Aras Launches Aras Innovator Version 7 - First Solution to Incorporate Quality Planning into Product Development; Aras Helps Companies Achieve Superior Product Quality and Supply Chain Readiness.

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- Aras Corporation, a premier provider of enterprise product development software solutions for performance driven manufacturers, today announced the next major release of Aras Innovator (TM), Version 7. The release includes the PLM market's first solution for Quality Planning, as well as, enhancements in the existing Aras business ready solutions for Program Management and Product Engineering that further support the development of quality products. Additionally, Version 7 features the incorporation of the Microsoft(R) Reporting Services for fast and easy custom reporting.

Aras Innovator Version 7 customers include Mega Bloks, a leading provider of innovative, high-quality building and construction toys, and Freudenberg FDS in Germany, a leading global automotive supplier.

"Ultimately, a company's ability to satisfy customers, compete effectively, and drive profitable growth is strengthened significantly when quality processes are incorporated into product development," stated Jim Brown, Vice President of Product Innovation & Engineering Research at Aberdeen Group. "Integrated quality planning functionality within product development can provide significant value to manufacturers."

Aras Innovator Version 7 solutions enable companies to identify and mitigate new product reliability risks and build quality in during product development through a process-based approach. Quality planning functionality for FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis), manufacturing Process Flow Diagrams, and inspection & test Control Plans uses integrated Web templates and libraries to standardize practices and feed information through the process, turning plans into deliverables as development activities occur.

For the first time, a product development solution seamlessly combines the preproduction quality preparation for supply chain readiness with standard Product Lifecycle Management capabilities in an integrated manner. With Aras Innovator Version 7 companies develop quality into new products to achieve greater customer satisfaction, better margins, and shorter time to volume. Aras Innovator Version 7 functionality enhancements include:

Aras Quality Planning (New Solution)

--Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for risk management during product design (DFMEA) and process development (PFMEA)

--Control Plans for Inspection and Test definition integrated with Process Flow Diagrams for either on site Production or Outsourced Manufacturing

--Libraries and Product Family Templates of Failure Modes, Effects, Control Mechanisms, and Critical Characteristics

Aras Product Engineering

--Design-to-Goal defines and tracks Target, Estimate and Actual Values based on dynamically calculated roll-ups

--Change Management Workflow based on CMII principles for Configuration Management ensures Compliance with Quality Standards

--Graphical Scorecard KPI Metric customization capabilities

Aras Program Management

--Incorporation of the Project Management Institute's PMI principles for project management

--Support for both Sequentially and Concurrent Product Program Phases & Scheduling

--Inclusion of all Product Engineering and Quality Planning deliverables as part of each ongoing New Product Program

The underlying Aras Innovator(TM) application framework now includes the Microsoft(R) Reporting Services add-in making the creation of customer reports fast and easy, and Aras Innovator remains the industry's only enterprise PLM solution built entirely on Microsoft(R) .NET technology. In addition, Aras Innovator utilizes a unique model-based, service oriented architecture (SOA) that deploys quickly and adapts easily making the solutions exceptionally easy to tailor to support a company's proprietary competitive practices.

"Aras recognizes the need for companies to develop products of superior quality that excite customers and deliver substantial margins," said Peter Schroer, President of Aras Corporation. "We take pride in providing practical solutions that deliver the greatest strategic value at the lowest ownership cost for our customers."

Aras Innovator Version 7 release is available immediately. The Aras Simple Licensing offers customers all-inclusive access to all of the Aras business ready solutions with each user license; there are no modules or server licenses to buy. Pricing starts at $50,000 and can be purchased directly from Aras Corporation.

About Aras Corporation

Aras Corporation delivers practical, affordable product development software solutions for performance driven manufacturers. Product engineering, quality planning, and program management solutions provide a process-oriented approach to product lifecycle management (PLM) helping companies achieve alignment with customer requirements, ensure new product margins, and shorten development cycles. The underlying Aras Innovator(TM) application framework is a next generation model-based, service-oriented architecture (SOA) in Microsoft(R) .NET with unmatched flexibility enabling companies to deploy solutions quickly and adapt easily at a Total Cost of Ownership far lower than conventional enterprise systems. Customers include Rolls-Royce, Freudenberg-NOK, Ingersoll-Rand and ACCO Swingline. Aras is privately held and headquartered in Lawrence, Mass. For additional information call [phone] or visit www.aras.com.

Note to Editors: Download Aras Innovator Version 7 screen shots and captions at:

http://www.aras.com/news/Aras_Innovator_Version_7_screenshots.zip