Frost & Sullivan Awards MPDV for its Outstanding Manufacturing Execution System Product — HYDRA

LONDON, August 9, 2010 - Based on its recent study of the European and discrete manufacturing
execution system (MES) markets, Frost & Sullivan has presented MPDV with the
"2010 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Excellence" in recognition
of MPDV's core product HYDRA MES. With its modular design and open framework,
HYDRA MES stores all data originating from production, human resources
management and quality control in a single database, providing an ideal
connection between management and production levels. The introduction of
HYDRA MES has removed many of the shortcomings in existing MES systems –
their large size, insufficient configurability and inability to be modified.
Moreover, it has unravelled the difficulties in system integration caused by
the absence of standardisation within the MES market.

    (Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO)
    (Logo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO)

"HYDRA's modular structure enables MPDV's customers to start with one
desired MES-function, and then extend it to access other functions or
modules," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Katarzyna Owczarczyk.
"Because HYDRA is an open system independent of any specific production
process, it can be integrated without causing problems to an existing company
environment."

The HYDRA system is not only 100 percent compliant with MESA-11
functions, but also provides functions such as Quality Assurance or Computer
Aided Quality (CAQ), as well as Time, Attendance and Personnel Scheduling.
These features are particularly important in discrete industry and add to
HYDRA's competitive nature, as they are not offered by other MES products.

Through its ergonomic functions in data capture, planning and information
handling, HYDRA makes resources and capacity planning, as well as time
schedules, apparent, even for complex multi-stage production processes.
Hydra's adaptive product quality becomes particularly obvious in the
scheduling module, allowing finite capacity scheduling, simulation and
complex, dynamic set-up sequencing. The system is not bound to a "push
planning" philosophy, but can be reconfigured for decentralised planning,
according to a Pull-type of production philosophy also allowing KANBAN.
Likewise, the role of performance analysis is efficiently covered by the
Manufacturing Scorecard.

"HYDRA enables complexity in an adaptive manner," says Owczarczyk. "Many
HYDRA users actually gain profit from the benefits identified in the Verein
Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI) guideline."

HYDRA also allows for customer-specific extensions, by which operational
requirements may be dealt with via customisation. Unlike many competitors
that focus exclusively on browser front-ends for the ShopFloor, MPDV offers
its customers both a browser front-end as well as a windows-based fat-client.
The latter allows decentralised data aggregation directly from production
resources and is much faster and reliable. Further, the architectural
flexibility enables MES-typical system-integration tasks such as label
printing, device-integrated SPC, barcode reading and RFID integration, as a
"configurable-only" standard functionality of a MES.

MPDV also supports its customers by the creation of a risk analysis
designed to secure overall system conformity from the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). In order to sell products in the food and drug sector
in the United States of America, manufacturing plants have to meet the
requirements of FDA authority. Not only does HYDRA meet technical
requirements, such as electronic records and electronic signatures, laid down
in CFR 21 Part 11, but also the lifecycle of HYDRA software is subject to the
V-model of GAMP 4 at MPDV, thereby fulfilling the basis for validation, when
used within a customer system. The evidence that the MPDV quality assurance
system works efficiently has already been successfully proven by passing
customer audits.

The introduction of the Euro in Eastern Europe opened strong growth
markets for MPDV, whose significant expansion is expected to increase in the
coming years. Many MPDV clients have established new plants in Eastern
Europe, a movement promoting MPDV's international growth. With more than 25
successful implementations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia,
Romania, Hungary and Russia, the foundation has been laid for the company to
become an international MES provider.

MPDV is also strongly engaged in trend-setting activities of industry
organizations, institutions and associations, such as MESA International,
MESA Europe, VDI, VDMA and ZVEI. The main objective of MESA group is the
exchange of knowledge and experience in applying MES. MPDV substantially
contributed to the formation of MESA Europe, providing rich MES
implementation and project expertise to international resellers of MPDV's MES
HYDRA. MPDV has intensive connections to system integrators, and is
well-established in the industry and media.

Overall, MPDV has developed a unique product offering high value for
clients and promising to garner a robust share in the global MES market. In
recognition, Frost & Sullivan is proud to present MPDV with the 2010 European
Award for Product Excellence in the MES market. Each year, Frost & Sullivan
presents this award to the company that has developed a product with unique
features/functionality to provide high quality service to customers with
complex needs. The award applauds product customization and the fit for
evolving market trends, ultimately resulting in a strong brand perception of
the product as being unique.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety
of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and
superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation,
customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts
compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth
interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify
best practices in the industry.

About MPDV Mikrolab GmbH

MPDV was founded in 1977 and currently is a leading international system
provider, specializing in capturing and processing data originating in the
areas of Production, Human Resources and Quality Management. MPDV is
headquartered in Mosbach, Germany and has more than 160 employees located in
ten different offices in Germany, France, Singapore, Switzerland and the
United States. MPDV's core product, HYDRA, is the world's leading MES.
Through HYDRA, MPDV provides an innovative solution for increasing economic
efficiency in manufacturing plants. It provides clarity in value-added
processes and uncovers hidden process potentials.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to
accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation
and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and
the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to
drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth
strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in
partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment
community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership,
please visit www.awards.frost.com.

    Chiara Carella
    Head of Corporate Communications - Europe and Africa
    Frost & Sullivan
    chiara.carella@frost.com
    P: +44-(0)-2073438314

Chiara Carella, Head of Corporate Communications - Europe and Africa, Frost & Sullivan, +44-(0)-2073438314, chiara.carella at frost.com