UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

x	Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the Quarterly Period Ended August 31, 2004

OR

o	Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Commission File Number: 0-19417

PROGRESS SOFTWARE CORPORATION

14 Oak Park
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730
(Address of principal executive offices)
Telephone Number: (781) 280-4000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days: Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act): Yes x No o

As of September 28, 2004, there were 36,095,000 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock, $.01 par value per share, outstanding.

PROGRESS SOFTWARE CORPORATION

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED AUGUST 31, 2004

INDEX

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PART 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)

(In thousands)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share data)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

(In thousands)

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

5

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)

Note 1: Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Progress Software Corporation (the Company) pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2003.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited financial statements, and include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods presented. The operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full fiscal year.

Certain amounts from the prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the presentation in the current periods. In the third quarter of fiscal 2004, the Company adjusted the allocation of the purchase price related to its December 2002 acquisition of eXcelon Corporation by reducing goodwill by $2.7 million to reflect an additional tax benefit not contemplated in the original allocation.

Note 2: Stock-based Compensation

The Company uses the intrinsic value method to measure compensation expense associated with the grants of stock options or awards to employees. The Company accounts for stock options and awards to non-employees using the fair value method. The Company has not granted any stock options or awards to non-employees.

Under the intrinsic value method, compensation associated with stock options or awards to employees is determined as the excess, if any, of the current fair value of the underlying common stock on the date compensation is measured over the price an employee must pay to exercise the option or award. The measurement date for employee options or awards is generally the date of grant. Under the fair value method, compensation associated with stock options and awards is determined based on the estimated fair value of the option or award itself, measured using either current market data or an established option pricing model.

Had the Company used the fair value method to measure compensation related to stock options and awards to employees, pro forma net income and pro forma earnings per share would have been as follows:

(In thousands, except per share data)

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Note 3: Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when earned. Software license revenue is recognized upon shipment of the product or, if delivered electronically, when the customer has the right to access the software provided that the license fee is fixed and determinable, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists and collection is probable. The Company does not license its software with a right of return and generally does not license its software with conditions of acceptance. If an arrangement does contain conditions of acceptance, recognition of the revenue is deferred until the acceptance criteria are met or the period of acceptance has passed. The Company generally recognizes revenue for products distributed through application partners and distributors when sold through to the end user.

Software licenses are generally sold with maintenance services and, in some cases, also with consulting services. For the undelivered elements, vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) of fair value is determined to be the price charged when the undelivered element is sold separately. VSOE for maintenance sold in connection with a software license is determined based on the amount that will be separately charged for the maintenance renewal period. VSOE for consulting services is determined by reference to the amount charged for similar engagements when a software license sale is not involved.

Revenue from software licenses sold together with maintenance and/or consulting services is generally recognized upon shipment using the residual method, provided that the above criteria have been met. If VSOE of fair value for the undelivered elements cannot be established, all revenue from the arrangement is deferred until the earlier of the point at which such sufficient VSOE does exist or all elements of the arrangement have been delivered or if the only undelivered element is maintenance, then the entire fee is recognized ratably. If payment of the software license fees is dependent upon the performance of consulting services or the consulting services are essential to the functionality of the licensed software, then both the software license and consulting fees are recognized under the percentage-of-completion method of contract accounting.

Maintenance revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the applicable agreement. Revenue from services, primarily consulting and customer education, is generally recognized as the related services are performed.

Note 4: Income Taxes

The Company provides for income taxes at the end of each interim period based on the estimated effective tax rate for the full fiscal year. Cumulative adjustments to the tax provision are recorded in the interim period in which a change in the estimated annual effective rate is determined.

Note 5: Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed on the basis of the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the effect of outstanding stock options using the treasury stock method. The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share on an interim basis:

(In thousands, except per share data)

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Approximately 1,517,000 and zero outstanding stock options were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for the three months ended August 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, and approximately 506,000 and 468,000 outstanding stock options were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended August 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, because these options were anti-dilutive. However, these options could be dilutive in the future.

