Hawk Ridge Systems works with Markforged Eiger software daily and we believe it is truly one of the best build prep and slicing solutions on the market. Markforged continues to innovate and add features that allow for a seamless workflow, along with the background infrastructure for scaling within teams and larger organizations. The Eiger software has both cloud-based and offline offerings with distinct differences and advantages.
In today’s article, we are going to show you the difference between Offline Eiger and Eiger Core so that you can make the best software decision for your business.
Eiger Core Overview
Eiger Core has been the go-to software for the vast majority of Markforged users since the beginning and this continues to be the case today. The convenience of collaborating with your team on the cloud along with the ability to send print jobs to your machine from anywhere is just too good to pass up for most organizations. A cloud-based environment allows for a much higher level of collaboration, especially for organizations that are spread out across different departments and locations. User management is nice with Eiger Core, allowing for an administrator to give and remove access to team members with the click of a button.
The best part is that Eiger Core is completely free to use, even before purchasing a printer. If you are considering a Markforged printer, we highly encourage you to sign up for an Eiger account to see for yourself how robust this software is.
Offline Eiger Overview
Offline Eiger fills an important role in servicing customers with the tightest security requirements or for those who wish to operate these machines where internet access is unstable or not available at all. We typically see organizations from DOD, aerospace, automotive, and tech sectors take advantage of Offline Eiger. Typically, these types of organizations have strict policies regarding the uploading of proprietary data to a cloud. Sometimes these types of companies also have restrictions on USB exporting of data as well. Offline Eiger addresses these concerns being a downloadable software with the ability to print via Local Area Network (LAN) as well as USB.
Offline Eiger also includes the ability to lock a print file to ensure that parts are being produced exactly the same for end-use parts. User management is limited with Offline Eiger, users can be added to an online organization to provide access to the software and license keys.
Offline Eiger is sold as a subscription with 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year intervals with each subscription being assigned to a single printer. There is no cap on how many users can download the software.
Security Considerations
Security is normally the determinant factor when deciding between Offline Eiger and Eiger Core. For Eiger Core, all Markforged applications and data are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS maintains ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI framework compliance. All data is encrypted under TLS and FIPS.
This level of security is sufficient for the majority of our customer base. On the other hand, Offline Eiger allows for data storage completely off the cloud giving users a choice as to where all proprietary information is handled and stored.
Updates
We have encountered a few customers who require that printed parts are created with specific versions of the Eiger software due to certifications and testing protocols for end-use parts. Offline Eiger lends itself nicely to this type of workflow allowing the user to update when needed and even opt-out of software updates entirely in order to maintain a set industry standard for part certification. Offline Eiger updates are released quarterly and they are completely optional. Eiger Core operates differently by releasing updates much more frequently and automatically. When signing on to the cloud, a notification will appear when updates have been released detailing the most recent changes. Eiger Core will always have the latest and greatest improvements and feature sets before they are released to Offline Eiger. There are also complete software add-ons like Blacksmith that are only offered on the cloud-based version.
Feature Comparisons
That is the rundown of differences between Eiger Core and Offline Eiger. Hopefully, this article aids in helping you decide which version works best for your organization. If you are looking for even more features and control out of your Eiger Software, be sure and check out our article, “What You Need to Know About Eiger Fleet from Markforged,” to learn more.
If you have any additional questions about Eiger software and other Markforged offerings, be sure and contact us at Hawk Ridge Systems today!
