New Pre-Configured PLM Solutions from UGS and HP

UGS and HP Announce New Pre-Configured PLM Solutions to Streamline Acquisition, Implementation and Support Based on Teamcenter software, HP servers and combined services.

UGS, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and HP have announced a new family of pre-configured, pre-tested solutions that significantly enhance the total customer experience relative to acquisition, implementation and ongoing support of a PLM deployment.

Each solution, known as a PLM Appliance, includes UGS' Teamcenter PLM software, built on Microsoft Windows Server System running on HP ProLiant servers or HP-UX running on HP 9000 servers along with HP OpenView software, storage, networking switches, HA capabilities bundled with planning, implementation and support services from UGS and HP.

PLM Appliance solutions are designed to reduce costs and time-to-value through rapid, consistent deployment while maintaining high system availability and security as well as broad adaptability to varied customer environments.

"GM has deployed the PLM Appliance at multiple production sites around the world, and measured a significant savings in terms of reduced start-up time and lower ongoing support costs," said Terry Kline, General Motors Global Information Officer for Product Development.

"The PLM Appliance has allowed us to drive common processes and systems around the world to leverage GM's global footprint.

In addition, the solution is highly repeatable, enabling us to easily roll out new implementations globally.

GM is pleased to see that the strong relationship between HP and UGS has produced this high value solution for the PLM market.

PLM Appliances are the result of UGS and HP collaborating at General Motors to address the auto company's secure distributed computing needs in product development.

The solution is now being made available to others; it addresses the PLM customers' growing need to quickly and effectively deploy PLM solutions that are flexible, adaptable and easy-to-use while offering increased visibility into the total cost of ownership.

The concept has been successfully field-tested with several different customers and is now being expanded to a family of offerings aimed at design communities of various size and configuration complexity.

PLM Appliances are currently available in three different functional configurations ranging from a 25 user system up to a 1,000 user system, each with the flexibility to be scaled to address varying needs for process support:.

* Design management - includes Teamcenter's design management solution to provide a multi-CAD capability that enables design and manufacturing teams to seamlessly leverage the design data created by any major CAD system.

One CAD interface is included with multiple additional interfaces available.

* Managed development environment for NX - similar to the previous configuration but optimized for UGS' NX CAD application, automatically capturing and managing NX product information from every stage of development and enabling manufacturers to control and continuously improve design, engineering and manufacturing processes.

* Lifecycle collaboration - includes and extends Teamcenter's product knowledge in workflow-driven processes to individuals, teams, project managers, suppliers, allied partners and downstream participants in the product lifecycle; and is presented in a familiar Windows desktop environment.

"This is a significant announcement for UGS and HP that not only reduces our customers' time-to-value for PLM implementations but also builds on the strong, strategic relationship between our two companies," said Chris Kelley, vice president of marketing for the UGS Partner Program.

"PLM Appliances leverage the combined expertise of UGS and HP in deploying and supporting production ready product lifecycle solutions.

Together, we deliver a streamlined, high-value offering to the design community.

Each PLM Appliance customer will have a single point of contact for ongoing support of their appliance, covering hardware and software issues seamlessly, to maximise efficiency and enhance the total customer experience.

PLM Appliances are immediately available exclusively in North America as complete solutions from either UGS or HP.

"The PLM Appliance is a tangible example of HP's Adaptive Enterprise vision in the product development environment; it takes a significant amount of the implementation and support cost out of product lifecycle management," said Neal Elgersma, Director, Worldwide Automotive Industry, HP.

"Working together, HP and UGS invested in developing and proving this concept in the automotive industry.

However it is just as applicable in many other industries including aerospace, high-tech electronics and consumer packaged goods, where we expect to see similar benefits.

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