San Francisco, CA, 12 February 1996: -   Software Research, Inc., the leading provider of integrated automated software testing tools and technology, today announces a new TestWorks bundle: Software TestWorks/Web , applying the proven TestWorks product line specifically for support of World Wide Web (WWW) development and maintenance. The STW/Web suite includes CAPBAK/X for capture/replay of complete tests of your web pages; XVirtual for realistic loading to assure WWW response times; and TCAT for Sun's Java language and environment for thorough test of Java applets before public Web site releases.

The new STW/Web tool bundle will help information systems organizations improve the quality and reliability of their WWW-based systems by assuring completeness and consistency of WWW pages by fully exercising them, by allowing Web developers to investigate response time to browser requests, by permitting them to experiment with the maximum number of hits their WWW server can support, and by validating their system's ability to function correctly under varying conditions.

To test a Web-based system using STW/Web, developers first create test scripts using a special Web adapted version of Software Research's GUI testing product CABPAK/X. Test scripts are created by recording actual user interactions with the browser, a step made possible with minimal effort through use of CAPBAK/X's Automated Object Mode Recording and Automated Output Synchronization features. The tester/recorder only has to select validation screens and checkpoints. Every time the WWW pages are modified, CAPBAK/X is used to run the tests unattended to detect functionality errors, such as missing links or incorrect or changed content.

To test performance and capacity, Web page developers then apply SR's XVirtual, a background-only version of an X11 display server. XVirtual can stimulate thousands of hits against the Web display by simulating hundreds of interacting users assuring 100% load accuracy. Using XVirtual, developers can assess the performance delivered by typical WWW-surfers of their site.

The third STW/Web component, TCAT for Java (available in 96Q2) is a test coverage analysis tool configured specifically for Java applications and for use on Java-enabled browsers. Animated WWW site users can now determine that their Java applets are fully exercised by their test suites. This is a critical quality verification function when a Java applet is used in support of financial transactions on the WWW.

``STW/Web is the application of our extensive software test experience accumulated in our 15+ years in the software testing business and represents our three-part entry in the WWW development and testing market,'' said Dr. Edward Miller, President of Software Research, Inc. ``Testing of Web sites has previously been a tedious, manual process. By automating the Web testing process with STW/Web, Web site developers can now build automated processes that assure corporate Web sites have the quality, availability, reliability, and capacity to handle the anticipated user loads with the expected quality level. As for information systems organizations, STW/Web permits Web specialists to manage the risk of the systems exposure to millions of consumers accessing corporate information through the Internet; it improves the quality and performance of their Web-based systems.''

According to recent market surveys the World Wide Web offers millions of potential consumers access to a great variety of corporate information today. By the year 2000, 10 million users will be surfing the net and an astronomical $5 Billion worth of world business will be conducted electronically on the Internet. An increasing number of business-critical applications will be designed specifically for the Internet. Automated software testing will be the only viable option for WWW developers and QA departments involved with the Web. Automated testing will assure that these typically fast-track applications operate reliably in the high-stakes environment of constantly-changing human and electronic users.

STW/Web with CAPBAK/X and XVirtual is available immediately in a special short-time introductory offer at $1995/copy. When TCAT for Java becomes available in 96Q2 the full three-component STW/Web bundle, including TCAT for Java, will carry the introductory price of $2995/copy.

Software Research develops, markets and supports a complete family of Automated Software Quality and Testware solutions that automate and manage testing and quality assurance for developers of enterprise software and systems. The company's Quality Process Architecture empowers corporate developers, system integrators, and independent software vendors to identify software errors more quickly and efficiently than traditional methods allow. Software Research has its headquarters in San Francisco, CA, and maintains offices, agents and distributors across the United States and internationally.

Software Research, Inc., founded in 1977, is the leader in software testing and quality assurance. Founded as a consulting and service organization, the company's integrated tool suite TestWorks (STW) has over 4500 licenses sold and over 12,500 users. STW is the broadest suite of leading-edge testing tools available. STW includes three families of tools that operate independently or as an integrated test tool suite: STW/Regression for test automation and test suite management; STW/Coverage for coverage analysis in a variety of languages for branch, call-pair and path-level coverage; and STW/Advisor for metric and static analysis to aid in test resource allocation. Software Research, Inc. is privately owned and internally funded. Auditing services for the company are performed by Deloitte and Touche.

Contact: Rita Bral. Phone: [+1] (415) 957-1441 TOLL FREE: [+1] 800-942-SOFT (USA Only) (942-7638) FAX: [+1] (415) 957-0730 InterNet: sales@soft.com WWW: http://www.soft.com

STW/Web, CAPBAK/X, Xvirtual and TCAT are trademarks of Software Research, Inc. Java and other Java-based names are is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. and refer to Sun's family of Java-branded technologies.

Software Research, Inc. 625 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94107-1997 Phone: +1 (415) 957-1441 or (800) 942-SOFT [USA Only] Fax: (415) 957-0730 info@soft.com