LEIDEN, NL - BRUSSELS, BEL (April 14, 2006) - VRcontext, a leading provider of 3D visualisation technology located in Brussels, Belgium and UReason, an innovative supplier of Operator Advisory Systems and Solutions, have recently agreed to combine their expertise and work together in the area of intelligent alarm assessment.
In the flood of alarm information presented to an operator during an incident, relationships with other events or incidents are difficult to determine. By linking OASYS-AM, the Alarm Management System, developed by UReason, with the 3D Virtual Model, created by VRcontext, control room operators are assisted in their assessment, not only by the "intelligence" of OASYS-AM, but also by the real-time correlation with the 3D Virtual Model, guiding him directly to the incriminated equipment within its geographical vicinity. In today's process industries operators are generally located in a safe central control room, far away from the processes and equipment they monitor. In fact, some of the processes monitored, such as deep sea oil fields, are even impossible to visit or walk through.

"The Intelligent Alarm Management System developed by UReason is becoming a critical cornerstone for the safe operation of large Petrochemical, Oil and Gas installations", says François Lagae, CEO of VRcontext. "Today, it is not unusual to see erratic behaviour of control room operators when they are put under stress by an avalanche of alarms. Past experiences have shown that a decision support application like OASYS-AM is helping the operators in gaining a global view of the real problem and enabling them to focus on the critical parameters."

"VRcontext has the technology to increase the awareness of an operator. The visualisation tools used in today's control rooms are process oriented. The operator cannot determine from such information if a failing pump is close to a tank containing hydrogen," says Lieven Dubois, Director of Sales & Marketing at UReason. "We believe that adding a 3 dimensional view, which is just a mouse click away from the alarm message, adds incredible value to an operator in assessing a critical situation."

About VRcontext
VRcontext is a leading provider of real-time visualization and simulation solutions used around the globe in the Energy, Oil & Gas, Process, and Homeland Security markets. VRcontext's flagship product, called Walkinside(TM), creates 3D Virtual Models of mega structures, which can be imported in a straightforward manner from multiple data sources. Through its new product line, called ProcessLife(TM), VRcontext delivers "Decision Support Applications," by means of real-time access, to Monitoring systems and direct links to databases using an "intuitive" graphical interface to the 3D Virtual Model. VRcontext also provides the suited environment to develop "Best Practices" in the areas of maintenance, process simulation, safety and security, as any sequences of events and/or incidents can be realistically simulated and evaluated. Skills Development Programmes are then delivered in the context of the 3D Virtual Model.
For more information, please contact: André Colin, VP Business Development at +32 (0) 2 663 96 00 or visit our website at www.vrcontext.com or e-mail to a.colin@vrcontext.com.
WalkinsideTM and ProcessLifeTM are trademarks of VRcontext s.a./n.v.

About UReason
UReason is a provider of technology products and services enabling you (U) to quickly create intelligent applications that automate reasoning. UReason technology enables domain experts such as operators, process engineers, quality control managers and consultants to establish easy to use interactive decision support solutions.
UReason markets its technology within a solution called OASYS-AM® which is targeted at reducing the volume and increasing the relevance of information presented to an operator at all times. UReason solutions incorporate the guidelines and directives of the EEMUA Publication 191.
UReason's Solution Environment (USE®) has been adopted by Siemens and Shell Global Solutions to monitor plants and processes 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
UReason's services, technology and methodology provide a cost effective mechanism to embed key knowledge and guidance into applications and products, supporting the entire life cycle of intelligent applications.
For more details, contact Lieven Dubois at +31-71-5281700, visit the website www.ureason.com or e-mail to info@ureason.com. UReason, OASYS and USE are registered trademarks of UReason Holding B.V.