SHORT TAKES

CHEVRON AND SCHLUMBERGER TEAM UP

Houston, TEXAS — Chevron Corp. and Schlumberger Oilfield Services announced that they have launched a multiyear research project aimed at developing improved reservoir optimization software. The two companies will jointly own developed software and intellectual property resulting from this initiative. “Our objective is to intersect with the rapid changes in work processes and information technology,” said Don Paul, Chevron’s vice president of technology. “Increasing business needs for improved reservoir management are requiring new capabilities to rapidly model complex reservoirs and development alternatives, and to update models with new data and interpretations. We believe this collaboration will allow us to develop a superior set of products and a modeling capability that neither would be able to accomplish individually.”

Chevron and Schlumberger are initially dedicating an eight-person research team for the project. The team, which is based in Chevron’s San Ramon, Calif., facilities, is initially researching new mathematical and software techniques to significantly speed reservoir simulation; improve the ability to more accurately model detailed geology and complex wells; increase the flexibility of the software to accommodate new physical descriptions; and adapt to advances in computing technologies. Any software developed by the research effort and identified for use by third-party organizations will be commercialized by GeoQuest, the Schlumberger operating unit that develops integrated exploration and production software, as well as provides data management solutions to the industry. “We aim to jointly develop software that advances the industry’s ability to incorporate knowledge learned daily about the reservoir, and ultimately to improve recovery rates,” said Thierry Pilenko, president of GeoQuest. “The combination of Chevron’s experience in modeling and managing petroleum reservoirs around the world and Schlumberger’s expertise in modeling and software development will enable both of us to maintain our leading positions in reservoir management technologies.” Although the ultimate objective of the research and development project will be to develop new software tools for use in Chevron and Schlumberger’s business operations and for marketing to third parties by Schlumberger, both parties expect to employ intermediate research results in their existing reservoir modeling products.

ENLIGHTEN ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH LINUX NETWORX

San Mateo, CALIF. — Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of integrated event monitoring and system management software for Linux, Unix, and Windows, announced an alliance with Linux NetworX Inc., the leading provider of scalable Linux-based cluster systems. Under the agreement, Linux NetworX will resell Enlighten’s EnlightenDSM systems monitoring and administration product. EnlightenDSM is a complimentary product to Linux NetworX’s ClusterWorX cluster management tool. “Linux NetworX is the leader in providing scalable Linux-based cluster systems,” said Clarke Roundy, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Linux NetworX. “While clustering systems can often be a challenge to administer and maintain, Linux NetworX has developed an easy-to-use cluster management environment called ClusterWorX. ClusterWorX enables system management and monitoring at the hardware level. As an enhancement to ClusterWorX, Linux NetworX offers EnlightenDSM, facilitating a user friendly monitoring and management capability at the operating and system level and a full set of cross-platform administration tools.”

Linux NetworX builds clustered computers that are linked together via high-speed networks to form a single system. These systems can perform complex computations at the same level as a traditional supercomputer at about a tenth of the cost. Because the cluster environment is a collection of independent systems, the award winning EnlightenDSM Distributed System Manger product can create a single resource view to monitor and manage critical events throughout the cluster and it will provide single point administration services for the entire cluster. Adding EnlightenDSM to Linux NetworX clusters makes clustered computing more efficient and effective for customers. “We are excited about this opportunity to help Linux NetworX bring additional value to its customers,” commented Bill Bradley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enlighten Software Solutions. “The combination of ClusterWorX and EnlightenDSM will provide comprehensive instrumentation and control of the clustered computing environment. This partnership further illustrates Enlighten’s leadership position in management and monitoring tools for the Linux operating environment and is another example of our ability to bring value to end users through partnerships with industry leaders.” Founded in 1986, Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc. is a leading provider of single point workgroup administration and event-monitoring solutions for Linux, Unix, NT and Windows in open systems distributed and Internet computing environments. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at http://www.EnlightenDSM.com . Linux NetworX Inc. brings its powerful cluster technology to those demanding high availability and high performance systems. For more information, please visit the company’s web site at http://www.linuxnetworx.com .

“BLUEBIRD” SINGS TO LINUX SELLER ATIPA

San Diego, CALIF. — Linux computer seller Atipa has acquired PlatformWorks, a company developing open-source system management software. PlatformWorks was founded by the creators of management software project OpenNMS.org, which is creating a package called Bluebird for managing computers over a network. Bluebird competes with traditional management software such as CA Unicenter, IBM’s Tivoli or Hewlett-Packard’s OpenView, all of which are used in large corporations worldwide.

