VW chooses Dassault Systemes' platform to optimise manufacturing

PARIS: French software group Dassault Systemes today announced a long-term partnership with Volkswagen to accelerate the German automaker's transition towards software defined vehicles.

Dassault's flagship software platform 3DEXPERIENCE was selected by Volkswagen as its main engineering and manufacturing platform, the French company said.

"Volkswagen selected us to standardise engineering and manufacturing for the entire group to accelerate time to market, and the transition to software defined vehicle," Dassault's finance chief Rouven Bergmann said in a press call.

As Dassault already provides its flagship platform to BMW, the Volkswagen deal will allow the French group to streamline its multiple fragmented systems in Germany, Bergmann said on a separate call with analysts, one of the few remaining markets where the 3DEXPERIENCE platform had not been widely implemented.

"This will accelerate the penetration of the auto supply chain, especially now that the sector is under pressure," he said, adding that the recurring nature of the company’s contracts creates further growth potential.

Dassault did not disclose the original value of the deal with Volkswagen.

It is a full-subscription, recurring cloud-based contract, with an initial term of seven years and the option to extend for another 10, Bergmann said, adding that there were opportunities to add further value to the deal.

Bergmann said the deal's impact on the group's fourth-quarter results, announced today, was "marginal".