San Jose, CA, January 26, 2010 - Catalog Data Solutions Inc. (CDS), a leading provider of online product selection tools for industrial suppliers, today announced the availability of online CAD libraries of PTC Pro/ENGINEER models for the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) 2010 high school programs: FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) and FIRST ® Tech Challenge (FTC®) . Pro/ENGINEER is PTC’s 3D parametric CAD/CAM/CAE software. PTC has modeled the FRC and FTC’s Kit of Parts and, with CDS, made it available to the competing teams through an online CDS catalog for drag and drop download directly into Pro/ENGINEER.

FIRST strives to engage students in grades K-12 in exciting and innovative programs designed around the use of robotics to develop science and technology skills and motivate students to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering. PTC is a sponsor and the highest level supplier - Crown level - of the FIRST Robotics Competition. PTC is also the CAD and Collaboration sponsor for FTC. In addition to Pro/ENGINEER, all participating teams have the opportunity to use Windchill® , PTC’s PLM software for team collaboration, PTC’s Mathcad® for creating and sharing engineering calculation, and PTC’s ProductView™ for visual collaboration.

“The FIRST competition is a highly educational and inspirational experience for all participants - students, coaches, mentors, volunteers and sponsors. FIRST offers practical collaboration and product design opportunities that help to develop the skilled technology workforce of the future” said John Major, CEO of Catalog Data Solutions. “We’re proud to continue our support of PTC’s sponsorship by powering the FRC and FTC Pro/ENGINEER CAD Libraries with our CDS Catalog and CDS ModelServer technology. These online CAD model libraries are for the use of all competing teams and helps FIRST meet its education goals by introducing participants to real world solutions.”

According to Robin Saitz, PTC senior vice president and executive sponsor for PTC’s partnership with FIRST, "FIRST teams have only a few weeks to model, build and ship their robots to the regional competitions.  With direct access to the FRC and FTC Kit-of-Parts CAD Libraries from within Pro/ENGINEER, FIRST students and mentors can quickly begin the process of designing a robot rather than modeling standard components.  This key capability gives them the added advantage of time, allowing them to focus on the unique aspects of their design and quickly considering a number of design alternatives virtually. We are happy to work with CDS to bring these Pro/ENGINEER models to FIRST teams worldwide.”

About  FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and nearly $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org .


FIRST® and FRC® are registered trademarks, and Gracious Professionalism™ is a common law trademark, of the United States Foundation For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (U.S. FIRST).

LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group.

About Catalog Data Solutions (CDS)
Catalog Data Solutions Inc. is a leading provider of SaaS solutions and consulting services that enable industrial suppliers to achieve a competitive online advantage.  Since 2005 Catalog Data Solutions has been a pioneer in providing industrial suppliers with innovative online solutions that enable their products to be found and specified into new engineering designs.  Catalog Data Solutions SaaS products help customers to enhance their existing website with enhanced Product Search Catalogs, CAD Drawing Downloads, 3D Visualization, and Product Configuration.  Catalog Data Solutions is headquartered in San Jose, CA, USA and can be reached by visiting http://www.catalogdatasolutions.com.
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PTC, Pro/ENGINEER, Windchill, Mathcad and ProductView are trademarks or registered trademarks of Parametric Technology Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.