NEW OLE EXTENSIONS FOR CAD/CAM/CAE AND GIS ADOPTED

Specification Will Enable Technical Applications for Windows NT To Be
Integrated As Business Applications Are Today

REDMOND, Wash., March 6, 1995 -- Microsoft Corp. today announced that a
group of independent software vendors (ISVs) from the Computer-Aided
Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing/Computer-Aided Engineering
(CAD/CAM/CAE) industry have agreed to adopt OLE for Design & Modeling
Applications, a set of OLE extensions that enables creation of 3-D objects
that "plug and play" among different applications in Microsoft Windows
operating system environments.

The specification, originally developed by Intergraph Corp., is now in the
public domain and was accepted by the Design & Modeling Applications
Council (DMAC), a group of CAD/CAM/CAE software vendors, on Jan. 24, 1995.
The DMAC membership currently includes the following companies: ANSYS
Inc., Autodesk, Bentley Systems Inc., Cadence Design Systems Inc., Crisis
in Perspective Inc., Intergraph, Microsoft, Ray Dream, SDRC, Shapeware
Corp. and Spatial Technology.

Efforts by DMAC are under way to create awareness of the OLE for Design &
Modeling Applications specification, develop a plan to further extend it,
and recruit new members to participate in the process. The new
specification addresses a critical issue faced by CAD vendors -- how to
make components from different vendors work together in 3-D. "Its
adoption, as part of Microsoft's Open Process for vendor cooperation,
should further advance the Windows NT operating system in the technical-
workstation market," said Jim Allchin, senior vice president of the
business systems division at Microsoft.

"Microsoft is thrilled to see that the industry is taking the initiative to
extend OLE," said Allchin. "This specification and the formation of this
council are significant not only to OLE but to the expansion of Windows NT
in technical markets. People have been trying to solve this problem in the
UNIX market for years."

Unlike proprietary systems, OLE for Design & Modeling Applications
represents 3-D geometric relationships in an open framework in which
objects in different formats from different sources can work together to
form a unified model. Users will be able to drag and drop objects across
leading 3-D design and modeling applications.

OLE is the industry's most widely supported object-based
software-integration architecture. With OLE, applications, systems and
platforms from a broad range of vendors can be integrated seamlessly with
one another and with custom and legacy software. OLE is currently
supported by more than 400 shipping products from over 300 vendors.

"OLE for Design & Modeling Applications is the first step in bringing CAD
into the mainstream of computing," said Tommy Steele, president of
Intergraph Software Solutions. "It extends the native Windows environment
to handle real-world geometry. These extensions will allow Intergraph and
others to build technical applications that can be integrated fully with
one another as easily as word processing and spreadsheets are today. The
applications also can be integrated with the popular office-automation
tools and other native Windows-based software that will come along."

Intergraph announced it will ship products based on this technology this
year.

"Bentley views the OLE solution for design and modeling as an important
technology that enables users to leverage their CAD- generated models by
promoting an environment in which disparate applications can share 3-D
objects," said Yoav Etiel, vice president of product marketing at Bentley
Systems Inc. "Users will benefit from closer integration between their
professional design applications and the enterprisewide desktop
productivity applications that have revolutionized computing in the
Windows-based environment."

Increasingly, design and modeling professionals seek solutions that have
the familiar Windows interface and that provide the features they require
for technical graphics applications. These professionals need CAD/CAM/CAE
and GIS solutions that enable them to define and manipulate complex 2-D
and 3-D arrangements.

OLE for Design & Modeling Applications supports these critical, real-world
modeling requirements. An example is support for transparent and
translucent objects, whereby OLE objects are free of the traditional 2-D
boundaries of conventional Windows- based objects. This support allows
objects to be superimposed or overlapped, just as traditional CAD data is
presented today.

OLE for Design & Modeling Applications is the latest in a series of
independent initiatives to standardize the use of OLE for specific
industries. Microsoft supports these efforts through a program called OLE
Industry Solutions, providing logistical and technical support to
standards groups.

Because of the generic nature of rendering objects in 3-D across
applications, OLE for Design & Modeling Applications eventually may expand
beyond technical markets into widespread adoption.

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.

A Fortune 500 company, Intergraph Corp. (Huntsville, Ala.) 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, enterprisewide systems. Noted for
delivering interoperable systems and applications, Intergraph bases its
products on Windows, Windows NT and UNIX operating systems.

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
also provides core system software, high-end applications and training,
consulting and implementation services.

Bentley Systems Inc. is the leader in professional computer- aided design
products and services to engineering organizations where CAD is
mission-critical. The company's MicroStation product range is relied upon
by over 170,000 professional users and over 700 commercial application
developers worldwide in the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC),
geographic information systems (GIS), and increasingly in mechanical
design markets. Founded in 1984, Bentley has now become one of the fastest
growing international software companies.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

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