Here we are, back from the ECF and we want now to share our impressions about this event, as an exhibitor.

First, we want to thank all people who came to visit us. It was a unique opportunity to see some of your for real and share our impressions about our industry and your concerns.

We are also very proud to see that the PLM MarketPlace gains more and more momentum among Referenced Partners and VARs. All understood the assets of this program and are willing to benefit from it as much as they can, and be assured that we are 100% committed to help you doing so!

While showing all the new features of the program (LinkedIn group, mobile version, etc…), lots of customers came asking us what PLM MarketPlace is. After a brief demonstration, they also understood the benefit they can get from the program coupled with VARs expertise. So, sales people, don’t hesitate to continue the exploration of our catalog with your customers, there’s a lot of business to do!

What about your ECF08?

We now hope to see you again in 2009, with a lot of success stories to share with us at the ECF!!

The Alliance team: Michael, Jean-Philippe, Anthony, Frédéric, Gaëlle, Peng and Jacques

In order to enable business everywhere, we decided to launch a mobile version of www.plmmarketplace.com, optimized for your mobile devices such as Apple iPhone or iPod Touch, Blackberry, HTC,etc…

Just type http://plmmarketplace.mofuse.mobi in your mobile web-browser and discover a lite version of your favorite (who said “no”?? ) website! You have access to all the basic information you need in case of business emergency at a customer’s: our portfolio with all the product datasheets, latest business news and a direct access to www.plmmarketplace.com where you have access to your private area!

This is a beta version and we need your feedback to improve it: tell us what your mobile device is, the kind of information you’d like to find in this lite version, etc… use the contact section of this new website,  sales.plmmarketplace@3ds.com, meet us at the ECF, call us,… (this is definitely mobility!).

Anthony

 With the recent launch of CENIT naval Architect, we are now offering a unique level of design process integration for Naval Architects and marine engineer giving us a competitive advantage. This module is completing the Yacht and Ship offer and is definitively changing the image of CATIA to become a real Marine Product. The aim of Cenit is to propose a Marine portfolio of CAA products (called Cenit Marine) and Cenit Naval Architect is one of the first products of this portfolio.

In the end, this is an opportunity for you VARs to show your unique value: an american or korean shipyard may not be 100% confident in buying technologies directly to France, Germany and Greece. If you are living close to any naval architect or marine design bureau, you will present yourself as THE focal point. Showing that you will still be there after selling this suite of products is the best way to win the deal now!

And if your customer want to have the support of Naval Architects on MAAT HYDRO+, no problem: Cenit will answer your requests and can also put you through Naval Architecture offices offering personalized services on MAAT HYDRO+ from a simple hot line up to design services with the solution.

Jacques

Over the past days, we received several e-mails from Sales Reps expressing their concerns about posting comments in the PLM MarketPlace business-blog.

The recurrent question was “Do I have to post under my real name and mention my Company’s name?”.

Well… I understand that in fact you talk about confidentiality. Obviously, we cannot oblige you to decline your true identity; it is neither a blogging policy nor our role at DS to check your ID card! I think that the greatest alternative (and also a common practice) is to use a nickname (but please, avoid things like “Haris Pilton”, “Teddy Bear”, etc… . We really know that you want to protect your identity and therefore, your business.

Again, consider this space as yours and feel free to express yourself!

Anthony

These weeks your PLM MarketPlace team has moved - like all DS people in the Paris area - to our new DS Campus. The good news is that this will allow greater hability to communicate and interact with many players. In our domain, the benefit is that we are just close to the ww Marketing organisation. We are currently building with this organisation localized newsletters for booth our DS VAR Channel and our Customers. A pilot is underway in Q4 in Europe, and these activities will go full speed on a worldwide basis early 2009. Keep connected, this shall generate very soon some new leads for our VAR community.

Jacques

When your customers are in need for thermal calculations, don't forget that we have a unique product for this: Samcef Express offers to CATIA V5 users numerous facilities for the modelling and the analysis of nonlinear thermo-mechanical problems without leaving the CATIA V5 environment.

