One of the very nice perks of being Editor of My Mac is the ability to speak with people who work on, use, develop, play with, write for, or guide the way for things Macintosh. This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Christian Gurney, President and CEO of CE Software, a man with a diverse background who has had an impact on software being produced for the Mac. So, sit back, relax and enjoy our journey through the world of management in a major Macintosh software company.
My Mac: Thank you very much for consenting to be interviewed and for taking the time to speak with me. Can you provide our readers with some background on yourself, your work and how you first became involved with the Mac?
Mr. Gurney: I am the President and CEO of CE Software, Inc., a West Des Moines, Iowa developer and publisher of email and automation utilities for the Mac OS and yes, Windows. I joined CE back in 1991 after having been the MIS manager for a marketing company associated with FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, and was named president in July of 1997.
I grew up in rural Wisconsin, but not on a farm. My father had a foreign car dealership, so at a young age I was exposed to Fiats, Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars, Ferraris and all manner of sports cars. That exposure proved to be indelible as even today, I’m a big gearhead, currently reconditioning a Jaguar E-Type. In my spare time, I maintain a website for Derek Hill (http://www.derekhill.com), enjoy the outdoors, and follow motorsports.
By education, I am an archaeologist, having done two stints of field work in Africa in the 1980’s. In my area of concentration, I lived with hunter-gatherer groups for months on end in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana and the Lake Eyasi region of Tanzania. When I graduated, I decided to “go where the action was” in the computer technology arena and see if I could pick at bones later in life. It’s a great topic for discussion at dinner parties and meetings!
I actually did dBase (remember that?) programming to help pay my school bills, and we used Macs at the University of Wisconsin, obtained through an Apple grant, to do much of our archaeological analysis and for preparing teaching materials. I also studied cartography, literature, classical history, and Swahili.
My first computer was a Commodore PET with a cassette drive. I then moved on to the Kaypro CPM, IBM PC, and then to my first Mac. It was a Macintosh 512, which I got through the university. I can say, without melodrama, that it literally changed the direction of my life.
My Mac: Can you give us a brief history of CE Software and its background of providing software for Macintosh users?
Mr. Gurney: CE has been doing software development since the first Apple PC came out. Back then, it was one guy, Don Brown, in the back room of a retail computer store (named “Computer Emporium”, hence the “CE” in CE Software) programming things like “Hog Analyzer” and “Fat Cattle Analyzer” and games such as “The Wonderful World of Eamon” and “Sword Thrust”. The real big software push came with the release of the Mac and Brown developed a number of utilities including the precursor to the “Font/DA Mover”, a Mac version of SideKick, and a host of other software. Then came CalendarMaker, DiskTop (by Gil Beecher), QuicKeys, and finally “Project X”, which was to become QuickMail. While other programs have come and gone, either into the bit bucket or to other companies, QuicKeys and QuickMail, in various incarnations and progeny, remain the staple CE applications. Today, millions of people have used QuicKeys and QuickMail to save time and communicate across the hall and around the world, and our products are sold in 12 countries including Japan, Germany, France, Sweden, and the UK.
My Mac: What type of computer do you use at work and at home?
Mr. Gurney: PowerBook G3 Series 292/14″. I use it at work and at home. It’s probably the finest computer ever made by Apple, after the SE/30. The family has a PowerMac 6100 for home finance and toddler games.
My Mac: What are your favorite pieces of shareware/freeware that you would consider essential for Mac users?
Mr. Gurney: The FTP Client Fetch. I also prefer FreePPP/Gearbox for remote access vs. the Apple OT/PPP software. Much easier to configure, especially when in foreign countries.
My Mac: What are your favorite software programs? Why?
Mr. Gurney: Well, despite seeming like a gratuitous plug for my own company, I’d have to say that QuicKeys is one of my all-time favorites. Nothing else changes the way I use the Mac for the better. The real test is when I sit down at another person’s Mac: without QK installed, I have a really hard time being efficient. It just makes my life simpler.
