Softkey SoftKey

History

2018: Legal claims for 422 million rub

In June, 2018 it became known that Softkey (enters into IBS Group) became the defendant in several tens claims since the beginning of 2018. Problems are connected with the falling of the market of software continuing the fourth year, claim in the company.

By data SPARK-Interfax, all to the company 119 claims for the total amount nearly 422 million rubles are made. The largest, for the amount over 264 million rubles, Kaspersky Lab gave in May. This amount — receivables according to the license agreement, explained in the press service of Kaspersky Lab. Besides, two claims on 120.4 million rubles in total were made by the distributor of software of "Mont".

Debts in other claims it is less. So, the polygraphic Pareto Print complex as which co-owner Alexander Mamut acts in February, 2018 signed the delivery agreement of software with Softkey, having paid to advance payment 12 thousand rubles, the CEO of "Pareto Print" Pavel Arsenyev told.

"Software was not received, do not come for contact, by phones do not respond, to letters too. At first referred to time difficulties, and then ceased to answer. We gave on judicial collecting, we have a principle: any debt should be recovered" — he noted.

According to Felix Muchnik, problems of the company are explained by the fact that "the software market falls four years in connection with events known to all".

"All have problems, as well as at us. We try to leave them and we hope that it will turn out" —^[1] noted^[1].

The market of distribution of software contracts in recent years, the interlocutor of Kommersant in the industry considers. It is connected with an economic crisis, sanctions, transition on Russian software, he explains. Import substitution policy led to growth of piracy foreign software, and sanction against the Russian structures — to the fact that the largest vendors periodically toughen cooperation conditions, including for the large companies, he explains. Earlier the basis of the market was formed by solutions of producers of antiviruses and foreign vendors, now there is a transition to the Russian software, but it is not enough, he summarizes.

2015: Sales of digital content through Ulmart network

14,000,000 buyer are announced. Softkey started sales of digital content through Ulmart network.

2011: IBS Group tries to sell Softkey. Value assessments of the company from $50 million to $170 million

At the end of July, 2011 the owner SoftKey the IBS Group company published the annual report for 2010 financial year which came to the end on March 31. In it it is said that the group considers the possibilities to reduce the share in capital stock of Softkey software online store to level below 50% due to involvement of the strategic partner.

The IBS Group holding is ready to sell to the strategist more than 20% of Sofkey.ru online store

The president of IBS Anatoly Karachinsky told CNews that information on decrease in a share in Softkey stated in the report cannot be considered specific plans.

"With offers on sale different funds, however what is written in the report addressed us - it is only information for interested persons that sales opportunity of a share exists", - he explained.

The head of one of the large Russian IT companies in a conversation with CNews assumed that he can be interested in sale of Softkey IBS in view of unevident perspectives of business selling software.

"The future behind clouds, and sales of software will lose relevance over time. Possibly, IBS looks for the partner with whom it would be possible to develop the cloud direction", - the interlocutor of the edition says.

The analyst of IC Finam Tatyana Zemtsova calls a pacing factor of possible reduction of a share of IBS in the capital of Softkey low profitability of shop.

"Decrease in packet size below control (less than 50%) will allow not to consolidate Sofkey indicators in the reporting of IBS that in turn will lead to increase in marginality of group in general and can give support of cost of securities of the company", - she says.

"We believe that the probability of implementation of the scenario described in the reporting (decrease in a share is lower than 50%) is rather high", - Zemtsova adds.

Under its assumption the cost of Softkey can be in the range of $50-70 million.

The managing partner of Almaz Capital Alexander Galitsky suggests to estimate Softkey cost, comparing it to Digital River company. Digital River created a technology platform for sale of programs via the websites, it is used by Microsoft, Kodak and Kaspersky Lab. Capitalization of this company, whose revenue in 2010 made $363 million, equaled $989 million yesterday. If to proceed from this multiplicator, then the cost of Sofkey can be about $170 million.

2010

Revenue of $61.2 million (+32%)

Softkey revenue in 2010 financial year made $61.2 million, having increased by 32% in relation to 2009. On this indicator the shop grew also rather pre-crisis level – in 2008 its revenue made $53.2 million.

