Archive for the ‘Secure Data Exchange’ Category
Sunday, July 5th, 2020
Two major automotive suppliers have been helped by PROSTEP Inc. to close gaps in the control of the release of their intellectual property and to increase the security, traceability and user-friendliness of their processes with the OpenDXM GlobalX data exchange solution. Each company has purchased several thousand end-user licenses at a fraction of the cost of operating its own proprietary internal portals or other third-party MFT tools. One of the two companies focused on purchasing and ERP integration for the secure exchange of quotation data when using OpenDXM GlobalX. The other has deeply integrated the solution into the PLM environment to seamlessly send large CAD files to development and design partners.
Furthermore, PROSTEP Inc. has enabled one aerospace customer to publish highly configured TDPs for the rapid distribution of lightweight CAD data, parts lists and technical specifications. All data is combined into a single PDF package using PROSTEP’s PDF Generator 3D. Another project in the aerospace industry was aimed at improving interoperability between PLM, MES and ERP through a robust and distributed microservices-enabled Enterprise Server Bus in secure networks. The basis for this is the OpenPDM integration platform from PROSTEP.
In the space sector, PROSTEP Inc. integrated CAD and other product data from PLM and simulation data management systems for a customer. For another, the company started with a proof of concept for the MBSE federation between requirements, SysML and PLM systems. OpenPDM provides the backbone interoperability that coordinates workflow transactions between the systems of different software OEMs. The seamless synchronization of data between two different PLM systems to create the Digital Thread is the subject of a pilot project in the defence sector that will last several years.
“I am proud of the entire PROSTEP team and especially of our team in North America,” commented Karsten Theis, CEO of PROSTEP AG, on the successful fiscal year of PROSTEP Inc.
“In 15 years of our presence in North America, we have built an incredible portfolio of products and technical capabilities to meet the increasingly complex needs of our customers. This has enabled us to fire from all pipes in 2019”.
Commenting on the impact of COVID-19, Theis said: “Fortunately, at the beginning of the pandemic, we had already completed most of our U.S. business for fiscal year 2019 and were in the final stages of delivery. The real test will be the course of the year 2020/2021. Several projects have been delayed, but we hope that they will soon pick up speed again. Like all companies, we are adapting to the new normality of working from home”.
Shortly before the pandemic, PROSTEP Inc. rented larger offices, almost doubling the company’s working space. To date, however, US employees have not been able to work in the new offices for a single day because the move-in date coincided with the first lockdown in Michigan at the end of March. Now they hope to inaugurate the new offices in early 2021.
PROSTEP Inc. was founded in 2006 in Birmingham, Michigan, right in the heart of the US automotive industry. Over the past 14 years, it has made a significant contribution to strengthening our footprint in the North and South American markets. It has become a recognized partner in the areas of data exchange, PLM integration and 3D PDF-based communication for companies in the automotive, aerospace and defense industries across the pond. Not least thanks to our US subsidiary, we are now able to successfully handle larger global projects.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of the PROSTEP Group headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, PROSTEP Inc. does not publish independent financial information. Customer names are also kept confidential upon customer request.
For further information, please contact: paul.downing@prostep.com
By Paul Downing
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Sunday, May 17th, 2020
Now that the SAMPL project has been successfully completed, PROSTEP has made the blockchain-based solution for the forgery-proof exchange of 3D print data part of its consulting portfolio. In an online discussion called TechTALK, our experts informed customers and interested parties about the blockchain and possible use cases in the PLM environment.
As a basis for the discussion, Dr. Martin Holland first gave the participants a brief overview of how the blockchain works. Similar to the Internet, it is a disruptive technology, but it is not about the decentralized provision of information, but about the decentralization and transmission of values. What distinguishes the blockchain is that the information passed on cannot be subsequently changed because each miner creates a copy and each block of information is inseparably linked to the next by a cryptographic procedure.
In order to create new blocks, the miners have to solve cryptographic problems. The process used by PROSTEP requires significantly less energy than, for example, mining with Bitcoin technology. In addition, it is also possible to embed executable software code, so-called smart contracts, in the blocks in order to map more complex processes, e.g. the activation of a vehicle as soon as the leasing rate is paid.
PROSTEP has integrated the block chain technology into the OpenDXM GlobalX data exchange solution as part of the SAMPL (Secure Additive Manufacturing Platform) project. This end-to-end solution for the forgery-proof exchange of 3D print data ensures that the exchanged data cannot be misused and that printed components can be identified beyond any doubt.
