The Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems aims to dramatically
reduce vehicle development time

AUBURN HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 2003-- Delmia Corp., a Dassault Systemes company (Nasdaq: DASTY: Euronext Paris: no. 13065, DSY.PA), today announced the creation of an educational partnership with Mississippi State University (Starkville, Miss.) through which it will provide the university's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) with 100 seats of DELMIA Solutions.

CAVS will be utilizing an extensive array of DELMIA's digital manufacturing solutions. This will deliver an end-to-end manufacturing solution, with the tools to plan, define, analyze and optimize all areas of the manufacturing process.

DELMIA tools will enable CAVS to pursue its mandate of developing methodologies to reduce automotive product development time, increasing safety and energy efficiency, and studying human factors related to automotive systems. The addition of DELMIA to the center's existing CATIA(R) base will also help students to digitally develop and optimize products from early design throughout the production planning phrase.

"The primary goal of CAVS is to dramatically reduce vehicle product development time -- by as much as a half," said Roy Smolky, DELMIA Academic Partner Program coordinator. "DELMIA will help students and researchers achieve this objective with digital tools for design and analysis of virtual products and virtual manufacturing. This is Delmia Corp.'s largest educational deployment to date and we are excited to participate in a project of this large scope."

"CAVS wants to develop a closed loop design and training system that is continually evolving," said Zach Rowland, CAVS manager of Productions Systems and Human Engineering. "We are equipping students with the digital tools they need to enter the modern workforce. In addition, we plan to capture and use the information created during the design process of the product and manufacturing facility to generate content that will be used in training the workforce at every level."

"For example, modeling of operations is very intuitive with QUEST(R), DELMIA's digital 3D plant simulation environment," said Rowland. "Users can view each plant workstation individually in the 3D environment. By linking information through a single, common database (the Product, Process, Resource (PPR) hub) and advanced learning management systems, cell operators can see and learn the process, engineers can analyze ergonomic issues, and production managers study system performance. This feedback provides the ability to improve the entire system."

CAVS was established at Mississippi State in 2001 with the support of the State of Mississippi to enhance the interaction of the state with the automotive manufacturing community. Two facilities are under construction, a research unit at the Mississippi State University campus and an extension and education operation near the Nissan facility in Canton, MS. Both are targeted for occupancy in August 2003.

About Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University is a comprehensive, doctoral-degree-granting university offering to a diverse and capable student body a wide range of opportunities and challenges for learning and growth. An able faculty, drawn from the best institutions in all parts of the nation, strive earnestly to perfect their teaching skills, while producing in their specialized studies scholarly books, articles, and conference papers that gain respect for themselves, the University, and the state. A body of energetic researchers, both faculty and other, assisted by an effective research administration, places Mississippi State among the first one hundred universities in the nation in federal research support. The University's service agencies are similarly distinguished, earning the respect and support of their varied constituencies throughout the state, as well as in other states and in foreign countries. Information about MSU is available at http://www.msstate.edu .

About DELMIA Academic Partner Program (DAPP)

DAPP is part of DELMIA's service strategy, which includes software education, training, and customer support. This special program provides both career awareness and career preparation by offering educational institutions -- ranging from elementary schools to universities -- academic partnerships that include special licensing, purchase arrangements, and sharable resources. Recent partnerships include the University of Michigan, Oakland Community College, Lake Superior State University, Oregon State University, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Heart of Georgia Technical College, Purdue University, and Western New England College.

About Delmia Corp.

Delmia Corp. is the leading provider of lean digital manufacturing solutions, focused mainly on software that can be used to streamline manufacturing processes. DELMIA serves industries where the optimization of manufacturing processes is critical, including automotive, aerospace, fabrication and assembly, electrical and electronics, consumer goods, plant, and shipbuilding sectors. Information about Delmia Corp. is available at http://www.delmia.com .

About Dassault Systemes

As world leader in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the Dassault Systemes group brings value to more than 60,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systemes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from conception to retirement. Its offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA, SMARTEAM), general-use 3D solutions (SolidWorks), and 3D components (SPATIAL). Dassault Systemes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (no. 13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. Information about Dassault Systemes is available at http://www.3ds.com .

CONTACT: Mississippi State University
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             Delmia Corp. Press Contact:
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             Delmia Corp. Press Contact:
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             Dassault Systemes Press Contact:
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