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Fluent Inc. and Aspen Technology Announce Strategic Technology Initiative

Companies collaborate to provide comprehensive simulation tools to engineers in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and power industries

Lebanon NH/Cambridge, MA - February 4, 2000 - Fluent Inc., the leading provider of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software and services, and Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN), the leading supplier of manufacturing enterprise optimization and e-business solutions for the process industries, today announced the formation of a strategic technology initiative to provide comprehensive design and simulation tools for the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and power industries. The collaboration will leverage the complementary expertise of the two companies to provide best-in-class tools for engineers engaged in process equipment design and process optimization, enabling manufacturers to see how individual plant assets impact overall plant performance and efficiency.

The AspenTech-Fluent initiative is focused on providing engineers in the process industries with the tools needed to create state-of-the-art, integrated workflow environments that optimize plant productivity, flexibility and time-to-market. A key goal of the collaboration is to enable strategic reuse of knowledge and experience, so that all designs and analyses are based on consistent and complete data.

Currently, models based on AspenTech's Aspen Engineering Suite T form the basis of integrated plant design. Fluent's CFD software is used to understand and improve the performance of individual unit operations or isolated pieces of equipment. However, process simulation models do not capture the knowledge represented by detailed CFD models and CFD predictions do not reflect the context of the overall process. Similarly, today's process simulation tools use advanced physical property models and data that may differ from the models used during CFD modeling. The AspenTech-Fluent initiative will provide integrated solutions for viewing and simulating the entire process flow, enabling manufacturers to see how each individual plant asset impacts overall plant performance and efficiency.

"Integration between the tools used for CFD modeling and process simulation will facilitate a workflow for design optimization that uses consistent and complete process knowledge," said Dr. S. Subbiah, Fluent's Director of US Operations. "Fluent's CFD simulations provide detailed information about equipment performance. This information can be used to evaluate whether a proposed design provides the ideal fluid flow conditions assumed during the overall process simulation. It can also be used to modify the process simulation model and yield better predictions of overall plant performance and product quality."

"The collaboration with Fluent represents a classic synergy of complementary technologies and strengths," said Herb Britt, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for AspenTech. "We intend to focus on integration that provides practical and meaningful improvements to our customer's existing design processes, and uses an open-architecture, standards-based approach for the greatest flexibility. In particular we want to focus on enabling use of Fluent unit operation models in the Aspen Engineering Suite, and use of Aspen physical properties in conjunction with Fluent models. Many of our mutual customers have expressed enthusiasm for the AspenTech-Fluent initiative, and we intend to work closely with these companies to guide the integration of our modeling tools."

ABB-Alstom Power (AAP) is one of several companies playing an advisory role in the initiative. "We are very enthusiastic to see Fluent and Aspen Technology working together," said Dr. Woodrow Fiveland, Director of Combustion and Environmental Technology at AAP. "We expect significant benefits from knowledge reuse as the collaboration fosters communication between the CFD analysts and the process simulation experts in our company."

Additional details about the AspenTech-Fluent initiative will be available during the fifth triennial AspenWorld conference (AspenWorld 2000: Optimizing the Manufacturing Enterprise) to be held in Orlando, Florida, on February 6-11, 2000.

About Fluent

Fluent Inc. is a world leader in the rapidly growing field of computerized design and simulation software. Fluent's software is used to predict fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, chemical reaction and related phenomena. Fluent's software products and services help engineers in leading corporations world-wide with detailed product development, design optimization, trouble shooting, scale-up and retrofitting. Fluent's software significantly reduces engineering cost, while improving the final design of products in applications ranging from design of electronic components and systems to automotive engineering, and from combustion system design to process plant troubleshooting. Fluent's corporate headquarters are located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. Fluent's European headquarters are located in Sheffield, England, with local offices in France, Germany, and Italy. Fluent's CFD software is also available around the world through joint ventures, partnerships and distributors in Japan, Korea, Australia, the Czech Republic, and most European countries. Fluent is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aavid Thermal Technologies Inc. Additional information on Fluent's products can be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.fluent.com or by E-Mailing info@fluent.com. More information on Aavid Thermal Technologies is available at http://www.aavid.com.

About AspenTech

Aspen Technology, Inc. is the leading supplier of integrated software and services for manufacturing enterprise optimization. AspenTech's solutions include Plantelligence, which integrates plant processes to improve business performance, and Supply Chain Management products that unite the enterprise and enable business-to-business supply chain optimization. The company's deep process knowledge, best-in-class solutions, optimization expertise and integrated technologies enable customers to align people, resources and business processes to drive their enterprise to its True Potential. AspenTech employs more than 1,400 people in 22 countries worldwide and is headquartered at Ten Canal Park, Cambridge, Mass. 02141. Additional company and product information is available at www.aspentech.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events or financial performance of the Company that involve risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and there can be no assurance that actual results will be the same as those indicated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Risk Factors section of our Form 10K for the year ended June 30, 1999, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of this document are available on request from the Investor Relations Department of AspenTech.

AspenTech, Plantelligence, Aspen Engineering Suite and the aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.