A prerequisite for this is the use of certified 3D printers that support this technology and, for example, report back the printing status, as Holland said in response to a question from a participant.
The blockchain not only enables the licensed production of a limited number of spare parts and traceable documentation of where they were built in which Holland demonstrated using the example of a use case at Airbus Spares. It also supports new business ideas such as the “Earn as you ride” program developed by automotive supplier Continental on the base of a blockchain platform. Drivers receive mini payments for information on free parking spaces or weather data, which their vehicles report back in encrypted form.
Holland invited the Online-TechTALK participants to think about possible applications of the block chain in their companies themselves. PROSTEP has developed a number of criteria for identifying potential use cases. The blockchain makes sense whenever many parties are to use or change data, decentralized data storage is desired but an intermediary is not desired, documentation must be unalterable and participants interact in processes where transaction time is critical. If four of these criteria are met, the blockchain promises added value.
By Daniel Wiegand
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Monday, May 4th, 2020
Our OpenDXM GlobalX data exchange platform has once again received the industry award from the Initiative Mittelstand. In addition to specific improvements such as the intuitive web interface or block chain integration, the jurors particularly praised the innovative capacity of the software, which can now also be used as a service from a highly secure cloud infrastructure.
OpenDXM GlobalX, the world’s leading data exchange platform, has once again been awarded this year’s Industriepreis (Industry Arward) by the “Innitiative Mittelstand” as one of the best products of the year. We owe this award primarily to the fact that we are constantly setting new standards in terms of innovation in the further development of our software. By integrating block chain technology, for example, we have set the course for the use of the solution in new fields of application in which, in addition to secure exchange, the integrity of the exchanged data and its controlled use for the intended purpose must be guaranteed.
We have also made the software cloud-enabled so that it can be used as a service from the cloud without any installation or operating costs. A key prerequisite for cloud deployment was the new, web-based interface, which makes the data exchange platform much easier to use, not only for users but also for administrators.
All these factors were taken into account in the evaluation for the Industry Prize, which is awarded annually by the Huber Verlag für Neue Medien. It recognizes the economic, ecological, technological and social benefits of innovative industrial products in various categories. Among others, IT & software solutions that contribute to the simplification and automation of processes and workflows in industrial companies are also honored. The products and solutions are evaluated by an independent jury of experts consisting of professors, scientists, industry representatives and trade journalists. The prizes are usually awarded during the Hanover Fair Industry, but this year had to be handed out online due to COVID-19.
By Udo Hering
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Saturday, October 26th, 2019
One year after introducing the new user interface, PROSTEP launches version 9.1 of its leading global data exchange platform OpenDXM GlobalX. It now also increases ease of use for system administrators. Other major innovations include support for the Microsoft SQL Server database and improved data transfer performance thanks to additional configuration options.
The amount of data that needs to be moved during data exchange is constantly growing, as are the distances the data travels. PROSTEP has therefore placed great emphasis on improving performance in the further development of OpenDXM GlobalX. For users who are already working with the new interface, the system administrator can now set transfer-relevant parameters such as block size, parallel transfers, etc. individually and save them with their access configuration. This enables them to achieve the best possible transfer rates.
In addition, the transfer routes can be optimized by providing and accessing the files via so-called Remote FileVaults, which enables additional performance increases. Users are assigned a preferred FileVault that is installed as close as possible to their location and to which their data is uploaded or made available. The synchronization between the FileVaults takes place in the background, so that the recipients are always provided with the current data via the shortest route. This mechanism, which required changes to the data model, is of particular interest to customers who want to use OpenDXM GlobalX in a cloud infrastructure.
As of version 9.1, it is possible to use Microsoft SQL Server as an alternative to the Oracle database. This has the advantage, for example, that no additional Oracle licenses are required when using the data exchange platform in the MS Azure cloud infrastructure.
The ease of use for system administrators has also improved. They can now perform daily tasks such as the creation of user accounts and web spaces or the administration of groups with the comfortably designed web interface. User administration has also become much more convenient thanks to the fundamentally revised user concept for rights management. The administration functions are to be further completed in version 9.2 in order to be able to provide the entire administration under the new web interface in the future.
OpenDXM Global is synonymous with security in data exchange. That is why we did not neglect the security aspects when developing the new features and had a certified service provider perform intensive penetration tests to secure the software again. Since most customers have already switched to version 9.0, we will end technical support for OpenDXM GlobalX 8.3 and all older versions with the delivery of version 9.1 from June 2020.
