Update: MSC gets yet another offer, postpones meeting

Sep 22, 2009 | Hot Topics

MSC Software announced today that it received a new offer from the unnamed party bidding on the company of $8.30 per share. Symphony now has until September 28 to make a “responsive offer”. Under the original deal struck between MSC and Symphony, MSC may terminate...

Virtual conference: as good as being there?

Sep 21, 2009 | Hot Topics

Last week I attended my first virtual conference: Powering the Computational Ecosystem.  From a technological, gee-whiz aspect, it was very cool:  On24, an online event producer, created a virtual conference venue, complete with lobby, exhibit hall and auditorium....

Symphony ups its offer to $8.15/share for MSC

Sep 17, 2009 | Hot Topics

In a sort of non-announcement, MSC Software today announced that Symphony Technology Group has bumped its offer to $8.15 per share in cash, equalling the offer it received from an unnamed third party last week. According to the press release, “The MSC Board of...

ANSYS hopes CAD+CAE = better CAE

Sep 16, 2009 | Hot Topics

So you’re a CAD company without an analysis capability or a CAE vendor without strong ties to any one 3D modeling engine. How do you compete with the integrated suites offered by vendors such as Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, PTC and Siemens? You partner. Last week,...

ESI reports Q2 flat with last year

Sep 16, 2009 | Hot Topics

ESI Group yesterday reported preliminary results for the quarter ended July 31 that echoed the business conditions seen by others in the PLM universe: companies need the innovation solutions PLM supplies, but are having a hard time signing up right now. Repeatable...

MSC bidding war heats up

Sep 15, 2009 | Hot Topics

MSC Software announced that its board of directors has received revised offers to acquire the company. The original offer of $7.63 per share from Symphony was trumped last week when an unnamed party offered $8.00 per share; under the original agreement between...

MSC gets another offer

Sep 9, 2009 | Hot Topics

Remember suitor M, described in MSC’s proxy as not having financing available by the end of August? Well, that may have changed. Or it may be a completely new entrant – who knows?MSC just announced that it has received a proposal “superior” to that from Symphony...

Five tips for writing the perfect press release

Sep 8, 2009 | Hot Topics

I see dozens of press releases in a typical week, and most are nothing special. Company A is proud to release product B; company X has selected vendor Y; so-and-so is named to powerful-position-Z. But some releases do stick out, leading to my top tips for writing...

MSC proxy: drama, mystery and 13 suitors

Sep 2, 2009 | Hot Topics

MSC Software has finally filed the proxy statement for its proposed acquisition by Symphony Technology Group – and it makes interesting reading. At the very least, it explains why it took so long to get the proxy to the SEC.First, a proxy statement is a document...

The potential for CAE: 10 million licenses?

Aug 27, 2009 | Hot Topics

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is the rate of CAE penetration: how many possible users are there for CAE applications? How many of these are actually using CAE today? How is this likely to grow? Investors ask because they don’t necessarily understand...