The Process, Power & Offshore division of Intergraph Corporation continues for the eleventh consecutive year to lead the global Overall Plant Creation market according to Daratech. Leadership in key segments, based on revenue, includes the Plant-specific Applications area which covers intelligent, rule-based software such as SmartPlant P&ID; and INtools.

Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore cites a number of business and technology achievements in 2003, based mainly on favourable market response to new products, which are underscored by the Daratech survey. Divisional revenue totalled $132,8 million (US), an increase of 7% over the prior year. Compared to 2002, new product growth and technology introductions contributed to the following significant gains, which represent 24% of 2003 total revenue:

* SmartPlant P&ID, the intelligent piping and instrumentation authoring tool, grew approximately 45%, primarily from large plant owner/operators.

* Sales revenue from SmartPlant Foundation, the integrated plant information and workflow management solution, increased 74%, which tripled the product's customer base.

* The division delivered SmartPlant 3D - the most advanced plant design software available - through a special Early Adopter Program which includes more than a dozen engineering and plant owner firms, resulting in revenues exceeding $1 million.

* Sales of MARIAN, the materials, procurement and supply chain management solution, grew 23%.

* INtools instrumentation software sales grew 11%.

* The Engineering Framework, the engineering enterprise integration architecture within SmartPlant Foundation, achieved commercialisation.

Pat Thomson, MD of local reseller Intergraph Systems, said, "Both the business and technology leadership of Intergraph are borne out by market trends and take-up of new products. The new and existing customers are increasingly implementing advanced, data-centric and owner/operator-friendly SmartPlant software. Competitors, meanwhile, are still pressing the market to accept old technologies including outmoded CAD, inflexible work processes, patchwork integration and mixed platforms - all heterogeneous approaches to the engineering enterprise."

Ben Eazzetta, chief operating officer and executive vice president, Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore, said, "During 2003, we not only demonstrated organic growth but also sustained our financial stability based on customer satisfaction, comprehensive and long-range business planning and cost controls. We also saw growth in sales of new SmartPlant products that enable work process innovation, information handover and enterprise system population."

For more information contact Pat Thomson at Intergraph Systems on 011 313 1222 or pthomson@intergraph.co.za