PARIS -- Apr 7, 2004 -- IBM and Dassault Systèmes today announced that Bénéteau Group, a world leader in the recreational boating industry, has selected their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions for development of new sailing and leisure motor boats, including the well-known Bénéteau and Jeanneau brands.
IBM PLM Solutions, with CATIA V5, for collaborative product development, and SMARTEAM, for web-based product data and lifecycle management, both developed by Dassault Systèmes, will enable Bénéteau Group to develop its boats in a collaborative 3D workspace and reach its goal of introducing new models more rapidly. By sharing data among its Bénéteau and Jeanneau shipyards and reusing valuable product designs, the Group will optimize its production processes over the entire life cycle of a boat, from the initial concept stages to final customer delivery and support.
"Our customers are very demanding about performance and comfort, so we must constantly innovate and offer increasingly sophisticated products with multiple options and configurations," said Paul Rampini, vice-president, Bénéteau Shipyard. "With CATIA V5, we can address these challenges by capturing our critical corporate know-how and reusing our existing designs. Using SMARTEAM, we intend to further optimize our product development processes and focus on new, innovative designs and features."
CATIA V5's shipbuilding-specific modules will enable Bénéteau engineers to model complex shapes in context of the overall digital mockup of a boat, as well as optimize composite structures and space allocation. CATIA V5's relational design functions will permit designers to study the impact of potential design changes before making a decision. Integrated with CATIA V5, SMARTEAM will enable Bénéteau to collaborate between the different companies of the Group and with architects or suppliers for the sharing, viewing, and managing all product information.
Klaus Schaefer, vice president, IBM Product Lifecycle Management, Europe Middle East and Africa, said, "Bénéteau Group's decision to adopt IBM PLM Shipbuilding Solutions reaffirms our leadership as the unique provider of best-in-class solutions that are adapted to the needs of the boating industry. IBM will continue to develop and deliver offerings that will drive the future of shipbuilding and give shipyards, such as Bénéteau Group, the means to satisfy their customers, adjust to market forces, and position themselves for growth."
"This announcement is of particular importance to Dassault Systèmes," said Denis Senpéré, vice president PLM Europe, Dassault Systèmes. "Not only are we delighted that the world leader in this sector has chosen our solutions, we are also pleased because Bénéteau's decision truly validates our multi-segment business strategy for the shipbuilding industry, in particular the yachting sector. Dassault Systèmes will work tightly with Bénéteau in this comprehensive program to further expand our PLM solution offering, including best practices for sailing and recreational motor boats and a consulting approach for extended enterprise collaboration."
IBM business partner, Dassault Systèmes Solutions France, will drive the partnership with Bénéteau from its Bordeaux branch office where a dedicated team for the recreational boating industry is now located. It will partner with IBM and MDTVision, IBM's wholly-owned PLM services subsidiary, to support Bénéteau with PLM implementation, integration, and training services.
About Bénéteau Group
Bénéteau has been building boats for more than one century. Originally, robust trawlers sailing out regardless of the weather because they had to; boats built with dedication to excellent workmanship, with respect, and, above all, with high regards for the safety and the pleasure of the people who sailed them. The company's history is a long series of anecdotes, successes, accomplishments, constant innovation and strong sensations. This family business is entering the third millennium with the goal of making pleasure boating accessible to an even greater number. For more information, visit http://www.beneteau-group.com.
About IBM
IBM is the world's largest technological company, providing leadership and innovation throughout the world for more than 80 years. IBM is the largest supplier of "hardware", "software" and Information Technology services, and pioneered the development and implementation of "e-business" solutions. IBM Sales & Distribution, which supports more than a dozen key industries worldwide, works with companies of all sizes around the world to deploy the full range of IBM technologies. The fastest way to get more information about IBM is through the IBM home page at http://www.ibm.com.
About Dassault Systèmes
As world leader in PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the Dassault Systèmes Group brings value to more than 70,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire life cycle of products from conception to maintenance. Its offering includes integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA®, ENOVIA®, DELMIA®, SMARTEAM®), general-use 3D solutions (SolidWorks), and 3D components (ACIS®) from Spatial Corp. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com.
