Hi, Joe
These are really important questions. But I would like to look on this point from a little bit more general view.
One of the biggest promises of Creo is to make Creo an open platform for third-party CAD developers.
May be, I misunderstood this promise (if anybody has a more clear vision, please, share it) but this approach by itself might revolutionaries the CAD industry.
Following this way PTC with its Creo might repeat the success of Microsoft with its Windows. Indeed, Microsoft is making its money on the operating system not because PC with Windows installed on it is a nice toy as it is, but because it provides a best place where PC users and numerous third-party software vendors meat each other. Software vendors prefer Windows because most PCs have Windows on it. PC users prefer to install Windows on their PCs because there are a lot of useful Windows applications (developed not by Microsoft but by third-party vendors). And Microsoft has its profit from this two-side interest (and pay attention - Microsoft provides its SDK to anybody for free).
To my mind, PTC can boost greatly CAD industry using the similar business model. And all the three parts of the process will win from it:
- Creo users will win because having Creo installed on their workstations they have an option to add to their Creo suit numerous additional CAD-related applications from third-party vendors (including those companies that does not exist yet but definitely will appear if such a window of opportunities will be opened);
- Third-party vendors will win because they receive an easy way to the hearts (and to the pockets) of PTC customers (and note, that these third-party vendors are not competing here with PTC but just add benefits to Creo users);
- PTC will win because Creo (being an open platform) becomes more and more popular for its customers and, on one hand, stimulate old Pro/E and CoCreate users to upgrade to Creo (because without Creo all these new toys that are supposed to appear will be unavailable to them), and, on the other hand, attract new customers to PTC.
I address to all PTC customers to push PTC for moving this direction, and all of us will be among the winners (PTC being the first). If PTC is really have an intension to follow this way they should manifest clearly their plans and release the Creo SDK (or whatever it will be) to allow potential third-party players to start their part of the game...