Contact:

For Media:

Gina Cerami
Aspen Technology, Inc.
(908) 790 7330
gina.cerami@aspentech.com

Lynette Pitman
Schwartz Communications, Inc.
(781) 684 0770
lynettep@schwartz-pr.com

Jennifer Correa
Fluent Inc.
10 Cavendish Court
Lebanon, NH 03766
(603) 643-2600 Ext. 668
jrc@fluent.com

For Investors:

Joshua Young
Aspen Technology, Inc.
(617) 949-1274 joshua.young@aspentech.com

Press Releases
News Newsletters Press Contacts Press Releases All Press Releases 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999	Fluent Inc. and Aspen Technology Announce Strategic Technology Initiative Companies collaborate to provide comprehensive simulation tools to engineers in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and power industries Lebanon NH/Cambridge, MA - February 4, 2000 - Fluent Inc., the leading provider of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software and services, and Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN), the leading supplier of manufacturing enterprise optimization and e-business solutions for the process industries, today announced the formation of a strategic technology initiative to provide comprehensive design and simulation tools for the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and power industries. The collaboration will leverage the complementary expertise of the two companies to provide best-in-class tools for engineers engaged in process equipment design and process optimization, enabling manufacturers to see how individual plant assets impact overall plant performance and efficiency. The AspenTech-Fluent initiative is focused on providing engineers in the process industries with the tools needed to create state-of-the-art, integrated workflow environments that optimize plant productivity, flexibility and time-to-market. A key goal of the collaboration is to enable strategic reuse of knowledge and experience, so that all designs and analyses are based on consistent and complete data. Currently, models based on AspenTech's Aspen Engineering Suite T form the basis of integrated plant design. Fluent's CFD software is used to understand and improve the performance of individual unit operations or isolated pieces of equipment. However, process simulation models do not capture the knowledge represented by detailed CFD models and CFD predictions do not reflect the context of the overall process. Similarly, today's process simulation tools use advanced physical property models and data that may differ from the models used during CFD modeling. The AspenTech-Fluent initiative will provide integrated solutions for viewing and simulating the entire process flow, enabling manufacturers to see how each individual plant asset impacts overall plant performance and efficiency. "Integration between the tools used for CFD modeling and process simulation will facilitate a workflow for design optimization that uses consistent and complete process knowledge," said Dr. S. Subbiah, Fluent's Director of US Operations. "Fluent's CFD simulations provide detailed information about equipment performance. This information can be used to evaluate whether a proposed design provides the ideal fluid flow conditions assumed during the overall process simulation. It can also be used to modify the process simulation model and yield better predictions of overall plant performance and product quality." "The collaboration with Fluent represents a classic synergy of complementary technologies and strengths," said Herb Britt, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for AspenTech. "We intend to focus on integration that provides practical and meaningful improvements to our customer's existing design processes, and uses an open-architecture, standards-based approach for the greatest flexibility. In particular we want to focus on enabling use of Fluent unit operation models in the Aspen Engineering Suite, and use of Aspen physical properties in conjunction with Fluent models. Many of our mutual customers have expressed enthusiasm for the AspenTech-Fluent initiative, and we intend to work closely with these companies to guide the integration of our modeling tools." ABB-Alstom Power (AAP) is one of several companies playing an advisory role in the initiative. "We are very enthusiastic to see Fluent and Aspen Technology working together," said Dr. Woodrow Fiveland, Director of Combustion and Environmental Technology at AAP. "We expect significant benefits from knowledge reuse as the collaboration fosters communication between the CFD analysts and the process simulation experts in our company." Additional details about the AspenTech-Fluent initiative will be available during the fifth triennial AspenWorld conference (AspenWorld 2000: Optimizing the Manufacturing Enterprise) to be held in Orlando, Florida, on February 6-11, 2000. About Fluent Fluent Inc. is a world leader in the rapidly growing field of computerized design and simulation software. Fluent's software is used to predict fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, chemical reaction and related phenomena. Fluent's software products and services help engineers in leading corporations world-wide with detailed product development, design optimization, trouble shooting, scale-up and retrofitting. Fluent's software significantly reduces engineering cost, while improving the final design of products in applications ranging from design of electronic components and systems to automotive engineering, and from combustion system design to process plant troubleshooting. Fluent's corporate headquarters are located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. Fluent's European headquarters are located in Sheffield, England, with local offices in France, Germany, and Italy. Fluent's CFD software is also available around the world through joint ventures, partnerships and distributors in Japan, Korea, Australia, the Czech Republic, and most European countries. Fluent is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aavid Thermal Technologies Inc. Additional information on Fluent's products can be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.fluent.com or by E-Mailing info@fluent.com. More information on Aavid Thermal Technologies is available at http://www.aavid.com. About AspenTech Aspen Technology, Inc. is the leading supplier of integrated software and services for manufacturing enterprise optimization. AspenTech's solutions include Plantelligence, which integrates plant processes to improve business performance, and Supply Chain Management products that unite the enterprise and enable business-to-business supply chain optimization. The company's deep process knowledge, best-in-class solutions, optimization expertise and integrated technologies enable customers to align people, resources and business processes to drive their enterprise to its True Potential. AspenTech employs more than 1,400 people in 22 countries worldwide and is headquartered at Ten Canal Park, Cambridge, Mass. 02141. Additional company and product information is available at www.aspentech.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events or financial performance of the Company that involve risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and there can be no assurance that actual results will be the same as those indicated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Risk Factors section of our Form 10K for the year ended June 30, 1999, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of this document are available on request from the Investor Relations Department of AspenTech. AspenTech, Plantelligence, Aspen Engineering Suite and the aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Contact: For Media: Gina Cerami Aspen Technology, Inc. (908) 790 7330 gina.cerami@aspentech.com Lynette Pitman Schwartz Communications, Inc. (781) 684 0770 lynettep@schwartz-pr.com Jennifer Correa Fluent Inc. 10 Cavendish Court Lebanon, NH 03766 (603) 643-2600 Ext. 668 jrc@fluent.com For Investors: Joshua Young Aspen Technology, Inc. (617) 949-1274 joshua.young@aspentech.com