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Jeremy Liang: WordPerfect, Leading Alternative To MS Office
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Corel recently announced the latest version of its office suite, that lead us to reach out to them and ask how they see this market growing. In an e-mailed interview with Jeremy Liang, senior vice president, digital media development, Corel Corp, we probed about their solutions for SMEs, their stand on Open Source and much more. Read on....
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Monday, July 14, 2008:
EFYTimes: What market opportunity do you see in India for Corel products?
Liang: Corel is investing in growing its international presence in key strategic markets, including India. We have seen the success of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite in India and believe there is considerable opportunity to expand Corel's footprint in the region with the introduction of the Company's broad portfolio of easy-to-use consumer photo and video software. In 2007, Corel's revenue in emerging markets grew remarkably due to the strong response from consumers and partners seeking high quality, affordable software.
EFYTimes: How important are SMBs to Corel?
Liang: SMBs are a very important segment for Corel. Our products are designed to be easy-to-learn and use, versatile and highly affordabl
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e. As part of our ongoing customer research, we work closely with small business owners to better understand their needs so that we can continuously improve our product offerings to them. For example, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite provides a range of important features requested specifically by small business owners working in the sign making and engraving industries.
In addition, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite includes detailed tutorials as well as an extensive collection of professionally designed marketing templates to help small businesses create their marketing collateral with no prior design experience required.
EFYTimes: Corel recently announced new version of its Office Suite. How is WordPerfect positioned versus the incumbent Microsoft and new entries from free providers like Google?
Liang: WordPerfect Office X4, the newest version of the legendary office suite from Corel, breaks new ground as the world's first PDF office suite, offering import, edit and export of PDF documents, the first hybrid online/offline office suite, with new, Web-connected tools for notebooking, data analysis and collaboration, and the first office suite to offer users to file format freedom, with support for more than 60 formats including ODF and OOXML.
Despite new entries into the market, WordPerfect remains the leading alternative to Microsoft Office and the trusted choice of large enterprise customers in the US federal government and legal market.
EFYTimes: Does WordPerfect support ODF? What is your position on supporting ISO-approved OOXML in WordPerfect?
Liang:Building on the more than 60 file formats already supported within WordPerfect Office, WordPerfect Office X4 adds enhanced compatibility with Microsoft Office binary formats, exciting new PDF import and export options and the ability to open and view Microsoft Office 2007 (OOXML) and ODF Files.
EFYTimes: How do you see Linux and Open Source? How many of your solutions are available for the Linux Platform?
Liang: Linux is very important in the UMPC / Mobile Internet Device segment. We have a DVD and video player for that platform called LinDVD that is being well received by OEM customers.
EFYTimes: What is your opinion on Open Source?
Liang:: Corel's main focus remains on the Windows platform -- though both Painter and Painter Essentials support both Windows and Mac. We do keep a keen eye on other opportunities when they fit with our strategic direction. Our LinDVD solution is a good example.
EFYTimes: Could you point out some recent innovations at Corel which enhanced the user experience?
Liang: Corel is committed to introducing innovations that speak directly to improving the user experience. For example, WordPerfect now offers a full range of PDF capabilities making it easy for users to import, edit and export PDF documents -- including scanned PDFs -- dramatically simplifying user workflows and reducing the need for third-party PDF software.
Painter Essentials 4 is another example of a product that was designed specifically to create an enhanced user experience for new users who wanted to experience the world of digital painting. Painter Essentials new Photo Painting palette, enables new users to quickly and easily convert their favorite photos into paintings of various styles and effects- from watercolor to oil painting- in just a few mouse clicks.
Corel is aware of the emerging trends influencing consumers and is responding with products designed to meet the new demands of the marketplace. Consumers are increasingly embracing HD, purchasing HD video camcorders, televisions and players. Corel's digital media products are recognised leaders in providing support for high-definition video technology. For example, VideoStudio and DVD MovieFactory both provide industry leading support for importing, editing and sharing video in HD making it easy for consumers to enjoy the best possible viewing experience.
And with Corel's latest release of WinDVD, we have incorporated new, advanced upscaling technology to give users a 'better than original' viewing experience when watching DVDs on their desktop computer or laptop. Upscaling technology itself isn't new -- we see it in DVD players and in high-end TV sets - but WinDVD was the first to bring this technology to PC DVD playback- giving consumers and OEM partners access to 'best in class' features.
EFYtimes: What product lines do you have and which market segments do they cater to?
Liang:: Corel offers the industry's broadest portfolio of graphics design and illustration, content creation software, photo and video editing and DVD authoring and playback tools. Our products target many user across segments - they can be individual consumers, small business owners, photographers, designers or employees of a larger enterprise.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite targets design professionals in a range of industries from sign making to engraving, as well as SMBs who require a comprehensive solution for designing and laying out marketing collateral for their business.
Corel's Digital Media products such as VideoStudio, Paint Shop Pro Photo and Painter Essentials are targeted primarily at consumers and/or hobbyists.
WordPerfect and WinZip primarily target the corporate license customer; however both products are also well positioned to address consumers and small business owners.
Corel also supplies software to hardware manufacturers in the OEM segment. WinDVD and DVD MovieFactory (sold as DVD MovieWriter in Japan) are important products for this business.
-- Swapnil Bhartiya
Swapnil Bhartiya, EFYTIMES News Network
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| I am an old WordPerfect fan and user, but Corel should not be advertising WordPerfect X4's support for the OpenDocument Formats. It is not yet in a usable state. Only very rudimentary documents produced by it can be opened by other implementations of ODF. |
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| - Marbux, Springfield, Oregon, 7/14/2008 12:08:48 PM |
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