Friday, 19. November 2004

Commitment to AspenTech’s Engineering Solutions extended

Bayer Technology Services (BTS), has extended its commitment to AspenTech’s engineering solutions by signing a new multi-year software license agreement.  The new agreement provides the company, which serves as the technological backbone of Bayer with worldwide access to key aspenONE Engineering and Innovation solutions including the modules for Simulation & Optimization, Conceptual Design, and Economic Evaluation.  These solutions will help BTS optimize process performance, reduce time-to-market and maximize returns from its manufacturing assets.
Bayer has been a long-time user of AspenTech’s modeling solutions, which are established as the company’s standard platform for the design and optimization of petrochemical, polymer and pharmaceutical plants.  The solutions provide the company with an integrated suite to optimize the performance of processes through their entire lifecycle, from conceptual design, through operations, to de-bottlenecking and process improvement.

“AspenTech is a strategic supplier of software to  Bayer and its integrated engineering solutions play a key role in helping us to improve the returns from our plant assets,” said Dr. Wolfram Wagner, Managing Director of Bayer Technology Services.  “By adopting a ‘lifecycle modeling’ approach, we are able to extend the value of models beyond the design and engineering stages, and gain significant benefits in operations, where models can provide a vital tool to support decision-making.  Using the solutions to capture process knowledge in a consistent set of integrated models also enables us to drive internal collaboration and workflow efficiencies.”

The AspenTech solutions are deployed through Bayer Technology Services, which provides Bayer’s internal organization and external customers with a comprehensive range of technical services across the plant lifecycle.  The new agreement is based on a token system, enabling BTS to improve their service delivery through flexible access to the full range of tools.  The agreement also makes provision for the forthcoming divestment of Bayer’s chemical assets to a new company, Lanxess.

“Bayer and AspenTech share a similar vision of using process models to deliver value throughout the life of a manufacturing plant,” said David McQuillin, President and CEO of AspenTech.  “This new agreement will enable Bayer to extend its model-centric approach, applying AspenTech’s integrated solutions to streamline internal processes, reduce capital investment costs and improve operational performance.”

About AspenTech
Aspen Technology, Inc. provides industry-leading software and implementation services that enable process companies to use simulation models to increase efficiency and profitability. aspenONE, a new generation of software solutions from AspenTech, represents a major step forward in helping process manufacturers achieve their strategic operational excellence initiatives. The first comprehensive offering to address the demands of the Enterprise Operations Management (EOM) market, aspenONE provides companies with integrated systems that enable them to manage and optimize their operational performance. Over 1,500 leading companies already rely on AspenTech's software, including Aventis, Bayer, BASF, BP, ChevronTexaco, Dow Chemical, DuPont, ExxonMobil, Fluor, GlaxoSmithKline, Shell, and Total. For more information, visit www.aspentech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by  Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports file with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F).  The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.