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Now Software

{{short description|Defunct Mac software company}}

__NOTOC__

{{Infobox company

| name = Now Software

| logo = Now Software logo newest.svg

| type =

| industry = Software Engineering

| fate = Dissolved

| predecessor =

| successor =

| founded = {{Start date and age|1989}}

| founder =

| defunct = {{End date|2010|03}}

| hq_location_city =

| hq_location_country =

| area_served =

| key_people =

| products = {{unbulletedlist|

  • Now Up-to-Date & Contact
  • Now Utilities
  • Now X}}

| owner =

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year =

| parent =

| website =

}}

Now Software was the producer of Now Up-to-Date & Contact, a calendaring software and contact manager for individuals and groups, for macOS and Windows. The company was incorporated in 1989.{{cite web |title=Business Registry Number 180722-80 |url=https://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.show_detl?p_be_rsn=133428&p_srce=BR_INQ&p_print=FALSE |website=egov.sos.state.or.us |publisher=Oregon Secretary of State |access-date=2018-04-17 |quote=Registry date: 11-28-1989}}

Now Software, then based in Portland, Oregon, was acquired by Qualcomm in 1997.{{cite press release|title=Qualcomm incorporated announces acquisition of Now Software|publisher=Qualcomm|date=10 November 1997|access-date=2008-04-22|url=http://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/1997/11/10/qualcomm-incorporated-announces-acquisition-now-software}}{{cite journal |last=Gardner |first=Dana |date=17 November 1997 |title=Qualcomm purchases Now Software |journal=InfoWorld |volume=19 |issue=46 |pages=21 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9711255136|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418093107/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9711255136|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2018}}{{cite journal |last=Cortinas |first=Marty |date=2 March 1998 |title=Qualcomm unifies Now acquisitions |journal=MacWeek |volume=12 |issue=9 |pages=21 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/334070}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} At the time of acquisition, Qualcomm reported (based on data from the company and from industry research firm Softletter) that Now Software was the "71st-largest software company in the U.S. with close to two million users" of its products. Qualcomm also noted that Now Software's products had won high praise, "including Product of the Year, multiple Editor's and Reader's Choice honors and seven World Class Awards". In 1999, the intellectual properties of the original company, including the name, were acquired by Power On Software, which relaunched the company and name.{{cite web |last=Sellers |first=Dennis |date=28 January 2003 |title=Now (Software) is Power On's future |website=macworld.com |publisher=Macworld |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1008958/now.html |access-date=2017-04-17}}{{cite press release|title=Power On Software acquires rights to contact management and enterprise scheduling products from Qualcomm|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/power-on-software-acquires-rights-to-contact-management-and-enterprise-scheduling-products-from-qualcomm-73548062.html|publisher=Power On Software, Inc.|date=12 July 1999|access-date=2015-11-16}}

On August 27, 2009, the company released Now X, the successor to Now Up-to-Date & Contact.{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Peter |date=28 August 2009 |title=Now X debuts, successor to Now Up-to-Date and Contact |website=macworld.com |publisher=Macworld |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1142488/nowx.html |access-date=2017-04-17}}{{cite web |last=Battersby |first=Jeffery |date=16 February 2010 |title=Capsule review: Now X |website=macworld.com |publisher=Macworld |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1146178/business-software/now-x.html |access-date=2017-04-17}}{{cite journal |date=May 2010 |title=Reviews: Now X |journal=Macworld |volume=27 |issue=5 |pages=58–59 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/48849052}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Now X was rated poorly by Macworld, which called it "a program that doesn't rise anywhere near the level of its predecessor".

In March 2010, the company suspended its day-to-day operations.{{cite web |date=22 March 2010 |title=Now Software shuts down |website=tidbits.com |publisher=TidBITS |url=https://tidbits.com/2010/03/22/now-software-shuts-down/ |access-date=2018-04-17}}{{cite journal |last=Michaels |first=Philip |date=June 2010 |title=Now Software out of time |journal=Macworld |volume=27 |issue=6 |pages=15 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/49782917}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web |last=Wallace |first=John |date=22 March 2010 |title=Farewell |url=https://sites.google.com/site/nowsoftwarecom/letter |website=sites.google.com |access-date=2018-04-17}} Farewell letter from John Wallace, president of Now Software.