Actively income from other marketplaces grows — in particular, Microsoft, Nokia and Euroset which sell software, using technologies and the Softkey servers, the founder and the co-owner of Softkey Felix Muchnik says.

Nevertheless, the indicator of EBITDA Softkey continues to remain negative: in 2009 it made - $0.2 million, and in 2010 decreased to - $1.2 million. The indicator of Gross Margin was reduced from 19% to 16%.

More than 15 thousand programs are presented in the Softkey directory. The company successfully trades in software, but all profit is eaten by investments — first of all in development of the platform, Karachinsky explains. Now Softkey stakes on sales of software via mobile phones and tablets.

By this time representative offices are open in 10 countries among which there are Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Israel, Poland, the Baltic States, Moldova.

Softkey offers buyers a set of payment methods of purchases, operational processing of the order, tracking of process of order fulfillment in the personal section, different discounts from shop and software makers.

Daily in Softkey online store more than 2 thousand orders are made out. In total for operating time of the company about two million accounts were issued, at the same time the total quantity of the paid orders already makes about 1 million. The Softkey resources are daily visited by more than 70 thousand visitors.

The Softkey system gives an opportunity to the organization of own Internet channel of sales. Among similar successful projects it is possible to call online stores ABBYY Software House, Acronis, ASPLinux, Paragon Software Group, Kaspersky Labs and others.

Softkey publishes the web magazine about the world of the software of Softkey.info in which the latest news from the software development area is published every day, contrastive analysis of the software is given, training in work with different software packages is performed.

Softkey provides support and service of the Russian-language version of the website Win-rar.ru devoted to the WinRAR software product.

On this website users can obtain detailed information on WinRAR in Russian and also purchase a product in online store. As Softkey software Internet supermarket is engaged in service of sales.

Softkey with assistance of developer companies holds free webinars (online seminars). This offer is relevant for all users and specialists interested in increase in the IT competences. Despite territorial remoteness, participants of webinars communicate directly in virtual audience in real time.

Everyone can be trained on the Softkey.info resource. The online lessons brought to attention of visitors are devoted to different software products and contain the most useful information for the user.

Start of CAD@ONLINE for products of Ascon

The Softkey Internet supermarket developed and started the CAD@ONLINE project.

Users of the portal can get acquainted online with CAD technologies and estimate functionality of software products of ASCON: "Electronic reference book by the designer" and KOMPAS-3D, three-dimensional modeling system.

The user can not only find the reference information interesting him on CAD@ONLINE, but also make necessary calculations. The project allows to save data on the server under an account of the visitor. Thus, CAD@ONLINE allows the buyer to make the weighed decision after complete acquaintance to functionality of a product and its testing in actual practice and without installation of demonstration versions on the computer.

In plans of Softkey - to organize a virtual demo stand as well on developments of other vendors.

Start of network of communications IT4ALL for participants of the market of software

IT4All is the online center of examination and product consulting; the new tool integrating participants of the IT industry in network of experts for communication and the solution of business challenges.

IT4All gives ample opportunities for joint work of all representatives of the software market and information services:

• Software makers;
• Suppliers, dealers, integrators, VAR ов;
• Independent experts;
• Corporate software users.

Possibilities of IT4All:

• For producers (vendors) of the software.

An opportunity to build the dealer network. Permanent contact with the dealer: informing it about the products, carrying out consultations, assessment of solutions, control of reports - everything that allows to influence sales increase of products in regions.

• For suppliers, dealers, integrators, VAR ов.

New sales channel, direct access to information of vendors on software products. Features: analyze responses about software products from end users and experts, to create and publish solutions and cases, to post materials in sections of the general access, to offer the additional services to drawing software.

• For independent experts.

Participation in discussions, offer of the versions of solutions.

• For corporate software users.

Consultations with the qualified experts; conducting dialog with developers and suppliers; access to the knowledge base (FAQ); the help when choosing the solution under a specific objective. The project allows to conduct ratings, monitoring of activity, to distribute addresses of users between experts.

Start of SaaS-сервиса Point4ALL

Point4All is the joint project of Cyscom companies (one of leaders in the world market of SaaS), IBS DataFort (service provider of IT outsourcing) and Softkey.

Softkey role - the organization of sales process of products to the buyer and order processing.

