Remember when access to the latest and greatest technology typically happened on the job? Most of us wouldn’t dream of shelling out big bucks for the turbo-charged workstation that could run all of our design tools, let alone justify the expense of buying a smartphone just so we could tinker on the Web or catch emails on the fly. We’d wait for our company to issue us a corporate-sanctioned device, and we’d play by the company’s rules just to have access.
What a difference a couple of years can make. The steady stream of usability advances and cost-effective pricing models have opened the floodgates. High-end tools like tablets, graphics-laden laptops, and sexy smartphones are now a staple for a growing number of consumers, who are buying this stuff on their own dime and now want to use it on the job. The trend, referred to as the “consumerization of IT,” is driving huge changes in the way companies buy and support technology gear. But beyond that, it’s having a significant impact on what users -- be they business users or engineers -- expect from the productivity tools and applications they use every day on the job.
What I’m referring to is a growing expectation about how software should work. With turnkey smartphone apps and tablet devices a staple of everyday life, consumers are expecting the same level of utility and usability from their business tools. Contributing editor Jon Titus refers to this in a recent post in which he says user interfaces for products must be easy to navigate and more intuitive. Traditional business applications are starting to take a page from this philosophy, and we’re starting to see similar movement in the traditional CAD and design tool space.
Here’s a case in point, albeit a small one: Maide’s new CadRemote app for the iPhone and iPod touch essentially helps transform traditional CAD applications and optimize them for collaborative design review sessions. Most CAD platforms have added collaborative capabilities over the years, typically in the genre of CAD -- meaning robust and unwieldy. What Maide has delivered with CadRemote, and what I think we are starting to see from a variety of mobile design tool apps, is a simple, intuitive capability accessible just like the zillions of other apps we’re starting to use on our phones. These apps are zeroing in on one simple benefit: facilitating sharing and collaboration of a CAD model with peers on the device you're comfortable with and use extensively in everyday life.
Beth: I think the other motivating factor here is that so many people bring their work home now. More and more often, I hear people talk about their home offices. It only makes sense that if you're bringing work home, you'll want the conveneince of using your home technology.
It's interesting with this era of people bringing more and more of their own tools to work what will happen with policies at work. Before the employers supplied all of the tools and you had to sign one of those little pieces of paper which said you woudn't do anything bad. But now, if it's your computer that you are using, or your phone or your laptop, pad phone thingy. What liability does the company feel for you have work files or pics on your stuff. Interesting to think about.
Not only do most employees not wait for employers to outfit them with the latest and greatest in technology, but they are calling the shots in terms of telling IT departments what they want to use and what needs support. Users of CAD and design tools could be the exception because they do need the heavy-duty (read expensive) workstations and might be so game to pony up for the purchase. But in the end, both older and younger generations of engineers are going to want the flexibility of deploying their own smart phones, laptops, and tablets to garner access to their work product whether on the job, in the field, or at home.
When I thought about this story, I realized that it's absolutely true. In the old days, it seemed like everyone waited for their employer to buy the next 286/386/486 PC. Now, I keep hearing, "My wife/husband bought me an iPad for Christmas/birthday." No one's waiting for the corporate trickeldown anymore. So, yes, the CAD guys could really get caught off guard by this.
Ultimately, I think the wall coming down is a good thing. This user demand for certain types of interfaces and smart phone-ready tools will be more important to the younger generation of engineers, no doubt. But if what's happening in traditional business software portends any broader trend, the CAD guys better be ready.
Thanks Beth for an interesting story. It's heartening to see design tool makers paying attention. Or maybe it's just the fact that they are consumers, too. In any case, that wall going down sounds like a good thing.
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
Laura Sapiens' Ego! Smartmouse offers users a unique interactive experience by providing 2D and 3D connectivity, hardware identity authentication, data storage, and more.
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