PTC has acquired Logistics Business Systems (LBS) of Preston, UK, a
vendor of integrated logistics support (ILS) solutions to the aerospace
& defense (A&D) and civil aviation industries. LBS products are already
integrated with PTC Arbortext products. PTC says the acquisition allows
PTC to offer the only turn-key solution for S1000D-compliant technical
publications, provisioning, training and e-learning, and logistics
support analysis. The acquisition also gives PTC a new way to sell
Arbortext, sales of which are below expectations since PTC acquired it
in 2005.
S1000D is an international specification for the procurement and
production of technical publications. It is an SGML/XML standard for
preparing, managing, and using equipment maintenance and operations
information. It was initially developed by the AeroSpace and Defence
Industries Association of Europe (ASD) for use with military aircraft.
The standard has since been modified for use with land, sea, and
commercial equipment. The S1000D standard is maintained by an
association that includes board members from ASD, the United States’
Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), and the Air Transport
Association (ATA), as well as various national industry and defense
organizations. The logo at the S1000D organizational home page says
“Recycle Tech Info: It’s the Responsible Thing to Do.”
PTC says the combination of PTC and LBS will facilitate the reuse of
product design and configuration data such as CAD, BOM, change
management information and logistics information. Using the products,
A&D and civil aviation organizations will be able to deliver
standards-compliant product support information in a variety of formats,
including technical publications, illustrated parts catalogs, and
training materials.
PTC says it plans to offer the LBS solutions both as standalone
products and integrated with other PTC solutions, and that it plans to
maintain interoperability and integration with various CAD and PLM
solutions. PTC would not commit to release dates for any new products or
integrations as a result of the acquisition.
The price or terms of the deal were not announced. Generally this
means the price will be consider “immaterial” to the company’s profits.
Read more...
