KatsBits Community

General Category => News => Topic started by: kat on May 19, 2012, 11:59:24 PM

Title: SketchUp acquired by Trimble
Post by: kat on May 19, 2012, 11:59:24 PM
SketchUp is being taken over by another company, Trimble. You can read the official blog on Google letting SketchUp go here (http://sketchupdate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/new-home-for-sketchup.html), and from Trimble here, SketchUp to become part of Trimble (http://ww2.trimble.com/3d/)".
Quote
On April 26, 2012, Trimble announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SketchUp® from Google. SketchUp is one of the most popular 3D modeling tools in the world. As part of the SketchUp platform, Trimble will also partner with Google on running and developing SketchUp's 3D Warehouse, an online repository where users can find, share, store and collaborate on 3D models.
Who are Trimble? No idea, but they have a billion dollar turnover (http://ww2.trimble.com/corporate/about_at_glance.aspx). They also primarily provide "...solutions [that] are focused on applications requiring position or location - including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping.[1] (http://investor.trimble.com/)". Although press releases from both companies say the SketchUp will grow under the new ownership, as with all these things, no guarantees to that affect are provided (or can be provided?), especially if their purchase is to enhance proprietary technology for their own systems and services (which is one of the reasons for the acquisition).