Bluebird is an open-source project released under the General Public License, meaning that anyone can modify and redistribute the software as long as they publish the changes made. The open-source model, which also is used by Linux and a host of other software packages, contrasts with the proprietary model used in Tivoli, Unicenter and OpenView. The founders of OpenNMS went on to commercialize the software by starting PlatformWare. Though the authors acknowledge the traditional offerings are better today, they argue Bluebird has better long-term potential because it incorporates the latest network communications technologies such as Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Java. Atipa, a Kansas City, Mo., competitor to VA Linux Systems, sells Linux computers and accompanying services. The acquisition of PlatformWare will help the company bolster its service offerings, the company said. Atipa announced the acquisition yesterday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

HEWLETT-PACKARD, INTEL IN LAB PACT

Palo Alto, CALIF. — Hewlett-Packard Company and Intel Corporation announced an alliance to meet the integration and performance testing needs of e-business and service-provider (ISP/ASP/WSP) customers. Under the alliance, HP and Intel are offering solution centers, or labs, where customers can test server integration and performance, and where HP and Intel will jointly create solution stacks to be deployed in e-business and service-provider environments. HP and Intel have opened the HP and Intel Solution Center at HP’s Cupertino, Calif. site, where customers can test the integration and optimize the performance of their e-business solutions on Intel-based HP NetServer systems in a secure real-world environment.

HP and Intel also will be working together to identify and create solution stacks to be deployed in e-business and service-provider environments at the Intel Solution Center in Santa Clara, Calif. Both companies will create `recipes’ based on pre-tested solution stacks that can be rapidly installed at reduced cost to customers. HP and Intel will optimize the efficiency of applications running on the Intel-based HP NetServer systems and will develop a series of tools to speed their implementation. HP and Intel also will produce white papers and deployment guides from the testing and evaluation, and these documents will act as templates for future e-business solutions projects. Global emessaging service provider USA.NET is currently testing its Microsoft Exchange 2000 messaging solution at the HP and Intel Solution Center in Cupertino. “HP and Intel have evaluated applications running on HP NetServers for the most efficient performance,” said Brian Lilja, chief architect of USA.NET. “The solution center is a truly customer-focused experience, making sure that the right solution works the first time.”

MSC.SOFTWARE, NEC COMPUTERS IN PACT

Los Angeles, CALIF. — MSC.Software Corp., a leading developer and provider of simulation software, announced a partnership with NEC Computers Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Computers International B.V.) to deliver extreme performance turnkey Linux engineering appliances. Based on MSC’s flagship MSC.visualNastran product line and a fully configured NEC Express5800 server with dual Intel Pentium III processors, this MSC.Linux2Go appliance is simple to order (http://www.mscsoftware.com/offers/nec.html), easy to implement and provides a complete engineering simulation solution, supported by the stability and flexibility of Linux and the reliability of NEC systems. “By partnering with NEC, we are able to immediately address the needs of customers within the $8 billion CAD/CAM CAE market that require our sophisticated simulation software but do not want to incur additional IT resource requirements,” said Frank Perna, chairman and CEO, MSC.Software Corp.

“This 2Go system reduces the risk and time of getting a cost-effective simulation appliance up and running with simple ordering and convenient packaging for quick and easy implementation. Customers get a fast, reliable and stable system supported by MSC.Software’s world class service, enabling them to more quickly impact their bottom line.” NEC Computers Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Computers International B.V., delivers mobile, desktop and server computing solutions to the commercial market in North America. For years, NEC’s Versa notebook and PowerMate desktop computers and MobilePro handheld PCs have won awards in leading industry publications, including Smart Business, PC Magazine and Mobile Computing. NEC Computers focuses on the computing needs of the corporate market and sells systems primarily through the reseller channel. NEC Computers taps into the technological resources of NEC Corp.’s (NEC) extensive research and development facilities in Japan, where products are developed for the global marketplace. NEC Corp. holds the second largest number of patents in the United States, and serves as the source of NEC Computers’ technologically sophisticated product. For more information about NEC products, visit the company at http://www.nec-computers.com .

GEOMECHANICS ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE WITH LANDMARK

Palo Alto, CALIF. — GeoMechanics International, Inc. (GMI), announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Landmark Graphics, a wholly owned business unit of Halliburton Company. The alliance brings together Landmark’s premier suite of geophysical, geological and drilling engineering software with GMI’s world-class wellbore stability, image analysis and rock mechanics software for the worldwide energy industry. Through the alliance, Landmark will integrate GMI’s core technologies with their product lines, and market and distribute GMI’s existing software packages. In addition, Landmark and GMI will work together to expand and develop new products. This alliance will build on GMI’s existing partnership with Halliburton Energy Services (HES) to provide a full range of geomechanical products and services for wellbore stability and all stages of reservoir development.

