MSC rides a winding road

MSC Software proved last week that it is not immune to the slowdown in spending seenby other PLM suppliers. Total Q4 revenue of $65 million was down 9% from a year ago,leading the company to an operating loss for the quarter. For the year MSC reported totalrevenue of...

ANSYS – weak Q4 leads to worries about 2009

ANSYS shares were hammered late last week, falling to a 52-week low after the companydramatically lowered its forecasts for 2009 — even though results for 2008 were OK.On the plus side:- CEO Jim Cashman said that companies continue to see a need to innovate, and...

CD-adapco’s stimulus bill: "No Engineer Left Behind"

CD-adapco today upped the ante on helping displaced engineers improve their skills andmarketability. "No Engineer Left Behind" is a global program — all others that I’m aware ofare US-based — offering training at any CD-adapco facility, a...

Stimulus bill: what’s in it for PLM?

The Wall Street Journal posted a handy summary of the 1,073-page stimulus bill signedby President Obama on Monday. It’s possible that the bill contains provisions not in theJournal’s table, but judging by the summary, Washington is hoping that...

MSC and Elliott Assoc. reach agreement on “standstill”

Elliott Associates and MSC Software today filed a schedule 13D with the SEC stating that the two had reached and agreement under which the various Elliott entities that already own 13.4% of the outstanding shares of MSC will not buy more than 2.96 million additional...

DS 2008 results as expected — but 2010 looks interesting

Dassault Systèmes reported final results for 2008 earlier today and issued outlook for2009 that reflects what the company believes will be a "challenging" 2009, with conditionssimilar to those seen in Q4 2008.Highlights from the earnings calls and releases:-...

Invention Machine wants to help you innovate

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to hear Boston Scientific speak about how it sought to build a culture of invention and discovery that leads its various businesses to successful new products. Randy Schiestl, VP R&D, and Jude Currier, cardiovascular...

Autodesk’s plans for Algor shaping up nicely

I recently had a long chat with Autodesk’s Amy Bunszel, product marketing manager inthe Manufacturing Solutions Division(MSD), about the company’s plans for Algor.First of all, all Algor employees will remain in Pittsburgh. Mike Bussler, founder of...