Bedford, Mass. - July 27, 2004 – Progress(R)-Based BMH Open4 Integrated Application Allows Orthopedic Provider Exactech to Keep its HR Department Small Yet Responsive to Regulatory Demands.

The Progress Company, a leading supplier of technology for building the world's best business applications, and an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS) today announced that Exactech, Inc. (Nasdaq:EXAC) has deployed the Open4(R) Integrated HRIS solution. Built using Progress(R) OpenEdge(TM) technology by Progress partner BMH, the Open4 integrated application more effectively tracks training and certification records while providing a web-based, self-service human resources model to its employees. Exactech is a developer and marketer of orthopedic implant devices, related surgical instruments and biologic materials and services to hospitals and physicians.

Exactech implemented the Open4 system because of its flexibility and efficient operation. The application not only automates routine HR functions for Exactech employees such as online viewing of payroll information, enrolling in benefits and scheduling time off, but it also provides immediate access to critical information about employee training and certification that is mandated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

According to Exactech IT Manager Thad Beavers, Exactech began the search which eventually led to BMH because accessing paper records for the company's 164 employees was slow and inefficient. When the FDA conducted a regular audit, for example, the company's four-person human resources department had to review each employee record in order to find out if that person had received a particular certification. The paper process was also time-consuming for employees, who would sign a form indicating they attended training, get that form signed by a supervisor, and then submit it to human resources.

"Now, HR can run reports for the FDA and ISO in a few minutes, and employees can access everything they need online. It's so much easier for everyone," Beavers says. "The Open4 Integrated HRIS solution allows us to keep our human resources department small while accelerating our responsiveness to FDA and ISO audit requests. We implemented the system to meet our strenuous audit requirements, and the HR functionality has been icing on the cake."

"The rapid development capabilities within Progress OpenEdge allowed us to quickly and easily meet our customer's unique employee audit needs and get Exactech running in less than a month. Responsiveness to new customer and market needs is critical in our business," says Susan Williams, marketing and sales manager at BMH. "We're a small company, and being able to add value like this is huge. It gives us the ability to be creative and consultative for all our clients, and highly competitive in our marketplace."

About BMH
BMH is a leading provider of HRIS (Human Resource Information System) to a wide variety of organizations, ranging in size from 100 employees to 30,000.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the firm is focused exclusively on developing and supporting the OPEN4 HRIS. BMH and OPEN4 product information is available at http://www.open4.com.

About Exactech, Inc.
Based in Gainesville, Fla., Exactech develops and markets orthopaedic implant devices, related surgical instruments and biologic materials and services to hospitals and physicians. The company manufactures many of its orthopaedic devices at its Gainesville facility. Exactech's orthopaedic products are used in the restoration of bones and joints that have deteriorated as a result of injury or diseases such as arthritis. Exactech markets its products in the United States and in more than 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. Copies of EXAC press releases, SEC filings, current price quotes and other valuable information for investors may be found on the websites http://www.exac.com and http://www.hawkassociates.com.

About Progress Software
Progress Software is an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (Nasdaq: PRGS), a $300+ million global software industry leader. Progress Software simplifies the development, deployment, integration, and management of the world's best business applications. Progress and its 2,000 Application Partners offer more than 5,000 Progress-based business applications that precisely fit customer needs and deliver competitive advantage. Customers purchase more than $5 billion annually in cost-effective software and services from Progress and its partners.

The Progress(R) OpenEdge(TM) platform enables its partners to rapidly build and deliver lowest cost-of-ownership applications. Progress Software Corporation also conducts business through its other operating companies: Sonic Software, DataDirect Technologies, ObjectStore and PeerDirect. Headquartered in Bedford, Mass., Progress Software can be reached on the Web at http://www.progress.com or by phone at +1-781-280-4000.

Progress, OpenEdge, and Progress OpenEdge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks or service marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.