Software Maker Uses 64-Bit Platform to Enhance Connectivity Application

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Customer Solution Case Study

Software Maker Uses 64-bit Platform to Enhance Connectivity Application

Overview “Running Exceed on the 64-bit platform provides Country or Region: Canada great performance gains, yet customers can Industry: High Technology manage their investments in 32-bit systems. This is Customer Profile another revolution for the Windows-based Hummingbird is a Toronto-based provider of enterprise software solutions workstation.” that include connectivity software for Xavier Chaillot, Director of Product Management and Product Marketing for the Connectivity linking heterogeneous computer systems. The company employs more than 1,500 people. Organizations around the globe use Exceed, an application made by Hummingbird to help its users run UNIX-based Business Situation The company wanted to enhance the applications with Microsoft® Windows®-based workstations. For performance of Exceed, a product that the new version of Exceed, Hummingbird wanted to enhance lets users access UNIX-based data from Microsoft® Windows®-based PCs. the software’s performance by using new 64-bit computing technology—but without risking its customers’ investments in Solution Hummingbird adopted Microsoft 32-bit systems. Hummingbird decided to port Exceed to Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition. Tests show for the next edition of Exceed, using the 64-bit platform’s capabilities to that Exceed, running on the 64-bit desktop operating system, substantially improve computing performs at least 25 percent faster on complex rendering tasks. performance. By basing Exceed on the 64-bit Windows platform, which is Benefits backward-compatible with 32-bit applications, Hummingbird  Faster input/output  More memory for graphics customers can migrate to a more powerful computing  Protection of IT investments environment while protecting their existing IT investments. Situation sophisticated. Hummingbird wanted to Founded in 1984, Hummingbird is an improve the overall performance of Exceed independent software vendor that today is so it would provide even greater a leading provider of enterprise and performance for graphically rich, CPU- connectivity solutions to a range of intensive applications. industries, including government agencies, legal firms, and financial services companies. The company’s enterprise Solution content management solutions help Hummingbird decided to port its entire organizations address critical business Connectivity suite to the 64-bit Microsoft needs such as information management, Windows platform and use Microsoft business continuity, compliance, and risk Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition as mitigation. the operating system for Exceed. In doing so, Hummingbird is able to provide a Exceed, which is part of the Hummingbird solution that lets users with multiplatform “With the 64-bit Connectivity suite of enterprise computing needs experience higher memory capabilities, applications, is the company’s flagship performance when accessing non- product. It is a PC X server with which Windows applications from their Windows- we can use more users can remotely access UNIX-based based workstations. aggressive caching graphical applications from Microsoft® Windows®-based PC workstations. Using industry standard tests, techniques and Hummingbird achieved performance gains therefore speed up the Exceed enables companies to use one of 25 percent or greater with Exceed solution to solve the dual issues of running on the 64-bit platform. At the same rendering in “desktop real estate” and hardware cost,” time, the move allows organizations to applications such as says Xavier Chaillot, Director of Product continue to use 32-bit applications because Management and Product Marketing for the of the backward compatibility of the 64-bit CAD drawings.” Hummingbird Connectivity product division. Windows computing environment. Xavier Chaillot, Director of Product Management and Product Marketing for the “Our customers—for example, an airplane Benefits Connectivity Suite, engineer or a broker on a trading floor— Moving Exceed to the 64-bit platform Hummingbird use UNIX-based systems for very complex enhances performance in several ways. It tasks, but they also use Windows-based improves input/output (I/O) performance for workstations for their business activities,” moving data in CPU-intensive applications, Chaillot says. “Instead of keeping one such as financial and scientific modeling UNIX computer and a Windows PC on software. It provides up to 16 terabytes of each desk, Exceed uses the X Windows virtual memory to enable greater technology to render the UNIX applications performance of applications, especially on the Windows-based PC.” software that is graphically intensive.

With each new iteration of software, The new platform also ensures that however, more and more features are Hummingbird customers can continue to added and graphics become more take advantage of their investments in 32- bit applications while migrating to the more for applications that are developed to use powerful computing environment. this greater system memory.

Faster Input/Output “Exceed is essentially a rendering engine. When it’s used for graphically intensive Having that extra virtual memory is a big applications, Exceed needs to “render part of performance improvement,” Chaillot many complex graphic instructions in says. “It helps Exceed display applications milliseconds,” Chaillot says. Basing the that require a lot more information in new version of Exceed on the Windows XP memory. With the 64-bit memory Professional 64-bit Edition means that capabilities, we can use more aggressive users will experience faster, more caching techniques and therefore speed up seamless performance in their applications. the rendering in applications such as CAD “Exceed receives orders that are sent from drawings.” a UNIX box through the network, such as, ‘Draw this window and use this kind of Protection of IT Investments color,’” he says. “So the quicker the I/O, the Many Hummingbird customers have faster the orders are received and extensive investments in 32-bit executed on the user’s Windows-based applications, use UNIX-based software, workstation.” and also want to migrate to 64-bit Windows computing. The new solution enables most This kind of performance increase helps Windows-compatible 32-bit applications run users in a wide range of industries improve "as is" in a subsystem of Windows XP their productivity. For example, aviation Professional 64-bit Edition with engineers can do more tests, and faster performance that is comparable to 32-bit ones, that use 3-D visualizations to Windows. Meanwhile, workstation users simulate the effects of airflow and stress on can take advantage of rich integration airplane materials. Similarly, stock analysts capabilities and productivity tools on the can more quickly perform “what-if” Windows platform. scenarios that affect trading decisions. “The power and flexibility of the Windows More Memory for Graphics 64-bit platform helps us make a compelling Another key difference in the new version business case with our customers,” Chaillot of Exceed is the ability of 64-bit Windows to says. “Running Exceed on the 64-bit use substantially more system memory. platform provides great performance gains, Windows XP Professional 64-bit Edition yet customers can protect their investments initially supports up to 128 gigabytes of in 32-bit systems. This is another revolution RAM—which will grow in the future as for the Windows-based workstation.” hardware capabilities expand—and up to 16 terabytes of virtual memory.

Data in memory is accessed thousands of times faster than it is on a disk drive, offering a tremendous performance benefit For More Information Windows XP Professional For more information about Microsoft Windows XP Professional gives you the products and services, call the Microsoft freedom to do what you want at home and Sales Information Center at (800) 426- at work--simply, reliably, and securely. 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- For more information about Windows XP 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard- Professional, go to: of-hearing can reach Microsoft text www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com

For more information about Hummingbird products and services, call (877) 359- 4866 or visit the Web site at: www.hummingbird.com

Software and Services  Product - Windows XP Professional © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of other products are the properties of their respective owners.

Document published January 2006