Bentley Announces Commercial Release of MicroStation V8 XM Edition.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At this gathering of more than 2,000 attendees, Bentley Systems, Incorporated today released the commercial version of MicroStation V8 XM Edition - the most powerful and most accessible MicroStation release ever.

Organizations will find the transition easy. An intuitive new interface places powerful new features within easy reach of the user and an unchanged DGN file format and full support for existing V8 standards allow projects to proceed uninterrupted.

CEO Greg Bentley said, "First, I want to thank all users who attended the BE Conference in record numbers, especially given that their professions are busier than ever before."

On the release, he commented, "MicroStation V8 XM hits the mark! It brings immediate project throughput improvements without introducing the pain and delays that so often accompany advances this substantial. Adopters of V8 XM can increase their contributions to the many distributed enterprises using earlier versions of MicroStation or any version of AutoCAD."

Its powerful innovations include:

--Reference Enhancements: The ability to attach a PDF reference to a design file, dynamically manipulate reference clipping boundaries with handles, and attach multiple instances of the same model at different stages of development using Design History

--Element Templates: Integrate CAD standards with MicroStation Tasks to align features and tools with design and production workflows, so that teams can create consistent work

--ProjectWise StartPoint: Built-in technology providing an entry-level collaboration tool to manage, find, and share CAD and geospatial content using Microsoft Office SharePoint technologies (www.bentley.com/ProjectWiseStartPoint)

--Link Sets: For managing and navigating relationships of content within files such as drawings and specification documents and across formats including DGN, DWG, PDF, and Office formats

--DirectX Graphics System: A new display subsystem leveraging Microsoft DirectX technologies - the same high-speed graphics technology that drives the video gaming industry to significantly increase view and navigation speed in 2D and 3D designs

--Element Transparency and Display Priority: Advance MicroStation's design, drafting, mapping, and visualization capabilities

--PANTONE and RAL Color Systems: 24-bit color support deliver richer, more consistent presentations

--Keyboard Position Assignments: Patented keyboard position assignment to provide immediate access to any MicroStation command at the stroke of a key, and programmable mouse functionality to increase the performance of view and model navigation

--3D Modeling Advancements: Creation of parametric 3D geometry, mesh modeling for creating lightweight structures, and new handles for intuitive and interactive editing

--Visualization and Animation: Improved visualization capabilities for photo-realistic rendering and new animation tools

--Microsoft Designed for XP Logo Compliance: New installers now ease the process of implementation and SELECT updates are structured to reduce the overhead of administration

MicroStation V8 XM Edition is a part of the V8 Generation, which already features the following innovations:

--Native DWG Support: Enables MicroStation users to work directly with DWG files, DGN files, or any combination of the two. Only MicroStation users fully participate in and deliver projects in either popular format - a clear competitive advantage for them and their organizations.

--Digital Security: Applies electronic signatures to drawings and supports multi-level access privileges for projects.

--Design History: Gives users the ability to isolate and view any change or set of changes to a design. Using Design History, users can record, review, and restore a complete history of modifications, including all data and references.

BE Conference 2006 attendees have been downloading MicroStation V8 XM Edition since Monday, when Bentley Senior Vice President Bhupinder Singh, during his technology keynote, opened the link to them.

MicroStation V8 XM Edition is now available to all Bentley SELECT subscribers for immediate download from SELECT Services Online.

For more information on MicroStation V8 XM Edition, go to www.bentley.com/MicroStation.

About the BE Conference

The BE Conference, which consistently scores a 99 percent attendee satisfaction rating, is a once-a-year learning opportunity for Bentley users and their managers offering professional training, technology updates, keynotes, and best practice sharing. At these sessions, attendees better themselves, better their organizations, and better the ways they can improve the world's infrastructure.

For more information on BE Conference 2006, taking place this week in Charlotte, N.C., go to www.be.org.

About Bentley

Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2005 revenues of $336 million and more than 2,000 colleagues around the world, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms and major owner-operators.

To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit www.bentley.com.

Bentley, the "B" logo, BE, MicroStation, MicroStation V8 XM Edition, ProjectWise StartPoint, and SELECT Services Online are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.