solidThinking to Offer Free ‘sTudent’ Software at Macworld

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading industrial design/styling software company solidThinking, Inc. (www.solidthinking.com) announced today that it will provide a free personal-use version of its solidThinking 7.6 software – the only industrial design software available to run on both Mac OS and Windows – to industrial design, architecture and fine arts students who visit solidThinking’s booth 3320 at the Macworld Conference & Expo 2009 in San Francisco, January 5-9.

“Industrial designers globally are adopting solidThinking as their tool of choice, and today’s design students should have the opportunity to use, understand and become fluent in the best available software to expand their creative abilities”

Those enrolled in certified programs at colleges and universities can obtain a certificate at the Macworld solidThinking booth. Valid proof of student status must be presented. The validated certificate can then be used to download the free solidThinking software and run it on the student’s personal computer. The personal-use “sTudent” version of solidThinking is the same software used around the world by top-name designers to create and evaluate designs of products ranging from jewelry and computers to automobiles and yachts.

“Industrial designers globally are adopting solidThinking as their tool of choice, and today’s design students should have the opportunity to use, understand and become fluent in the best available software to expand their creative abilities,” said solidThinking Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing Alessandro (Alex) Mazzardo. “By making solidThinking available to students for convenient use on their own computers, we anticipate these students will become even more attractive to employers upon graduation by giving them more time to improve their creativity and develop a portfolio of their creative work.”

The free annual licenses will enable students to use the software throughout each academic year. After that period, they will have the opportunity to either renew the annual license if they are still in school, or apply for a 60-day “post-graduate” version to use at their new place of employment. The offer is available to full-time students at approved institutions. Those who download the free “sTudent” version also will receive a free electronic manual to help them get started using solidThinking as a source of new inspiration for their creative options.

At the Macworld Conference & Expo 2009, solidThinking will show off its recently launched software solidThinking 7.6 and highlight how leading designers are “doing it with a Mac” by using solidThinking to design exciting new products.

In the commercial world, solidThinking is crucial to many of the world’s leading designers of furniture, electronic devices, automobiles, lighting, shoes, jewelry, timepieces, sports equipment, boating, consumer packaging and other products. Thousands of designers use solidThinking to develop products and packaging for such renowned companies and brands as Azimut Yachts, Bulgari, Cartier, Diesel, DuPont, Fujitsu, Hugo Boss, Italdesign Giugiaro, Korg, MacGregor Golf, Mares, Masterfoods, Merck, Nestle, Nikon, Panerai, Peg Perego, Pininfarina, Scavolini, Thomson, Tisettanta, Toshiba, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

About solidThinking, Inc. (www.solidthinking.com)

solidThinking, Inc. develops and markets industrial design/styling software that helps designers invent, explore and evaluate new ideas easily, rapidly and cost-effectively, without the limitations of traditional software. Using solidThinking's visualization interface, designers render and share photo-realistic images of their projects on the fly, from architecture and automobiles to electronic devices, jewelry, product packaging and yachts. solidThinking is a wholly owned subsidiary of Troy, Mich. (USA)-based Altair Engineering, Inc. (www.altair.com). Altair Engineering is privately held and employs more than 1,400 in North America, South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

To view solidThinking’s Macworld Conference press kit, please visit
http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/eventExhibitor.do?page=ep&companyId=1650&showId=1184455842833