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{{short description|Software company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = NetObjects, Inc.
Line 33 ⟶ 34:
| publisher = Novell, Inc. / NetObjects, Inc.
| date = 1998-10-21
| accessdateaccess-date = June 30, 2008
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20001215152500/http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare99/netobjects.html
| archivedatearchive-date = 2000-12-15
}}</ref> [[Mitsubishi]] and [[AT&T]] Ventures and the last round by Perseus Capital, L.L.C.
 
Line 44 ⟶ 45:
| title = NetObjects chooses Big Blue fusion
| work = Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
| accessdateaccess-date = 2008-03-05
| date=May 18, 1997
}}</ref><ref name="netobj-ibm">{{cite web
Line 51 ⟶ 52:
| publisher = NetObjects, Inc.
| date = April 16, 1997
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="IBM_ARCHIVES_1997">{{cite news
| url = http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/history/year_1997.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041216110616/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/history/year_1997.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = December 16, 2004
| title = IBM Archives 1997
| work = IBM Archives
| publisher = [[IBM]]
| accessdateaccess-date = 2009-01-27
}}</ref>
 
Line 63 ⟶ 67:
 
NetObjects Fusion 1.0 was released in 1996. As the first complete web design tool it was seen as groundbreaking by technology observers. NetObjects was elected as one of "25 Cool Technology Companies" of 1996 by ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''.<ref name="Mok_2">{{cite web
|url | url = http://www.clementmok.com/onrecord/article.asp?ArticleID=21&d=1990
|title | title = 1996 25 Cool Technology Companies
|work | work = ClementMok.com
|publisher | publisher = Clement Mok
|access-date accessdate = March 5, 2008
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927032744/http://www.clementmok.com/onrecord/article.asp?ArticleID=21&d=1990
|archive-date = September 27, 2007
}}</ref>
Also in 1996, NetObjects Fusion won ''[[PC Magazine]]'''s Editors' Choice award. [[CNET]]'s Builder.com elected Samir Arora one of the Web Innovators of 1997,<ref name="INNOVATOR">{{cite web
|url | url = http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/pages/Business/Innovators97/ss03.html
|first | first = Dan
|last | last = Shafer
|title | title = BUILDER.COM - Web Business - The 1st annual Web Innovator Awards - Samir Arora, NetObjects Fusion
|work | work = CNET Builder.com
|publisher | publisher = CNET Networks, Inc.
|access-date accessdate = June 21, 2008
|archive-url archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20010505054830/http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/pages/Business/Innovators97/ss03.html
|archive-date archivedate= 2001-05-05
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> and in 1998 NetObjects received the prestigious Gold award from the [[Industrial Designers Society of America]] (IDSA).<ref name="IDSA">{{cite web
| url = http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/dh/idea_winners_95-99.pdf
|format=PDF| title = Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) Winners 1995–1999
| publisher = [[Industrial Designers Society of America]] (IDSA)
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
|archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928095948/http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/dh/idea_winners_95-99.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedatearchive-date = September 28, 2007}}</ref><ref name="IDSA_1">{{cite web
| url = http://idsa.org/whatis/seewhat/idea98/winners/netobjects.htm
| title = Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) Winners 1995–1999
| publisher = [[Industrial Designers Society of America]] (IDSA)
| accessdateaccess-date = June 27, 2008
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19980519051330/http://idsa.org/whatis/seewhat/idea98/winners/netobjects.htm
| archivedatearchive-date = 1998-05-19
}}</ref>
 
