Alias Wavefront changes their name!

[Isrithe]

I guess you have already heard about alias wavefront changing the company name to just Alias. Why did they do this? I dont know. I just know that the companies 20th anniversary plays a part in it. Check out the new web site too, its awesome. Its www.alias.com or just the one you are used to www.aliaswavefront.com

[Professor Watkins]

Well, Alias used to be its own company - way back in the day. Wavefront, used to be its own company - way back in the day. And then one day - way back in the day - Alias bought Wavefront. Alias had a great modeler, but Wavefront had a great animation package (Power Animator). So, this blissful wedding (actually it was a mess) begat the spawn we know today as Maya.

Around that time SGI purchased AliasWavefront. Maya made huge strides in the 3D world (mostly because the reigning 3D giant, SoftImage, went 5 years (!) without an update (purchased by Microsoft, bought out from Microsoft, rewrote the entire package, etc...). Great timing for Maya.

So, SGI, with AliasWavefront as a child company fell upon very hard times. Mostly because Maya's top of the line stuff was selling for $20,000 per seat per year, and more and more mid-range programs (Lightwave, C4D in Europe, and Max) were introducing more and more of the same functions as Maya. AliasWavefront (with Maya and its HUGE R&D team) ended up pulling SGI down to the depths.

So, SGI spun AliasWavefront off into its own company. AliasWavefront has been successful in lowering its price into the realm of real people as it has needed to to compete with the other companies. They've laid off tons of the R&D department and closed all of their US offices down retreating to their home in Canada.

So now, SGI is doing better, and AliasWavefront was doing better. As time as gone on, the Alias team has been using less and less of the Wavefront stuff. And AliasWavefront is kind of a silly name. So, my guess is they just simplified back to the orignial company name of Alias.

And that, is the rough (facts drawn from memory, not documented) story of how Alias came to be, and, well, er...re-be.

[Isrithe]

great story! I didnt know that. Well maybe I did and I forgot, but COOL! Ive heard of Power Animator too. Well its just really cool to know that the company is going to back to its roots (in a way I guess) I wonder whats in store for future releases of maya software. I guess we just have to wait and find out.

But what will happen to Wavefront? Will the Wavefront people stay with Alias and refer to themseleves as employess of Alias or Wavefront? I guess both companies will probably go their separate ways. But they might stay together and do away with Wavefront all together.

[Professor Watkins]

Wavefront ceased to be a company a long time ago. When they became part of AliasWavefront, all their employees, scientists, etc...became part of the new parent organization. So, no one is going their separate ways; they're just going under a new name.

[Isrithe]

Great! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!