IBM, Dassault Launch Latest Catia

IBM and Paris-based Dassault Systemes recently unveiled the latest version of their popular computer-aided design software, Catia Version 5. The new release has been reengineered to run on Microsoft Windows NT as well as Unix. Especially notable among the new features is the ability to capture and reuse engineering knowledge and leverage it to implement generative, rule-based product-development processes. In other words, the system acts as an expert adviser, guiding users through product development tasks and warning of possible mistakes or conflicts. "The real issue customers face is operating in a world where NT and Unix are used by different companies in the product development pipeline," says Frank Lerchenmueller, vice president of IBM's worldwide engineering solutions group in Charlotte, N.C. "They need to integrate product data from different environments, plus office and other applications. The advanced (Catia) program will help ensure this integration is efficient."