Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Alias In Acquisition Talks With Private Equity Firm

Posted by simoniker on from the sydney-goes-to-hollywood dept.

TeachingMachines writes "Alias, the makers of the venerable Maya 3D animation and effects software, have announced their possible sale to an unnamed 3rd party, described as a 'leading private equity investment firm'. Alias is currently owned by SGI, and the transaction is still considered to be tentative. I, for one, hope that SGI holds onto Alias, as in its current state it is arguably the best 3D modelling and animation suite available, and it is available for Linux. Cross your fingers..."

5 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. History.... by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...says it'll be Apple.

  2. Better Apart from the Sinking SGI Ship by DaRat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's better if Alias separated itself from the sinking ship that is SGI. SGI is really losing its ability to hold onto any market share very quickly, and it's better that Alias avoids getting sucked down with SGI in an implosion.

  3. Apple is doing this! by TheKidWho · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I bet you Apple is the un named third party. This year they are going to have a HUGE presence at SIGGRAPH 04, and I bet you this is one of those reasons. Apple is looking for domintation in markets it currently has an edge in, namely music production and video production. And Apple seems to be doing this job very well. Coupled with Renderman for the G5, and Shake + Final Cut Pro + Maya + Renderman + Logic Pro, and the mac does everything you need for movie production

  4. Re:In a word,... by Watts+Martin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't know. If Microsoft was particularly worried about Apple 'controlling' that market, they'd be more likely to buy a controlling interest in Avid, which they're already a heavy investor in. Remember, Microsoft actually owned Softimage for a few years.

    I doubt the "private equity firm" is actually a major existing vendor in disguise, despite all the intrigue people can theorize on if it were. It's more likely to be a group like Vector Capital, the folks who bought Corel last year--in other words, a group that's, well, a private equity firm.

  5. Re:Maya ain't free by kidgenius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    pussyfooting around the whole OSS issue How the hell is Maya "pussyfooting" around OSS? It isnt' OSS. MatLAB makes a linux version that you can only buy. B/c they are closed source and making software for linux means they are pussyfooting around something? Just b/c someone makes software for an OSS OS (gnu/linux) does not mean that they have to give their software out for free.