Denver Ð Alembic Systems International (ASI), best known for distributing European-produced software titles in the United States, is expanding its charter to become a one-stop shop for all NEXTSTEP software, training, and support.
"People who are doing the mission-critical stuff also have a need for word processing and spreadsheets," said John Pierce, vice-president and general manager of ASI. "They'll need productivity apps and they'll want to call one place to get them."
According to Pierce, NeXT's focus on custom applications has left many vendors of shrinkwrapped applications without a viable means of distribution. "There's some frustration out there," he said. "This market hasn't been paid a lot of attention by Ingram or Merisel, and we expect it to explode."
ASI will also offer European distribution to American software developers through its London office. The company's affiliation with a language school located in Brazil is expected to give its partners a head start in localizing their applications. Localization will be offered in the basic European languages, including French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, starting at the beginning of next year.
Julie Saffren, NeXT's manager of developer relations, applauded ASI's new direction. "I think Alembic is providing services our market needs; for instance, getting innovative European products exposed in the United States, in addition to offering telesupport, training, and localization services for third-party applications."