Farnborough, Hampshire-based Rothwell Group Plc has been appointed UK distributor for the Macintosh version of Authorware Professional, Apple’s multimedia software. The appointment has resulted from a deal signed with ICL Plc, master UK distributor for the Authorware product. Rothwell, so it claims, is Apple’s largest UK corporate reseller, providing networked Macintosh systems for customers such as the Body Shop, Data Sciences, Lilly Research, Southern Electric and, following a UKP20m deal struck last year, Mercury Communications. The UK is is the second largest multimedia market in Europe, according to Rothwell. Already 170 companies here are using Authorware and the aim is to double this figure to gain a 30% market share in the next two years. Authorware will be marketed mainly to large organisations as tool for developing training, presentation and communications applications. The system is object-based, with full simulation and interaction facilities. It has been designed for the non-technical user (‘a degree in programming is not required’) who, supposedly, should be able to pick up its basic functions in an hour. It employs an iconic interface with a flow line along which users can design their applications, drawing from information stored in other packages such as MacDraw and QuickTime and from links with external databases, networks, video devices and CD-ROMs. It runs on the Macintosh Plus, SE, SE/30 or II family with System 6 up, and on Quadra 950 and also on Windows machines. It conforms to the MPC standard and can run in either mono or colour. The full system is UKP5,430, run time versions are from UKP34.
