Eastman Software Inc has terminated its OEM agreement with Unisys Corp, under which Unisys distributed one of the Billerica, Massachusetts-based company’s workflow products. The details of the agreement were kept confidential, but Eastman, which primarily distributes its products through third party distribution channels rather than OEMs, said it could now concentrate on enhancing its WorkFlow for NT product line without the obligation of having to maintain unique enhancements to Unisys’ private branded version. Unisys had a different spin on the deal. It said it had now obtained the rights to independently develop, market and support, rather than just license, Eastman’s imaging and workflow software code. It said it would recruit VARs and devote significant research and development effort to enhancing Unisys InfoImage product features and capabilities. The contract dates way back to an agreement between Unisys and New York City-based Sigma Imaging Systems Inc in 1990. Sigma, which specifically developed its workflow and imaging software to work with Microsoft Corp’s BackOffice software, counted Unisys as a strategic development and marketing ally and Unisys sold the product on under its own InfoImage Folder brand. The relationship survived the acquisition of Sigma by Wang Laboratories Inc for $20m in 1995 (CI No 2,708). Wang was then Microsoft’s preferred vendor for design workflow and imaging software, and wrote the Imaging for Windows accessory included within Windows95 and NT 4.0. Wang then sold off its imaging software division to Kodak in January 1997 for $260m (CI No 3,089) and the Eastman Software subsidiary was formed in March.
