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SCO's mobile hopes
Friday, April 17 2009 @ 11:06 PM EDT

SCO has represented to the court that their mobile business is going great guns, and that it has great hopes for it. Mentioned specifically is the new FranklinCovey application for iPhones, a day planner app called FCTasks, also called FCmobilelife Tasks on FranklinCovey's website.

FCTasks has been out since February, so I thought it'd be useful to take a look and see how it's doing and what the likelihood is that the mobile business will save the company.

If you click on "Details" on the FranklinCovey page, it will take you to the iTunes stores, if you have iTunes on your computer, and to FCTasks. There you will learn that "FCTasks" was "released February 27, 2009" and it costs $5.99. Here's a description:

FC Tasks is an easy-to-use, feature-rich task management tool that incorporates proven FranklinCovey planning methodology. Quickly manage all of your daily personal and professional tasks from your iPhone and iPod touch with this app developed by the world leaders in time management.
It's version 1.2 on the iTunes store. It says version 1.3 is "coming soon" but you can't actually get it yet. I assume it's the same thing SCO was telling the bankruptcy judge at the last hearing was lighting up the sky. The Franklin Covey site calls it "FCmobilelife Tasks" but you can't find it that way on iTunes. Search for FCTasks. It's not yet rated for popularity, despite any claims to the contrary.

If you recall, SCO in its latest SEC filing told the world that its reorganization plan depended in part on FCmobilelife Tasks and FCTasks:

On January 8, 2009, the Debtors filed their Amended Reorganization Plan and Disclosure Statement. Under the proposed plan, the Debtors intend to hold an open auction to sell certain assets of the Company including its mobility business assets and its OpenServer operating system assets and business. Through this sale, the Debtors hope to obtain enough consideration to pay their creditors and continue their operations as set forth in the plan. In the event that the asset sale does not generate enough cash to meet the aforementioned objectives, the Company will scale back its operations and costs, and initiate other strategies to implement the plan of reorganization. In the event that certain SCO assets are not sold, SCO will continue to sell and support its UNIX and mobility businesses and will also focus on the following key provisions: (a) an enhanced pricing and discount strategy, (b) an updated “true-up” licensing program with current customers, (c) reducing overall operating costs, (d) delivering SCO UNIX Virtual product lines for VMware and Hyper-V to allow SCO legacy applications to run on modern hardware, and (e) shipping FCmobilelife and FCtasks for the iPhone with a new pricing structure.
Well, that plan seems to have hit the same stone wall all the other plans did, but there's a demo of FCTasks on YouTube, which 4 people have "subscribed" to and which has been viewed 1,428 times. There are several demos on that page, actually. There is one "Channel Comment" and here it is in its entirety:

lol

The customer ratings rank is 2 1/2 stars out of 5. Some seem to really like it, particularly Franklin Covey fans, but even those that do like it overall are presenting lists of improvements they'd like to see. Like syncing with the desktop. Syncing with anything. Fixing bugs that make it crash. 6 taps to accomplish a task. No documentation. Version 1.3 will fix "the deleting bug when deleting a task in the Plan or Master task list", so apparently it's an acknowledged bug.

You can read a review on iPhone App Reviews. There are 18 reviews there, and some complain it is overpriced. On the right of the page, you'll find the ratings, and it does not appear on that list. It does show a 3 star rating, out of 5 stars. But it's quite new. That could change. Here's the listing on What's On iPhone, and not only is it not listed on any top 20 list I could find. It's not even reviewed yet.

Here are the "All-Time Top Paid Apps" on iTunes. FCTasks is not on the list. Neither is FCmobilelife. If you are in iTunes money store, search for "tasks" and you'll find FCTasks and you'll also find other such apps so you can compare:

And just in case someone tries to tell you that FCTasks is in the top 20 productivity paid apps, note this screenshot a reader sent me:

AppCraver reviewed FCTasks and the headline says it all, FCTasks by Franklin Covey Good, Not Great:

One aspect I did find lacking was the inability to email your day’s tasks, or even one task. Since there is no such app to date that syncs and plays nicely with Outlook or iCal (at least to my knowledge), I expected an app carrying a leading name in organization and time management to have at least included email capability. Otherwise, what happens when you have to reboot your device and the data can’t be recovered?

