Siemens and IBM announce SOA and PDIF-based PLM

Michael Wheeler, vice president at IBM PLM and Supply Chain Solutions, explains that by using IBM's product development integration framework (PDIF) as a development platform and integration environment, Siemens is now delivering ready-to-use solutions built on its Teamcenter PLM software portfolio and IBM WebSphere and Information Management (DB2). "Siemens PLM Software's Teamcenter is the industry's first PDIF-ready platform to deliver tightly integrated IBM middleware offerings that reduce PLM software acquisition and lifecycle costs," says Wheeler. "By using a flexible software environment, companies have a framework for marrying key PLM business processes to technology initiatives that offer a structured approach to managing the life of a product," he adds. Meanwhile, Michael Burkett, vice president at analyst AMR Research, comments: "For IT groups, the news translates into easier deployment and technical support. For line-of-business users from product development to supply chain, it means faster access to information and better performance to support collaboration for global product development." He makes the point that by exploiting the open computing flexibility of IBM's SOA and its PDIF, manufacturers can address the challenge of making sure millions of pieces of data and design plans are exchanged accurately throughout their product lifecycle communities. "One of the significant benefits of today's announcement is the fact that customers will no longer need to choose between IBM and Siemens when selecting the best PLM solution for their organisations," comments Chuck Grindstaff, executive vice president of Products and CTO, Siemens PLM Software. "Companies now have access to the performance and reliability of IBM middleware combined with the scalability and instant access to product knowledge provided by Teamcenter.." Which is bound to go down well with IBM's other big PLM partner Dassault Systemes.