Cadmatic’s Powerful Design Software Now Operates in the Cloud

Over 6,000 organizations in the marine, process, and construction industries across 60 countries rely on Cadmatic’s 3D-based design and information management software. These tools facilitate the design and construction of various industrial plants, ships, and buildings globally. Leveraging digitalization and data accelerates project timelines, reduces errors, and improves quality. 

Cadmatic's software was previously available only through licenses, requiring customers to manage both licenses and software. 

"Our customers began asking if our products could be accessed directly from the cloud. The cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model was recognized as part of our company’s growth strategy, making the decision to move to the cloud straightforward," says Pertti Lönnroth, who leads Cadmatic’s SaaS project. 

Following a competitive selection process, Cadmatic chose Atea as its cloud platform provider. 

"Atea’s team immediately understood our needs. Their deep expertise in cloud services, virtualization, and 3D applications convinced us. Atea’s extensive team, including experts from Norway, brought valuable knowledge to our project." 

Automated Cloud Management Frees Up Development Time
 

The collaboration began by mapping Cadmatic’s needs and products, and deciding the order in which product groups would migrate to the cloud. Cadmatic sought a highly automated cloud management and governance model. Microsoft Azure was chosen for the infrastructure, and Citrix Cloud was selected for virtualization. 

"By automating everything possible, we can focus on bringing new features to the platform instead of managing cloud services. Atea’s experts clarified what was feasible and what was not," Pertti Lönnroth recalls the project’s early stages. 

The design also considered Cadmatic’s international presence — thirteen offices in nine countries — and the diverse range of customers, from large industrial plants and shipyards to small design firms with a few employees. 

"The solution implemented for Cadmatic can be deployed anywhere in the world and easily replicated for new customers and regions. All updates are made centrally to the code, simplifying maintenance and scaling of the service," says Jussi Leskinen, Atea’s Lead Architect. 

Close Collaboration Leads to Valuable Learning
 

Cadmatic uses the cloud to run its heavy-duty software, necessitating an environment that does not require software recoding. The cloud’s high-performance workstations provide sufficient computing power. 

"The software’s background services, including graphics processing, run in the cloud data centers. When heavy 3D applications run efficiently, the end user’s machine does not need significant computing power as it did before," says Atea’s Jussi Leskinen. 

Building the new cloud platform and management model together with Atea’s experts was crucial for Cadmatic. 

"We wanted to learn so we could develop the cloud platform ourselves and better consult our customers in the future. After setting up the first test environments on our own, we received feedback from Atea’s consultants and made adjustments accordingly. Our understanding of Azure’s capabilities and cloud service construction grew significantly during the project," says Pertti Lönnroth. 

Cloud Enhances Security 

Atea’s dedicated expert, assigned to Cadmatic, assists in further developing the environment. Additionally, Atea’s consultants are available for larger development projects and maintenance as needed. 

"Atea adapted well to our needs with a guiding yet flexible approach. The collaboration was smooth, and there was a good rapport with all the team members," says Pertti Lönnroth. 

With the cloud transition, customers can now choose between traditional licenses or SaaS for Cadmatic’s software. 

"The cloud platform offers a flexible and secure way to use the software. Our customers can be confident that their confidential and valuable design solutions remain secure. The cloud platform is also very flexible for internal use, allowing us to easily create development and test environments for our ongoing projects."