In 2011, InformationWeek included Now Up-to-Date & Contact in its list of "Great Lost Software", sixteen great defunct software applications, along with Adobe FreeHand, Adobe GoLive, Ecco Pro, HyperCard, Lotus Improv, Outlook Express, Palm Desktop, Ventura Publisher, WriteNow, and others.{{cite web |last=Widman |first=Jake |date=22 February 2011 |title=Great lost software: 16 gone but not forgotten |website=informationweek.com |publisher=InformationWeek |url=https://www.informationweek.com/great-lost-software-16-gone-but-not-forgotten/d/d-id/1096238?print=yes |access-date=2017-04-17}}

Two of the original programmers of Now Up-to-Date, Dave Riggle and John Chaffee, moved on to found the software company BusyMac,{{cite web |date=18 April 2007 |title=BusyMac |website=busymac.com |publisher=BusyMac |url=https://busymac.com/about.html |access-date=2022-09-05}} which produces the software applications BusyCal and BusyContacts, filling a similar niche market to the one filled by Now Up-to-Date & Contact.{{cite web |last=Mello Jr. |first=John P. |date=20 April 2009 |title=Now Software and the Mac/PC office: diversity in the workplace |url=https://www.technewsworld.com/story/66845.html |website=technewsworld.com |access-date=17 April 2018}}{{cite web |last=Sparks |first=David |date=13 February 2015 |title=BusyContacts ships and interview |url=https://www.macsparky.com/blog/2015/2/busycontacts-ships-and-interview |website=macsparky.com |access-date=17 April 2018}}{{cite web |last=Kissell |first=Joe |date=26 October 2009 |title=BusyMac BusyCal 1.0 |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/200738/busycal1.html |website=macworld.com |access-date=5 September 2022}}

Now Utilities

Now Utilities was a file utility product for Mac System 7.{{cite book |editor-last1=Colby |editor-first1=Clifford |editor-last2=Aker |editor-first2=Sharon Zardetto |editor-last3=Cortinas |editor-first3=Marty |date=2002 |title=The Macintosh bible |edition=8th |location=Berkeley, CA |publisher=Peachpit Press |isbn=020170899X |oclc=47636600 |page=[https://archive.org/details/macintoshbible00colb/page/508 508] |quote=In the heady days of Mac System 7, the most powerful set of system-enhancement utilities around was Now Software's Now Utilities, a bunch of clever modules that took the Mac Finder to new frontiers. However, it fell on hard times, and promised updates for Mac OS 8 and later never seemed to happen. Some of the folks who founded Now Software went off to create a new utility maker, Extensis... |url=https://archive.org/details/macintoshbible00colb/page/508 }}{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Lisa |date=1995 |title=MacWeek upgrading and repairing your Mac |series=The Don Crabb Macintosh library |location=Indianapolis, IN |publisher=Hayden Books |isbn=1568302495 |oclc=36178387 |page=[https://archive.org/details/macweekupgrading00leel/page/513 513] |quote=Now Software's Now Utilities has a reputation not only for cramming the maximum number of features into a reasonably priced package, but also for implementing those features well and thoroughly. |url=https://archive.org/details/macweekupgrading00leel/page/513 }} The first version, in 1990,{{cite web |title=Predicasts Technology Update, Vol 46 |date=16 July 1990 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFcUAQAAMAAJ&q=%22now+utilities%22+-energy+%22now+software%22 |website=books.google.com |access-date=2017-04-17}} was named one of MacUser{{'s}} "Top 100 Products for 1990".{{cite web |title=Computer Age Software Report, Volumes 23-25 |date=1991 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RnwqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22now+utilities%22+1990 |website=books.google.com |access-date=2017-04-17}}

As of Version 4 (released in 1993), Now Utilities includes NowSave, an automatic document saving facility (save after a configurable number of keystrokes or mouse-clicks); Super Boomerang (puts most recently used files into a menu); Now Profile (a system information collector); NowMenus (adds subfolders to the Apple menu); WYSIWYG Menus (Font, Size, Style menus render text as they would appear in a document); and Now Scrapbook (a replacement for the Scrapbook desk accessory).{{cite journal |last=Eckhardt |first=Robert C. |date=August 1993 |title=System utility collection |journal=Macworld |volume=10 |issue=8 |page=138 |url=https://archive.org/stream/MacWorld_9308_August_1993/#page/n139/mode/2up}} Earlier versions contained AlarmsClock, DeskPicture and ScreenLocker utilities, but these were removed in version 4.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

