FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Purdue Receives $3.5 Million Donation Of IronCAD Software

IronCAD Offers Students Solid Features, Fresh Approach for Creating Designs

SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 31, 2000 — Purdue University, one of the top five engineering and technology schools in the U.S., today announced the receipt of a donation of IronCAD software, valued at $3.5 million. Alventive, Inc., a leading provider of collaborative commerce Design-to-Order solutions, made the donation as part of its Educational Donation Program. Alventive is the creator of IronCAD software, a Windows®-based engineering design tool that incorporates a solid modeling architecture and takes design creation to new levels of productivity and functionality.  The software will initially be used in the Computer Graphics Technology Department and Mechanical Engineering Department for teaching students a basic understanding of 3D computer aided design.

With its intuitive and powerful Web-based design features, IronCAD’s graphic user interface is easy to understand and enables everyone in the design process to contribute to a design’s development regardless of who built the model, how it was created, or which CAD system was used. This approach allowsstudents to spend more time learning and trying out design concepts and ideas, and less time learning how to use the software itself.

“IronCAD allows the students in our teaching labs at the university as well as those on other campuses around the state to participate in projects together,” said Rick Smith,  Technical Computer Network Director of Information Technology at Purdue University. Jim Jones the Associate Head of Mechanical Engineering, stated,”WithIronCAD, the students nowspend time creating and improving designs as a team, rather than wasting time learning difficult software or trying to figure out how to share their ideas and concepts with each other.”

IronCAD Educational Donation Program

Since its formation in 1999, the Educational Donation Program has provided $15.2 million of software to qualified two- and four-year accredited educational institutions. The program includes IronCAD software licenses with a one-year product support and update subscription, as well as user guides, tutorials and training manuals.

IronCAD software continues to be the de facto standard for educational institutions as a result of its entirely new solid modeling architecture and friendly user interface. The software is being actively used or evaluated at 285 educational institutions.  It will be used this year at eight of the nation’s top 15 Mechanical Engineering programs, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

“We have made great strides in the academic program donating more than $15 million worth of software over the last 18 months,” said David Tiley, president and CEO of Alventive. “We’re pleased to play an intricate role in spurring students’ creativity and careers by introducing them early on to a CAD tool that enables them to innovate more quickly and easily.”

Donations for the balance of the year are immediately available and are obtained by application. For more information about the IronCAD Educational Donation Program or to request an application, please send an e-mail to education_program@ironcad.com or visit the IronCAD web site at: www.ironcad.com.

About IronCAD

IronCAD, the most rapidly adopted mechanical solid modeler in recent years, is a revolutionary design tool that incorporates the first new solid modeling architecture in a decade, taking Windows®-based engineering to new levels of productivity and functionality.   IronCAD has received numerous accolades from top CAD publications.  In March 2000, it was recognized as a finalist in the NASA Tech Briefs Product of the Year Award.  It also won the 1998 and 1999 Computer Graphics World Innovation Award and two CADENCE magazine Editors’ Choice Awards.

About Alventive

Alventive creates Design-to-Order Web  application services that bring collaborative commerce capabilities to Internet and extranet marketplaces.  Utilizing Alventive’s Design-to-Order solutions, manufacturers extend participation in the creation and innovation of products to their suppliers, partners and customers.  Alventive is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with offices throughout the United States and Canada.  For additional information, please contact Alventive at 1-888-273-3393 or www.alventive.com.