First off this post is based upon one from Desktop Engineering. Secondly Novedge has listed the Dassault icon at my post and this was done by them not me. I want NOTHING to do with these guys.
Therein is quoted verbatim comments from Bernard Charles who probably has a better idea of exactly where Dassault intends to go in the future than those below him. In spite of all the assurances Dassault and SW underlings and their bloggers give about how nothing will change with the beloved SW the truth of it all IS out there. And you SW users have some very serious things to prepare for.
Without further verbiage let us read what the 3D guy has to say.
“Charles recalled, “Two years ago, we asked ourselves where we should be in 2021. Every ten years we try to reformulate where we want to be and why we want to be there, and what do we want for. This is about looking at the world in a different way, a different perspective, looking at it from the future.”
He concluded today’s economy is driven not by products but by experiences: “Welcome to the world of experiences — 3DEXPERIENCE,” he said. A critical component of the 3DEXPERIENCE would be the web and the cloud. “We will drive everything we do from an architecture that complies with the internet, with the cloud,” he reasoned.
In January, when Dassault launches V6-based products, they’ll be cloud-powered products. During his lunch meeting with the press, he further clarified that “[The new solutions] will be on Dassault’s cloud, but augmented with Amazon elasticity in the back-end.” In other words, if more computing capacity is necessary, Dassault will tap into Amazon cloud to deliver scalability.
Charles didn’t get into the details about how the change might affect licensing, but he suggests no hiccups should be expected. “We already have lots of customers in rental mode on DS software. We never left that model. That’s what makes up 70% of our revenues today — recurring revenues,” he said.
Charles sees the app-driven, cloud-hosted setup as the foundation for the new crop of engineers who grow up in the World of Warcraft and iPhone app store. “Everything we have today are becoming a collection of applications,” he declared. Consequently, he envisioned that purchasing software — Dassault’s solutions included — should be “like going on the app store and provisioning apps.”
Now let me say this about the confidence they have in their own PR drivel and propaganda. Sorry if this offends you but what pretty words do you want me to put on deliberate deception? I am going to let you make up your own mind here as to the veracity of claims by a company that will not guarantee your IP security online nor will they indemnify you for damages done to you by being forced there in order to use Dassault products. Can you see any wiggle room here to say with confidence that they are not going to force you to the cloud as a condition for using their products based on the philosophy Bernard espouses here?
Look at what they are using in part to justify this. These same kids who disgust you because they expect to be allowed to use half the day you pay them to produce results instead spend it with social media things at work. I have listened to the utter garbage that comes from HR people about how new hires fresh from college expect as a condition of employment that they have this “personal” time on your dime. And now add in to this Warcraft and iPhone apps and we can insert gamification of CAD and whole group of people who have been trained to expect to have a closed ecosystem of apps and monthly fees along with the product based upon useage. And that IS what an iPhone is since it is based on charges generated by how much data you use online.
Why exactly would you want to hire an employee who acts this way and further why in the world would you continue to plan on using software products from a company that has contempt for the ideas of IP security and productivity? Do any of you really think there is validity in the idea of cloudies designing things en mass kumbayah and coming up with something in an efficient and cost-effective manner in this brave new world vision? I see chaos and your products being produced by those who stole your IP. Look, even in our own country we have the NSA riffling through everything you have online. Combine this with a proven corrupt administration whose only rival in US history is Tammany Hall equipped with all that lovely NSA power and you honestly think Dassault forcing you to the cloud won’t be taken advantage of by criminals inside and outside of this administration? And then we have the benevolent Chinese to consider too. These days I am not sure which has more malice forethought but suffice it to say that there is no security online possible for you at this time.
Deep inside of the Dassault building lurks a legal department that puts that wonderful disclaimer of liability language in all Dassault TOS and EULA’s because they are not quite so quick to lie to you about things that would cost them their company if they guaranteed their promises as are the executives of the company who just want you as chattel and hope you do not read the fine print.
Think Adobe here where their desire to push everyone away from permanent seats and into subscription models whereby Adobe would increase their income through things like selling you online storage at multiples of cost over what you could do for yourself with your own PC. Data caps and online fees from your ISP never seems to be mentioned either by these cloud clowns. Think Adobe with 2+ meeeeellion hacked accounts recently on their “secure” system and think your IP dribbled out the same way with your CAD program.
