ABAQUS Selected by Boeing to Commercialize Composite Structure Design Technology.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 2004

Refined Implementation of Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) Developed and Proven by Boeing to Be Available from ABAQUS Later This Year

ABAQUS, Inc., the leading supplier of software and services for advanced finite element structural analysis (FEA), announced today that it has been selected by the Boeing Intellectual Property Business to develop and market Boeing technology for prediction of fracture and failure in laminated composite materials.

The technology, a novel and refined technique known as Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT), has been used by Boeing and plays an important role in the design of aerospace structures involving composites.

Initial development of VCCT began with the Composite Affordability Initiative, of which Boeing is a member. Boeing has filed a patent application for VCCT, and ABAQUS, Inc., will market the technology.

"Composite technologies are playing an increasingly important role on many projects at Boeing," said Gene Partlow, vice president of Boeing Intellectual Property Business. "This technology will provide significant new capabilities for virtual testing of composite structures, and working with ABAQUS makes the technology commercially available to Boeing and its supplier community."

The Boeing Intellectual Property Business brokered the licensing agreement with ABAQUS. Based in Irvine, Calif., the Boeing Intellectual Property Business leverages the company's broad intellectual property portfolio to enhance economic profit through a variety of licensing, IP generation and protection initiatives.

"This technology has been of great interest to us for some time, and we are pleased to see it becoming a part of the ABAQUS software," commented Ronald Krueger, Senior Staff Scientist at the National Institute of Aerospace. "VCCT is a required state-of-the-art technology for anyone in the composites business."

"This licensing agreement with Boeing will accelerate the availability of new techniques to design composite aerospace structures for superior performance, durability and damage," said Ken Short, vice president of marketing at ABAQUS. "With Boeing's expertise and our focus on delivering robust, high quality FEA software, we will deliver uniquely useful simulation capabilities to Boeing and its suppliers worldwide."

Additionally, Boeing has developed, refined and proven the VCCT (Virtual Crack Closure Technique) approach for predicting the reliability of major composite structural components over the past several years. In the short term, the agreement provides that ABAQUS will commercialize the technology for use by Boeing, its suppliers and other third parties. In the longer term, the technology will be made generally available to all ABAQUS customers as an integrated part of the ABAQUS software suite.

About ABAQUS

Founded in 1978, ABAQUS, Inc., is the world's leading provider of software and services for advanced finite element analysis. The ABAQUS(R) software suite has an unsurpassed reputation for technology, quality and reliability. It has been adopted by major corporations across all engineering disciplines as an integral part of their design process. ABAQUS offers a powerful and complete solution for simple to complex linear and nonlinear engineering problems, using the finite element method. A wide range of structural, thermal, and coupled analyses is supported. The software delivers a unified finite element analysis environment without equal, presenting a compelling alternative to implementations involving multiple products and vendors. ABAQUS employs over 400 people worldwide, with 25 direct offices for technical support, sales and services, plus a network of technically advanced distributors in emerging markets. Customers include automotive and off-highway manufacturers and suppliers; aerospace and defense firms; makers of consumer, electronics, and medical products; raw material providers; and companies in the oil and civil engineering industries. ABAQUS is privately held and is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. (www.abaqus.com)

ABAQUS(R) is a registered trademark or trademark of ABAQUS, Inc., in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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