DataDirect Technologies is an independent operating company of Progress Software Corporation, a publicly traded company (NASDAQ). DataDirect is a successor to companies that helped establish the data access middleware market. It retains many of the key people from those pioneering ventures.

In 2005, Progress Software acquired NEON Systems, a leading vendor of mainframe connectivity products, and integrated the company into DataDirect Technologies. It also acquired OpenAccess Software and added its software developer kits for ODBC, JDBC and ADO.NET to the DataDirect product line. DataDirect customers include leading companies from the software industry, including BEA, Business Objects, Cognos, IBM, Microsoft, NCR, Oracle, SAS and Sybase. DataDirect licenses data access middleware to more than 300 OEM customers, who integrate it into application server products, integration servers, BI suites and other products.

DataDirect Technologies has a track record of success in the data access middleware space, retaining key personnel from predecessor companies, and exhibiting consistent growth after acquisition by Progress. The company's middleware is in use by vendors of leading products for database management, business intelligence, integration services, application services and SOA.

DataDirect today continues a long-established tradition of being a leading software vendor with important middleware products for accessing databases. The company's business model targets corporate and OEM sales to independent software vendors, SQL DBMS vendors, mainstream computer companies and customers with mainframes and distributed data. Its expertise is recognized by the computing industry and the company regularly participates in activities such as W3C working groups and Java Community Process expert groups. Because the company is involved in developing standard specifications, its software products consistently comply with industry standards.

DataDirect personnel have played a role in the development of key specifications for querying and data access, including ODBC, JDBC and XQuery.