The Stuttgart-based software company Innovative Software Services (iss) and the machine vision provider Matrix Vision from Oppenweiler are now part of Balluff. The corresponding contracts were signed in July and August after a negotiation phase lasting around six months. 160 employees will join the family-owned company, and the locations in Stuttgart-Vaihingen and Oppenweiler will remain.

The two new companies in the Group enrich the sensor provider's core competencies in two areas: software development and machine vision. The integration is an important building block in the company's strategic orientation: "In particular, the combination of our network technology with the software expertise of both companies helps us to deliver even better integrated automation solutions from a single source," says Balluff Managing Director Florian Hermle. "The know-how of iss and Matrix Vision and their employees will help us to make even better and faster use of the great growth opportunities offered by digitalization and to expand our portfolio in both hardware and software."

iss specializes in tools, test systems, processes and standardization in software development. As for Balluff itself, the automotive and supplier industry is the most important customer group for the company, which was founded in 1996, and its 60 employees. Within the Balluff Group, iss will take on the role of internal software specialist.

Matrix Vision's product portfolio complements Balluff's range in an area that has played a comparatively small role to date, namely camera-based sensor technology. Founded in 1986, the company and its 100 employees specialize in the development and sale of frame grabbers, standard industrial cameras, intelligent cameras, video sensors, embedded systems and software in the field of industrial image processing. "We have had a successful development partnership with Matrix Vision for four years," says Hermle. "One of our two camera-based product lines comes from Matrix Vision. As a result, we already know that we fit together very well and that our product lines complement each other perfectly." The topic of software is also very important at Matrix Vision: around 30 of the 100 employees are primarily involved in software development for image processing in industrial environments.

In 2016, Balluff increased its turnover by 3.3% to EUR 378 million (previous year: EUR 366 million) and made a successful start to the first half of 2017 with a 21.8% increase in turnover. With the workforce of the two new additions, the company now employs 3,550 people at 37 locations worldwide. While Balluff has acquired 100% of iss, 25% of the shares in Matrix Vision remain in the hands of the previous shareholders.