Airbus Continues Aggressive IT Spending, Project Rollouts

Airbus, the big European aircraft maker, continues its aggressive technology investments. The company has completed the first phase of a plan to improve product development using Catia V5, a widely used product-development platform from Dassault Systemes S.A.

Airbus recently detailed a sweeping supply-chain overhaul.

The second phase of the project has kicked off and includes installation of more than 2,000 Catia seats as well as integration of Airbus' design, development, and manufacturing processes. Airbus is using the software for product development on its next-generation A380 jumbo airliner and A400 military transport plane. Its goal: to link previously separate departments with Catia collaborative knowledge-management tools with three-dimensional information on products and processes.

Airbus is working with IBM Global Services' Product Lifecycle Management Business Consulting Services practice. IBM will be responsible for integration of Catia on a companywide basis, including factories in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom.