NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center standardises on Unigraphics Solutions

Citation

(2000), "NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center standardises on Unigraphics Solutions", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772fab.014

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center standardises on Unigraphics Solutions

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center standardises on Unigraphics Solutions

Keywords: Unigraphics Solutions, NASA, Software, CAD

Unigraphics Solutions Inc. (UGS) has announced NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) selection of the company's integrated product development software suite with a contract to implement 50 new licenses of the iMAN product data management software. It is reported that UGS was awarded the contract after a thorough evaluation of iMAN's functionality and market acceptance.

NASA MSFC needs to manage product content within its current environment while at the same time providing an Internet-enabled solution that facilitates distributed collaboration. The selection of iMAN is said to have been based on its ability to manage multiple data types from the variety of software systems used both inside and outside of MSFC. In addition, UGS demonstrated how MSFC could use iMAN and the Java-based iMAN Portal to collaborate with suppliers over the Internet. Unigraphics informs us that after visiting several iMAN customers, MSFC was convinced that UGS provides the best solution for its product development and product commerce needs.

"We are delighted that NASA MSFC has decided to implement our integrated suite of software for product development and data management", says Pat Kruse, UGS vice president, Americas. "We are very proud of our forward-looking strategy for iMAN and product commerce, but the real difference in this case was our ability to showcase iMAN successfully solving problems in the workplaces of many of our current customers".

NASA MSFC has also standardised on Unigraphics Solutions' high-end integrated CAD/CAM/CAE software suite, Unigraphics and the midrange Solid Edge mechanical design software products for its CAD requirements.

iMAN is a Web-centric software product used by manufacturing enterprises to manage product content for collaborative commerce. It provides control of all product and process information shared by a variety of cross-functional teams, including company personnel, suppliers, partners and customers.

iMAN is said to deliver extensive tools to address a broad base of collaborative commerce opportunities. The easy-to-use iMAN Portal is believed to be the industry's first Java-based framework designed to leverage product content and enable e-commerce. iMAN Portal is said to provide users with a productivity platform to quickly access critical product data, resulting in significant reductions in time-to-market and rapid project turnaround. Other leading collaborative commerce tools include iMAN's patented Product Structure Management application, as well as the architecturally-advanced Distributed iMAN.

Unigraphics Solutions Inc. is focused on improving the entire product life cycle for mechanical design and manufacturing companies through the delivery of solutions that address process and productivity enhancements. Its CAD/CAM/CAE, PDM and e-business solutions are designed to promote CPC (collaborative product commerce) through incorporation of today's most advanced technology and intelligent use of the Internet. Headquartered in St Louis, Missouri and with offices around the world, UGS has been providing software solutions to engineering and manufacturing companies for over 25 years. Business Week magazine named Unigraphics Solutions as one of the world's top ten software companies in 1999.

Details available from Unigraphics Solutions. Tel: +44 (0) 1276 702033; E-mail: millsk@ugsolutions.com