PTC (software company)

Products

PTC has six core product families: Creo, Windchill, Mathcad, Integrity, Servigistics, ThingWorx. The Company's technology is primarily used by discrete manufacturers to design, operate and maintain complex products. PTC's technology is also used to connect products to the Internet for purposes of capturing and analyzing information from them.

PTC Creo

The PTC CAD product provides a set of Computer Aided Design capabilities. PTC CAD is a suite of 2D and 3D product design software used to create, analyze and view product designs. PTC Creo software was released in June 2011 to replace and supersede PTC’s products formerly known as Pro/ENGINEER, CoCreate, and ProductView. Other products include:

PTC Windchill

Web-based database software that provides access to product information like MCAD and ECAD data files, process documents, and software engineering information. The PTC Windchill product provides a set of PLM Product Lifecycle Management capabilities and consists of the following products:

PTC Integrity

The PTC Integrity product provides a set of Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) and Systems Engineering capabilities and consists of the following products:

PTC Servigistics

Service lifecycle management SLM software that is used by manufacturers to understand how service planning, customer service, and analysis of returned product data can improve service value over a product’s life. PTC SLM productset includes:

ThingWorx

A platform for the rapid development of applications designed for smart, connected sensors, devices, and products – or the Internet of Things.

Axeda

A cloud-based service and software for managing connected products and machines and implementing Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Vuforia

Vuforia is an Augmented Reality Software Development Kit (SDK) for mobile devices that enables the creation of Augmented Reality applications.

Implementer

The PTC Implementer product is a Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) system for the IBM i platform.

History

1985 - Company founded by Samuel Geisberg, and Mike Payne formerly from Prime Computer, Computervision, and Applicon.
1988 - Steve Walske named CEO. Company shipped Pro/ENGINEER and was considered first to market with parametric modeling design software. This positions PTC as a leader in the CAD industry until the mid-1990s when a new generation of low-cost competitors arrive in the market.
1989 - Initial public offering. (NASDAQ: PMTC)
1992 - Caterpillar Inc. becomes PTC’s largest customer.
1996 - PTC acquires Reflex project modeling and management software technology sold the following year to the Beck Group.
1998 - Company ships Windchill and is considered first to market with internet-based solutions for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).
1999 - PTC announces it has 25,000 customers. Major industries include aerospace, retail/footwear/apparel, automotive, industrial equipment, consumer products, electronics, and high tech.
1999 - Acquired Division Group (Division Ltd, Bristol Uk, Division Inc) Virtual reality - dVision Head Mounted Display & Software

2002 - The company releases Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire. This is the first CAD system to support web-based services.
2005 - Acquired Arbortext for technical publishing technology. Acquired Aptavis for retail, footwear and apparel technology.
2006 - Acquired Mathsoft for its engineering calculation software. Acquired ITEDO for its 3D technical illustration software.
2007 - Acquired CoCreate for its direct modeling technology.
2008 - Acquired Synapsis for its performance analytics technology to improve environmental performance of products.
2009 - Acquired Relex Software for its reliability engineering software.
2010 - James E. Heppelmann announced as CEO effective October 1, 2010. Company renames Pro/ENGINEER to PTC Creo and promises the market product design software that is scalable, open, and easy-to-use.
2011 - Acquired 4CS for its warranty, service, support and service parts technology. Acquired MKS for its application lifecycle management technology for all software development processes.
2012 - Acquired Servigistics for its suite of service lifecycle management software.
2013 - Acquired NetIDEAS hosting vendor for more technology deployment options. Acquired Enigma for its ability to deliver technical content to aftermarket service environments. Acquired Internet of Things platform developer ThingWorx for their software applications that connect and track network-enabled products.

2013 - Acquired ThingWorx, the Exton, Pennsylvania-based creators of an award-winning platform for building and running applications for the Internet of Things (IoT).
2014 - Acquired Axeda Corporation
2014 - Acquired ATEGO Software, a leader in MBSE (model-based systems engineering) tool used in aerospace, transportation, and automotive industries (such as Alstom Transport and Rolls-Royce Defence)

2015 - Acquired the Vuforia business from Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. The Vuforia™ platform is the industry’s most advanced and widely adopted augmented reality (AR) technology platform.

2015 - Acquired Kepware, a software development company that provides communications connectivity to industrial automation environments.

Companies acquired by PTC

Support of STEM Education

In 1999, PTC created a Global Academic Program designed to support educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills. The program aims to partner schools and universities with companies to assist students in developing real-world skills needed for careers in manufacturing, technology, and other STEM jobs. The program also has a direct recruitment program intended to place students in jobs with PTC’s commercial customers.

PTC has also been a corporate sponsor of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) since 2008, providing participating students with access to PTC software for use in the FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Lego League, and FIRST World Championship.

Awards and accolades

4th Annual Postscapes Internet of Things (IoT) Awards: