Metaphase
Metaphase was a pioneering PDM product developed in the early 1990s by Metaphase Technology Inc., a joint venture between Cincinnati-based SDRC and Minneapolis-based Control Data Systems Inc. Metaphase provided engineering change management, configuration control, and product structure management at enterprise scale and was widely deployed in regulated automotive and aerospace environments. SDRC took full ownership in 1996 and Metaphase ultimately rolled into the Teamcenter portfolio after the EDS and Siemens acquisitions.
Why it matters
Metaphase is the reason "PDM for regulated industries" is a recognized market segment rather than a feature checkbox. Its electronic-signature, audit-trail, and configuration-control capabilities — driven by Twin Cities medical-device and Cincinnati aerospace customers — set the compliance baseline that Teamcenter, Windchill, and ENOVIA all had to match. Modern PLM RFPs in pharma, medical devices, and defense are still implicitly scoring against the Metaphase generation.
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Cite this definition
Finocchiaro, Michael. “Metaphase.” DemystifyingPLM PLM Glossary, 2026, https://www.demystifyingplm.com/glossary/metaphase