Bentley Announces OpenPlant - the First Plant Applications Based on ISO 15926 Data Model

Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced OpenPlant, the first
range of software products for the creation and management of plant
infrastructure inherently based on the ISO 15926 data model - an
international standard for process plant information. By enabling the
next phase in software interoperability, Bentley´s OpenPlant products
facilitate distributed-enterprise collaboration spanning disparate
systems. The OpenPlant hallmark is seamless federation for sharing and
reusing consistent and accurate data among distributed teams and work
packages throughout the plant lifecycle. These advances reduce
downtime, increase plant safety, and deliver greater flexibility and
productivity - stimulating innovative engineering and operations for
sustaining infrastructure. The OpenPlant designation will apply to the
next (ISO 15926-based) versions of existing Bentley plant offerings as
well as newly developed applications. Bentley´s first ISO
15926-compliant offering was its ProjectWise Lifecycle Server. Today
it is introducing OpenPlant PowerPID, the only commercial P&ID
solution to be based on a completely open data model.

CEO Greg Bentley said, "I pointed out at daratechPLANT last year
that I had observed a change in the projects we serve towards more
creative and productive distribution of work through digital work
packages, which increasingly involve industrial solution suppliers.
Driving this change is the reality that global engineering resources
are not growing quickly enough to otherwise meet today´s project
demands.

"To deliver on these new productivity-enhancing strategies
requires interoperations and the sharing of design innovation
throughout distributed enterprises. At daratechPLANT 2007 we discussed
major breakthroughs in intra-operations that Bentley achieved in
integrating new acquisitions. Today, we are here to announce that
Bentley has moved forward to become the first plant creation software
vendor delivering truly open solutions, including our adoption of ISO
15926 data models as the basis for the next version of all of our
plant applications. Using that open standard for data persistence
means Bentley users can take a giant step beyond vague goals of
interoperability to the benefits of actually interoperating, to reach
the inflections in enterprise lifecycle productivity they´ve sought.
As a consequence, plant owner-operators and creators will be able to
offset resource shortages for sustaining infrastructure."

"Bentley´s commitment to this pragmatic development was driven by
our ingrained belief that project data belongs to users, not software
vendors," said Rob Whitesell, vice president, Bentley Plant, Building,
and Structural development. "Now that plant software datasets can be
open - by adhering to ISO 15926 data models - there is no excuse not
to guarantee plant owner-operators and creators unimpeded access to,
and unlimited leveraged reuse of, their information investment."

Whitesell continued, "Bentley´s OpenPlant is the only open plant
software that´s designed to support the way in which the world of
distributed enterprises works today. Because they are based on a
nonproprietary, internationally recognized standard, OpenPlant
products empower project teams to engage in streamlined collaborative
workflows that empower and harness the constant organic innovations
that unfettered engineers and industrial solution suppliers can
accomplish. By enabling distributed teams to connect and work
instantaneously, and federate their data and work packages seamlessly,
OpenPlant compresses project schedules and time to market for
improving profitability and sustainability."

About OpenPlant´s ProjectWise Lifecycle Server

As the plant creation market leader in software for
owner-operators, according to plant industry research firm Daratech,
Bentley has devoted a particular focus to the challenges of lifecycle
reuse of plant design deliverables, for which ISO 15926 has been
instrumental.

Already proven in the world´s most demanding plant environments -
with user organizations including BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, KBR,
and Southern Company - ProjectWise Lifecycle Server supports Bentley´s
standards-based engineering data warehouse, addressing engineering
automation and other asset information management needs for the full
plant lifecycle. Built on ISO 15926, ProjectWise Lifecycle Server
accordingly offers unprecedented interoperability - providing the
ability to share data across Bentley and competitive plant
applications, and with enterprise IT environments.

The consolidation and integration of data during handover is by
far the toughest IT problem faced by the process industry today.
ProjectWise Lifecycle Server is at the heart of Bentley´s solution.
Its core purpose is the identification and consolidation of data
elements from disparate sources. As information is released from
different disciplines, contractors, or vendors, ProjectWise Lifecycle
Server provides comprehensive quality-checking to ensure that accepted
information is complete, correct, and consistent. Context data about
where information originated and the conditions under which it has
been shared is captured to support the industrial-strength change
management necessary for commissioned plants.

For more information about ProjectWise Lifecycle Server, visit
www.bentley.com/lifecycleserver.

About OpenPlant PowerPID

As the market leader in plant schematics software, according to
Daratech, it is fitting that Bentley´s first OpenPlant design
application is OpenPlant PowerPID, the only commercial software for
process and instrumentation diagrams to be based on a completely open
data model. Because the native data model schema for OpenPlant
PowerPID is ISO 15926, any data that is mapped to the ISO 15926 schema
can natively interoperate with OpenPlant PowerPID. This means that any
plant schematics created with OpenPlant PowerPID can be shared without
the need for complex application programming interfaces. The data is
stored and maintained in a neutral, nonproprietary format that can be
accessed by any application that is mapped to the ISO 15926 schema.

In addition to its unprecedented interoperability credentials,
OpenPlant PowerPID leverages up-to-date software technologies to
deliver best-in-class productivity:

-- Rapid - and automated - creation of intelligent P&IDs, for
increased throughput;

-- Shared files that allow changes made independently by multiple
users to be reconciled into a single P&ID, for faster
completion of designs;

-- Assembly management, for quick placement of complex
components;

-- Both DWG and DGN formats for intelligent deliverables,
broadening project opportunities;

-- Administrative functions to ensure P&ID compliance with
project data and drawing quality standards.

For more information about OpenPlant PowerPID, visit
www.bentley.com/PowerPID.

About Bentley

Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle
of the world´s infrastructure. The company´s comprehensive portfolio
for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans
architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With
revenues now surpassing $400 million annually, and more than 2,400
colleagues globally, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software
to the Engineering News-Record Top Design Firms and major
owner-operators, and was named the world´s No. 2 provider of
GIS/geospatial software solutions in a Daratech research study.

To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit
www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit
www.bentley.com. To view a copy of Bentley´s April 2007 Annual Report
online, go to www.bentley.com/April2007annualreport.

Bentley, the "B" Bentley logo, OpenPlant, OpenPlant PowerPID,
ProjectWise, and ProjectWise Lifecycle Server are either registered or
unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems,
Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned
subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their
respective owners.