MWH Soft Releases V8 Generation H2ONET for AutoCAD 2009

Enhanced Applications, New Functionality Maximize Productivity of Global Modeling Teams and
Make Working with Complex Models Faster, Easier Than Ever


Broomfield, Colorado USA, April 2008 — Redrawing the boundaries of innovation in the waterworks industry, MWH Soft, a leading global provider of environmental and water resources applications software, today announced the worldwide availability of H2ONET Generation V8 for AutoCAD® 2009 (Autodesk, San Rafael, CA). The updated release heightens the value of H2ONET with significant advances and usability improvements. The result is an enhanced user experience, increased flexibility and computational speed, and the facilitation of greater productivity and performance.

The new version marks the most significant milestone to date in the evolution of the company’s flagship CAD-based product, now an industry standard for comprehensive water distribution engineering and a premier choice of major ENR design firms and progressive utilities around the world. Praised for its intuitive, seamless AutoCAD-centric interface, legendary power and stability, and comprehensive toolsets and extensions, H2ONET has received stellar industry recognition. The new release underscores MWH Soft’s determination to be the leading provider of infrastructure modeling solutions for engineering professionals working in the powerful AutoCAD environment.

New and improved functionality and unique ease-of-use tools — developed in response to numerous customer requests — make V8 an incredibly powerful and indispensable modeling and design solution. The release also features gains in overall performance, stability, and interoperability plus a richer graphical menu option, creating an even stronger and more dynamic user experience.

Users will immediately enjoy improved collaboration and modeling experiences, and communicate modeling information to others with unprecedented ease. Comprehensive project documentation features deliver complete flexibility in tracking and monitoring multi-team workflows, managing information, auditing models, and organizing large, complex models with important notes and reminders. The result is smoother coordination; better, more accurate models completed more quickly; and new efficiencies at every step for users of all ability levels.

Shattering the notion that powerful software must be complex, H2ONET has been engineered at deep levels to deliver advanced analysis and data management functionality and exponential increases in efficiency and speed while simplifying use, streamlining workflow, and connecting global modeling teams. In addition to compatibility with Citrix and Terminal Server as well as the newly released AutoCAD 2009, V8 debuts a range of compelling features and ease-of-use tools developed with these goals in mind.

A comprehensive ModelTracker allows users to easily organize and manage any modeling project and keep track of all changes with a list of notes or information, streamlining the entire model development and analysis process. The documentation creates a customizable knowledge base which can be organized and searched intensively by project, subject, date, reference, individual modeler, specific data changes, and more. This enhanced knowledge management enables more effective process control, project status reporting, auditing, scheduling, planning, and team management.

An automated Dynamic Fire Flow Manager conducts accurate batch processing of fire flow computations for all network nodes — considering both the magnitude and duration of the fire for various customer categories in an extended period simulation (EPS) mode — and reports any system deficiencies at record-breaking speed. An improved Report Manager puts users in full control of customizing and defining detailed simulation reports for their modeling needs. The program remembers these settings and automatically uses them for all model runs. This “set-it-and-forget-it” option is very useful for automatically generating and printing custom project reports in a batch run mode for any number of scenarios — enabling engineering firms to quickly and economically respond to the unique needs of every customer and regulatory agency.

Other advances include an improved numerical solution algorithm for accurately modeling complex parallel arrangements of control valves (e.g., pressure regulating valves); significantly enhanced graphical performance with multiple output window displays; quick, automated cascading of output graph windows for any user-defined link or node sequence profile; direct e-mail support; 32-character network element naming convention; and an array of powerful new model management tools to optimize speed and streamline workflow.

These enhancements propel H2ONET product suite applications into the next generation, furthering MWH Soft’s time-honored practice of continually adding value to its software; bringing new, unsurpassed modeling and design capabilities into the mainstream; and backing its advances with unparalleled technical support. The suite has the robustness, speed, accuracy and feature set to handle the most demanding analysis. Yet it’s intuitive enough for a new user to master without a drawn-out learning curve, making it the ultimate AutoCAD-based decision support tool for water distribution systems. Organizations may also opt to call on MWH Soft Implementation Services to accelerate deployment, integration and implementation of best modeling practices for an even faster return on investment.

Built atop AutoCAD, the world’s leading CAD platform, H2ONET delivers breakthrough performance in integrated real-time network modeling, GIS data exchange, spatial database query and analysis across multiple data types, along with the sophisticated mapping required for complete infrastructure (asset) management and business planning. Its pioneering functionality, full capability range, and state-of-the-art computational algorithms allow engineering professionals to directly access CAD and GIS datasets; extract pertinent modeling information; and automatically construct, skeletonize, load, calibrate, analyze, design, operate and optimize any network model — saving time and money across the enterprise. Such capabilities can greatly assist water utilities in complying with drinking water quality regulations, understanding and controlling taste and odor problems, developing cost-effective energy solutions for water system operations, improving system reliability and integrity, optimizing capital improvement and rehabilitation programs, enhancing community relations, and planning sound security measures.

“For over a decade, we have evolved H2ONET to meet the demands of our customers and take them step after step further,” said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D, President and Chief Operating Officer of MWH Soft. “Our customers have found extremely progressive ways to use H2ONET. We continue to build their feedback into new innovations, advancing this industry-leading AutoCAD-centric modeling platform to best serve their network management challenges.

“With H2ONET V8, we have now developed a powerful, comprehensive tool that addresses the entire modeling process, from model building and analysis all the way through design and optimization. From top to bottom, this release is designed to enable world-record modeling performance — allowing our users to increase productivity and quality while achieving their engineering and business goals. We will continue to listen to our customers and aggressively respond to their needs. Our job is never done.”

Pricing and Availability
Upgrade to H2ONET V8 is now available worldwide by subscription to the MWH Soft Gold or Platinum program. Subscription members can immediately download the new version free of charge directly from www.mwhsoft.com. The MWH Soft Subscription Program is a friendly customer support and software maintenance program that ensures the longevity and usefulness of MWH Soft products. It gives subscribers instant access to new functionality as it is developed, along with automatic software updates and upgrades. For the latest information on the MWH Soft Subscription Program, visit www.mwhsoft.com or contact your local MWH Soft Certified Representative.