Corel signs Borland deal

Corel Corp, one of the major developers of office suite programs, has announced a licensing agreement with Borland for its Paradox database software. The deal virtually amounts to giving ownership of the product to Corel.

Corel will be given the source code for Paradox and will assume responsibility for its development, marketing, sales and support. For its part, Borland will continue to develop only the database engine.

Corel said it had been taking market share from Microsoft with its Office Professional product, which was previously known as PerfectOffice Suite when it was owned by Novell.

Corel president and chief executive officer Michael Cowpland said: 'Since acquiring the PerfectOffice Suite from Novell in March of 1996, Corel has made huge gains in market share.' Vice-president of marketing for Borland, Michael Greenbaum, said: 'With the overwhelming success of Corel Office Professional, it is clear that suites hold the future for end-user databases.

'Borland will be working closely with Corel over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for customers and channel partners worldwide.

'Corel's leadership in the suite business and its new focus on Paradox will enable a long, successful future for Paradox.' Borland will no longer give technical support or provide customer support, except in Japan where the switch to Corel will take a year longer than elsewhere.