Line 98 ⟶ 106:
| publisher = NetObjects, Inc.
| date = August 8, 1996
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="NetObj-patent2">{{cite web
| url = httphttps://wwwpatents.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6311196patent/US6311196
| title = Patent 6311196: "Method and apparatus for implementing web pages having master borders"
| publisher = Google Patents
| date = October 30, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="NetObj-patent3">{{cite web
| url = httphttps://wwwpatents.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5911145patent/US5911145
| title = Patent 5911145: "Hierarchical structure editor for web sites"
| publisher = Google Patents
| date = June 8, 1999
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="NetObj-patent4">{{cite web
| url = httphttps://wwwpatents.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5845299patent/US5845299
| title = Patent 5845299: "Draw-based editor for web pages"
| publisher = Google Patents
| date = December 1, 1998
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="NetObj-patent5">{{cite web
| url = http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22samir+arora%22&OS=%22samir+arora%22&RS=%22samir+arora%22
Line 122 ⟶ 130:
| publisher = United States Patent and Trademark Office
| date = October 2, 2007
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref>
 
Releases 2.0 (1997) and 3.0 (1998) of NetObjects Fusion again gained positive reactions by the PC press as well as commercial success on the market. In 1999 IBM brought NetObjects to the [[stock exchange]] with [[initial public offering]] while remaining the major [[shareholder]]. The [[initial public offering]] (IPO) on [[NASDAQ]] raised $72 million.
 
The [[board of directors]] consisted of six people: Samir Arora as Chairmanchairman of the Boardboard, Chiefchief Executiveexecutive Officerofficer and Presidentpresident, and five directors, including [[John Sculley]] from Apple Computer, three representatives from IBM and one from Novell.
 
=== Success on the market and the stock exchange ===
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| publisher = Google Groups
| date = July 16–18, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref>
were made with nearly all the big [[Personal computer|PC]] sellers like [[Dell]] and [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]],<ref name="HP">{{cite web
Line 151 ⟶ 159:
| publisher = MarketWatch, Inc.
| date = July 27, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = July 4, 2008
}}</ref> and with [[Internet service provider]]s like [[UUNET]], [[Earthlink]] or 1 & 1 ([[Germany]]). The company itself said it licensed the [[Distribution (business)|distribution]] of more than 15 million copies of NetObjects Fusion.{{Needs citation|date=April 2024}}
 
In 2000 the [[stock]] price of NETO ([[ticker symbol]]) reached its record high of $45 11/16 USD, making NetObjects worth $1.5 billion.{{Needs citation|date=April 2024}}
 
[[Revenue]] had started at $7.2 million in 1997, reached $15 million in 1998, $23.2 million in 1999 and peaked at $34.2 million for [[fiscal year]] 2000 (October 1999 - September 2000).{{Needs citation|date=April 2024}}
 
On March 3, 2000, [[TheStreet.com]]'s Adam Lashinsky praised NetObject's financial performance and its early adoption of [[e-business]]:
Line 168 ⟶ 176:
| work = TheStreet.Com
| date = March 22, 2000
| accessdateaccess-date = September 24, 2006
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050307091804/http://www.thestreet.com/comment/siliconstreet/904775.html
| archivedatearchive-date = 2005-03-07
}}</ref>
</blockquote>
Line 184 ⟶ 192:
| date = September 1, 1999
| publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation
| accessdateaccess-date = July 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name=INTRANET>{{cite web
| url = http://www.intranetjournal.com/reviews/noas30.shtml
| first = Gordon
Line 192 ⟶ 200:
| year = 1999
| publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation
| accessdateaccess-date = July 23, 2008}}</ref> and the related "Collage" product,<ref name="Collage">{{cite web
|url | url = http://www.serena.com/products/collage/index.html
|title | title = Serena Collage
|work | work = Serena Software
|publisher | publisher = Serena Software, Inc.
|archive-url archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071005162234/http://www.serena.com/products/collage/index.html
| archivedatearchive-date = 2007-10-05
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> which as [[Content management system|content management solutions]] were aimed at big businesses and ranged at much higher price levels than NetObjects Fusion.
 
However, IBM and NetObjects decided that its target market was the sector of [[small and medium enterprises]], so it would focus on its flagship application NetObjects Fusion which would fit within the scope of these customers.<ref name="FT">{{cite web
|url | url = http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=010620001434&query=samir+arora
|first | first = Mark
|last | last = Vernon
|title | title = Eliminating risk is key to SME success: Interview: Samir Arora of NetObjects
|work | work = FT.com Financial Times
|publisher | publisher = The Financial Times Ltd.
|access-date accessdate = June 21, 2008
|archive-url archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20011125052215/http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=010620001434&query=samir+arora
|archive-date archivedate= 2001-11-25
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>
 
Line 218 ⟶ 228:
| work = iSource Online
| publisher = Vulcan Publishing, Inc.
| accessdateaccess-date = June 26, 2008
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010729070843/http://www.isourceonline.com/article.asp?article_id=48
| archivedatearchive-date = 2001-07-29
}}</ref> and coined a strategy shift to a [[Subscription business model|subscription model]].<ref name="Lashinsky"/> To this end NetObjects Matrix<ref name="Newcomb2">{{cite news
| url = http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3411_809171
Line 229 ⟶ 239:
| publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation
| date = June 11, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = 2008-03-05
}}</ref> was developed and GoBizGo.com, an e-commerce solution<ref name="GOBIZGO">{{cite web
| url = https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,42537,00.asp
Line 238 ⟶ 248:
| publisher = Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.
| date = October 17, 2000
| accessdateaccess-date = August 22, 2008
}}</ref> was started. Subscribing web and online services would help small businesses keep pace with the Internet.<ref name="FT"/> To finance this shift of strategy, the NetObjects Enterprise Division with 40 employees along with two applications, Collage and NetObjects Authoring Suite, was sold for $18 million to UK-based Merant<ref name="Newcomb1">{{cite news
| url = http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/559791
Line 247 ⟶ 257:
| publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation
| date = January 12, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = 2008-03-05
}}</ref><ref name="ZDNet">{{cite web
|url | url = http://home.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2674069,00.html
|last | last = Holland
|first | first = Roberta
|title | title = Merant to acquire NetObjects division
|work | work = ZDNet News - Technology News Now
|publisher | publisher = ZD Inc.
|access-date accessdate = June 23, 2008
|archive-url archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20010221052100/http://home.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2674069,00.html
|archive-date archivedate= 2001-02-21
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> (merged in 2004 with [[Serena Software]] Inc., based in [[San Mateo, California]]).
 
Line 268 ⟶ 279:
| publisher = Jupitermedia Corporation
| date = June 12, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = July 6, 2008
}}</ref> and a cooperation with IBM Global Services was forged.<ref name="Newcomb2"/><ref name="IBM">{{cite web
| url = http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7BB9227F21-D9C9-498F-A2EA-C9694C0B6322%7D&source=blq%2Fyhoo&dist=yhoo&siteid=yhoo
Line 277 ⟶ 288:
| publisher = MarketWatch, Inc.
| date = June 11, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = July 6, 2008
}}</ref>
 
Line 285 ⟶ 296:
| title = NetObjects, Inc. announces fourth quarter and fiscal year-end 2000 results
| publisher = PR Newswire Europe Ltd.
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref> Tough [[competition]] from [[Microsoft]], [[Macromedia]] and [[Adobe Systems|Adobe]] put pressure on [[market share]] and falling prices of web-design [[Application software|application]]s affected revenues.<ref name="Tristram">{{cite web
| url = http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/pcwk/1410/pcwk0039.html
Line 294 ⟶ 305:
| publisher = Ziff-Davis Publishing Company
| date = March 10, 1997
| accessdateaccess-date = June 28, 2008
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19991007050446/http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/pcwk/1410/pcwk0039.html
| archivedatearchive-date = 1999-10-07
}}</ref> Also, long-term revenue effects of bundling deals in the [[software industry]] are controversial.<ref name="Bundling-discussions"/> NetObjects slashed prices for NetObjects Fusion from release 1.0 to release 4.0 by more than 50%. Older versions stayed in distribution for even lower prices. Technical demands for large business web sites changed and required direct access of [[programmer]]s to [[HTML]] [[Source code|code]] — which NetObjects Fusion was not designed for.<ref name="Another-upgrade">{{cite web
| url = http://groups.google.de/group/netobjects.fusion30.gen-discussion-windows/browse_thread/thread/da47321c078354c2/b9212481a8bd5853
Line 303 ⟶ 314:
| publisher = Google Groups
| date = December 9–21, 1998
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref> Its target market were designers who need complete control over [[page layout]] and a similar [[Graphical user interface|user interface]] as [[desktop publishing]] applications.
 
