Download Maxsoft_Sopheon

Embargoed Release: 07:00hrs Wednesday 21 January 2008
Sopheon plc
('Sopheon')
Sopheon Partners with Maxsoft to Provide
Product Innovation Management Solutions in India
Sopheon, the international provider of software and services for product lifecycle management
(‘PLM’), announces today it has established a partnership with Maxrad Software India Pvt Ltd
(‘Maxsoft’), a leading provider of computer-aided engineering tools. Under the terms of the
agreement, Maxsoft will market Sopheon’s Accolade solution throughout India. It will also
deliver configuration, implementation and training services related to the software. Maxsoft
supplies high-end software tools and solutions to automotive, aerospace and defense
manufacturers. The company is based in Bangalore, with branch offices in Pune and New Delhi.
PLM has become one of the most rapidly expanding segments of the global software market as a
result of an increasing dependency by manufacturers on product innovation for business growth.
Sopheon’s Accolade is highly regarded among PLM solutions designed to support innovation
governance and product portfolio management. The software replaces inefficient paper-based
processes and automates product innovation, helping companies ensure that the most
commercially promising new products get to market cost-effectively and on time. The
deployment of Accolade creates a centralised best-practice system that supports decision-making
and lifecycle management from a product’s inception as an idea until it is retired from the
marketplace.
The development phase of product innovation is critical to every manufacturing organisation, but
is of particular importance to automotive, aerospace and defense companies where the cost of
programme execution is especially high. The achievement of programme goals in these
industries often requires collaboration among cross-functional teams spread across companies,
countries and cultures. Success also hinges on being able to effectively control complex resource
and technology dependencies while tightly managing programme requirements and risk.
Accolade streamlines collaboration, while making programme requirements visible with a level
of detail that ensures precise, informed, cost-effective programme management.
Industry analysts predict that the already strong global demand for PLM software will continue
to grow at double-digit rates through 2012. Markets for the software class led by Sopheon’s
Accolade are expected to expand at a 17% CAGR. In India, industry experts are reporting a
boom in demand for PLM solutions*.
Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, chief executive officer of Maxsoft, commented:
“We are extremely happy to partner with Sopheon to bring Accolade into the Indian market.
This relationship allows Maxsoft to provide manufacturers throughout India with a solution that
will enable them to structure and govern their new product development processes from end to
end. The Sopheon system has proven consistently that it can connect with a company’s
innovation strategies and provide process automation and decision support that will lead to
higher levels of revenue growth and profits from new products. We believe that Sopheon’s
Accolade is the right solution at the right time for the Indian market.”
Huub Rutten, co-founder of Sopheon, commented:
“India has declared innovation to be a strategic national priority. Companies throughout the
country are focused on finding ways to generate maximum value from new and emerging
products and technologies, a challenge that is core to Accolade’s value proposition. Maxsoft
knows the Indian market for engineering, R&D and product innovation solutions inside out.
Their record of success as a distributor, together with the strength of their competencies,
experience and contact networks, will accelerate the introduction of Accolade to Indian
manufacturers. This is an exciting move for Sopheon.”
*The projection for growth in PLM markets is sourced from research by AMR Research.
-EndsFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barry Mence, Chairman
Arif Karimjee, CFO
Vikki Krause
Sopheon plc
+ 44 (0) 1483 685 735
Hansard Communications
+ 44 (0) 207 245 1100
+ 44 (0) 7957 203 685
+ 31 (0) 205 754 010
+ 44 (0) 207 107 8000
Claire Verhagen
Citigate First Financial
Paul Davies, Corporate Seymour Pierce
Finance
About Maxsoft
Maxsoft is a leading, technology-driven, engineering software organization in India, trusted for
its quality and commitment to customer satisfaction. For more than 3 years the company has
provided a wide range of high-end engineering tools and solutions to leading manufacturers in
the automotive, aerospace and defense sectors. Maxsoft's engineering skills help customers build
designs from concept through analyses to prototype with emphasis on simulation and analysis.
The company is headquartered in Bangalore, with branches in Pune, Delhi and Herne
(Germany). For more information, please visit www.maxsoft-india.com.
About Sopheon
Sopheon (LSE:SPE) is an international provider of product lifecycle management software and
services. Its solutions help organizations increase revenues and profits from new products by
synchronizing product planning and innovation process execution. Sopheon’s Accolade®
software automates the product innovation process and provides strategic decision support for
the management of product portfolios. Its Vision Strategist™ solution automates the
roadmapping process, allowing users to visualize and forecast the future of products, markets
and technologies. Sopheon’s solutions are used by industry leaders throughout the world,
including BAE Systems, BASF, Cadbury Schweppes, Corning, Electrolux, General Motors,
Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, Nestle and SAB Miller. Sopheon is listed on the AIM
Market of the London Stock Exchange and on the Euronext in the Netherlands. For more
information, please visit www.sopheon.com.