Platinum Equity announced today that it has acquired Quark, a provider of publishing software for professional designers and enterprise organizations.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Quark is a legendary brand that helped create the desktop publishing market and is now helping organizations transform how they publish content both to print and digital media,” said Brian Wall, partner at Platinum who led the team pursuing the acquisition, in the press release. “Quark is committed to its loyal and dedicated user base and we are enthusiastic about the company’s new products which are gaining traction and generating positive reviews. We believe that with their expertise and innovative software, Quark has the potential to revolutionize publishing again.”
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Based in Denver, Colo., Quark provides a set of software applications targeted at creative professionals and the enterprise dynamic publishing market. These tools are components in a value chain of software products that enable the creation, management, publication, and delivery of content across a variety of media including print, email, web, social media, and the next generation of e-reader, tablet, and mobile devices such as the iPad.
“This transition comes at an exciting time for our company and our customers. In the past few years we have made great strides in helping our customers realize dynamic publishing, have re-invigorated QuarkXPress, and have readied Quark to take an early leadership position in digital publishing,” said Raymond Schiavone, President and CEO at Quark, in the press release. “Platinum Equity is well-positioned to help us continue to execute our dynamic publishing vision through their market reach, merger and acquisition experience, and operational support. This is the natural next step for Quark’s evolution.”
Mr. Wall said that Platinum Equity has already initiated a process focused on transitioning Quark to new ownership. The Platinum operations team is working together with the Quark management team to focus on Quark’s core markets and create an acquisition strategy focused on expanding the breadth and depth of Quark’s product capabilities and geographic coverage.
About Quark
Quark Software Inc. is a leading provider of publishing software for professional designers, small and mid-sized businesses, and large organizations in more than 160 countries. Two decades ago, Quark’s flagship product — QuarkXPress — changed the course of traditional publishing. For more than 25 years, Quark has built on its knowledge and experience in design and publishing to provide software solutions that support collaborative workflows and automated publishing across multiple channels. Today, Quark is revolutionizing publishing again by setting new standards in XML-based publishing across print, the Web, and digital media, as well as by helping owners and employees of small and mid-sized businesses promote their products and services easily, professionally, and affordably. Denver-based Quark Inc. is privately held.
About Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity (www.platinumequity.com) is a global M&A&O® firm specializing in the merger, acquisition and operation of companies that provide services and solutions to customers in a broad range of business markets, including information technology, telecommunications, logistics, metals services, manufacturing and distribution. Since its founding in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity has completed more than 115 acquisitions.
Source: Quark Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: Quark’s (now former) CEO Fred Ebrahimi once said that the Macintosh platform was shrinking and Mac users who were dissatisfied with Quark’s Mac commitment should switch to something else.
We did.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “GetMeOnTop” for the heads up.]
Related article:
Dissatisfied with Quark’s Mac commitment? Quark CEO says ‘switch to something else’ – November 25, 2002
Good!!! Now sh!tcan QuarkXpress!
The only downside of the demise of Quark is the only real rival is also a lousy collection of ingrates – Adobe.
We need an alternative to these two monolithic titans of half baked software
InDesign, in true Adobe fashion, has a truly wretched interface. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear that you were using PageMaker 1.0!
I still miss Aldus PageMaker! Too bad Adobe had to go buy it, screw it up and kill it off.
Quark was always full of themselves. Now they got what they deserved. I used to be a diehard quark user but when InDesign 2 came out and was bundled with Photoshop and Illustrator at a better price point, how could I pass that up. Quark should have taken the queue and cut prices. Oh well, that’s business.
taken the cue
Original MDN story from 9 years ago detailing Quarks finger at Mac users. Who is laughing now….
I run prepress for a sheetfed litho printing company. Eleven years ago 97% of the page layout documents I received were done in Quark. Now I may get two to three a year. Quark calls me every now and then to try to get me to upgrade our 7 licenses to the latest version. We have only upgraded one for the odd document that we get once in a blue moon.
I have to say I’m glad those arrogant fscks are gone. Adobe, warts and all, are a far cry better than QX.
Couldn’t agree more.
I used to use Quark all the time. Haven’t used it at all for almost 3 years.
Quark treated their customers – and especially their Mac customers like cr@p. Can’t really say that I’m sorry to see them go.
Does this mean the Rom gets the bar?
Yes, as long as Leeta is there to help him run it!
Count me in as one of the people who will be cracking open a bottle of champagne when this arrogant company closes its’ doors for the final time.
We certainly did, switched to Indesign when it reached 1.5, left Quark at version 7.
Version 7 was an absolute car-crash of a release, they ought to be ashamed of themselves for that one.
