FREEFRAMEWORK PROJECT IS LAUNCHED

NORCROSS, GA -- The FreeFrameWork Project, a community based open source initiative was launched today. The FreeFrameWork Project develops tools that allow developers to address and solve some of the challenges they face when creating B2B and B2C applications in WebSpeed, Progress Software's development environment for building and deploying web applications. United Systems, Inc., a WebSpeed partner and one of the leaders in providing business to business solutions in WebSpeed, announced today the initial release of The FreeFrameWork Project.

WebSpeed is a rapid application development tool that contains both a front-end development component and a transaction server for interfacing to a new or legacy database. Although WebSpeed is a proven high-performance environment for Internet applications, FreeFrameWork enhances security, robustness and administration issues.

The current release of FreeFrameWork is a structure of customizable code designed to run within an application to answer the needs and provide solutions for WebSpeed developers. What is more, FreeFrameWork is just that, free.

"We are very proud to offer this resource to the Progress community", says John Harlow, President of United Systems. "We think the presence of this framework will speed the adoption of WebSpeed in the Progress community by providing an open, portable, standardized methodology for constructing WebSpeed applications."

The following are features of FreeFrameWork:

• Robustness -- FreeFrameWork proactively and reactively maintains database connections for WebSpeed Agents. In addition, it provides enhanced troubleshooting tools for runaway agents so that overall uptime can be increased.
• Security -- FreeFrameWork adds an enhanced security layer to WebSpeed to prevent rogue users from running unpublished code.
• Development -- The development environment is greatly enhanced by FreeFrameWork's ability to compile Embedded SpeedScript files on-the-fly. In addition, the WebSpeed workshop has been extended, providing a more user-friendly interface.
• Administration -- Administration of WebSpeed brokers set up with FreeFrameWork is made simpler in several ways. Enhanced error logging, configuration via an .ini file, security warnings, email notification of problems, and much more.

USI has released this framework to the WebSpeed community in a goodwill effort to promote standards and improvements within that community. "This project is just beginning", says Steve Southwell, FreeFrameWork proponent, and author of the initial release, "As soon as others begin to modify the code, it will evolve into a life of its own, and hopefully continue to develop and improve as an increasingly valuable resource."

"Twenty years from now," says Greg Higgins, Manager of PEG (Progress Email Group), "when all development tool kits are Open Source in style and substance, industry historians will look back on this time and proclaim the inevitability of the Open Source movement and of projects such as the FreeFrameWork Project. They may forget that such inevitability stems solely from the daring, vision and effort of the people who initiate these projects today. For their daring, vision and effort USI is to be applauded."

FreeFramework is a trademark of The FreeFrameWork Project. www.FreeFramework.org. USI is a subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, trading as CPK on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CPK). USI's headquarters are at 5875 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, GA 30092, 770.449.9696, www.UnitedSystemsInc.com. WebSpeed is a registered trademark of Progress Software, Inc., NASDAQ: PRGS, www.progress.com.