Irvine’s Kofax Image Products Inc., the U.S. division of British parent Dicom Group PLC, inked a deal with top PC maker Hewlett-Packard Co. to resell its software to businesses.
“The new reseller agreement with HP will allow organizations to benefit from a custom, unified solution that integrates HP’s business printing and imaging products with Kofax’s software,” said spokesman Michael Troncale. “Previously these products may have been purchased separately or through a reseller, and then the integration done after the fact.”
The company, which got its start in 1985, makes information capture software used by businesses to get rid of paper and speed up work productivity.
Kofax’s software collects paper documents, forms, invoices, e-mail and photos and organizes them into a common, searchable database of electronic files.
Kofax’s software is set to be sold alongside HP’s scanners and printers. HP also will be able to provide tech support for Kofax’s programs, Troncale said.
The company didn’t say how much the deal is expected to add to Kofax’s roughly $200 million in sales.
“This agreement will create new opportunities for both companies,” Troncale said.
$6M Animation Software
Aliso Viejo’s Smith Micro Inc. paid $6 million for animation software programs from Scotts Valley-based E Frontier America Inc.
Smith Micro acquired the rights to own and distribute Aquazone, an aquatic-themed screensaver, and Poser, Anime Studio and Manga Studio, programs that help people create 3-D animation, models and comics.
The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.
“This is a growing category,” said Jonathan Cahn, executive vice president of business operations based at Smith Micro’s unit in Watsonville. “We are taking a more dominant position in the 3-D and animation market. Strategically, it was a natural fit for our consumer group.”
The company, which mainly makes software for cell phones and other mobile devices, was already distributing E Frontier’s software in stores.
E Frontier America, which counted sales of about $7 million for the 12 months ended March 30, is owned by Japan’s E Frontier Inc.
The company’s software has had a loyal customer base in Japan for more than a decade.
Manga Studio is the top selling manga (Japanese comics) software worldwide, the company said.
“It’s used by graphic design houses and people who want to create their own art,” Cahn said.
Smith Micro has been publishing the Aquazone screen saver software for years, according to Cahn. It’s looking to sell a mobile version for cell phones in the U.S.
Telelogic Signs $1M Deal
Sweden’s Telelogic AB, a software maker with its U.S. headquarters in Irvine, said it renewed a licensing and maintenance deal with a European aerospace and defense manufacturer.
The five-year deal with the company, which wasn’t named, is valued at close to $1 million.
That’s some good news for Telelogic, which is in the middle of an investigation by the European Commission as part of IBM Corp.’s $750 million bid to buy the company.
Antitrust regulators first raised concerns back in October, when they said the deal may violate European Union competition rules.
The investigation was temporarily suspended a few weeks ago until regulators could get more details from the companies, according to reports.
It’s set to be resumed when the information gathering is complete.
The EU previously had set a Feb. 20 deadline to reject or approve the deal. No new date was given.
Telelogic counts yearly sales of about $200 million to customers such as Boeing Co., General Motors Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corp.
The company’s U.S. unit is based in the Irvine Spectrum, where it has about 85 workers.
Buy.com Signs Mandel
Aliso Viejo’s Buy.com Inc., which runs an online store that competes with kingpin Amazon.com, said it inked an endorsement deal with comedian Howie Mandel.
Mandel, who hosts NBC’s revival of “Deal or No Deal,” is set to star in a series of TV spots, radio commercials and online and print ads during the next two years, the company said.
“Howie is a trusted household figure and led the pack in a survey of favorite personalities conducted with Buy.com customers,” said Chief Executive Neel Grover.
The first TV commercials are set to air this month.
Buy.com already hosts its own homegrown video show, Buy TV, which introduces new products and features interviews from makers of the items.