Another one of my favorites is Photoshop. While there are some strange behaviors and it can certainly be quite complicated, it is the most powerful and best tool for what it does. For what I do, Microsoft Excel is one of the best tools for business. I’ve been using Excel since version 2.0 on the Mac and I’ve always been able to do what I needed with it. And as I write this, I can’t say I can ever remember having to struggle with bugs or strange behavior. It’s always been reliable.
On the games side, I like F-18 3.0 and Atomic’s Close Combat (which I hear may not be on the Mac for version 3. A shame, if true).
My Mac: What kind of software and other hardware do you use at work and at home?
Mr. Gurney: Zip drive. HP ScanJet 3v. QuickMail Pro for Email. Netscape Navigator for web. NetObjects Fusion for personal website. Microsoft Office 98.
My Mac: If you could design it and have it built to your specifications, what would you consider to be the “ideal” Mac for you?
Mr. Gurney: I own it. The G3 Series 292/14″. Only thing to make it better was if it was made of some lightweight material like carbon fiber or titanium.
My Mac: What’s a typical day for you?
Mr. Gurney: Rise at 5:15 a.m. Read local paper and Wall Street Journal. In the office by 7:30, earlier if needing to talk to Europe. Check overnight email. Review websites. Plan day. Review previous day’s sales. Call east coast partners and customers. Visit all departments twice a day in person (the ol’ “managing by walking around”). Midday–call west coast partners and customers. Lunch at my desk. Meetings on marketing and development. Usually home by 7:00 p.m. unless on deadline or needing to talk to Japan. Work or testing of software in the evening. Asleep by midnight or 1:00AM. Usually work a few hours on Sunday to get ahead on the week.
My Mac: How large a company is CE Software?
Mr. Gurney: People-wise about 46. Money-wise, about $4.25 million.
My Mac: How many developers work for CE Software?
Mr. Gurney: The number varies depending on the various projects. We have extensive partnerships and relationships that allow us to bring very talented people in when needed. Currently, we have over a dozen people working on projects.
My Mac: Times have changed from the early days of the Mac… CE Software has had to change to maintain its profitability and position. What does the future hold for makers/developers of Mac software such as CE Software?
Mr. Gurney: Times have indeed changed and dramatically so. CE once was able to sell $12 million of Mac OS software a year and employ 125 people, but changes in email and decline in Apple market share, especially amongst businesses, has changed all that. A few years ago, we decided that to grow, which in this business means to survive, we had to become a “software” company, as opposed to a “Mac software” company. So we have made some additions to the product line in the Windows area. Most important is our soon to be released QuicKeys for Windows, which will bring our 10 years of experience in automation to a market of 160 million people worldwide. I think all of this extends from a pragmatic viewpoint that realizes that we can make innovative products for a wide audience and still be true to our Mac roots. Mac users can look forward to new products in the QuicKeys family and also innovations in the QuickMail line, but details need to wait until these products are ready to be announced in San Francisco.
My Mac: What impact do you see the diversification of CE Software to the Windows platform having upon CE Software?
Mr. Gurney: More than anything else, the opportunity to rebuild a growth business. I know that some readers have a evangelical faith for the Mac that borders on fanaticism, so to them, any mention of products for Windows causes revulsion. To be honest, I think I had that messianic streak myself early on in my career. Our fortunes have traditionally been tied to those of Apple and you can easily see where our business declined when Apple’s did.
For me, the change came when I looked at a gathering of CE employees, their spouses and children. It caused me to reflect on my responsibility to lead them in a direction that would meld the realization of company goals with the realization of all of the various personal dreams they held. A first home, a new car, a college education for their children., ability to care for invalid parents or bringing the rest of their family to the United states, these things are in many ways more important than the computer platform we make software for.
The key to my part of helping make these dreams a reality was to look hard at where the market was, is now, and will be. And we decided that there was a lot of room for the types of products we make in the Windows market. And the early response to our QuicKeys for Windows product bears that out. And we’re having fun bringing the realization that you can make the computer do wonderful things for you to a new audience.
