Eagan, Minn. -- Cray Research Inc. has delivered a Cray J916 low-cost
compact supercomputer and Cray's UniChem client/server computational
chemistry software package to Solvay Germany GmbH. The Cray solution was
selected under competitive bid. Terms were not disclosed.

Cray's UniChem software links Cray Research supercomputers with the
visualization capabilities of workstations. Cray developed the software
in conjunction with an international consortium of chemical and
pharmaceutical companies that have adopted supercomputing as a key part
of their research and development efforts. Solvay cooperates with this
consortium.

Cray officials said that Solvay is the first European chemical customer
that has ordered a Cray supercomputer for computational chemistry.
Another German chemical company acquired two Cray supercomputers for
chemical process simulation to help improve its manufacturing of chemical
and chemical-based products. Solvay is involved in the manufacturing of
alkali products, peroxides, plastics, transformation (catalysts), and
pharmaceuticals.