Project Profile
Peer Software Solution
- PeerGFS™️
Customer's Platform(s)
- Windows Server
Locations
- United States
- Germany
- Two Sites in China
Industry
- Electronics Design and Manufacturing
Applications
- AutoCAD
- SolidWorks
The Company
Würth Electronics MidCom (MidCom), part of the Würth Electronics group, is a global manufacturer and distributor of electronic components.
With about 2,000 employees across North America, Europe, and Asia, it is one of the largest and most geographically dispersed companies within Würth’s network of 467 businesses. For over a decade, MidCom has relied on Peer Software to keep its distributed engineering files accessible, synchronized, and secure worldwide.
The Challenge
MidCom‘s engineering teams depend heavily on AutoCAD and SolidWorks to design and develop components.
These large, complex design files must be accessible in real time to engineers across four locations on three continents. Without a reliable distributed file strategy, even simple tasks like opening a drawing could take five minutes or more — an unacceptable delay in a fast-moving engineering environment.
Beyond performance, file integrity presented a serious risk. When multiple engineers in different regions access the same files simultaneously without proper locking, conflicting versions can corrupt work, delay projects, and erode trust in shared storage.
MidCom needed a solution that would enforce consistent file locking across all server locations, not just within a single site.
Setup, Configuration & Solution
MidCom deployed PeerGFS across four Windows-based file servers located in Watertown, SD (US), Germany, and two sites in China.
The solution synchronizes approximately 800GB of active engineering data in real time across all locations, ensuring every team works from the same current files regardless of where they are in the world. Solution highlights include:
- Real-time replication across four dedicated Windows file servers.
- Distributed file locking for CAD files to prevent version conflicts.
- Centralized management with built-in high availability.
Results & Benefits
With PeerGFS, MidCom’s engineering teams now work in a fast and reliable file environment across three continents. CAD drawings that once took over five minutes to open from a central server in Germany now load in seconds using local replicas. This boost in performance preserves productivity and eliminates frustration. Additionally, PeerGFS ensures reliable file locking across regions, preventing version conflicts and reducing costly rework from overlapping changes.
The platform has also simplified disaster recovery. When a server in China failed, MidCom experienced no data loss. After the hardware was restored and the PeerGFS client reconnected, the system automatically replicated all current files back to the site.
Conclusion
The ability to open the right file, in the right version, in seconds — from anywhere in the world — is not a convenience. It is a competitive necessity.
PeerGFS has delivered that capability reliably for over a decade, adapting through platform upgrades and server migrations without disrupting the engineers who depend on it.
The combination of technical depth, flexible support, and a responsive account team has made Peer Software more than a vendor — it has made them a trusted partner in MidCom‘s IT infrastructure strategy.
Working with Peer has been a pleasure. Their technology performs exactly as promised, and their team has been a trusted partner every step of the way.
