SolidWorks rides the wave in cloud computing

The cloud is certainly on the rise. Further evidence of this comes from one of the three major CAD software developers, SolidWorks. It is releasing a new product this summer, called n!Fuze, that uses a cloud-based infrastructure for data exchange.

The basis for n!Fuze is an online file sharing and collaboration application that allows engineers to upload their designs to share with others, rather than sending design documents via email or FTP. The advantage this offers to engineers is obvious: you can invite peers to view your work. You can control the level of access to allow some collaborators to change your designs while others can only view. 

Like many cloud-powered applications, the service can be accessed through a web browser as well as through existing SolidWorks software with an add-on installed.

Although cloud computing is not the central selling point for CAD applications, it does hark back to the boom in affordable computing power that helped the early SolidWorks to grow in 1995. Back then, the cost of desktop computers dropped to a level that made CAD accessible to many small companies.

Now, there's a similar shift going on. Small firms don't usually have the IT infrastructure that would enable such a level of design interactivity, so n!Fuze offers a short cut. They don't have to think about installation of services or infrastructure - they can go online and start paying as they go.

This sums up the benefits of many adoptions of cloud computing for small businesses: as with outsourcing your computer support, it lowers the barrier of entry. And just like our clients for IT support in Bristol, engineering firms who sign up for n!Fuze this summer will be able to gain a foothold in their markets at much lower cost and risk than would have previously been possible.