Industry experts estimate annual costs upwards of $6 billion for wellbore stability problems during drilling operations alone. “Many of the opportunities to reduce risk and cost in drilling operations today are linked to understanding the geomechanical forces the well will encounter and incorporating that understanding into the well design process, said John Gibson, president and CEO of Landmark. “GMI’s technologies and software products complement the comprehensive well planning approach already accessible within the Landmark suite of products.” “The addition of geomechanics into the earth model will improve the evaluation of new prospects through integration with seismic data, expand reservoir characterization through fracture and fault seal analysis, and optimize drilling operations as well as platform and well placement,” stated Dr. Colleen Barton, GMI’s president and co-founder. The Landmark Web site can be accessed at http://www.lgc.com .

BROCADE AND ADAPTEC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

San Jose, CALIF. — Adaptec, Inc. and Brocade announced a strategic partnership to deliver, market and support interoperable, multi-vendor SAN solutions, fully certified over a combined Brocade-Adaptec SAN infrastructure. The first solutions from this collaboration are expected to be launched in early 2001. This partnership includes joint interoperability testing, solution documentation, training, promotion and support for popular SAN applications. The two companies will also partner with other leading SAN component suppliers, to ensure that SANs based on the Adaptec/Brocade infrastructure are complete solutions, seamlessly interoperable, and optimized for performance and functionality. “We are pleased to work with Adaptec, a leader in the reseller channel, to expand the options for our customers as they select best in class solutions for open, interoperable storage area networks. We look forward to working closely with Adaptec to further simplify the deployment of storage area network applications such as LAN-free backup and storage consolidation over a combined Brocade/Adaptec infrastructure,” said Jack Cuthbert, Brocade vice president of worldwide sales and marketing.

“This is much more than a partnership for interoperability. For the first time in the industry, two of the world’s leading storage vendors are working together at many levels, from design to testing and support, to make SANs a reality for resellers and end-users,” said Jim Comstock, vice president of marketing, Storage Networking Solutions at Adaptec. “Now resellers can be assured that they will have a storage solution they can recommend and deploy with confidence to meet customers’ needs.” Brocade Fibre Channel fabric switches provide the world’s leading networking foundation for storage area networks (SANs). Using Brocade SilkWorm switches, customers can connect servers with storage devices through a SAN, creating a highly reliable and scalable environment for storage applications. The Adaptec Fibre Card 9110G is a 1 Gbit host bus adapter targeted at small and medium companies looking for an easy-to-use adapter that offers industry-leading interoperability, compatibility and performance. The 64-bit, 66 MHz adapter features Agilent Technologies’ Tachyon chip combined with Adaptec drivers and SAN management software. Adaptec and Brocade began working together on comprehensive product configuration and interoperability testing in a multi-vendor, heterogeneous environment, within Brocade’s FabricAware program, announced earlier this year. In addition, the two companies will collaborate on joint technology initiatives to ensure optimized performance between Brocade switches and Adaptec HBAs; to ensure interoperability of future product generations; and to develop additional management software for Brocade/Adaptec based SANs. More information is available at http://www.adaptec.com or http://www.Brocade.com .

ENGINEOUS SOFTWARE AND MATHSOFT INC. PARTNER

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Engineous Software, a leading provider of accelerated design improvement software and services, and MathSoft Inc., a leading provider of solutions for statistical data mining and predictive modeling, today announced they have formed a strategic partnership. The new alliance combines Engineous’ iSIGHT software with MathSoft’s S-PLUS premier data analysis software to reduce design cycle time by analyzing and processing large amounts of data automatically. The partnership will combine iSIGHT’s automation, integration, and optimization capabilities with the data analysis, statistical modeling, and data mining infrastructure of S-PLUS into one integrated system. ISIGHT’s design optimization capabilities will allow users to employ a full range of statistical and interactive graphical tools offered by S-PLUS to accelerate the search for an optimum design.

“Our clients are looking for a way to integrate their design tools and identify significantly improved designs automatically,” said Dennis Nagy, Engineous Software President and CEO. “By forming an alliance with MathSoft, Engineous is able to integrate iSIGHT’s optimization capabilities with one of the leading statistical analysis, data mining, and visualization programs, giving users even better tools to further accelerate their design process.” “MathSoft and Engineous are both committed to creating partnerships that will better serve their customers,” says Shawn Javid, Senior Vice President, MathSoft Inc. “The combination of iSIGHT and S-PLUS provides an ideal solution for manufacturers to translate their analysis into an optimal design quickly and easily.” The companies will work together to define industry applications in which the two programs can be used together most effectively. The first application will define key variables in complex crash simulations for the automotive industry. Visit http://www.engineous.com .

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