ENOVIAvpm Version 1 Release 1.0; A New multi-CAD PDM II Solution From IBM and ENOVIA Corporation Provides for Innovative Product and Process Development.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 1998--IBM* and the ENOVIA Corporation** today announced the general availability of ENOVIAVPM (Virtual Product Model) Release 1 for Virtual Product Development Management (VPDM). This new multi-CAD software suite promotes innovation and creativity through total digital product and manufacturing simulation, helping companies to develop new markets and increase market share.

ENOVIAVPM provides benefits by graphically organizing and sharing detailed product and process knowledge during the product development life cycle and across the extended enterprise. It integrates directly with CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM tools to capture the engineering knowledge at a very granular level. It also stores and manages a network of technological relationships that describe the dependencies between products, their related manufacturing processes and resources.

As a common source for data that describes products, processes and activities, ENOVIA VPM unites designers, tooling andmanufacturing specialists, maintenance or plant engineers and suppliers and will accelerate the implementation of concurrent engineering practices. ENOVIAVPM is a major enabler of the digital enterprise and, in combination with ENOVIAPM which provides enterprise-level PDM functions, offers a total solution for the PDM II(1) domain encompassing both VPDM and PDM.

ENOVIAVPM contains an infrastructure and applications that go beyond today's engineering data and process management solutions. It was designed in partnership with leading industrial enterprises to provide industry best-practices in predefined applications supporting the extensive use of digital modeling and simulation during all phases of product development.

ENOVIAVPM Release 1 includes product structure management and configuration definition applications that offer unmatched levels of flexibility to mix and match design alternatives, giving engineers the freedom necessary to create innovative product solutions. In addition, engineering actions control and trace product changes while allowing the creation of a product knowledge base. Also, maturity management allied with native publish/subscribe mechanisms ensure timely change notification and promote parallel activities. Technical publications can be associated to products at the paragraph level so that documents accurately reflect product changes.

"In our experience, delivering world-class solutions requires a focus on people, processes and technology. ENOVIAVPM enables unprecedented levels of innovation and collaboration throughout the product development life cycle and across the extended enterprise," says Stephen Murdoch, global PDM II business director for IBM. "When combined with IBM's world-wide services, consulting and e-business capabilities we are uniquely positioned to deliver on our customer's vision of a digital enterprise."

Joel Lemke, ENOVIA Corp. chief executive officer, adds: "When it comes to increasing efficiency in the manufacturing industry, the next big step is to integrate design and process definitions. With ENOVIAVPM the rich multi-disciplinary knowledge that determines what a product is, does and how it will be built becomes readily available. Engineers won't have to waste time re-entering data, looking up information, researching a problem that's already resolved or waiting for one department to finish evaluating a design change before making their own assessment and recommendations. They can optimize one product and move on to another new one."

"ENOVIAVPM Release 1 introduces a new leading edge product portfolio based on open standards, business objects and web technologies. A Web-based desktop will enable product navigation and exploration across the extended enterprise throughout the product life cycle. A universal object modeling plug-in technology will allow easy integration of legacy systems," adds Philippe Poelaert, VPM/PDM Division Director - Dassault Systemes.

ENOVIAVPM Release 1 is packaged as a set of five solutions to satisfy the requirements of user roles in product development teams. New roles can be defined based on specific enterprise requirements. The solutions include an Engineer Solution, with access to all functions required for product design, simulation and modification, a Technical Publications Solution for documentation specialists, a Manager Solution for viewing and project control activities, a Casual User Solution for users needing access to product data, and an Administrator Solution for system installation, tailoring and user role definitions.

The extended enterprise supplier chain is supported by connecting to e-business network software and other applications such as CAD, Product Data Management (PDM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Major industry standards such as STEP and CORBA are the basis for ENOVIAVPM implementation and allow the exchange of product data.

An optional feature of ENOVIAVPM Release 1 allows the engineer to use CA TIA solutions to create, store and manage detailed product data in the ENOVIAVPM common database, sharing product knowledge across the extended enterprise. CATIA's powerful digital mock-up capabilities can enhance product design throughout development.

ENOVIAVPM is a workstation application and will run on IBM RS/6000,** Hewlett-Packard,*** SGI,*** Sun*** or other compatible servers. It supports platforms ranging from entry-level personal computers through massively parallel servers. It is Year 2000 ready.

(1) Product Development Management (PDM II) is defined by leading consultants as encompassing two domains Virtual Product Development Management (VPDM), and Product Data Management (PDM). Responding to the new PDM II market opportunity, IBM and Dassault Systemes announced in February 1998 a new strategic alliance where Dassault Systemes launched a new wholly owned company, ENOVIA** Corp, located in Charlotte, NC to develop integrated PDM II solutions, respectively named ENOVIAPM and ENOVIAVPM. IBM created two new worldwide organizations -- one to market and sell these PDM II products; and the other to provide business transformation, consulting and implementation services. Dassault Systemes also acquired IBM's Product Data Management solution (ProductManager), renamed to ENOVIAPM. IBM and Dassault Systemes consider that the ENOVIAVPM and ENOVIAPM suites can help small, medium and large companies expand their product portfolio and market share.

Dassault Systemes is a 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.

IBM is the leader in creating, developing and manufacturing the world's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM translates these advanced technologies into value for its customers through its professional solutions and services businesses worldwide.

More information about ENOVIA can be found at web site: www.enovia.com.

Customers and Consultants welcome ENOVIA

"IBM and ENOVIA Corp. understand the significance of the transition of the manufacturing automation market toward process-centeredness. I know this because I have seen ENOVIA's new product" - Dr. Joel N. Orr, president Orr Associates International.

"The ENOVIAVPM product is a substantial new offering for the industry. It reflects a growing recognition of the value of virtual mock-up and digital simulation technologies in combination with configuration management to improve design effectiveness. The expanded vision of product design to include a significant focus on manufacturing process is very positive" - Ed Miller, president of CIMdata.

"One of our highest priorities is the implementation of a fully integrated, process-driven product development cycle. The IBM partnership will enable us to participate actively in ENOVIA's product developments, which are important to our company." - Rainer Thieme, chairman of the board of Wilhelm Karmann GmbH.

"Developing a brand new Chrysler vehicle is a complicated process. It involves hundreds of designers, engineers and other people both locally and around the globe working with thousands of parts. The ENOVIA products will help us better manage the product development process, which is really a massive communications challenge." - Ron Bienkowski, chief engineer, Chrysler Technical Computer Center.

"The new ENOVIA project is in line with Bombardier's strategy of participating early in the development of new information solutions to ensure they are perfectly adapted to the requirements of our customers and our products. Key to our success in delivering the Global Express on time was the use of CATIA's digital mock-up facilities. We are convinced that by extending the digital mock-up concept to other sectors of our business we will enhance our competitive advantage." -- John Holding, Bombardier group executive vice president, engineering and product development.

"ENOVIA will help us bring together heterogeneous information and handle the way this information changes over time. This applies to products, plants and production resources. The target is to describe these things virtually and as realistically as possible during the development phase to simulate and test vehicles, production processes, sales support and maintenance operations."-- Magnus Kinell, PDM project manager, Volvo Information Technology.

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