By Eric Auchard
Acresso, which was recently spun off by entertainment media
security company Macrovision Corp, makes the widely used
InstallShield, a technology used by software makers and
corporate network administrators to install new PC programs.
The deal is designed to keep Yahoo from losing share in the
competitive Web search market. Yahoo makes most of its money
running ads alongside Web search and other services it offers.
Rival Google Inc, the dominant Web search provider, has
struck a succession of similar distribution deals for its own
toolbar with partners ranging from software maker Adobe to PC
maker Dell to social network MySpace.
Microsoft Corp, the No. 3 in U.S. Web search after Yahoo,
this week displaced Yahoo in a deal with Hewlett-Packard Co to
distribute Microsoft search services on HP PCs.
InstallShield is used by 71,000 organizations, half of them
independent software developers and the rest corporate network
administrators seeking to ensure smooth software installation.
The Yahoo Toolbar will be an optional add-on that software
developers using InstallShield may choose to include alongside
their own programs. Yahoo will pay Acresso an undisclosed
amount for bringing in new Yahoo search users.
The Yahoo Toolbar is the first software to be featured in
Acresso's new program to offer software makers a set of
"value-added services." This allows them to supplement revenue
they generate from sales of their own software by sharing in
the proceeds from advertising revenue generated by Yahoo and
other services that will eventually be part of the program.
Acresso chose Yahoo as its preferred Web search provider
for that program, which delivers a wider range of software
tools to Windows-based PC users, said David Rowley, Acresso's
senior vice president of corporate development.
Acresso counts among its customers major software makers
such as Microsoft, SAS, BMC and IBM, as well as thousands of
small software makers.
Macrovision spun the 380-employee Chicago-based company out
to private equity firm Thomas Bravo in April. Acresso generated
$113 million revenue in 2007 as part of Macrovision.
Details are at http://www.acresso/installshield/.
(Editing by Braden Reddall)
0 comments:
Post a Comment