Autodesk has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Alias , a privately held developer of 3D graphics technology, for $182 million in cash. Alias is the maker of Maya.
The acquisition however is still subject to a number of closing conditions, including
However when it goes through, this acquisition will grow Autodesk’s product offerings in; design of consumer products and automotive as well as in the media and entertainment markets. The company hopes the transaction will close within the next four to six months.
Carl Bass, COO of Autodesk said, “Alias’ technology spans several of our most important markets and augments the synergy between our design and media businesses. Our design customers are demanding more powerful visualization, animation and publishing capabilities. Our media and entertainment customers are increasingly using the data created by our design applications for broadcast, film and games projects. By combining the technology and talents of our two companies, we will be better able to continue delivering solutions that address our customers’ complex needs.”
Founded as Alias Research in 1983, the Toronto, Canada based company has customers from entertainment and manufacturing industry, including Industrial Light & Magic, DreamWorks SKG, Nintendo, General Motors and BMW.
Alias revenues were US$83 million in the fiscal year ended June 30 2005; its product lines comprise sketching, animation, visual effects, design, modeling, rendering and reviewing solutions. Alias MotionBuilder is Alias’ 3D character animation product; Alias FBX is widely used in the exchange and use of 3D content, and Maya –the company’s Academy Award-winning 3D application. These products will be combined with Autodesk’s offering in the film and video and interactive games segments. Alias StudioTools – software for design tasks from 2D sketches to production models – will add industrial design and visualization capabilities to Autodesk’s manufacturing solutions. The company will continue to develop the Alias product lines in conjunction with Autodesk’s complementary products and technologies.
“This acquisition is designed to leverage the strengths of both companies,” stated Doug Walker, president and CEO of Alias.