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PLM Road Map 2012 Off To A Strong Start

ANN ARBOR -- CIMdata Inc., the PLM consulting and research firm, announced the successful start of its 2012 PLM Road Map conference in Plymouth. The theme of the conference is "PLM as the Strategic Imperative: Managing Lifecycle Complexity to Drive Competitive Advantage."

Attendance grew by about 30 percent over the 2011 event to 290 attendees. Sponsorships also sold out.

Highlights of this year's event are the keynote speakers. The first-day speakers included Mark Johnson, Ford Motor Co. (Rethinking PLM in a Systems Engineering World); Tristan Gegaden, EADS (Why PLM is Strategic); Dimitri Mavris, Georgia Institute of Technology (A Systems Engineering Approach to Aircraft Design); Jon Hirschtick, CAD Entrepreneur (CAD Future: A Perspective), and Peter Bilello, CIMdata President (State of the PLM Market).

These were followed by three tracks of more detailed discussions by PLM users and panel discussions on PLM Integration, Advances in Design Technologies, and PLM Program Management.

The sponsors' exhibit area, Eye on Technology, featured an all-electric concept car designed by Tata Technologies and a high level of energy by the attendees to learn more about what the various sponsors have to offer in support of their PLM strategies.

The event continued Wednesday with more breakout sessions on a number of topics and another group of compelling keynote addresses. Wednesday's keynotes include John Knight-Gregson, Jaguar Land Rover (PLM Transformation: Setting Up the Program Framework); Frank Popielas, Dana Holding Corporation (Simulation-Driven Engineering); and Dr. David Cole, AutoHarvest (The Auto Sun is Rising).

CIMdata provides strategic management consulting to maximize an enterprise's ability to design and deliver innovative products and services through the application of Product Lifecycle Management. Since its founding in 1983, CIMdata has delivered world-class knowledge, expertise, and best-practice methods on PLM solutions. These solutions incorporate both business processes and a wide-ranging set of PLM enabling technologies.

CIMdata works with both industrial organizations and suppliers of technologies and services seeking competitive advantage in the global economy. In addition to consulting, CIMdata conducts research, provides PLM-focused subscription services, and produces several commercial publications. The company also provides industry education through PLM certificate programs, seminars, and conferences worldwide. CIMdata serves clients around the world from offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more about CIMdata's services, visit www.CIMdata.com.

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