{{refbegin|colwidth=30em}}

  • {{cite journal |last=Littman |first=Dan |date=March 1992 |title=Now's new calendar |journal=Macworld |volume=9 |issue=3 |page=125 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9412062384}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Schorr |first=Joseph |date=October 1992 |title=Now Up-to-Date 1.0.1 |journal=Macworld |volume=9 |issue=10 |page=210 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9302140156|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092944/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9302140156|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}}
  • {{cite journal |last1=Littman |first1=Dan |last2=Moran |first2=Tom |date=December 1992 |title=Up-to-date again |journal=Macworld |volume=9 |issue=12 |page=177 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9302140156|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092944/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9302140156|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date 2.0.
  • {{cite journal |last=Baran |first=Nicholas |date=May 1993 |title=Personable PIMs |journal=Byte |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=194–198 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9305170094}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date 2.0, among other personal information managers (PIMs).
  • {{cite journal |last=Schorr |first=Joseph |date=June 1993 |title=Calendar software |journal=Macworld |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=146–147 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9308116294}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Taub |first=Eric |date=July 1993 |title=Sharing schedules |journal=MacUser |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=154–161 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9409022529}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Ito |first=Russell |date=October 1993 |title=Now's PIM |journal=MacUser |volume=9 |issue=10 |pages=38–39 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9401312287}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Littman |first=Dan |date=November 1993 |title=In Contact with Up-to-Date |journal=Macworld |volume=10 |issue=11 |pages=139 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9401104062}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Announces release of Now Contact.
  • {{cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Dave |date=27 December 1993 |title=Now Up-to-Date, Now Contact need to improve integration |journal=InfoWorld |volume=15 |issue=52/1 |page=81 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9405133052|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418161359/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9405133052|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2018}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Tessler |first=Franklin N. |date=March 1994 |title=Contact manager |journal=Macworld |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=63–64 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9406093013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418161201/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9406093013|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}} Reviews Now Contact 1.0.
  • {{cite journal |last=Cryan |first=Shelley |date=January 1995 |title=Electric assistants |journal=MacUser |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=82–90 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9412221894}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now-Up-To-Date 2.1.1 and Now Contact 1.1 and other PIMs.
  • {{cite journal |last=Littman |first=Dan |date=January 1995 |title=Now Contact goes multiuser |journal=Macworld |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=132 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9412305020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418093049/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9412305020|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}} Reviews Now Contact 3.0.
  • {{cite journal |last1=Ohlson |first1=Karen J. |last2=Snell |first2=Jason |date=January 1995 |title=The personal goes public |journal=MacUser |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=36 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9412221828}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reports on upgrades to Now Up-to-Date and Now Contact.
  • {{cite journal |last=Schorr |first=Joseph |date=April 1995 |title=Personal information managers |journal=Macworld |volume=12 |issue=4 |page=61 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9503223725}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now-Up-To-Date and Now Contact 3.0.
  • {{cite journal |last=Janus |first=Susan |date=May 1995 |title=Now Contact and Up-to-Date |journal=MacUser |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=41–42 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9504061940}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |date=August 1995 |title=New Now is noteworthy |journal=MacUser |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=28 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9507241101}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now-Up-To-Date and Now Contact 3.5.
  • {{cite journal |last=King |first=Nelson |date=12 September 1995 |title=PIMs & contact managers |journal=PC Magazine |volume=14 |issue=15 |pages=235–237 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9509183764}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Cover story reviews Now Up-to-Date and other PIMs.
  • {{cite journal |last=Scisco |first=Peter |date=October 1995 |title=Personal information managers: making a date |journal=PC World |volume=13 |pages=154 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/503353843}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date for Windows 95 and other PIMs.
