LEDAS Ltd. (http://www.ledas.com), an independent software provider of computational components for PLM and ERP, announces successful conducting of the Second International Forum isicad-2006 (http://www.isicad.ru/2006) «PLM+ERP: Informational Environment of Modern Enterprise», that took place in Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk from 31 May to 2 June 2006. Isicad-2006 was organized by LEDAS and supported by SibCongress and Sib3. Autodesk stepped in as the general sponsor; other sponsors included SAP, Dassault Systemes, HP and Sun Microsystems. Informational sponsorship was offered by the CIMdata consulting company, TenLinks.Com, CNews.Ru and ERPNews.Ru Internet-publications, “CAD/CAM/CAE Observer” and “САD and Graphics” informational analytical magazines, the Open Systems publishing house, and the PCWeek magazine.
For several days the House of Scientists, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science became a demonstration site of the state-of-the-art information technologies for enterprise management – full cycle of product design, manufacturing and servicing (Product Lifecycle Management, PLM, including computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering, or CAD/CAM/CAE), as well as the whole range of enterprise internal resources, from logistics to accounting (Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP). Forum rolled on in a variety of activities – plenary sessions with reports given by invited lecturers and sponsors, thematic sessions, exhibition displaying commercially available solutions, Round table with leading producers and system integrators, official talks and informal chats among the participants behind the main scene as well as during regular evening cultural programme. It ensured highly successful and productive isicad-2006 and helped achieve its ultimate goal: introducing rapidly developing Siberian industries to the market of advanced information solutions and establish business relationships between Siberian companies and main PLM/ERP providers.
Isicad-2006 was attended by over than 300 delegates representing more than a hundred companies and organizations, including hardware and software developers of CAD/CAM/CAE, PLM and ERP products, system integrators, analysts and consultants, researchers, members of various educational institution, specialized media and, naturally, IT managers and end-users of the proposed solutions: representatives of 85 manufacturing enterprises constituted over than two thirds of the Forum participants.
Participants had an opportunity to discuss 43 reports, out of which the most interesting appeared to be presentations given by specially invited foreign experts – Kenneth Amann, Director of Research from a consulting company CIMdata, Inc. (USA), Abdelaziz Bouras, Professor, of the Technology Institute of Lumière University in Lyon (France), and Francis Bernard, a member of the Dassault Systemes Board of Directors and the President of Dassault Systemes Russia Corp., who holds an honorable title – the «inventor of CATIA ».
Forum also included some special events organized by the leading providers of PLM/ERP solutions, who also became the isicad-2006 sponsors. For instance, Autodesk (the general sponsor) carried out a 3-hour seminar on the “Innovative software for 3D-modeling, collaboration, visualization and efficiency enhancing”, during which Autodesk presented Novosibirsk State Technical University an impressive set of licenses on Autodesk Inventor - a popular 3D modeling package. After the seminar everybody enjoyed a spectacular firework as a surprise gift from the general sponsor. The SAP company took an opportunity of the isicad forum to organize its regional SAP 2006 tour, while Dassault Systemes devoted their seminar to the concept of DS Ecosystem, which they discussed jointly with their good partners on product development, sales and training: BeePitron, LEDAS and TESIS.
Important presentations were given by other well-known providers of hardware and software solutions for PLM and ERP systems, including HP, Sun Microsystems, PARUS, KOMPAS, Lotsia Soft, ADEM, IMS Software, Top Systems, ASCON, SolidWorks Russia, as well as dealers and system integrators such as SoftLine, Borlas, and IKT Consult. Separate sections focused on industrial implementation – with valuable contribution from Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association, Tomsk Electromechanical Plant, Krasnoyark Combine Harvester Plant, and the Trans-Polar Office of Norilskiy Nickel. Experts from Krasnoyark and Novosibirsk State Technical Universities as well as the LEDAS company demonstrated their state-of-the-art achievements at the section on New Technologies. Participants were especially interested and took active part in the Round Table on «Implementing and Integrating PLM and ERP in Russia: Problems and Prospects», involving top-managers of the leading providers where they had to answer some hot questions raised by the audience and share their opinions about the perspectives of their industry.
For 3 days the forum lobby was transformed into a specialized exhibition where everyone could obtain consultation and information materials from leading companies and learn about their new solutions. Throughout the conference many participants were engaged in official negotiations with their prospective partners and as a result a number of providers and end-users, particularly universities, were able to sign agreements. Extensive cultural programme included the welcome banquet in the famous restaurant of the House of Scientists, where participants were encouraged to get to know each other in a nice and friendly environment included a famous jazz band “Siberian Dixieland”; tasting traditional Russian cuisine and drinks in the «Once Upon a Time» local picturesque inn; and the farewell picnic in the up-market Bylina resort accompanied by relaxation and recreational activities so much aspired by the isicad presenters and organizers – volleyball, bowling, sauna, excellent Russian shashlik / barbeque, and beer.
All-inclusive information about the event was available in a colorful catalogue published specially for the forum. Every participant also received souvenir materials and an invitation to attend the third isicad forum, which is planned to arrange in Novovsibirsk from 30 July to 1 August 2008, timing it to an exciting natural phenomenon - a complete sun eclipse - that will be possible to observe in that part of Western Siberia. Forum proceedings as well as other interesting relevant information (presentations, pictures, etc.) will be published on the official isicad site http://www.isicad.ru/ 2006.
Although it was only a second isicad forum, for the Russian IT-community it is already a recognized brand. «In 2004 we organized the first conference to enable solution providers, market analysts, researchers and end-users exchange their experience. As a result, we got a unique event that simply had no analogs in Russia. Two years later we decided to consolidate our success», - says David Levin, CEO and the founder of LEDAS. «In comparison with the first forum, isicad-2006 focused on enterprise solutions, their market and a comprehensive approach to developing efficient informational enterprise environment». Isicad-community, formed by LEDAS in 2004 following its first successful forum, will continue to work progressively towards building the bridge from the second to the third forum. In particular, publishers of the informational portal http://www.isicad.ru intend to considerably redesign presentation of information on the most important PLM or ERP issues, add topical reference materials and create an e-forum for exchanging opinions among the members of the community.
About LEDAS
LEDAS Ltd. is an independent software company founded in 1999; it is based in Novosibirsk Scientific Centre (Akademgorodok), Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science. A leader in constraint-based technologies, LEDAS is a well-known provider of PLM components: geometric constraint solvers for CAD/CAM/CAE, optimization engines for Project Management, Work Scheduling and Meeting Planning as well as interval technologies for Knowledge-Based Engineering and Collaborative Design. The company also provides services for PLM and ERP markets: software development, consulting, reselling as well as education and training. Detailed information about LEDAS is available on the Internet at: www.ledas.com.