MSC.Software Corp.the leading global provider of virtual product development (VPD) products including simulation software and services, today announced the shipping of MSC.Nastran 2004. MSC.Nastran is established as the world’s leading simulation and finite element analysis (FEA) product used by manufacturers around the world to simulate loads, stresses, and vibrations of mechanical systems and components.

“I am very proud of the MSC.Nastran team and everyone involved in bringing MSC.Nastran 2004 to market,” said Frank Perna, chairman and chief executive officer of MSC.Software. “With more than 80 man-years of development behind it, MSC.Nastran 2004 greatly expands our Virtual Product Development simulation capabilities. We are looking forward to working closely with our customers as they utilize the new features and functions, improve their product development processes and save time and money.”

Among the many new capabilities found in MSC.Nastran 2004 are enhanced functionality for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), acoustics, dynamics and optimization. In addition, MSC.Nastran 2004 is the first and only version of MSC.Nastran with fully integrated MSC.Marc nonlinear analysis capabilities as well as embedded flexible-body transfer between MSC.ADAMS and MSC.Nastran. With these state-of-the-art features, engineers and analysts have the ability to perform a wider variety of simulations launched from within MSC.Nastran 2004 as well as transfer data from other MSC.Software products without leaving the familiar MSC.Nastran environment.

In order to help MSC.Software customers understand the significant enhancements made to MSC.Nastran 2004, MSC.Software is hosting a public webinar, highlighting "What's New in MSC.Nastran 2004". This public webinar will take place on Thursday, September 4, at 08:00 Pacific Time / 11:00 Eastern Time. To register or to find out more about this event, please visit http://www.mscsoftware.com/events/nastran2004 .

For more information about MSC.Nastran 2004, please visit http://www.mscnastran.com .