnect's professional services team developed the back-end connectivity required to access the Mainframe application over the Web and Mover's Suite developed the browser-based interface. Mover's Suite plans to replicate the mainframe-to-web solution to access data that resides on mainframes used by its other moving company partners.

Loancare
OpenConnect's professional services team developed a custom portal that provided Loancare customers with access to a secure, self-service Website for their loans. The new Web-based application allows customers to sign up for automatic drafting and make payments online. OpenConnect is currently adding new functionality that will allow individuals to access statements online and enable Loancare to populate the site with dynamic banner advertisements.

GM
OpenConnect's professional services team, used xmlConnect to eliminate the time and resources required to audit and process Time Keeping Sheets for thousands of hourly plant workers. In less than five days, the solution completely automated Time Keeping System that has reduced time sheet processing times from 4 days to 4 hours.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) Michigan
BCBS Michigan was looking for a solution that would provide Group and Agent constituents with a Web-based user interface to access a business critical mainframe application. Using WebSphere's Application Server, OpenConnect's professional services team, developed a secure, web-based solution that has dramatically reduced time and resources.

Qwest
Qwest needed to provide line of business managers with access to 3270 emulation services through a Web portal that had to gather credentials from multiple Identify Access Management systems. Thanks to OpenConnect's mainframe-to-web and security expertise, they were able to quickly deliver a web-based single sign on (SSO) solution that provided secure access to more than 200 critical mainframe applications.

Norfolk Southern
OpenConnect provided architectural guidance and project management services for installing WebConnect directly on a Mainframe Linux partition, architecting a WebConnect integration into an existing web portal infrastructure. OpenConnect also developed the JCP proxy server application used to extend the OC security framework to include WebConnect mainframe installations by terminating remote Internet connections in the DMZ.

"Whether a company needs help with high-availability, roll-over, disaster recovery projects or simply need additional resources to get their OpenConnect solutions up and running fast, they can turn to our team," stated Steve Bishop, director of professional services. "We have a proven track record of success facilitating the development and deployment of reliable mainframe-to-web solutions."

For more information on the professional services available from OpenConnect please call 972.888.0470.

About OpenConnect Systems, Inc.

OpenConnect is the premier supplier of secure Mainframe-to-Web solutions for Global 2000 organizations. The company's Mainframe2Web Secure Solution Series provides companies with cost effective, secure access to critical business information and applications within mainframes. By providing customers, partners and employees with secure access to mainframe data, organizations can significantly increase productivity, information sharing and revenue generating opportunities. OpenConnect's Mainframe2Web Secure Solution Series consists of Secure Access Solutions (WebConnect, WebConnect SSO), Mainframe2Web Development Tools (eXtremeVista and Visual3270) and Web Services Development Tools (xmlConnect). The company's products are distributed in over 60 countries and used by more than 60% of Fortune 100 companies. For more information on OpenConnect, visit their website at www.oc.com.