INTERGRAPH ANNOUNCES OLE FOR DESIGN & MODELING APPLICATIONS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 8, 1995 -- Intergraph Corporation announced today
that a consortium of CAD/CAM/CAE software vendors has agreed on a standard
that extends Microsoft Corporation's Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)
specification to enable integration between advanced graphics
applications. The extensions, known as OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications, were developed by Intergraph and adopted by the Design &
Modeling Applications Council on Jan. 24, 1995. Members of the council,
which is open to all CAD/CAM/CAE and GIS software vendors, include: ANSYS
Inc., Autodesk, Bentley Systems Inc., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Crisis
in Perspective Inc., Intergraph, Microsoft, Ray Dream, SDRC, Shapeware
Corp. and Spatial Technology.

"In contrast to standards such as IGES and STEP, OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications focuses on data sharing instead of data interchangeability.
Unlike translated CAD data, embedded objects retain their native CAD
representations," said Industry Analyst Donald Brown, chairman of D.H.
Brown Associates. "This initiative may irreversibly and radically change
the landscape in CAD/CAM/CAE over the long term."

The OLE for Design & Modeling Applications specification, now in the public
domain, enables CAD/CAM/CAE and GIS software developers to create software
that helps users link and embed technical graphics into 2D and 3D
documents. OLE for Design & Modeling Applications extends OLE to enable it
to effectively work with data representing real-world geometry and
geography. Specifically, the OLE for Design & Modeling Applications
specification enhances OLE to enable:

- three-dimensional objects to be linked and embedded in
  two-dimensional documents and two-dimensional objects to be linked 
  and embedded in three-dimensional documents
- frameless overlapping of objects
- use of transparent and translucent objects, so objects can be
  superimposed and layered
- objects to maintain correct aspect ratios when resized and
  manipulated
- objects to retain their real-world scales when linked and embedded
  into foreign documents
- effective handling of enormous numbers of objects

To end users, the adoption of the OLE for Design & Modeling Applications
specification as a standard for integration of technical graphics data in
the Windows operating environment means the ability to create compound
models as easily as they have created compound documents in the past.
Users will be able to concentrate on the data, rather than the application
used to create it.

"We have been limited to proprietary interfaces to access engineering
documents and other documents that are complex and rich in structure. Now,
users can access them through the standard suite of functionality
available on everyone's desktop," said Larry Geisel, executive vice
president of global solutions delivery at Xerox Corp. "One of the serious
problems we have faced is how to support engineers with both engineering
tools and personal productivity software. In the past, this meant an
engineering workstation and a PC on an engineer's desk. With the OLE for
Design & Modeling Applications extensions, we see the opportunity to get
by with one footprint on the engineer's desk. And that would be a big
win."

In addition to creating format-free compound models, users can also bring
models, maps, and drawings into 2D documents created with word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation or other business software. In effect,
CAD/CAM/CAE and GIS information real-world geometry and geography will now
be available on the desktop of all computer users. "Getting CAD and GIS
out of the engineering and mapping departments and into the corporate
computing mainstream benefits end users, organizations and the CAD
industry," said Tom Steele, Intergraph Software Solutions president. "For
end users, it means access to more information. For organizations, it
means streamlined work processes. For the CAD industry, it means increased
business opportunities."

"We appreciate what Intergraph has done," said Lee Robie, senior engineer
for desktop architecture at SDRC Corp. "The OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications technology is important to SDRC because it will provide our
customers greater interoperability options. We are excited about being
involved in the process."

"ANSYS is already committed to taking advantage of OLE in our solutions
because it is an excellent way to tie the worlds of engineering and
business processing together," said Sue Batt, vice president of the design
business unit at ANSYS, Inc. "For example, today with OLE an engineer can
send management a report containing a CAD design and a spreadsheet
detailing the costing of the components in the design. If the engineer
later changes the design the spreadsheet will automatically be updated.
However, the CAD design is a 2D representation. OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications is a natural extension to 3D of what is already possible
today."

"No single vendor can provide all solutions to all users. By writing
technical applications that comply with the OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications specification, vendors will give customers the opportunity to
choose best-of-breed software and integrate data seamlessly," Steele said.
"Intergraph challenges all vendors and corporate developers to create open
models in a common object framework using the OLE for Design and Modeling
Applications specification."

The OLE for Design & Modeling Applications specification, now in the public
domain, is located on Microsoft's FTP server (ftp.microsoft.com) at:
/developr/drg/OLE-Info/OLE-Industry-Solutions/Design-And-Modeling. Vendors
interested in becoming involved in DMAC should send e-mail to
olecouncil@ingr.com.

Intergraph Background Information

A member of the Fortune 500, Intergraph Corporation is the world's largest
company dedicated to supplying interactive computer graphics systems.
Products range from point solutions, meeting individual and departmental
needs, to integrated, enterprise-wide systems. Noted for delivering
interoperable systems and applications, Intergraph bases its products on
Windows, Windows NT and UNIX operating systems.

As one of the company's four business units, Intergraph Software Solutions
(ISS) develops and markets integrated software for the Technical Desktop
-- the combination of compatible technical applications and personal
productivity tools in a single desktop computer. Technical applications
include computer- aided design, engineering, analysis, manufacturing,
publishing and earth sciences. ISS provides core system software, high-end
applications, training, consulting and implementation services.

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