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Making PLM pervasive and mobile
Like modern society, modern product development is mobile and dynamic, requiring quick and easy access to the tools that enable innovation. Now, thanks to Dassault Systèmes’ (DS) new Version 6 on-the-cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) offerings, customers can work with the solutions they need in an on-demand environment, when they need it, for as long as they need it, without the burden of IT infrastructure.
“Version 6 has been online from the start, meaning that users can work concurrently from anywhere – even from a hotel room – using a web connection into your on-premise server. For example, they can refine a 3D design online by streaming up or down only what is necessary,” says Fabien Fedida, senior director Global Offer Strategy and Business Intelligence at DS.
“Moving the server that powers CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA and SIMULIA to the cloud is the logical next step ,” Fedida says. “It eliminates the need for additional IT administrative burden, guarantees uptime 24/7, provides massive scalability on-demand, and centralizes data for better IP protection. And the subscription business model is flexible, designed to adapt to the needs of projects or organizations of any scale.”
Authoring is the revolution
Unlike most on-the-cloud PLM offerings, which are limited to data management, “the DS approach is about helping customers make products, not just manage data,” Fedida says. “Our best-in-class product development solutions – CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and SIMULIA – are available in an on-demand, easy-to-use, secure environment. Version 6 on the cloud is a quantum leap, especially because it includes authoring. It’s not a statement of strategy. It is real products available now.”
Because product design is a highly collaborative discipline, one key offering of the DS on-the-cloud offering is 3DSwYm (See what You mean), which can be used to create dynamic online communities in minutes. These communities can be used to quickly identify and assemble individuals into online groups for everything from project management to consumer research. By assembling diverse groups regardless of physical location or role, 3DSwYm facilitates interaction, sharing and collaboration among employees, partners, suppliers and consumers, extending and enriching the innovation ecosystem.
Jump on the cloud with Version 6
3DSwYm and the rest of the DS Version 6 on-the-cloud offerings are available in the online 3DStore at https://swym.3ds.com. By making the store part of an online 3DSwYm community, DS offers users the opportunity to transform discussion into action.
To get started with Version 6 on the cloud, just visit the 3DStore and choose the services you want. Within minutes of purchasing the service you will be live and ready to go. (This assumes you already have the Version 6 client installed on your desktop; if not, you can purchase from a DS sales partner.) For $300/user/month*, the n!Volve subscription service provides access to the collaboration platform, allowing users to work not just collaboratively, but concurrently using CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA and ENOVIA. n!Fuze, designed specifically for SolidWorks users, offers cloud-based design-sharing and collaboration with the Version 6 platform.
3DSwYm, also available through the 3DStore, allows users to create an instant social innovation environment on the cloud. “3DSwYm lets you build your own social network of collaborators to share content, and it can be used for crowd sourcing and feedback,” Fedida says. “You can publish the actual CAD model or the model’s ‘experience, which is a 3DVIA immersive experience of the design.” 3DSwYm technology also allows companies to deploy a community-based 2.0 intranet on-premise, as DS did in 2008 for 9,000 of its people across 153 sites. After purchasing the basic n!Volve package, additional modules let you create 3D designs from parts ($64/month*) or perform entry-level Version 6 3D authoring ($150/month*).
Online store: Apps with built-in hosting
Unlike many on-the-cloud offerings, the 3DStore is a one-step, one-stop shop. “We don’t make you go through a second step to secure a hosting provider,” Fedida says. “We have it all: one click in one place.” Initially, offerings are available across the United States and most of Europe, and will be rolled out worldwide in 2012.
To provide its cloud services, DS is partnering with Amazon Web Services, which features elastic computing and storage resources that adapt to user demand. DS also made a strategic investment in Outscale, providing next-generation SaaS operating services 24/7 support with guaranteed uptime.
