Autodesk Launches Cloud-Based Alternative for Product Lifecycle Management

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced the immediate availability of Autodesk PLM 360. The next-generation cloud-based alternative provides a powerful, affordable and easy-to-implement solution at a fraction of the cost of traditional product lifecycle management (PLM) systems.

Autodesk PLM 360 is the latest offering to build upon the company’s leadership with cloud-based solutions. Unlike traditional PLM systems — which have historically been expensive and complicated — Autodesk PLM 360 is instant-on and easily configurable to meet customer-specific product-lifecycle process needs across the enterprise. It is also 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.

“Our customers deserve modern technology to help solve the needs of their increasingly complex and global businesses,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and Simulation at Autodesk. “Autodesk PLM 360’s simple, flexible, cloud-based approach will radically improve the ability for companies to gain the full benefits of PLM, helping them to become more competitive and grow their business.”

“We’ve found Autodesk PLM 360 to be a welcome expansion of our Digital Prototyping workflow,” said Rob Ferber, CEO at Electron Vault, a clean-tech energy-storage provider. “Given the high costs and expertise associated with traditional PLM, we just didn’t want to go there until now. Autodesk’s accessibility, rapid deployment and ease of use reduce the complexity of managing PLM processes across our global teams.”
Franke Foodservice Systems Inc., a division of Switzerland-based global manufacturer Franke Artemis Group, which employs around 10,500 staff worldwide and is established in over 40 countries, has adopted Autodesk PLM 360 to improve its product management, enhancing collaboration through product conception, realization, deployment and use. “No two restaurant customers are identical, and we have many staff in the field doing surveys of customer sites to customize equipment for a new menu item or coffee system,” said Duane Brown, manager, Product Data and CAD Operations, Franke Foodservice Systems. “Having a global, cloud-based application to track every step and all our major product milestones with instant sharing of all field and engineering notes in a secure application is incredible.”

Modern, No-Programming Approach
In addition to offering an attractive, modern look and feel for a superior user experience, Autodesk PLM 360 takes a highly configurable no-programming approach to system configuration that eliminates the need for expensive programmers and consultants. Dozens of pre-installed apps automate business processes across the lifecycle. With intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, users can easily tailor apps or build their own to meet specific needs and without having to purchase additional modules.

True Cloud Application
Autodesk PLM 360 is a true multi-tenant cloud application. Users and managers will never again have to worry about upgrades and broken customization; the application is always up-to-date and compatible with any customer-specific configuration. IT professionals are freed from non-strategic system management since users access Autodesk PLM 360 from a fully managed data center that provides security, high performance and disaster recovery. Additionally, the cloud-based foundation offers users anytime, anywhere access, from virtually any mobile device or web browser.

Autodesk PLM 360 also features integration and interoperability to on-premise systems including Autodesk Vault product data management (PDM) software. Vault enables workgroups to organize, manage and track their engineering CAD data, manufacturing bills-of-material and change processes from a centralized location.

Pricing and Availability
In contrast to legacy PLM industry licensing matrices, Autodesk PLM 360’s easy and affordable subscription model simplifies purchasing. Full function access for the first three professional users is free, with each additional user priced at US$75 per month on an annual contract basis. This represents roughly one-tenth the cost of comparable functionality from legacy PLM providers. Availability varies by country. Visit www.autodeskplm360.com for additional information about how to purchase Autodesk PLM 360.