Unity Technologies has agreed to acquire Parsec, a high-performance remote desktop and streaming technology company, for $320 million in cash as both sides look to a cloud streaming-focused future.
This deal opens multiple avenues for the Unity game and development engine, which is already one of the leading platforms for creating and operating content across phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices, to expand even further.
Unity and Parsec plan to, eventually, provide a cloud service option that will allow creators to work from any location using any device available to them. That will be achieved through a seamless cloud infrastructure that is capable of delivering real-time 3D experiences and supporting the high-fidelity, interactive, and immersive work of game development and creative professionals.
“When Chris Dickson and I started Parsec, we believed Parsec’s ultra-low latency streaming technology could allow anyone in the world to remotely interact with real-time 3D content,” Parsec’s CEO and co-founder Benjy Boxer said. “In the past year, Parsec has empowered the world’s most inspiring and creative companies to freely work and play from anywhere, on any device, on their own terms. We’re thrilled to partner with Unity, where we can offer even more creators this same kind of liberating access to content and technology.”
As part of this acquisition, Unity cited the importance of supporting options for hybrid working and collaboration models moving forward as a deciding factor.
Parsec is already an industry leader in untethering users from an office environment, while still allowing them high-level performance processing no matter the location, device, or platform and delivering low latency, ultra-high-definition desktop streaming. The platform also offers privacy, security, and other management tools for supporting creators.
“With the workplace becoming more flexible, teams expanding and collaborating across multiple locations and creators leveraging a myriad of new devices, it’s clear that the creative process will evolve from on-premise devices to flexible and cost-effective cloud architectures,” senior vice president and general manager of Create solutions at Unity Marc Whitten said. “Parsec has addressed the unique requirements to support this type of high-performance processing no matter where creators are, showcasing technology that is both highly innovative and prescient. We believe Parsec is a rocket ship and we’re very excited to support their future growth.”
Large gaming companies like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Square Enix utilize Parsec to run their hybrid work models. Unity views this acquisition as a boost across the board since Parsec is also integrated with other areas around industries where it sells solutions, such as entertainment, architecture, and design, offering an “opportunity to drive shared momentum with these customers through targeted cross-selling and bundled solutions.”
The deal is expected to close at some point during Unity’s Q3.
