SANTA ANA, CA -- MSC.Software Corp. (NYSE:MNS), a leading global provider of simulation software, services and systems, today announced that IMMI Inc. (formerly Indiana Mills & Mfg., Inc.) exceeded U.S. federal safety standards and saved the time and cost of eight physical prototypes by using MSC.Marc for simulation analysis of a new school bus seat and restraint system. One of the world's first seat belt manufacturers, with more than 35 years of experience, IMMI develops, tests and manufactures occupant restraints for commercial vehicles, child and infant seats, and off-road machinery. "Product safety is one of the most important factors we address with our customers, and our work with IMMI illustrates how we can help manufacturers meet the necessary guidelines and ensure the public has the safest products possible," said Frank Perna, chairman and chief executive officer of MSC.Software. "MSC.Software is committed to helping our customers save time and money while pursuing their design and testing goals, and often those goals include meeting governmental safety standards and requirements." "Before the prototype was even built, we were able to see the weaknesses and redesign the prototype to avoid failures we couldn't have found doing only physical tests," said Marlin Brueggert, applied mechanics manager, IMMI. "Simulation let us do a progressive screening through multiple tests and examine the margin of failure. In pass/fail physical testing, you can't get these in-depth results and you cannot redesign for break points you don't know are there. MSC.Marc gave us the ability to do this and save the time and cost of physical prototypes and tests, not to mention making the safest seat possible." Based in Westfield, IN, IMMI was attempting to design and test a new seat and seat belt system for school buses. The new design had to meet strict federal safety standards and requirements (FMVSS No. 222 and FMVSS No. 210), which are typically tested by submitting physical prototypes to destructive tests. While seat belts have been required on passenger cars since 1968, no such law exists for large school buses weighing more than 10,000 pounds. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 450,000 public school buses travel approximately 4.3 billion miles to transport 23.5 million children to and from school and school-related activities every year. According to the National Safety Council, there were more than 62,000 pupil injuries reported from school bus accidents from 1991 to 1996. The seat and restraint system being designed by IMMI is currently in final testing stages and is being reviewed by school bus manufacturers in the United States. Once accepted, the new seat could be in buses as early as the fall of 2002. For more information visit www.mscsoftware.com