This should see Siemens phase out a common versioning methodology, whose latest version is 12.0.1. As catchy as “NX-Not-13” sounds, the NX Continuous Release method should be a relief for customers accustomed to slightly laborious upgrades from version to version. These often required skillful coordination between licenses, servers and computers, not to mention files and add-ons.
Exact details are still to come, however this method could see straight forward updates, not separate installations, with for example two major upgrades per year and monthly updates, much like Windows. NX Continuous Release should reduce efforts to deploy NX and give customers faster access to enhancements & improvements. Siemens says the new approach will allow customers to:
- Receive functional enhancements faster to help boost productivity
- Have a predictable schedule for updates to better plan for the adoption of new technologies
- Be responsive to new ideas and trends
- Reduce deployment cost
- Faster, more consistent response from NX development vs. release dependent hotfixes
- Continued focus on release quality and deployment
Siemens will become the first major CAD/CAM/CAE vendor to deliver products in this way.
UPDATE Jan. 31, 2019:
Siemens released the new version of NX, and we’ve put together a handy tutorial video and article that explains everything.
What is NX Continuous Release, and will NX 13 ever come out?
LAST THOUGHTS:
Siemens commitment to continuous support of customer data is legendary. As an example, in the video below this computer mouse part was originally created in 1994. You can see that you can import all the parts and modify your old mouse flawlessly as need be. You can even go back 12,775 days (or 35 years!) to Unigraphics 2 and open it in NX.
Now for some fun “inside baseball.” NX versions are actually an internal 12 digit number with the year/week number at the beginning, e.g., 1108xxxxxxxx. There’s a good chance that NX Continuous Release will see the release of NX version 1847. This number has some coincidences associated to it like the year Siemens was founded (1847) and oddly, it’s UGS on a phone keypad (since the 1 doesn’t have letters).