CAD Manager's Newsletter (#388)

You Are Now Entering ... the Cloud Zone

Trying to decipher the jargon in marketing materials for cloud-based CAD products can be a surreal and confusing experience. But with a little help, it is possible.

Have you ever tried to read up on a cloud-related product or service and come away more confused than when you started? Maybe you were thrown by a statement like, "Our product seamlessly spans remote nodes via a robust data replication algorithm," or "Our cloud topology integrates branch offices via an aggregated, yet distributed, database structure." If so, you may have crossed over into the Cloud Zone: A place where jargon, acronyms, and nonsensical technobabble combine to create incomprehensible marketingspeak.

If you're like most CAD managers, marketingspeak is not your native language, and cloud technology — or at least the terminology — is new to you. In this edition of the CAD Manager's Newsletter, I'll share my strategies for surviving the Cloud Zone and really understanding what you're reading. Here goes.

The Reality of Marketing Materials

As with any product or service, marketing materials for cloud-based products exist to make you want to buy that product, right? But in the case of many cloud-based products, marketing materials are also designed to sell integration consulting services provided by the same company. Trying to cover how a product works and all the ways it could be installed can make for complex reading. Sprinkle in some industry-specific acronyms, add a pinch of jargon, and it is easy to understand why so many readers can get lost.

In the case of complex-sounding marketing materials, your job as CAD manager will be to decode the marketingspeak into a simple explanation that helps you understand how cloud technology could impact your CAD operations and your company.

The Simple Explanation

So if cloud marketing is so confusing, how can we all decode the unfamiliar lingo and understand what's being said? The good news is, you can use a knowledge framework combined with critical thinking to get to the bottom of the marketing hype. Here are the essential elements:

• Understand what the cloud really is.
• Get a grip on the information technology (IT) involved.
• Leverage IT-focused websites for research.
• Apply skeptical, critical thinking when reading.

Once you're able to do these things, the fog will start to lift from the marketing jargon, exposing the true meaning of what you're reading. Let's examine each in detail. Read more »
 

Tools and Resources

Design Engine Announces Courses for Creo, SOLIDWORKS Users

Training provider Design Engine is offering three new courses:

• Creo Weld Application gives participants the option to customize the course to fit their specific job requirements.
• Plastic Part Design for Injection Molding helps participants gain a working knowledge of the plastics industry.
• Creo Surfacing Level 4: Creo Restyle & Reverse Engineering REX will explain how to manipulate point cloud imports scanned from clay or existing products using PTC Restyle software.
   

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