Registration Open for BE Conference 2006, Where More Than 2,000 Expected To Gather.

EXTON, Pa. -- Those Planning To Attend This Once-A-Year Learning Opportunity Are Encouraged To Register by April 30 at www.be.org

Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that registration is now open for BE Conference 2006 (www.be.org), to be held at the Charlotte Convention Center

The BE Conference is an annual gathering of Bentley software users and their managers who want to sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge. Attendees better themselves, better their organizations, and better the ways they can improve the world's infrastructure. Year after year, BE Conference scores a 99 percent satisfaction rating among attendees.

"This year's BE Conference will be our biggest ever, drawing more than 2,000 attendees," said Tony Flynn, Bentley CMO. "This power-packed, once-a-year learning opportunity receives a 99 percent satisfaction rating for one reason: Nowhere else can users get, in a single event, a comprehensive set of courses from professional trainers, a comprehensive set of best practices from their peers, and a comprehensive set of technology updates from developers. In short, attendees get three months of learning in three days at BE."

BE Conference 2006 will set a new benchmark for learning. Attendees will find more training sessions, more technology updates, and more best-practice sharing - all of the highest quality, targeted at users' professional needs. The learning will be discipline-specific and will help users increase productivity, improve project quality, maximize their return on investments in software, and make their organizations more globally competitive.

New technology updates will be offered in the areas of:

--MicroStation V8 XM Edition - including a new graphics platform that leverages Microsoft DirectX technology to boost view navigation and graphics performance; and productivity enhancements provided by new Task-based toolbars, keyboard mapping, and the Element Templates, which enable teams to work consistently and create consistent work, guaranteeing the quality of the content created and improving the value of deliverables.

--ProjectWise V8 XM Edition - including how the V8 XM Edition increases the quality and consistency of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) content by managing MicroStation Workspaces and AutoCAD profiles; the introduction of comprehensive Project Templates with preconfigured structure, security, and saved searches for faster project start-ups; the addition of distributed DGNs that enable teams to increase their productivity by working on the same files at the same time; and the integration of ProjectWise with Microsoft SharePoint, which extends all infrastructure content to reach a wider audience in relevant business stakeholder units across the distributed enterprise.

--Google Earth(TM) Tools for MicroStation - including how users can view and navigate published infrastructure models within the Google Earth environment; how users can hyperlink to other documents managed by ProjectWise - located on the Internet or saved on the user's local computer; and how users can assemble all AEC, geospatial, high-resolution raster files and other supporting infrastructure content before publishing the model to the Google Earth environment.

--Building information modeling (BIM) solutions - including automated design and production processes with Bentley Architecture; integrated analysis, design and documentation of structural systems with Bentley Structural, RAM, and STAAD; building services design and documentation with Bentley Building Mechanical Systems and Bentley Building Electrical Systems; advanced parametric and associative design with GenerativeComponents; and effective operational management of space assets with Bentley Facilities.

--DigitalPlant solutions - including engineering workflow management across distributed enterprises; Lifecycle Server (eWarehouse) interoperability; Bentley Plant integration with ProjectWise; AutoPLANT and PIW XM Edition; PlantSpace XM Edition; Bentley Navigator XM Edition; integration with fieldbus technology; using point cloud models; future of CAD/CAE interoperability including AutoPIPE with new dynamic analysis; and accelerating process design with AXSYS.

--Civil Project Lifecycle - including advancing to a more complete road lifecycle; rail and transit industry progress; leveraging data into construction; reinforced concrete detailing; site development technology; roadway design technology; surveying; and water resources technology

--Geospatial solutions - including Bentley Map and XML feature modeling; cadastral applications via Bentley Map for Land Management; Geospatial Server; building public web sites with Geo Web Publisher; technology solutions for municipal government; communication industry solutions for planning, engineering, and operations; utility solutions for distribution and power delivery; and water and wastewater engineering, modeling, and management

BE Conference 2006 will also provide a number of networking opportunities. Among them is the annual BE Awards of Excellence ceremony, offering an evening gala and inspiring projects. This year's ceremony will be hosted by Peter Sagal of the National Public Radio program "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" In addition, there's a very special NASCAR event for Bentley Institute five-star learning achievers.

BE Awards of Excellence

The BE Awards of Excellence are always the high point of the BE Conference and this year is no exception. The BE Awards honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world's infrastructure. The projects set benchmarks for their industries, and showcase the imagination and technical mastery of the organizations that created them. The 2005 BE Awards ceremony honored a record 204 nominations for awards in 33 categories in the professional portion of the program. An additional 20 nominations were honored in the academic portion of the program and, all told, more than 190 organizations were recognized.

