Editor’s Pick: PTC Mathcad Gateway

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

Sometimes new stuff comes out that leaves you saying two things to yourself. One, “this is cool.” Two, “wish I had thought of it.” Today’s Pick of the Week is a good example.

The short and simple story is that the PTC Mathcad Gateway is a math calculation server that provides secure Web access to your engineering calculations without letting your IP (intellectual property) out of the bag. From their preferred smartphone, tablet or workstation, users get on the server and enter data into calculation forms that use worksheets developed with PTC Mathcad Prime engineering calculation software. PTC Mathcad Gateway then returns results they need.

Now, “secured” means that the people you let use your calculations never directly get at your IP. PTC Mathcad Gateway restricts access to the methodologies and algorithms you use in your standardized and approved calculations to your content administrators.

PTC Mathcad Gateway also uses your infrastructure from hardware to security models and authentication methods, which adds another blanket of security you’re comfortable with and simplifies administration. Furthermore, the people you allow to use the calculation forms do not need a special application.

So, what you have here is the ability to build a certified engineering calculation server that lets you distribute standardized and approved calculations inside of and outside of your outfit. Your IP is protected while unauthorized access or distribution of your calculations is denied. Everyone — your design, manufacturing or distribution teams and collaborators ranging from contract manufacturers to freelancers and from other departments to customers — should benefit when they all can use your design best practices. Pretty cool.

PTC says that there are more than a million licenses of its well-regarded PTC Mathcad calculation solution in place, so an enormous number of engineers and engineering firms could profit from the PTC Mathcad Gateway. If you’re not one in the million, hit the link at the end of the today’s write-up and download PTC Mathcad Express. It’s a lighter version of PTC Mathcad Prime, but it’s complimentary and useful, and you can use it forever.

First though, go and learn more about the PTC Mathcad Gateway engineering calculation solution from today’s Pick of the Week write-up. Hit the link at the end of the main text to get to the PTC Mathcad webpage, scroll down a bit and then watch the registration-free video. Good stuff.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Learn about PTC Mathcad Gateway here.