Hexagon AB to acquire simulation major MSC Software

MSC Software Corporation, a global leader in helping product manufacturers to advance their engineering methods with CAE simulation software and services, has announced that it has reached an agreement to be bought by Hexagon AB.  The acquisition is expected to be completed in April 2017.

The Stockholm-based, London-headquartered Hexagon AB is a leading global provider of information technologies that drive productivity and quality across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications. Hexagon will acquire MSC Software including its renowned simulation software for virtual product and manufacturing process development.

With over 3 billion euros in sales and 16,000 employees across the globe, Hexagon is a growing force in segments ranging from automotive to civil engineering, from oil and gas to aerospace, agriculture and surveying.

The acquisition strengthens Hexagon’s ability to connect the traditionally separate stages of design and production – integrating real-world data generated on the production floor with simulation data to further improve a customer’s ability to reveal and correct design limitations and production problems prior to manufacturing.

MSC to be run as an independent business unit
MSC will continue to run as an independent business unit within Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence (MI) division. MI's main businesses are in the automotive, aerospace, machinery, consumer electronics and other discrete manufacturing markets, and is increasingly focused on offering end-to-end solutions in these workflows. Process-oriented solutions are essential for manufacturers, and MSC's solutions address key design and engineering processes.

"Our mission continues to be laser-focused on driving leadership in simulation tools, with solutions from materials to systems, said Dominic Gallello, president and CEO of MSC Software. "We will continue to work toward delivering breakthrough value to our customers. Although our mission and roadmap does not change, we anticipate that our ability to offer additional process oriented solutions from design to manufacturing will be enhanced by joining forces with Hexagon."

"MSC represents a game-changer in our mission to deliver actionable manufacturing intelligence, taking us another step closer to realizing our smart connected factory vision in discrete manufacturing industries such as automotive and aerospace," said Hexagon president and CEO Ola Rollén. "We can now leverage the data our MI division is generating to improve design choices and processes upstream in the workflow. The acquisition will also open up new markets and touchpoints for MSC via our Process, Power & Marine division."

Also read: Interview with Dominic Gallello, MSC Software Corp's president and CEO