SPE.L Regulatory News (SPE)

29 Apr 2008 07:02

Sopheon PLC29 April 2008 Embargoed Release: 07:00hrs Tuesday 29 April 2008 Sopheon plc ('Sopheon') Bell Helicopter Selects Sopheon's Vision StrategistTM to Guide Technology and Product Investments Product Planning and Roadmapping Software Will Help Aircraft Manufacturer Assess Technology Readiness Levels and Increase Returns on R&D Spending MINNEAPOLIS and LONDON-April 29, 2008-Sopheon, the international provider ofsoftware and services for product lifecycle management, announced today thatBell Helicopter, a leading manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft, hasselected Sopheon's Vision Strategist (VS) roadmapping software to enhance itsstrategic technology and product planning processes. The software is beingdeployed in the company's Engineering and XworX (Advanced Research) divisionslocated at Bell headquarters near Forth Worth, TX. Vision Strategist will beused by engineers, systems analysts and executives responsible for advancedproduct planning. A wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., Bell has a global reputation forworld-class innovation and a legacy of aerospace firsts. Founded in 1935, itdesigned and constructed its first helicopter in only six months and was thefirst company to obtain certification for a commercial helicopter. Today, Bellis a leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned verticallift aircraft. It serves customers in more than 120 countries, and is apacesetter in aircraft innovation. The segment of the aircraft industry to which Bell belongs is highlycompetitive. Development cycles can span decades and products are becomingincreasingly complex. One of Bell's principal challenges is finding ways tospeed up the right new technologies and capabilities to market. The companymust be able to understand at any point in time how established and emergingtechnologies and supplier capabilities link to critical customer requirements.Bell must also have the capacity to efficiently prioritize projects andresources so that it can be a step ahead in meeting those requirements. Vision Strategist will allow Bell to improve the visibility of strategicplanning data and strengthen its ability to anticipate how potential decisionscan impact products that can take up to 20 years to commercialize. Inparticular, Bell plans to use the software's drill-down capabilities to enhanceits understanding of technology readiness levels - a measure used by the companyand many industry leaders to assess the progress of developing technologies asthey mature and become suitable for commercial application. By providing a single, centralized view of the organization's roadmaps, VisionStrategist is expected to help Bell executives identify, develop and fund thetechnologies and capabilities that are needed to meet near- and long-termcustomer demands. Bell has already begun using VS roadmaps to improve insightsinto where and how the company is spending resources across various programs.In addition, Vision Strategist's capacity to trace the application oftechnologies in Bell's portfolio is expected to help the company identifytechnology reuse opportunities. Vision Strategist's ability to support Bell's existing roadmapping frameworksand organizational structure was a key factor in the selection of the software.Using Bell's planning data to create prototypes during a two-day workshop,Sopheon validated that VS could effectively automate the company's manualroadmapping processes. "We conducted a thorough review process and found that Sopheon's software wasthe only solution that met our needs," said Scott Harris, technology innovationmanager for Bell Helicopter. "Vision Strategist enables us to objectivelyreview investment options, pool resources across the company and speed theredeployment and development of needed technologies. It takes less time tocreate roadmaps and we have greater confidence in the quality of the data.Overall, we expect that with VS we will see a significant increase in our returnon technology investments." With a single, centralized product planning system now in place, Bell employeescan share roadmaps, visualize dependencies across programs and access accuratedata in real-time to inform decision-making. The company expects to reduce theamount of time and money spent on administrative tasks and to eliminateduplicative efforts in developing, gathering and reporting on technology andproduct plans. "Bell Helicopter's historically strong competitive position reflects theirsuccess in creating products that match market needs," said Bryan Seyfarth,solutions marketing director for Sopheon. "Vision Strategist gives Bell anautomated strategic product planning system that will help reduce theuncertainty and risks associated with complex technology and product decisions,allowing the company to more effectively meet customer requirements andaccelerate the delivery of new products to market." Vision StrategistTM is a trademark of Sopheon. All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. About Bell Helicopter A wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), Bell Helicopter is anindustry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmannedvertical lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superiorquality, Bell's international workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft inmore than 120 countries. For more information, please visitwww.bellhelicopter.com. About Sopheon Sopheon (LSE:SPE) is an international provider of product lifecycle managementsoftware and services. Its solutions help organizations increase revenues andprofits from new products by synchronizing product planning and innovationprocess execution. Sopheon's Accolade(R) software automates the productinnovation process and provides strategic decision support for the management ofproduct portfolios. Its Vision StrategistTM solution automates the roadmappingprocess, allowing users to visualize and forecast the future of products,markets and technologies. Sopheon's solutions are used by industry leadersthroughout the world, including BASF, Cadbury Schweppes, Corning, Electrolux,General Motors, Honeywell, Motorola, Nestle and SAB Miller. Sopheon is listedon the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange and on the Euronext in theNetherlands. For more information, please visit www.sopheon.com. -Ends- For further information contact: Barry Mence, Chairman Sopheon plc Tel: + 44 (0) 1483 685 735 Arif Karimjee, CFO Vikki Krause Hansard Communications Tel: + 44 (0) 207 245 1100 Claire Verhagen Citigate First Financial Tel: + 31 (0) 205 754 010 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange