Russian a CAD to "clouds" it is not ready

The universal IT trend in the form of universal use of cloud computing reached the market of CAD systems, industry analysts note. The leading vendors of CAD, CAM and the PLM solutions already selected million budgets for "cloud" developments. For example, SolidWorks Three-dimensional project environment conducts work in this direction for three years, Autodesk invested in creation of Autodesk VisualTao, Dassault Systemes promises to implement "cloud" opportunities in V6 and so on.

In recent months process of occurrence of "clouds" on the market of a CAD accelerated. Purchase of Dassault of the division of IBM which is responsible for development and sales of the PLM solutions for $600 million became one of significant events in May of this year also. According to statements of the companies, this transaction will make available to users of the flagman Dassault systems such modern technology models as SaaS and cloud computing.

Besides, in May of this year Autodesk announced plans for transfer of a number of design applications in "cloud", provided new parts concerning the application for joint work (Project Butterfly) and also two new to SaaS of an initiative concerning the systems of families Inventor and Autodesk MoldFlow.

However, the CAD in "cloud" is a question not of the near future so far, industry experts say. The matter is that so far even "cloud" projects remain with large vendors in a laboratory stage, i.e. in development. It is a little ready-made solutions. If to speak about PDM systems (a management system for engineering data), i.e. already and the working commercial projects, such as Arena Solutions. Successfully the CAE project (the system of engineering calculations and the analysis) in a cloud - dezineforce.com works. It is not a lot of for the world market.

The Russian developers of CAD systems do not remain away from cloud computing, but so far also do not promise "stars from the sky". From among domestic CAD vendors the first step towards cloud computing was taken by Ascon company, having started together with Softkey the CAD@Online project. In its framework via the specialized web portal access to software products of Ascon is organized: to the three-dimensional modeling system KOMPAS-3D and Electronic Reference book by the designer (settlement information system).

After registration the user receives the password for work with software products online without their installation on the computer. "So far CAD@Online works only for acquaintance of users with our software, sale of software as services (SaaS) for us only in plans", - the head of perspective projects of Ascon Oleg Zykov commented on TAdviser.

As for main advantages of use of the CAD systems in "cloud", here they are traditional: cost reduction on IT and also a possibility of fast involvement of as much as big computing powers, the expert noted. Among shortcomings there are uses of cloud computing in relation to a CAD - high requirements to data transmission channels and issues of information security which are not resolved still. For example, threat of loss of data at technical failure of the hardware or threat of unauthorized access to data.

According to Oleg Zykov, the main problem is a mistrust of customers to new model for today. So far demand is extremely small, but vendors also are guilty of it – the offer so far is strongly limited too, he considers. "While most vendors only studies perspectives of clouds, looks narrowly and thinks how with them to live", - he concluded.