Accuris Terminates Partnership with ASTM for Customer Benefits
In a pivotal move aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction,
Accuris, a leading engineering intelligence provider, has officially announced the cessation of its partnership with
ASTM International. This decision follows more than fifty years of collaboration between the two entities and underscores Accuris's commitment to prioritize the needs of its customers over outdated business practices.
Background of the Decision
Accuris's recent announcement highlights significant frustrations with ASTM's licensing terms. According to Claude Pumilia, the CEO of Accuris, the terms that ASTM proposed would have drastically compromised the customer experience. Instead of maintaining an integrated approach that Accuris customers value, the terms would have forced users towards a more isolated platform, resulting in inefficient workflows. Furthermore, they would place an additional financial burden on businesses by charging for extensive content bundles that most users had little to no need for.
"This non-renewal is first and foremost about our customers," said Pumilia. He stressed that Accuris's mission is to provide a unified platform where critical standards, parts data, and workflow intelligence can be accessed seamlessly.
Concerns Over Unfair Pricing Practices
Accuris's concerns focus on ASTM's pricing model, which it deems non-transparent and unfair. While most Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) tend to offer high-use content efficiently, ASTM has been criticized for demanding exorbitant fees for an expansive catalog of titles that are seldom utilized by enterprises. This not only raises questions about the fairness of the pricing structure but also about the accessibility of essential information for users from diverse sectors.
Additionally, ASTM's intent to redirect clients to its proprietary platform, known as
Compass, exacerbated the situation. Accuris executives argue that Compass fails to meet customers' integration, usability, and compliance requirements essential for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and auditing workflows. This further emphasizes Accuris's resolve to maintain an open and integrative ecosystem that best serves its clients.
The Path Forward for Accuris Customers
Moving forward, Accuris reassures its clientele that there will be no interruption in access to the invaluable standards and regulations it provides through other SDO partnerships. The company will retain the rights to distribute ASTM content until 2026, ensuring that businesses reliant on such materials continue to operate without disruption.
Accuris promises to uphold link integrity, citations, and audit trails for documents previously licensed, thereby reinforcing its commitment to transparency and reliability in operations.
Invitation for Collaboration
As Accuris champions a customer-first approach, the company is extending an olive branch to ASTM. "When standards bodies and technology platforms collaborate effectively, it leads to quicker time-to-market, reduced errors, and enhanced competitiveness," Pumilia stated. He expressed hope that ASTM would rethink its approach and engage in discussions that resonate with modern business needs, specifically addressing fair pricing and interoperable content access.
Accuris emphasizes that leaving customers in fragmented digital silos undermines innovation and progress across industries. Therefore, the company remains dedicated to fostering an ecosystem that provides robust access, enabling users—from startups to major corporations—to benefit from a cohesive repository of essential documents and standards.
About Accuris
Accuris stands at the forefront of engineering intelligence, empowering innovators and manufacturers with easy access to critical standards and regulatory content. Through state-of-the-art AI-powered workflows and a comprehensive library of standards, Accuris aims to facilitate quicker decision-making and mitigate risks for its users.
For more details on Accuris and its offerings, visit
accuristech.com.
Accuris's unwavering commitment to its customers reflects a broader trend in the industry, where the demand for integrated and fair access to resources continues to rise. As the landscape evolves, the company remains poised as a leader in engineering solutions that serve the needs of a diverse range of industries.