Electrolux Group Implements Innovative Processes with IBM and Dassault Systemes to Design Clean, Cool Products

Style and shape are key to strong household appliance sales – Electrolux leverages product design technology with PLM Solutions CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM

Stockholm, Sweden and Paris, France - October 1, 2002 - IBM and Dassault Systemes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) today announced that the Electrolux Group, the world's largest producer of powered appliances for kitchen, cleaning and outdoor use, has selected CATIA V5 for the design, analysis and manufacture of its products. IBM will provide the Electrolux Group with 700 licenses of CATIA V5, the world's leading 3D product development solution developed by Dassault Systemes. In addition, Electrolux also announced that it recently completed implementation of SMARTEAM at its US manufacturing facilities. SMARTEAM is a product data management solution from IBM's Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) portfolio, also developed by Dassault Systemes.

The Electrolux Group is migrating from CATIA V4 to V5 to take advantage of new capabilities and innovative technologies. The move comes following a two-year pilot project in which the company compared leading CAD systems at its lawn mower factory in Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. Not only did the solutions prove to be more user-friendly and functional, but also the company's designers and engineers found it helped to cut product development time and cost. Furthermore, the transition from V4 to V5 was simple and required only one week of training for Electrolux's first users in Romania, Italy, and Germany.

"As a long-time IBM customer and a CATIA user since 1987, I have witnessed first hand the huge improvements in the CATIA product from V1 to V5," said Ove Palmberg, senior project manager, Electrolux Group. "With CATIA V5, there are many modules available that are easy to use, giving our engineers full freedom to design anything. Instead of just designing a box around a motor, we can now perform ergonomic design revolutions every day! Our customers buy our products not only for their quality and reliability, but also for their beauty and innovative design. CATIA V5 is by far the best system on the market today because it allows us to integrate design, technology and special features. Plus, data migration from CATIA V4 to CATIA V5 is automatic and rapid."

"For over 25 years, IBM has provided the Electrolux Group with a full range of solutions, from servers and workstations to software and services," said Ed Petrozelli, general manager, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. "They are now at the forefront of e-business, realizing many of its promises. An example of this is their revolutionary Internet refrigerator or even their cordless automatic self-recharging vacuum cleaner, both designed using IBM PLM software and IBM hardware. Our objective at IBM is to give manufacturers the tools to meet the demands of discriminating consumers."

"Dassault Systemes' 3D PLM solutions such as CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM are revolutionizing the way the consumer goods industry develops products," said Etienne Droit, executive vice president sales and marketing, Dassault Systemes. "The integration of CATIA V5's ground-breaking product development capabilities and SMARTEAM's web-centric, business process features gives consumer goods companies a start-to-finish Solution for innovative, creative product design and development."

To assist Electrolux Group with the transition from CATIA V4 TO V5, IBM and IBM business partners will provide training and implementation support for the PLM platform at Electrolux Group's 40 factories around the world. Earlier this summer, the Electrolux Group announced plans to complete enterprise integration of PLM technologies, including the creation of digital factories, in which not only the products, but also the factory tools and production processes, are designed, simulated and managed virtually using PLM solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes.