'We help every industry solve complex design challenges'
Ansys, Nasdaq listed US software company, is on a mission to make engineers self reliant in designing by helping them access complex simulation and analysis tools. In an interaction with N V Vijayakumar of DH, Ansys Inc President and CEO Ajei Gopal explains the company's game plan on design industry and how India is an important market. Edited excerpts:
Considering the various challenges of constant technology innovations, digital transformation, Industry 4.0, etc., how is Ansys working towards these varied scenarios and catering to customers?
We are at a unique point in industrial history, a time when products are becoming smarter every day. This phenomenal digital transformation is being driven by technologies such as the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing and digital twins. Consumer behaviour has also changed over the years. Today, they expect the convenience and effectiveness of digital technologies in all the products they use in their day-to- day lives.
Ansys plays a very critical role here. We enable our customers to develop next-generation innovations and bring them to market quickly through simulation. With simulation, a product designer can create several virtual prototypes before they ever have to build a physical prototype. They can explore more design options that way, and accelerate the development process.
How will virtual prototyping help industries?
Physical testing will continue to play a role across industries. However, the relation of virtual testing with physical prototyping depends on several factors, such as the cost of prototypes, the nature of the product and existing regulations that make some amount of physical testing mandatory.
Even taking these factors into account, virtual prototyping can help companies get the product right the first time, so they only have to build one physical prototype for testing. This can save them a lot of time and money. In mandatory physical testing situations, simulation gives innovators the confidence that their product will deliver the desired results the first time around. Simulation is the only way to fast forward product design and launch products to market faster and with greater confidence.
What is your business model? Can you elaborate on your sales and go-to-market strategy?
We believe our technology is essential for the next phase of digital transformation. Our business model is built around the intellectual property that we develop, in the form of simulation software that our customers can use to make the best products possible in the shortest amount of time. By offering the best and broadest portfolio of engineering simulation software, we help our customers in almost every industry to solve their most complex product design challenges.
We also work closely with our customers and gather constant feedback as part of our continuous improvement process. Our go-to-market strategy is via direct sales and channel partners. We also engage customers online. With multinational corporations, we take a very strategic approach of offering solutions that deal with local conditions while still addressing the corporations' overall worldwide goals.
Can you elaborate on the opportunities that you see in India?
India is a very important market that offers us a tremendous opportunity for growth. We believe it is absolutely essential to have local, dedicated teams and partners to realise this potential.
Our development centre in Pune contributes significantly to product development for Ansys globally. Recently, we teamed up with IIT Bombay and Cummins College of Engineering for Women to help educate engineers in simulation and give them access to high-level technology. We are also working with top notch professors from India and collaborating with a lot of associations such as SAE India and Nasscom.
Do you have any specific plans to engage with startups?
Most definitely. In India, we are already associated with incubators in IIT Madras and IIT Bombay. We also have several startups as our customers. Globally, 305 startups have joined our Ansys Startup Programme, which gives these early stage companies access to Ansys technology. Through this programme, we provide startups with the best tools in the market to help them innovate, along with the local support they need to be successful.
What makes Ansys stand out from others in the market?
Ansys is one of the most innovative companies for world-class simulation technology. Our pillars of success revolve around upfront simulation, additive manufacturing, digital twins and our multiphysics platform. Over the years we have helped our customers solve their most complex design challenges through simulation-driven product development. The way technology is evolving, our software continues to help engineers develop several design options in the time it takes to build a single physical prototype, leading to faster time to market and cost savings.
Is your technology available for smaller companies?
Yes, we work with a wide spectrum of companies. Our technology is used not only by multinational corporations and large companies, but also by smaller companies and the startups. Using our technology has more to do with the nature of the business and product challenges than the company size. Innovation can come from anywhere - from a single person to the largest corporate R&D department.
