Talk About Digital Firepower

Maryland faculty, researchers and students are learning how to use a new suite of software with a commercial value of $750 million, courtesy of Siemens Corp.

Jim Zahniser, UMD’s executive director of engineering IT, says the software streamlines the product design process, allowing students to use one system to go from conception to manufacture. He says experience with the tool, which is actually a bundle of nine pieces of software widely used in industry, will give students a leg up as they apply for jobs.

A computer-aided design course incorporated the software last fall, and this spring, undergraduates on the Terps Racing Team used it to design their racecar.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit overwhelming, with so many different pieces,” says Zahniser. “But it’s a great opportunity to see what we can do.”