Release Details

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 2004-- Aspen Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AZPN) today welcomes more than 1,700 business and technical leaders to Orlando, FL for the opening of the AspenWorld 2004 conference. Executives from the world's top process industry companies are attending the biennial conference to explore the latest technology strategies for improving enterprise profitability. The international conference extends from October 11--15, and features an impressive array of leading speakers including Lou Gerstner, former Chairman and CEO of IBM.

"AspenWorld 2004 offers an unparalleled opportunity for process industry leaders to share knowledge and experience, and to explore our theme of 'driving process profitability'," said David McQuillin, President and CEO of AspenTech. "The conference provides an open forum for discussing the unique economic challenges the process industries face, as well as highlighting the breakthrough solutions that companies are using to maximize profit opportunities."

Highlights of the conference plenary session include a question-and-answer period with Mr. Gerstner moderated by Geoffrey Colvin, editorial director, Fortune magazine, and presentations by Rob Routs, Group Managing Director, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Alan Boeckmann, Chairman and CEO, Fluor Corporation, and James Porter, Vice President of Engineering and Operations, DuPont. Other key plenary speakers include Dr James Trainham, former CTO of Invista, AspenTech's founder and Chairman Larry Evans, and its CEO David McQuillin.

A significant number of the world's leading process industry companies are speaking at AspenWorld 2004, including presentations from executives of Aventis, BASF, BP, Bayer, Borealis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CITGO, ChevronTexaco, Conoco, Dow Chemical, DSM, DuPont, Eli Lilly, ExxonMobil, Fluor, Merck, SABIC, Shell, Schlumberger, SINOPEC, Swift and Co. and Total.

In total, the conference includes over 100 sessions on key technology and industry issues, containing almost 300 presentations. There are dedicated tracks for the major process industries of chemicals, oil & gas, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, polymers, consumer goods, power and utilities, and pulp and paper, plus sessions addressing the latest enabling technologies and business innovations.

A showcase area provides the focus for 120 interactive presentations and demonstrations of AspenTech's latest solutions for the Enterprise Operations Management market. These solutions provide companies with integrated systems that enable them to manage and optimize their operational performance.

About AspenTech

Aspen Technology, Inc. provides industry-leading software and implementation services that enable process companies to increase efficiency and profitability. AspenTech's engineering product line is used to design and improve plants and processes, maximizing returns throughout an asset's operating life. Its manufacturing/supply chain product line allows companies to increase margins in their plants and supply chains, by managing customer demand, optimizing production, and streamlining the delivery of finished products. These two offerings are combined to create solutions for enterprise operations management (EOM), integrated enterprise-wide systems that provide process manufacturers with the capability to dramatically improve their operating performance. Over 1,500 leading companies already rely on AspenTech's software, including Aventis, Bayer, BASF, BP, ChevronTexaco, Dow Chemical, DuPont, ExxonMobil, Fluor, GlaxoSmithKline, Shell, and Total. For more information, visit www.aspentech.com.

AspenTech and the aspen leaf logo are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Mass.

CONTACT:
For Media:
Aspen Technology, Inc.
Robin Swanger, 281-504 3256
robin.swanger@aspentech.com

For Investors:
Aspen Technology, Inc.
Joshua Young, 617-949-1274
joshua.young@aspentech.com