🚀 go-pugleaf

It was reported in the San Jose Mercury News today that Microsoft is buying
Forethought, Inc., a Sunnyvale based Mac software house.  Forethought has
two well received products -- a slide/presentation graphics package and
FileMaker+, a database/report generator.  Microsoft says that this will fill
a hole in their product line.

Forethought will be run as an independent subsidiary and will remain in
Sunnyvale.  Most employees will be kept on board.

Editorial comments:
    The hole that Microsoft is talking about is the long out of date and
    forgotten "Microsoft File 1.0." Since I'm a happy user of Filemaker+,
    (and an ex user of File) I don't think Microsoft could have bought a
    better package in the low end database market.  So I think this marriage
    is good for Microsoft.

    I also think it is good for Forethought.  It'll (I would assume) give
    them capital for development [hey! maybe they can fix the FM+
    laserwriter 4.0 bug now!] and to put together new programs.  My guess is
    that the people on the wrong side of the "Most employees" are probably
    things like shipping and accounting -- functions likely to be moved to
    existing groups in Washington. 

    Problems:  I don't see any major ones offhand -- Forethought seems to
    have been profitable, their products were selling well and well received
    by the market and the reviewers, and it looks to be a friendly
    relationship. 

chuq
Chuq Von Rospach	chuq@sun.COM		Delphi: CHUQ

We live and learn, but not the wiser grow -- John Pomfret (1667-1703)