MCAD Tech News (#230)

A Closer Look at 2007's Top Story

Siemens' acquisition of UGS was last year's biggest MCAD news.

By Jeffrey Rowe

In the last issue of MCAD Tech News, I discussed what I considered the biggest news and events affecting the MCAD community for 2007 -- issues ranging from new technology launches to business deals, and several things in between. As significant as these were, the biggest news for 2007 occurred relatively early in the year: the Siemens acquisition of UGS.

The $3.5 billion acquisition let Siemens expand its industrial software portfolio by assigning the UGS PLM software operation to Siemens Automation and Drives Group (A&D). The deal surprised a lot of people, including myself, my peers, and most UGS employees. With the acquisition, another big PLM player is now European based. Whether or not this is particularly significant remains to be seen.

As a company, UGS has seen a lot of activity the past few years, and the acquisition by Siemens seems to be the final chapter, at least for the foreseeable future. As it turns out, UGS and Siemens are not exactly strangers, having been joint business partners since 2003. Although the acquisition was the final chapter, at least for now, let's step back a few years and consider what led ultimately to the Siemens deal. Read more

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Cadalyst contributing editor Jeffrey Rowe is the principal of Cairowest Group, an independent industrial design, mechanical engineering, and technical communication consulting firm with offices in Colorado and Michigan. You can reach him by e-mail at jrowe@cairowest.com or by phone at 719.539.8549.   

What is VI Doing for Brown?

By Bruce Jones

More than two years ago, VanDerLande Industries (VI) of the Netherlands won a contract to increase the processing capacity of the United Parcel Service facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Because VI had completed the bulk of the existing system in 2002, the company was chosen as the contractor for the new project. The project was to be spread across multiple timed phases, coordinating with the construction of two additional buildings by URS, a global engineering and construction firm. The full expansion project is developing over approximately four years. Read more

Mark Your Calendar: MCAD Events

SolidWorks World 2008
January 20-23, 2008
San Diego, California
The SolidWorks World 2008 International User Conference & Exposition promises general sessions, more than 150 in-depth training sessions, 200 new products in the 9,000 sq. ft. Product Design Showcase, and more than 100 innovative solutions in the most expansive Partner Pavilion yet. A full conference pass is $995 with a $100 early bird discount through December 14. Read more

3D Scanning 2008
May 20-22, 2008
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), 3D Scanning: Reverse Engineering, Analysis, and Inspection Conference will be co-located with RAPID 2008 Conference & Exposition. With a focus on using noncontact scanning technology to capture and process high-resolution, 3D spatial geometries, this conference will give participants practical knowledge to support effective technology selection and use. Read more

BE Conference 2008
May 28-30, 2008
Baltimore, Maryland
This year the BE Conference will take place as one global event, with the welcome reception scheduled for the previous day. You can register to receive information on training options, registration, travel and accommodations, BE Awards of Excellence, and other related BE Conference items. Read more

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com.