Hirschtick on New Direction
Jon Hirschtick has been in the news a lot lately. One article to read is from the Russian Isicad. A couple of great quotes from this interview:
I always love it when people clarify the obvious.
I think SolidWorks V6 was announced too early.
This might sound sarcastic, but just coming out and saying it – what everyone is thinking but few in positions of responsibility have actually said – makes one look a little more down to earth, and in touch with reality. I like that.
Jon’s a straight shooter, which to me can only be a good thing. He comes right out and says what his target market is. It’s not that different from the SolidWorks market.
I target industrial design and machines market.
And the last quote is probably the most important.
I won’t develop another Windows application. It makes no sense…
When you say it like that, it rings true. Of course, then he goes on to say:
…customers want to put their money on new technologies such as web, cloud, and mobile. We will use a new technology platform.
Which doesn’t ring so true. Maybe you could find a few customers who really want this, but then you can find people who think a lot of crazy things. It would be better if Jon didn’t try to assign this kind of thought to customers. Telling me what I want just annoys me, more than anything, especially when it’s not what I really want. Maybe customers really want local virtualization, or just a straight up Linux version, both of which are better ideas than cloud.
Windows for business apps was a big revolution 20 years ago, and it caught on like wildfire, if you’ll excuse the choice of analogies. It might be unrealistic to expect Windows to live forever. But is “desktop” really equivalent to Windows? Do we have to abandon the desktop? Professional CAD can’t really go mobile. It’s just an interface limitation. Unless there is some new way you can do complex design while walking around an amusement park, I think professional CAD is going to be locked to a chair, or some office situation. It might be a home office. It might be a real office where other people work. But it’s going to be a purpose-specific piece of real estate. What keeps CAD from being mobile is the interface. So unless you’re going to market a pocket device that has the CPU, modem, projector, scanner, and all your other office electronics in it, mobile isn’t really a consideration for professional CAD. (This kind of device actually exists.) Not to say that CAD has to be tied to a workstation, we all know about portable workstations, which are bare-bones minimal CAD interfaces, just that there is no real need to put your software in the cloud. Even phones, the holy grail of the new mobile paradigm, use locally installed software. How much does your data plan cost you? How much would it cost you if you had to run CAD over that same bandwidth?
So Jon, and all Belmont Technology partners – whatever you develop, make sure it can be installed locally. That will make a lot of people happy, and avoid closing off a huge segment of the market. I really wish you luck, and I’m interested to see what you come up with. I’m sure you won’t announce it too early;o)
I don’t understand why Hirschtick had to branch off on his own, if he also sees cloud crazy then wasn’t that vision compatible with Dassault’s vision?
So we see these things are possible, of course, but are they practical? Yikes. If you think so, let me know if you want to race. Hourly billing would sure add up quickly for a client if I were to use fat-finger controls, zoom, zoom, zoom, tweak, unzoom, unzoom, unzoom—not to mention all the interface-related accidents all the way and waiting for server lag to catch up. It’s cool this stuff can be made available. It’s not cool to pitch this as if it’s cooler than it really is. That’s marketing.
“Maybe customers really want local virtualization, or just a straight up Linux version, both of which are better ideas than cloud.”
I can’t say what Belmont, or any other companies are doing with new technologies–but if you do an app the right way, you can have cloud, local virtualization, or even Linux. All with the same code.
@Charles
Yeah, that’s nice.
SW on Android, 3+ years ago, using remote desktop
Local cloud and virtualization can open up some options.
@matt
You haven’t seen my video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lcwsj5o-nk
@Charles
I’d be willing to bet it looks like the bottom row on a vision test;0)
I will be happy to demo “SolidWorks on an iPad” at SolidWorks World, in case anyone wants to see what that looks like.
“I won’t develop another Windows application.”
…There is light at the end of the tunnel!!! 8^)
Interesting cloud folks so seldom discuss the distinct lack of input/interface tools involved with the cloud-based concept of CAD delivery. For instance, I rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts, a many-buttoned mouse, and a large monitor to operate efficiently. I also have a redundant data system under my direct control (none of my data have ever leaked—that I know of, anyway). These alone are big hurdles not even addressed by cloud proponents. So even if they solve the true delivery and cost issues on the cloud side, how will these obstacles be hurdled? (I don’t want to design anything on my tiny phone, and given the choice of efficient use of time, I’m sure a client wouldn’t want me to do so either.)
“What do you think about SolidWorks V6?
“I have not seen this product. I still have many friends in SolidWorks, but they have not shown it to me.””
Interesting response given by Jon.
Good luck to Belmont Technology partners! I can’t wait to see what you have to offer.
Cheers, Devon
And while they are at it they can explain how they are going to stand behind their product with guarantees to their customers that their data will be secure and that they will be compensated for any and all data losses or breaches caused by web based applications. And how they will guarantee NDA’s for all their customers clients data and cover losses in any area. I don’t know how these cloud guys expect to be taken seriously when none of them are willing to stand behind their products. DOT COM redux and get the money from the suckers while you can. What a business model.