Viking Range VAST Academic Initiative Provides Mississippi Community Colleges with Industry Leading Software

September 15, 2008 – Toronto, Ontario – ENGINEERING.com [TSXV:EGN] and Viking Range Corporation are pleased to announce an in-kind donation in commercial CAD software to two (2) Greenwood, Mississippi-area community colleges.

Holmes Community College (HCC) and Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) will each receive $1.5 million worth of CATIA V5 Licenses for the upcoming 2008-09 session of classes. The donation comes from the Viking (Range Corporation) Academic Software Training initiative or VAST as part of Viking Range’s commitment to community improvement in the Greenwood area. “Viking has always made it a priority to be involved in the community,” said CAD/PLM Administrator Neil Littell of Viking Range. “Education is a big part of the community, and we felt that investing in the future of local students would ensure that the Greenwood area will remain a great community in which to live,” added Dan Lyvers, Viking Vice President — Engineering.

The VAST Academic Initiative is the latest in a series of community initiatives supported by Viking Range Corporation. This particular donation will provide students at HCC and MDCC the opportunity to learn and be trained on the industry leading PLM software CATIA V5 from Dassault Systemès. The powerful software enables users to perform a wide variety of engineering design activities such as 3D modeling, structural analysis, manufacturing simulation, visualization and simulation. It is used by some of the world’s biggest companies such as Ford, Chrysler, Boeing and Coca-Cola to design planes, trains, automobiles, packaging, cooking products and much more.

Companies in industry are seeking graduates trained in CATIA V5. With this training, HCC and MDCC will be giving their students the opportunity to step out of school and into a great career with fewer obstacles to overcome. “We want to give our students the best start possible in their careers,” said Slade Redwine, Workforce Development Coordinator at Holmes Community College. “Teaching CATIA V5 is more than just about learning how to use an industry leading software program. Students also learn about different aspects of design and analysis, as well as methodologies and processes used in industry. When they make the transition from student to professional, the experience makes them feel that much more comfortable in their working environment.”

Mary Anne Sandidge Director of Career-Technical Programs at Mississippi Delta Community College agrees, saying, “The nature of the software draws a good parallel to industry in general. This means that when students embark on their career, there is a feeling of familiarity because employers are seeking the specific skills of CATIA V5. We are very excited about what this means for the employment opportunities of our students and the impact they may have in the future of engineering.”

That’s all part of the plan according to John Hayes, President of ENGINEERING.com, the North American educational distributor for CATIA V5. “This powerful software helps draw out the creativity within students, allowing them to capture the emotional content of their design quickly and easily. Modules such as Imagine and Shape enable students to create extremely complex surfaces and incorporate them into their designs by using ‘digital putty’. With CATIA V5, the only limit to what you can build is your imagination.”

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ENGINEERING.com Incorporated [TSXV: EGN] is the developer-owner of the www.ENGINEERING.com Web site and Internet-based software and business. ENGINEERING.com offers hosted and deployed engineering software and services to manufacturers, design consultants and engineering academia around the world. The ENGINEERING.com Incorporated head office is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and can be reached toll-free at 1-877-997-9917, by facsimile at 905-273-6691 or through the Internet at www.ENGINEERING.com.

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Viking Range Corporation is a culinary lifestyle company that originated ultra-premium commercial-type appliances for the indoor and outdoor kitchen. Viking has extended its brand into the culinary products arena with the introduction of Professional cookware, cutlery and kitchen countertop appliances. Viking is headquartered in Greenwood, Mississippi. Viking major appliances are sold through a network of premium appliance distributors and dealers worldwide, and Viking culinary products are sold through a network of premium gourmet retailers.

To request product information, please contact Viking toll-free at 888.845.4641, or visit the web site at vikingrange.com.

VIKING is a registered trademark of Viking Range Corporation

For further information contact:

John Hayes, President
ENGINEERING.com, Inc.
40 Village Centre Place, Mississauga, ON Canada L4Z 1V9
Telephone: 905-273-9991, ext. 280
Email: jhayes@engineering.com
Website: www.ENGINEERING.com

Cary New, Communications Manager
Viking Range Corporation
111 Front Street
Greenwood, MS 38930
662-451-1628
Email: cnew@vikingrange.com
Website: www.vikingrange.com

This release was published on openPR.