DARMSTADT, Germany, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Software AG, a global leader in business infrastructure software, today announced that it was named a Leader in the recently published market assessment The Forrester Wave(TM): Human-Centric BPM For Java Platforms, Q3 2007 (August 3, 2007). The recognition was based on a comprehensive assessment of webMethods BPMS that evaluated the company's current product offering, corporate strategy and market presence across more than 150 criteria. webMethods BPMS is the business process management suite (BPMS) component of the webMethods product suite from Software AG. The company was the largest vendor to be cited as a Leader in the report.

webMethods was also recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave(TM): Integration-Centric Business Process Management Suites, Q4 2006 (December 20, 2006) with top overall scores for both Current Offering and Corporate Strategy. Only one other vendor appeared as a leader in both reports.

According to Forrester (1), "webMethods' acquisition by Software AG this past spring helps to differentiate the product in one significant way: It solidifies webMethod's position as one of the few 360-degree BPM players - with not only human-centric capabilities but also strong integration and SOA capabilities."

"By standardizing on a single business process management platform, IT can ensure closer collaboration and better alignment with the business, faster implementations, improved productivity, and lower operating costs. This makes our recognition as a leader in both human-centric and integration-centric business process management, coupled with the strength of our SOA, integration and legacy modernization portfolio, particularly compelling," said Dr. Peter Kurpick, President and Chief Product Officer for Software AG's webMethods division. "More specifically, we believe that the proven performance of webMethods BPMS will be fundamental to organizational shifts from departmental to enterprise-level adoption of business process management."

The independent report (2) found that "webMethods offers some excellent features, with high notes in the change management and reporting and analysis environments (not to mention, of course, the product's integration capabilities). The reporting capabilities of the product are worth noting: The product provides a native reporting environment that allows for customizable reports -- either cached or on demand -- and supports multisystem processes, and predictive and trend alerts."

According to Forrester (3), webMethods BPMS is a particularly strong fit for organizations that:

-- "Need integration-centric BPMS to underpin their human-centric processes. webMethods comes from the integration BPM market and has a strong track record across several industries. Buyers who need both products should consider Software AG, and existing webMethods or Software AG customers should look especially closely at the webMethods BPMS." -- "Require significant change functionality. webMethods offers a strong reporting environment, excellent real-time monitoring functionality, and specific features such as multidimensional change management that make the product a standout in this market. Organizations with highly decision-intensive processes will benefit from webMethods' dedication to product enhancement for this line of functionality." -- "Are looking for a vendor with a large global presence. With Software AG's acquisition of webMethods, webMethods has grown its potential market significantly. The BPM suite will not be negatively affected by this acquisition; instead, Forrester believes the integration will be smooth and positive. webMethods BPMS will become one of the most important products for the new company going forward."

Dr. Peter Kurpick adds: "We're justifiably proud of our recent success in bringing to market a single platform for both human-centric and integration- centric process management requirements. However, we haven't lost sight of the need to deliver continued innovation. Customers can be confident that Software AG will continue to capitalize on its investments in technology while leveraging the strength of our expanded global services to offer them the best solution for their needs."

Software AG was one of 15 vendors included within the evaluation. Forrester projects the market for BPMS software licenses will grow to $6.3 billion by 2011. A complimentary copy of the report is available for download at http://www.softwareag.com/forresterwave and http://www.webmethods.com/forresterwave

(1)Software AG Is A Leader In Human-Centric BPMS - The Forrester Wave(TM) Vendor Summary, Q3 2007 by Colin Teubner with Connie Moore and Jamie Barnett (August 3, 2007)

(2) Software AG Is A Leader In Human-Centric BPMS - The Forrester Wave(TM) Vendor Summary, Q3 2007 by Colin Teubner with Connie Moore and Jamie Barnett (August 3, 2007)

(3) Software AG Is A Leader In Human-Centric BPMS - The Forrester Wave(TM) Vendor Summary, Q3 2007 by Colin Teubner with Connie Moore and Jamie Barnett (August 3, 2007)

Software AG | Uhlandstrasse 12 | 64297 Darmstadt | Germany

Software AG's 4,000 global customers achieve measurable business results by modernizing and automating their IT systems and rapidly building new systems to meet growing business demands. The company's industry-leading product portfolio includes best-in-class solutions for managing data, enabling service oriented architecture, and improving business processes. By combining proven technology with industry expertise and best practices, our customers improve and differentiate their businesses -- faster. Software AG has more than 37 years of global IT experience and approx. 3,700 employees serving customers in 70 countries. The company is headquartered in Germany and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE 0003304002 / SOW). Software AG posted total revenues of euro 483 million in 2006.

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Software AG

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