AVEVA unveils new vision of plant design

Jun 19, 2012 | Hot Topics

Big news in plant design: AVEVA today announced that it is working on a new product that will “deliver a new level of performance for plant design”. Details are sketchy, but here’s what the company said in a press release: “The need to orchestrate engineering skills...

Report from Nashville: #SEU12

Jun 18, 2012 | Hot Topics

Overheard last week at Solid Edge University: Customer: ‘This is the best assembly environment I’ve seen.’ Solid Edge guy: ‘Here’s what we’re doing to make it better.’ A lot of similar conversations took place last week at...

ESI reports FQ1 revenue up 22%

Jun 14, 2012 | Hot Topics

ESI Group, the French CAE company, today announces that results for its first fiscal quarter (ended April 30, 2012) were “buoyant”, with revenue up 22% from last year to €21 million. CEO Alain de Rouvray said that this growth shows continued momentum in the adoption...

Construction is hot, ADSK + Vela

Jun 8, 2012 | Hot Topics

For many, the connection of construction with design is the next frontier in AEC. We may design in 3D and use elaborate construction planning software back in the office but on the jobsite, all is 2D. Paper that gets wet, lists that get lost. All of this paper causes...

For PTC, “interesting” = “good”

Jun 8, 2012 | Hot Topics

A couple of months ago, I wrote that “PTC is such an interesting company. A bunch of really smart people who … get too far ahead of their customers (remember “CAD is dead”?), alienate those who sign the checks while retaining intense loyalty among the user...

Altair, buses and astronauts

Jun 7, 2012 | Hot Topics

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the 2012 Americas edition of Altair’s HyperWorks Technology Conference. Over 800 people heard Altair; T.K. Mattingly of Apollo 13 and Apollo 16 fame and a NASA Space Shuttle pilot; Luca Pignacca, chief...

Hexagon goes Blom-y

Jun 6, 2012 | Hot Topics

Last week Hexagon AB, the parent company of Intergraph, Leica Geosystems and other brands you likely know if you follow engineering software, announced its intention to acquire 25% of the shares of Blom ASA for approximately €9 million. I held off writing about it...

ANSYS snaps up Esterel for mechatronics

May 31, 2012 | Hot Topics

Mechatronics, the combination of mechanisms and electronic control systems, is everywhere. In the old days, windows were cranked open. Now you push a button that activates a motor that lowers the window. That motor is an electrical system that likely has a chip in it...

AVEVA’s F12 ahead on all counts

May 30, 2012 | Hot Topics

It’s hard to come up with a single headline. Total revenue: £195.9 million, up 13% and ahead of analysts’ forecasts of £192 million. Profit before tax of £62.3 million versus median estimate of £61.5 million. Cash balance of £178.9 million against...

More on Cimatron’s Q1

May 25, 2012 | Hot Topics

Cimatron announced results last week while I was at the Altair user conference. I’ve had a chance to listen to the earnings call replay, and have a bit more to add to last week’s quick post: CEO Danny Haran said on the call that “Q1 of 2012...