Line 312 ⟶ 323:
| title = NetObjects, Inc. announces financial results for its first quarter of FY2001
| publisher = PR Newswire Europe Ltd.
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref>
a result of changing markets, price cuts, strategy shift to Software as a Service. Subscription fees from NetObjects Matrix started coming in but the company faced losses: total revenues for the first three quarters of FY 2001 were $4.22 million, whilst costs were $7.67 million.<ref name="SEC-NetObj-Jun01">{{cite web
Line 319 ⟶ 330:
| publisher = Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
| date = August 14, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref>
 
NetObjects started ato raise of an additional $50 million in a [[private placement]] with [[Deutsche Bank]]. But IBM, thewhich [[Reservecontrolled (accounting)|cashthe reserves]]NetObjects whichBoard, wasdid not approvedapprove bythe IBM's NetObjects Boardplacement. In the summer of 2001, the markets plummeted with the bursting of the [[dot-com bubble]]. And ultimately IBM as the majority shareholder decided to sell NetObjects.{{Needs citation|date=April 2024}}
 
NetObjects Fusion, NetObjects Matrix including the MatrixBuilder, BizGoBiz and other assets were sold to Website Pros (now [[Web.com]]), a web design and services company based in [[Jacksonville, Florida]] <ref name="SEC-NetObj-Sep01">{{cite web
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsvNq.4f8q2.htm
| title = Netobjects Inc · PRE 14C · For 9/30/01
| publisher = Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.
| date = October 22, 2001
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref>
 
Line 341 ⟶ 352:
| work = Das große Interview
| publisher = NOF-Club Deutschland (NetObjects Fusion Userclub)
| accessdateaccess-date = July 7, 2009
| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20031128171754/http://www.nof-club.de/werner/interview/wsp/
| archivedatearchive-date = 2003-11-28
|language=de}}</ref> and offering subscription services based on this application, representing the mixed business model that was invented at NetObjects.
 
Line 352 ⟶ 363:
| publisher = Website Pros
| date = February 12, 2008
| accessdateaccess-date = March 5, 2008
}}</ref> and $2.5 million in 2008.<ref name="WEB.COM_IR_364546">{{cite web
| url = http://ir.web.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=364546
Line 359 ⟶ 370:
| publisher = Web.com
| date = February 10, 2008
| accessdateaccess-date = February 23, 2009
}}</ref> In May 2009 NetObjects Fusion was sold.<ref name="WEB.COM_SEC_2_2009">{{cite web
| url = http://ir.web.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1144204-09-40519
Line 366 ⟶ 377:
| publisher = Web.com
| date = August 5, 2009
| accessdateaccess-date = August 14, 2009
}}</ref>
 
Line 373 ⟶ 384:
In May 2009 NetObjects Inc. was re-established as an independent company. It acquired the NetObjects Fusion product line from Web.com. A smaller part of the amount was transferred instantly, while $3.0 million remained payable from future revenue of NetObjects Fusion sales until 2013.<ref name="WEB.COM_SEC_2_2009" />
 
In terms of management and staff, there are no overlapping between the old and new companies with the same name. Steve Raubenstine, who was vice president of the NetObjects Fusion division at Web.com (former Website Pros), serves as Presidentpresident and CEO of the new NetObjects Inc.{{Needs citation|date=April 2024}}
 
