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Autodesk used the occasion of Autodesk University 2011 in Las Vegas on 29 November to introduce Autodesk 360, its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution suite that has been foreshadowed by the “Everything Changes” campaign of 2011. Previous to Autodesk 360, Autodesk provided workgroup-level data management capabilities for its CAD products through its Vault offering. While Autodesk Vault is part of their new PLM solution suite, Autodesk 360 expands on those capabilities in significant ways.

In the past, Autodesk has eschewed PLM, claiming that it is much too difficult to implement and derive benefit from current...

With the press of a button, a myriad of computerized technology activates beneath the inlaid wood and leather lined dashboard. The driver has just set in motion the results of thousands of hours of sophisticated engineering to execute a semi-automated parallel park. Programmed sensors; power steering; traction control and power, anti-lock brakes; computerized suspension; and voice instructions that indicate when to brake and when to shift; all smoothly interplay to deliver customer satisfaction—and park the car. Each system has been designed and manufactured by automotive specialists through the mechatronics interplay of mechanical, electric, and software control components.

The world’s automotive industry...

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On November 8 through 10, Dassault Systèmes held the Dassault Systèmes Customer Conference (DSCC 2011) at Caesars Palace, on the Strip in Las Vegas, NV. The glamour and glitz outside were more than matched by the high wattage firepower on the main stage. Most of the top Dassault Systèmes executives were front and center, cheering on their leading customers like Johnson & Johnson, Bell Helicopter, and Benetton. The wide range of industries represented by these customers is indicative of the shift at the company over the last several years to broaden their traditional strengths...

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At the recent Oracle OpenWorld 2011 conference in San Francisco, CA, customer presentations offered solid evidence of progress in the application of Oracle’s product lifecycle management (PLM) product suite in both emerging and traditional industries. Oracle also reported substantial enhancements to their PLM offerings, actual and planned, within the context of a framing vision that Oracle calls the “Product Value Chain,” which they say offers value beyond Product Lifecycle Management. This vision is consistent with Oracle’s concentration and success outside the traditional core of PLM—mechanical CAD work-in-process data management, and the traditional industries of...

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On November 9, 2011, Siemens PLM Software announced their acquisition of Vistagy, Inc., known mainly as a leading provider of composites design and manufacturing solutions. Vistagy has been a long-time partner of Siemens PLM Software, providing solutions to enhance the ability of their NX offering, to help customers more effectively design and manufacture composite structures. Vistagy also offers engineering services, and has expanded their product line in recent years to include other specialty applications.

Most notably used in aerospace applications, composites use is spreading across many industries, and thus, composite design solutions are growing in...

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Autodesk Analyst Day 2011

Autodesk held their 2011 Analyst Day at the Artists for Humanity (AFH) facility in South Boston on October 20. Nearly thirty analysts were invited to hear a company update by Autodesk executives. The setting was appropriate, as the AFH, the first LEED Platinum Certified building in Boston, was designed using Autodesk solutions.

Leading off the day was Autodesk’s CEO Carl Bass, who spoke about “Autodesk Today and Tomorrow.” Some of his talk echoed their Investor Day presentation in June. Mr. Bass presented a chart depicting Autodesk’s customers by company size. Enterprise customers...

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The industrial equipment (IE) market is large and varied, ranging from fabricated metal components and sub-assemblies to manufacturing equipment that convey, assemble, or produce products, and mobile machinery like farming or construction equipment. IE companies have different business models, development and production requirements e.g., build to order (BTO). In order to be successful, IE companies must respond to changes in market needs, new technologies, ever-increasing product complexity, expanding end customer and regulatory requirements, and relentless cost pressures. Products may have lifecycles measured in years or decades, which require ongoing service, and may be significantly...

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The choice of the company’s new Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system has been made and the team of decision makers celebrates the challenging selection effort. But now the real work begins—planning and executing the migration of data from the current legacy systems to the new target PLM platform. A company’s existing data contains a significant portion of their intellectual property (IP) and therefore the company’s competitive advantage and value. The success of the new system depends heavily upon an effective migration of existing data in an intelligent, quality, and timely manner.

This scenario is repeated...

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On September 7-8, Siemens PLM Software held their annual analyst event in Boston, Massachusetts. Approximately 150 people—including analysts, journalists, bloggers, and representatives from across Siemens PLM Software and other Siemens businesses - convened to listen to Siemens PLM’s executives and customers provide a business, technology, and strategy update.

According to those Siemens PLM executives, the state of the business is strong. While Siemens AG does not report on business unit revenues, Tony Affuso, Chairman and CEO of Siemens PLM, cited the strong 2011 results of their main competitors, Dassault Systems and PTC, and claimed Siemens...

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On June 26 and 27, Dassault Systèmes held their annual Industry Analyst event in La Defense, the business district just across the Seine from Paris. As has been past practice, it was held in conjunction with a Dassault Systèmes partner event, the Application Innovation Summit (AIS). The renaming of this event is significant in and of itself, as it illustrates Dassault Systèmes’ rededication to growing its partner base for the V6 architecture. CAA2, the second generation of their successful CAA partnership program, finally provides the tools necessary for partners to build applications tightly integrated...