Press Release

OpenMFG Unveils Open Source Report Writer, PostgreSQL Partnership

ERP application vendor announces beta testing of OpenRPT, increased support for open source database with leading Japanese firm SRA

BOSTON, MA, February 15, 2005 - OpenMFG, a leading enterprise software vendor with deep roots in the open source software community, today announced the public beta testing of its open source report writer and rendering engine, OpenRPT. The company also announced a partnership with Software Research Associates (SRA), one of Japan's oldest and largest independent software houses, to provide enhanced support and services for the PostgreSQL open source database.

OpenMFG offers the only Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system on the market today with a fully open source architecture. While the server runs on a PostgreSQL database (on Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows), the graphical client software is also fully multiplatform, thanks to the open source Qt framework for C++. The OpenMFG ERP Suite includes a rich array of functionality for manufacturing and distribution companies, including full native financials, inventory management, purchasing and sales, scheduling and planning, logistics, and its own native graphical report writer and rendering engine.

Based on strong interest and feedback from the PostgreSQL community, OpenMFG has decided to make its report writer (branded under the name OpenRPT) available under an open source license. While there are several options for ad-hoc Web-based reporting, OpenRPT fills a real void in the marketplace for an open source, general purpose graphical, embeddable report writer. And unlike the market-leading Crystal Reports or Microsoft Access report designer, OpenRPT runs equally well on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. It supports a number of advanced reporting features, including graphs, integrated barcodes, label printing, and watermarks. Report definitions can be stored in the PostgreSQL database as XML, or exported to individual files. (Click here for more info on OpenRPT).

OpenMFG's partnership with SRA will buttress its growing support of the PostgreSQL database as well. SRA America, the US consulting arm of the Japanese software house, has a growing practice of consulting, migration, support, and training services for PostgreSQL. One recent SRA project was the migration of the U.S. National Weather Service internal systems to PostgreSQL. SRA, in turn, will work with OpenMFG to enhance the OpenRPT product, and to help bring the OpenMFG ERP Suite to Asian and European markets.

"We see our support of OpenMFG and OpenRPT as a key part of our overall open source strategy," said Junji Hirata, President of SRA America. "We are pleased to work with emerging leaders such as OpenMFG to demonstrate that PostgreSQL is indeed ready for mission-critical use in the enterprise."

"We have been big fans of PostgreSQL for some time," said Ned Lilly, OpenMFG's President and CEO. "It is the most enterprise-ready, best-supported, feature-rich open source database available. We are delighted to be able to give something back to the open source world with our OpenRPT product, and look forward to a continued close relationship with the PostgreSQL community in particular. Our partnership with SRA will help both our companies to provide a fuller set of services to our customers, and help grow the footprint of PostgreSQL in the enterprise."

OpenMFG and SRA America will be exhibiting their PostgreSQL products and services at Booth #1411 at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in Boston, February 15 through 17, 2005.

About OpenMFG
OpenMFG, LLC develops next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications powered by open source software such as Linux, PostgreSQL, and Qt. OpenMFG products give companies visibility into costs, supply chains, processes, inventory and financial operations with a lower cost of ownership than competing products, and are sold to end-user customers through a network of value added partners throughout North America. For more information, please visit the company Web site at www.openmfg.com.

About SRA
Founded in 1967, Software Research Associates, Inc. (SRA) is one of Japan's oldest and largest independent software houses. Along with its traditional focus on custom software development, in recent years SRA has expanded its offerings to include services and products in the areas of open systems, multimedia, reengineering, mobile computing, outsourcing, and end-user computing. SRA provides consulting, custom software development, and system operation services for clients in industries as varied as public utilities, finance, manufacturing, and information processing. SRA maintains a strong presence in the software product market, distributing and supporting many communications, database, and Internet/World Wide Web applications. SRA has branches in major cities throughout Japan, as well as offices in New York, Colorado, California, and Europe. For more information, please visit the company website at www.sra.co.jp.

About PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is the collective work of hundreds of developers, building on almost twenty years of development which started at the University of California at Berkeley. With its long-time support of an enterprise level feature set including transactions, functions, triggers, and subqueries, PostgreSQL is being used by many of today's most demanding businesses and government agencies. PostgreSQL is distributed under a BSD license, which allows use and distribution without fees for both commercial and non-commercial applications. To find out more about PostgreSQL or to download it, please visit www.postgresql.org.