| Horizon
Music, Rapco launch NetCAD
Audio Product
News Published: 23 September 2003
VTG Audio has unveiled their new application NetCAD. Based on the
Stardraw.net engine, NetCAD is a web service that allows users to
design, configure and order custom connection and control panels.
The application will be delivered through the websites of daughter
companies Horizon Music and Rapco, two of the largest suppliers
of cables, connectors, custom panels and metalwork in the US with
outlets in the UK and Europe.
Based on Stardraw.net, the new service is delivered by a web server
and works from within a browser so there is nothing to download
or install in the conventional sense. It comprises a drag-and-drop
interface linked to a complete library of all of Rapco’s and
Horizon Music’s panel products so the user simply selects
the panel he or she wants, drags on the connectors that are needed,
and sets engraving, finishes, artwork and so on. The resultant design
is linked in realtime via XML to sophisticated backoffice systems.
Once the design is complete, a separate pop-up report delivers an
instant quote. Furthermore, this system can support highly complex
pricing models, e.g. setup charges, product charges, variable charges
(such as engraving by character) and, most importantly, pricing
by user profile; discounts may be set based on who the user is and
the type of account he has.
The benefits of this technology are clear. Customers can design,
price and order custom panels in seconds, twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week without having to wait for any third party input.
From the user’s point of view, all the guesswork is taken
out of the process, which improves efficiency enormously. According
to Stardraw.com’s CEO David Snipp, this is undoubtedly the
way of the future. “Many people are talking about web services
right now, but few really understand their potential, and even fewer
have delivered useful, working systems. Stardraw.net changes all
that because it is a fully customizable platform that can integrate
with any other system via XML. Integration of information is the
key to delivering tools that add real value and NetCAD, powered
by Stardraw.net, is another great example of how we have created
an elegant, efficient and cost effective solution for a forward-thinking
client."
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