I’d have to say FCTasks is sleeker than some though a bit pricey for what you get, but all in all more than acceptable. I could maybe see myself using it more successfully than others I’ve test driven, but less expensive task managers may suit you just as well as this one. If there was a way to email lists after creating them, I think I would solidly commit to FCTasks alone.

I actually want SCO to have a remunerative business, so it can pay its creditors, but if this is what the company is depending on to build a reorganization plan, can it work out?

FCmobilelife

Note that FCTasks isn't the same thing as FCmobilelife, despite the confusing names. FCTasks is an iPhone app. FCmobilelife is a calendaring service that runs on Blackberries and Windows Mobile. You can run it on a PC browser, but not on a phone browser. And here's the FCmobilelife page for some description. Here's SCO's press release mentioning it last October. And there was testimony in September from CEO Darl McBride that it was released the month before:

Q: Can you explain -- you already stated that the mobility end of the business is sort of like a separate part of the business?

A: Yes.

Q: Has that made any progress in the years since the bankruptcy was begun?

A: Yes, we've made significant progress. Even as we speak, we had a -- a product that was launched in the last month by the FranklinCovey Company, an organization I used to work at, Stephen Covey's company on time management and productivity management, if you will. We did a deal with them, licensing deal.

They have since gone to market and, kind of like a proud papa, I pack this around in my briefcase, but Franklin Covey's big catalog that hit millions of users just last week came out and they have a full two-page spread in there that goes through one of our flagship mobile products which is called FCmobilelife. We let them license our MeMobile software. They are now going to market with it. And as this came out, we're getting 100s of downloads a day of new -- new customers signing up for this product.

With billions of cell phones out there, everybody who has a cell phone that has any intelligence on there, which is a lt of them now, would be a candidate to use this product and get value out of it. So, it's -- we're -- we're very pleased that we're starting to get some traction on that part of the business.

If it's been out since August of 2008, presumably there are hard sales figures available by now. Remember when Me Inc was going to be their ticket to revenue?
Mobility Products and Services.

Our new Mobility Server product provides a secure, reliable connection point between handheld devices and corporate infrastructure applications and servers; a HipCheck Service which enables pro-active mobile administration for UNIX and Windows servers; a Shout product which enables users to communicate multimedia messaging to groups of any size via a mobile smart phone or rich media web landing page; and a Shout Postcard product which allows users to send virtual postcards from their smart phone, and Me Inc. Mobile (branded FCmobilelife by Franklin Covey Co., a collaborative time and task management tool which allows users to set appointments, connect with others, create tasks, track goals and blog with associates using their web browser or Smartphones such as Windows Mobile, Blackberry or iPhone devices.

Does that sound like they know what the different mobile products are? Maybe they know, but it's not so clear to me. Is Me Inc now FCmobilelife? Or is Me Inc Mobile something entirely different? I thought SCO said Me Inc was a victim of the economy, but I don't know what that means for FCmobilelife. Is it flourishing? How would we know? Can anyone find a clue in the latest 10K, linked to above?

Here's a picture of FCmobilelife on a Blackberry. It says you can try it free, but this page says it's limited to one month. Here's what FCmobilelife is, as explained in the support FAQ:

What is FCmobilelife?

FCmobilelife is a real-time calendaring and collaborating solution available on selected mobile devices or on a PC within a web browser.

It costs $29.95 for an "annual full-function, full-feature license for one primary user".

Update: A reader suggested searching for patents. So I did, and indeed there is a patent application, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES FOR INTELLIGENT MOBILE DEVICES, patent application 20070067381. It isn't a patent yet, but it is in the process, as we noted back in 2008. I see no change in its status since we last looked. "Case Docketed to Examiner in GAU".

