SEATTLE, WASH - March 10, 2008 : – GE Energy has released Smallworld Gas Distribution Office 4.1-the latest version of a suite of operational, maintenance and compliance applications with a comprehensive global data model for the management of gas distribution assets and networks.

This spatially-enabled network management solution brings together the essential applications needed to help gas distribution customers manage their networks and meet regulatory requirements in the industry.

The suite of integrated applications allows gas distribution companies to leverage the GIS data to make better-informed decisions about their assets.

Key benefits for the customer include:

• Global gas distribution data model reduces time to "go live" by shortening the database design phase.
• Applications and standard methods such as designing and planning, cathodic protection, gas outage analysis, leak analysis and compliance and regulatory management enables a gas distribution company to operate and manage their assets more efficiently.
• Return on investment can be realized almost immediately because the built-in applications are able to be used right away.
• The standard application code and standard data model reduce total cost of ownership through minimized administration and by providing a standardized and smooth upgrade path.

"Smallworld Gas Distribution Office provides our gas distribution customers with a standard ‘off the shelf' product geared toward helping them operate and maintain their assets more efficiently, reduce costs and comply with regulatory requirements," said Bob Gilligan, general manager of GE Energy's transmission and distribution business. "We are excited about providing a GIS gas distribution product that will upgrade from one revision to the next, enabling our customers to reduce their total ownership costs."

Typical applications for the new suite include a global data model to capture network and asset information, cathodic protection manager, gas outage analysis, leak analysis, compliance management and integration to network and hydraulic analysis tools and inventory reporter.

About GE Energy

GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2007 revenue of $22 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.

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