Troy, New York, August 26, 1998 - Raytheon has decided to use the Translation framework of STEP Tools WebServices to manage product data translations for its supply chain. The new translation service will let authorized members of its supply chain load product data into a secure web site for translation using a menu of product data translators. Users will be able to convert product data to and from STEP and other formats using translators implemented by STEP Tools, Inc. and other vendors.
STEP Tools WebServices defines frameworks for sharing product data with the supply chain over the Internet. The initial frameworks include a framework for product data translation, a framework for product data visualization, and a framework for product data administration and integration. The frameworks can be applied to any technical product data covered by the STEP standards. Each framework is a set of web pages for applying operations to data. Visual feedback is sent to the user as web pages, Java applets and VRML visualizations.