Avatech expands its marketing, sales and services in North America with integrated SMARTEAM Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions from Dassault Systèmes
Paris, France and Baltimore, Maryland—July 31, 2003—Dassault Systèmes (Nasdaq: DASTY; Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), and Avatech Solutions, Inc., (OTCBB: AVSO.OB) today announced the signing of a distribution agreement under which Avatech will significantly expand its marketing, sales and services in North America with integrated SMARTEAM Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions from Dassault Systèmes.
As a Dassault Systèmes Business Partner, Avatech will bring the SMARTEAM PLM solution to its existing 18,000-customer base. Dassault Systèmes will provide an initial investment to enable Avatech to ramp up its practice and will benefit from Avatech's focus on the small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) space the fastest growing segment of the PLM market.
We are very pleased about our partnership with Avatech. The creation of Avatech's PLM Practice centered around Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions will bring tremendous value to Avatech's customers and Dassault Systèmes, said Philippe Forestier, executive vice president Alliances, Marketing and Communications, Dassault Systèmes. "Our partnership will allow us to better reach out to the mid-market in North America, especially in the Building Design Industry, and consequently to increase our market share in this segment."
Leveraging Digital Design Assets
Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions help organizations innovate, improve quality, and reduce both costs and product development times. They also help companies collaborate internally, across geographic boundaries and with suppliers and customers. Avatech's PLM practice will enable the delivery of complete PLM solutions to companies in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, building design, facilities management, homeland security, pharmaceuticals and petro-chemicals allowing these organizations to capitalize on their digital design assets while having their needs met from a single-source provider.
This agreement represents a strategic step in establishing Avatech as a premier player in the PLM space and introducing it to multiple key markets, said Scotty Walsh, CEO of Avatech Solutions. Our customers want a market-proven PLM solution with multi-CAD platform support. SMARTEAM fits that profile and will play a key role in diversifying and rounding out our solutions offerings.
Dedicated PLM Team
Avatech's go-to-market strategy includes the formation of a sales and technical team dedicated to the PLM practice. This team of highly skilled, industry-experienced individuals will work in conjunction with the existing national sales and service organization, ensuring that customers' broad range of product and service needs are met.