Note 6: Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income includes foreign currency translation gains and losses, net of tax, and unrealized gains and losses on investments, net of tax, that have been excluded from net income and reflected instead in shareholders’ equity. The following table sets forth the calculation of comprehensive income on an interim basis:

(In thousands)

Note 7: Segment Information

The Company conducts business through five operating units and a supporting research and business development unit. The Company’s principal operating unit conducts business as the Progress Company and is a division of the Company. Two of the other operating units, Sonic Software Corporation and PeerDirect Corporation, address the needs of emerging markets and operate as subsidiaries of the Company. The fourth operating unit is ObjectStore, a division of the Company, which provides data management software for developing applications that require the processing of large amounts of data. The fifth operating unit, DataDirect Technologies (DataDirect), was acquired in December 2003. DataDirect is a division of the Company and provides standards-based data connectivity software. PSC Labs, a division of the Company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses on new business development, research and strategic investments.

Based upon the aggregation criteria for segment reporting, the Company has two reportable segments: Application Development & Deployment, which primarily includes the Progress Company, DataDirect, ObjectStore, PeerDirect and PSC Labs, and Enterprise Application Integration, which primarily includes Sonic Software. The Company does not internally report its assets, capital expenditures, interest income or provision for income taxes by segment.

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The following table sets forth revenue and income from operations from the Company’s reportable segments on an interim basis:

(In thousands)

Amounts included under Eliminations represent intersegment sales. Total revenue from the Sonic product line, generated by both segments, was $19.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2004 as compared to $16.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2003.

Note 8: Acquisition of DataDirect Technologies

On December 23, 2003, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired substantially all of the assets and certain subsidiaries and assumed certain liabilities of DataDirect Technologies Limited, a private company incorporated under the laws of Ireland, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $87.5 million, net of cash acquired and subject to certain post-closing adjustments. The aggregate purchase price included $0.7 million of direct transaction costs. DataDirect is a provider of standards-based software for data connectivity. The Company acquired DataDirect in order to expand its business. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase, and accordingly, the results of operations of DataDirect are included in the Company’s operating results from the date of acquisition. The purchase price was paid in cash from available funds.

Acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D) of $2.6 million was expensed when the acquisition was consummated because the technological feasibility of several products under development at the time of the acquisition had not been achieved and no alternate future uses had been established. Research and development costs to bring the acquired products to technological feasibility are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s future results of operations or cash flows. The Company used an independent appraiser to calculate the amounts allocated to assets and liabilities acquired, including intangible assets and IPR&D. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price as of August 31, 2004 was as follows:

(In thousands)

The following table sets forth supplemental pro forma financial information that assumes the acquisition was completed at the beginning of the earliest period presented. The information for the three months ended August 31,

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2003 includes the historical results of the Company for the quarter ended August 31, 2003 and the historical results of DataDirect for the three month period ended July 31, 2003, and the information for the nine months ended August 31, 2003 includes the historical results of the Company for the nine months ended August 31, 2003 and the historical results of DataDirect for the nine month period ended July 31, 2003 due to different fiscal period ends.

The pro forma results include estimates and assumptions regarding increased amortization of intangible assets related to the acquisition, a reduction in interest expense related to bank loans of DataDirect and decreased interest income related to cash paid for the acquisition purchase price, which the Company believes are reasonable. However, pro forma results are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have occurred if the acquisition had occurred on the date indicated, or that may result in the future.

(In thousands, except per share data)

(In thousands, except per share data)

Note 9: Subsequent Event

On September 27, 2004, the Company announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Persistence Software, Inc. (Persistence), a provider of data access and caching software, in an all-cash transaction for a purchase price of $5.70 per share or approximately $16 million in the aggregate. Upon the closing of the transaction, Persistence will become part of ObjectStore. The acquisition has been approved by the boards of directors of the Company and Persistence and is subject to the approval of Persistence’s stockholders. The acquisition is expected to close within 90 days, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 contains certain safe harbor provisions regarding forward-looking statements. This Form 10-Q contains, and other information provided by the Company or statements made by its directors, officers or employees from time to time may contain, forward-looking statements and information, which involve risks and uncertainties. Actual future results may differ materially. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, expectations, intentions, projections, developments, future events, performance or products, underlying assumptions and other statements which are other than statements of historical facts. In some cases, forward-looking statements are identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “contemplates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “continue” and other similar terminology or the negative of these terms. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-Q, including those set forth below under the heading “Factors That May Affect Future Results,” and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. Although the Company has sought to identify the most significant risks to its business, the Company cannot predict whether, or to what extent, any of such risks may be realized, nor can there be any assurance that the Company has identified all possible issues which the Company might face. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements it makes.

