Strategic Partnership between Graphisoft Deutschland GmbH and Data Design System GmbH in building services

A concept becomes reality – intelligent data exchange between architecture building models and building services using IFC 2x

Munich/Ascheberg, March 26, 2003 – Data Design System® and Graphisoft® have entered into a strategic partnership in the German market for special cooperation in building services, namely for planning sanitary, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and electrical services.

Data Design System (DDS), one of Europe’s leading CAD manufacturers in building services, and Graphisoft, a leading developer of design and management software solutions for architecture and the building industry worldwide, intend to cooperate in marketing and distribution of complete building services solutions. Customers will benefit by greater interoperability in state-of-the-art object-oriented technology derived from DDS and Graphisoft’s joining of expertise in architecture, facility management and building services.

Using the IFC interface developed by the IAI (Industry Alliance for Interoperability – www.iai-international.org), the Virtual Building™ model created in ArchicadÒ can be exchanged to the intelligent DDSPartner® building model without any information loss, preserving the full building semantics for building planning, which now includes building services.

Archicad is an object-oriented CAD system for architecture with an outstanding IFC interface that is a reference system for this mode of data exchange. On the October 24, 2002 both applications, Archicad and DDSPartner, obtained the Phase 1 IFC 2x certificate. Graphisoft’s ArchiFM® offers a top performance facility management system for building management and technical maintenance. DDSPartner is an object-oriented CAD system for heating, ventilation, airconditioning and electrical (HVAC/E) and so far the only software program in multi-disciplinary building engineering, to achieve IFC 2x certification.

Johannes Reischböck, managing director of Graphisoft Deutschland GmbH relayed, “In Data Design System we have found the ideal partner for building services, which not only focuses on our existing building services customers, but with whom we can jointly introduce and lead a new era of data exchange. Using the IFC interface, our customers can work both in architectural design and building services on the very same Virtual Building model and thus realize all the productivity advantages of the intelligent building model.”

Nils Kverneland, managing director of Data Design System GmbH stated, “By the strategic partnership with Graphisoft we can offer our extensive know-how in CAD for building services an even larger target group. Our top priority to support data exchange by IFC will gain considerable value by this partnership far beyond the borders of Europe. Our entire team is extremely proud that entering this partnership, Graphisoft has put its trust in DDS and our products.”

Rudolf Juli, chairman of IAI German Chapter said, “The IAI very much welcomes that the open IFC format is a basis for connecting Archicad and DDSPartner. The IFC protocol was adopted as an ISO standard on November 8, 2002. Graphisoft and Data Design System have thereby selected a safe basis for data flow between their CAD systems, which will also connect with other systems.”

The name Data Design System® has for nearly two decades been associated with precision, quality and inventor spirit. Data Design System ASA was established in Norway in 1984 as a corporation and has a solid financial basis, which allows continuity and flexibility. With nearly 10,000 installations all over Europe, DDS belongs to the prominent software houses in its target group. Data Design System today is one of the market leaders for innovative and intelligent CAD complete solutions, especially for the building engineering in Germany and Austria. From planning for electrical or sanitary and heating to climate and ventilation, DDS offers individual, modular systems to an outstanding price – performance. Further information about Data Design System and its products is available at: www.dds.no.

Graphisoft® is a leading provider of design and management software solutions for the architectural profession and the building industry. Founded in 1982, Graphisoft is ranked today among the largest AEC CAD software developers in the world, with ten offices worldwide in addition to its headquarters. Archicad® and other Graphisoft products are used by over 100,000 architects, facility managers and building professionals all over the world. Shares of Graphisoft are traded on the Frankfurt (GPH) and on the Budapest (GRAPHI) Stock Exchange. More information about Graphisoft is available at www.graphisoft.com.