  • {{cite journal |last=Swenson |first=John |date=16 October 1995 |title=Sharing scheduling data across platforms |journal=InformationWeek |issue=549 |page=90 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9510206091}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date for Windows 95.
  • {{cite journal |last=Janus |first=Susan |date=November 1995 |title=Now Up-to-Date & Contact 3.5 |journal=MacUser |volume=11 |issue=11 |pages=59 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9510161070}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |date=March 1996 |title=Two 'personal information managers' |journal=Architectural Record |volume=184 |pages=48 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/503401044}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Ascend 5.0 and Now Up-to-Date 1.0 for Windows.
  • {{cite journal |date=1 April 1996 |title=Multiuser manager |journal=InformationWeek |issue=573 |pages=85 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9604112817}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date 1.02 for Windows.
  • {{cite journal |last=Wilkerson |first=Robert |date=20 May 1996 |title=Finding a date on the Internet |journal=PC Week |volume=13 |issue=20 |pages=N1 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9606041085|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418093125/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9606041085|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2018}} Reviews Now-Up-To-Date Web Publisher and other group scheduling and calendaring software.
  • {{cite journal |last=Schorr |first=Joseph |date=June 1996 |title=Office essentials |journal=Macworld |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=106–111 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9605100534}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Mentions Now-Up-to-Date 3.5.
  • {{cite journal |date=November 1996 |title=Hot disks |journal=Entrepreneur |volume=24 |issue=11 |page=56 }} Reviews Now Up-to-Date Web Publisher and other software.
  • {{cite journal |last=Topolos |first=Nick A. |date=December 1996 |title=Now Up-to-Date Web Publisher |journal=Macworld |volume=13 |issue=12 |pages=78 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9610298033}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Poultney |first=John |date=20 January 1997 |title=Now package to boost e-mail |journal=MacWeek |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=4–5 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9704292945}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date and Now Contact 3.6.5.
  • {{cite journal |date=Winter 1998 |title=What's new in small business software |journal=Fortune |volume=137 |issue=1 |pages=205–208 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9712036527|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418093012/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9712036527|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}} Mentions Now Software.
  • {{cite journal |last1=Wier |first1=Benson |last2=Hunton |first2=James E. |date=August 1998 |title=Software to get you organized |journal=Journal of Accountancy |volume=186 |issue=2 |pages=50–52 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/938503}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Now Up-to-Date 3.6.5.
  • {{cite journal |last=Furchgott |first=Roy |date=8 November 1999 |title=Using the net to soup up your palm top computer |journal=BusinessWeek |issue=3654 |pages=165–166 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/2422838}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Mentions using a software program called Consultant to sync data from Now Up-to-Date and Now Contact to a Palm Pilot.
  • {{cite journal |last=Negrino |first=Tom |date=August 2000 |title=Now Up-to-Date & Contact 3.9 |journal=Macworld |volume=17 |issue=8 |page=54 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/3316851}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Negrino |first=Tom |date=October 2001 |title=Now Up-to-Date and Contact 4.0 |journal=Macworld |volume=18 |issue=10 |page=30 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/5144814|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418093039/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/5144814|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}}
  • {{cite journal |last=Mainelli |first=Tom |date=February 2004 |title=Now's mixed office PIM |journal=PC World |volume=22 |issue=2 |page=58 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/11849865}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
  • {{cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Chana |last2=Donaldson |first2=Sonya A. |date=May 2004 |title=Get it together |journal=Black Enterprise |volume=34 |issue=10 |pages=54 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/12854846|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418161254/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/12854846|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-04-18}} Reviews Now Up-to-Date and Now Contact.
  • {{cite web |last=Battersby |first=Jeffery |date=28 November 2005 |title=Capsule review: Now Up-to-Date & Contact 5.0 |website=macworld.com |publisher=Macworld |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1048044/nudc5.html |access-date=2017-04-17}}
  • {{cite journal |date=September 2008 |title=Calendars and organizers compared |journal=Macworld |volume=25 |issue=9 |pages=40 |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/34414461}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Mentions Now Up-to-Date and Now Contact 5.3.2.

{{refend}}

{{Calendaring software}}

Category:Defunct companies based in Columbus, Ohio

Category:Defunct companies based in Oregon

Category:2010 disestablishments in Ohio

Category:2010 disestablishments in Oregon

Category:Macintosh software companies

Category:Qualcomm software