Quest Gets Good Marks; MindArrow Scores With Ducks
Just when it seemed Orange County might be safe from further layoffs, there’s rumbling more could be in the offing in coming months.
This time, the cuts could come at the OC offices of several large Asian technology companies, which have undergone huge rounds of layoffs.
The latest: Toshiba Corp. said it will slash 20,000 jobs,primarily from firings and retirements overseas.
With a company as large as Toshiba, though, it takes some time to iron out who goes and who stays.
But with Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., and Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc., which employ about 1,700 in Irvine, OC could feel a fallout from the layoffs.
Toshiba declined to comment on its local employment plans.
Toshiba’s move comes only one week after Fujitsu Ltd. said it would let go of 16,400 workers,including many in North America. The company employs nearly 400 at Anaheim-based Fujitsu Business Communication Systems Inc., which sells telecommunications gear and services to businesses.
A Fujitsu spokesman declined to comment on OC specifically but said that the company still is hashing out how the layoffs would play out. Fujitsu layoffs will occur “across the board in all business units,” said Fujitsu spokesman Scott Ikeda. At least some of Fujitsu’s business units have gotten the word.
Dallas-based Fujitsu Network Comm-unications, plans to lay off 500 across the U.S., The Dallas Business Journal recently reported.
Other Asian tech companies also are letting people go. Hitachi Ltd., which doesn’t have a big OC presence, reportedly plans to slash 20,000 jobs as it restructures.
The cuts come as tech companies continue to grapple with falling demand for their wares, a trend that is expected to continue into next year.
A Nod for Quest
Irvine-based Quest Software Inc. received a good tidbit for their marketing materials when research firm International Data Corp. called the maker of database management software one of the fastest-growing companies of its type.
Quest’s software is used to help manage corporate databases stored using software from Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and IBM Corp.
“Quest’s share of this market has increased significantly due to their success in distributed operating environments as well as declining revenues associated with mainframe DBA tools,” said IDC analyst Steve Hendrick. Specifically, IDC notes that Quest saw 158% growth in sales.
The report bodes well for Quest, which has been on a metamorphosis in the past year. Until recently, nearly all of Quest’s revenue came from sales to companies using Oracle software.
This year, Oracle,probably Quest’s best partner,started offering software tools similar to the ones Quest sells. And Oracle merely bundles the tools with its database software.
Even though Quest claims it hasn’t lost a customer yet to Oracle’s new tools, the company has done what any right-minded software make might do: a year ago it started selling products for database software from Oracle’s nemesis Microsoft.
ESynch Partners
Tustin-based eSynch Corp., a maker of digital media and content software, recently signed a deal with Phoenix-based Vodium, a streaming media services company, to commingle its products in hopes of bumping up sales.
“Both companies have developed unique proprietary technology that separates them from their respective competitors,” said Vodium Chief Executive Cameron Clarke. “Providing our clients with easy access to these complimentary technologies makes perfect sense as firms transition traditional content into streaming formats.”
Under the agreement, both companies plan to market streaming media products through each company’s distribution channels.
For one, eSynch can provide its customers, who are looking to use eSynch software to put streaming media on the Internet, a method of searching using Vodium’s text-to-video synchronization product.
“It’s important for eSynch to provide our distribution partners with multiple streaming solution technologies so that they have the proper tools available to allow them to bring the full benefit of the technology to their client base,” said David Lyons, president of eSynch.
MindArrow Bags the Ducks
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim recently tapped Aliso Viejo-based MindArrow Systems Inc., a maker marketing software, to help it market goods and services to fans.
The hockey team is using MindArrow’s MindArrow Messenger software to promote season ticket packages, which feature a video message from Duck’s player Paul Kariya. MindArrow didn’t reveal the size of the deal.
“MindArrow Messenger gives us the ability to highlight our marquee players in a compelling marketing message that really connects with our target audience,” said Mighty Ducks marketing vice president Lawrence Cohen. “MindArrow Messenger allows us to reinforce our message to our existing subscribers while simultaneously leveraging the message’s pass-along effect to generate interest from new customers as well.”
