Microsoft and Dassault Systèmes Teams Up for 3D XML

Microsoft Corp. and Dassault Systèmes (DS) today announced that, as part of their strategic alliance and commitment to jointly delivering value to their customers, they will collaborate to support Microsoft's Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) format in Dassault Systèmes' 3D Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. XAML is the format for "Avalon," the code name of the next presentation subsystem for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.

"Microsoft sees XML transforming all digital technologies," said Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of the Developer & Platform Evangelism Group at Microsoft.

"Avalon" provides the foundation for building applications and high-fidelity experiences, blending together user interfaces, documents and media content while exploiting the full power of users' computers.

"Avalon" provides native support for declarative, markup-based programming with XAML, making it simpler to build, customize and enrich Windows-based applications.

3D XML is a universal, lightweight XML-based format that enables users to capture and share live, accurate 3D data quickly and easily. Dassault Systèmes will use the 3D XML format in its entire line of products: CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SMARTEAM, SolidWorks and Spatial.

Compatibility between 3D XML and XAML will enable users of 3D solutions to view, modify and customize 3D objects in an environment of unmatched openness and take advantage of this 3D experience in any XAML-based application.

"The alliance between Microsoft and Dassault Systèmes is a clear commitment to the industry for openness, innovation and technological excellence," said Dominique Florack, executive vice president of Strategy, Research and Development at Dassault Systèmes.

As world leader in 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions, the Dassault Systèmes group brings value to more than 80,000 customers in 80 countries.