NEWBURY, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Mar 21, 2013) -  Micro Focus (LSE: MCRO.L), the leading provider of [ enterprise application modernization, testing, and management solutions ], and IT-oLogy today announced a new partnership that utilizes Micro Focus products to create new highly skilled IT professionals and nurture the demand of tomorrow's IT professionals. IT-oLogy supports more than twenty thousand students and professionals every year, and partners with over 200 businesses and 80 universities, colleges and community colleges nationwide, providing a framework for skills development, talent acquisition and supply.

Under the agreement, Micro Focus will make its [ Enterprise Developer ] products available, delivering zEnterprise education through the latest Integrated Developer Environments (IDEs). Covering both Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio, this will provide a widely-available and contemporary environment for mainframe skills development. Through the provision of these technologies, Micro Focus and IT-oLogy expect to address the skills gap, assist educating on IBM® zEnterprise® technologies and further improve awareness and understanding of the profound value of the mainframe world.

The partnership program has seen a successful start in Columbia, SC and is now expanding to Dallas and a number of other locations. Commenting on the partnership, Steve Wiggins, EVP, CIO BCBS of SC and chairman of IT-oLogy, said: "As a non-profit organization, IT-oLogy is always looking at innovative ways to deliver knowledge to the IT community. Having Micro Focus as a partner is critical to our growth. We can now offer students and professionals the latest technologies, attract more students and improve the delivery mechanism, while expanding our presence to help IT communities nationwide."

Micro Focus' broader strategy is to enable enterprise clients to deliver the maximum value from their core IT assets. The IBM mainframe environment remains the powerhouse on which thousands of major organizations rely. The IBM zEnterprise offers a compelling, fit-for-purpose combination of performance and flexibility, and Micro Focus recognizes the profound potential of this environment.

Commenting on the strategic importance of zEnterprise, Stephen Murdoch, General Manager of Products Group and Marketing Strategy at Micro Focus, said: "Our goal is to enable enterprise clients to accelerate the competitive advantage they have in their critical business systems. The IBM mainframe provides excellent value to many clients and zEnterprise is the best yet, offering a superb combination of performance, resilience and flexibility. Our commitment to the COBOL development community and our work as a partner to IT-oLogy are key components of our broader zEnterprise strategy."

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, Testing 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 ].

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About IT-oLogy
IT-oLogy, a non-profit collaboration of businesses, academic institutions and organizations dedicated exclusively to the growth of IT talent pipeline, fostering economic development and advancing the IT profession through promotional, educational, and industry-building opportunities. For more information please visit [ www.it-ology.org ].