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Apr 13, 2009

PTC Delivers Enterprise PLM Solution to Force Protection, Inc. for Faster Product Innovation

PTC Enterprise PLM Solutions to Facilitate Alignment with United States Army and its Suppliers in Ballistic Vehicle Space

NEEDHAM, Mass - PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), the Product Development Company®, announced that Force Protection, Inc., a leading American designer, developer and manufacturer of ballistic and blast-protected vehicles used to support the armed forces, has standardized on PTC Windchill® as its platform for product development content and process management. With Windchill, a core component of the PTC® Product Development System, Force Protection will have the ability to increase process transparency and collaboration with its suppliers, partners and customers to drive faster product innovation in the ballistic vehicle space.

Like many defense manufacturers, Force Protection has a paramount task: develop innovative technology to save the lives of military personnel. Additionally, the company’s environment is characterized by a complex supply chain and the need to comply with numerous government regulations. The company required a PLM solution that would enable enterprise-wide collaboration, with complete traceability throughout the product development lifecycle with the aim of providing increased visibility to decision-makers.

PTC Windchill was selected as the enterprise PLM solution after an extensive technical benchmark against other large PLM solution providers. With Windchill, Force Protection will able to better align with the United States Army and other key suppliers so they can improve cost-estimating capabilities to remain cost competitive, drive faster design cycles to deliver next-generation, innovative vehicles and accelerate time to market of its expanding line of vehicles.

“Force Protection continually evaluates technology solutions that can help advance our competitive edge by helping us bring higher quality products to market in shorter timeframes,” said Mark Edwards, executive vice president of development, Force Protection, Inc. “As a company, we are always pushing the limits of our technology solutions. The PTC Product Development System offers a comprehensive set of capabilities that meets our most critical and dynamic product development requirements.”

“Organizations that experience rapid, significant growth like Force Protection realize the critical importance of having a single, integral technology platform for product development,” said C. Richard Harrison, chairman and chief executive officer, PTC. “Force Protection standardized on PTC software because it was the best technology to help drive productivity and efficiencies in product development and will enable Force Protection to focus on creating products that save lives. We look forward to continue helping Force Protection realize the value that the PTC Product Development System can bring to their business.”

Force Protection, Inc. is a leading American designer, developer and manufacturer of survivability solutions, predominantly ballistic- and blast-protected wheeled vehicles currently deployed by the U.S. military and its allies to support armed forces and security personnel in conflict zones. The company’s specialty vehicles, the Cougar, the Buffalo and the Cheetah, are designed specifically for reconnaissance and urban operations and to protect their occupants from landmines, hostile fire, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs, commonly referred to as roadside bombs). The company also is the developer and manufacturer of ForceArmor™ an armor package providing superior protection against explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) now available for a wide range of tactical-wheeled vehicles. The company is one of the original developers and primary providers of vehicles for the U.S. military’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle program.