Autodesk and CDW Government partner to boost Iraqi manufacturing industry
San Rafael, Calif.-based Autodesk and Vernon Hills, Ill.-based CDW Government (CDW-G) have partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide software and hardware products and services to the Iraqi-based manufacturing firm Heavy Engineering Equipment State Co. (HEESCO).
According to the two companies, the technology provided by Autodesk and CDW-G will help HEESCO’s engineers bring their technology infrastructure up to date, enabling more efficient design and production of commercially used electromechanical industrial equipment and contributing to the Iraqi government’s articulated goal of transitioning the Iraqi economy from a state-owned to an open-market model.
The Defense Department’s decision to assist in providing the software and hardware came after an evaluation of 57 Iraqi businesses that were considered best suited to help the country achieve long-term economic growth and stability. The project was sponsored by the Task Force to Improve Business and Stability Operations in Iraq, which works to reduce unemployment and bolster the Iraqi economy.
HEESCO will use AutoCAD software and Autodesk Inventor software to better automate its design process by migrating paper and pencil drafting documents into 3D digital models. Inventor software – the foundation of the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping – will enable the company to virtually design and simulate machinery, car parts and heavy equipment before the product is built, saving both time and money from costly redesigns, according to Autodesk and CDW-G. The company also will be able to more easily share designs among themselves and with customers.
“Autodesk is one of the first U.S. technology companies to provide software to a company that will help the Iraqi people rebuild their manufacturing industry,” said Bill Goodson, vice president, Autodesk Government. “HEESCO joins companies from around the world who use Autodesk solutions to quickly bring their designs to life.”
Modernizing HEESCO’s data center
HEESCO will modernize its data center and desktops with HP and APC hardware provided by CDW-G that will maximize the engineers’ design capabilities, streamline data center management and provide robust storage functionality.
CDW-G, in cooperation with the Task Force, configured, installed and shipped an APC NetShelter server rack complete with an APC Smart-UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and an HP ProLiant DL320 Storage Server backed up by an HP StorageWorks Ultrium 960-FC tape library. The server supports 40 HP xw4600 Workstations equipped with 80-gigabyte hot-swappable hard drives and Intel Core 2 Duo processors for optimal flexibility and power.
The CDW-G-configured workstations also include the Microsoft XP operating system, as well as high-end NVDIA Quadro graphics boards and 20-inch LCD monitors.
“Choosing the right hardware is paramount to maximizing the capabilities of Iraq’s professional engineering capabilities,” said Andy Lausch, senior director of federal sales for CDW-G. “Working with the DoD, CDW-G evaluated HEESCO’s specific needs to provide the data center and workstation equipment that would facilitate the quickest up-time, the right processing power and convenient scalability – all of which will aid the Iraqi engineers in designing modern pressure vessels, circuit boards, pipes and other industrial equipment to meet the needs of Iraqi businesses today.”