Bechtle AG acquires DPS Software GmbH, based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, south Germany with 14 sales offices throughout the country, three locations in Austria, and two in Switzerland. The company, founded in 1997 and specialising in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software from Dassault Systèmes, currently employs 213 people and in 2019 achieved revenues of just under 50 million euros. Further subsidiaries of DPS Software in Poland and the Czech Republic and the ERP business with the vendor Sage, part of DPS Business Solutions GmbH and Datatronic AG, will remain under the control of the CEO Dr Thomas Rubbe as part of the NTR holding company. The other CEOs, Detlef Jessulat and Dr Marcus Knieps, will remain in their roles and act for DPS Software under the Bechtle umbrella. Manfred Gravius, founder and former executive partner is leaving the company due to his planned retirement. DPS Software will continue to operate as a SOLIDWORKS systems integrator in the future under its established name. The acquisition remains subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities.
Over the course of 23 years, DPS has cemented its position in the market and supports customers core processes for all product lifecycle tasks and phases. Their software, consulting, and service offering is based on standard products from software vendors Dassault Systèmes, SolidCAM and their own modules and solutions including consulting services, implementation, support and training. DPS’ customers include some 6,000 companies from construction-intensive industries such as the mechanical engineering, plant manufacturing, automotive suppliers, electrical engineering, engineering services, consumer goods, aeronautic, and medical engineering sectors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which they provide with complete solutions for production and development. DPS is a certified partner for SOLIDWORKS and SolidCAM, covering these vendors’ entire product ranges.
Detlef Jessulat sees the merger with Bechtle and the particular opportunity to develop DPS in a larger company environment as a positive signal for customers and employees: “With their comprehensive IT portfolio, Bechtle AG provides us with the right environment to allow our company to develop further in terms of offering our customers even better consulting. I think we are very well positioned for the future. I am particularly pleased for our excellent employees and our very successful customers.”
The acquisition means that Bechtle can expand its 3D CAD expertise in the area of product development solutions. In Germany, Bechtle is represented in the market by specialists SolidLine, Solidpro, Coffee, HCV Data, and C-CAM, in Austria by planetsoftware and in Switzerland by Solid Solutions. The Bechtle Group has been a SOLIDWORKS partner for ten years and always has the highest certification status with key CAD software vendors.
Michael Guschlbauer, COO, IT Systems Integration & Managed Services, Bechtle AG: “DPS brings more outstandingly trained specialists to Bechtle, who have ensured excellent customer loyalty and great entrepreneurial success over the past years. We are happy to be able to become one powerful unit together.”
The purchase price and conditions remain confidential, as usual.
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