Autodesk to Buy MoldFlow

The press release says, "This agreement demonstrates Autodesk’s commitment to provide a comprehensive Digital Prototyping solution to manufacturers of all sizes, giving them the ability to optimize, validate and improve their designs earlier in the process. The acquisition will make analysis capabilities for plastics manufacturing available to manufacturers using Autodesk Digital Prototyping solution."

Brings to mind the words of Buzz Cross that I heard at COFES 2008, "Over the next ten years we will buy companies that have digital prototyping technologies that can be integrated into Inventor."

While the rest run after PLM, Autodesk seems to be running in the different direction. If digital prototyping is eventually going to solve people's problems, then by the time others realise it, there may not be any companies left to buy.