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Autodesk Don't do PLM - They do Cloud PLM
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PLM 360 Vision Video
Autodesk has announced the immediate availability of PLM 360, a cloud-based 'alternative' to the current crop of PLM solutions that offers a competitive pricing structure.
Unlike traditional PLM systems - which Autodesk describes as "historically... expensive and complicated" - Autodesk PLM 360 is instant-on and easily configurable to meet customer-specific product-lifecycle process needs across the enterprise.
Autodesk also claims that it is the first cloud-based PLM solution focused on business applications beyond engineering and bill of material management. As a result, employees in a range of roles - from planning and product development to quality and compliance to service and more - can better access product and project-related information that helps them continuously improve the products they design and manufacture.
Autodesk have long been PLM deniers, though through their offerings in PDM (Vault) and the "document, data and design management" software-as-a-service, Buzzsaw, have been steadily making in-roads to the sector. PLM 360 is their first explicit PLM solution which will work alongside, rather than replace, current offerings. It should be noted that users of PLM 360 don't have to use Vault however, and more than half of the beta test customers used another PDM solution alongside PLM 360.
At the launch press conference the ever-so-slightly cringe-inducing 'insanely configurable' tag was used to describe PLM 360, and the company claims that the power here is with the users - not consultants and programmers.
The modular 'app' based configuration allows users to drag-and-drop pre-installed apps, or even write their own proprietary apps without having to buy additional modules.
Pricing
The first three 'professional' users of PLM 360 are free, with additional professional users coming in at $75 per user, per month (12 month minimum!). In addition to this, 'participant' users may be created for $25 per user, per month - for which the account have "read-only access and limited workflow participation".
The instant on, instant access and instant update deployment will certainly appeal to anyone who has previously dealt with version-control issues across a large team. Equally the accessibilty - both in terms of geography and platforms - will be refreshing for teams with field agents using phones and tablets...
