Bentley Now Offers Free CAD Software in Nine Languages to Students and Instructors

MicroStation PowerDraft Can Be Downloaded by Students and Instructors at www.becareers.org

Exton, Pa. – Sept. 19, 2005 – Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that BE Careers Network has expanded its offer of free MicroStation PowerDraft CAD software to all students and instructors to include versions in the following nine languages: simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, and Spanish.

MicroStation PowerDraft is a professional-level application used for production 2D/3D drafting and detailing in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). It features an easy-to-use graphical user interface, intuitive viewing techniques, and an innovative set of industry-recognized tools for production work.

The downloads include the MicroStation PowerDraft application, an 18-week curriculum for teachers, and a student guide that can be reproduced at no cost to the school. They are available to students and instructors in all nine languages at www.becareers.org. The Chinese versions are also available at www.bentley.com.cn.

The mission of the new BE Careers Network is to help increase the number of students entering the architectural, engineering, and construction fields, and to link graduates with employment opportunities in Bentley user organizations. BE Careers Network helps students become familiar with computer-aided design software, and enables colleges and universities to cost-effectively incorporate AEC technology into their curricula.

Empowerment programs give students practical, hands-on experience with professional software by providing the academic community with special licensing options for students, departments, and campuses. In addition to offering individual student licensing through free downloads of MicroStation PowerDraft, the program includes:

• Department licensing – This level offers a full range of leading software applications to an entire academic department at a heavily discounted price. A total of 45 powerful applications are available in architecture, geospatial, plant design, and civil and environmental engineering. The subscription for this software is based on a per-seat cost and is provided at less than 1 percent of the commercial list price. The department-level subscription includes free training for instructors, access to relevant course material, technical support, software updates, and free copies for students.

• Campus licensing – This subscription level offers everything included in department-level subscriptions and, in addition, extends licensing to an unlimited number of users on a deeply discounted per-seat basis.

Visit www.becareers.org to get more details on the BE Careers Network, talk to an expert, or access the free download of MicroStation PowerDraft for students and instructors.

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 vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2004 revenues exceeding $300 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.