CONTACT
Sherry Harwin
Catalyst Development Corporation
760.228.9653
760.369.1185 (fax)
sherry@catalyst.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pre-release version of ActivePatch now available from Catalyst Development

Yucca Valley, CA, June 4, 2001 - Catalyst Development Corporation, publisher of the popular SocketTools TCP/IP components, today announced a pre-release version of ActivePatch, a new idea in patch technology. This software development kit enables developers to create their own update in the form of a patch and integrate the patch application process directly into their own software.

Unlike other products, ActivePatch does not simply create incremental updates and re-package the files. It analyzes each file at the byte level and determines the best method for updating the target file on the user's system. It is designed to work on both text and binary files of any type including executables, libraries, data files, and documents. ActivePatch can be used to create a patch of a single file or can be used to create an update of a complete product, modifying existing files, removing files that are no longer needed, and creating the new files that have been added.

Using ActivePatch has a number of important advantages over the common methods of software re-packaging or incremental updates.

  • Reduced Update Size. ActivePatch analyzes the original and updated file at the byte level, generating the smallest size patch file required to perform the update. This results in a significant reduction in the size of the patch which translates into lower bandwidth usage, shorter download times, and increased reliability.
  • Faster Update Creation and Distribution. Unlike re-packaging or creating incremental updates, generating a patch does not require the developer to create another program or modify an existing script (such as an InstallShield installation script) for each update that is released.
  • Improved Technical Support and Customer Satisfaction. With the ability to easily generate patches for updated software, there is no reason to keep customers waiting for the next version. They always have the latest version of the software, reducing the number of technical support issues for those defects which have already been corrected.
  • Lowered Media and Distribution Costs. The ability to distribute a small patch, rather than re-packaging the complete product, can significantly reduce the costs associated with creating and shipping media. In addition, the smaller size of the patch files means bandwidth savings when making the update available for download.
  • Complete Integration with the Application. The ActivePatch SDK allows the developer to fully integrate the patching process within the application. This provides the flexibility to implement custom user interfaces, specialized processing on updated files or any other customization required during the patching process or after the patch has been applied.
  • Safety and Security. The patching process is designed to be completely safe, committing the update only if no problems are encountered during the process. The original and updated file version, checksum, and digital signature (if any) are checked to ensure that the file was patched correctly. A patch may be encrypted so that a password is required before it can be applied. Because a patch consists only of the changes to a file, it requires that the user actually have the software installed on their system and can help protect against illegal distributions of updates for your software.

ActivePatch is available as a standard dynamic link library (DLL) and an ActiveX component, and can be used with virtually any Microsoft Windows development language or scripting tool. The ActivePatch API is designed to be simple enough to easily integrate into existing products, as well as offer a great degree of power and flexibility. ActivePatch comes with sample programs written in Visual Basic and C++ and includes utilities that simplify the creation and application of patches.

A fully functional evaluation copy is available for free download from the Catalyst web site. The final release is expected July, 2001. Pricing information will be announced upon final release. For the latest news, please visit the Catalyst website.