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Market For Indian Internal Engine Parts Expected to Continue Its Rapid Growth as Replacement Market Demand Increases

MUMBAI, India — Due to increased demand for automotive vehicles in the early and mid-1980s, the Indian internal engine parts market has hit a tremendous growth spurt that is expected to continue through to 2004.

According to a strategic research report by Frost & Sullivan (http://www.frost.com) called The Indian Automotive Internal Engine Parts Market, the market generated revenues of $423 million in 1997. By 2004, the report forecasts, the internal engine parts market will be worth a staggering $1.2 billion, with an annual growth rate of 16 percent. Manufacturers are expected to increase their manufacturing capacities by 50 to 55 percent by the year 2000.

Since the vehicle population in India has grown so quickly, more vehicles will now need replacement parts. The lag time between the original equipment (OE) and the replacement demand for internal engine parts is about seven to eight years. Although the OE demand now accounts for almost 70 percent of the market, the replacement market is expected to grow much more rapidly.

All the major internal engine parts manufacturers are beginning to concentrate on the replacement market, as well as the OE market. Automation is a general trend in the engine parts industry. Manufacturers must switch over their plants often, which leads to drops in productivity.

Most companies expect to have fully automated manufacturing plants to achieve quick changeovers. Another trend is that international manufacturers source engine components from their suppliers abroad for their Indian operations, because they do not get the high quality they demand from domestic vendors. As this is more expensive than local manufacturing, international manufacturers are expected to begin sourcing from domestic manufacturers as their quality improves.

Because the replacement market is so price sensitive, spurious components manufacturers now claim about 40 percent of the entire replacement market for internal engine parts. Spurious parts consist of cheap substitute raw materials that cost 30 percent of the original parts. Also, most spurious manufacturers do not incur heavy overhead costs because the business is so small, which allows them to sell their products at 40 to 45 percent of the original products.

The main competitive issues of which manufacturers should be aware are cost, quality of components, flexibility of manufacturers and countering competition from spurious components manufacturers. The Indian internal engine parts industry may also face stiff competition from global components manufacturers. Multinational manufacturers are expected to enter the country by forming a tie-up with their Indian counterparts, which will cause a shakeout in the domestic market.

The Indian Automotive Internal Engine Parts Market study includes gaskets, valve and valve train parts, piston and piston rings and engine bearings for the OE and replacement markets. This report provides market trends, revenues forecasts, competitive issues and strategies for participants in the Indian internal engine parts market. It also helps the reader understand the diversity of markets, geographic trends and price trends.

This study is part of the Asian strategic marketing consulting series, with information gathered from Frost & Sullivan's Asia-based analysts through face-to-face interviews with executives from key market participants.

Sverdrup Technology Selected to Design, Commission 'Wind Tunnel of The Decade' at Chrysler

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Sverdrup Technology, Inc. is under contract with Chrysler Corp. to design and commission a full-scale wind tunnel at the automaker's technical center in Auburn Hills.

The new wind tunnel will be constructed on the southeast side of the Chrysler Technology Center's 506-acre site. The facility is expected to be operational by 2001.

The aero/acoustic wind tunnel will enable Chrysler to test the aerodynamic characteristics and driving audibility of prospective vehicles on site. According to Sverdrup Project Manager Dr. Joel Walter, the acoustic and aerodynamic performance of the tunnel will exceed the present standards of any current automotive wind tunnel in the world.

"This wind tunnel is a landmark project for both Chrysler and Sverdrup Technology," Walter said. "Not only will it be one of the largest test facilities of its kind, but among the most technically sophisticated. It will undoubtedly rank as one of the premier automotive wind tunnels of the decade when completed."

Sverdrup will be joined on the project by a pair of nationally renowned engineering and construction companies. SHG, Inc. will design the associated building and support systems for the wind tunnel, while Walbridge-Aldinger lends its construction management expertise. Both companies are based in Detroit.

This marks the third large project between Sverdrup Technology and Chrysler in the past five years. Sverdrup Technology was instrumental in designing and constructing the new Environmental Test Center and Powertrain Test Facility expansion at the Chrysler Technology Center.

Sverdrup Technology, Inc. provides custom design, construction and management of test systems and facilities around the world. Sverdrup Technology has been an active participant in the automotive industry for more than 30 years, completing hundreds of design and build projects for domestic and international auto manufacturers and suppliers.

Discrete Capacitors Manufacturers Face Challenges in World Market as Price Competition Heats Up

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Competition is on the rise as discrete capacitors manufacturers cut prices to retain market share. Although the market is growing, so are the challenges. Companies that want to survive in the marketplace must begin to employ new competitive strategies to stay ahead.

According to Frost & Sullivan researchers in their report on World Discrete Capacitors Markets, revenues for the 1997 total world capacitor market were $8.2 billion, with an annual growth rate of 13.3 percent through the year 2000. The five types of capacitors examined in this study include: aluminum electrolytic, ceramic, paper film, plastic film and tantalum electrolytic. Ceramic capacitors had the highest revenues in 1997 at $3 billion.

The main end-user markets are the computer and telecommunications industries. Automotive and consumer electronics are also important. Other major market drivers include competitive pricing, surface mountable devices, high capacitance and good reliability. Consumers are placing capacitors into harsh electrical environments, so the need for reliable capacitors that store a great deal of energy is increasing.

Manufacturers in the discrete capacitors market are faced with intense price competition. These companies are increasingly relocating their production facilities to low cost regions of the world in order to slash prices. Rising input costs, a general lengthening of lead times and oversupply of products are also restraining the market.

As competition increases, discrete capacitors companies must successfully meet a growing number of challenges to survive. In the World Discrete Capacitors Markets report, Frost & Sullivan Electronic Analyst Robert Worden recommends five key strategies for manufacturers to stay on top. For instance, price reductions without sacrificing quality is crucial to competitiveness. This can be done by moving production to low cost areas of the world, negotiating new raw material supply contracts, or developing new low cost technologies.

Prosperous companies are developing long-term relationships with customers. This is possible in industries demonstrating high growth potential such as telecommunications, and by targeting customers in the Asia-Pacific and Rest-of-World regions. Research and development is necessary in this competitive marketplace to create new products and to actively monitor competitors. Failure to monitor market activities will result in lower profit margins.

Frost & Sullivan's study, World Discrete Capacitor Markets, explains market revenues, trends and competitive profiles for the forecast period 1997 to 2000. The North American, European, Asia-Pacific and Rest-of-World markets are covered according to product category.

Critical phases of this research included: identification of industry challenges, market engineering measurements, market monitoring, planning and strategic recommendations.

Acquisition of Culligan Water Technologies Strengthens U.S. Filter’s Position As Water Treatment Company

United States Filter Corp. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Culligan Water Technologies, Inc. for approximately $1.5 billion in U.S. Filter common stock accounted for as a pooling of interests. Under the terms of the transaction, Culligan shareholders will get 1.711 shares of U.S. Filter common stock for each Culligan share they own. The two companies combined will have more than $4.5 billion in revenues, 2,000 locations and more than 20,000 employees in 90 countries throughout the world. Culligan has annualized revenues of approximately $760 million, with about 4,000 employees worldwide and a three year compounded growth rate of 22 percent.

The transaction, which is subject to approval by both companies’ shareholders, Hart, Scott Rodino Antitrust Clearance and other governmental and customary conditions, is expected to close in late May.

Culligan was founded in 1936. The Culligan, Ametek, Bruner, Everpure and Flga brands are among the most recognized in the industry. Culligan’s products are sold and serviced in over 90 countries with manufacturing facilities in Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Culligan’s residential water treatment systems have been installed in more than three million households in the United States, representing the largest installed base in the country. Culligan is one of the largest five gallon bottled water companies in the United States with the only nationwide dealer network and brand.

With annualized revenues of over $3.5 billion. U.S. Filter is a leading global provider of industrial, municipal and residential water and wastewater treatment systems, products and services.

In addition, U.S. Filter has a large network of sales and service facilities throughout 612 locations including 90 manufacturing plants in 33 countries. U.S. Filter is also a leading provider of outsourced water services, including the operation of water and wastewater treatment systems at customer sites.

Frost & Sullivan: Electronic Switch Manufacturers Switch to Customization And Full Service Approach to Gain Market Share

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Although the electronic switch industry is not new, the switch market continues to grow due to the increasing worldwide use of electronics, particularly in telecommunications. The prosperous U.S. and European economies and the strong Pacific Rim consumer electronics market are expected to continue to drive market growth.

However, increasing competition is forcing companies to find innovative ways to differentiate themselves and their products to consumers.

According to World Electronic Switches, strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan (http://www.frost.com), revenues for the total market were nearly $2.8 billion in 1997. By 2004, total revenues are expected to reach $3.6 billion, with an annual growth rate of 3.9 percent. Push-button and snap-action switches will remain the most important individual switch technologies throughout the forecast period 1994 to 2004.

An increasingly popular customer trend is one-stop shopping. OEMs want not only a switch, but an entire control system. Manufacturers must now offer system compatible switch components, and some are gaining a competitive advantage by also assembling the systems around the switches. This way the end user needs only to be in touch with one supplier, rather than with a switch company and a connector company.

The role of research and development is growing due to the increasing importance of aesthetics. Since switches play a central role in many applications, end users demand smaller, lighter switches with a pleasing appearance. Competition is now forcing manufacturers to customize the color and design of their switches to end users' taste.

Technological and market trends include competing with other technologies such as solid state devices and software systems, and declining switch prices. Manufacturers now use more automation, low cost locations, and more manufacturing friendly product designs which lower production costs and, in turn, lower pricing.

To remain competitive in the electronic switches market, companies must pay close attention to the needs of their customers. Frost & Sullivan Electronic Components Analysts Jouni Forsman and Arne Johnsen-Sollos recommend that manufacturers build stronger customer relationships. This means differentiating themselves from the competition based on attributes beyond standard product features. One-stop shopping, customized solutions, flexibility, just-in-time deliveries and shorter time to market are examples of strategies to achieve this goal.

Newest Pratt & Whitney F100 Soars In Altitude Tests

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Pratt & Whitney's newest engine, the F100-PW-229A, for F-15 and F-16 aircraft, demonstrated unprecedented performance in recent altitude tests at the company's Willgoos test facility. After a quick check run, the engine ran to Mach 2.0 to complete another critical qualification test.

The engine, in development largely at company expense for six years, has already been tested to Mach 2.3 at 40,000 feet simulated altitude, and has logged more than 450 test hours. The latest tests in the ongoing series were to qualify production fan aerodynamics.

"The tests have been highly successful," said Dennis Enos, P&W's F100 program director. "It's important to note that this is a fully configured engine under test, not one made up of components assembled for testing purposes."

A key difference between this engine and older model F100s that power all of the world's operational F-15 and most F-16 fighter aircraft is that it uses a new advanced aerodynamic fan derived from F119 engine technology P&W developed for the F-22 Raptor.

The robust design fan with its cast, one-piece inlet case exceeds air flow, efficiency and stall margin requirements. This is the first military fighter engine not to require variable fan inlet geometry, a tribute to P&W's technology development program. "This design will also give our military customers higher reliability, especially in sandy or dusty environments," Enos said.

Pratt & Whitney's high efficiency fan reduces engine temperature to such an extent that if the engine is run at 29,000 pounds, hot section durability will be doubled and engine overhaul will not be required until 6,000 cycles, compared to 4,300 currently. Safety is also enhanced with capability to ingest a 2.5 pound bird without thrust loss.

In addition, the PW-229A's bladed first stage and integrally bladed rotors two and three design approach will allow easy field replacement of foreign object damaged-first blades, in contrast to a competitive design. "Our low-risk, robust approach gives the customer real value and will reduce FOD-related unscheduled engine removals," Enos said.

Jeff McAnally, PW-229A development engineering manager, said customers benefit when P&W tests beyond flight envelopes, as it has done with the PW-229A. He noted, "We have over 450 hours of testing with good results. The engine has demonstrated world-class acceleration rates approaching two seconds from idle to maximum thrust. Our philosophy is to test not just to limits, but beyond them. Testing to Mach 2.3 when the requirement is Mach 2.0 exposes the engine to inlet temperatures and pressures that far exceed those that will be experienced in operational use. This demonstrates the robustness of the design. It assures our customer the safest and most reliable engine."

The new engine has thrust capability of 37,150 pounds as demonstrated in March 1992.

Pratt & Whitney estimates that the U.S. Air Force would achieve significant savings in maintenance costs over the life of its F-15 and F-16 weapon systems if PW-229A kits were installed on existing engines.

The aircraft manufacturers have determined that the PW-229A will easily integrate into the existing aircraft fleet. After installation of an airframe kit, the aircraft will be "plug compatible," able to accommodate either the PW-229 or PW-229A engine in F-16 Block 50/52 and F-15E aircraft fleets.

"With the 14 million flight hour experience base we have on both the F-15 and F-16, we're confident that the PW-229A offers the U.S. Air Force and international customers the highest performance, most reliable and least expensive upgrade available," McAnally said. "Our low risk development program is on schedule for an early 2000 completion and we're going to have a mature engine ready for delivery when our customers require it."

The first customer for the PW-229A may be United Arab Emirates (UAE), if the UAE selects the Lockheed Martin F-16 as its new fighter aircraft.

California 's Solar Production Receives Boost

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's stake in world markets for solar energy received a big boost with the opening of an Apollo thin film solar panel technology plant in Fairfield.

Photovoltaic (PV) panel production from the plant owned by British Petroleum, will increase California's production of solar cells by 25 percent. State production will be roughly 30 percent of the world's total PV cell production of 120 megawatts. One megawatt is enough to power 1,000 average California homes per day.

BP Solar's new plant, its first in the United States, is one of the largest thin-film manufacturing facilities of PV panels, not only in the US, but in the world. Thin film type PV cells, as opposed to the older photo cell technology, are seen as the key to drive manufacturing costs down in order for photovoltaic power to become competitive with electricity generated from conventional fuels.

The California Energy Commission has spearheaded an alliance of major players in the solar industry — along with ratepayer groups, government agencies and research firms — to bring down the cost of PV cells. The alliance's plan is to continue the rapid reduction in prices by generating more orders for PVs in the near future, thus encouraging manufacturers to increase production, further reducing manufacturing costs.

"Our goal is to eliminate the 'Catch 22' faced by producers of renewable technologies," said Energy Commission Chairman William J. Keese who attended the Fairfield plant's formal opening by U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Keese said many renewable technologies are more expensive than conventional sources, or not yet ready for widespread use, and therefore appeal only to a niche market. "Without the promise of volume sales, there is little incentive for a company to make the investments that could bring down costs and make these products commercially viable on a large scale."

The renewable energy industry will get a "fighting chance" when the electricity industry enters the free market in March, Keese said. The state has set aside $540 million to help existing, new and emerging renewable energy technologies gain a foothold under deregulation. About $54 million of that amount will provide rebates for small wind, solar and fuel cell equipment using renewable fuels to generate electricity primarily for on-site use. This funding source, a part of the Renewables Technology Program, supports the federal government's goal of one million new rooftop solar systems by 2010.

In his Fairfield speech, Gore said, "By cutting taxes for those who help us cut pollution and by promoting cutting-edge industries and technologies that help clean up the environment, we will meet the challenge of global climate change while creating new jobs."

The Fairfield plant will eventually employ 100 workers, who will join the thousand already employed in the clean power industry, a prime source of exports of California. Most of the solar panels produced at Fairfield will be shipped outside the United States.

BP Solar has a track record of export sales in PV panels, from marine powered solar navigational aids in the Maldives to solar microwave repeaters in Malaysia. Recently it won a $30 million contract with the Philippines for 1000 packaged solar systems for remote villages in the islands.

To keep PV cell development on track, the Energy Commission recently also approved a $1.7 million contract with Siemens Solar Technologies, Inc. of Camarillo. The funding will help commercialize the company's own version of PVs called CIS thin film photovoltaics.

According to Keese, the Energy Commission stimulates the export of renewable energy products and services. The Commission's Energy Technology Export Program has helped spur about $400 million in energy export sales from California, with a 37-to-1 return for every government dollar invested in export activities.

"Developing countries are anxious to bring in clean power technologies that improve electric reliability and the quality of life in their own corner of the world," Keese said. "Distributed energy technologies such as PVs, wind turbines and fuel cells, pioneered and proven in California, offer emerging economies an opportunity to meet their goals by partnering with the state's renewable technology companies.'

Survey Of Gaskets and Sealing Devices Market Focuses on Growth by Consolidation and Product Innovation

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The gaskets and sealing devices industry has grown considerably since the mid 1990's. Although the market is increasing, many challenges face participants, such as new environmental regulations, including a ban on the use of asbestos in the manufacturing process, which has forced sealing manufacturers to research alternative materials. In order to attain growth, manufacturers are turning to international markets.

According to a research report by Frost & Sullivan — U.S. Markets for Seals, Gaskets, and Packaging — the U.S. sealing products market includes over 380 market participants. The leading companies participate in all aspects of the manufacturing and distribution process, and sell to a variety of end-user industries, which makes the market structure unique. In 1996, the U.S. gasket market alone generated $1.8 billion, while the packings market came in second with $883.9 million in revenues. The U.S. seal market generated total revenues of $753.8 million.

Although new environmental regulations have caused some end-user industries to decline, the regulations have also resulted in increased spending on research and development of new materials and products. Other market trends include consolidation, and cuts in defense spending that are leading to decreasing unit shipments and revenues for the sealing products industry.

Technologically, inflatable seals have enjoyed increased popularity because engineers have purposely been looking for new ways to use them. The growth of the inflatable seals market is a result of the growing importance of the information technology industry where inflatable seals are the most frequently used type of sealing product.

Frost & Sullivan discovered that the primary opportunities for growth in the sealing products market are found in mechanical seals and in nonmetallic gaskets. Mechanical seals are replacing compression packings in certain markets, while the use of nonmetallic gaskets is increasing as a result of innovations in technology. Declines in the market for metallic gaskets have occurred as a result. Telecommunications, aerospace and medical devices are the top end-user industries for seals and gaskets.

Many seal and gasket manufacturers have become leaders in the industry through acquisitions, mergers and product innovation. Acquisitions and mergers allow a company to access new markets, increase production and distribution capabilities, bring more of the production process in-house and expand its product line. The ability to invest capital in the research and development process is also important in improving products and inventing new ones.

Companies are now concentrating on maintaining market share in the U.S. market by selling their products in a variety of end-user industries, and by dominating specific end-user industries. It is also crucial to increase market share in global markets. The leading U.S. seal, gasket and packings manufacturers all have significant holdings in international markets.

OpenDWG Alliance Formed to Make CAD Files Widely Accessible CAD Vendors, Users Unite to Share Expertise on the DWG File Format

SEATTLE — An association of vendors and users formed an alliance to promote Autodesk's DWG drawing file format as an open industry standard for the exchange of computer aided design (CAD) drawings.

The 14 companies in the OpenDWG Alliance are: Baystate Technologies Inc., DATACAD LLC, Diehl Graphsoft Inc., Eagle Point Software Inc., IMSI, Informative Graphics Corp., Inso Corp., Intergraph Corp., Ketiv Technologies, Nemetschek AG, Parametric Technology Corp., Robert McNeel & Associates, SolidWorks Corp. and Visio Corp.

To advance widespread access to DWG data, the OpenDWG Alliance has also made the DWG software technology recently acquired by Visio from MarComp Inc. publicly available.

The OpenDWG Toolkit — C-language programming libraries that provide read and write access to DWG files — will be available for download Feb. 11 at http://www.opendwg.org/ and is being offered at no cost to the public for noncommercial use.

The toolkit is intended to assist vendors and users in accessing and utilizing the information contained within the billions of CAD drawings that have been created by AutoCAD, Autodesk's flagship CAD product, as well as by other products that support the DWG file format.

The OpenDWG Alliance continues to recruit software vendors and CAD users to jointly share and disseminate knowledge about the composition of DWG, to date a proprietary undocumented format that encapsulates valuable CAD data created by governments, corporations and users worldwide.

"The OpenDWG Alliance is committed to publicly sharing the knowledge its members possess about the DWG format in order to provide millions of CAD users with better technology and better access to their own data," said Ted Johnson, executive vice president of Visio and interim president of the OpenDWG Alliance. "Visio is making its own valuable property, the MarComp technology, available to the public to help users unlock their drawing data with whatever software tools they choose to use. Further, we hope to educate the CAD user community about the level of reliable data exchange possible within the industry."

"We have always believed that customers should have a choice in which CAD platform they use," said Rod Blum, CEO of Eagle Point Software, an independent third-party developer for AutoCAD and other CAD platforms and a founding member of the OpenDWG Alliance. "That choice should be based upon the features, functionality and price of the platform, and should not be artificially restricted by the format of the data file. The OpenDWG Alliancewill eliminate this restriction."

Autodesk's DWG file format is the CAD industry's most popular format for storing and exchanging CAD drawings. It is estimated that billions of drawings exist in this format around the world. The DWG file format has been used to store the designs of publicly funded roads and bridges, and U.S. government contracts often explicitly require that design data be stored in DWG.

Generally, accessing this data safely and reliably has only been possible via Autodesk products because Autodesk has declined to publish the specification for the DWG format or to make libraries widely available to read and write the latest version of the format, Release 14.

Real-Time 3D Simulator Used To Train Olympic Luge Team

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Silicon Graphics’ workstations enabled the Japanese National Luge Team to train during the off-season using a real-time, 3-dimensional (3D) computer graphics simulator.

