EA Systems demonstrates new release of its data link for MicroStation at A/E/C Systems '95; PlantLINK increases drafting productivity with live MicroStation database link to EA System's software suite for plant design and data management.

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 1995--EA Systems Inc., a leading supplier of database-driven 3D modeling and plant data management software, is demonstrating its new release of PlantLINK for MicroStation V.5 at A/E/C Systems '95 this week.

PlantLINK, which operates in the Windows NT client/server environment, allows engineers working within native MicroStation (DGN) to access plant design databases created using EA System's PASCE software suite via a live link. This improves engineering productivity and information management in process and power plants by enabling single entry of data and automated change management for plant designs.

PlantLINK is being demonstrated in the Bentley MicroStation Mall at A/E/C Systems '95. MicroStation, the leading professional computer-aided design environment available for enterprise-wide applications, is designed to support integration of project data and operation on multiple platforms, making it an ideal tool for complex projects where access to data throughout the plant life cycle is critical. This is the same market served by the PASCE applications suite, which is designed to provide data integrity and consistency throughout the design, engineering, construction, operation and maintenance phases of a plant's 30- to 40-year life cycle.

Using MicroStation and the PASCE software suite, engineering groups can reduce a project's design hours while improving overall design quality. Specifically, with the PlantLINK live data link to MicroStation, engineers can:

-- Create direct associations between design model objects for

intelligent annotations and dimensioning;

-- Implement drawing control management for automatic revision

control; and

-- Make queries to the PASCE plant model database directly from

MicroStation.

"PlantLINK lets MicroStation design shops use the PASCE intelligent data modeling system, while preserving their entire investment in systems hardware and training for MicroStation," said Shiraz Jaffer, president of EA Systems. "With PlantLINK, MicroStation users can easily create intelligent drawings from the PASCE 3D data model and produce required construction drawings. With a live data link, all modifications made to the model can be managed and applied automatically to the appropriate drawings, improving the efficiency of design, upgrade and maintenance operations tremendously."

This new release of PlantLINK supports EA System's PASCE for Windows NT suite and complements Bentley Systems' own successful product line for Windows NT. It operates under the MDL (MicroStation Development Language) environment, so that models transferred from PASCE are worked on within the graphical environment of MicroStation, with no new learning curve for engineers. Together, the two products are a powerful, complete design and drafting solution.

"PASCE and MicroStation products are used concurrently by plant owner/operators and engineering organizations where CAD is mission critical," said Rebecca Ward, sector marketing executive for process and power generation at Bentley Systems, Inc. "The life cycle data integrity made possible through PlantLINK's seamless integration of 3D modeling with the CAD capability of MicroStation represents the high value-added that A/E/C customers expect from both Bentley and EA Systems."

The production release of PlantLINK for MicroStation Version 5 will be available in the fourth quarter of 1995. It is part of EA Systems' continued commitment to support the most popular CAD applications and tools for A/E/C industries. This commitment includes the company's planned support for the next generation of Bentley Systems' product line, Objective MicroStation.

Bentley Systems, Inc. is the leader in professional computer-aided design products and services to organizations that rely on CAD. The company's MicroStation product range is used by more than 180,000 professional users and supported by more than 700 commercial applications developers worldwide in the A/E/C, geographic information systems, and mechanical design markets. Founded in 1984, Bentley has now become one of the world's fastest growing software companies.

EA Systems Inc., headquartered in Alameda, Calif., is an international supplier of software applications and services used in the design/engineering of complex industrial process and power generation plants, as well as the computer-based management of plant information over the operating life of these facilities. PASCE applications run on Windows NT and OpenVMS, with full support for PC clients running Windows 3.1. Clients of EA Systems include Daewoo Shipbuilding and Heavy Machinery Ltd., Duke Power Company; The Dow Chemical Company; Samsung Engineering Company Ltd.; and the U.S. Department of Energy. -0-

Note to Editors: PASCE and PlantLINK are trademarks of EA Systems Inc. Other trademarks or registered trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: EA Systems Inc.

Marie Telepneff, 510/748-4855

or

FS Communications

Matthew Schmidt or

Wendy Lewis, 415/691-1488