You'll never in a million years be able to figure out what I'm thinking the real mobile hope might be. Blech.

SCO also has an issued patent, Method and apparatus for executing multiple JAVA(.TM.) applications on a single JAVA(.TM.) virtual machine, number 6,931,544, which issued in 2005.


  


SCO's mobile hopes | 74 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
Corrections here
Authored by: Cheers on Friday, April 17 2009 @ 11:24 PM EDT
... although this maybe should've been first...

[ Reply to This | # ]

News Picks
Authored by: Cheers on Friday, April 17 2009 @ 11:26 PM EDT
... aaaand that's three for three)

Make links clicky as appropriate, and no chair throwing)

[ Reply to This | # ]

Off toppic.
Authored by: jkates on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 01:01 AM EDT
Why do we need this when we can use google sync for free.
evolution can sync with your google calendar and google can sync with your
phone...

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/sync.html

Doesn't seem like one should spend $30/year for something that can't even sync
your calendar...

-Jason

[ Reply to This | # ]

Their mobile business is going great guns?
Authored by: SpaceLifeForm on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 03:01 AM EDT
Wow, finally, they tell the truth and admit they are going mobile.

It does seem of recent years that they have been 'on the run'.

---

You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.

[ Reply to This | # ]

You are too kind to these people
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 03:13 AM EDT

I actually want SCO to have a remunerative business, so it can pay its creditors

Your goodwill is very creditable. Personally, I think that if they got their hands on some money, they'd use it to drag some victims into court with some bogus lawsuit, in hopes of a huge damages award. I don't think that paying creditors is part of their game plan.

So I want to see them out of business - gone - history - for the good of all the other businesses in the world that are creating products and selling services and generally contributing to the economy.

[ Reply to This | # ]

SCO's mobile hopes
Authored by: Ninguino on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 03:41 AM EDT
PJ:
You don't understand, after all this years. The plan is to get fresh meat to sue
them later!
All who buy this will be then sued for gazillions! They are working , with the
clever minds of Bois et al, to invent a "reverse class action", where
they will sue in group!. They have patented it already and all.

In fact, and it is the most promising part of, they are working on a way to sue
all those who try! the program, even if they don't buy. It's diabolic!

</sarcasm>

[ Reply to This | # ]

Bit of a fraud..
Authored by: Peter Baker on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 03:54 AM EDT
I think that if there was ANY mention in the product description that there was in any way, shape or form a SCO involvement in the product it would nuke it's chances for sale completely. It's nothing more than a "me too" app.

It doesn't look like anything special, and - most importantly - there is NO evidence yet that a presence in the iPhone app show leads to great revenue, even when tied to a service. Any mega-membership services out there such as Facebook, Youtube, Zorpia et al are free of charge and typically rely on selling marketing data et all to generate revenue).

In addition, there is plenty of competition out there which have a longer life expectancy (heck, at this point even a "traditional" dot.com will have that), and I personally prefer code from people who will be around in a couple of months to fix bugs.

Last but not least, why pay for cross device/platform calendar synchronisation when there is the most excellent Canadian Scheduleworld?

It works, and has been working for years. It's constantly being updated and improved and supports anything that moves when it comes to calendars. I bet if he had time he'd be able to integrate scanned pages from your diary as well - he's managed practically everything else so far :-).

Bottom line: if SCO relies on this to pull them out of the gazillion dollar hole I think it's really time to close this farce for once and for all.

