CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
28 March 2005
Implementation Investments
Hitachi GST Deploys Agile PLM Solutions to Reduce Costs and Improve Time to Market
Agile Software Corporation announced that Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST), a worldwide leader in hard disk drives, has successfully implemented Agile PLM solutions to accelerate new product introductions, compress product change cycle times, reduce costs, and improve quality across its product portfolio. The implementation involved the consolidation of legacy data into a single system and the integration of Agile to multiple CAD systems, with hundreds of users, split between the United States and Japan.
"We were faced with the dilemma of having to consolidate our various legacy systems, data and drawings in just a few short months, and Agile was clearly the best option," said Ranga Jayaraman, vice president of information technology, Hitachi GST. "Agile's industry expertise, its past successes at other Hitachi subsidiaries and the rich functionality offered with Agile PLM solutions were all the reasons that drove our decision. We are pleased that we were able to go live so quickly with Agile, and we are already discussing follow-up projects."
Hitachi GST, headquartered in San Jose, California was formed in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of IBM and Hitachi's storage technology businesses. As a result of this merger, Hitachi GST was left with five years of data history and more than 150,000 historical CAD designs captured in three legacy systems.
"At Hitachi GST we continue to define our enterprise PLM strategy and comprehensive vision of global collaboration with best of breed solutions and tools-and Agile is key to that strategy," said Jon Burton, global Agile PLM manager, Hitachi GST. "With Agile Product Collaboration, we replaced our legacy systems and migrated the data history and drawings to a single system of record. Agile Engineering Collaboration was integrated to four different CAD systems, which allows our designers to collaborate and interact with Agile in their native design applications."
Agile Product Collaboration enables Hitachi GST to efficiently and effectively communicate product content and changes to globally dispersed team members in a secure, collaborative environment. Agile Engineering Collaboration allows Hitachi GST designers to interact with Agile PLM from their native design applications. Agile integrated Hitachi GST to four different CAD systems-including a 2D, 3D and an electrical design system. Agile Engineering Collaboration also provides a collaborative workspace for Hitachi GST engineers in disparate locations to share mechanical and electrical designs.
"Global high tech companies such as Hitachi GST are relying on PLM solutions to optimize the products and services they provide to their customers, from concept and design through each stage of the product lifecycle," said Jay Fulcher, Agile president and COO. "We are delighted that Hitachi GST was able to quickly implement Agile, and as a result has been able to turn design concepts into pilot products using Agile Product Collaboration and Agile Engineering Collaboration to accelerate innovation and time to market. We are proud of their success and look forward to our continued role in helping Hitachi GST to increase product profits-for the company and its customers."
Hitachi GST offers customers worldwide a comprehensive range of storage products for desktop computers, high-performance servers and mobile devices. Hitachi GST is a subsidiary of Agile customer Hitachi, Ltd., a leading global electronics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
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