UGS Corp.
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| UGS Corporation | |
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| Fate | Purchased and integrated into Siemens AG |
| Successor | Siemens PLM Software |
| Founded | 1963, Torrance, California |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Location | Plano, Texas |
| Industry | aerospace/defense automotive and transportation electronics and telecommunications fabrication and assembly |
| Products | PLM software and services — Teamcenter, NX, Tecnomatix, UGS Velocity Series |
| Key people | Tony Affuso, Chuck Grindstaff, John Graham, David Shirk |
| Peak size | 7300 (February 2007) employees |
| Former Parent | McDonnell Douglas, 1976 - 1991 EDS, 1991 - 2004 |
UGS was a computer software company specializing in 3D & 2D Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. Siemens completed its $3.5 billion acquisition of UGS on May 7, 2007. The company became a division of Siemens Automation & Drives group, and was headquartered in Plano, Texas. When the acquisition completed, the company name was temporarily changed to UGS PLM Software before becoming Siemens PLM Software on October 1, 2007.
UGS' flagship products were NX, a CAD/CAM/CAE commercial software suite, and Teamcenter, an integrated set of PLM and collaboration (cPD) tools. The company's portfolio also contained NX I-deas, NX Nastran, Solid Edge, Imageware, Tecnomatix, Jack, SDK, Femap, D-Cubed, JT, PLM Vis, PLM XML, and Parasolid.
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[edit] History
The first commercial product developed by what is now known as UGS was called UNIAPT. Released in 1969 by a software company then called United Computing, UNIAPT was one of the world's first end-user CAM products. United Computing was founded in 1963 above a hair salon in Torrance, California, and went on to purchase the Automated Drafting and Machining (ADAM) software code from MGS in 1973. The code became a foundation for a product called UNI-GRAPHICS, later sold commercially as Unigraphics in 1975.
The following year, United Computing was acquired by the Aerospace company McDonnell Douglas, who created new CAD/CAM divisions, naming one the Unigraphics Group. Finally, in 1980, Unigraphics was released, marking the group's first true 3D modeling hardware and software offering.
Already home to McDonnell Douglas, the Unigraphics Group grew in St. Louis, Missouri, which became the new headquarters. In 1991, the McDonnell Douglas Systems Integration groups, including Unigraphics, were acquired by EDS, calling the new group EDS Unigraphics. Eventually, in 1997 EDS set up its Unigraphics division as a wholly owned subsidiary called Unigraphics Solutions. EDS took Unigraphics Solutions public while continuing to own majority controlling shares in Unigraphics. During this time, Unigraphics acquired a few companies itself including Engineering Animation, Inc., the former Ames, Iowa-based visualization company.
In 1999 the company acquired Applicon, a long term player in the EDA field.
In 2001, the company was renamed to UGS. EDS repurchased all outstanding stock and acquired SDRC - a former competitor of Unigraphics - and merged both into a single Line of Business (LOB) named EDS PLM Solutions. In 2004 EDS sold off its EDS PLM Solutions business to the private equity group of Bain Capital, Silver Lake Partners and Warburg Pincus.
In 2005, UGS purchased Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd.
On January 24, 2007 the German electronics giant Siemens AG announced that they would acquire UGS for $3.5 billion. When the deal completed, UGS became part of Siemens Automation & Drives group as the UGS PLM Software division before being renamed to Siemens PLM Software. Siemens PLM will provide hardware, software and services for Siemens' digital factory. [1]
[edit] Shareholders
UGS, now known as Siemens PLM Software, is wholly owned by Siemens AG. [2]
[edit] References
- Wayne Carlson (2003). A Critical History of Computer Graphics and Animation, Section 10: CAD/CAM/CADD/CAE. The Ohio State University. Retrieved on January 9, 2006.
- UGS (2005). About Us: Facts & Philosophy: Company Timeline. Retrieved on January 9, 2006.
