In what may be a robust reincarnation of the defunct NeXT Publishing Environment, GS Corporation is spearheading a coordinated effort to once again promote NEXTSTEP technology as a publishing solution for professional designers.
Supported by NeXT and other third-party developers, GS has developed partnerships with Linotype-Hell, Epson America, Canon and its resellers, and MicroAge to create an alliance that will market NEXTSTEP publishing solutions.
"We came to NEXTSTEP to do publishing products," said Lauren Flanegan, president of GS Corporation, "because it has real, technological advantages."
After NeXT's initial surge of interest in publishing faded, Flanegan decided that the "only way to capitalize on this market was to do it ourselves."
To enter that arena, GS developed a partnership with Linotype-Hell, a company known for its state-of-the-art prepress equipment. In what Flanegan described as a "Trojan horse strategy," GS will accompany Linotype-Hell during the sales process to introduce service bureaus to NEXTSTEP publishing products.
While GS has its foot in the door, it will promote its products and those of the other alliance members, including Altsys, Pages Software, and Lighthouse Design. "We'll offer referrals and spread positive information on other products that fill other gaps," she explained.
The publishing alliance is taking a multipronged approach to promoting a NEXTSTEP presence with its other potential customers. By working with Canon and its resellers, "we'll be able to get NeXT into some big companies through the back door," Flanegan said.
In addition, GS has struck a deal with Epson and MicroAge to produce and distribute two machines with bundled software from coalition members. The packages are designed for users who want to experiment with NEXTSTEP presentation or OCR technology.
Finally, GS has developed a series of training seminars that will explore the advantages of using NEXTSTEP and Canon technology in a publishing environment.
The alliance's plans are moving along well, Flanegan said. "We have a few big clients lined up, and by January, we should be positioned to implement the plan."