Dancing on the heals of the acquisition by 3D Systems, Alibre Design (now rebranded to Geomagic Design) has found an FEA partner.
Previously partnered with Algor until Algor was purchased by Autodesk, Geomagic Design has developed a new partnership with NISA. Although Geomagic Design can't advertise its bargain basement prices as its most valuable selling point anymore due to a recent string of price increases (Remember when it was $99?), it is still less expensive than most mid-range competitors. Finding an FEA solution to reach that target market is no small matter and one that is welcomed by the busy hobbyist and small-business professional.
NISA is a new name to me, but has been around for more than 35 years. Up until the Alibre/Geomagic announcement though, the last news post on NISA's website was 2012 when version 18 was released. If I were a Geomagic/NISA user, or even a potential user, I'd be a little concerned with the longevity of this arrangement. I have a feeling release schedules, and therefore compatibility, are not going to align too often if NISA updates are more than a year apart. Only time will tell. In the meantime, seeing a partnership between CAD and FEA is always good news.