Phoenix's PC 3.0 goes out, BIOS bias steps in

BANGALORE, INDIA: Phoenix Technologies, a global leader in core systems software, is looking at consolidating its portfolio to focus on its core systems software (BIOS).

The company plans to spin-off the rest of its portfolio and bid off to its PC 3.0 promise. Speaking to CIOL a senior executive in the company close to the development said that with the decision of the new board, the company would look at the core business, and let go the supplementary units namely HyperSpace, eSupport and Failsafe in the best hands,where it can grow and develop.

Given the expected exit of the three technology products - HyperSpace, eSupport and Failsafe - from the brand portfolio that also formed the underlying foundation to PC 3.0, the company is looking at dropping down its vision of PC 3.0.

The company was banking on the PC 3.0 vision for its various branding efforts, especially in new geographies like India.

The decision of the spin-off came with the new board, which realized that the company was losing its market leadership in BIOS segment, given the distributed and diverted focus on various other segments.

Hence the board decided to let go the other units, which were recently formed through mergers and acquisitions, even as recent as six months. Interestingly, following the company history, it has gone through expansion and consolidation mode in every three to four years.

Starting from 1979, the company decided to expand its wings beyond BIOS around 1990s, and looked at consolidation around 2001 due to downturn. Three years it got into acquisitions to widen portfolio and get into application on BIOS.

Around 2006, the company re-looked at the core business, it was the same time when it got Woodson "Woody" Hobbs as president and CEO of the company.

Later, in early 2010, it selected Tom Lacey as the company's president and chief executive officer. Meanwhile the company underwent another round of expansion where it acquired BeInSync, Touchstone Software Corporation and many more.

These movements very much reflected on its revenues. In 2006, the revues came around $60.5 million, which moved down to $ 47.0 million in 2007.

The 2008 revenues moved north to reach to $73.7 million, but moved down in next year at $67.7 million. It had recently opened a center in Bangalore, India to explore more opportunity led under Kirthiga Reddy as VP and GM Failsafe and Phoenix India.

It also appointed Kelly Wu as vice president, general manager of Phoenix Greater China.