Clancy . . . overflow . . . the best bits . . . funnies
That makes it a clean sweep of regulatory approvals coming after the Creo board and shareholders as well as authorities in Canada, the European Union, Israel and the United States. It always appeared strange that a global merger of this nature could hinge on the vagaries of South Africa’s natural desire to safeguard its production facilities, but that’s the nature of business these days.
Now, let the games commence.
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And on the subject of takeovers, X-Rite is continuing its determined campaign of buying colour technology companies to consolidate its goal of being the complete colour software provider. It has picked up US-based ForeSite Software, whose technology is currently integrated in Home Visualizer, part of X-Rite's award winning ColorDesigner software application. The clever utility enables customers to visualize and select colours for their home.
The other company is ICC Tools, a Canadian software company, whose products drive X-Rite's MonacoQCcolor and Colorshop X colour management. And business must be good – both acquisitions were paid for in cash.
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It must be coming near publication time of the latest Harry Potter book. Two likely lads in the UK were arrested in Northamptonshire, charged with the theft of two copies of the latest Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In a carbon copy rerun of the previous Harry Potter escapade, the two offered the stolen copies to a Sun newspaper reporter, who promptly turned them in to the law.
Security in Australia for the publication is as tight as a drum, with publishers Allen & Unwin declining to reveal the identities of the print companies involved or the size of the print run ahead of the July 16 launch.
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Shifting sands over at Quark with the sudden departure of the new user-friendly CEO, Kamar Aulakh. Known as the individual who attempted to transform Quark into an open, industry-engaged enterprise, Aulakh has borne the brunt of Adobe’s triumphant CS march, which is threatening to overturn the industry’s preference for page layout programs.
Quark founder, Fred Ebrahemi, is seeking a new outside candidate for the leadership job while vice president, Linda Chase, keeps the seat warm.
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It’s an ill wind department. The ongoing strike at the Finnish paper mills may not be causing too much supply grief, but it is slowly tightening the paper situation. According to the June issue of Pulp and Paper Edge, the strikes will assist local paper merchants in holding to the price increases announced in the second quarter for most grades of printing and writing paper. The grades which are most likely to be impacted will be coated
mechanical and coated woodfree, with increases occurring during
the third quarter 2005. There will be some pressure on the uncoated
mechanical and uncoated woodfree prices to rise as well, but this
will not be as great.
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And finally … you heard about the man who fell into an upholstery machine – he’s completely recovered.