NASCAR Event for Bentley Institute Learning Achievers

On Saturday, May 20, Bentley Institute five-star learning achievers will be able to see the top drivers from NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series race for a $1 million prize. The day's activities will include free admission and exclusive access to the track and hospitality tents at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Five-star learning achievers are professionals in the Bentley Institute Star Program who have earned at least 80 Bentley Institute Learning Units (LUs) in the past two years. Partial credit is also awarded for training completed more than two years ago. Learning achievers are VIPs at BE Conference and are invited to attend exclusive receptions and events. This year, as an added bonus, learning achievers are eligible for a BE Conference tuition waiver. For more details on the Nextel All-Star Challenge event, go to www.bentley.com/nascar.

Conference Program

The BE Conference 2006 program includes hundreds of information-rich sessions that provide attendees with a once-a-year learning opportunity. Only at BE Conference will they find:

--Keynotes by Bentley executives - Bentley executives will present their vision of business and technology directions in the world of infrastructure. Among the Bentley executives presenting keynotes this year will be: Greg Bentley, CEO; Keith Bentley, co-founder and chief technology officer; Malcolm Walter, chief operating officer; Buddy Cleveland, software senior vice president; Bhupinder Singh, software vice president, international development; Tony Flynn, CMO; Brad Workman, Bentley Building vice president; Gabe Norona, Bentley Civil senior vice president; Styli Camateros, Bentley Geospatial vice president; and Rob Whitesell, Bentley Plant vice president.

--Best-practice sharing - Over 80 sessions on the best application of technology will be sponsored by Bentley Professional Services. Presentations will be made by experienced peers and technology experts, including BE Award nominees. Past BE Conference attendees have always rated the best-practice sessions as extremely useful for their projects and their careers.

--New technology - More than 100 sessions from Bentley developers and product managers will be presented by Bentley Software. Attendees will learn what's ahead and how to prepare for the new products. Included will be sessions on the new MicroStation V8 XM Edition and ProjectWise V8 XM Edition, as well as interactive demonstrations of the MicroStation connection to the Google Earth service.

--Professional training - Hundreds of LUs of professional training, the largest and most concentrated selection of the year, will be provided by the Bentley Institute. Attendees can acquire 15 or more LUs in three days. Much of this training can be credited as continuing education by professional associations.

--Networking - An opportunity to network and socialize with peers and friends at a host of events, including our BE Awards of Excellence gala and a special NASCAR event.

For more details on BE Conference 2006 sessions, visit www.be.org.

Conference Attendees

Conference attendees come from AE firms, architecture firms, design build firms, engineering consultants, facility owner-operators, departments of transportation (DOTs), rail companies, site engineering firms, communications and utilities firms, federal government and associated contractors, local governments, public works, plant engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors, and plant owner-operators. They include users of Bentley's MicroStation, ProjectWise, AutoPLANT, STAAD, and Haestad Methods solutions as well as of ESRI and PDS products.

Exhibits

Attendees will be able to round out their BE Conference 2006 experience by perusing the exhibit hall aisles for products and services to support their infrastructure software needs. On display will be not only offerings from Bentley, but also from a broad range of companies that service the infrastructure software community. The exhibit hall also will include the Real-Time Asset Lab, featuring a demo of innovative real-time technologies applied to infrastructure assets.

To register for BE Conference 2006, May 21-25, in Charlotte, N.C., go to www.be.org. Those planning to attend are encouraged to register by April 30.

About BE

BE, which stands for Bentley Empowered, represents the achievements of Bentley users in improving the world's infrastructure, how Bentley can help them reach their goals, and the common vision and causes Bentley and users share.

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 2,000 colleagues around the world, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.

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 June 2005 Annual Report online, go to www.bentley.com/june2005annualreport.

Bentley, the "B" logo, BE, BE Awards of Excellence, MicroStation, ProjectWise, DigitalPlant, Bentley Architecture, Bentley Structural, RAM, STAAD, Bentley Building Mechanical Systems, Bentley Building Electrical Systems, GenerativeComponents, Bentley Facilities, DigitalPlant, Lifecycle Server, eWarehouse, AutoPLANT, PIW, PlantSpace, Bentley Navigator, AutoPIPE, AXSYS, Bentley Map, Geospatial Server, Geo Web Publisher, Bentley Institute, and Bentley Institute Star Program are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Google Earth is a trademark of Google, Inc. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.