The luge simulator uses the Silicon Graphics Onyx2 InfiniteReality graphics supercomputer by taking actual video footage of the official Nagano Winter Olympics "Spiral" track and recreating it in computer simulation. An athlete is positioned on a luge sled and views the 1700-meter long Spiral track projected on three 100-inch screens that surround the front and sides of the luge. The viewing angle is adjustable to each athlete's eye level.

Attached to the luge is a sensor, developed by the Nagano National College of Technology, which monitors the athletes' weight shift during the simulated luge run and analyzes it in the form of numerical data. This data is then displayed graphically to show athletes the ideal conditions for weight shifting and steering.

With the simulator, athletes experience a 'virtual' luge run with actual speed and course conditions, proving it to be an effective tool for off-season training. In addition, the trainers can observe the athletes' movements up close for better instruction.

"Athletes must be able to recognize by themselves how their own techniques fit the track. Simulation is a very important method to control mental and bodily performance for Luge sports," said Harald Polster, coach and technical advisor of the Nagano Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. "It is also an effective way for the coach to evaluate the techniques of athletes. During the simulation training we can see what technique athletes perform on the Luge track and can check it point by point."

Luge is a high-speed race, traveling in speeds of up to 120 kph or 75 mph. At the highest competitive level, luge races are won or lost by one thousandth of a second. It is difficult to make significant improvements in speed records, which depend upon steering technique, track conditions and training time.

Since practice on the official track has been limited to the winter season, there was a need for other effective training methods for the rest of the year. Nihon Silicon Graphics Cray K.K., the Japanese subsidiary of Silicon Graphics, determined that a real-time 3D computer simulator would be effective as an off-season virtual training method, and proposed developing a luge simulator to the Japan Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. Development of the simulator began in January 1997, and was completed six months later, when it was delivered to the JBLF to be used for Olympic training.

3D Animation Software Market Expanding to Provide Manufacturers With a Wealth of Opportunities

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — In the past, the makers of 3D animation saw their technology limited to use in movie special effects and video games. Today, however, 3D animation is making appearances in television shows, movies, web pages, and even in corporate meetings across the United States, allowing educated market players to cash in on this extremely profitable market.

According to recent strategic research by Frost & Sullivan, U.S. 3D Animation Software Markets have grown substantially from revenues of $185.6 million in 1997 to $413.8 in 2004 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.1 percent. Currently, the game and broadcasting markets are the largest market in terms of revenues, accounting for $57.2 million and $54.1 million of all 1997 market revenues, respectively.

These markets represent the traditional applications for 3D animation and are enjoying rapid growth due to the increase in demand for animation and greater graphic capabilities of home systems, including game consoles.

This research breaks the 3D animation market into several vertical markets, including the video game market, the broadcasting/motion picture market, the modeling market, the corporate market, the training market, and the web market.

An in-depth analysis of current drivers and restraints is provided for each of these vertical markets, as well as an overall look at each market currently and forecasts through the year 2004.

Also included in this study is an examination of major market trends, particularly growth in processing power which allows more people to use animation-creating software. Once dominated by software run on SGI workstations, the market has now shifted to the Windows NT and desktop platforms. Recent changes in the market are also discussed, including 3D animation's move to the mainstream.

According to Frost & Sullivan Information Technology Research Analyst Stephen Woo, "In 1997, most 3D animation is created by professional artists for games, broadcasting, etc. By 2000, the majority of users will be businesses using animation to augment corporate presentations, modeling, training, or web page development."

In an effort to educate current market players and those considering entrance into the U.S. 3D Animation Software Market, this research includes detailed information on which vertical markets will experience the highest future growth, and when they will offer the best opportunities. Companies aspiring for success in this lucrative market cannot afford to overlook this invaluable market research.

Technologies covered in this report include: 3D animation for video games, 3D animation software for broadcast/motion pictures, 3D animation software for modeling, 3D animation software for corporate applications, 3D animation software for training services, 3D animation software for web page development.

This Information Technology Industry research has integrated the Market Engineering consulting philosophy into the entire research process. Critical phases of this research included: Identification of industry challenges, market engineering measurements, strategic recommendations, planning and market monitoring. All of the vital elements of this system help the market participants navigate successfully through the U.S. 3D Animation Software Market.

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Mechanical Engineering Magazine Online's News Digest is compiled from original reporting and various print and online news sources. The Digest will be updated regularly.

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