SolidWorks World 2011 is about to start, and I’m preparing to learn about what SolidWorks and partners are up to this year. I will take a special look this year on different aspects of SolidWorks data management – from Files to PDM / PLM solutions.
What is presented?
As part of my preparation for SolidWorks World, I counted about 22 sessions in the section of Data Management. The sub-sections are Enterprise Data Management, Personal File Management and Team Management. The large number of sessions are focusing on different aspects deployment, implementations and functions of SolidWorks Enterprise PDM. This is clearly the mainstream system for SolidWorks today. In addition to that, I found few interesting sessions presenting new solutions and approaches coming from SolidWorks – Experience Web-Based Data Sharing by Dan Burmenko and Data Management on the Cloud by Rich Allen. I hope to join these sessions and share my thoughts about what I learned.
Partners Pavilion?
There are 15 companies demonstration solution on SolidWorks World related to management of SolidWorks files and different aspects of data management. Navigate your browser on the following link. There are two categories of companies – Data Management and PDM/PLM. The differentiation is not clear to me. I can see companies in Data Management categories as service providers (Razorleaf and Zero-Wait State). On the other side companies like Infor and 360 Enterprise Software are providing wider scope of enterprise solutions – from PDM/PLM to ERP. Separate section about PDM/PLM is presenting 11 companies (including Dassault Systems and Dassault SolidWorks Corp.) providing different data management solutions for SolidWorks customers. Most of the names are well known in this list – Softech Inc., MechWorks, KeyTech. Cideon is coming with the solution oriented on SAP customers. Synergis presents their Adept system. Aras presents Enterprise Open Source PLM, which is according to their booth “compliment and extend Enterprise PDM”. I hope to learn about this “complimenting EPDM” later today during my one-to-one meeting with Aras’ CEO Peter Schroer.
SolidWorks and Enovia V6
I didn’t find any mentioning of Enovia V6 in presentations. Dassault Systems is presented by separate booth where I found demos of Enovia V6 and examples of how Enovia manages SolidWorks data. It will be interesting to see how Enovia solutions and technologies will evolve to provide broader support to the future of SolidWorks data management products.
What is my conclusion? The most important question, in my view, is where SolidWorks / Dassault will be going from the current status quo towards the V6 based systems. Current systems, such as Enterprise PDM and some others are very mature and well developed from the standpoint of user experience and customer needs. Future Dassault and SolidWorks decisions will influence all other players providing solutions for File Management, PDM and PLM in the future. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
