COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair Information

The COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair is almost here!

Take the Lead…Deliver With PLM
The conference takes place March 30 - April 2, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 160 technical and developmental sessions and access to more than 50 industry-leading vendors, the COE Spring 2003 Conference is a valuable steeping stone to the highest level of professional enrichment. Experience the core of the conference's technical sessions in exciting and in-depth presentations from top industry leaders, key Dassault Systemes and IBM-PLM executives and product developers, and change-makers from around the world. The COE conference also gives you the best place to meet and network with peers from around the U.S. and the world. Register by March 21 and save $200! Visit the COE Web site (www.coe.org) for complete details about all the technical sessions, featured presenters, the TechniFair, networking events and everything else that the COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair has to offer.

Congratulations to the Winners of COE's Membership Renewal Prize Drawing Sponsored by Dell

COE extends congratulations to Larry Gauthier of Decision Systems and Peter Schiavone of Goodyear, the two winners of COE's membership renewal prize drawing sponsored by Dell. Gauthier received a Dell Axim X5 Advanced Handheld and Schiavone a 3DCONNEXION Spaceball 4000 FLX 3D Motion Controller for renewing their 2003 COE memberships by December 31, 2002.

If you did not renew by December 31, it's not too late!

COE's key goals for 2003 include:

• COE member discounts for CATIA Certification Testing
• Holding two fantastic user conferences: New Orleans-March 30-April 2 and Seattle-September 28-October 1
• Expanding online member services; assisting local/regional user groups
• Reaching out to smaller CATIA installations to expand the COE community of users
• An online data exchange repository through the members-only page of the COE Web site
• Providing information to ease member company's successful migration to Version 5

By renewing your COE membership, you'll not only retain access to all of COE's benefits; you'll also enjoy new benefits that will be launched in 2003. By renewing your membership, you'll strengthen the user groups' ranks, thereby assuring that COE has even more influence with your vendor, Dassault Systemes.

And as our strength lies in our extensive network of users, we are always looking for new members to become involved and share their skills. This is your chance to help, and be sweetly rewarded in the process with a sporty COE watch. You'll be the envy of all your CATIA peers because the only way to score this watch is HERE!

This new membership program COE has implemented involves existing members getting involved to make COE grow and it's as easy as

1.  Encourage a potential member to submit the online membership application and list your name where it asks "How did you learn about COE?"

2.  Application approved by COE HQ and annual dues paid by new member for current year.

3.  New member attends the next conference and we send you the ALL-NEW COE WATCH!

Encourage a potential member to submit the online membership application and list your name where it asks "How did you learn about COE?"

Application approved by COE HQ and annual dues paid by new member for current year. New member attends the next conference and we send you the ALL-NEW COE WATCH!

Please contact COE Headquarters at info@coe.org for more information about membership renewal.

COE Membership Has Its Privileges

By beginning or retaining your membership in COE, you can achieve new heights in your organization by receiving an impressive array of valuable benefits available exclusively to COE members:

Education
Each spring and fall, the COE Conference & TechniFair empowers more than a thousand users within the CATIA®, ENOVIA™, DELMIA™, and SMARTEAM™ community with the education they need to help exceed the growing demands of a changing technology. The events also offer you unique opportunities to hear directly from top Dassault Systemes and IBM executives and to network with your peers.

• COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair
  March 30-April 2
  New Orleans, Louisiana
  
  
• COE Fall 2003 Conference & TechniFair
  September 28-October 1
  Seattle, Washington

Free Web Tools
No other Web site provides user-focused resources like www.coe.org. Your COE membership allows you unlimited access to online discussion forums, a virtual TechniFair showcasing third-party vendors, and members-only pages providing a data exchange repository, online conference proceedings and a shareware library

COE NewsNet
COE Members receive this electronic newsletter, COE NewsNet, packed with informative articles and tips and techniques, free each month.

Information
Published six times per year and available free to COE members, CATIA Solutions is the leading user-oriented technical magazine and the official magazine of COE.

Resources
Members receive a copy of COE's Installation Data Guide, an annual report of the installation demographics of member organizations and a helpful tool for your networking and problem solving.

Advocacy - A United Voice
Dassault Systemes looks to COE for user perspectives to inform its product development team. Members have a direct line to Dassault Systemes executives and developers through the Development Planning Councils (DPCs). And by joining COE, you'll strengthen the user groups' ranks, thereby assuring that COE has even more influence.

