These days, who doesn't want the luxury of mobility in a workstation? Dell's Precision M4600 15.6" mobile workstation features the second-generation Intel Core i7 processor Extreme edition and 1,600MHz system memory options; it's priced starting at $1,678.
Don't CAD users have discriminating tastes? I think the zSpace platform is pretty cool as well and really has the potential to change the way CAD users interact with 3D models. If money is no object, the Planar 3D monitor is also pretty exciting in terms of adding a new dimension to how CAD users interact with models.
They also have very expensive tastes. I would imagine the high cost of these products is in part because they go to a specialized audience -- a small one -- and thus the technology will not get commoditized. Or maybe it's simple because of the complexity of the technology.
I think it's more a matter of complexity of technology. Having a platform that is well tuned to process and visualize highly complex 3D modeling data requires a whole lot of processing horsepower and top-of-the-line viewing capabilities, all of which have come down in price, but are still no where near commodity levels. And obviously for this slide, we had to highlight some of the more expensive, unique items.
With these complex tools that require substantial processing horsepower, I would imagine there is some really opportunity to shift some of the complexity, and processing to the cloud. Has cloud computing entered this world in a big way yet?
Good question, Rob. I wouldn't say cloud has entered this world in a big way--yet! But we definitely saw some significant signs that it will be a factor. Both Dassault and Autodesk, big players in the CAD/PLM/design tool space, unveiled their cloud strategies this year.
As with the whole mobile app scenario, we're not likely to see traditional desktop CAD translated to the cloud platform, mostly because the heavy-duty graphics and 3D rendering might see performance degragation in the cloud. CAE has a lot of potential in the cloud--being able to offload heavy-duty simulation processing to servers somewhere freeing up the desktop for other work or enabling far more complex simulations. Some of the lifecycle components of PLM, quality management functionality, requirements functionality, service and support functionality, those are good candidates for the cloud as opposed to the core product data repository or PDM information, which companies are likely hesitant to put outside of their own IT infrastructures.
Yes, that's what a figured. Some aspects of processing and storage would naturally go into the cloud as in-house servers have difficulty keeping up with processing and memory. And from following your stories in this area it looks like digital opportunities are growing in every direction.
I know security is always a concern at first, especially when it comes to the IT folks who might get nervous when the design staff starts talking about storing company IT on somebody else's server.
The question that usually ends the conversation is this: Where is your financial data safer, on your bank's computer or on your own? Followed by: How many times have you lost email archives through your own disc crashes, and how many times have you lost email archives on your providers system?
That's a great way to frame out the security issue, Rob. I think increasingly companies are feeling more comfortable and confident in the cloud as a safe harbor for corporate data, financial or product-related. In fact, in many ways, I don't see IT as the stumbling block to design tools in the cloud--they've already made the leap with other core business systems like ERP and CRM.
More likely, it's engineering management that probably less familar and has less experience with this new delivery model, thus has more concerns. Also, performance is a huge issue when there is so much intensive graphics processing work to do. Doing it on a local system in many ways is still a better option than offloading tasks to the cloud and having to deal with limited bandwidth for data transmission.
You're right about performance being an issue. Somebody else's system can go down leaving you stuck. I've seen that before. Yet in sales situation, I've heard cloud people start asking questions about the security and reliability of the in-house system, with questions such as "Tell us about your firewall." And of course, the customer has nothing compared to what the cloud company can offer.
Absolutely, cloud providers have a secure infrastructure that few companies, especially smaller ones, can rival. It's more a matter of getting familiar with the model and feeling comfortable. Some companies, particularly those in highly regulated industries like health care and finance, also have restrictions on where data can reside, thus the multi-tenant nature of cloud services and the fact they have no control over where and what servers are processing rules out the model for them.
Laura Sapiens' Ego! Smartmouse offers users a unique interactive experience by providing 2D and 3D connectivity, hardware identity authentication, data storage, and more.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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