Consider some of the reasons companies cite for switching to Ada:

Some organizations are looking to improve the reliability of their software because system errors could have fatal consequences to life or the financial health of their business. So, they choose Ada for its unique and powerful safeguards.

Other companies choose Ada for its ability to reduce software development and maintenance costs.

Global companies choose Ada for its worldwide standards and portability to virtually every platform on earth.

Still others are doing it because their customers demand it.

And universally, as software programs grow in size and complexity, companies are finding that Ada's disciplined approach to software engineering pays off in many ways.

So if you're looking to sharpen your organization's performance and competitive edge, your choice of programming language can make a substantial difference. Look into Ada and how it can pay off for you.

Over time, these changes will cost three to ten times the cost of writing the program in the first place.

With Ada, change is relatively easy because it is the only language designed from the beginning with change in mind.

For instance:

Ada supports modern Software Engineering methods-- the disciplined practices that make sure programs are built on solid foundations and principles. The benefit is that change has no effect on the integrity of the entire structure.

The Ada language is in English, and is very readable. This means that programmers changing or maintaining programs can fully understand the meaning and intent of the original author. Because of the clarity of the language, Ada code is easier to change than code written in other languages.

Ada is international and standardized. No subsets or supersets are allowed. This means that programmers can change or modify the work of others, even if the work originated in another country at another time.

And finally, Ada supports modular programming with standard interfaces, so that changes to one module will in no way adversely influence any other module.

Ada has the only compilers (the software tools that translate a programmer's code into the code computers understand) that are validated by the U.S. Government and other agencies throughout the world. Each compiler is tested on thousands of programs before it receives validation.

In addition, Ada compilers catch many types of programming errors automatically. Debuggers and other tools are mature and sophisticated, allowing errors to be caught early.

Ada programs are written in stand-alone modules with standard interfaces. Unlike other languages, errors, when made, are confined to identified areas, and corrections to those modules will not lead to new errors in other modules.

Because Ada modules are reusable, even within the same program, reusing known correct modules eliminates the possibility of error in new coding.

Ada is so readable, identified errors are more easily understood and therefore more easily corrected. And because Ada is standardized, maintenance and change to not introduce errors through lack of understanding earlier work.

It also means teams of programmers, and that creates problems.

Each programmer, for example, must ask: "Is anyone writing something that will affect the code I am writing?" Or, "Is anyone changing something that my code depends on?" With most languages, it's very difficult to know what other programmers are doing.

With Ada it's quite different.

Ada supports modern software engineering principles and methods without which large and complex systems, even if they worked, would be too fragile.

Standardization means that every programmer is dealing with the same language and the same programming rules.

Modular design and standard interfacing means very large and complex programs can be reduced to manageable modules for each programmer, isolated from each other. And error in one will not affect any other module.

Reuse of tested modules in large and complex programs not only saves programming and testing time, but adds to the reliability of the whole system.

Ada has been proven in the largest, most complex, and critical software systems ever written.

Plus Ada enables developers to plan long-lived software applications with high-assurance of straightforward portability to the computers of tomorrow. This long-term viability offers significant benefits, including high return on investment (ROI), more efficient operations, and enhanced competitiveness.

Ada is not standing still, either. Because of Ada's status as a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO), a formal review and (sometimes) revision is required every 10 years. The first revision has gained ISO approval and is scheduled for launch on February 15, 1995. Compatibility with current Ada is extremely high, comparable to a new release of a compiler.

Among the changes is new support for Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Ada has always been strong in OO design and OO analysis. Now Ada builds on that strength with full support for OOP as well.

The bottom line is that Ada offers commercial developers an ideal blend of consistency, maturity, reliability, and performance. Ada supports the creativity and innovation of top technical talent while providing the discipline and engineering required for critical software systems. No other language is as uniquely qualified for building viable cost-effective, long-term software solutions.

Ada is a choice you need to consider.