== Products ==
 
* NetObjects Fusion: webWeb design tool created in 1996,. soldSold to Website Pros (now [[Web.com|Newfold Digital]]) in 2001,. re-purchasedIn by2009 thea newmanagement establishedbuyout of the NetObjects, IncFusion division of Website Pros created the second coming of an independent NetObjects. inFusion 2009,was the main part of what management bought. NetObjects still distributeddistributes Fusion. The latest release is versionVersion 1215, Update #1. NetObjects released Update #1 in DecemberMarch 2010.2015.<ref name="FusionUpdates">
{{
* NetObjects Authoring Server, a collaborative Web development and [[content management system|content management solution]], created in 1999, sold to UK-based Merant in 2000, after Merant's merge in 2004 with Serena Software distributed as "Collage" and discontinued in 2008.<ref name="TRENDS">{{cite web
Cite web
| url=http://www.netobjects.com/html/downloads.html
| url-status=live
| title=Product Updates and Downloads
| publisher=NetObjects
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421044729/http://www.netobjects.com/html/downloads.html
| archive-date=2021-04-21
| access-date=2021-05-20
}}
</ref>
* NetObjects Authoring Server, a: collaborativeCollaborative Web development and [[content management system|content management solution]],. createdCreated in 1999,. soldSold to UK-based Merant in 2000,. afterAfter Merant's merge in 2004merger with Serena Software in 2004, distributed as "Collage". and discontinuedDiscontinued in 2008.<ref name="TRENDS">{{cite web
| url = http://www.cmswatch.com/Trends/1179-Serena-Collage-to-go-off-into-the-sunset
| first = Tony
Line 386 ⟶ 408:
| publisher = CMSWorks, Inc.
| date = March 12, 2008
| accessdateaccess-date = April 15, 2009
}}</ref> The predecessor of thisAuthoring Server was NetObjects Team Fusion, introduced as a [[client–server]] application in 1998.
* NetObjects MatrixBuilder: Online Web Page and [[Web service|Web Service]] builder, first released in 2000. Sold to Website Pros (now [[Web.com|Newfold Digital]]) in 2001. Website Pros sold MatrixBuilder licenses directly to customers.<ref name="ANNUAL_11">
 
{{
* NetObjects Matrix, an online Web builder and Web services tool, invented in 2000, sold to Website Pros in 2001. Website Pros, now [[Web.com]], relied their website building process for customers on the NetObjects MatrixBuilder platform.<ref name=ANNUAL_5>{{cite web | url = http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WSPI/351433097x0x189105/BED273D3-F558-48EF-9A1B-4248CFBEBEF8/Annual%20Report%20for%20Web.pdf|format=PDF| title = Website Pros Annual Report 2007, pgs. 15, 21 | publisher = Website Pros | accessdate = July 4, 2008}}</ref>
Cite web
| url=http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WSPI/351433097x0x189105/BED273D3-F558-48EF-9A1B-4248CFBEBEF8/Annual%20Report%20for%20Web.pdf
| url-status=dead
| title=Website Pros 2007 Annual Report
| date=2008-04-17
| publisher=Website Pros (Predecessor to Newfold Digital)
| via=[[Internet Archive]]
| at=Page 11 as printed on page (Page 21 as stored in PDF)
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172548if_/http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WSPI/351433097x0x189105/BED273D3-F558-48EF-9A1B-4248CFBEBEF8/Annual%20Report%20for%20Web.pdf
| archive-date=2016-03-03
| access-date=2021-05-19
}}
</ref> Website Pros also used MatrixBuilder internally to develop websites for customers.<ref name="ANNUAL_5">
{{
Cite web
| url=http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WSPI/351433097x0x189105/BED273D3-F558-48EF-9A1B-4248CFBEBEF8/Annual%20Report%20for%20Web.pdf
| url-status=dead
| title=Website Pros 2007 Annual Report
| date=2008-04-17
| publisher=Website Pros (Predecessor to Newfold Digital)
| via=[[Internet Archive]]
| at=Page 5 as printed on page (Page 15 as stored in PDF)
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172548if_/http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/WSPI/351433097x0x189105/BED273D3-F558-48EF-9A1B-4248CFBEBEF8/Annual%20Report%20for%20Web.pdf
| archive-date=2016-03-03
| access-date=2021-05-19
}}
</ref>
 
== References ==