New Technology Developments From Lanner

WITNESS 2001, latest version of world's leading simulation tool, includes new
modules, new development platform for simulation-based applications

    HOUSTON, May 31 Lanner Group has today announced a number
of major technology developments for 2001: a new release of WITNESS,
independently rated as the world's leading business simulation modelling
product; new modules and upgrades for the WITNESS Toolset of products; plus a
new platform for developing simulation-based applications.

    WITNESS 2001
    The key theme of WITNESS 2001, now in general release, is "Customer
Solutions."  WITNESS 2001 includes an enhanced user interface and new features
for easier customization of business models.  Other enhancements include
benefits for all levels of operation, from the simulation "power" user to the
occasional, non-simulationist user.
    Customized menus and toolbars, improved selection, sizing and placing of
graphics, and extended user actions features for easier model customization
all make model building easier and more flexible.  New examples of pre-built
models are available to fast-start model building, including a solution for
modeling call center operations, and for maintenance management on the factory
floor.
    "As we strive to make our products easier to use, we are balancing the
power and performance we build into WITNESS with the need to make it easier
and faster for our customers to build concise and accurate models," says David
Jones, Lanner Group's Marketing Director.

    IMPROVED WITNESS TOOLSET
    WITNESS 2001 is the modeling engine within the suite of products under the
WITNESS Toolset banner.  Lanner has also announced a number of new modules and
upgrades to be released in 2001.
    Available now to all customers is a new reporting plug-in module called
WITNESS Documentor.  This is for automatic documenting of the attributes and
elements of a model, and incorporating associated notes into a document format
for use with quality, training and knowledge transfer.
    Later in the year, a new data-mining plug-in module called WITNESS Miner
will be released.  This will enable analysis of simulation input data and
experimental output data to identify rules and patterns of the data for
enhancing the accuracy of the models.  Being able to explore the data being
used in a model to identify trends and matching data allows the determination
of fundamental relationships that can improve business decision making.
    An upgrade to WITNESS SDX (Simulation Data eXchange), the import module
for building simulation models directly from CAD layouts, is being enhanced
with more objects and elements being translated.
    To complete the umbrella announcements for 2001, a new version of WITNESS
VR, the 3D modeling tool, is being released with extra features for building
more realistic 3D models.  Additionally, photo-realistic objects can now be
developed, bringing real life visualization to simulation models.

    NEW DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM FOR APPLICATIONS - SIMBA
    Lanner has also announced its new SIMBA Developer Suite, a new technology
platform that enables its customers and partners to develop their own
applications using the core power of WITNESS in a Microsoft COM development
environment.
    SIMBA (SIMulation Based Applications) is designed to enable the
construction of operational planning systems, in manufacturing, logistics and
call centers, using the power of simulation-based "what-if?" decision support.
To be released in August 2001, the SIMBA Developer Suite comprises a developer
platform, a designer module and a viewer.  The technology is designed for
industry-standard linkage and, for the first time, enables easy embedding into
third-party applications.
    SIMBA Developer Suite will enable Lanner's power customers and partners to
develop their own applications "by getting under the hood of WITNESS,"
explains David Jones.
    The announcement of these new developments comes shortly after Lanner's
reporting a year of record growth worldwide, in both its consulting and
technology operations.  "In terms of technology products, this is only the
beginning of what promises to be a year of exciting developments and a host of
new releases from Lanner," David Jones reports.

    About Lanner Group
    Lanner Group is a fast-growing global company specializing in the
provision of Business Performance Improvement software and services to clients
across the world.  To date, Lanner has helped generate billions of dollars of
business benefit through a uniquely visual and quantitative business
improvement methodology, enabled by the company's world-leading simulation
software.
    Established in 1996, Lanner is widely acknowledged as the world's
pioneering leader in business simulation and optimization.  Today, Lanner
offers a unique added-value combination of these powerful predictive solutions
with top-level consulting expertise.  Based in the United Kingdom with
subsidiaries and partners in Europe, The Americas and the Far East, Lanner has
a worldwide customer base of more than 3,000 top multinational companies.

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