Released on: October 30, 2008, 2:53 am

Press Release Author: Alpha Software, Inc.

Industry: Software

Press Release Summary: Engineering Dept. Makes Alpha Five Database a Key Component
of Student Curriculum.


Press Release Body: MANKATO, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering and Technology of Minnesota State University, Mankato, has
selected Alpha Softwares Alpha Five Platinum as the standard programming tool for
its engineering curriculum. Engineering students are now using Alpha Five to develop
complex databases that support hardware design, system integration, project
management, budget management, verification plans and reports, engineering tools,
and more.

The software development skills our students are learning with Alpha Five will be
crucial to their future success as engineers, says Dr. Bill Hudson, Electrical and
Computer Engineering and Technology Department Chair at Minnesota State University,
Mankato. We looked long and hard at several popular programming platforms, such as
.Net, Java, PHP, and so on. But the learning curves were steep, and would have
required an excessive amount of time teaching programming instead of engineering.
With Alpha Fives agile development approach, our students need very little time to
become productive. They can quickly focus on solving their specific problems with
software solutions they can rapidly create.

The Trafton Science Center, home to the university's College of Science, Engineering
and Technology, includes a new, 70,000-square-foot addition with state-of-the-art
laboratories and classrooms, which will be completed during the fall semester. The
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology offers four
undergraduate degree programs and a masters degree Engineering. Other programs
offered in the college can be found at http://cset.mnsu.edu/programs/ugrad/.

The Departments curriculum balances theory and application to keep students and
faculty abreast of current industry trends and toolsets. This forward-looking
philosophy was one of the principal reasons the department standardized on Alpha
Five.

We have to prepare students for how software will be developed in the future, not
how it was developed 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, Hudson says. Alpha Fives
contemporary methodology encourages agile development practices that get ideas into
action quickly, and makes it easier to evolve applications as engineering
requirements evolve. Thats a competitive edge theyll be able to take advantage of
for years to come.

Alpha Five Platinum is the first development tool that can visually build
AJAX-powered Web applications, integrate SQL databases with drag+drop simplicity,
and deliver enterprise-scale availability, without having to write pages of computer
code.

And while coding is optional, Alpha Fives integrated development environment (IDE)
still gives developers full access to forms, interactive reports, lists, Web
components, APIs, XML, and more. Its packed with 200 reusable ActionScripts,
Supercontrols, HTML and CSS builders, the full Xbasic/Xdialog language, Portable
SQL, and Genies that generate editable code for any custom requirement.

Theres also a full-featured custom report generator (with drill-down support), a
role-based Web security framework, and native SQL support for every major
database-including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, IBM DB2, and
EnterpriseDB/Postgres Plus.

Alpha Five Platinum is available now. Pricing information is available at
http://www.alphasoftware.com/alphafive/platinum/index.asp. A 30-day unlimited trial
version of Alpha Five Platinum can be downloaded at
http://www.alphasoftware.com/trial/platinum/index.asp. Training, programming and
consulting support, and professional services are available.

Review copies available: PRESS & BLOGGERS ONLY

ABOUT ALPHA SOFTWARE

Since 1982, Alpha Software has been providing developers with award-winning tools
that make it easy to rapidly build robust database and business applications. Today
over 1 million developers rely on Alpha Softwares flagship platform, Alpha Five, to
build desktop, client-server, distributed, Web 2.0, and AJAX applications for
organizations of any sizefrom SOHO to the Fortune 100. Every day, tens of millions
of people and businesses rely on applications built in Alpha Five. With the
introduction of Alpha Five Version 9 Platinum Edition in 2008, Alpha Software set
new standards for speed of development, portability, reporting, and security for
database applications of all stripes. The company is privately held, and based in
Burlington, Mass. Alpha Software can be found on the Web at
http://www.alphasoftware.com.

PRESS RESOURCES
-----------------------
Contact:
Kate Ritchie
610-642-8253, ext. 162

Alpha Five Platinum microsite:
http://www.alphasoftware.com/alphafive/platinum/index.asp
Alpha Software blog: http://blog.alphasoftware.com/
Alpha Software Web site: http://www.alphasoftware.com/

Minnesota State University, Mankato: http://www.mnsu.edu/
Minnesota State University, MankatoDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering
and Technology: http://cset.mnsu.edu/ecet/

USER REFERENCES, IMAGES, AND PRESS EVALUATION COPIES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.


Contacts
Media contact:
Gregory FCA Communications
Kate Ritchie, 610-642-8253, ext. 162
KateR@GregoryFCA.com
or
Company contact:
Alpha Software
Richard@AlphaSoftware.com


Web Site: http://www.alphasoftware.com/alphafive/platinum/index.asp

Contact Details: Alpha Software, Inc.
70 Blanchard Road,
Burlington, MA 01803
(781) 229-4500