Alias Awards $118,000 in Software to Students at World Automotive Design Competition

TORONTO--Feb. 1, 20042, 2004--

Three Are Recognized at Canadian Auto Show for Excellence in Digital Presentation of Future Car Concepts

At today's World Automotive Design Competition, sponsored by the Canadian International Auto Show, students from Korea and China won powerful computer-aided design (CAID) software, valued at more than $118,000, from Alias, a Silicon Graphics, Inc. company. The awards were presented by Alias(R) for the best computer generated presentations of concepts for cars in the year 2015 that most aptly reflect the needs of each student's country.

Winning Entries

First place winners, Seo Bum-Seok and Ahn Kwang-Hoon from Hong-IK University in Seoul, Korea, win a seat of AutoStudio(TM), top rated Alias CAID software; a seat of Alias ImageStudio(TM), new automated rendering software; and Alias PortfolioWall(TM), a collaborative presentation tool. The complete package is valued at US$72,000. The two students created, "Swim & Run," an amphibious, three-wheeled truck.

Second place winner, Wang Xian Long from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, receives Alias Studio(TM) software, Alias ImageStudio and PortfolioWall (valued at $32,000 US) for "Start," which combines transportation with meeting room and storage facility. Chen Xiao, Xu Zheng and Xu Dan, also of Tsinghua University, receive Alias DesignStudio(TM), Alias ImageStudio and PortfolioWall ($14,500 US value) for third place. They created "Desert Cruiser," a five-wheeled transporter for moving across sand.

Worldwide Participation

Sixty-seven entries from 20 internationally recognized design schools were submitted for this year's invitational automotive design challenge. Countries represented were China, Brazil, Japan, France, Korea, England, Wales, Italy, Spain, India, Sweden, USA and Canada.

Contestants were invited to take a popular vehicle that has been manufactured and well-loved in their own country and project it to the year 2015. The 2015 design must predict the needs of the local market and, at the same time, reflect emerging propulsion and manufacturing technologies of the country where the students live or study.

Alias Sponsorship

The "Alias Best Presentation Award" was inaugurated last year to reward the student with the best computer generated presentation. This year, in celebration of the company's 20th anniversary as the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology and automotive design, Alias expanded the award to include second and third place prizes.

"It is our goal at Alias to foster and stimulate excellence in industrial design and there is no better place to start than with those who are being trained to take the reins of leadership," observed Peter Mehlstaeubler, Alias Vice President, Development, who presented the awards during a press conference at the Canadian Auto Show this morning. "That is why we are honored to support this prestigious competition, where highly developed and extremely inspired designs are brought forward by the very best design students from around the world."

About Alias

As the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias develops award-winning software, custom development and training solutions for the automotive, industrial design and visualization markets and film and video, games, web, interactive media and education markets. Alias also offers a powerful range of services for new to advanced users in the most demanding environments. Learning Tools and training, support, and professional services help meet rigorous production deadlines. The company'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 1997, John Gibson, Rob Krieger, Milan Novacek, Glen Ozymok and Dave Springer were awarded a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the development of the geometric modeling component of the Alias PowerAnimator(TM) system. Alias StudioTools(R) is based on this software code.

Alias is a wholly owned, independent software company of SGI(R) with headquarters in Toronto and Custom Development Center in Toronto. Please visit the Alias website at www.alias.com or call 1-800-447-2542 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 and other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 5797 3500 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.

Alias and StudioTools are registered trademarks, and the swirl and StudioTools logos, AutoStudio, Alias ImageStudio, Portfolio Wall, DesignStudio and Power Animator are trademarks of Alias Systems, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. SGI is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. All other products, companies or institutions mentioned are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Alias, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1J7, Tel: 416-362-9181, Fax: 416-369-6140.

Note: High resolution images of all the submitted designs, including winners of the Alias prizes, can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.autoshow.ca/design/2004_competition/2004_designs.htm.