Bentley to Develop TransXML in Partnership With Cambridge Systematics.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2004

Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that it will join an industry team developing TransXML, a proposed set of standards to allow exchange of transportation data across IT systems and asset lifecycles. Bentley's role in the TransXML project continues the company's commitment to open standards for the exchange of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) data.

By letting transportation organizations share data regardless of its native format, TransXML will enable faster, more efficient planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of infrastructure.

Bentley joins the TransXML project team led by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. The team also includes Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Info Tech, Inc., and River City Research Group, LLC. TransXML is an initiative of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, sponsored by U.S. state and federal highway departments.

Immediately, the project will focus on data exchange standards for surveying and road design, highway and bridge structures, construction and materials, and transportation system safety. Ultimately, TransXML will enable data exchange for a wide range of transportation business areas, including asset management. Its foundation of Extensible Markup Language (XML) provides for schemas, or database structures, which allow open data sharing across a broad set of applications.

The project's goal is to specify widely accepted, public domain XML schemas. TransXML will incorporate existing industry-specific schemas, such as LandXML for civil engineering and aecXML for AEC. The project team will also develop new schemas as necessary, and create a framework for development, validation, and acceptance of current and new schemas.

Bentley has a long-term commitment to open standards for AEC data exchange, including leading the development of aecXML. Recently, Bentley teamed up with Adobe Systems, Incorporated, to optimize the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) for AEC. Also, Bentley last year announced its OpenDGN initiative and its partnership with the Open Design Alliance, formerly the OpenDWG Alliance, to support software libraries that read and write Bentley's format, V8 DGN. And since 1996, Bentley has been a principal member of the Open GIS Consortium to develop interoperability standards for the geospatial community.

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 vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2003 revenues reaching $260 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.

For more information, visit www.bentley.com.

Bentley and the "B" logo are registered trademarks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or Bentley Software, Inc. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.