Four disruptive technologies (Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, Social) are reshaping Information Technology. This first in a series of reports examines how a new and popular collaborative product data management program measures up. The detailed report is priced with the end user in mind.
August 6, 2014 — Design technology research and consulting service Consilia Vektor ( www.consiliavektor.com) today releases its first CAMScore Report, a detailed analysis to quantify next-generation qualities of software. “The CAMScore Report: GrabCAD Workbench” evaluates the fast-growing collaborative product data management (CPDM) software product to see how well it uses the four CAMS technologies—Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, and Social.
Information Technology (IT) researchers consider the interrelated use of the four CAMS technologies as the fifth wave of computing disruption—the first four being mainframes, minicomputers, distributed PCs, and Internet-connected PCs. “The smartphone in your pocket is the most familiar example of how these four complementary technologies can radically transform business and personal productivity,” says Consilia Vektor principal analyst Randall S. Newton. “Technical professionals want a professional workflow that takes full advantage of cloud, analytics, mobile, and social technologies the way they do in their personal lives.”
“The goal of CAMScore is to provide insight from a unique perspective,” adds Newton. “We judge how well a product uses the four CAMS technologies, and how this use allows the product to stand apart from the competition.”
Business analysis priced for the end user
Most business analyst and consulting firms in the software industry set very high prices for their research reports, prices only large companies can afford. With the launch of CAMScore Reports, Consilia Vektor takes a different approach. “The CAMScore Report: GrabCAD Workbench” sells for $19.95.
The CAMScore analysis has three major categories:
- An analysis of how the product uses the four CAMS technologies (15 points possible for each technology, for a total of 60 points possible);
- An evaluation of “openness,” a key requirement for successful use of CAMS technologies (20 points possible);
- An evaluation of the company (20 points possible).
For the CAMS section, we use the following guidelines to assign a grade:
- Zero to minimal use of the technology, 0-3 points;
- Good use of the technology, minimal integration with other CAMS technologies, 4-7 points;
- Excellent use of the technology, modest integration with other CAMS technologies, 8-10 points;
- Excellent use of the technology, good integration with other CAMS technologies, 11-13 points;
- Exemplary use of the technology, robust integration with other CAMS technologies, 14-15 points.
The 6,100-word report closely examines GrabCAD Workbench using these guidelines. The target audience is the community of freelance engineers and designers and small firms who may consider GrabCAD Workbench as an alternative to existing PDM products. The free GrabCAD Community currently has more than 1,000,000 members using the cloud-based service. GrabCAD Workbench was launched in 2013 as a result of member requests.
“I was surprised when the research was finished and I tallied the final grade for GrabCAD Workbench,” says Newton, author of the report. “It would be like telling you how a novel ends to give out the final score in a press release. I’ll just say I believe there are few, if any, technical design programs that will achieve a similar score.”
“The CAMScore Report: GrabCAD Workbench” is now available for purchase at the Consilia Vektor website.
About Consilia Vektor
Consilia Vektor is a research and consulting service for the technical graphics software industry and related fields, featuring the insights of principal analyst Randall S. Newton. Our clients are software companies, users of technical graphics software, and other news/analysis services. More information at
www.consiliavektor.com.
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Randall S. Newton
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Consilia Vektor
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