think3 awards $3 m in software to 40 colleges

BANGALORE: The wholly owned Indian subsidiary, think3 Designs India, of US

based mechanical and industrial design software startup think3, has expanded its

thinkstart educational grant program to India. think3 Designs India has

announced of $3 million worth of 3D design software to 40 mechanical and

industrial design departments at academic institutions throughout the country.

All the colleges are being equipped with 3D learning labs, leveraging

think3's flagship product think design and software options thinkshape and

thinkreal. All recipients will get the full benefit of think3's online customer

support system, thinkcare, including tutorials supported by graphics and AVIs,

and a knowledge base of technical solutions. They will also get access to the

latest addition to think3's line of 3D video game-based learning software,

"The Time Mechanic".

"Initial response to the thinkstart grant program over the past two

months has been fantastic," says N. Sivaram, vice president, think3 Designs

India. "So far, we've granted software in four southern states and all

premier colleges across the country. Longer term, adoption of thinkdesign in

India by educators and students will span the entire country totaling more than

700 academic institutions."

"By offering our 3D technology and game-based learning tools to colleges

here in India and worldwide for free, is a key element of think3's mission to

bring the power of 3D design to everyone, everywhere," he said. At the same

time, Shivaram said, "We hope to provide professors with powerful new

software and training tools to add to their curriculum, and to give mechanical

engineers and industrial designers of the future a jump-start on their

careers."

Since the commencement of thinkstart in April 1999, think3 has granted more

than $74 million in software donations to 700 educational institutions worldwide

at high schools, vocational schools, colleges and universities.

Submitting a request online at http://www.think3.com/student1.htm

gets registered students a fully loaded, professional copy of think3's flagship

3D design software family, thinkdesign.