Audi Works with ESI Group and HP to Advance Auto Safety Standards with Auto Industry´s Fastest Supercomputer

ESI Group (ESIN FR0004110310), a pioneer and world-leading
supplier of digital simulation software for prototyping and
manufacturing processes, announced today that AUDI AG has implemented
the auto industry´s fastest supercomputer to advance safety standards.
Crucial in optimizing car safety, the new system is based on ESI
Group´s PAM-CRASH 2G simulation software and an HP Cluster Platform
3000BL system, providing 15.36 teraflop/s of computing performance for
crash simulation models of Audi. The supercomputer implementation
places the leading premium car manufacturer at No. 123 on the TOP500
list of the world´s fastest supercomputers, making it the auto
industry´s fastest system.

Audi partnered with ESI Group, a pioneer and world supplier of
digital simulation software, to establish and drive its global vehicle
safety projects around the world. Audi recognized the unparalleled
computing efficiency and ease-of-use of the PAM CRASH 2G software and

as a result, the implementation improved the reliability of its crash
safety and impact simulations. The software enhancements combined with
compact, fast and power-efficient HP hardware has enabled Audi to run
its refined models overnight, ensuring an effective design process
that includes analysis of the safety elements of its vehicles. With
the hardware and software investments, Audi has maintained its
position as one of the safest vehicle manufacturers in the world

while it also improved its bottom line by reducing operating and power
and cooling costs.

"ESI Group consistently provides its customers with affordable
simulation turnaround time, greater accuracy and increasingly larger
simulation models. This versatility allows Audi to find a balance
between performance and the increased number of realistically
simulated design variations for the complete car range," declared
Peter Ulrich, Crash Safety and Impact Product Manager ESI Group.

The ease-of-use and latest algorithms in the PAM-CRASH 2G software
encouraged Audi to raise their expectations for simulation design. For
example, airbag models now routinely take into account fluid-structure
interactions, leading to realistic interactions of the airbag with
structures and occupants. Furthermore, prediction testing for material
rupture, which usually requires high resolution models, can now be
treated using a multi-scale approach. This helps save days of
computing time and unnecessary costs.

Audi selected HP, a recognized industry leader in high-performance
computing (HPC), to implement technology that would provide enhanced
reliability, high server density and computing power. Audi installed
the HP Cluster Platform 3000BL, a system built using 320 nodes based
on HP ProLiant BL460c server blades and the InfiniBand cluster
interconnect. This HPC system provides the computing power and speed
needed to calculate the tremendous volume of data generated during the
simulation process.

With the HP BladeSystem c-Class architecture coupled with the HP
Dynamic Smart Cooling management solution, this supercomputer requires
a quarter less floor space and consumes a quarter less power than a
traditional rack-based configuration. In addition, the blade
configuration provides simple hardware maintenance, cabling and system
administration and has outstanding scalability.

"Providing Audi with a high-performance computing solution helps
them design better and safer cars while reducing their power
consumption and costs," said Paul Perez, Vice President, High
Performance Computing, HP. "HP has a long history of knowledge and
expertise in providing automotive customers high-performance computing
that fosters innovation."

About ESI Group

ESI Group is a world-leading supplier and pioneer of digital
simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that
take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an
extensive suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications to
realistically simulate a product´s behavior during testing, to
fine-tune manufacturing processes in accordance with desired product
performance, and to evaluate the environment´s impact on product
performance. ESI Group´s offer represents a unique collaborative
solution with an open virtual engineering environment known as the
Virtual Try-Out Space, enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a
continuous and collaborative manner while eliminating the need for
physical prototypes during product development. The company employs
over 700 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30
countries. ESI Group is listed in compartment C of Euronext Paris. For
further information, visit www.esi-group.com.

Virtual Try-Out Space(R) is a registered trademark of ESI Group.
All other products, names or companies are the brands or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.