IBM, Dassault and ENGINEERING.com advance knowledge among engineering students.

IBM, Dassault Systemes, and ENGINEERING.com recently announced the availability of a specially-priced CATIA student version.

IBM Product Lifecycle Management's (PLM) CATIA software, developed by Dassault Systemes, is the world's leading product development solution. PLM enables design engineers to access and leverage critical product engineering data across the entire enterprise and throughout a product's lifecycle, from conceptualization and development to product servicing in the marketplace.

Distributed by ENGINEERING.com and based on CATIA V5R10, CATIA-Design for Student 1 Configuration (CS1) provides engineering students with design tools to perform 3D part and assembly design, generate production drawings, create wireframe construction plans and work concurrently with other students in a virtual environment, from school or home. Engineering students at more than 1,200 universities around the world that use CATIA will have access to CS1 in order to learn about and gain knowledge to a variety of advanced hardware and software technologies, thus preparing them for careers as professional engineers.

CS1 is also available to students attending a CATIA Higher Education and Training (HEAT) institution or participating in a HEAT project. HEAT is an IBM program that provides more than 100 colleges and universities around the world with technology and curriculum content to implement CAD/CAM training. It has been implemented in a wide variety of institutions, including graduate and undergraduate 3programs.

"It is extremely gratifying to have IBM choosing us as their primary partner to help them reach tomorrow's engineers, particularly given our companies' mutual commitment to supporting and advancing the engineering profession," said Frank Baldesarra, ENGINEERING.com President and CEO. "Together, we hope to quickly bring cutting edge PLM concepts and software to the next generation of engineers and even, to engage them enough so that they can add their own insights and expertise to the development of PLM in the future."

"The greatest challenge facing new engineering graduates is in finding the best way to reduce the "knowledge gap" between what they have been taught academically and what they actually need to be able to do once they begin to work," said David Checkel, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of Alberta in Edmonton. "If students learn about PLM from IBM, and if they can gain hands on experience with some of the technologies related to it, then they will be better prepared to contribute to the professional community once they start working."

"By learning to use IBM PLM solutions, engineering students are practically guaranteeing that they will be highly employable in the workforce," said Christine Lemyze, vice president of worldwide marketing, IBM PLM. "IBM PLM has over 20,000 customers worldwide, including many small and medium businesses, and is the de facto standard in both the aerospace and defense industry and the automotive industry. By learning their trade on our products, they are gaining skills that will help them to thrive through the course of their careers."

"Dassault Systemes is deeply committed to its student license program because we believe that providing students with our latest solutions, fully identical to those available in the industry, is a win-win strategy that benefits everyone," said Francis Bernard, executive committee advisor, Dassault Systemes. "In the short-term, the CATIA student version gives engineering students practical, hands-on experience that equips them for the workplace. In the long-term, it is an investment in the future success of industry, manufacturing and business overall."