Leader in 3D design software also completes sale of Firehole Composites
Autodesk Inc., a global leader in 3D design software for manufacturing, building, construction, engineering and entertainment, is well positioned for a leading share in the Building Information Market (BIM) market, according to an analyst with investment bank and securities firm Jefferies Group LLC.
San Rafael, Calif.-based Autodesk sells BIM software to the design and engineering industries to help develop and manage building and infrastructure projects faster, more economically and with less environmental impact.
Jefferies analyst Ross MacMillan cited three takeaways from research provided by BIM expert, Steve Jones, of McGraw-Hill Construction, that point to Autodesk’s future success:
- BIM adoption up from 17 percent in 2007 to 71 percent in 2012, but penetration is low in many areas, i.e. 26 percent of engineers and 31 percent of contractors
- Autodesk is well positioned as a leading player in this market, though others are vying for share
- McGraw-Hill sees acceleration in construction industry growth from 7 percent this year to 17 percent in 2014
In related news, Autodesk said it completed the acquisition of Firehole Technologies (dba Firehole Composites), a privately held company specializing in design and analysis software for composite materials.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Autodesk said the purchase of Laramie, Wyo.-based Firehole will allow it to grow its expertise and technology platform to help customers across the design and engineering industries.
“As manufacturers move to more complex material such as light weight composites, new simulation technology is required to predict and optimize the performance of these materials,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president for Autodesk’s design, lifecycle and simulation products.
Autodesk will sell and support Firehole’s existing product line, which includes Helius:MCT and Helius:CompositePro. But the company also plans to enhance the technology for closer integration with its own product portfolio.
