IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546209
28 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2026 example of this is Altium, which has indicated it in- tends to make cloud-based workflows its primary operating model over time, though it will maintain some desktop presence. The ECAD/MCAD design ecosystem must necessarily become more collab- orative, and so the cloud-based/web application in- terface is more desirable. Though this is increasingly where we are going, there are security concerns. What are the down- sides of a cloud-based environment for design? Before we talk about the drawbacks, it's important to distinguish between cloud storage and a true cloud-based design environment. Today, many companies store their design files in the cloud while the CAD software runs on a local workstation. In a cloud-based design environment, both the software and the design data reside in the cloud, so you're accessing the design tools over a network. So, the most obvious downside of a cloud-based system is that you are now network-dependent, which raises significant concerns about data secu- rity. Being cloud-based means you are vulnerable to penetration from an outside source. Another problem involves access, particularly in secure test facilities. If you're at a government site that sits in the middle of nowhere, or you're at a rocket launch site and there are network connec- tivity issues, how will you access your design? How is that situation handled right now? The product data management system we use now allows you to check out a design, make edits, and check it back in, which provides revision control. With cloud-based storage, you bring the data down onto your own computer, and even if you're off the network, you can still access the design tools, or at least the ones that are not network-dependent. So, despite legitimate reasons for more cloud- based systemization, it sounds like we are less secure inside the cloud. Yes, the more accessible the design, the less secu- rity it has, even with encryption. Anything connect- ed to the network is more vulnerable to external in- trusion. If the application requires a physical license key to run a machine and you can disconnect it from the network, the application can only be accessed on that machine. Historically, it has been shown that the less access to a file, the more secure the data. Both IP and ITAR, as well as other classified and highly sensitive information, require strict access, and more restrictions can be added to a physical machine that is not connected to a network. Can you give an example? What is your personal experience with this? I previously worked for a U.S. military and aero- space company with dedicated laptops and com- puters. Some machines were allowed to connect to the internet, and others were in secure areas that were not allowed to access the internet. Ev- erything was transferred on specifically encrypted USB drives, and certain security protocols still had to be followed. ECAD and MCAD vendors are addressing this issue in various ways. Do you see a tool ven- dor adopting a solely cloud-based system in the near future? Without speaking for Altium directly, I believe they will approach it the way they have with their other server applications. Nexus will be part of Altium 365, but on a closed intranet. As we add more capabilities to the tools and increase the complexity of the designs themselves, we're exceeding the processing capacity of single- processor computers. Therefore, it makes sense that some CAD tool providers may aspire to an open, internet-based, cloud-based operating envi- ronment as their primary market. For secure facilities, such as military, aerospace, medical, and other sectors with very sensitive IP and data security requirements, a custom solu- tion will be created. But it stands to reason that tool providers will want as many internet users as possible to harness its processing power to achieve these larger, more complex designs. In the case of Altium, it is owned by Renesas, a silicon design company. Integrating silicon design with board design requires significantly more processing capability—Apple's M1 Ultra chip has 114 billion transistors, for example, and you need a lot of processing power to do that kind of layout. Therefore, it stands to reason we are seeing a big push from them on this front.