There was a rumor that Quark’s entire dev team was just one guy, who looked at the code only when forced to.
I know dozens of designers, and nobody uses it anymore, save to open legacy files.
Advice to the new owners – embrace Apple’s Xcode, and rewrite XPress from the ground up, and you might get the profitable part of your customer base back.
Fantastic take, MDN.
Just the other day I was wondering whatever happened to Quark. Okay, no I wasn’t. But if someone had burst into the room and shouted “Quark!” I would have.
Someone liberate Aldus from Adobe, set the world aright.
Long live Aldus Pagemaker! OK, so I was probably one of a handful of people who used it instead of Quark.
Aldus PageMaker 4.0 was the best. They screwed it up with version 5. I just wish 4.0 would work on a MBP.
Agreed. I think PageMaker 5 was when I finally jumped to Quark. But Quark 5 was pretty disgusting too. Hmm. Wonder if there’s a pattern?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/7934/quark_aims_to_purchase_adobe.html
How low the mighty have fallen.
LOL
LOL
Thanks I had forgotten about then running around telling everyone they were going to buy Adobe.
While I haven’t used XPress in many years, having started with InDesign on release, I’m not pleased at seeing Quark’s decline to this level. Adobe has been catching up with the Old Quark in terms of pricing, bugs, and general disdain for users. Who will keep Adobe on its toes regarding InDesign now?
wow. some news.
acquisitions are never good for consumers, esp. not in software publishing.
let’s hope that Quark doesn’t get swallowed or make it harder on users.
let’s hope that it’s to our advantage, more so than when Adobe swallowed PageMaker or Ilustrator or Golive or Dreamweaver etc. as it acquired most of its apps, though the younger generation has no clue & might hail Adobe as innovative.
Quark never acquired much, not like Adobe, which is the greedy, punishing, bloated, over-complicated, over-priced, under-innovative publisher it is, the equivalent evil in Creative software compared to the evil in Office sofware from Microsoft.
let’s hope Quark does innovate, as they promised that over decades, but like Adobe or Microsoft or Corel or any other big shot have never followed through, really.
the most innovation always comes from small firms and their creative, easy, straight-forward, unbloated, light, affordable, fast, timely software that gives the big shot a run for its money
i.e. Golive (de vs DreamWeaver),
RapidWeaver (uk vs DW or iWeb),
Pixelmator (uk vs adobe psd)
DrawIt (belgium vs adobe ai)
the biggest loss in pro software:
Macromedia Freehand.
MacOSX 10.7 Lion killed Rosetta or PowerPC apps, so after nearly 3 decades i’m forced to use Illustrator. Freehand was lighter, sexier, faster, more flexible, easier, made more sense, was so much less complicated & just worked like a charm. Illustrator needs big learning curve etc.
i could always use Bohemian’s DrawIt…
Quark/Platinum: please don’t lose it. really innovate. Adobe never could compete with you no matter how they reworked PageMaker (which they also acquired, not developed), so Adobe created InDesign, which never took over Quark, thank goodness, though it promised to. I’m glad the DTP pioneer is still strong. but to win in this fast-paced, web 3.0, html5, mobile could world, you must reinvent yourself now. don’t mimic Adobe who sits on their fat ass bitching @ Apple’s war against Flash (which they also bought), but truly take advantage now, in your history, to take over.
QuarkXpress has just been upgraded. but it’s not too modern. invent a publishing tool from scratch. there are plenty of ideas out there. i have many for that. but Think Different (Apple). Lead, don’t follow (Audi). Just do it, now (Nike)! thanks, we’d really appreciate it.
oh, and don’t exaggerate with your pricing like Adobe or charge as much for un-innovative upgrades or bugs that we users shouldn’t have to pay for – treat us well & you solve the piracy problem, you schmucks!
Hey is this Rolf in Bullhead City, AZ?
I still miss FreeHand!
What a great app. Always felt more intuitive to me then Illustrator. Sad to see it finally going away.
Having been a designer since the late 70’s (yah, that old) I went through the nightmare that was Quark in the 90’s. I embrace what MDN’s says about Quark. I too did switch as soon as I could for that very reason – their arrogance. And haven’t forgotten their attitude since. Just goes to show that if you bite the hand the feeds you… listening Microsoft, Google, Intuit?
The decline began when the original founders sold the company and the new owners put some 3rd worlder faker CEO named Alukah Kamar in as CEO. He immediately laid off all the American developers and sent the entire project to India. The result was QE 5-6 which were total disasters. The board canned Kamar and then put some unknown woman bean-counter in as CEO who messed it up even more. Then Schaivone took over and it really went downhill. When will this industry learn that IT companies do best when engineers and not MBA morons are running them? Everyone wants to be in software but not everyone has the mojo to pull it off. RIP Quark.
used quark xpress exclusively back in the 80s and into the 90s, but switched to frame and then to indesign. too bad, quark was a pretty good company once. they always were arrogant but at least at one time they had a good product.
