The first product designed as a result of an IBM and Siemens PLM alliance inked over a year ago will debut next week. Version 8 of Teamcenter, Siemens’ flagship PLM product suite, is pre-configured to run on IBM’s DB2 database and its WebSphere infrastructure software, which the companies said will ease the deployment and management of multiple integration points and support the entire product lifecycle, from concept creation through development, manufacturing, and aftermarket sales. The deal is not exclusive; IBM has created an ecosystem of PLM providers — including Dassault Systèmes and PTC — that tap into Big Blue’s middleware for integration, collaboration, and business process management tools. Siemens PLM also maintains other alliances, integrating the Teamcenter product with Oracle and Microsoft SQL databases, for instance. But the relationship between IBM and Siemens PLM is more than just a technology play, officials said today. Teamcenter is the first PLM application to be certified to work on IBM’s services-oriented architecture (SOA), a designation that requires specific integration criteria. In addition, an agreement with IBM Global Services adds industry knowledge — specifically in the aerospace and automotive industries — and a joint sales commitment specifies that the two companies will grow the customer base globally. “[IBM] made a commitment to provide us with a pipeline of relationships [and] opportunities,” said Tony Affuso, Siemens PLM chairman and CEO, in an interview with Managing Automation. “The way the agreement is structured is that we work together building the pipeline and calling on customers. That makes it different than just being one part of an ecosystem that doesn’t have any commitment to each other to build the businesses.” Teamcenter 8 includes about a dozen new features that integrate mechanical, electrical, and industry-specific content and document management capabilities into a common data structure. And, because it was built using IBM’s product development integration framework (PDIF), the Teamcenter backbone can easily extend to other applications, including those in the IBM stable by way of acquisition: Cognos for business intelligence, MRO Software for asset management, and Rational Software for model-driven development tools. “The key mission we are trying to drive jointly with Siemens PLM is that PLM is not something that belongs within the four walls of engineering,” said Michael Wheeler, head of IBM’s PLM strategy, during a press and analyst briefing today. “PLM is an enterprise process capability that companies need.” Specifically, he said, companies need to improve communication and collaboration across departments and disciplines, and increase visibility into the status of requirements, as well as establish a common language for managing requirements throughout the product lifecycle. On a more tactical note, companies are struggling to obtain real-time visibility into bills of materials, he said. “Siemens and IBM together have impact across all of these things,” Wheeler said. Today’s announcement is not without precedent, as IBM previously acted as a reseller of the Teamcenter Express product before its creator, UGS Corp., was acquired by Siemens and became Siemens PLM.