But in our hearts, I think most of us have a warm spot for the Mac and the cool things that can be done with the Mac OS. So, going back to my analogy of auto makers, we’re making accessories for Chevys, but we really like to make the stuff for Ferraris. The Ferrari market ebbs and flows, but people will always drive Chevys and therefore, there will be a market for our products. And so it is with us now: we continue to innovate on the Mac and we’re bringing that innovative thinking to the PC and its market which is 8 times larger than that of Apple’s.
My Mac: What do you have in store for the Mac public? New software, projects, etc.?
Mr. Gurney: Mac users can look forward to new products in the QuicKeys family and also innovations in the QuickMail line. We’ve introduced 2 new products for QuicKeys this year: QuicKeys PowerPak and Instant QuicKeys and we intend to quicken the pace of new products. And some exciting things are ahead for QuickMail as well. Details need to wait until these products are announced in San Francisco.
My Mac: What are your feelings for the future of the Mac and the Mac OS? Where would you like to see the Mac OS go?
Mr. Gurney: Looking at the car industry, I liken Apple to Microsoft as Ferrari or Porsche to General Motors. There’s a tremendous amount of innovation happening at these smaller, specialist companies and the communities that support them. I think the battle for PC operating systems dominance was lost to Microsoft awhile back and I appreciate the fact that Apple no longer seems to be fighting that battle. The Mac OS is still the finest operating system available for the masses. I have to work on both each day, so I feel qualified to say that. I think Mac OS X represents a positive direction. The previous OS direction, where we were going to have to rewrite all of our applications, was crazy and would have been a commercial failure. I think there is a lot of very cool stuff that can be done on the Mac and the OS makes that possible.
My Mac: You have just been selected as the new CEO of Apple… what would you do and why?
Mr. Gurney: First thing would be to do even more to support developers. Until recently, I had a very negative opinion of Apple’s support of developers, one that I can tell you is shared by too many other developers. By “support” I mean outreach. I would get a list of the top 100 developers and I would go see each and every one of them and say, “What does Apple need to do to make you more successful?” You can get to that point with Apple today, but not consistently and only after a lot of work. Once you pierce the veil, you find tremendous people who genuinely want to help. I’d make it easier for developers of all sizes to get that sort of help–and without spending months to get there. For example, CE has been without an official evangelist since early 1998. There’s no one whose job it is to help us at Apple. I find that if no one person is responsible, then nobody is.
Second, I would focus on helping developers get their product messages to Mac owners. It’s too hard to reach those people effectively today and Apple is slow to help. That has to change. It has to become easier for developers to market their wares. I’m not talking about charity, but rather access.
Third, I would turn loose the industrial designers and give them free rein on new hardware design. There should be an LCD panel iMac making the rounds now. That thing will be very cool. Industrial design is still a major potential advantage for Apple and the PC vendors are still making boxes. Just like people lust after that red Ferrari because it creates some sort of visceral desire, Apple design could create the same sort of craving. It’s like what is being done now, but more of it.
Fourth, I’d remind people that the concept of network computing isn’t dead, it was just ahead of its time. Build low-cost Macs, super-fast Java runtime environments, all-around astounding LCD panel displays that save space, and couple it with some killer apps and back-end systems from Oracle–and the future begins to look a lot different.
Fifth, invest a lot in education. When I was in college in the 1980’s, THE COMPUTER TO HAVE was a Mac. People carried those SE/30s in cases and they were damn heavy! Somehow, that enthusiasm for the platform and what it represented as a lifestyle choice must be rekindled. Restore the educational grant programs, recruit faculty, and make sure that Macs are cheap on campus.
Finally, keep the focus, keep it lean, keep it mean. Apple is making money now and they seem to be executing their strategy well. Don’t let up the pressure to do well. It can be done.
My Mac: What advice would you give to Mac users concerning the future of the Mac?
