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UMODEL v2008r2 PROVIDES USERS WITH ENHANCED AUTOCOMPLETION CAPABILITIES, SUPPORT FOR JAVA 6.0, C# 3.0, VISUAL BASIC 9.0 AND VS 2008, AND MORE

BEVERLY, Mass., July 1, 2008 – Altova® ( http://www.altova.com ), creator of XMLSpy®, the industry leading XML editor, and other popular XML, data management, UML, and Web services tools, recently announced the availability of Altova UModel Version 2008 Release 2 (v2008r2). In the latest update of UModel, several powerful new features have been added for visually designing application models in the Unified Modeling Language™ (UML®), including support for the Object Management Group (OMG™) Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN™), a graphical notation for drawing business processes in a workflow, extended support for Java 6.0, C# 3.0, Visual Basic 9.0, and Visual Studio 2008, as well as enhanced functionality for working UML diagrams, and more.

“Giving developers a tool to visually design a software application allows them to work more effectively with other project stakeholders who are not programmers, so together they can clearly define project requirements early on in the development process,” said Alexander Falk, President and CEO for Altova. “In this latest version, our support for BPMN, along with the other product enhancements we’ve added to our UML modeling tool, allows technical and non-technical users alike to view and understand the application development process, while empowering development teams to manage change in order to meet deadlines and lower development costs.”

The new features and functionality now available in UModel v2008r2 include:

• Support for OMG Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) – New support in UModel 2008r2 enables users to develop BPMN diagrams to illustrate business processes, which is often a requirements definition step prior to software development. The use of BPMN diagrams is especially useful for developing, documenting, and implementing standards in large organizations or in complex industries with many interacting business entities. Additionally, these diagrams are readily understandable by all business stakeholders, including business analysts, technical developers, and business managers.
• Support for Java 6.0, C# 3.0, Visual Basic 9.0, and MS Visual Studio 2008 – UModel 2008r2 is the first UML tool to include updated source code generation and reverse engineering support for Java 6.0, C# 3.0, and Visual Basic 9.0, including accurate parsing of the new language constructs introduced in C# 3.0 and VB9.0 that directly support XML. Additionally, the UModel 2008 Enterprise Edition integration component now supports the latest release of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.
• New Diagram Layers Feature – In the latest version of UModel, a new diagram layers feature, similar to the layers functionality in dedicated graphics applications, is now supported. The UModel Layers window allows UML modelers to create and control layers in any diagram type. Each element in a diagram can be assigned to a specific layer, and those layers can be made invisible or locked to prevent changes. Additionally, the new layers functionality allows users to group elements logically within diagrams. For example, comments added during a review cycle could be recorded in notes placed on a dedicated layer. Later, the comments layer might be made invisible for diagram printing or generation of project documentation.
• Enhanced Autocompletion Capabilities – UModel 2008 Release 2 features enhanced autocompletion functionality to assist users when creating operations and properties for classes. The new autocompletion window automatically pops open after the user types an operation or property name within a class. Additionally, selections within the window can be filtered to include primitive types, data types, enumerations, or class, interface, or datatype templates.
• Functionality for Merging Multiple Projects – In UModel 2008r2 changes made by different developers to individual copies of a UModel project file can now be merged back to a single project. A new entry in the UModel Project menu complements the existing Subproject capabilities by allowing an entire external project to be merged. This feature will also enhance reusability of existing work by allowing an entire reverse-engineered project to be merged with another project that was initiated separately.
• Support for Importing XML Schemas – A new feature in UModel 2008 Release 2 allows users to conveniently create UML-style XML Schema diagrams for multiple XML Schemas stored in a directory, rather than importing each schema individually. This new functionality is especially useful for modeling advanced, complex schemas that are frequently constructed by combining smaller schemas by reference through xs:include, xs:import, and other techniques.
• New Diagramming Refinements – ASeveral convenient new refinements have been added to UModel 2008 Release 2 to enhance diagramming of Stereotypes, ComponentRealizations, ObjectNodes, and Collection Associations.

Learn more about all the features in UModel Version 2008 Release 2 at: http://www.altova.com/whatsnew.html

To download a 30-day free trial of Altova UModel visit: http://www.altova.com/download.html

Altova UModel Version 2008 Release 2 is currently available in Professional and Enterprise Editions, with pricing starting at $139 (USD).

UModel may be purchased stand-alone or as part of the Altova MissionKit™ 2008 product bundle – both are available directly from the Altova Online Shop at: https://shop.altova.com. Altova recommends the purchase of its Support and Maintenance Package (SMP) with all software purchases. Learn more at: http://www.altova.com/support_package.html

About Altova

Altova accelerates application development and data management projects with software and solutions that enhance productivity and maximize results. As an innovative, customer-focused company and the creator of XMLSpy and other leading XML, data management, UML, and Web services tools, Altova is the choice of over 3 million clients worldwide, including 91 percent of the Fortune 500. Enabling customers ranging from vast development teams in the world’s largest organizations to progressive one-person shops, Altova’s line of software tools fulfills a broad spectrum of business needs. Altova is an active member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Object Management Group (OMG) and is committed to delivering standards-based platform-independent solutions that are powerful, affordable, and easy-to-use. Altova was founded in 1992 and has headquarters in Beverly, Massachusetts and Vienna, Austria. Visit Altova on the Web at: http://www.altova.com

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Altova, MissionKit, XMLSpy, MapForce, StyleVision, UModel, DatabaseSpy, DiffDog, SchemaAgent, SemanticWorks, Authentic, and AltovaXML are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Altova GmbH in the United States and/or other countries. The names of and reference to other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.