We’re pretty sure that most of you know LinkedIn.com. Not only it provides a lot of professional and business opportunities, it is also a wonderful way to connect and share experiences in a private or business point of view.

We launched the PLM MarketPlace group on LinkedIn last week. Already more than 50 people part of the PLM MarketPlace (VAR Sales Reps, Referenced Partners people, DS staff…) joined. We noticed an impressive buzz effect! For those of you still not part of it, you should join very quickly (before we reach the limit of 10 000 members .

I must clarify something: the aim of this LinkedIn group is only to allow enthusiasts of the PLM MarketPlace including some customers to share experiences and to eventually get connected with new (business) partners. In the near future, we do not exclude to promote it actively to final customers… but it depends on the shape we (you) give to this group!

Remember that www.plmmarketplace.com is THE place where you do business, log opportunities, get special offers, talk about business privately with Referenced Partners, monitor your sales, etc… All this is covered by the Channel Partner Agreement you have signed.
So, ready for this new “2.0 adventure”?

Anthony

… in a wonderful place called EuroDisney Land Paris, a team made of people running a DS program called “PLM MarketPlace” was looking forward to meeting you…

It’s time to mark your agendas! The European CATIA Forum (ECF) 2008 will take place in Paris on Nov 26-27.

This event is the opportunity for you to meet partners and experts but also the PLM MarketPlace team (hum… as a matter of fact, we are also partners and experts…)! We will have a booth located in the Agora and, in partnership with our fellows of the Software Community Program, we would love to meet you and discuss on business topics.

Take a few minutes to visit the booth (we’ve got plenty of exciting goodies out there!), don’t hesitate to share your impressions and ideas about the PLM MarketPlace, Referenced Partners you’d like to see on it, specific business issues you may have, etc…

This ECF 08 is really a fantastic opportunity to give a human face to the PLM MarketPlace and to talk easily about what really means to you. If you want to have a one-to-one session with us or people of the Software Community Program, don’t hesitate to send us an e-mail (sales.plmmarketplace@3ds.com)!

Well… gotta leave, Minnie Mouse wants to meet me to set up the whole thing!...

Anthony

Our Software Partner Intercim extends the value of V5 PLM product and process design to the shop floor. Their flagship product, Pertinence Suite, enables users on the shop floor and across the supply network to better collaborate on process definition, manufacturing execution, and quality management.

Their innovative Manufacturing Execution and Manufacturing Intelligence softwares are reputedly easy to deploy and are already implemented on the most advanced programs such as the 787 where 10, 000 users leverage daily the power of Intercim’s solution. Intercim has more than 100,000 users worldwide within accounts such as Airbus, Boeing, EADS, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney (Aerospace & Defense ) or Sanofi Aventis (pharmaceutical). The suppliers of these accounts represent a great business opportunity for our DS VARs.

The company is headquartered in the United-States with operations in Europe; don’t hesitate to call them when your prospects are requiring MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) solutions.

PS: Intercim will also provide an extended PLM-MES integrated solution with the V6 platform featuring

• 3D Work Instruction Delivery
• 3D Data Collection
• 3D Part Nonconformance Management
• Change Order Management
• 3D Work in Process (WIP) and as-built Digital Mock Up (DMU)

Jacques (on behalf of Intercim)

There is no magics in getting this free access: we are introducing our cross-links program. You just have to choose a label and publish it on your website with a link to www.plmmarketplace.com to qualify.

Just tell us when it's done and we'll publish a link to your website in our much thought after resellers list. This label will become overtime the visual identity of our extended business community. It will be one more reason for prospects to trust your commitment to provide complete Solutions for users.

If you are a Sales Representative, please make sure your management is aware of this program: Your Company joined PLM MarketPlace with a free account for a limited period of time. With the crosslink program you can continue to resell our catalog at no cost for the coming years!

Jacques