Also new is support for SpaceClaim files from data management specialist Inforbix. Both announcements are welcome news to SpaceClaim growing base of enterprise users.

SpaceClaim has released SpaceClaim Data Management for SharePoint, a workgroup data management tool. The product is free to all SpaceClaim 2012 customers.

SpaceClaim Data Management is based on Microsoft SharePoint and works with existing SharePoint servers. SpaceClaim says it provides basic workgroup-level check-in, check-out, and versioning for SpaceClaim documents, including support for external dependencies, parts, assemblies, drawings, and 3D markups. No external user interface is required.

SpaceClaim used its external API (application programming interface) to develop the SharePoint extension. “SpaceClaim already fully uses the Microsoft stack on the desktop, and we have always been an innovator in the use of Microsoft technologies, such as our full support for multi-touch and gesture-based UI,” says Chris Randles, president and CEO, SpaceClaim. “Using SharePoint as a platform for SpaceClaim Data Management makes perfect sense for our end-users, as well as our customers’, IT departments.”

SpaceClaim has also announced that Inforbix now supports the SpaceClaim data format. SpaceClaim users can now use Inforbix to aggregate, find, access, reuse, and share SpaceClaim data types located anywhere in their company in addition to other data types such as CAD drawings, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs.

Inforbix is a cloud-based productivity tool that works by scanning for all supported data types, securely sending index information to the cloud where it is processed. On-premise data is not touched, moved, modified, or migrated. A video at the end of the article demonstrates the use of Inforbix with SpaceClaim.

Welcome additions

Both these announcements will be welcome additions to SpaceClaim’s growing user base among larger companies, which already know the value of product data management. Having workgroup controls in place for SpaceClaim will make it easier for the product to work alongside other CAD tools.