McLaren Formula 1 Racing Team Chooses V6 for Greater Efficiency Throughout the Production Cycle

WOKING SURREY, United Kingdom & VÉLIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — (BUSINESS WIRE) — February 28, 2011 — McLaren Racing, the operating arm of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team, and Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA)(Paris: DSY), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, are pleased to announce a new partnership to further enhance racing car development efficiency.

The agreement sees McLaren Racing committing to Dassault Systèmes’ open V6 PLM solutions for integrated design development, analysis and management. ENOVIA V6 forms McLaren Racing’s collaborative innovation backbone by providing a single IP reference for managing engineering, intellectual property and business processes. CATIA V6 will be used for innovative design and concurrent engineering, enhancing McLaren’s development efficiency.

The deployment of Dassault Systèmes’ V6 solutions enables McLaren Racing’s team to benefit from one of the most sophisticated, open, flexible, secure and integrated PLM 2.0 software environments ever created. The scale, scope and speed of Formula 1 racing design means tens of thousands of new innovative designs and ideas each year. Creating, developing and testing so many designs requires an efficient and trusted software environment to integrate and safely manage the considerable load of technical data and engineering simulation results. Dassault Systèmes’ V6 collaborative PLM solutions will play a vital role in helping streamline McLaren Racing’s processes, as well as promoting successful innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration from the initial concept to manufacturing and then to the racetrack itself.

“While it may look straightforward to guide a racing car from a 3D digital model to the racetrack, it’s a process that involves an extraordinarily complex and disparate series of interlocking design, purchasing and manufacturing constituents. At McLaren Racing, we are looking at every opportunity to cut our time to market – whether that’s through clever design, the introduction of improved processes or, in the case of V6 PLM, by introducing a sophisticated product lifecycle management system to improve efficiency throughout the production cycle,” said Jonathan Neale, McLaren Racing’s managing director. “Dassault Systèmes’ suite of software solutions has long been part of McLaren’s design DNA, and the introduction of CATIA V6 and ENOVIA V6 will only strengthen our hand, allowing us to work faster and more productively within one of the most competitive and relentless environments in the world.”

Dassault Systèmes CEO Bernard Charles commented, “By signing this important agreement with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes we are building a stronger partnership with a great Formula 1 team. This new collaboration demonstrates Formula 1’s world commitment to innovation. A formidable test bed for extreme reliable technologies that only Dassault Systèmes PLM 2 can provide. We wish Vodafone McLaren Mercedes the very best for the current race season and are proud of our involvement with such a prestigious and successful team”.

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren founded the McLaren team in 1963. It entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966 and won its first grand prix in 1968. More than 40 years and 169 grand prix victories later, McLaren is still renowned as one of the sport’s most successful competitors and as one of the world’s most illustrious high-technology brands.

The McLaren Group has grown to encompass much more than just racing. It houses a cutting-edge electronics division that not only services the entire Formula 1 grid but also many racing series across the globe. McLaren Applied Technologies creates cutting-edge solutions for modern industry while McLaren Automotive not only produced the 1990s’ original supercar, the F1, and the unique Mercedes-Benz SLR but is now building its own high-performance sports car – the extraordinary MP4-12C.

After a highly successful 2010 campaign, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes continues with the proven double world-champion line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for 2011.

About Dassault Systèmes

As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 130,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes applications provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product - SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design - DELMIA for virtual production - SIMULIA for virtual testing - ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.

CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, SolidWorks and 3D VIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

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