I have covered the numerous liabilities of using the cloud for ANYTHING you value when it come to your IP. If you think I am wrong then fine, you go there. But before you do and before you let Dassault talk you into how wonderful their new world of 3DExperience is going to be for you why don’t you see just what they are willing to guarantee for you there and just how robust is their indemnification language to cover any damages you may suffer there?
I read all this junk and I think about that modern marvel the iPhone. I remember when it first came out and the unlimited data plans that went with it. First you get people to buy in even if you have to subsidize it and then when you have a large enough “captive” audience you stick the screws to them and if they want to continue using your product they have to agree to this. Now where you go with it can be tracked down to individual rooms in buildings and they are getting ready to have targeted ads in shopping malls based on where you are in the store and your sex and your likes and dislikes and the offers will be ringing you up on your dime as they try to sell you over your wonderful iPhone. On your AHEM secure iPhone over the secure internet which does not share anything you don’t want shared.
Anyone care to tell me where all those unlimited plans are now? Any of you believe that with Dassault or Autodesk cloud stuff it will be different? I have some Brooklyn Bridge shares for sale would you like to buy some?
Machined Audio Horn Lens 
Bernard Charles has big vision. Sometimes I think it’s so big that he misses the needs of us small folks.
Big aerospace and defense companies are not likely to be parking their most sensitive data on someone else’s infrastructure, Dassault or otherwise. But they have the leverage to negotiate license terms with DS.
Normal size companies don’t have that kind of leverage.
Hi Evan,
It is the transformation of the mindset upper management in various companies have against the concept of earning business by the features and benefits you offer for forced chattel. Microsoft with the new office, Adobe with their new cloud only features, Autodesk with stated goals of all for the cloud and Dassault following up with the same. I think the vision is nothing more than the facade they feel is needed to connive people into this paradigm they won’t be able to easily leave that will bleed them for a lot more money in ways they can’t stop if they elect to stay. I believe that with SW they have made a mistake though as many have dropped maintenance and many more soon will just prior to giving up on the SW Vision thing and leaving entirely.
I may disagree with Bernard on his approach to the market, but I do so after having spent a lot of time trying to understand it.
He does have a long term vision. If you look at the direction DS has taken SolidWorks, it makes sense only if considered in that context.
Do I think he has miscalculated? Yes. But that’s just my opinion. Ultimately, only time will tell.
I think it’s often better to wait and see what happens with DS, rather than trying to anticipate it by parsing Bernard’s comments to closely.
Evan,
I have spent some time trying to figure this out to and since it is technically impossible at this time and for quite some time over existing public infrastructure both in throughput limits and security problems. And I think they know this so why would they want to force users into something NOW that wont be technically viable some for years if ever? I subscribe to follow the money and it is more of your money in their hands if they can get away with it.
WRT to “technically impossible at this time”: Autodesk is already doing it with Fusion 360. SW demonstrated a working prototype several years ago (not the same thing as they’re working on now.) Nvidia is streaming workstation level graphics over the web now.
I think it’s less impossible than you anticipate.
Nevertheless, they’re not forcing users onto their cloud yet. Have patience… wait to see what happens.
I am interested in any information on these programs that would demonstrate capabilities across the web even close to what I can do with my workstation. My understanding is that at this time over typical ISP infrastructure there is just no way that the cloud stuff comes close to what is at your own fingertips. Yes I think they have done some things but under what conditions? Is Fusion 360 a full blown program and did it do complex parts or was it a glorified version of Sketchup with serious limitations on capabilities? In addition have they been able to create a secure environment they are willing to financially stand behind for IP and with a guarantee of a basic minimum level level of compute data throughput capabilities online? I see lots of legal stuff denying responsibility for everything. How many of the following questions have been answered? There is a TON of stuff these guys have problems doing that no one with an autonomous workstation has to suffer under.
http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/41questionsaboutthecloud.html
No they are not forcing people yet. I think the trial balloons are going up to see what they can talk people into though and if enough bite then they will go there. I would say though that Charles and Bass have both made comments about programs that will only work on the cloud and their desire to go there. How else am I to interpret these comments except as they have made them? I think if Mechanical Conceptual falls flat on it’s face and enough people start fleeing SW Dassault will probably recant on the cloud agenda. I am waiting too but from the sidelines. I don’t intend to be an active participant which is one of the significant advantages to SE right now as their policy is pretty up front about not forcing you there.