From: Howard R. Stearns
Subject: "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman
Date: 
Message-ID: <37A876CA.68C0C0F3@elwood.com>
(I don't actually mean to be critical to Harlequin.  I just couldn't
resist the title, having just seen a copy of that book signed and
numbered by Harlan Ellison.  It's $50 at Renaissance books in
Milwaukee.  I can get a phone number if anyone wants it...)

I was wondering if anyone wanted to volunteer any information or
opinions about Harlequin's condition.  

Here's my understanding.  (See, for example, the press releases at
www.harlequin.com.  These are personal groks, not representing any
organization which I might be associated.  Always check the sources and
form your own opinions!  My purpose in collecting these interpretations
is to encourage people to let us know what they know/heard, and not to
present myself as a source of information, which I'm simply not
qualified to do.  Unless a respondent says otherwise, let's let the same
disclaimer apply to any responses.)

+ Harlequin itself reduced staff by more than half down to 140 or less,
and in so doing, restored itself to cash flow profitability.  I don't
know the cause of it's original cash problems.  Nonetheless, it was
forced into receivership July 6.

+ The new owner's press release (Global Graphics) points out that
Harlequin's Digital Printing and Publishing activity was profitable, but
it is not clear if this is in contrast in fact to software activities,
or was simply emphasized (i.e., at the time of the sale, everything was
"profitable" due to downsizing).

+ Global Graphics says they are "assessing Harlequin's recent
investments in the Information Management and Software tools business." 
I don't know whether to read that as Dylan (recent) or everything (incl.
Lisp).  They do cite the "recognized brilliance of [Harlequin's]
software development teams" as the reason for their success, and
apparently blame lacking management skills for failure.  (I have no idea
if the latter is fair or not.)

+ Global Graphics does say that their goal is to accelerate "digital
solutions and applications."  The new chief of Harlequin is a 20 year
graphics arts veteran, but at least he's an EE/programmer from M.I.T.,
which pretty much guarantees Lisp experience (though not necessarily a
love for it).

+ My reading between the lines of the release suggest that there are
fears within the printing industry that Harlequin will be a captured
technology within Global Graphics, not to be shared with the industry. 
I liken this to Oracle's ownership of the Chestnut Lisp-to-C translator
and the Concentra ICAD Lisp technology for product configuration. 
Oracle bought the companies, not the products, and aren't making the
technology available to the Lisp community.  (That may not be quite
right.  For example, I've heard, from people who should know, both that
Oracle definitely DID buy Chestnut, and that Oracle definitely DID NOT
buy Chestnut.  I know for certain that they bought Concentra, but there
is a Concentra split-off (KTI) that still sells ICAD services, but then
again I don't think either is making the raw technology available to the
Lisp community.)

Anyway, after Harlequin bought Lucid's Lisp business, they did a good
job of trying to keep the Lisp community informed of what was
happening.  So I hope they won't mind if we now expect the same.  I'm
sure it's also useful for them to know how they (and their
communications) are perceived.

Also, I always meant to ask...  I understand that Harlequin software was
cofounded by Anne McCarthy.  Any relation to John?