Fujitsu has rolled out a specialized cloud platform specifically for the manufacturing sector, with the aim of enabling companies of any size to use large computing systems without having to make the capital investment, reports Charles Babcock at InformationWeek. Called the Engineering Cloud, the platform will be hosted in Fujitsu's data centers and initially will offer computer-aided design (CAD), analytic software and database services.

Traditionally, CAD and computer-aided manufacturing programs have been deployed on site because they deal with very detailed and hefty designs. Manufacturers using the Engineering Cloud are provided with a thin-client environment, so they save instantly on not having to purchase special workstations. Customers use virtual desktops with Fujitsu's Remote Virtual Environment Computing technology, which provides high-speed image compression and decompression.   

With design software provided as a service, even small manufacturers can swiftly share data among engineers and designers in different locations. Fujitsu says that its compression technology can deliver full-motion video to thin clients in one-tenth the time it takes non-compressed data to be transmitted.

JTEKT, an automotive parts maker in Japan, is using the Engineering Cloud in part because it allows designers to make frequent adjustments to features and requirements. The company, which makes steering systems, bearings and driveline parts, also takes advantage of Fujitsu's consulting services.

For more:
- see Charles Babcock's article at InformationWeek

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