BURLINGTON, Mass., July 19, 2004 -- Businesses who want to build and deploy browser-based database applications got a development boost today with the release of Alpha Five version 6 from Alpha Software. The new software allows professional developers to create web-hosted databases in less than ten percent of the time currently required to painstakingly program in languages like PHP, ASP, Perl or JavaScript. Non-developers who never dreamed they could build database forms and applications for their web sites can now create sophisticated web databases that rival those produced by professionals.

Web-enabled database applications allow companies and non-profits to include systems for lead tracking, order entry, catalogs, scheduling, membership registration, CRM, and much more on their web sites.

Alpha Five version 6 is a relational database application that lets both programmers and non-programmers create sophisticated desktop database applications without the need to write any code. Action Scripting and hundreds of genies do all the work. The software's "point & click" Web Component Builder makes it possible for anyone to quickly create a web database. Alpha Five includes its own Web Application Server and is also designed to work with the Apache web application server for load balancing in high transaction environments.

Professional database and web consultants can develop web databases faster and at a lower cost for their clients.

A major attraction for large enterprises is the ability Alpha Five gives IT departments to crank out new applications--to be used by employees and customers around the globe--that work with data from their existing ODBC-compliant databases such as MySQL, IBM DB2, MS Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and QuickBooks. Alpha Five version 6 also works with its own .dbf engine.

"Alpha Five is the only solution that lets non-programmers build web database applications, and it's the fastest way for developers to build browser-based applications," said Richard Rabins, Alpha Software co-chairman.

A significant partnership with open source database leader MySQL AB will make Alpha Five readily available to MySQL's 5 million users. While MySQL will direct customers to Alpha Software's web site where they can download Alpha Five, Alpha Software will market a special integrated package of Alpha Five bundled with MySQL's database engine, which will ship in the third quarter.

"The combination of Alpha Five with the MySQL database offers a new way for enterprises to significantly lower development costs, as well as their total cost of ownership," said Rabins. "CIOs at large corporations are thrilled that they can now develop more Web-based apps for MySQL's attractively-priced databases."

Pricing for Alpha Five version 6 starts at $349 for a single user copy. Alpha's Web Application Server costs $699. Introductory pricing is $849 for Alpha Five version 6 bundled with the Web Application Server. Pricing for the MySQL-bundled version has not been released. The software will be available for purchase and download later this week on Alpha's web site www.alphasoftware.com.

About Alpha Software Inc.

Alpha Software Inc., headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, has been creating relational database applications renowned for their ease-of-use for more than 20 years. The company was founded in 1982 by two brothers, Richard and Selwyn Rabins, who studied electrical engineering in South Africa and received their MBAs from MIT. The company is privately-held and is not seeking venture capital.

Alpha Five and Alpha Software are registered trademarks of Alpha Software Inc. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

For Alpha Software Inc., Burlington
Buerger Communications Inc.
Maggie Buerger, 770-552-7560
Mobile: 404-431-0978
maggie@buerger.com