Dassault Systèmes and CAXA Announce Availability of CAXA V5 PLM Solutions

CAXA V5 PLM products developed for and in China to help manufacturers move from CAD/CAM to PLM

Beijing, China and Paris, France – April 5, 2005 – CAXA, the leading domestic PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) vendor in China, and Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA; NASDAQ: DASTY) today announced the availability of CAXA V5, a new generation of integrated and scalable 2D and 3D PLM solutions for the Chinese market that embed V5 technology components from Dassault Systèmes.

These CAXA V5 solutions are the result of a Dassault Systèmes-CAXA partnership announced last November and software development carried out in a joint R&D center operated by CAXA in Beijing. The center combines CAXA’s R&D expertise and technology, along with its more than 10 years of experience in the Chinese market, with Dassault Systèmes’ 3D PLM solutions and V5 technology components. The CAXA V5 solutions consist of fully integrated 2D and 3D PLM applications developed in China specifically for the Chinese market. The solutions are built on top of Dassault Systèmes’ Component Application Architecture Version 5 (CAA V5) platform.

China has advanced rapidly in the past decade as a global manufacturer, but the majority of Chinese manufacturers still use 2D applications. CAXA V5 offers a China-engineered PLM alternative that will enable small and medium-sized Chinese businesses to model and optimize the design-to-production cycle digitally, even while working in 2D, and to grow at their own pace into full-fledged 3D PLM users.

CAXA V5 provides a complete spectrum of solutions that covers drafting (2D interactive and generative), product design (including part, assembly, surface, mold, piping and tubing, sheet metal, welding, and steelworks), interfaces (including STEP, STL, and all major CAD systems), product review (including digital mock-up, rendering, and analysis), and manufacturing (prismatic and 3 axes). Integration capabilities in the solution will enable customers to retain their current investments in CAD/CAM applications.

“The release of CAXA V5 signals a new era for the Chinese CAD/CAM/PLM industry,” said Dr. Lei Yi, president and CEO, CAXA. “Now, Chinese manufacturers have the opportunity to take part in the PLM revolution that is leading to greater efficiencies and lower production costs for manufacturers the world over. The release of this new solution is the culmination of a partnership with Dassault Systèmes in which both companies have focused on creating a Chinese solution in China and have succeeded in producing a truly transformative technology.”

“Our factory uses a lot of 2D CAD, along with some 3D applications, in routine product development,” said Jiang Ning, IT manager of Chongqing Tiema Gearbox Co. Ltd, a Chinese vehicle transmission manufacturer. “CAXA V5 is the first solution that seamlessly integrates both 2D and 3D PLM. This solution suits our type of operation very well. On one hand, we can immediately enjoy the benefits of adopting PLM. At the same time, we can gradually expand 3D applications at our own pace. As an existing CAXA customer, we are pleased to see CAXA’s rapid growth, with its new products meeting international standards. We look forward to enjoying the value that CAXA V5 will create for us.”

“The release of CAXA V5 demonstrates our commitment to work with Chinese industrials on the flexibility of the open V5 architecture to develop China-engineered solutions for the Chinese market,” said Bernard Charlès, president and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. ”CAXA V5 will bring PLM value in both 2D and 3D to Chinese industry, enabling manufacturers to embrace PLM at their own pace and to ultimately benefit from the worldwide success of CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA and SMARTEAM.”