If you want there to be a long-term future, then I would say simply, “Put your money where your mouth is.” Buy a Mac and Mac OS software. Realize that buying the upgrade to a software product, even if you’re not convinced you need it, enables vendors to continue to give you a choice. If you’re happy, for example, with just having Eudora and Outlook Express as your email choice, then don’t complain if your choices diminish over time. Keeping other email products alive keeps the other guys on their toes and the competition is good for you, no matter what Microsoft would have you believe. In this world, money talks. Venture capital flows to where potential markets are. Without fresh capital, the amount of new software for the Mac will diminish over time, no matter how cool future Macs look. Therein lies the single biggest challenge for Apple: recruiting NEW developers to the platform and providing a market that will allow them to grow healthy and profitable companies.
My Mac: What advice would you give to shareware authors out there producing software for the Mac who are interested in going “commercial” with their wares.
Mr. Gurney: The best way to make a small fortune in taking a shareware product commercial is to begin with a large fortune. My view is that today, marketing is more important than technology and one need only look to Microsoft for proof. If you want to go commercial on your own, then you must have adequate funds to polish the product, get into appropriate distributions channels and to support the customer. If you plan on having a product that is used in business, you must provide phone support–and that is expensive.
The best way is to create a partnership with an established company, such as CE. You’ll give up a lot of margin, but you’ll reach an audience you couldn’t otherwise reach. Let the big guy handle marketing, sales, support, and distribution. You focus on development and putting your royalty check in the bank.
My Mac: For those interested in a career in the computer industry, with a company such as yours, for example, what recommendations would you make to students to follow as a possible course of study?
Mr. Gurney: First, unless you’re the programming genius who builds the “next big thing,” you really need to get a college degree, of any kind. It demonstrates that you can dedicate yourself to something. Plus, you may have actually learned something in the process. Specifically, we find that recent grads have very poor written communication skills. In this age of email and instant web publishing, not being able to write a complete sentence is a serious problem. Public speaking wouldn’t be bad, either, because whether it’s an internal group or customers, you have to be able to make a point. For the technically inclined, in addition to the basic math, logic and programming, take courses in graphic design–or something related–which will expose you to how humans interpret and interact with visual elements. The more marketing-inclined would do well to look at how the technical area actually works. Above all else, try to get a part-time job or internship where you can gain experience, because that is what ultimately makes the most difference to your employer and your career.
My Mac: What do you see as the future of computing within the next 3-5 years… both hardware and software wise?
Mr. Gurney: I think that the Network Computer will become a reality, in some form. I think advances in capabilities and cost reductions in chips, flat panels and voice recognition will allow an explosion of single purpose devices in a variety of form factors. The multi-function PC is still too complicated for the average person. This would include a device that is only as large as the display, primarily responds to voice (remember, you asked 3-5 years) and essentially acts as only a web browser. Data will be maintained centrally so that your access to it only requires a connection for access. I also see far more government regulation of our industry and of the Internet. The Internet industry has been enjoying the boom years without too much oversight, but this will come to an end once the web becomes such a serious platform for commerce that the states realize they are losing massive amounts of tax revenue. This will result in a national sales tax.
There will be an explosion of single purpose devices. It has to do with consumer patterns. Why do we have a microwave, an oven, toaster, and all these other devices in the kitchen? Because they are simple to use. I foresee major home appliances getting some intelligence and an IP address.
The networking of homes and business will continue, both with physical and wireless solutions. Wireless will become more viable as the costs of laying cable or updating older copper infrastructures becomes too high. Or perhaps the electric companies will become the new data carriers if the experiments with carrying data [via] electrical lines becomes practical and safe.
My Mac: Mr. Gurney, it has been a real pleasure to speak with you. I think that you have placed a lot of ideas out on the table for our readers to look over and think about. Do you have any final thoughts for our readers?
Mr. Gurney: One thought to leave with everyone: our philosophy has been and will continue to be that we will make and sell products for the Mac OS so long as there is demand to do so. And we think that the things we will announce at Macworld will amply demonstrate that commitment.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with CE Software, visit their website at http://www.cesoft.com and check out their products for the Macintosh. Also, in this month’s issue, Mike Wallinga reviews QuicKeys 3.5.3, one of CE Software’s Macintosh products. What are you waiting for?
Russ Walkowich
editor@mymac.com
Websites mentioned:
http://www.derekhill.com
http://www.cesoft.com
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