TenLinks Gets Ready to Launch Online CAD Store

CADdepot.com, a shareware site, is about to become an online storefront for about 500 CAD titles.

The new site, dubbed The CAD Super Store, will list "a wealth of products that will be of interest to the CAD, CAM [computer-aided manufacturing], and CAE [computer-aided engineering] community, including not only major CAD products, but many useful utilities, translators, viewers, and much more," announces TenLinks.com, which acquired CADdepot.com in April 2000 and continued to run it.

CADdepot.com was founded by David Whynot (yes, that's his real name), who described himself as a "a utility pack rat" in an interview. He has since moved on, but CAD depot lived on as part of TenLinks media network.

Roopinder Tara, CEO and founder of TenLinks.com, reveals the new online store sprung from what used to be CADdepot.com. He plans to offer "products, subscriptions, and eventually services." TenLinks.com currently offers CAD design and translation services through Innovate3D.

"Much in the same way we bring CAD, CAM, and CAE information to the user with our other sites [CADdigest.com, CADtalent.com, and FreeCAD.com, among others], we will also bring really great programs, utilities ... sometimes lifesavers to the users," said Tara. "Our goal is have a 'mall' for software so users don't have to go all over the Internet"

He confirms that IMSI/Design, creators of TurboCAD and DoubleCAD XT, has already signed on, along with other well-known publishers.

Major publishers like Autodesk, SolidWorks, Siemens PLM Software, and PTC rely primarily on authorized resellers to sell and support their titles, but the success of online stores like Novedge proves it's possible to reach new markets through the web.