Dassault Systèmes History
Earlier company descriptions, brand line-ups, store counts and photographs from the history of Dassault Systèmes, kept for historical reference.
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The Company Description of Its Time
Dassault Systèmes is the technology filing in this letter - its directory folder is spelled 'dessault' in the original URL, preserved exactly as recorded, while the company itself is Dassault Systèmes. The original introduces it as a fashion technology company, and its self-description is kept whole: since it was created in 1981, Dassault Systèmes has helped its industrial customers maximize product design and development; first used to design complex shapes, 3D now makes it possible to design and manufacture products creating digital mockups, and today the company anticipates the industrial processes of tomorrow with solutions that provide a 3D view of a product's lifecycle, from creation to maintenance, including manufacturing and recycling. In this directory, that lifecycle view is the point: PLM - product lifecycle management - is how apparel brands manage a garment from sketch to store, and the preserved routes lead to the Apparel Search software and PLM guides.
From CADAM to CATIA: 1974 to 1997
The timeline the original preserves begins before the company: in 1974 Lockheed developed CADAM (Computer-Augmented Drafting and Manufacturing), a 2D CAD/CAM system; in 1977 Avions Marcel Dassault (AMD) developed 3D CAD/CAM software which later became known as CATIA (Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application); and AMD created Dassault Systèmes to develop new generations of CATIA. In 1981 the company began a worldwide partnership with IBM to market, sell and promote CATIA solutions, working with automobile manufacturers BMW, Mercedes and Honda. CATIA Version 1 followed in 1982 as an add-on product for 3D design, surface modeling and NC programming; Version 2 in 1984 integrated 2D and 3D functions and made CATIA the world's leading application for aeronautical design, with Boeing secured as a user in 1986; Version 3 in 1988 added AEC functionality on UNIX and mainframe platforms and made CATIA the world's leading application for automotive design.
The 1990s entries build the modern group: CADAM purchased from IBM in 1992, creating Dassault Systèmes of America Corp.; CATIA-CADAM Solutions Version 4 in 1993; a Japanese subsidiary in 1994; Bernard Charlès becoming President in 1995; a successful initial public offering in 1996, trading on the Nasdaq and Paris stock exchanges; and in 1997 two acquisitions that widened the platform - Deneb, a leading provider of digital manufacturing solutions, and SolidWorks, a chief developer of mechanical design solutions. In 1998 Version 5 of CATIA launched for native Windows NT and UNIX platforms, and IBM's product data management assets were purchased to establish Enovia Corp. - the PDM root of the ENOVIA PLM brand that apparel readers meet in the directory's PLM guide.
ENOVIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA and 3DVIA: 1999 to 2007
The final dated run shows the portfolio strategy completing itself. 1999: Matra Datavision's development laboratory purchased, a majority interest in Smart Solutions (SmarTeam) acquired to strengthen PDM capabilities, a German subsidiary launched. 2000: DELMIA launched for digital manufacturing, Spatial acquired for 3D software components, an Airbus contract for CATIA V5. 2001: Structural Research and Analysis Corporation acquired for 3D computer-aided engineering, a Sony contract won. 2002: a joint sales and marketing growth plan with IBM, contracts with Toyota and Volvo. 2003: a strategic partnership with Gehry Technologies for building-industry PLM, major automotive and aerospace contracts, and placement in the leader category of Gartner's PLM Magic Quadrant study. 2004: a strategic partnership with Boeing creating the Global Collaborative Environment for the 787 Dreamliner, and the DELMIA Automation solution set.
2005 brought ABAQUS, the leader in nonlinear finite element analysis software, unveiled as the SIMULIA simulation platform, plus Virtools for interactive 3D content and a strategic sourcing partnership with i2. 2006 completed the acquisition of MatrixOne, a leading provider of collaborative PLM solutions, incorporated into the ENOVIA brand, and announced the ENOVIA V5 Collaborative Enterprise Sourcing solution bringing engineering and sourcing together - the entry of most direct interest to apparel readers, since sourcing is where a fashion PLM earns its keep. 2007 closes the filed timeline: 3DVIA launched for online 3D lifelike experiences, ICEM acquired, and the 25-year IBM partnership expanded. The official Dassault Systèmes site in the References carries the company's present platforms; this page preserves the directory's timeline as recorded, ending in 2007.
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