Dassault to Expand SolidWorks Channel

LAS VEGAS, NV (COE 2007), May 1, 2007 - The SolidWorks reseller channel will be changed to known as the Dassault Systemes Volume Channel channel, said Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault Systemes, the company that owns SolidWorks. Dassault will be using SolidWorks to sell Dassault's volume products. Also, Dassault will be asserting its corporate identity more with SolidWorks, along with other products such as DELMIA, in order to make it clear that these are product lines, or brands, rather than independent companies. "There was some confusion before with SolidWorks Corp, Delmia Corp and so on," said Charles. "People should understand they are all parts of Dassault Systemes."

The remarks marked the first real crossover between Dassault and SolidWorks. Though Dassault bought SolidWorks back in 1997, the companies seemed to continue to operate independently. For example, SolidWorks has maintained all of its top executives when, typically, the acquiring company would seek to control the acquired company by installing its own executives. Also, no significant changes were seen in marketing and sales operation. Now it appears that Dassault has finally found way to make use of the company: by using a reseller channel that -- while not the biggest -- is arguably the most ferociously loyal and motivated of them all.

When pressed to name what products Dassault would be pumping into the "volume channel" in the future, Charles was not clear. However, there were hints that Dassault would be soon known not just for its enterprise products but for less expensive products, more in line with the SolidWorks product line.

Comments

[MadHatter]

I used to be on the reseller level with SolidWorks up till the time when McElleny ran the show. Somewhere along the way the acquisition by DS happened and from that day till the time I moved on, one of the issues which many VAR's I was in touch with took great pains to distance themselves from was the association of SolidWorks to DS, particularly in places where CATIA and SolidWorks were openly competitors for the same slice of the pie.

I wonder how these VAR's, I know they're still out there, feel right now.

[Johnnysmooth]

DS needs the SME market to continue to meet growth objectives. With the Tier One market basically saturated, they have no other alternative. But to get there, they need an indirect channel as cost of sales via direct channel is prohibitive.

SolidWorks has done an excellent job in building such a channel and it seems quite logical for DS to look there first for synergies. But there is a lot of risk here and DS's competitors would love nothing more than to see frustrated SW channel partners, jump into their awaiting arms.

[Bill McEachern]

Yeah, maybe the choice of words was bad but you can only sell product in excess of $20k out a direct channel and typically a small number of potential end customers (say less than 20,000). For other scenarios you need an indirect channel as direct just isn't an efficient mechanism. Maybe that is all they are aiming at.

[I <3 CAD]

Leave it to the French to screw everything up.

[Richard Williams]

I have to agree with the first commentor Martyn Day. Tread lightly Dassault you have a dream child in your care and it doesn't need too much parental assistance or maybe none at all. SolidWorks is an already mature product and can only get better unless a jealous parent steps in to give guidance where none is needed. It also had a respectable growth rate this year so what else does the parent company want or need?

[Martyn Day]

i dont know one solidworks dealer that wont be insulted to be known as 'volume channel'. They add value to SolidWorks, they aren't just order fulfilment.
It sounds more like hubris and intenal corporate envy than anything. Dassault culture and SolidWorks cultue are two diffeent things, despite them being the same company. SolidWorks competitors will be hoping that this interference from Dassault will defocus the channel they have struggled to compete against.