Computervision
Computervision (CV) was one of the earliest commercial CAD/CAM companies, founded in Bedford, Massachusetts in 1969. Computervision pioneered the integrated turnkey CAD workstation in the 1970s and 1980s with the CADDS product line — combining proprietary minicomputer hardware, terminals, and CAD software for aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding customers. PTC acquired Computervision in 1998, folding the CADDS user base and its Bedford engineering site into the PTC organization.
Why it matters
Computervision was the original Boston-area CAD anchor — the company that proved the Route 128 corridor could produce world-class engineering software, and the talent pipeline (Sam Geisberg, Jon Hirschtick, multiple Aras and SolidWorks founders) that fed every later CAD/PLM startup in the region. Understanding CV's trajectory also explains why PTC's Boston roots are so durable: the CV acquisition gave PTC both the installed base and the engineering bench that defined Windchill's first decade.
External References
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Computervision.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/computervision