Exton, Pa.– Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that its ProjectWise StartPoint, an entry-level collaboration tool for MicroStation and AutoCAD users, will connect to and extend new capabilities in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

 ProjectWise StartPoint, which was unveiled in May of this year, opens the power of ProjectWise, one of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry’s leading systems of collaboration servers, to a broad population of new users and teams. The new tool:

    •     Provides direct access to SharePoint platform and collaboration tools from within MicroStation, MicroStation PowerDraft, Bentley Redline, Bentley View, and AutoCAD
    •     Makes SharePoint technologies aware of relationships critical in CAD files, allowing AEC users to employ SharePoint for their entire project
    •     Requires no additional server software beyond SharePoint technologies, so deployment is easy
    •     Provides a cost-effective starting point for organizations that wish to grow to high-end ProjectWise capabilities
 Commenting on early and growing user interest in ProjectWise StartPoint, Joe Croser, global marketing director, Bentley platform products, said, “It doesn’t take long for MicroStation and AutoCAD users to recognize the tremendous value-adds that come from combining ProjectWise with SharePoint-based technologies to manage CAD content, project data, and Microsoft Office documents. Productivity enhancements quickly jump to the top of the list, as does the easy pathway that ProjectWise StartPoint provides to the extended capabilities of full ProjectWise collaboration.”

 “The release of the 2007 Microsoft Office system enables ProjectWise StartPoint to offer a comprehensive collaboration solution for all organizations and users who perform infrastructure work,” said Barbara Gordon, vice president of Enterprise Sales, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft Corp. “The new and improved capabilities in the 2007 release will further enhance the ProjectWise StartPoint user experience, helping infrastructure professionals manage, find, and share information more efficiently.” Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 products and technologies provide all users with:
    •     Simple project web site and user-level customization
    •     File access control using check-in/check-out functions
    •     Version control
    •     Fast finding through powerful search features
    •     Access control with Folder Level security
    •     Calendars and threaded discussion Web Parts
 ProjectWise StartPoint extends SharePoint technologies by:
    •     Providing direct access to SharePoint platform and collaboration tools from within MicroStation, MicroStation PowerDraft, Bentley Redline, Bentley View, and AutoCAD
    •     Managing relationships for MicroStation reference files and AutoCAD xrefs
    •     Supporting MicroStation V8 XM Edition Link Sets between CAD and Office files
    •     Saving PDF and other plot files from MicroStation directly into SharePoint technologies
    •     Assigning MicroStation workspace profiles to individual DGN files for standards compliance

 ProjectWise StartPoint is included in MicroStation V8 XM Edition, so deployment for its users is simple. AutoCAD users deploy by installing a no-charge downloadable plug-in. Both require a ProjectWise Named User license.

About ProjectWise

ProjectWise is a system of collaboration servers that enables distributed enterprises and related organizations to successfully deliver infrastructure projects. Its core capabilities allow users to manage, find, and share CAD and geospatial content.

ProjectWise StartPoint provides an entry-level collaboration tool, while ProjectWise Integration Server provides federated content management. ProjectWise also includes servers for caching data in multiple locations, for managing and automating plotting and publishing, and for connecting with enterprise systems.

For more information, go to www.bentley.com/ProjectWise.

About Bentley

Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world’s infrastructure. The company’s comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2005 revenues of $336 million and more than 2000 colleagues around the world, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms and major owner-operators and was named the world’s No. 2 provider of GIS/geospatial software solutions in a recent Daratech research study.