SDRC Expands Ford Support in Australia

17 August 1999

SDRC Expands Ford Support in Australia; New Program Office in Melbourne to Facilitate the Deployment of Ford Motor Company's C3P Initiative

    CINCINNATI--Aug. 16, 1999--SDRC , a leading global supplier of enterprise product development solutions and developer of I-DEAS(R) and Metaphase(R) Enterprise(TM) software, today announced the opening of a Ford Program Office to support the deployment of Ford C3P in Australia. C3P is Ford's CAD/CAM, CAE and PIM solution being implemented worldwide on Ford product and vehicle programs. The foundation of Ford C3P is built upon SDRC's I-DEAS and Metaphase Enterprise software.
    The Program office will provide support to Ford of Australia for advanced CAD/CAM/CAE consulting and installation assistance, as well as deployment of a Product Information Management system. As part of this initiative, SDRC will maintain and staff a state of the art training facility for both Ford employees and suppliers. The Program Office will also support Ford of Australia's supplier base in deploying Ford's C3P strategy.
    A Global Supplier Implementation (GSI) team comprised of Ford and SDRC personnel is dedicated to Ford of Australia vehicle programs and suppliers who are required to implement C3P. The GSI Team will assist suppliers in implementing C3P, achieving competency in using the tool set and working with Ford processes, and delivering quality C3P data that meets the programs' targets.
    To support the GSI strategy, Ford and SDRC have designed new product packages called "C3P Solution Seats" exclusively for Ford-authorized suppliers. These packages include the C3P software license(s) and credits for training and on-site technical support services. SDRC has already received approximately 20 contracts for I-DEAS for C3P Solution Seats from Ford of Australia suppliers - a number expected to escalate by approximately 500% over the next two years.
    "The Ford of Australia Program Office is one of a number of initiatives that SDRC will announce as we continue support of GSI on a global basis," said Bill Weyand, chairman, president, and CEO, SDRC. "SDRC understands Ford's aggressive product objectives and is committed to providing full enterprise product development solutions -- solutions that comprise technology tools as well as the support expertise to underpin Ford's rapid deployment of C3P worldwide."

    About SDRC

    SDRC (Structural Dynamics Research Corporation) is one of the world's leading providers of enterprise product development solutions with its suite of mechanical design automation software and product data management software. The Company's products, coupled with value-added services, help manufacturers optimize product development early in the design process, enabling them to reduce cost and cycle time while significantly improving quality and time to market. SDRC provides the award-winning I-DEAS product suite of integrated CAD/CAM/CAE software, and the market-leading PDM software, Metaphase Enterprise, which is developed, marketed and supported by SDRC's Metaphase Technology Division. SDRC employs more than 2,500 people worldwide, with 77 offices in 18 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia/Pacific.

    http://www.sdrc.com.

    Note to Editors: SDRC, I-DEAS and Metaphase are registered trademarks, and Metaphase Enterprise is a trademark of Structural Dynamics Research Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks belong to their respective holders.