North Bay Business Journal

Social media isn’t magic. It won’t fix a broken product or business model. It’s simply a reflection of you and your business.

That said, a social media campaign wouldn’t be successful without a well-thought-out road map for success. Just like having a business plan, planning your social media actions gives you greater odds of achieving your goals.

SAN RAFAEL — Autodesk Inc., (NASDAQ: ADSK) today said it completed the acquisition of a Wyoming-based developer of software for design and analysis of composite materials.

SAN RAFAEL — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today reported fourth-quarter revenue increased 2 percent from a year before and full-year sales went up 4 percent.

PETALUMA — Bringing the paper-based practices of the California Department of Motor Vehicles into the digital age has put startup software developer AVRS in the fast lane toward growth.

SAN RAFAEL — Three-dimensional-design software maker Autodesk Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), today said it finished the acquisition of PI-VR, a privately held German developer of simulation software for automobile manufacturers.

SAN RAFAEL — Autodesk Inc, the leader in licensed computer-aided design software, has launched a free 3-D design application.

Available to iPad, Mac and PC users and accessible by any mobile device with a web browser is 123D Design, an easy-to-use modeling and sharing tool that Autodesk hopes will tweak the creative impulses of potential future designers and manufacturers. Its the first 3-D modeling app in the 123D Design line.

SAN RAFAEL — Video game developer and publisher Telltale Inc. has quite a tale of success to tell with its story-based episodic entertainment such as The Walking Dead fast-selling series, and now the 8-year-old company is planning to nearly double the size of its studio in an expansion this spring.

NAPA — Wine business software developer Elypsis merged with Admiral IT of Denmark, effective Oct. 1.

NOVATO — 2K, a video-game publishing label of New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software (Nasdaq: TTWO), is expanding its 64,000-square-foot Novato headquarters and two development studios by 30 percent.

NORTH BAY – Companies in the North Bay and beyond are increasingly turning to “the cloud” when upgrading their accounting systems, embracing an Internet-based approach that local accounting professionals said can result in a reduction of IT and other costs associated with storing and processing that information in-house.

SAN RAFAEL — While a number of suppliers offer a range of BIM-related software, the leading North Bay developer is Autodesk of San Rafael, a firm that has been expanding its portfolio of advanced 3D building design software modules since 2002 when it acquired the Revit Technology Corporation.

The main aim of any accounting software is its use as a business management tool in assessing the fiscal health of one’s business. For business owners, selecting the right accounting software means the ability to post transactions in a way that’s meaningful to your business. This translates into greater clarity into financial results and the ability to create operational reports that help managers run the business.

SAN RAFAEL — After nearly six years at 950 Northgate Drive, Electrified Games, Inc., maker of award-winning digital online role-playing and strategy games, is expanding to 10,130 square feet of top-class office space at 100 Smith Ranch Road, in the Regency Center Office Complex.

NAPA — Microworks Technologies, a locally based developer of direct sales management software for the wine industry, is expanding as the needs of wineries for their tasting rooms, wine clubs and other direct-to-consumer channels change.

SAN RAFAEL — Telltale Games, publisher of movie-like episodic games, today said it closed a $7 million round of series C funding that will be used to launch new products on multiple gaming and computer platforms and consumer electronics.

ROHNERT PARK — Michael Slater, a veteran of the Internet and Internet conferences, believes the North Bay is ready for its own web design conclave.

SAN RAFAEL — Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) today announced that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Ridge Numerics Inc., a provider of simulation software, for about $39 million in cash.

SAN RAFAEL — Autodesk, Inc. today announced it intends to acquire Scaleform Corporation, a privately held user-interface tools and middleware company, for approximately $36 million in cash.

SAN RAFAEL — Mobile banking and payments software developer ClairMail Inc. today said it landed $13.8 million in late-stage financing. The company plans to use the money to expand its technology and services, according to a statement.

SANTA ROSA and PETALUMA — Three of Sonoma County’s newest tech companies have widely diverse products: ultra-short pulse lasers, microinverters for the solar industry and project portfolio management software. But Raydiance, Enphase Energy and Métier are alike in three ways: they each arrived within the last four years, they each consciously chose the North Bay to locate their headquarters or a major center and all three are growing as fast as they can find qualified staff.