Unfortunately as part of this acquisition, they also get all of the ill will Quark has built up among its users over the years.
I’ve been in the design biz for a long time and I think it’s been 4 years since I even opened a Quark document.
How’d ya like them apples?
Don’t read into this too much. In many cases, going private or being acquired by a company like Platinum Equity changes little in terms of daily operations. This does not mean the Quark is going away. Rather, it gives the company a new source of equity and management oversight. Sometimes a company like Platinum will try to straighten out the operations and management of a company, improve profitability and then seek a buyer.
But I caution you that nothing might change in terms of the company, except perhaps that bolstered with more cash, Quark could invest in improved customer service or have more money for development.
Quark change daily operations, like how they treat their customers? Riiiiiiiiiigggggghhhht.
New owners or not, they can rot.
You mean Quark is still around? Wow, I haven’t used it in a long time. I do agree with others though that switching to Adobe is nearly as bad. We do need an option.
Over 3 years ago I wrestled with a duotone image in Quark. The process was ridiculous and time consuming. I then had a discussion with someone that said what I was trying to do could be done in a few steps with InDesign. I’ve never looked back. One of the few smart decisions I have made in my life. Selling my Apple stock @$19 was not.
:^)
“Quark is committed to its loyal and dedicated user base…”
Since when?
Since they got rid of them all, there’s no one to whom to be committed.
I love Quark and have built a terrific business using it. Although I own Creative Suite I only use illustrator and photoshop. InDesign’s non intuitive interface makes it a no go for me.
Quark used to be a great company. Then greed and arrogance took over. If you ‘love’ Quark then you’ve been sitting at that CRT display for far too long.
Isn’t Quark the guy from Star Trek? Why would they buy him? That show was cancelled years ago.
At least that’s the last time I heard about any Quark . . . .
Back in the day pagemaker was the only game in town. Then Quark came out and was awesome and solid compared to pagemaker. They blew Pagemaker away! Adobe was great too but their missing app was page layout, so they bought and tried to salvage pacemaker but by that time it was too discredited. Tploo many font handling issue to be reliable. So adobe started from the ground up with InDesign and did to quark what quark did to pagemaker. If quark had been smart they’d not have put all their eggs in one basket and branched out into image editing.
I hope Fred Ebrahimi burns in hell for eternity.
I’m still with Quark – since 1994 maybe earlier – but planning to finally switch to InDesign this winter – when I get my 27″ iMac and Lion. Can’t wait. Hope Adobe is playing nice with Lion by then.
“Hope Adobe is playing nice with Lion by then.”
Me too. But the young guns over there have been cool-aid dosed to believe Apple screwed over Adobe by discontinuing Carbon support. I personally have attempted to rectify this disinformation. It was Adobe who put a gun to Apple’s head and insisted upon Carbon all these years. Apple acquiesced until Snow Leopard, at which point Adobe went all mental like they hadn’t been warned a full 10 years ahead of time of the transition. Sometimes I hate Adobe.
This is what happens to US software companies once moron 3rd worlders take them over. Expect to see Adobe go into steep decline if they have not already. Maybe the thing can be sold of to Oracle once it is time to close. After all that worked great for PeopleSoft and Sun. BWAHAHAHA!!!!
Adobe is in decline too. Bascially filled up with 3rd world loser wannabe programmers. You know – the innovative company who can’t even get Flash to run on mobile devices properly. The one whose Flash plugin for the Mac is still PowerPC code. Yeah… REAL innovative. That moron from India, Anil Bhavnani ran 500 great American developers out of Adobe in 12/05 and the company has been going downhill ever since. Expect a disaster on Lion.
I dislike pagemaker and learned to like the speed and simplicity of quark. Adobe amazing marketing suite was why people moved over the indesign. Now it’s embedded as the only way to go. It’s a finacial reason for major design firms. As adobe makes enterprise licensing and suites better suited for IT to install and maintain. I have seen and used Quark 8 and 9 and it’s still a joy to use. But the commercial industry uses adobe.
Peraonallly small or large companies might be interested in the bottom line using alternatives like Pixelmator, Acorn, Vectordesigner, Intaglio, Artboard, Freeway, Websitepainter, Scribus, Swift Publisher.
Point is there are options, alternatives at the norm… Think Different. Yes.
But happy to see Quark continue. They have some life still in them.