PTC for sale?

[design-engine]

I will ignore it and make business as usual.

 

[mgnt8]

Bart, you ever meet any of the big dogs in the front office like Harrison or Heppelmann? I'm just wondering how committed they actually are to Pro/E these days since the've said for a long time that they are a PLM company. Isn't most of the development in India?

 

[dgs]

Sell Wildfire to Adobe.

Have you used Adobe software? Worse than PTC in my limited experience.


Don't forget, the news is very limited andunconfirmed. Folks are weaving a tale froma limited number of facts and some rumor. Even if they are looking at a sale, who says anyone wants to buy them?


This could be the corporate equivalent of calling a realtor to see what your home might sell for.

 

[mgnt8]

Photoshop & Illustrator are the industry standards. Acro 3D is clunky as hell IMHO but seems to get a little better with each release. The big dogs have pretty much reinvented themselves as PLM enterprises and declared CAD a commodity - maybe we need some new blood.


Why talk about rumors? Slow day, crowdsourcing, group therapy. What the hell else are we going to talk about. It seems this site has gotten a severe decrease in traffic. I wonder what happened to all those Beijing olympics ra-ra-ers? Must have melted back into the countryside.


[url]http://www.feer.com/essays/2008/august/chinas-guerrilla-war- for-the-web[/url]

 

[Paul-JAM]

My bid for PTC went in earlier today

"2 Chile burgers & a can of coke..."...... Didn't think it was a bad offer

 

[pro_eek]

I just had a shiver down my spine reading these posts... Especially if Autodesk will be the buyer, imagine that!


I understand that in the business world $$$ is the only language unfortunately...


What is sad is how software innovation and R&D can get shredded into pieces, all to make a fast buck. (Especially if you're a PTC executive standing to make a few million) You wonder if the Pro/E founders' fears are now becoming a reality. Was R&D focus lost when Windchill was being pumped as the next great thing?


Will PTC be dismembered and Pro/E (the left leg) be sent to some Godforsaken code shop somewhere? (Like a software William Wallace..)


As a technical person it irks me when good technical products or software that can really be of benefit suffers because of hype/stockmarket/take over politics.


Strange how for a long time I've had a feeling PTC has lost it's commitment to a solid software R&D roadmap and was vulnerable to keeping shareholders (non technical folks who couldn't care less about CAD)happy.


I just found this article excerpt: "...they are in a position today where an acquisition is more realistic than at any time in recent history. They have a high value, and if they're looking at what's best for their stockholders, they have to consider this."


I rest my case, shareholders are more important than clients...


Is Dassault maybe stronger in this area with a better CAD/technical focus and commitment to R&D? Or not?
Edited by: pro_eek

 

[Metoo]

Well, if AutoJunk bought PTC at leastPTC wouldfinally make itinto21st century technology.


Who in their right mind would buy a company with an aged and dying product? The only thing PTC has going for them is that they have their own 3-d engine. In a world of 3-d modeling software that use either ACIS of ParaSolid, there are only a few companies that still use their own engine. For AutoJunk it might be advantageous to buy a company with a differnet 3-d engine, but even then, PTC's is aged and lacking. They haven't kept up with the market and the PTC engine often has trouble translating non-PTC formats, even the standards like IGES and STEP. Whatever the future holds, Pro-E is on the way out; fast if PTC gets bought, or slow and painful if not.

 

[jeff4136]

> if AutoJunk bought PTC at least PTC would
> finally make it into 21st century technology.


What "technology" has come out of Autodesk that you refer to?
Surely not "adaptive parts" and "segmented architecture"? ;^)


Kernel-wise, Autodesk is on ACIS r7.
That just squeaks by. (ACIS r19 was released last summer.)


> 3-d engine, but even then, PTC's is aged


The "technology" for all of them dates back to the '80s or earlier.
In part, why CAD is a 'commodity' and 'leading' developers are looking
for extended large account solutions; EPD, PDM, PLM, etc.


> and lacking


What, in particular?


> They haven't kept up with the market ...


Which "market"? "The", from cube farms to high end styling, is
too broad to address.


> ... and the PTC engine often has trouble translating
> non-PTC formats, even the standards like IGES and STEP.


CAUTION! Hazardous gaseous emissions. NO SMOKING WITHIN 50 FEET!
or can you produce some verifiable, quantitative fact indicating
substandard relative performance? It would be worth starting a
related discussion in the proper group if you can. I'd like to
see it.


> Whatever the future holds, Pro-E is on the way out;
> fast if PTC gets bought, or slow and painful if not.


Is PTC on the way out where you work? Fast or slow?
What's the application of the software? I'm always eager to learn
about the environments and backgrounds of outspoken industry analysts.
_ _ _ _ _


BTW, this is fun to watch ...
http://www.mcadforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9500
... and Bart got a plug. ;^)
Edited by: jeff4136

 

[[-Skint-]]

Based on small rumours of a sellout I dont think slating pro-e orptc as a company benefits anybody! PTC are a business... businesses do get bought and sold every day. Simple. If they are considering thier shareholders when talking about selling up whats wrong with that ? If I hold shares in anything ( which i do ) I would hope I et considered too when the sh*t hits the fan.


The important thing to discuss here is If/What will change to existing Pro-e/PTC users if the sale does go ahead. PTC are global, thousands of clients and customers. I dont think its legal or plausible to think PTC would go down the toilet with or without a buyout ?


Hell... Maybe a buyout would increase activity and intellectual property making PTC the best 3d software ever unrivalled by None.... we can but Hope

 

[prohammy]

Personally, I think that PTC are not looking to the other 3D providers as the buyers..... Look at Siemens and UGS, this would be a much more likely scenario. Thislooks likemore of a VC (any number of the bigger investment houses and/or global corps who would be interested in a move like this)move than a wholesale venture to me.


Kev

 

[mgnt8]

Pro-E is on the way out; fast if PTC gets bought, or slow and painful if not.

http://3dcadnews.blog.com/2749299/


"PTC Beats Microsoft, Dell, and All Other CAD/PLM in New Customer Affinity Poll"


They must not be polling mcacentral post-ers

 

[pro_eek]

The important thing to discuss here is If/What will change to existing Pro-e/PTC users if the sale does go ahead....


... Maybe a buyout would increase activity and intellectual property making PTC the best 3d software ever unrivalled by None....

Thanks Skint for offering a different perspective to my earlier musings. You're right, I suppose if someone's going to pay big bucks to buy PTC, they'll want to look after it and protect their investment. Maybe a change of guard is what Pro/E needs for future development...


Bart mentioned that Autodesk did a good job with the latest Maya release, so thats a positive..


I guess I still remember working for a web development company in the Internet boom/bust of 1998-2002. We were bought out twice with a fair number of unpleasantries that went with it. Some companies benefit from buyouts or mergers, some dont. I wonder what was the net gain or loss to Daimler Chrysler after their divorce..