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“Yeah Josh? Ya know, what could be more boring that looking at trends?… especially ‘interweb’ trends?… la..ame. Move on!”
I kinda agree, trend watching is a bit DULL, but they can be oh so revealing when it comes to technology. Here’s the golden egg, Internet Trends are technology adoption trends. That’s key, cause those people adopting the tech are the same people buying software and designing the fine accoutrements of modern village living you enjoy.
Hey, look, those people are also you.
So, all this is why I’ve been totally devouring a report Morgan Stanley put out last month detailing internet trends that is actually very interesting.
Connect the dots please
This report shows how communication is changing and who’s using more technology. It may be hard to connect internet trends to CAD when you first look at the report, but as soon as you notice where online time is being spent (pg. 9) and peer into the margins of internet users (pg. 61) you can see 1) a huge market segment if you’re a CAD vendor and 2) the way you as a designer or engineer work (and possibly, where your jobs are going) changing rather drastically.
Here’s an example. I like the iPhone Facebook App. I’m not saying ‘raaaagggh!! CAD needs be on the iPhone in the future!!’. That’s just stupid… and also totally possible. (“you can draft an E-size sheet on a computer you fool. HAHAHAA.”)…. But anyway, when I use a Facebook app on an iPhone or spend time on a site with a easy-to-use interface, it makes me wonder why computer programs (that apparently have more programming capabilities) don’t work as easily. Ya know…I’m just sayin. You may be one of these people too. What do you think?
Does anyone think internet trends relate to CAD in any way?
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If you read about the new Catia v6, they are focusing on the downstream plm apps relying heavily on the web. Some of us lived through very heavy overselling of the web back in the 90s, and a lot of it never came to be. I think business people see a trend and an opportunity and they want to be part of it regardless of if the technology that they are involved with really fits or not.
On the outside, the web can be useful in CAD for sharing data, libraries, and collaboration, viewing, markup, stuff that eDrawings and 3DinstantWebsite already do.
I personally don’t see actual CAD applications going SaaS. The web bandwidth simply can’t rival a desktop. Plus, if there isn’t a need to share designs, why risk the potential security issues?
The web will play a role, but it won’t be the centerpiece. That’s my take anyway.
Thank you Josh.
this is a very interesting document.
Franco
@Franco no problem!
@ Matt yeah, definitely not a centerpiece. (V6 looks to make it that way but I gotta say… hmmmm.) I’m wondering if bandwidth and security will always be a problem. I hate the slow speed, but I’m confident about my data I have online (at least right now.) Sharing will be a big part of it and I imagine it will almost be expected by those on all the social networks now that will be using CAD products in the future.
I’m not sure how it will affect how I work (although now with my new job, I don’t even use CAD anymore)
but I think more and more CAD will be spill into the consumer side of things for DIY projects. They already have DIY rapid prototype machines. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes then new ink-jet printer. Buy one at Wal-mart or Best Buy, go home, design a cool new watch band or cup holder or pipe fitting, hit the print button, and away you go!
Here’s the thing about V6 and the whole thing. Its connected, at a root level by enovia and by the web.
You should be able to swap data very quickly as data size by this new breed of modelling engine are incredibly compact (because they circum navigate the whole history storage issue). Also, take a look at the Enovia Live interface DS are showing off..
For all its whizz bang turntable, spinning out parts, what this is about is using web technology to connect you to information. You check a part of sub-systemes status, the tool coloured codes it by change status - is in work, are their changes pending, are changes overdue, who’s working on it right now - click, IM them and see what the game is. Conduct a live design review, swap data between parties..
That’s how its gonna work. With globally dispersed design teams, this is going to be unbelievably productive - if it can work…
Manage it all with change control, store the discussion around a project, swap data efficiently in a tracable manner and you have something pretty effing cool - right?
Makes facebook look kind of… Well… 2008…
And people say I don’t get out enough…
Thank you Josh.
this is a very interesting document.
Marc