Genii Weblog

Collaborative Distribution - CoexLinks

Wed 28 Jul 2004, 11:37 PM



by Ben Langhinrichs
We have just released a press release that starts:
Genii Software, Ltd. and Granite Software, Inc. today announced a distribution agreement for Genii Software's CoexLinks for Lotus Domino.  This agreement enables both software firms to continue their growth strategies and strengthen their respective technology solutions while extending their product sales to existing and new customers.
I wanted to take this opportunity to explain the decision, what it does mean and what it does not, and why we are taking this step.

What will change?
Granite Software will become the primary distribution source for CoexLinks.  They will also be the first line of support, able to handle pre-sales and post-sales support, including the tough technical questions.  They will take the orders and distribute the licenses.  Granite will also handle evaluation licenses.  The Granite Software website will showcase CoexLinks along with their award winning spamJam.

What will not change?
CoexLinks is still our product, and we will continue to develop and enhance it.  We will continue to sell and support our other products, including the Midas Rich Text LSX (most popular LSX in the world, according to IBM) and other rich text products.  We will continue to develop new coexistence products, including a couple of very cool ones that have been hinted at recently.  Our webpage will still talk about CoexLinks, but will refer customers to the Granite Software site for evaluation licenses and orders.  Heck, I will probably even keep talking about CoexLinks on this blog on occasion.

Why?
There are times in life when you realize you need to "focus like a laser beam", and our focus is starting to drift a bit.  Genii Software is a great software development company, if I may say so.  The problem is, we have been spending so much time selling and supporting, it has been hard to keep developing, and we have way too much we want to develop.  Granite Software is a great software development company as well, as many of you who have used ZMerge and spamJam already know, but they have more focus on sales and support than we do.  On top of that, I have worked closely with Mark Ramos, Granite's President, on a number of projects over the years, and it just made sense to let him take a turn at tackling this tiger.  

In short, we get to develop more products, and focus more on supporting Midas, and Granite gets a great product that should be very appealing to its corporate e-mail customers.  Win-win!

What about existing CoexLinks customers and evaluators?
This is easy.  If you want support from us, we'll continue to support you.  If you want to buy from us, we'll still sell it to you (current evaluators or those who have already had contact with us).  If you want to take advantage of Granite Software's sales and support, go to them.  Granite Software is happy to provide support for existing customers as well as new customers.  Genii Software will continue to support existing customers who wish to keep dealing exclusively with us.  New customers will be steered to Granite Software.  We don't want to make this harder - we want to make this easier.  If it isn't easy enough, let me know personally.  I will make sure it is.

Copyright © 2004 Genii Software Ltd.

What has been said:


188.1. Andrew Pollack (07/28/2004 09:18 PM)

Ben, we know you're just going to take a few weeks off so you can be the first passenger on Space Ship 1.