Siemens PLM grows into the AG — a good thing
Altair today announced that it is acquiring Visual Solutions, makers of the VisSim graphical block diagram language for modeling and simulating complex dynamic systems, including embedded systems. Visual Solutions says it has over 250,000 users worldwide, scientists...
Unlocking the value of legacy data
Over at the PTC Creo blog this week, I'm musing on how to recapture the value of legacy data -- all those CAD models you created in the past, now stored on drives all over the place (or archived in a PDM/PLM if you're so inclined), gathering the equivalent of digital...
Trimble acquisition boosts public safety offering
The AEC world continues to expand and contract at the same time, as the big providers branch out into new areas by acquiring smaller companies. Trimble is a perfect example, making more than 100 acquisitions since 2000 (spending over $3.2 billion in the process)....
DS adds SIMPACK’s multi-body sim to its offering
Dassault Systèmes today announced that it has acquired SIMPACK (formerly INTEC), developer of the SIMPACK general purpose multi-body simulation software that's been used for decades to analyze the motion, coupling forces and stresses on mechanical and mechatronic...
Nemetschek ups its BIM game
Nemetschek just announced that is has invested in a startup and acquired a majority stake in another company to level up its 3D Building Information Management (BIM) portfolio to include time (4D) and cost (5D) in project planning*. As I've written before, 4D/5D is...
Get ready! Earnings are starting …
No, we're not changing our focus to industrials! Yesterday did, however, mark the start of earnings season with Alcoa announcing that Q2 was far better than expected, which raises the bar for all other earnings releases to come. Alcoa said that revenue for the...
Happy 4th!
Here's hoping you have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday! Catch some sun, take in a concert, enjoy family and friends, appreciate all that it is good. We'll catch up next week.
Quickies: PTC/Atego done, Aras adds Dr. Eigner
A quick update on happenings in our little PLMish world: PTC said yesterday that it finalized its purchase of Atego, first announced at PTC Live Global a few weeks ago. You may recall that Atego develops model-based systems and software engineering applications. PTC...
Thinking about simulation?
Considering how long codes like Nastran have been in use, it always gives me pause when someone asks me where and how to start with simulation. That's when I realize that the vast majority of people aren't simulating anything. Yet. The aerospace and...
Morning coffee: SofTech partners, Bentley sells, World Cup & more
I still need to bring you up to speed on what I learned at HxGN Live, Hexagon's user conference; at a session on hand-held laser scanners hosted by DotProduct and in the briefings squeezed into rare days in the office between trips. And I will. But, right now, it's...
Quickie: Autodesk buys entertainment project management supplier
Autodesk just announced that it's acquiring Shotgun Software, a developer of cloud-based production tracking, review, and asset management software for the media and gaming world. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Autodesk says Shotgun has 500 customers,...
Quickie: Altair closes FEKO acquisition
Altair said today that it finally closed the acquisition of EM Software & Systems (EMSS), first announced back in December 2013. I am trying to get details, but suspect roping in the South African company's distributor offices in the United States, Germany, and...
PTC Live: CAD, PLM, Services, IoT – lots of IoT
PTC had a tough balancing act last week at its Live Global event: act like a CAD and PLM company for the majority of the attendees, help a smaller but vibrant community of manufacturers develop their services delivery capabilities while also pulling us towards the...
GrabCAD’s PDM Workbench: design collaboration in minutes
I know you're all looking for posts on this week's PTC Live Global and PTC Live Service Exchange, and I'll get to those, but I need to fill you in on a little shindig GrabCAD threw on Tuesday. You know about GrabCAD, right? It's a library of nearly 500,000 CAD parts,...
How do you know when it’s time to update?
I'm at PTC Live Global in Boston right now and we've had no lack of news: PTC announced an acquisition (Atego, more soon), Creo 3.0 and Creo Elements/Direct 19.0, agreements and collaborations galore. In today's post over at the PTC Creo blog, I pick my favorites from...
Morning coffee: patents, deals and Björk
Welcome to a shiny new week! I'll be at PTC Live Global, the first user conference that will feature PTC's combo of CAD + PLM + ALM + SLM+ IoT + well, whatever other initials come out of it. Last year, we all learned about "servitization", creating bundles that...
ESI’s Q1 down year/year, partly due to planned change in services
ESI Group reported today that fiscal Q1 2014/5 revenue was down 7% to €20.1 million, in part because of the company's intention focus on high value services engagements that are likely to lead to future license sales. Had services revenue held constant with last year,...
They did it again: HXGN acquires data & content database provider
Hexagon continues its acquisitive ways, adding North West Geomatics Ltd. (aka North West Group) to its quiver of geospatial data providers. North West also created Valtus, a database that enables the integration of content through a hosting service. Valtus appears to...
Quickie: Autodesk acquires Bitsquid, adds real-time 3D vis to design
What a day! Autodesk just announced that it has acquired Bitsquid, the Swedish creator of the Bitsquid game engine. Not surprising, this bolsters Autodesk's offering for the game development industry but it also has potential in other markets that can benefit from...
Quickie: Autodesk’s Derrek Cooper on NEi acquisition
If you recall, Autodesk didn't really say that it had acquired certain assets of NEi Software last month -- the news leaked out as customers found out from NEi partners and resellers. Last week, Autodesk's Derrek Cooper blogged about it and gave some hints about...
