Dassault issued one of its classic press releases* this morning, relating to the continuation of Enovia SmarTeam’s development. Entitled “Dassault Systemes Strengthens Commitment to ENOVIA SmarTeam V5″, the release details how the a new Israel based company, artizone, has been subcontracted for the development and support of SmarTeam V5 technology. artizone is a newly created and independent company that will “develop and support Enovia SmarTeam technology under an exclusive contract with Dassault Systemes.”
What’s interesting is that artizone is comprised of many of the former team working on the SmarTeam product in Dassault’s Israel office, which has been refocussed to sales and support for the V6 platform in the region (as we reported a little while ago). artizone will be headed up by Alex Zeltcer, former CEO of the SmarTeam brand and VP of Dassault Systemes’ Value Channel.
artizone’s plan is to “continue to invest in the SmarTeam product roadmap, while supporting new customers, as well as the current installed base of more than 8,000 customers around the world.” As Zeltcer explains, “artizone has its basis in Enovia SmarTeam and leverages the same people and the same product expertise. By building an entity that is based on a solid relationship with DS on one hand, while developing new solutions for the future, everyone wins: DS customers, DS, and artizone’s employees.” Alongside taking on the SmarTeam business, artizone will start an additional, non-competitive business line in the area of online retail.
*The reason this was a classic DS press release was how the headline, alluding to a stengthened commitment to SmarTeam, was found to actually mean, we’re giving it to someone else to develop because we’re focussing on V6. And the two don’t exactly match. Or is it just me?