By Udo Hering
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Sunday, July 21st, 2019
Companies that do not want to set up and maintain their own data exchange solution can use OpenDXM GlobalX as a service without any installation or operating effort. PROSTEP provides the world’s leading Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution in DARZ’s highly secure cloud environment as a SaaS model (Software as a Service). You can use the solution practically from a standing start.
As a cloud service, OpenDXM GlobalX minimizes installation and operating costs. As part of the initial setup, the system is configured so that customers can use it directly and only need to set up their users and data exchange partners. If required, they can also outsource these administrative tasks to PROSTEP. Software updates that maintain the high security standards or make new, helpful functions available are included in the price of the cloud service.
Using the MFT solution as a private or hybrid cloud service offers customers the greatest possible flexibility. They can store the user data securely encrypted in their own infrastructure at different locations and initiate data exchange directly from their back-end systems via the existing PDM system integration. PROSTEP also offers customers the option of using OpenDXM GlobalX with their corporate design and their own web address, regardless of whether they want to use the software as a multi-tenant application, as a private or hybrid cloud service.
The DARZ in Darmstadt is a high-security data center certified by the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) according to KRITIS. It is characterized by multi-level access controls, automatic fire protection systems with several fire protection zones, air conditioning technology, uninterruptible power supply, redundantly designed server systems as well as a direct connection to the Internet backbone around the clock, which guarantee the highest possible protection and maximum availability of the data. Regular security checks of the OpenDXM GlobalX software by external penetration tests ensure the best possible application security for the cloud service.
Protection and security of customer data in the cloud are therefore guaranteed at all times. PROSTEP’s and DARZ’s processes and methods are subject to the strict requirements imposed by ISO 9001 and 27001 certification and the EU Data Protection Ordinance (DSGVO). In addition, PROSTEP is a member of the German IT Security Association (Bundesverband IT Sicherheit e.V.). (TeleTrusT) and has received the coveted quality mark “IT Security made in Germany” for OpenDXM GlobalX.
By Frank Timmermann
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Saturday, June 8th, 2019
Yes, they can. And we have demonstrated this within the framework of the SAMPL project. For almost three years PROSTEP, together with seven partners, has been developing an end-to-end solution for the forgery-proof exchange of 3D print data. The key to this is the use of blockchain, or distributed ledger, technology. On 10 October 2019, we will be presenting the project results at a user conference being held at the Center of Applied Aeronautical Research (ZAL) in Hamburg.
Additive manufacturing processes allow components like prototypes and spare parts, for example, to be produced quickly, but they also raise a number of security and copyright-related issues. When it comes to safety-critical components in particular, it must be possible to guarantee that only authorized persons have access to the data, that only the original data is used for a defined number of components, and that this data cannot be misused to manufacture pirate copies. This is exactly what the Secure Additive Manufacturing Platform (SAMPL), which we developed together with partners as part of the SAMPL project, does.
SAMPL is a consortium project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The aim of the project is to develop an end-to-end security solution that covers the entire process from creating the digital 3D print data to exchanging the data with 3D print service providers and their specially protected trusted 3D printers through to the tagging of the printed components (see www.sampl-3d.de). The consortium comprises the consortium head PROSTEP, the Hamburg-based companies NXP Semiconductors and consider it, 3D MicroPrint in Chemnitz, the University of Hamburg, the University of Ulm, Hamburg Technical University, the Frauhofer Institute ENAS in Chemnitz and Airbus, EvoBus and DWF associated partners.
SAMPL is based on PROSTEP’s secure data exchange solution OpenDXM GlobalX, which we have expanded to include a digital license management facility based on blockchain technology. The solution supports the entire lifecycle from transfer of the CAD and process data to the specially protected 3D printers through to documentation of the entire printing process. The parts can be identified with absolute certainty by means of RFID or other features to ensure that only the printed original parts were installed.
PROSTEP has already used the SAMPL demonstrator at a number of different events and trade fairs to show how digital license management works. The event being held on 10 October 2019 at the Center of Applied Aeronautical Research (ZAL) in Hamburg will not only provide an opportunity to present the project results but also industry partners, such as Weidmüller, will report on their experiences with the integration of 3D printing and blockchain technology in the SAMPL project. In addition, the legal firm DWF will provide information on aspects such as IPP protection and the protection of corporate data, which impact on the forgery-proof exchange of 3D print data. Lively discussions can be expected. We cordially invite you to participate in the event and submit your own contributions. To do so, please send an abstract of approx. 100 words to Christian Gentili by 30.07.2019.
Further information will soon be available on the SAMPL website. Or you can contact the relevant project team member, Christian Gentili, directly.
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