SDRC Announces Metaphase Configure Solutions; Configure Solution Offers Systems Engineering to Support Global Product Definition at Front End of Product Life Cycle.

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 1999--

SDRC (Nasdaq:SDRC), a leading global supplier of enterprise product development solutions and developer of I-DEAS(R) and Metaphase(R) Enterprise(TM) software, today introduced the Metaphase(R) Configure suite of out-of-the-box product data management (PDM) solutions. Metaphase Configure solutions are one of the key process initiatives of the Metaphase Four C's of e-PDM methodology. These solutions enable an organization to understand the cost, quality and scheduling implications of product variations, and accelerate take-to-market processes.

"Metaphase provides the first comprehensive attempt to tie front-end systems engineering with on-demand generation of specific bill-of-materials at the back end of the development process. With this new capability, SDRC is staying in tune with one of the broadest trends in product development automation today: An increasing focus on systems-level thinking about products and processes," said Wayne Collier, president Engineering, Manufacturing and Design, D.H. Brown Associates, Inc.

Metaphase Configure solutions permit companies to adopt and reconfigure product definition processes based on differing combinations of intellectual capital, raw materials and tools. Metaphase Configure solutions enable businesses to create product definitions via customer-centric, customizable options for designing, developing, and tracking a product throughout its lifecycle.

Configure capabilities include:

-- Systems engineering, which enables companies to model complete

systems early in the design process to minimize later rework;

-- Requirements management, which enables companies to track and

evaluate product requirements and their impact through a

product's lifecycle;

-- Options management, which manages generic and specific feature

and product combinations to meet rapidly changing customer needs;

-- Component supplier management, which manages component technical

properties and component suppliers supporting reuse and

optimizing the supply chain;

-- ERP handoff, which creates and exchanges product information,

such as bills-of-material, with enterprise resource planning 

systems;

-- In-Service management, which applies customer-specific

information into product maintenance, service and support.

One of the most critical Configure offerings is systems engineering, which provides access to product requirements, design data and budgets, and allows engineers to integrate this data to prepare for product manufacturing. This solution is available today as a result of SDRC's September 1999 acquisition of TD Technologies and its products and technologies.

Configure is one of Metaphase's Four C's of e-PDM. Metaphase e-PDM solutions are aligned with four key process initiatives -- Control, Connect, Collaborate and Configure -- that emphasize the necessity for e-PDM to control information, connect people with information, facilitate collaboration among information users, and configure products based on fast, accurate information sharing. Metaphase's expanded definition of PDM extends the value of PDM in the marketplace, forming the basis for a series of upcoming new product announcements.

About Metaphase

Metaphase offers a Web-centric information infrastructure that harnesses its customers' intellectual capital to drive product innovation and manage the complete product life cycle. Metaphase's Four C's of e-PDM deliver sustainable competitive advantage to customers by supporting their strategic business initiatives. Flexible and scalable, Metaphase solutions are quickly implemented in companies of all sizes for immediate return in today's e-business global marketplace.

About SDRC

SDRC (Structural Dynamics Research Corporation) is one of the world's leading providers of enterprise product development solutions with its suite of mechanical design automation software and product data management software. The Company's products, coupled with engineering and consulting services, help manufacturers optimize product development early in the design process, enabling them to reduce cost and cycle time while significantly improving quality and time to market. SDRC provides the award-winning I-DEAS(R) product suite of integrated CAD/CAM/CAE software, and the market-leading PDM software, Metaphase(R) Enterprise(TM), which is developed, marketed and supported by SDRC's Metaphase Technology Division. SDRC employs more than 2,500 people worldwide, with 77 offices in 18 countries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific.

http://www.metaphasetech.com

http://www.sdrc.com/

Note to Editors: SDRC, I-DEAS, and Metaphase are registered trademarks, and Metaphase Enterprise is a trademark of Structural Dynamics Research Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks belong to their respective holders.