Compaq and Dassault Systemes Announce Strategic Agreement to Produce Comprehensive CAD/CAM/CAE Solution.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1998--

Industry Leaders Collaborate to Offer CATIA Version 5 on

Windows NT-based Workstations for both Alpha and Intel

Processor Platforms

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) and Dassault Systemes today announced an agreement to certify and make available the CATIA Version 5 software product line on Compaq Professional Workstations. CATIA Version 5, tested and certified on Compaq's Windows NT-based workstations including both Intel processor- and Alpha-based product lines, will offer customers high-performance design software on a wide choice of hardware platforms. As a result, customers can choose the combination of software and hardware that best meets their application requirements and be certain that the combined solution has been rigorously tested to ensure stability and optimal performance.

"We are delighted to add CATIA Version 5 to the extensive portfolio of applications available to our Professional Workstation customers," said Les Crudele, Vice President and General Manager of Compaq's Workstation Division. "Compaq has extensive experience in offering highly optimized solutions to technical professionals in various markets, including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, fabrication and assembly, as well as plant design and shipbuilding industries. The availability of CATIA on Compaq's broad portfolio of Windows NT-based workstations - configured with either Alpha or Intel processors - will enable us to provide powerful design solutions to customers of all sizes, requirements, and complexities."

"We are very pleased to extend our partnership with Compaq in order for CATIA Version 5 to provide the best performance on both Compaq's Alpha- and Intel-based Windows NT workstations," said Bruno Latchague, Executive Vice-President R&D of Dassault Systemes. "Our customers will benefit from highly optimized interactive performance when running CATIA version 5 while taking advantage of the powerful high-end graphics offered by Compaq's Professional Workstations."

Solution Details

Complementing the CATIA product line, CATIA Version 5 is a completely re-engineered CAD/CAM/CAE offering which utilizes next generation object technologies and leading edge industry standards such as STEP, JAVA, CORBA. It delivers an innovative and intuitive user interface and a platform independent architecture for native Windows/NT and UNIX systems. The result is an easy to install, fun to learn, and natural to use system. Its native OLE and Internet/intranet Web compliance enables system integration within the office environment and across the digital enterprise. CATIA Version 5 delivers breakthrough, scalable applications for companies at all levels in design automation. At its core, CATIA Version 5 builds on powerful smart modeling concepts enabling the capture and re-use of corporate engineering knowledge and the implementation of generative rule-based product development processes. Version 5 offers compatibility with Version 4. This allows both systems to be used together and provides a smooth progression for existing users.

Designers and engineers in many industries and in companies of all sizes will be able to take advantage of the complete CATIA Version 5 portfolio on all current Windows NT-based Compaq Professional Workstations, from the affordable AP400 and AP500 to the scalable performance of the SP700 to the extreme performance of the future Alpha-based XP product line. Delivering a Highly Parallel System Architecture (HPSA) that minimizes memory and I/O bottlenecks and supports up to 4 GB of system memory, the SP700 is especially well suited for users who require access to gigabytes of information to visualize, modify or manipulate large models and assemblies.

Compaq's Windows NT-based workstations are ideal for engineering workgroup and concurrent engineering applications requiring high-speed networking and high performance. Coupled with the ability to run Microsoft Office applications, they are ideal for engineers, engineering managers and office workers alike. For customers working in heterogeneous computing environments, Compaq offers years of experience in Unix/Windows NT interoperability and is recognized by Microsoft as its only worldwide prime integrator for Windows NT.

For more information on Compaq Professional Workstations, see the following URL: http://www.compaq.com/products/workstations/index.html

Longstanding Relationship

Today's announcement marks the successful culmination of a longstanding, technology-based, Windows NT-focused relationship begun by Digital Equipment Corporation (recently acquired by Compaq Computer Corporation) and Dassault Systemes. As part of this continuing relationship, Compaq is providing engineers onsite at Dassault to provide support in such areas as compilers, operating systems and Web technologies. Furthermore, Dassault Systemes has made significant investments in Windows NT-based workstations on both Alpha and Intel processor platforms, used extensively for development and test purposes, with more than 300 Compaq systems already in use at Dassault Systemes.

Compaq Background

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a Fortune Global 100 company. Compaq is the second largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers. Compaq develops and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, networking and communication products, commercial desktop and portable products and consumer PCs. The company is an industry leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices.

Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products are available at http://www.compaq.com.

Dassault Systemes Background

Dassault Systemes is the worldwide-recognized leader in CAx and PDM II markets. CATIA-CADAM Solutions with Deneb, the digital manufacturing company, address the CAD/CAM/CAE process-centric market. Through a unique strategic partnership, CATIA-CADAM Solutions are marketed, distributed and supported by IBM worldwide. This unique partnership is now extended to PDM II solutions. SolidWorks, a Dassault Systemes company, addresses the CAD design-centric market, with its flagship native Windows NT product and its dedicated distribution channel. In the network-computing environments, the Java-based CATWEB product line provides a graphical window into native enterprise product data. For the PDM II market, ENOVIA Corp., a Dassault Systemes company, provides with its ENOVIAVPM and ENOVIAPM product lines a new multi-CAD collaborative and innovative environment for virtual product and process modeling and management across the extended enterprise.

Compaq, Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systemes SA. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.