Press Release

iRise Drives Innovation in Application Development Through Integration with IBM

iRise Connect for IBM Rational offers a complete application definition solution integrating visual definition with requirements management

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – March 12, 2007 – iRise®, a leading application definition software company, today announced the immediate availability of iRise Connect for IBM Rational, a real-time, bi-directional product integration with (NYSE: IBM) IBM Rational RequisitePro, the requirements management offering within the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform which gives Fortune 1000 companies a complete definition and management platform for getting software requirements right and then successfully managing them through the software development and delivery process. For the first time, requirements for complex business software can be visualized with high definition simulations created in iRise and then synchronized in real-time with IBM’s comprehensive requirements management system, ensuring that the high risk business application projects get to market on time, on budget and with all the features needed to be successful.

"We believe that joining application definition with IBM requirements management makes complete sense," said Gary Blouin, senior vice president at Bank of America. "Integrating visual simulation with the downstream application development process will help take the guesswork out of managing projects and should get services to market faster."

iRise Connect for IBM Rational achieved validation in the Ready for IBM Rational software validation program to ensure that iRise solutions are compatible and add maximum value for joint customers. Ready for IBM Rational software is the official offering through which selected IBM Business Partner products and offerings are validated for integration with the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform.

Key capabilities and benefits of iRise Connect for IBM Rational include:

• Real-time, bi-directional access to critical business requirements – Developers and business analysts now can work in their tool of choice and share detailed requirements information like attribution and traceability in real-time;
• Requirements synchronization – Requirements authored, modified or deleted in iRise or IBM Rational are synchronized with requirements in the other tool, which:
• Ensures that requirements being managed are the "right" requirements
• Eliminates re-keying of requirements between platforms
• iRise has bi-directional synchronization with IBM Rational;
• Requirements attribution visible in both iRise and IBM Rational – Guarantees that requirements don't fall through the cracks between definition and management; and,
• Hyperlinks available from IBM Rational environment to specific simulation pages in iRise – Communicates concepts unambiguously by providing links to associated requirements being managed in working simulations.

"Getting line of business and IT on the same page is critical to an organization's success," stated Michael Loria, vice president of business development, IBM Rational Software. "The integration of iRise with comprehensive requirements management products from IBM gives our customers the ability to know what to build in the first place, and then manage those requirements through to a successful outcome. iRise has used customer-driven use cases to design their integration with the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform to ensure that their integration provides value to customers."

"Customers have been looking for a way to maintain consistency of requirements throughout the project lifecycle," said Maurice Martin, president and founder of iRise. "Now they can smoothly transition from systems defined in iRise and managed downstream in IBM’s Rational. This results in innovative business systems delivered to market faster, with less risk of rework and delays due to miscommunication."

Through its continued success in working with IBM, iRise has achieved Premier-level partner status in IBM PartnerWorld. The designation is given to IBM Business Partners who make significant investments in IBM products and technologies through a combination of certifications, solutions, revenue, customer satisfaction and joint marketing plans.

For additional information on this product integration, please visit:

iRise Connect for IBM Rational on IBM.com
or
iRise Connect for IBM Rational on iRise.com

About iRise
iRise® is dedicated to bridging the communication gap between customers, business and IT by improving the process of defining software.  Over 100 corporations such as Wachovia, Sun Trust Bank, Sprint/Nextel and CompuCredit use the iRise application definition platform to get business and IT on the same page – the first time. Visual, interactive application simulations accelerate the delivery of innovative business applications, cut IT costs and reduce the risks associated with outsourced development.  Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., iRise is backed by Morgan Stanley Venture Partners and has sales offices across North America.

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iRise is a registered trademark of iRise. All other companies and products mentioned are trademarks and property of their respective owners.