Autodesk Completes Purchase of Alias

The merger between Autodesk and Alias, begun in October when Autodesk announced its intention to acquire the tools developer, has been completed. Autodesk paid $197 million in cash for Alias, developer of the Maya 3D graphics tool, which will be added to Autodesk's existing stable of tools including 3ds Max and AutoCAD. The Alias line of products will be integrated with the Manufacturing Solutions and Media & Entertainment arms of Autodesk, as well as Autodesk's consulting branch. Autodesk will continue the development and support of Alias products in addition to developing its own software, and will work on increasing compatibility and interoperability between the two. Personnel changes as a result of the merger include a few Alias management staffers joining Autodesk: Dave Wharry, Alias' VP of global sales and marketing, is now VP of sales for Autodesk's Media & Entertainment branch, and Michael Besner, Alias' VP of business development for emerging markets, is now Autodesk's Media & Entertainment 3D product manager. Alias' offices in Toronto will remain open as a branch of Autodesk. No layoffs or staff cuts were announced. As a result of the completed purchase, Autodesk is expecting net revenues from $409 to $419 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2006, with earnings per share of 31 cents to 33 cents. "We're excited to welcome Alias customers, partners and employees to Autodesk," said Autodesk COO Carl Bass. "The acquisition of Alias is about fulfilling Autodesk's vision: To give design and creative professionals the best software tools for realizing their ideas. Customers are demanding the next generation of 3D photorealistic visualization and animation tools, and we are poised to deliver. In the future, 3D assets will be created once and shared across a range of industries, from automotive and architectural design to films and games. This will be enabled by Autodesk technology."