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With more collaborative and computationally demanding PCB designs, cloud-based workflows are rapidly moving from possibility to reality. But greater connectivity also raises new questions about data security, intellectual property, and the sharing of design information in an increasingly complex electronics ecosystem.
In this interview, Kristin Moyer of the Global Electronics Association explores the benefits and challenges of cloud-based design environments, the growing importance of standardized data transfer protocols such as IPC-1751 and IPC-2581, and why a secure, intelligent data ecosystem will be essential for the future of co-design, automation, and advanced electronics manufacturing.
Marcy LaRont: Kristin, cloud-based design environments are becoming a much bigger part of the PCB design ecosystem. What is driving that shift?
Kristin Moyer: Cloud-based environments offer greater processing power, storage, and the ability for teams to work together across locations. One example of this is Altium, which has indicated it intends to make cloud-based workflows its primary operating model over time, though it will maintain some desktop presence. The ECAD/MCAD design ecosystem must necessarily become more collaborative, and so the cloud-based/web application interface is more desirable.
LaRont: Though this is increasingly where we are going, there are security concerns. What are the downsides of a cloud-based environment for design?
Moyer: Before we talk about the drawbacks, it’s important to distinguish between cloud storage and a true cloud-based design environment. Today, many companies store their design files in the cloud while the CAD software runs on a local workstation. In a cloud-based design environment, both the software and the design data reside in the cloud, so you’re accessing the design tools over a network.
So, the most obvious downside of a cloud-based system is that you are now network-dependent, which raises significant concerns about data security. Being cloud-based means you are vulnerable to penetration from an outside source.
Another problem involves access, particularly in secure test facilities. If you’re at a government site that sits in the middle of nowhere, or you’re at a rocket launch site and there are network connectivity issues, how will you access your design?
To read the entire interview, which originally appeared in the August 2026 I-Connect007 Magazine, click here.