[ Reply to This | # ]

From the 10-K persective
Authored by: bezz on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 04:32 AM EDT
Let's look at what they have to say about the definition of "Me, Inc", "Mobile" or "Mobility" or whatever this asset and revenue is supposed to be on page 9 of the last 10-K (Independently Audited Annual Report).
Mobility Products and Services. Our new Mobility Server product provides a secure, reliable connection point between handheld devices and corporate infrastructure applications and servers; a HipCheck Service which enables pro-active mobile administration for UNIX and Windows servers; a Shout product which enables users to communicate multimedia messaging to groups of any size via a mobile smart phone or rich media web landing page; and a Shout Postcard product which allows users to send virtual postcards from their smart phone, and Me Inc. Mobile (branded FCmobilelife by Franklin Covey Co., a collaborative time and task management tool which allows users to set appointments, connect with others, create tasks, track goals and blog with associates using their web browser or Smartphones such as Windows Mobile, Blackberry or iPhone devices.

How are "mobility services" reported? As UNIX revenue, defined on page 32.

UNIX Business. Our UNIX business serves the needs of small-to-medium businesses as well as replicated site franchisees of Fortune 1000 companies, by providing reliable, cost effective UNIX software technology for distributed, embedded and network-based systems. Our UNIX business includes our mobility product and services offerings. Our largest source of UNIX business revenue is derived from existing customers through our worldwide, indirect, leveraged channel of partners, which includes distributors and independent solution providers. We have a presence in a number of countries that provide support and services to customers and resellers. The other principal channel for selling and marketing our UNIX products is through existing customers that have a large number of replicated sites or franchisees.
How is the UNIX business doing? Not so good. Well, bad. Take a look at page 4 of the last 10-Q (Quarterly Report) from January 31, 2009. Revenues from products down to $2.5 million from $4.0 million for the previous year.

There is not a break out of the mobility assets and their revenues; it is all lumped in with UNIX assets and revenues.

What are the mobility revenues? Certainly under $2.5 million per quarter and probably much less. Have the mobility revenues grown since SCO went into BK? Maybe, but not enough to cover the loss of UNIX revenue. What are the mobility assets worth in a sale? There is no way of telling from the SEC filings. You would have to get a verifiable look at the assets and revenues to make a bid. I've found nothing in SEC filings nor in the disclosure to evaluate the asset value. Due diligence is mandatory, unless you want to pump cash into a failed business for other reasons.

[ Reply to This | # ]

On Productivity
Authored by: sproggit on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 11:03 AM EDT
Obviously we all remember that TSG purchased the Me, Inc business when they were
briefly flush with cash after the wonderful start to their SCOsource program saw
Microsoft and Sun Microsystems rush to subscribe.

I can't recall, from that time, what the size of that business was in terms of
the numbers of Developers, R&D staff or budgets or the like. Let's be
optimistic and assume that SCO continued to invest in this business on the basis
of the fact that this was always intended to be their parachute when the Unix
business was in smoking ruins. [ Because, surely, at the time they purchased Me,
Inc, it must have been clear to them that IBM was not going to roll over and
cough up any money whatsoever...]

So now we find ourselves, several years later, with an opportunity to review
that business investment that they made. And what do we have for those millions
and the 3-4 years that they have had to invest and develop a portfolio of mobile
applications? A couple of $5.99 trinkets they are hawking via iTunes!

Well, gee, I can see how they are going to just be raking in beeellions of
dollars with this masterful plan.

I think that Darl McBride may be the first person to suffer from Reverse Midas
Syndrome (with profound and sincere apologies to Mr Stallman for my inadvertent
use of his initials). You remember this Syndrome, don't you? It's the one where
everything the patient touches turns to ... um... well let's just say it isn't
gold and leave it at that.

[ Reply to This | # ]

What FCTasks could do very, very well
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, April 18 2009 @ 11:10 AM EDT
There is now a chunnel for folk in Redmond to get money to SCOG. They could
easily buy millions of copies, giving SCOGgy minions plenty of cash for their
FUD work of the past 6 years.

Don't underestimate the effectiveness of ecommerce, or a bag full of cash handed
off at an airport in St Louis.

[ Reply to This | # ]

SCO's mobile hopes
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, April 19 2009 @ 09:26 PM EDT

. o O ( BRAINSSSSS ... )

[ Reply to This | # ]

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