Dassault Systèmes acquires Exalead

Dassault Systèmes, a provider of 3D and product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, has acquired Exalead, a Paris-based provider of search platforms and search-based applications (SBA) for consumer and business users, for approximately $165 million.

Exalead reports some 100 million people rely on its solution for information search, access and reporting. It further claims to have the industry's only platform designed from the ground up to apply advanced semantic processing to Web-scale data volumes and usage.

Says Exalead CEO Alain Cotte, "This alliance represents a tremendous opportunity for our partners and customers who will benefit from Dassault Systèmes' global presence." Exalead co-founder François Bourdoncle adds, "With our real-time search and natural language capabilities, Exalead provides a unique Web user experience. The combination with 3D represents the next generation of information technology for life-like experiences. With Dassault Systèmes, the number of people who will benefit from our technology will explode."