SDRC
Encyclopedia
SDRC was a leading company specializing in MCAE (Mechanical Computer Aided Engineering) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management
) software.
in 1967, as a consulting company specializing in structural
dynamics
, or how mechanical
parts vibrate
. US Steel was a primary customer and early investor, until selling their shares to General Electric
in the early 80's.
To aid in its consulting, the company wrote software to simulate and predict vibration. Companies began asking for rights to use this software, and thus SDRC entered the software market. In the 70s, SDRC became known as a Finite Element and Modelling company, and during the 80s and 90s became one of the leading companies in solid modeling and analysis. SDRC (Lemon) is well known globally as one of the first to coin the term "MCAE" (Mechanical Computer Aided Engineering) in the 70's. Dr. Lemon left SDRC in 1982 to form a new start up in 1983, International TechneGroup Incorporated; focused on applying CAE early in product development to lead design, a methodology known as CP/PD (Concurrent Product and Process Development).
Among several technologies pioneered by SDRC, it was one of the first companies to introduce a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, as a result of its joint venture with Control Data. The product, Metaphase, eventually became the sole property of SDRC.
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr15325.txt
Philip Present and William Scanlon were sanctioned by the SEC, with restrictions on their accounting practice and ability to represent public companies imposed by SEC action.
" Present and Scanlon were also aware that audit differences, representing 22% of the net income originally reported by SDRC for 1993, were not reflected in SDRC's 1993 financial statements"
in 2001 for a reported $950 million. SDRC was merged with EDS subsidiary UGS Corp.. The new combined company operated as and EDS PLM Solutions from 2001 through 2004. EDS sold off in its CAD/PLM software business to a team of private equity firms in 2004. The new UGS Corp. operated as an independent, privately held company before being purchased by Siemens AG
in 2007.
was SDRC's Computer-aided design
software package
. SDRC was bought by Electronic Data Systems
in 2001. Unigraphics and I-DEAS were merged into one product, NX
. I-deas is still published by Siemens PLM Software, the successor to UGS Corp.
Metaphase was SDRC's Product Lifecycle Management
product. It was best suited designed for managing CAD
data. Metaphase is now published under the Teamcenter Enterprise name by Siemens PLM Software.
Product lifecycle management
In industry, product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal...
) software.
History
SDRC was formed by engineers, led by then associate professor Dr. Jason R. Lemon, from the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1967, as a consulting company specializing in structural
Structural failure
Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations...
dynamics
Dynamics (mechanics)
In the field of physics, the study of the causes of motion and changes in motion is dynamics. In other words the study of forces and why objects are in motion. Dynamics includes the study of the effect of torques on motion...
, or how mechanical
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
parts vibrate
Oscillation
Oscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states. Familiar examples include a swinging pendulum and AC power. The term vibration is sometimes used more narrowly to mean a mechanical oscillation but sometimes...
. US Steel was a primary customer and early investor, until selling their shares to General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in the early 80's.
To aid in its consulting, the company wrote software to simulate and predict vibration. Companies began asking for rights to use this software, and thus SDRC entered the software market. In the 70s, SDRC became known as a Finite Element and Modelling company, and during the 80s and 90s became one of the leading companies in solid modeling and analysis. SDRC (Lemon) is well known globally as one of the first to coin the term "MCAE" (Mechanical Computer Aided Engineering) in the 70's. Dr. Lemon left SDRC in 1982 to form a new start up in 1983, International TechneGroup Incorporated; focused on applying CAE early in product development to lead design, a methodology known as CP/PD (Concurrent Product and Process Development).
Among several technologies pioneered by SDRC, it was one of the first companies to introduce a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, as a result of its joint venture with Control Data. The product, Metaphase, eventually became the sole property of SDRC.
Financial Scandal
On September 14, 1994, SDRC announced that it would be forced to restate its previously-announced earnings. Months later, it was revealed that the Company had overstated its revenue over the three previous years by a combined total of $68 million, citing improprieties in its Far East reseller operations. After the scheme was disclosed, $30 million in SDRC software was discovered in a warehouse at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.Company executives fined
On April 11, 1997, the former chairman of SDRC and four other former company executives agreed Thursday to pay $1.5 million to settle charges that the Milford software company artificially inflated earnings and revenues from 1992 to 1994. Vice president Tony Tolani paid the government $1 million; Chairman/CEO Ron Friedsam was fined $100,000; CFO Ron Hoffman paid $200,000, VP Robert Fischer, $157,000; and Controller Dick LaJoie, $25,000. The resulting class-action shareholder lawsuit was settled on November 21, 1997, with SDRC agreeing to pay $37.5 million in payouts to affected shareholders.http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/lr15325.txt
Auditors sanctioned
The SEC also sanctioned the KPMG audit partners responsible for independent audits of company financials at the time.Philip Present and William Scanlon were sanctioned by the SEC, with restrictions on their accounting practice and ability to represent public companies imposed by SEC action.
" Present and Scanlon were also aware that audit differences, representing 22% of the net income originally reported by SDRC for 1993, were not reflected in SDRC's 1993 financial statements"
Acquisition
SDRC was purchased by EDSElectronic Data Systems
HP Enterprise Services is the global business and technology services division of Hewlett Packard's HP Enterprise Business strategic business unit. It was formed by the combination of HP's legacy services consulting and outsourcing business and the integration of acquired Electronic Data Systems,...
in 2001 for a reported $950 million. SDRC was merged with EDS subsidiary UGS Corp.. The new combined company operated as and EDS PLM Solutions from 2001 through 2004. EDS sold off in its CAD/PLM software business to a team of private equity firms in 2004. The new UGS Corp. operated as an independent, privately held company before being purchased by Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
in 2007.
Products
I-DEASI-DEAS
I-DEAS , a Computer-aided design software package. It was originally produced by Structural Dynamics Research Corporation in 1982. I-DEAS was used primarily in the automotive industry, most notably by Ford Motor Company and by General Motors...
was SDRC's Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
software package
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
. SDRC was bought by Electronic Data Systems
Electronic Data Systems
HP Enterprise Services is the global business and technology services division of Hewlett Packard's HP Enterprise Business strategic business unit. It was formed by the combination of HP's legacy services consulting and outsourcing business and the integration of acquired Electronic Data Systems,...
in 2001. Unigraphics and I-DEAS were merged into one product, NX
NX (Unigraphics)
NX, also known as NX Unigraphics or usually just U-G, is an advanced CAD/CAM/CAE software package developed by Siemens PLM Software.It is used, among other tasks, for:* Design...
. I-deas is still published by Siemens PLM Software, the successor to UGS Corp.
Metaphase was SDRC's Product Lifecycle Management
Product lifecycle management
In industry, product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal...
product. It was best suited designed for managing CAD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
data. Metaphase is now published under the Teamcenter Enterprise name by Siemens PLM Software.