No. 165 on Fortune 500 for 2006 Gets Unlimited Access to
Entire ELS Software Portfolio for Fixed Annual Fee
Exton, Pa. – Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that Southern Company, one of the largest generators of electricity in the United States, has joined Bentley’s Enterprise License Subscription (ELS) program.
The Bentley ELS program grants organizations unlimited access to the entire ELS software portfolio for a fixed annual fee. The portfolio covers all the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) software needs of subscribers, providing building, plant, civil, and geospatial solutions and supporting a managed environment for their AEC IT.
The total coverage at a fixed, discounted price means that organizations can increase their software productivity and reduce their total AEC software costs simultaneously. The unlimited access streamlines AEC software administration while the annual term simplifies budgeting and accounting.
“One of the many factors driving our decision to sign an ELS agreement with Bentley is our leadership position in environmental research and emissions abatement,” said Carl Toner, Southern Company Generation civil design manager. “Since 1990, we’ve invested more than $1.6 billion on environmental controls and other emissions reduction efforts, and we plan to invest an additional $6 billion over the next decade.
“The majority of these projects will require an array of Bentley software, largely from the DigitalPlant portfolio, including AutoPLANT, Bentley Structural, and ProjectWise. These tools will play an important role in a variety of emissions control projects, including the design and construction of selective catalytic reduction and flue gas desulfurization systems.”
Added Michael Hill, Southern Company IT senior systems analyst, “Being able to quickly access Bentley’s comprehensive ELS portfolio whenever and wherever required will help us achieve the highest quality in our critical design work, while improving the efficiency of our workflows. At the same time, the program allows us to keep a tight rein on our software costs.”
As a strategic benefit, the Bentley ELS helps organizations such as Southern Company become more agile. Project starts can happen faster and teams can reconfigure more quickly for new opportunities. No-charge pilots allow new technology to be infused into projects more readily. ELS agreements can include partners, extending the agility and multiplying the benefits in global projects.
About Southern Company
With 4.3 million customers and more than 40,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability, and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among U.S. electric service providers for the seventh consecutive year by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). For more information, visit www.southerncompany.com.
About Bentley
Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world’s infrastructure. The company’s comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2005 revenues of $336 million and more than 2000 colleagues around the world, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms and major owner-operators and was named the world’s No. 2 provider of GIS/geospatial software solutions in a recent Daratech research study.
To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit www.bentley.com. To view a copy of Bentley’s May 2006 Annual Report online, go to www.bentley.com/annualreport.
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Bentley, the “B” logo, Enterprise License Subscription, DigitalPlant, AutoPLANT, Bentley Structural, and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.