Horizon Music, Rapco launch NetCAD

VTG Audio has unveiled their new application NetCAD. Based on the Stardraw.net engine, NetCAD is a web service that allows users to design, configure and order custom connection and control panels. The application will be delivered through the websites of daughter companies Horizon Music and Rapco, two of the largest suppliers of cables, connectors, custom panels and metalwork in the US with outlets in the UK and Europe.

Based on Stardraw.net, the new service is delivered by a web server and works from within a browser so there is nothing to download or install in the conventional sense. It comprises a drag-and-drop interface linked to a complete library of all of Rapco's and Horizon Music's panel products so the user simply selects the panel he or she wants, drags on the connectors that are needed, and sets engraving, finishes, artwork and so on. The resultant design is linked in realtime via XML to sophisticated backoffice systems. Once the design is complete, a separate pop-up report delivers an instant quote. Furthermore, this system can support highly complex pricing models, e.g. setup charges, product charges, variable charges (such as engraving by character) and, most importantly, pricing by user profile; discounts may be set based on who the user is and the type of account he has.

The benefits of this technology are clear. Customers can design, price and order custom panels in seconds, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without having to wait for any third party input. From the user's point of view, all the guesswork is taken out of the process, which improves efficiency enormously. According to Stardraw.com's CEO David Snipp, this is undoubtedly the way of the future. “Many people are talking about web services right now, but few really understand their potential, and even fewer have delivered useful, working systems. Stardraw.net changes all that because it is a fully customizable platform that can integrate with any other system via XML. Integration of information is the key to delivering tools that add real value and NetCAD, powered by Stardraw.net, is another great example of how we have created an elegant, efficient and cost effective solution for a forward-thinking client."

Notes to Editor

Since 1995 Stardraw.com has been a leading provider of software solutions to the entertainment technology sector, offering a range of award-winning system design, documentation and control applications as well as providing OEM software solutions for corporate customers. With offices in London and New York, regional partners and an installed customer base of almost 30,000 users spanning 82 countries, Stardraw.com is focussed on serving the international marketplace, and delivers leading-edge solutions that exploit the very latest in software technologies.

For more information contact:		Press contact:
Rob Robinson, Stardraw.com Ltd. 78 York Street London, W1H 1DP England T: +44 (0)207 692 7117 F: +44 (0)207 692 7118 e: rob.robinson@stardraw.com		Kiera Leeming, KLPR Ltd. T: +33 (0)684 06 26 42 e: kiera@klpr.co.uk