The Future of CADAM

It is probable that CADAM has been the most copied CAD solution in the history of CAD. It continues to be the most productive 2D and 2-1/2D tool. Those who have implemented this solution continue to use it for years, indeed decades. Many companies rely on or have relied on CADAM as their primary CAD engineering tool.

The life of CADAM is now reaching 50 years. No other CAD tool has remained viable for so long a period. Fortunately, software can continue to be improved and renewed so that its viability, indeed vitality can increase with age. Such long-term viability attests to CADAM's quality foundation and continued design vision. CADAM, now called CATIA CADAM Drafting or CCD, has continued to renew and improve itself so that it continues to be the tool of choice for many companies.

Although the strategy and vision of Dassault Systemes is 3D, it is clear that many companies will continue to have 2D or 2-1/2D requirements for many years to come. At some time, 2D might cease to be a major requirement. If and when that happens, it might be appropriate to retire CCD. No one can accurately predict when that might be, but it is probably not within the next decade, and may not be for many years after that.

Today, CCD is still being sold to many of Dassault Systemes' most strategic customers. These customers use CCD for their legacy products, and they use CCD for their new products. CCD is important, most often critical to the success of these strategic customers. As long as CCD is so important to our strategic customers, CCD will continue to be important to our company as well. We would not let our most strategic customers invest in new CCD seats and new CCD projects if we had already defined a time frame for retiring CCD.

Why is CCD offered as a solution? Many of our customers require a solution where 2D or 2.5D is the most practical. It is especially true when many drawings exist that are in the CADAM or CADAM-like format, or the engineering paradigm is consistent with CADAM. CCD provides a robust and productive design solution, and many of our customers will continue to require a 2-1/2D engineering tool for many years.

From a pure business point of view for Dassault Systemes Americas Corp, CCD is good business. It continues to prosper and exceeds our company's margin objectives. The annual license charge (ALC) is sometimes identified by prospects as a deterrent to buying one of our products. However, ALC ensures that there will always be a sufficient revenue stream to provide the best support, maintenance, and continued enhancements that might not otherwise be feasible. Furthermore, the quality assurance focus by the development team ensures that CCD retains its reputation as being a rock-solid tool.

CCD is a sure thing. That is why, as other CADAM look-a-likes have continued to fail, CCD continues to prosper. It is produced by the same development team that developed and still supports, after more than 40 years, the original CADAM product. CADAM data created any time during this nearly 50 years is still usable, actually improved, by the current system. CCD continues to be sold by IBM and developed by Dassault Systemes. Both companies are the leaders in their respective fields.

We are often asked how long CCD will continue to be supported. We would like to answer with a definite guarantee, but such a guarantee is not as meaningful and as compelling as the reasons given in the foregoing. We trust that the above has been helpful, and we would welcome the opportunity to talk to anyone about CCD and any questions they might have.