“Autodesk’s Evolution as a PLM Solution Supplier”
A New Program Review from CIMdata

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, January 19, 2010—CIMdata, the leading global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) consulting and research firm released a new Program Review entitled “Autodesk’s Evolution as a PLM Solution Supplier.” This Review provides CIMdata’s perspective on the transition that Autodesk is executing to transform itself from a supplier of individual PLM-focused point solutions to a supplier of industry-focused solutions that can be the fundamental platform for a company’s overall PLM strategy. As examples, CIMdata describes the experiences of a number of Autodesk’s customers and their perceptions after having worked with Autodesk through this transition.

In this market environment, CIMdata views Autodesk as a company undergoing a significant transition in terms of its approach to the market and its resulting market position. Autodesk has been one of the largest suppliers of PLM applications for many years. However, Autodesk has traditionally been, and has been perceived as a supplier of applications focused on individual productivity to multiple segments of the PLM market, but not as a supplier of full PLM platform environments or solutions. Their family of tools has grown over the years, but Autodesk’s position has been a provider of those tools as individual point solutions. More recently, Autodesk has been combining multiple tools into an integrated suite of offerings that are provided as full solutions focused on specific industry problems. As part of this integration, Autodesk is embedding key capabilities from specialized applications (e.g., analysis tasks) into their design tool solutions so that users can perform those tasks without leaving their primary application. Autodesk’s Digital Prototyping theme is representative of this transition and focus on broader solutions.

Autodesk’s transition has been supported by the significantly expanded breadth and depth of their suite of manufacturing offerings. As an example, the more recent inclusion of Autodesk’s Revit into their suite of manufacturing offerings has extended this solution set even more. This makes the overall offering much more comprehensive and valuable for customers. This transition from providing a collection of interesting features and functions to delivering industry-oriented “solutions” is critical for Autodesk’s overall evolution. This program review presents CIMdata’s view of Autodesk’s evolution and transition to the role of a full PLM solution supplier. Copies of the “Autodesk’s Evolution as a PLM Solution Supplier” CIMdata review are available here at no cost.

About CIMdata

CIMdata, a leading independent worldwide firm, provides strategic consulting to maximize an enterprise’s ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions. Since its founding more than 25 years ago, CIMdata has delivered world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM solutions. These solutions incorporate both business processes and a wide-ranging set of PLM enabling technologies.

CIMdata works with both industrial organizations and suppliers of technologies and services seeking competitive advantage in the global economy. CIMdata helps industrial organizations establish effective PLM strategies, assists in the identification of requirements and selection of PLM technologies, helps organizations optimize their operational structure and processes to implement solutions, and assists in the deployment of these solutions. For PLM solution suppliers, CIMdata helps define business and market strategies, delivers worldwide market information and analyses, provides education and support for internal sales and marketing teams, as well as overall support at all stages of business and product programs to make them optimally effective in their markets.

In addition to consulting, CIMdata conducts research, provides PLM-focused subscription services, and produces several commercial publications. The company also provides industry education through PLM certificate programs, seminars, and conferences worldwide. CIMdata serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

To learn more about CIMdata’s services, visit our website at www.CIMdata.com or contact CIMdata at: 3909 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. Tel: +1 (734) 668-9922. Fax: +1 (734) 668-1957; or at Siriusdreef 17-27, 2132 WT Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)23 568-9385. Fax: +31 (0)23 568-9111.