ImpactXoft and Dassault Systèmes Extend Strategic Software Development partnership

Partnership to enhance functional modeling and collaborative design capabilities for Simultaneous Product Development

Paris, France – September 30, 2003 - Dassault Systèmes (NASDAQ: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) and ImpactXoft today announced the signing of a strategic development agreement under which ImpactXoft joins Dassault Systèmes’ CAA V5 Software Community Program as a Gold Software Partner. The partnership extends their Original Software Developer (OSD) agreement signed in 2002. Under this agreement, ImpactXoft will deliver a new version of its award-winning IX SPeeD Suite software for Simultaneous Product Development based on Dassault Systèmes’ Component Application Architecture (CAA V5), enhancing functional modeling and collaborative design capabilities.

The new IX SPeeD V5 Suite targets companies in Consumer Goods, Electronics & Electrical (E&E) and throughout the automotive and aerospace supply chains that require a connection with Dassault Systèmes’ V5 PLM offer. It makes it extremely easy for designers to understand, reuse and share existing designs across the extended enterprise, thanks to an innovative rule-based method for capturing the design behavior as functional features. The geometry representation is automatically generated while carefully respecting the functional definitions. Furthermore, the software’s Instant Participation capabilities, a novel form of collaborative design, delivers a unique way to communicate design changes between OEM and suppliers, by allowing members of a design team to share and merge elements of their product designs at their convenience. With this innovative approach, users benefit from reconciliation made possible in a true collaborative environment.

In addition to the modeling and collaboration capabilities offered by IX SPeeD V5, add-on modules will complement IX SPeeD V5 for specialized design and analysis tasks such as machining, sheet metal design or structural analysis. ImpactXoft will offer these specialized CAA V5 based modules as add-ons to IX SPeeD V5, enabling the company to provide its users with a full range of product development tools within a unique collaborative environment.

“The successful, on-time delivery of the CATIA V5R12 Functional Molded Part Design product is an example of the strong, winning collaboration between our two companies,” said Dominique Florack executive vice-president, Research and Development, Dassault Systèmes. “Today’s announcement is the natural next step in our efforts to deliver a V5 PLM based collaborative design solution across all industries.”

“This partnership will allow us to provide IX SPeeD users with the best of two worlds,” said Attilio Rimoldi, president & CEO, ImpactXoft. “It will combine the specialized engineering of Dassault Systèmes V5 solutions with our design software that was created from the ground up to effectively design products and apply, share and merge design changes. ”

“ImpactXoft's revolutionary Functional Modeling and Simultaneous Collaboration technologies are a critical component to accelerating the industry vision of building a 3D digital PLM environment that truly enhances product innovation,” said Dave Burdick, founder and president of Collaborative Visions, Inc. “The combination of ImpactXoft's technologies with Dassault Systèmes' V5 platform and application breadth provides a very strong foundation for making the collaborative design vision a reality.”