asknet.com / Press Releases http://www.asknet.com/ Press Releases en asknet.com / Press Releases http://www.asknet.com/fileadmin/tt_news_article.gif http://www.asknet.com/ Press Releases TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:17:00 +0200 asknet Annual Report 2011 http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-annual-report-2011/ The annual report for 2011 is now available and can be downloaded here here]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:17:00 +0200 asknet Publishes Group Business Figures for the Fiscal year 2011 http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-publishes-group-business-figures-for-the-fiscal-year-2011/ *** Sales revenues and gross profits down from previous year *** Annual result impacted by one-off costs *** Reduced structural costs begin to bear fruit: considerable profit recorded in fourth quarter *** Outlook for 2012 is positive Karlsruhe, Germany and San Francisco, USA - March 29, 2012 - asknet AG, a leading supplier of global eCommerce solutions for software and digital media companies, has announced its business figures for the year 2011. In the year under review, the Group generated sales revenues of 65.4 million euros, approximately 10 percent down on the previous year’s figure. Gross profits, which better represent the growth of the Group, were almost 5 percent down year-on-year to 10.1 million euros, of which 7.0 million euros were contributed by the eDistribution segment and 3.1 million euros by ePortals. The Group gross profit margin improved year-on-year, rising from 14.5 to 15.4 percent.

In the second half of 2011, in the context of a generally weak business performance, asknet streamlined its organizational structure, shrinking total Group headcount to 86. As part of these restructuring measures, the Executive Board was reduced from three to two members and the numbers on the Supervisory Board were halved from six to three.

The one-off costs incurred for streamlining the organizational structure and the weaker business performance in the eDistribution segment impacted the Group result, with the operating result (EBIT) amounting to -0.89 million euros. After interest and taxes, the Group recorded a loss of 0.88 million euros for the year.

The implemented measures to cut structural costs in the long term already began having a positive impact in the fourth quarter: asknet Group operated on a clearly profitable level in the final quarter of the year, generating quarterly pre-tax earnings of 0.5 million euros.

"We have set the course for sustained long-term profitability and are delighted that the final quarter of 2011 was a success for us”, said Michael Konrad, Co-CEO of asknet AG. "We are confident that we will also see a profit for the full year 2012."

As previously announced, the company will publish its complete consolidated financial statements and annual report for 2011 on its website at www.asknet.com on April 30, 2012.
Selected key performance indicators of asknet Group
 

