AVEVA AND MENSI FORM INTEGRATION ALLIANCE.

AVEVA (LONDON: AVV), a supplier of engineering IT systems for the process, energy and marine industries, has formed an alliance with MENSI, the 3D laser scanning business of Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), to integrate laser scanning technology and plant design software capabilities. The alliance is expected to bring significant improvements in the use of automatically captured "as built" plant information for new and ongoing engineering projects.

Gathering and maintaining accurate information about existing plant facilities is a recognized challenge to the engineering industry. The problem becomes most evident during site revamps and extensions when new design projects have to tie in with existing installations for which there may be no reliable digital model.

MENSI uses a technique that employs reflected laser pulses to create accurate digital models of existing objects. The alliance will integrate MENSI's state-of-the-art, 3D, laser-scanned survey data (known as "point cloud" data) with AVEVA's VANTAGE Plant Design Management System (PDMS). PDMS is one of the world's most popular 3D plant design solutions with a major market share in almost every industry sector.

The alliance intends to deliver genuine advancements in utilizing point cloud data. MENSI's analysis software is able to process most industry point cloud data formats and bring it into a PDMS design model. MENSI software provides data masking, measurement gathering and geometry fitting tools. The PDMS model can then be used for advanced interference detection and design verification, supporting the revamp/retrofit projects.

Increased recognition of the value of plant data and the need to execute revamp projects faster, with minimum downtime, are driving business adoption of the laser scanning technology on projects. Since the 1970s, AVEVA has had a long association with as-built engineering practices such as photogrammetry. However, recent advancements have made 3D laser scanning a more viable option and project teams are seeking close integration with design systems, such as PDMS, to improve the cost effectiveness of revamping or retrofitting.

John Sanins, head of VANTAGE Plant Design commented: "AVEVA's as-built engineering strategy forms the platform on which we will provide open access to packaged laser point cloud data in PDMS, irrespective of the laser scanning technology used in the plant survey. This alliance recognizes MENSI as one of the leading laser scanning companies in the market today. We are very pleased to be sharing and developing technology to the mutual benefit of our customers."

Tristan Grimbert, president and CEO, MENSI commented, "MENSI endorses the open strategy with AVEVA. MENSI 3Dipsos software supports data transfer of 3D model generated from the point cloud to PDMS. This alliance will enable a complete workflow to be recognized, while enabling project teams to use the application appropriate to the project needs. With the worldwide presence of our parent company Trimble and the alliance with AVEVA, we see significant opportunities for increased market adoption."

About MENSI

MENSI, founded in 1986 and located in Fontenay-sous-Bois, France, is a 3D laser scanning company. MENSI 3D scanning tools use laser technology to capture the shapes of physical structures or scenes and convert them into digital format for follow-on data editing or direct analysis. MENSI was acquired by Trimble in 2003, and represents the 3D Scanning Solution Business. MENSI can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.mensi.com.

About Trimble

Trimble is a provider of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Trimble has more than 2,000 employees in more than 20 countries worldwide. Trimble can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.trimble.com/.

About AVEVA Group plc

AVEVA Group plc is an engineering IT solutions and services provider to the oil and gas, pulp and paper, power, chemical, pharmaceutical and shipbuilding industries. Formerly known as Cadcentre, the group has a history that spans five decades.

AVEVA Group plc can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.aveva.com/.

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