New release of SPARX' UML tool builds "productivity bridge" between programmers using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and enterprise architects

SAN FRANCISCO, — SPARX Systems is upgrading its Enterprise Architect Unified Modeling Language (UML) suite with a new productivity bridge between systems architects and business analysts working in UML, and programmers and developers working with the new Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

SPARX today released the beta version of the bridge - SPARX MDG Integration for Visual Studio 2005 - to coincide with Microsoft's worldwide launch of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
SPARX CEO and founder Geoffrey Sparks said the company worked closely with the Microsoft development team for Visual Studio 2005 to create a bridge that integrates UML modeling directly into Visual Studio 2005.

The bridge enables developers to modify UML output created in SPARX' tools from within Visual Studio 2005, and do so with native Visual Studio 2005 commands and interface. This gives developers and programmers access to UML models without requiring them to learn the UML language or interface. A reverse bridge gives modellers and analysts using SPARX UML software access to code created in Visual Studio 2005.

Geoffrey Sparks said the bridge creates a more productive connection between the two ends of the development process - modeling and coding. "Our vision is to speed up turnaround, improve quality, enhance traceability and cut development costs - all at the same time," said Sparks. "This same vision is reflected in our pricing model, which is based on wide distribution of our UML software across the enterprise to support broad collaboration and sharing."

"With Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft was looking to provide customers with a solution that improves application quality, cuts costs and delivers faster results. SPARX' vision aligns with these goals, and Microsoft is delighted to see the development of SPARX MDG Integration for Visual Studio," said Prashant Sridharan, group product manager of the .NET Developer Product Marketing Group at Microsoft Corp.

"The SPARX bridges for Visual Studio 2005 also extend these benefits to the analysts, modellers and testers who participate in to enterprise development," said Sridharan. "It doesn't stop with the coders and programmers."

The bridge to Visual Studio 2005 is configured as a SPARX plug-in. Utilization also requires the recently-released version 6.0 of SPARX' core UML tool Enterprise Architect. Software is available for trial download or purchase from the SPARX web site at www.sparxsystems.com.

SPARX is a privately-held, debt-free company founded in 1997 by software engineer and current CEO Geoffrey Sparx. SPARX' Enterprise Architect is one of the fasted-growing UML modeling tools in the world, with four straight years of 50 percent growth in its installed base.
It is currently licensed by more than 20 percent of Forbes 100 corporations and is widely-used by governments around the globe. "We've definitely earned a place on the industry radar screen," said Sparks.

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