Press information

Ref. NDM 990/08.

Editorial contacts:

David Belford

Tel: +44 (0)1706 629882; e-mail: david.belford@iconasolutions.com

Neil McLeod

Tel: +44 (0)1666 504293; e-mail: neilmcleod@btopenworld.com

Tim Illingworth joins Icona Solutions as commercial director

New position is key to next phase of software company’s development plans

Manchester, UK. 15 February, 2008. Icona Solutions Ltd., the leading developer of interactive manufacturing variation simulation and visualization software, has announced that Tim Illingworth has joined the company in the new position of commercial director.

With significant experience in the product lifecycle management (PLM) and computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) software markets, Illingworth brings to Icona both an international perspective and a track record of successfully developing innovative software companies and of implementing multi-channel sales and marketing programmes. He has previously held senior executive positions with EADS, Matra Datavision, MDTVision and IBM in the UK, Europe and North America.

At Icona his initial focus will be on widening the use of the company’s aesthetica™ software within the worldwide automotive industry, where it is used for exterior and interior quality review during the vehicle development process by customers that include General Motors, Nissan, Porsche and Bentley Motors, and on introducing aesthetica to other manufacturing industry sectors.

“Tim’s experience in creating and developing successful international software companies will prove invaluable in the next phase of our corporate development”, said David Belford, executive chairman, Icona Solutions. “We are looking forward to working with him to build on the success we have achieved to date.”

About aesthetica.

Icona Solutions’ aesthetica™ software is widely used in the automotive industry for providing an accurate, visual simulation of the effects of component variation, assembly variation and component deformation in manufactured assemblies in order to resolve issues of fit and finish quality. It presents results using a high quality interactive 3D virtual reproduction of a product so that the engineer or designer can visualize it at different states within its geometric tolerance range, in real-time and precisely as the customer will see the final product.

The use of aesthetica gives greater insight than has previously been possible into the impact of manufacturing variation, thereby improving perceived quality while saving time and improving communication in the design process. For more information, please visit: www.iconasolutions.com.

About Icona Solutions Limited.

Founded in 2003, Icona Solutions Ltd. developed out of pioneering work undertaken at the School of Computing, University of Leeds in the UK.  The company developed the aesthetica software product for simulating and visualizing the effects of manufacturing tolerances on manufactured products, which it markets to the worldwide automotive industry both directly and through qualified distributors. The principal institutional shareholder is IP Group plc. Other shareholders include North West Equity Fund, North West Business Scheme, White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund.

ENDS