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Alias/Wavefront Awarded Unprecedented Software Agreement

17 July 2000

Alias/Wavefront Expands General Motors Global Conceptual Design and Surface Creation Capability

    TORONTO - Alias/Wavefront, a SGI company, today announced it has been awarded its largest, single software agreement ever from General Motors.

    The primary software provided is AutoStudio conceptual design software, SurfaceStudio Class-A surface modeling software and StudioPaint software.

    "General Motors has worked with Alias/Wavefront for more than 15 years. Alias/Wavefront software is integral to our digital design process from initial concept exploration to the development of aesthetically refined surfaces. General Motors intends to further expand our global use of Alias/Wavefront software at our design studios in Warren, Michigan, Los Angeles, California, Australia, Brazil, England, Germany, Japan and Sweden," said Jeff Stevens, Manager of IS & S Global Styling & Virtual Reality, General Motors.

    General Motors designers and sculptors use Alias/Wavefront systems for conceptual modeling, rendering, animation, visualization and surface development. Alias/Wavefront's technology will allow General Motors designers and sculptors to review multiple concepts and ideas when designing new vehicles based on current market trends and customer demands. This will also lead to quicker design cycles.

    Alias/Wavefront also provides General Motors with UG Direct Connect, an interface that will exchange design data between Alias/Wavefront and Unigraphics, General Motor's single core CAD/CAM system. Other software includes EvalViewer for Cloud processing and surface evaluation as well as Maya Unlimited. GM uses StudioPaint and AutoStudio on Silicon Graphics workstations and SurfaceStudio will run in the Solaris operating environment on workstations from Sun Microsystems.

    In addition to software applications, Alias/Wavefront provides General Motors with customized training and consulting programs which will augment the current on-site consulting, mentoring and operational capability.

    According to Ron Debrabant, GM's Director of Design Process & CAD/CAM Integration, "This partnership is really about developing a stronger and very important relationship with Alias/Wavefront. The customized application based training and consulting services ensures that the software is efficiently integrated into GM's fast vehicle development design process supporting our ability to create innovative and compelling designs even more rapidly."

    Doug Walker, President of Alias/Wavefront, adds that the partnership further expands General Motors position as Alias/Wavefront's largest customer. "In our continuing efforts as a software partner at General Motors, we have teamed with the Corporation to build a cohesive, worldwide design initiative augmented by a first-class training and consulting program. Now that the company is implementing the full complement of our product line, we've been able to provide General Motors an integrated solution for the entire shape definition process."

    Speaking about the worldwide implications, Rose Noga, GM's Manager Worldwide Purchasing expressed it as follows, "There are many international companies, but very few companies like Alias/Wavefront that are truly global. They have the support, training and local expertise to make us successful worldwide. I am proud to say that Alias/Wavefront is now our second largest software partner."

    The partnership will provide GM with industry-leading design software and training, and will further strengthen Alias/Wavefront Studio/Tools software as the de facto standard in automotive styling.

About Alias/Wavefront

    Alias/Wavefront is the world's leading developer of CAID (computer-aided industrial design) software. For over 15 years, the company has been the premier supplier of design software developed specifically for the needs of transportation designers, including automotive interiors and exteriors, motorcycles and watercraft. Around the world, designers have also used Alias/Wavefront products to produce award-winning designs for everything from laptop computers, sporting equipment, cellular telephones, medical equipment and children's toys to fashion accessories.

    As the world's leading innovator of 2D and 3D graphics technology, Alias/Wavefront develops software for the film and video, games, interactive media, industrial design, technical surfacing and visualization markets.

    Alias/Wavefront's design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, Honda, General Motors, Italdesign, Kodak, Mattel, Renault, Rollerblade, Teague and Timex.

    Alias/Wavefront's film and video customers include Blue Sky, Cinesite, CNN, Digital Domain, Dream Quest Images, Industrial Light & Magic, Pacific Data Images (PDI), Pixar, Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Feature Animation.

    Games customers include Acclaim Entertainment, Core Design, Electronic Arts, Factor 5, Kodiak Interactive, Lucas Arts Entertainment Company, Midway Games, Naughty Dog, Nihilistic, Nintendo, Rare Ltd., Retro Studios, Sega, Single Trac, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square, Timeline Studios, Valkyrie Studios, Verant Interactive, Relic Entertainment, and Westwood Studios.

    Alias/Wavefront is a wholly owned, independent software company of SGI(R) with headquarters in Toronto and technical centers in Seattle and Santa Barbara. Please visit the Alias/Wavefront web site at www.aliaswavefront.com or call 800/447-2542 in North America. Readers in Europe can call +800 4125 4125 or 800 791 174 in Italy; +353 1 890 2244 in the Middle East and Africa; 8 1 3 3470 8282 in Asia-Pacific; and 525 203 0030 in Latin America for the nearest sales office or authorized reseller in their area.

    Alias/Wavefront, the Alias/Wavefront logo, AutoStudio, StudioPaint, Studio/Tools and SurfaceStudio are trademarks of Alias/Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. Maya is a registered trademark and Maya Unlimited is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc. used exclusively by Alias/Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. SGI and Silicon Graphics are registered trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. General Motors and GM are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. Unigraphics is a registered trademark of Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. Solaris and Sun Microsystems are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other brands and products referenced are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.