Engineers access and use those services just the same way they would pull up any Web page. A small shop may be reluctant to buy 3-D technology because of the cost of initial implementation and training, or because managers may feel upgrades to the technology come so fast that a small shop could never keep abreast of trends, Grayson said. Collaborative Engineering Alibre users pay a monthly subscription fee for the service. User companies can reduce information technology expenses because they're no longer buying and maintaining expensive software, Grayson said. Crabb pointed out that engineering companies can use the Web-based technology quickly because they don't need to buy software or, often, even hardware.
Companies usually have Web-enabled personal computers.
Crabb envisions a collaborative engineering environment that takes place entirely over the Web. Not only does this engineering environment pull in engineers, but it also pulls in product managers, manufacturing engineers, marketers, and senior management. They all have access to the system. The managers can see the design in real time and if they ask a what-if question, like what would happen if you changed this geometry, they can run the simulation and see the results of what would happen right on the spot. Manufacturing engineers have access to the same online design in order to study up-close how to manufacture the product.