The Low-Profile Company Behind High-Profile WinZip
Posted by Sachin Garg on 24th July 2005 | Permanent Link
courant.com has an intersting article on makers of WinZip and the recent acquisition by Vector Capital. Apart from the things already discussed here at The Data Compression News Blog, here are some interesting points made there…
It mentions that the company behind the software, WinZip Computing Inc., could hardly be more low-profile.
Indeed, few in the Storrs section of Mansfield even know the company exists, although WinZip has operated here for at least a decade.
Its phone number is unlisted. Company officials routinely decline interview requests. And WinZip’s headquarters, a two-story, white-clapboard building not far from the UConn main campus, doesn’t even carry a sign to identify the occupant.
In short, the software program that practically everybody knows is made by a Connecticut company that practically nobody knows.
In a telephone interview last week, Edwin Siebesma, WinZip’s president, said the company is “excited” about its new ownership and opportunities. But in characteristic fashion, he declined to elaborate on the company’s product plans or its history.
“Yes, the company has changed hands,” he said. “But not a lot else has changed in the sense that we’re very private and like to keep things private.”
That close-mouthed posture is a company policy of long standing, said Jerry Lee Ford Jr., author of “The Book of WinZip,” published in 2001 by No Starch Press.
Lee Ford, the author of several other computer-related books, said he was rebuffed when he approached WinZip for cooperation with a planned volume about the software program’s features. Other software companies often leap at the chance for the publicity that a book would bring, but not WinZip, he said.
“They entertained the idea for a small period of time, but ultimately came back and said no,” he recalled. “It’s almost to me as if they were just reclusive.” He ultimately went ahead with the book without the company’s help.
Still, Lee Ford said he remains impressed with WinZip’s status as a handy little utility that enjoys great name recognition and strong user loyalty. “It’s very cool, I think,” he said. “It’s surprisingly powerful in some of the stuff it can do.”
Apart from this, the article mostly talks about how great WinZip’s history has been and that now “The No. 1 message they want to shout from the rooftops is: It’s not free, it’s not free.”
July 24th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
Not free?! ;)
I think its a Nobel position to take for a software company in these times of over hyped everything.
Considering the amount of good free alternatives to Winzip though, perhaps it would’ve been smarter in a business sence to be a little more public. What’ll happen when Windows brings out native full-blown Zip support?
Ah well, I’m a RAR man myself. Good luck to ‘em.
February 22nd, 2006 at 5:12 pm
in the big, bad world of computer ripoffs, there were two decent companies which treated its customers right: WinZip and Paint Shop Pro. They are both gone now, sold to the ripoff merchants who are very busy ripping as I key this.
August 24th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I agree, what a shame it’s had to come to this. Yes, there have always been other products around, and maybe even as you say “Good Alternatives”. But man, this was the first robust and fully functional GUI interface for multiple kinds of compression, not just PKWare. Easy to use. And, what a deal, Lifetime Free Upgrades…
Is this legal? Sure, over 10 years ago I bought my license for $9.00 US. And, have enjoyed every advance in the product since version 2.0 (maybe even earlier I don’t remember). But still, that is the agreement I purchased. I don’t care if the company get’s purchased, if they want to keep the name than they keep the agreements of the previous company.
August 26th, 2006 at 2:45 am
I don’t see anything wrong in them pushing their users a little harder to purchase, but if they promised “Lifetime Free Upgrades”, they must keep their word.
February 11th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I have to reload the software as my computer crashed. Can’t find it on their site and no way to download it again. I guess the 60.00 is out the window
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:22 am
The departure from the promised “Lifetime Free Upgrades” can only mean that their Lifetime has ended.
Meanwhile, why not try ? It has a GUI, is free and appears to be quite popular already (due ot significantly better compression than the “good old” zip format).