Micro Focus Action Program Surpasses 50 US Member Universities

— ACTION-assisted courses ensure graduates are skilled in high-demand COBOL —

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Micro Focus® (LSE:MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application management and modernization solutions, today announced that its Academic ConnecTIONs (ACTION) program has surpassed 50 US academic institution members. Launched in May 2007, the ACTION Program has seen rapid growth as universities and corporations across the globe recognize the need to ensure upcoming graduates have the IT skills that employers require today and will continue to need in the future.

“We recognize that the majority of enterprise systems running today rely on applications written in COBOL. It is important that we offer our Computer Information Systems students a complete curriculum and focus on all the technologies they will need to work effectively within an enterprise”

Specifically, the ACTION program focuses on COBOL and core IT skills training. The program provides member universities with free access to the latest technology and teaching tools for enterprise application development. This helps connect enterprises with young developers equipped with essential COBOL and related skills.

“We recognize that the majority of enterprise systems running today rely on applications written in COBOL. It is important that we offer our Computer Information Systems students a complete curriculum and focus on all the technologies they will need to work effectively within an enterprise,” said Dr. Richard Aukerman, Chair of the Department of Accounting and Computer Information Systems at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. “We continue to see a demand for COBOL-skilled workers and the Micro Focus ACTION program enables us to provide our students with the skills that will be put to real use when they enter the business world.”

In addition to surpassing 50 US members, the ACTION program has reached more than 140 countries through its free product download and education support initiative. Micro Focus supports over 70 ACTION partners worldwide with more than 10,000 license grants. Over 16,000 people have also downloaded the free COBOL compiler provided by Micro Focus. At least 5,000 students are expected to graduate worldwide every year with COBOL skills, benefitting from the ACTION Program.

“The rapid growth of ACTION underlines the importance of maintaining and modernizing core IT systems, and the rising demand for COBOL skills. Especially in light of the current economic climate, enterprises must extend the value of their existing IT assets. Successful organisations will be those able to hire graduates familiar with key programming languages at the heart of today’s enterprise systems,” said Stuart McGill, Chief Technology Officer, Micro Focus.

About Micro Focus

Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovative software that allows companies to dramatically improve the business value of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus Enterprise Application Modernization and Management software enables customers’ business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embrace modern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additional information please visit www.microfocus.com

Micro Focus is a registered trademark.