Alias/Wavefront Software Fuels New Age of Automotive and Industrial Product Design Innovation
TORONTO--June 19, 2003--New Customers and Award Winning Work Places StudioTools at the Heart
of Digital Styling Excellence
Alias/Wavefront(TM), an SGI company, today announced that its StudioTools(TM) software global customer base continues to grow with recent additions of blue chip companies including Porsche, BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH, Grohe, Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement Group, among others.
"StudioTools is established as the market leader and tool of choice for automotive designers and is used by virtually every major automotive manufacturer in the world for styling and design," said Doug Walker, president, Alias/Wavefront. "In what is clearly a new era of design, Alias/Wavefront continues to help designers from around the world create leading-edge products."
In both the automotive and product design markets, StudioTools customers are being recognized for their excellence in styling and design work. Recently, the Renault Megane II was awarded the prestigious European Car of the Year for 2003. This is the first production car from Renault where the complete exterior styling and 3D surface model was developed using the Alias/Wavefront SurfaceStudio(TM) software, while the renderings were created using the company's Maya(R) 3D animation software and mental ray(R).
One of Alias/Wavefront's most recent customer wins is the addition of Grohe, based in Germany. Grohe is a leading provider of water technology solutions. Andreas Enslin, vice president of design at Grohe comments, "StudioTools combines the best of two worlds; the designer working with the software and the team discussing and interactively modifying ideas on screen. With StudioTools, designers can focus on their creativity faster and can therefore increase design and overall product quality. StudioTools is the conduit between the creative idea and final production."
StudioTools customers are also featured prominently in the creation of the world's finest design work. For example, in ID Magazine's 48th Annual Design Review, over 13 products profiled in the edition were designed using StudioTools software, including Apple Computer, Hauser, Richard Holbrook, and Nike.
In addition, the Annual Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) features StudioTools design customers winning multiple awards year over year, including Teague, Samsung, Microsoft, Fisher-Price, Hewlett-Packard, Black & Decker, Compaq, Philips, Design Motorola, Herman Miller, and Bombardier, Inc. IDEA is co-sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Business Week.
Other Company Highlights over the past 12 months include:
| -- | Introduced Learning StudioTools(TM)/Beginner's Guide, a new teaching aid that includes Alias Studio Personal Learning Edition(TM) and step-by-step instruction on how to get started in 2D and 3D digital design. |
| -- | 145 new staff hired worldwide. |
| -- | Introduced DesignStudio Productivity Pack(TM), an advanced and feature rich combination of software and learning tools for computer aided industrial design. |
| -- | Addition of two new patents, as Alias/Wavefront's research department continues to build its intellectual property and protect it with roughly 80 patents overall. |
About Alias/Wavefront
As the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias/Wavefront develops software for industrial design and visualization markets, film and video, games, web and interactive media. Alias/Wavefront's design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Italdesign, Kodak, Kwikset, Mattel, Price Pfister, Renault, Rollerblade, Sharp, Trek Bicycle, Teague and Timex.
In 1998, the company was awarded a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the creation of technology on which StudioTools is based.
Alias/Wavefront is a wholly owned, independent software company of SGI(R) with headquarters in Toronto and custom development center in Santa Barbara. Please visit the Alias/Wavefront web site at www.aliaswavefront.com or call 800/447-2542 in North America.
International contact numbers include: Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, +44 (0) 1494 441273; Germany, East & Southeast Europe, 0049 89 31 70 20; Italy, 39 039 6340011, France, Spain and Portugal, +33 1 44 92 81 60; Japan, 81 35 797 3500; other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 3470 8282 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.
The Alias/Wavefront logo and the StudioTools logo are registered trademarks and Alias/Wavefront, StudioTools, SurfaceStudio, Learning StudioTools, Alias Studio Personal Learning Edition and DesignStudio Productivity Pack are trademarks of Alias/Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. Maya is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics Limited used exclusively by Alias/Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. SGI is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. mental ray is a registered trademark of mental images GmbH & CO. KG. in the United States and/or other countries. All other products or companies mentioned are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Alias/Wavefront, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1J7, Tel: 416/362-9181, FAX: 416/369-6140.