GREENBELT, MD., July 19, 2000—Empress Software, developers of the advanced EMPRESS Relational Database Management System and six year Linux veteran, and embedded Linux provider, LynuxWorks, Inc., formerly Lynx Real-Time Systems, announce the immediate availability of an exciting new product offering for embedded Linux developers. The EMPRESS RDBMS is now available on LynuxWorks' BlueCat™ Linux, an open-source Linux distribution for embedded systems development. EMPRESS on BlueCat Linux is designed for high performance embedded applications requiring reliability, speed and scalability.

Pushing the small footprint size envelope, Empress Software used the flexible configuration tools of BlueCat Linux to create one floppy containing the whole of the EMPRESS Interactive SQL engine running entirely in-memory and a second floppy with the BlueCat Linux operating system. This demo is available free of charge to developers by request via download. EMPRESS applications on BlueCat Linux can be configured to work entirely in-memory, an ideal configuration for developers of embedded applications requiring speed. Utilizing an in-memory configuration can be key to optimizing performance within embedded applications.

EMPRESS RDBMS on BlueCat Linux is a compact and powerful database management system with exceptional real-time performance for embedded application development. From small devices to large-scale multi-CPU systems, development and deployment of a variety of embedded applications including communications, industrial control systems, avionics, geographic information systems and network management is quick and easy. Configuration of the database and operating system is flexible, giving the developer the power to choose how to optimize the application.

"An EMPRESS database on BlueCat Linux stores and manipulates any data type, whether it be the simple flat-file databases of an address book on a mobile phone, to more complex, networked requirements for binary data of a factory floor production line," comments Ivor Ladd, Vice-President of Technology, Empress Software. "No matter what the size or type of data, developers are limited only by the system the application runs on."

"The flexible, open source, low distribution cost of BlueCat Linux partnered with the solid architecture and feature rich qualities of the EMPRESS RDBMS is a formidable combination for embedded systems development," states William A. Hogan, President, LynuxWorks. "Integrating BlueCat Linux and the EMPRESS RDBMS provides our customers with reliable, customizable solutions that reduce their time to market".

About LynuxWorks

LynuxWorks, Inc., formerly Lynx Real-Time Systems, is a developer and supplier of Linux and real-time operating system software for reliable and high-performance embedded computing applications. LynuxWorks supports industry standards in communications, avionics, automotive, office automation and process control systems worldwide, enabling customers to leverage their investments in software and education. LynuxWorks products include the open-source BlueCat Linux and the scalable, Linux- compatible LynxOS® real-time operating system; software frameworks for high-availability systems; development tools and technical support worldwide.

About Empress Software, Inc.

Empress Software develops and supports the Empress Relational Database Management System. The EMPRESS RDBMS is one of the most powerful and cost-effective development databases especially designed for developers operating on UNIX, Windows or real-time environments. Empress has been utilized successfully in diverse fields including image and voice management, telecommunications, medical systems, telephony systems, geographical information systems and network management.

EMPRESS RDBMS is an ideal foundation for robust embedded system solutions. Its powerful development environment is rich with features including a variety of popular API's including C, C++, SQL and Java. Empress National Language Support allows international language characters sets to stored by the database engine. EMPRESS databases places no limit on storage capacity and offers the ability to store and retrieve virtually any type of data, from microsecond timestamp to variable length text, to imge and sound. Developers with special needs can also take advantage of EMPRESS RDBMS configuration options, such as in-memory configuration and read-only file systems. For more information about Empress, visit their web site at www.empress.com.

The Empress on BlueCat Linux demo is available here.

LynuxWorks and BlueCat are trademarks and LynxOS and Lynx Real-Time Systems are registered trademarks of LynuxWorks, Inc. Other brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective holders.

LynuxWorks press contacts

Kirsten Long Director, Marketing Communications LynuxWorks, Inc. USA +1 408-979-4404	Dave Reddy Weber Shandwick USA +1 650-868-4659	Peter van der Sluijs Neesham Public Relations Europe +44 1442-879222
Hamid Mirab Managing Director EMEA LynuxWorks Ltd. United Kingdom +44 208-906-9506	Elvia Soltero Weber Shandwick USA +1 408-685-0614