Re: Trusts

    For further information please contact:

Merant                   Merant                       Financial Dynamics       
                                                                               
Gerald Perkel            Scott Hildebrandt            Harriet Keen,            
                                                                               
Chief Executive Officer  Chief Financial Officer      Emma Rutherford          
                                                                               
[phone]        [phone]            [phone]     
                                                                               
[e-mail]  [e-mail]                          

        Merant Directing Trustee to Purchase 4.3 Million Company Shares        

 Purchase to provide shares for employee benefits programs administered under  
                             Merant Trust Programs                             

St. ALBANS, UK and HILLSBORO, OREGON, US - 27 February 2003 - Merant (London
Stock Exchange (LSE): MRN; Nasdaq National Market (NNM): MRNT), a leading
provider of software and services for managing code, content and other
business-critical assets, announced today that, based on the approval of the
Merant Board of Directors, it is directing Merant Trustees Limited, the trustee
of Merant's 1994 Employee Benefit Trust and 2003 Employee Benefit Trust, to
commence the purchase of up to approximately 4.3 million ordinary shares
(equating to approximately 4.2% of the Company's currently issued share
capital) for use under Merant's 1999 Employee Share Purchase Plan and 2003
Share Incentive Plan administered through such trusts. The specific periodic
amounts purchased, timing, price to be paid and method of purchase shall be at
the discretion of the trustee, subject to certain restrictions and price
conditions imposed by Merant. These periodic purchases are expected to be
funded out of the existing cash resources of Merant group companies. The
company is directing the trustee to initiate purchases beginning March 4, 2003.

About Merant


Merant's software and services give companies the most flexible control of
code, content and workflow, enabling them to better view, track, protect and
re-use these business-critical assets. More than 90 of the Fortune 100 rely on
Merant's cost-effective solutions to automate business processes, significantly
boosting productivity, visibility and overall ROI. For more information, please
visit www.merant.com.



END