PRESS SEARS SELECTS INFORMIX-ONLINE DYNAMIC SERVER 7.1 FOR ENTERPRISEWIDE APPLICATIONS

SEARS SELECTS INFORMIX-ONLINE DYNAMIC SERVER 7.1 FOR ENTERPRISEWIDE APPLICATIONS Informix Parallel Database Solution Selected to Build Very Large Databases In All of Sears' Business Areas MENLO PARK, Calif. (February 13, 1995) -- Informix Software, Inc., (NASDAQ: IFMX) the leading provider of parallel processing database technology, today announced that Sears Merchandise Group, the $30 billion retail and credit arm of Sears, Roebuck and Co., has selected INFORMIX(R)-OnLine Dynamic Server(TM) version 7.1 as its standard database to replace proprietary systems and develop new applications in all of its business areas. Sears' decision to select Informix's high performance Dynamic Scalable Architecture(TM) (DSA) was based on its requirement for a database that could handle very large databases. Several of Sears' applications will grow to hundreds of gigabytes in size. Sears' repair services manages information on 60 million customers, 17 million service orders, and over four million part numbers while handling the 100,000 service calls Sears receives each day. OnLine Dynamic Server, the first product to incorporate DSA, was designed to address the growing needs of customers like Sears who need to manage larger, more complex business-critical databases while improving overall system performance and scalability. The new transaction-intensive applications will support over 4,800 users at Sears' home office and hundreds of service and distribution centers nationwide. Applications in Sears' repair services include parts management and inventory; parts forecasting and replenishment; technician scheduling and routing; and a library imaging system which will initially provide parts diagrams in the service centers and will later provide technicians in the field with information on service calls which they can access with hand-held devices. New applications in its logistics area include improved distribution tracking, warehouse management, and a vendor compliance system. Contracts, leads, and customer inquiries will be tracked using Informix database technology in its home improvement area. "We selected OnLine Dynamic Server because it was designed to handle large volumes of data and a high number of transactions. The Informix solution's ease of installation and maintenance was also important to Sears because of its many locations," said Bob Check, director of development support at Sears. "Sears manages hundreds of thousands of parts and needs to respond to rapidly changing demands. Informix will enable us to increase productivity, reduce costs and deliver better service to our customers." "OnLine Dynamic Server provides the high performance and scalability Sears requires to manage its very large databases," said Frank Bergandi, vice president, North America at Informix. "We are pleased to provide the database technology that can grow with Sears as it reengineers its business and develops new applications." About OnLine Dynamic Server 7.1 INFORMIX-OnLine Dynamic Server 7.1 is Informix's powerful, multithreaded database server designed to exploit the capabilities of both symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) and uniprocessor architectures to deliver breakthrough database scalability, manageability, and performance. OnLine Dynamic Server provides superior transaction processing, optimal decision support through parallel data query (PDQ) technology, high availability, data integrity, mainframe-caliber administration, graphical monitoring tools, and multimedia capabilities. OnLine Dynamic Server is currently available on eleven leading symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and uniprocessor hardware platforms. OnLine Dynamic Server 7.1 is an enhanced version of OnLine Dynamic Server version 7.0 introduced in February 1994. Version 7.1 enhancements provide greater scalability, extended high availability and increased system management capabilities. About Sears Merchandise Group Sears Merchandise Group is the $30 billion retail and credit arm of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Sears Merchandise Group operates more than 800 multiline department stores and more than 1,060 specialty stores, including Western Auto centers, Sears Hardware stores and Homelife furniture stores, throughout the United States. About Informix Informix Software is the leading supplier of high performance, parallel processing database technology for open systems. The company's database servers are the number one choice of computer hardware manufacturers for publishing Transaction Processing Council (TPC) benchmarks for UNIX-based 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. ### -- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% William Daul Advanced Support INFORMIX SOFTWARE INC. 4100 Bohannon Dr. (415) 926-6488 - wk Menlo Park, CA. 94025 uunet!infmx!billd or billd@informix.com