Overview

The Company develops, markets and distributes software to simplify and accelerate the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. The mission of the Company is to deliver software products and services that empower partners and customers to improve their development, deployment, integration and management of quality applications worldwide. The Company’s products include development tools, databases, application servers, messaging servers, application management tools, data connectivity products and integration products for distributed and Web-based applications as well as for client/server applications. The Company, through its various operating units, markets its products globally to a broad range of organizations in manufacturing, distribution, finance, retail, healthcare, telecommunications, government and many other fields.

A significant portion of the Company’s revenue is derived from international operations. In the first nine months of fiscal 2004 as well as in fiscal years 2003 and 2002, the weakening of the U.S. dollar against most major currencies, primarily the euro and the British pound, positively affected the Company’s results. Prior to that, the U.S. dollar was stronger and the Company’s results were adversely affected.

The Company conducts business through five operating units and a supporting research and business development unit. The Company’s principal operating unit conducts business as the Progress Company and is a division of the Company. Two of the other operating units, Sonic Software Corporation and PeerDirect Corporation, address the needs of emerging markets and operate as subsidiaries of the Company. The fourth operating unit is ObjectStore, a division of the Company, which provides data management software for developing applications that require processing of large amounts of data. The fifth operating unit, DataDirect Technologies (DataDirect), was acquired in December 2003. DataDirect is a division of the Company and provides standards-based data connectivity software. PSC Labs, a division of the Company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses on new business development, research, and strategic investments.

The Progress Company provides the Progress® OpenEdge™ platform, a set of development and deployment technologies, including the OpenEdge RDBMS, one of the leading embedded databases, for building business applications. Sonic Software Corporation delivers a distributed, standards-based communications and integration infrastructure, built on an enterprise service bus that integrates existing business applications and orchestrates business processes across the extended enterprise. PeerDirect Corporation is a supplier of technology for distributed application deployment and management. Its flagship product suite, PeerDirect™ Distributed Enterprise, allows companies to centrally manage distributed applications with synchronized databases deployed across widely distributed locations.

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ObjectStore, acquired in December 2002 as part of the acquisition of eXcelon Corporation (eXcelon), provides advanced data management software for developing real-time, high performance operational applications. ObjectStore products enable complex relationships among data elements to be modeled identically in memory and on disk, providing fast storage and retrieval of complex data structures at in-memory speeds.

In December 2003, the Company completed its cash acquisition of certain assets and subsidiaries and the assumption of certain liabilities of DataDirect Technologies Limited for approximately $87.5 million, net of cash acquired and subject to certain post-closing adjustments. DataDirect’s principal products provide connectivity between software applications and databases in heterogeneous environments.

Critical Accounting Policies

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The Company makes estimates and assumptions in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, actual results may differ from these estimates.

The Company has identified the following critical accounting policies that require the use of significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements. This listing is not a comprehensive list of all of the Company’s accounting policies. For further information regarding the application of these and other accounting policies, see Note 1 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2003.

Revenue Recognition — The Company’s revenue recognition policy is significant because revenue is a key component affecting results of operations. In determining when to recognize revenue from a customer arrangement, the Company is often required to exercise judgment regarding the application of its accounting policies to a particular arrangement. For example, judgment is required in determining whether a customer arrangement has multiple elements. If such a situation exists, judgment is also involved in determining whether vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) of fair value for the undelivered elements exists. While the Company follows specific and detailed rules and guidelines related to revenue recognition, significant management judgments and estimates are made and used in connection with the revenue recognized in any reporting period, particularly in the areas described above as well as collectibility. If management made different estimates or judgments, material differences in the timing of the recognition of revenue could occur.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts — The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of customers to make required payments. This allowance is established using estimates that the Company makes based on factors such as the composition of the accounts receivable aging, historical bad debts, changes in payment patterns, customer creditworthiness and current economic trends. If the Company used different estimates, or if the financial condition of customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional provisions for doubtful accounts would be required and would increase bad debt expense.

Deferred Income Taxes — The Company had a net deferred tax asset of approximately $24 million at August 31, 2004. The Company records valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company considers scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, ongoing tax planning strategies and other matters in assessing the need for and the amount of a valuation allowance. If the Company were to change its assumptions or otherwise determine that it was unable to realize all or part of its net deferred tax asset in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax asset would be charged to income in the period that such change or determination was made.

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