3D Systems & TeamPlatform

 3D Systems acquired TeamPlatform in early August.  Since that time, 3D Systems has been working feverishly on integrating TeamPlatform into both its professional and consumer offerings.  It didn't take long for 3D Systems to release it's newly branded TeamPlatform to the masses.  (It's hard to say it has been integrated into any products yet, depending on your definition of integration.)

The reason behind the acquisition of TeamPlatform seems obvious - to compete with the likes of GrabCAD and Autodesk 360.  I haven't done a side-by-side comparison of all the features, but the TeamPlatform website does have a comparison article versus Autodesk 360.  The good folks at cadtoolbox.com also have a nice write-up on available features of TeamPlatform.

I'm going to give the free basic package a run through.  I like the option of being able to manage my project right in the same application that I manage my data.  But, I don't see myself upgrading to the Pro Plan.  I can't see spending $25/user/month on data storage.  Although $25/user/month is on par with GrabCAD and Autodesk, these vendors have to look outside their niche market competition.  Google Drive, Microsoft Sky Drive, Dropbox, Bitcasa, and several other tools offer similar functionality for much less.

When migrating to the cloud, users have a large choice of providers.  It is very easy for users to choose a best-in-class, or rather good-enough, application for the lowest price. They don't need an all-encompassing integrated solution.  The cloud already does that for them.

Sources:

http://www.3dsystems.com/press-releases/3d-systems-acquires-teamplatform#.UhUS6ZKNp8E
http://cadtoolbox.com/2013/08/20/teamplatform/