A number of products, essentially new at the Russian market, is presented at the platform Point4ALL. Its uniqueness - sale of solutions on the SaaS model - (software as a service - software as service). The project is focused, first of all, on representatives of small and medium business.

On Point4ALL offers for coordination of work of personnel department, CRM, project management, sales management are submitted.

2009

Start of English-language Softkey.net

In September, 2009 the Softkey company started the international Internet supermarket Softkey.net in work.

Private users from every spot on the globe can purchase software in Softkey.net Internet supermarket. The directory of programs includes software from the famous Russian and western developers whose list constantly extends. In work of Softkey.net it is relied on sale of electronic versions of software products that allows to deliver quickly keys to software to clients from the different countries.

Thanks to the English-language Softkey.net interface, foreign users will be able easily to find the necessary product with detailed information on it and to make purchase. Also support services are provided: clients from the leading countries of Europe, America and Asia have an opportunity to call on a free international telephone line or to ask a question to the specialist through Help Desk. International payment systems (Visa, MasterCard, etc.) and electronic money (PayPal) are available to payment of the selected goods.

The first regional representative office - Voronezh

• Softkey opened the Russia's first regional representative office in Voronezh.
• Account No. 2,000,000 is drawn up.
• Softkey gives to the Voronezh boarding school No. 1 the equipment for equipment of a computer class within the charity event "Digital Window in the Future"

For 2009 Softkey was an owner of the following partner statuses of the Russian and foreign developers:

• 1C-Bitrix - Distributor
• ABBYY - Official Distributor
• ACD Systems - Distributor
• Acronis Distributor
• Adobe Authorized Reseller
• Agnitum Outpost Premium Distributor
• Aladdin Distributor
• Ascon - Internet Distributor
• AutoCAD LT Reseller
• AVG Gold Reseller
• Citrix Silver Solution Adviser
• Corel Corporation Platinum Partner
• Diskeeper Corporation - Distributor
• Entensys is Federal Distributor
• ESET Premiere Partner
• GFI Gold Reseller
• GFI Software Silver Reseller
• Kerio Authorized Distributor
• Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
• Mindjet Distributor
• Paragon - Distributor
• Pegasus - Distributor
• Red Line Software Official Distributor
• SmartSoft - Distributor
• Spb Software Official Online Distributor
• Symantec Corporation Gold Partner
• VMware Enterprise PartnerSymantec Corporation Gold Partner
• WinRAR - Official Distributor
• STORK - Distributor
• Kaspersky Lab - Online Distributor

Softkey renders technical support services according to the following software products:

• ABBYY (продукты: ABBYY FormReader, ABBYY FlexiCapture, ABBYY Recognition Server)
• AltN
• Citrix (product: Citrix XenApp)
• Diskeeper
• GFI
• Kaspersky (products for Windows)
• Kerio
• WinRAR
• VMware (products: ESX server, VMware Workstation for Windows)

2008: The CEO Felix Muchnik receives CNews AWARDS for a contribution to development of e-commerce in the Russian Federation

Felix Muchnik, the CEO of Softkey, wins a special prize of the tender CNews AWARDS 2008 for a contribution to development of e-commerce in Russia.

2006: IBS Group purchases Softkey

• Softkey and Звуки.ру start the Soundkey.ru joint project.
• The tenth representative office of Softkey in Moldova opens.
• IBS Group Holding purchased 70% of Softkey in 2006 for sales promotion by Depo Computers entering then into it assembling computers. Transaction amount was estimated at $10-12 million.

2007: Staff of the company of 100 people

• Account No. 1,000,000 is drawn up.
• The staff of the company grew to 100 people.
• Softkey enters Internet and Business Association.

2005: Offices in Bulgaria, Poland, Israel and the Baltic States

• Representative offices of Softkey outside the CIS open: in Bulgaria, Poland, Israel and the Baltic States.

• Softkey together with Microsoft establishes Fund of motivation of domestic software developers.

2003: Representation in Ukraine

The first foreign representative office of Softkey in Ukraine opens.

2002: Start of cooperation with software developers

Softkey begins cooperation with the largest Russian and international developers: Kaspersky Lab, ABBYY, Microsoft, ACD Systems.

2001: Creation of the company and start of the website

The Softkey company is created. The first version of the website softkey.ru began the work in December, 2001.

Notes