Contact info@coe.org to register or renew your membership today.

New COE Member Benefit: Receive an Exclusive Discount on Dassault Systemes Certification Testing

COE Spring 2003 Conference Attendees to Receive Even Deeper Discounts

Dassault Systemes' CATIA Certification Program has released the Version 5 Release 9 Specialist exams for Part Design, Assembly Design, and Surface Design. The English exams are available at all worldwide-authorized VUE Testing Centers.

Dassault Systemes' CATIA Certification program gives companies, users, and business partners a common index to measure their CATIA knowledge and skills. The program targets CATIA user groups such as product designers and developers, Dassault Systemes business and service partners, and new professionals joining the 3D Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market.

As a COE member, you are eligible to receive an exclusive 10 percent discount on all exams when purchased with a voucher. Vouchers may be purchased until April 30 and are valid for one year from the date of purchase. Please visit the VUE web site (http://www.vue.com/vouchers/) for more information or purchase of vouchers. When registering for your certification exam with VUE, simply tell them the voucher number. COE membership numbers have been sent to all COE member company' voting representatives. The discount only applies to those COE members in good standing (annual dues paid) which VUE can verify.

As a COE conference attendee, you are eligible to receive an exclusive 15% discount on all exam vouchers purchased when registering for the COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair. When registering for the COE Conference, there will be a new section on the registration form asking if you would like to purchase an exam voucher. Purchased vouchers will be distributed onsite at the registration desk and no refunds are available. Then you or your designee can use the voucher when registering and taking a certification exam within the next 12-month period.

Realizing the important role that industry expertise plays, Dassault Systemes created the CATIA Certification Program. As a CATIA Certified Professional, customers will be assured that individuals with this credential are equipped with the knowledge, tools, methodologies, and the technical skills necessary to help make their products successful. A Certification session is scheduled during the COE Spring 2003 Conference to provide an update on the CATIA Certification Program.

COE Membership questions can be directed to Lynn Potter at COE HQ at 800-COE-CALL/312-321-5153.

Complete program information is available at http://www.3dplm.com/certification.

To register for an exam as a non-COE member, visit the VUE website
(http://www.vue.com/dassaultsystemes-catia) or call the VUE registration center (Americas (800) 734-2927), Asia-Pacific 1-800-356-022, or Europe, Middle East, Africa 0800-0235323).

COE Insta-Poll: Results and Next Topic

We want your feedback. Every month we will be asking you a different question on topics concerning your Dassault Systemes software installation, your experiences or to help us improve COE member benefits. Next month we'll provide the results to our Febuary question, and introduce a new question.

Results of the January online poll:

What version of CATIA is your company currently using?

31.2% V4

27% V5

41.9% A combination of the two

Take a moment to weigh in on our February question:
Is 2003 the year you will convert to V5?

Help Wanted

Notification of KBE PIC Chairman Opening
By Greg Premetz, Product Design - KBE Applications, Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.

Mike Paisner recently resigned as the KBE PIC Co-Chair and we are seeking potential candidates for his replacement. His insight, ideas, and enthusiasm for KBE will be greatly missed.

The primary objective of the COE Process Interest Committees (PIC) is to provide a forum for the presentation, demonstration, and discussion of the use of CATIA for product design, manufacturing, and allied activities. The committees are dedicated to specific aspects of the software, its environment, or its application. They meet at the COE conferences and provide a forum for specialists to exchange experiences, knowledge, and to discuss their mutual interests.

The responsibilities for this volunteer position involve working with the membership community to solicit, develop, and schedule sessions regarding Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE). This requires a commitment on the part of you and your Company to insure your participation at the biannual conference so that you can attend organizational meetings, strategize with the co-chairman, introduce session speakers, and meet with fellow COE members to determine subject matter for future conferences.

If you have an interest in becoming the KBE PIC Co-Chair, please submit your qualifications to me at premegr@voughtaircraft.com for consideration. Per the COE Procedures your qualifications should include the following:

Qualifications
-  Documented expertise in the required technology.
-  Active involvement in the required technology.
-  An employee of a COE member.
-  Sufficient identification.
a)  Name
b)  Address (business - home (optional) )
c)  Phone number(s) (business - home (optional) )
d)  Fax number
e)  E-mail address