I’m not actually officially back in the office yet — trying to prep for a hectic week ahead — but needed something on the LMS website. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the logo now reads Further poking around reveals that Dr. Urbain Vandeurzen is no longer part of the management team of LMS and that a new CFO is in place — but it otherwise looks much the same, with some reshuffling of titles. Dr. Jan Leuridan is now Chief Executive Officer; Dirk Van den Berghen is Chief Operations Officer; Willy Bakkers has rejoined LMS as Vice-President, 3D Simulation; and Bruno Massa remains as Vice President, Test. One thing that’s definitely new (and that I will find out more about next week) is that there is now a Samtech person on the LMS management team: Claudine Bon, Vice-President Aerospace, CEO Samtech. Recall that LMS had taken a 60% stake in Samtech in 2011 — it appears that Siemens has bought the remaining 40% and officially combined Samtech and LMS. Siemens apparently did a “soft announce” of the whole thing yesterday, January 3, 2013, publishing to its website but not issuing a press release (that I can find, at any rate). LMS is now a business segment within Siemens PLM Software, giving Siemens the ability to develop virtual models of complex products made up of mechanical, electrical and software systems so that users can quickly evaluate their performance. In the statement announcing the new unit within Siemens PLM, CEO Chuck Grindstaff said that LMS adds “model-based simulation, design, test and measurement capabilities to both the virtual design and physical test process. Integrating the full environment gives our customers the ability to bring together information from the logical model, physical model and functional model to refine and optimize designs and measure results, which transforms decision-making in product development. It’s something our customers appreciate today and will even more fully appreciate tomorrow.” In November I spoke with Siemens PLM’s Bill Carrelli about the acquisition. At the time, a lot still remained to be ironed out — but I think yesterday’s news and the information on the company website answers many of the questions you put to me when the deal was first announced:

• What happens with Samtech? Looks like the remaining 40% was  acquired. [I had thought this was a GREAT idea, but couldn’t get anyone to comment.]
• Why add the confusion of a name change from LMS to “Test and Measurement”? They apparently heard you and decided against it!
• “I love AMESim! Please tell me they won’t drop it!” Mr. Carrelli told me it’s an important part of the product set. Stefaan Goossens is now LMS’ Vice-President, 1D Simulations.

I liked the deal with it was first announced, and I still like it now that it’s done — especially since Samtech has found a stable home, too. Mr. Carrelli made clear  (and I believe him) that Siemens’ intention is to add LMS’ to its portfolio — but to leave the business alone, so that it can best address the needs of its customers. [Note: Once again, I have questions in to the Siemens management team. If you’d like me to ask something specific, email or add a comment below. If I learn anything new, I’ll post an update. — Ed.]