CLOUD

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND -- SGI (NYSE: SGI) today launched the Virtual Science Network, an international alliance of museums, science centers and research organizations intended to transform leading scientific discoveries into compelling visual experiences for the general public. Launch ceremonies were held at the Glasgow Science Centre, a network member that houses the first-ever immersive theater within a science center in Europe. Lockheed Martin and the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum are among the many other founding members. The Virtual Science Network enables museums and science centers to access and share new content from peers around the world for their own immersive environments, creating a new conduit of knowledge flow between science research and science outreach. Participating companies and researchers are able to make their leading work available within a structured framework with protection for intellectual property, while museums and science centers fulfill their mandate to present science to their audiences compellingly. ``Being one of the first nodes for science outreach in Europe, we are extremely excited to be a part of this network,'' said Phil Lavery, digital media manager, Glasgow Science Centre. ``Keeping an exhibit updated and pertinent to today's breakthrough research is what science museums have needed for a long time. Now we finally have a formula that will work.'' Other museums and science centers have expressed interest in participating, and discussions are under way with some of the world's leading institutions and corporations to become content providers for educational outreach. ``We are interested in joining the Virtual Science Network,'' explained Dieter Isakeit, International Space Station User Information Centre manager, Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, European Space Agency. ``We expect that, without putting intellectual property rights at risk, it will allow us to share more easily our already-existing applications -- such as a virtual walk-through of the International Space Station -- with science centers and educational institutions in Europe and the world.'' ``Museums and science centers need access to leading science,'' added Walter Stewart, director, Global Marketing, Research and Education, SGI. ``At the same time, researchers benefit from public recognition and understanding of their work. The Virtual Science Network meets both needs and ensures that the public will have unprecedented access to an understanding of groundbreaking science.'' Lockheed Martin will provide content about the sun obtained using the solar telescope that the company delivered for the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), a NASA mission launched in 1998. The National Air and Space Museum will share ``Earth Today,'' currently on display in Washington, D.C. Helping audiences understand the relationships that exist within the world's geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, this fascinating exhibit includes a 10-foot diameter, high-resolution image of the Earth that is frequently updated to indicate the latest international environmental conditions. SGI's customers include many of the world's greatest science centers, planetariums and museums, using visualization to offer high-resolution imagery and interactive capabilities in theater settings. Increasingly, such institutions are installing SGI® Reality Center(TM) facilities designed to immerse users in virtual environments so they can explore, understand and communicate about data in ways not possible in the physical world. Further details are available at www.sgi.com/realitycenter/ and www.sgi.com/solutions/sciences/museums/index.html .