|
 View Press Release on EDS.com
Global Manufacturers and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Industry
Leaders Unite Behind Common Data Format for Visual Collaboration
and Interoperability
Initial
Members and Advocates of Innovative "JT
Open" Initiative
Include GM, Ford, Mazda, UGS PLM Solutions, PTC, Intel, HP, SAP
and Others
PLANO,
Texas —November 19, 2003—Declaring "the use of closed
technology a thing of the past," UGS PLM Solutions - the
product lifecycle management (PLM) subsidiary of EDS - and
other PLM
industry
leaders and global
manufacturers today launched JT Open, an innovative global
initiative designed to promote open data sharing, enhance collaboration
and
expand visualization across the extended enterprise and throughout
the PLM industry.
JT is a common data format for enabling product
visualization and information distribution and enhancing
data sharing between
PLM
software applications. The robust functionality and lightweight
nature of JT technology makes it possible to view and share
product data and dynamic images worldwide, in real-time and
throughout
all phases of the product lifecycle.
"
Today's announcement of JT Open is a pivotal and ground-breaking
step in our ongoing drive to maximize the value of PLM through
open solutions," said Tony Affuso, president and CEO,
UGS PLM Solutions. "We are gratified to see so many important
industry leaders join us in a shared vision to define, promote
and deploy open formats and software applications. We believe
the result of openness in the PLM industry will inevitably
reduce product
developments costs and enhance product quality and innovation
worldwide. As the PLM industry continues to evolve and mature,
increasingly
the use of closed technology is a thing of the past."
An
open standard for all manufacturing industries
JT Open is an initiative driven by global leaders with a vested
interest in the PLM industry that have adopted the JT format.
In addition to UGS PLM Solutions, initial members include Ford,
General
Motors, Mazda, Actify, Alias, and PTC as well as academic members
Brigham Young University, Technical University Darmstadt, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University and the University of Michigan. DaimlerChrysler
has committed to join the JT Open program and intends to participate
in 2004.
Membership in JT Open is available to any and all
end user corporations, independent software vendors (ISVs)
and non-profit
organizations.
In addition, many other companies that derive indirect value
from the initiative can participate as 'JT Open advocates.'
Initial JT Open advocates include CIMx, Elysium, HP, Intel,
SAP, Tecnomatix
and Theorem.
One organization with a special interest in the
JT Open program is the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG),
an organization
focused on the prosperity of the global automotive industry.
AIAG was instrumental in the formation of JT Open.
"AIAG is proud to have been the catalyst for creating the
JT Open initiative," said AIAG Executive Director Andrew Cummins. "Due
to our position in the automotive industry we have a unique
appreciation for the improvements to collaboration and innovation
that can be
realized through the use of open standards such as JT. By
proposing the concept and providing a forum for this innovative
initiative,
AIAG is fulfilling its charter to enhance prosperity in the
automotive industry. Now all industries managing product
lifecycles can benefit
through the JT Open initiative."
Benefits of JT Open:
members speak out
JT Open members benefit from direct communication and collaboration
with end users and software developers using the JT format.
Members will participate in formal management and technical
review boards
that provide guidance to the direction and development of
JT technology. Additionally, members have access to an exclusive
Web site with
real-time availability of regularly updated JT Open program
information, software downloads and JT implementation support.
JT Open is being created to benefit all organizations associated
with PLM regardless of the industry they represent. While
every JT Open member shares a common vision, each brings
a unique
viewpoint regarding the need for open solutions and the types
of benefits
they create.
- "PLM is essential to product development and the JT Open
program will leverage the investment that GM has made over
the past 5 years," said Terry Kline, General Motors Global
Information Officer for Product Development. "GM currently
has more than three million JT files and has standardized globally
on this format.
JT Open is a valuable model for us because it extends the
community of users and accelerates the implementation of
a common visualization
format across the automotive industry. Since the JT format
is already so well established internally to GM, this program
creates immediate
bottom line value."
- Ford Motor Company uses JT technology
to enable visualization of the vehicle throughout the product
lifecycle. The JT pipeline
has become the collaboration hub for Ford's extended global
network including their vast supply chain. Ford's membership
in the JT
Open program was driven by the need to enhance and expand
the pipeline through the JT Open program thereby helping
to usher
in a new era
of openness within the automotive community.
- "In today's economy, all manufacturers are faced with
the challenge of reducing costs while maintaining productivity," said
Dr. Michael Grieves, University of Michigan PLM Development Consortium. "JT
Open provides members with the opportunity to work together
to develop common business practices around the JT format,
and by
doing so, reduce expenses in the process. An open forum
of this kind, where members cooperate in developing and
promoting
solutions
that enhance prosperity for everyone is the model for the
future of collaboration in the PLM industry."
- "Visualization is key to effective collaboration and exchange
of product data within the manufacturing supply chain," said
Jim Heppelmann, PTC's executive vice president and chief
technology officer. "Our participation in this program
further demonstrates PTC's commitment to PLM interoperability,
and continues the leadership
that PTC and UGS PLM Solutions have shown for the benefit
of our mutual customers."
- More information about JT
Open can be found at www.jtopen.com. A public webcast
will be held on December 3, 2003 with
presentations from UGS PLM Solutions and other JT Open
members along with
respected PLM consultant and industry analyst, D.H. Brown.
The JT Open
website will provide registration details when available.
About
UGS PLM Solutions
UGS PLM Solutions, a leader in product data management,
collaboration and product design software and services
with 41,000 clients,
is the product lifecycle management (PLM) subsidiary
of EDS. The company
works collaboratively with its clients to create solutions
enabling them to transform their process of innovation
and thus begin
to capture the promise of PLM. The combination of the
former operations
of companies including Structural Dynamics Research
Corporation (SDRC), Engineering Animation Inc. (EAI) and UGS,
UGS
PLM Solutions has created some of the leading product
design
technologies
that ultimately became the backbone of the PLM industry.
Today, the
company is a family of one building on three decades
of leadership in continuing to be a pioneer in PLM.
For more
information
on UGS PLM Solutions products and services, visit www.ugsplmsolutions.com or www.eds.com.
About EDS
EDS, the world's most experienced outsourcing services
company, delivers superior returns to clients through
its cost-effective,
high-value services model. EDS' core portfolio comprises
information-technology and business process outsourcing
services, as well as information-technology
transformation services. EDS' two complementary,
subsidiary businesses are A.T. Kearney, one of the world's
leading
high-value management
consultancies, and UGS PLM Solutions, a leader in
product data management, collaboration and product design
software.
With
2002 revenue of $21.5 billion, EDS is ranked 80th
on the Fortune 500.
The company's stock is traded on the New York (NYSE:
EDS) and London stock exchanges. Learn more at eds.com.
###
|
|
|
|