Ruth Ann S. Basnillo                                                                                                 6/5/2008

SYSANAL

SOFTWARE ARTS

Story:

            Software Arts was founded by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1979. It produced the first electronic spreadsheet named VisiCalc which became the “killer app” for personal computers.

Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston met each other and became friends when they were still college. Bricklin worked at Multics Project and the first job given to him was to do some modifications and finish Bob’s thesis. They shared time together for a long time until they decided to indulge into the idea of running a business in computers. They started by funding on their own. They paid for MIT’s Multics System- the one they worked on. And they eventually borrowed some money from a bank and from relatives for their own computer. They then settled to a basement of one of their friends and started their business, which originally was started in Bob’s attic in Arlington, Mass.

After graduating from MIT, Bricklin went to Harvard Business School- where the idea for the spreadsheet came up. Here, he met Dan Fylstra, the publisher of Personal Software, and his partner Peter Jennings. When Bricklin started programming, Fylstra had graduated and was running business selling software on cassettes. The need of Fylstra for a new stuff like a checkbook program paved way for Bricklin to pursue on prototyping VisiCalc on one of Fylstra’s machines over one of the vacation weekends. But since he was already in school, Bob did the programming and they set about turning it into a product. They incorporated the business on Jan. 2, 1979 with Personal Software and had them sell the products. Personal Software was renamed then as VisiCorp. They eventually gave some private demos at Ben Rosen’s conference and West Coast Computer faire, and then showed it to public in June of 1979 at the National Computer Conference. MBA types, investment banker types, and many people in some other fields got what’s so special about their product driving them to get their personal computers which was something good for Apple II since it drove sales for them.

Software Arts further developed it by launching interesting features with it like the keystrokes in typesetting. VisiCalc paid royalties to Software Arts but VisiCorp and Software Arts had some legal disputes when the latter was sued for negotiating a deal with H & R Block to buy their company. But at the last minute, when the company was about to go down, Lotus bought them out which became their fall.

THREE THINGS I LEARNED:

            Just like the Excite Company, I also learned from Software Arts the value of friendship. I learned that if you really like each other as friends and you have a strong relationship, you would be able to keep odd things and conflict from messing up the business. You’d always do stuffs and deals together and there is always unity.

            Next, I learned that a lot of experiences that has something to do with the work you’re involved with would really help you all the way to success. Bricklin was not satisfied just to learn from his professors about the things that he wanted to do and so he explored more and went to other schools to learn.

            Second, I learned that you should stay out of lawsuits if you can help it because it would not always be settled through serious a serious and sincere talk with the one suing you. Things would not always go according to your way so you need to do things honestly. Simple things will turn out to be a very big thing that will distract you and your business.

            Lastly, I learned that there are times that your competitor could also be your savior in times of trouble. Just like Software Arts when they were sued by VisiCorp. They were actually helped by Lotus by buying their company but consequences would follow like they losing the business you would want to continue.