Dassault Systemes and IBM Expand Global Alliance

10 May 2010, 7:35pm

May 2010 - Dassault Systèmes (DS), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, and IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced an expansion of their long-standing
partnership and highlighted at IBM’s IMPACT 2010, the early deliverables of their Global Alliance, including financing solutions from IBM Global Financing, a joint competency center, and work on a PLM cloud computing
proof of concept.

The two companies, which represent the PLM industry’s longest running alliance, continue to invest in developing, deploying and supporting client PLM environments. Further results from the alliance signed last month include a DS PLM V6 software cloud computing technical proof of concept presented at the IBM IMPACT 2010 conference this week. The concept illustrates how clients can take advantage of DS software via a range of delivery options, from on-premise solutions, to a cloud powered by IBM software, hardware and services that can help reduce IT complexity and minimize operational costs.

This latest expansion includes a dedicated team of IBM and DS personnel focused on enabling, marketing, and delivering PLM solutions necessary for clients to transform their business. To this end, the companies
established an industry-first joint PLM competency center focused on optimizing DS PLM V6 solutions for performance, reliability, and
scalability on an IBM infrastructure.

The IBM Global Financing portfolio is designed to help fuel innovation for clients using the combination of DS and IBM technology, providing payment options that meet their budget, return on investment and project payback criteria. From simple loans to custom leases and terms as long as 60 months, IBM can finance the total PLM solution - including hardware, software and services - by providing affordable monthly rates and flexible payment structures.

“Our global alliance is focused directly on our customers’ success. It covers flexible financing options, PLM-on-the-cloud, combined
infrastructure, software and services solutions, as well as a one-of-a-kind competency center for industrialization of V6 solutions on IBM infrastructure,” said Philippe Forestier, executive vice president, Global Affairs, Dassault Systèmes. “These are all a means to a single end: our customers’ innovation and business transformation strategies.

Strategies such as these are significant and our customers deserve the best solutions and services in the industry to ensure a successful
implementation and genuine return on ivestment.”

IBM and DS’s collaboration pre-dates the PLM industry, as the two companies collaborated first in 1981 and later jointly created and
marketed the concept of Product Lifecycle Management. DS's PLM solutions leverage IBM WebSphere, Tivoli, Information Management, Lotus and Rational software and IBM systems to provide clients with a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of their products. The combined solutions help clients to develop products from conception to maintenance and recycling.

"Bentley has a long term relationship with Dassault Systèmes and IBM built up around software, systems and services. This relationship has helped us accelerate and improve our Engineering Design and Manufacturing PLM processes as we developed the Bentley Mulsanne, moving it through to the start of production in 2010,” said John Unsworth, CAD strategy manager, Bentley Motors Limited. “Integration, teaming and access to industry best practices have been critical to our success with knowledge and skills transfer leading us closer to self sufficiency. Bentley strives for continuous improvement throughout all of its activities and we are always keen to exploit the next level of process concurrency. Dassault Systèmes and IBM solutions and best practices will be a factor in helping us get there."

“The alliance focuses on delivering end-to-end solutions by industry, starting from transformation services to globally restructure product development,” said Chuck Masur, vice president, DS Global Alliance, IBM. ”It is about a long-shared and well-understood vision of how customers can advance their businesses with PLM, cutting cycle times and costs, while achieving breakthrough product innovation with Dassault Systèmes and IBM combined solutions.”

Dassault Systemes

Geo: International