Digital technology trends such as mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), big data and analytics are changing business processes and disrupting business models. The common element is the cloud that is acting as both a transformative force and a prime enabler.

We recently released a new issue of our Compass magazine with a cover section focused on The Cloud Imperative in the Age of Experience.

We also spoke with Vincent Frerebeau, Director of Sales for Dassault Systèmes’ cloud offering, to look at what the cloud means for companies in the Age of Experience, its implementation and the outlook for this game-changing business technology.  Check out that interview below, and be sure to visit both Compass as well as a portal focused on Dassault Systèmes cloud offerings.

Why should businesses look to move to getting software from the cloud?

Vincent Frerebeau: Embracing the cloud is really a business decision—it allows a company to lower their upfront investment risk by adopting a flexible engagement strategy that’s in-sync with the project effort and the desired ROI. Moving to services on the cloud is a critical component of the digital transformation that our clients must embrace to stay competitive and keep up with the world’s accelerating change.

Studies show that the cloud works well for small companies. Can large companies benefit, too?

VF: It is true that start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have adopted the cloud at a much faster pace than large companies, but large organizations realize that they also need to adopt a cloud strategy if they don’t want to be disrupted by the inevitable innovation shifts in the software they purchase. Large companies are launching innovation labs that, like start-ups, are looking for cloud solutions in getting their work done.

What is Dassault Systèmes’ cloud strategy?

VF: Dassault Systèmes’ unique cloud offering is the largest cloud solution portfolio of product innovation apps for every stage of the value stream available on the cloud.  It is delivered to our clients and partners as an all-in-one service. We offer one single digital business platform on cloud, unlike competitors who divide things among several offerings.

How does the cloud fit in with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform?

VF: The cloud is a perfect match with our vision and 3DEXPERIENCE® platform offering. Our unified business platform – the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform – helps our clients imagine, design, simulate and deliver powerful experiences. Our unique cloud strategy is based on unifying people and processes, with the cloud as the de facto standard for how we can collaborate. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud can be the common language for any company, and provide “social” interaction to help our clients grow their business and their communities.

How does using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud bring value to customers?

VF: In a nutshell, it offers simplicity. There is immediate access to resources for customers, team members and suppliers, and it makes it easy is using these resources on a transparent, hyper-connected platform. Using solutions on the cloud allows our customers to quickly deploy technologies that break down constraints and enables them to experiment faster on their projects and achieve greater collaboration.

Will we see moving to the cloud as a continuing trend?

VF: We anticipate that more and more businesses will turn to the simplicity provided by the cloud. The question is not if  businesses will utilize the cloud, but when it will become part of their strategy. According to reports from leading analysts like Gartner, IDC and CIMData, new IT expenditures for cloud services will be ranging from 60 to 75 percent in the coming years.  And CIO’s cite one of their top priorities is to set up a cloud strategy by 2018.

As data becomes more ubiquitous and organizations look to involve more audiences in their collaboration process—design, engineering, simulation, end users, manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, procurement, management—the cloud will provide the means to help our clients imagine, design, simulate and deliver powerful personalized experiences.

What are the specific benefits for our customers?

VF:  Our clients see that—

• Flexibility comes from ready-to-use resources that enable quick ramp-up of advanced and innovative features that can be downloaded, installed and fully configured within minutes. Companies, no matter whether a start-up, SMB or large enterprise, have immediate access to enterprise-class technology. And the cloud facilitates global operations for all sized organizations, with the ability to connect and perform work 24/7 from any location.
• Innovation grows as organizations focus on their core business instead of trying to keep up their IT infrastructure. They have time for more collaboration and experimentation, as a real-time, big-picture view of products and processes is enabled. Reduced expenditures on IT equipment and staff frees-up capital for investment in product development, shifts IT spending from high CAPEX to low OPEX as companies only pay for what they use and reduces energy consumption and CO2 footprint, contributing to more sustainable business practices.
• Security and accessibility of data improves as cloud hosts maintain the latest technology, expertise and resources beyond that of typical in-house IT capabilities. Partnering with companies, like AWS and Outscale, strengthens Dassault Systèmes’ cloud offering. Data is secure and users can quickly find and access the latest files using cloud databases as a project’s single source of truth.

The bottom line is that a cloud-based solution results in a more robust, collaborative and responsive business infrastructure and product development process.

Can you share some examples of the value a cloud solution brought to Dassault Systemes’ customers in different industries?

VF: The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud is being used across industries with significant results. In Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC), thousands of companies might participate on a single project, and they need to be connected throughout the process. A current skyscraper project using Dassault Systemes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud is running three months ahead of schedule and has already returned US$2 million for the developer.  John Cerone, Associate Principal, Director, Virtual Design & Construction from SHoP, a leading architecture and construction firm, stated that “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform facilitates collaboration; it’s completely revolutionary and scalable….All of the modeling is online, on the cloud, and available to the factory floor immediately.”

From the High-Tech industry, one of our clients is Innodesign, an innovative professional design consulting group. “Cloud is the future; working on the cloud allows us to entertain, share, collaborate and design together,” stated Youngse Kim, CEO of Innodesign. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud is a strategic choice for the future. I dream of one day having creative people, designers, engineers, investors and technology buffs join me in the design process, collaborating.”

In the Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail (CPG&R) industry, General Mills utilized the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud for a Häagen-Dazs ice cream campaign. Stanislas de Maleissye, Senior Category and Trade Marketing Manager, General Mills France, stated “Perfect Shelf cloud 3DEXPERIENCE platform helps retailers collaborate and promote our engineers’ excellence and creativity.”

What differentiates our cloud offering from the competition and the industry overall?

Dassault Systèmes offers the broadest applications portfolio on a single unified cloud-based business platform available in the market today. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a single point of access and common interface for all applications, and enables all business units to engage in collaborative innovation.  Having access to solutions via the cloud offers numerous native advantages (latest software, collaboration, single source of truth) that are essential to digital business transformation.

The cloud subscription model is a comprehensive, all-in-one package that incorporates all layers of the platform in the pricing (there are no hidden fees): Software-as-as-Service (SaaS) for software and content; Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for deployment, supervision and operation; and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) for on demand and elastic compute, network and storage resources. With this approach, Dassault Systèmes’ comprehensive applications portfolio and 3DEXPERIENCE platform combine to form a unique offering within the industry.

What’s next for Dassault Systemes’ cloud computing solution?

We continue to implement our cloud solutions in more data centers to comply with all local regulations and recommendations, and to maximize performance and security across our global operations. We maintain an aggressive roadmap to expand functional coverage across all domains, especially to connect file-based CAD systems to the cloud to further leverage design data into 3DEXPERIENCE platform applications from our brands, including ENOVIA®, SIMULIA®, DELMIA®, EXALEAD® and 3DEXCITE®. Finally, we are increasing our portfolio of online services, with the launch of the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace and the opportunity for providers to offer their services online—such as 3D printing services—to our installed base. Users will be able to find and connect with service providers, with the 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace serving as an enabler.

To learn more, also watch an interview with Vincent.