2011

2010

Sales Revenues

€ 65.4 million

€ 72.7 million

Gross Profits

€ 10.1 million

€ 10.6 million

Gross Profit Margin

 15.4% 14.5%

EBIT

€ -0.89 million

€ -0.66 million

EBT

€ -0.85 million

€ -0.58 million

Net Profit / Loss for the Year

€ -0.88 million

€ -0,62 million
About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution and supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities. In 2011, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 65.4 million. asknet’s clients include numerous providers of specialty software including CyberLink, F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security. Press Contact
asknet AG       
Martina Oerther
Phone: +49/721/96458-6369
eMail: martina.oerther@asknet.com]]> Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:58:00 +0200 asknet wins CyberLink as its newest customer http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-wins-cyberlink-as-its-newest-customer/ Karlsruhe-based specialist for electronic software distribution will handle global eCommerce activities for Taiwanese software publisher Karlsruhe, March 20, 2012 – asknet AG today announced its newest international client, CyberLink Corp., a global player and pioneer in enabling digital multimedia on PCs, consumer electronics and mobile devices. The Karlsruhe-based software company will provide CyberLink with shopping cart, payment and delivery services for its products sold online including the series of prize-winning applications for the playback, creation and distribution of digital media content. CyberLink CEO Alice Chang explained that the decision to incorporate the asknet platform was based on the company’s unique set of credentials and unmatched partnership approach. “In addition to its outstanding track-record in global eCommerce, asknet won us over with the flexibility of its software architecture and client-tailored adaptations.” asknet will fulfill orders, deliveries and payment processes for CyberLink products purchased online, including the well-known software PowerDVD and PowerDirector. CyberLink’s software solutions include complete applications for Blu-ray Disc playback and creation, digital home entertainment and touch-enabled media. “We are honored to be chosen to work with CyberLink on its eCommerce program,” said asknet Co-CEO Michael Konrad. “Our flexible framework and business model has proven again that a static one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for global eCommerce. CyberLink is an excellent fit with our client structure and consolidates our global trajectory.” asknet’s global eCommerce platform enables businesses to set up localized e-shops using different combinations of shop languages, billing currencies, payment options and customer service languages. With the flexible asknet eCommerce platform, global eCommerce can be deployed within a short timeframe, to generate sales from virtually all countries around the world. About CyberLink:
CyberLink Corp is the leader and pioneer in enabling digital multimedia on PCs, CEs and mobile devices through the use of video editing software, video player software, and other multimedia solutions. Backed by a group of high-caliber software engineers, CyberLink owns its core codec and a number of patented technologies. CyberLink has built a solid reputation for delivering high-quality, interoperable, and fast time-to-market solutions that keep our OEM partners on the leading edge. Our business partners include leaders in the PC industry: top-5 desktop and notebook providers, optical drive manufacturers and graphic-card makers. Today, CyberLink’s software solutions include: complete applications for Blu-ray Disc playback and creation; digital home entertainment; and touch-enabled media solution. With customers spanning from multi-national corporations to small/medium-sized businesses, and from power users to home users, CyberLink has enjoyed rapid and consistent growth leading to a record breaking IPO in 2000 on the Taiwan Over The Counter Exchange (OTC: 5203). Currently, CyberLink is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: 5203.TW). CyberLink's worldwide headquarters is located in Taipei. To keep up with market demands, CyberLink has operations in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, including Japan. For more information, please visit CyberLink's website at www.cyberlink.com. About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution and also supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities. In 2010, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 72.7 million. asknet’s clients include numerous providers of specialty software such as F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security.

Press Contact
asknet AG        
Martina Oerther
Phone: +49/721/96458-6369
eMail: martina.oerther@asknet.de

]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:17:00 +0100 Adobe Teams with asknet to Deliver Software to Students http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/adobe-teams-with-asknet-to-deliver-software-to-students/ Karlsruhe-based specialist for electronic software distribution now manages Adobe software downloads for university eShops in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland Karlsruhe, January 31, 2012 – Adobe has selected Karlsruhe-based company asknet AG as the service provider to supply and distribute downloads to students and university staff. The partnership will allow them to quickly download Adobe software from a university’s online shop at a reduced rate. Following Adobe’s great success with this sales model in the United States, the U.S. software company  is expanding this sales channel internationally by partnering with asknet AG as its technology and fulfillment partner for the German-speaking region. Using the download depot developed by asknet, Adobe enables research and teaching institutions to offer attractive download versions of its software to their students and university staff, which can be purchased directly from a university’s branded online shop. The ordering process is very simple for authorized users: They log on to the shop using their digital identity – ensuring that only people who have been approved can access Adobe offerings at the most competitive price. Once logged on, the user can order the software in the corresponding online shop, download, and then activate it. The licenses are provided by and billed via the university’s trading partner.  To date, students have only been able to purchase the popular Adobe tools in a box. As the digital fulfillment service provider, asknet makes it possible to deliver the Adobe products in a downloadable format. In addition to executing the delivery, asknet is also responsible for managing and distributing license keys from Adobe. asknet has developed a standard interface that directly ties the asknet download depot to an institution’s shop to make this capability available. asknet also validates digital identities and proofs of enrollment for external portals as required. “We are pleased that we can now offer students cost-effective downloads of our creative software,” said Rainer Siebert, Adobe’s Sales Manager Education Central Europe. “asknet’s technology delivers exactly what we have been looking for: a way of distributing downloads via university online portals in cooperation with our trading partners. asknet has proven to be a reliable and competent partner in this field.”  Dr. Dietmar Waudig, Co-CEO of asknet AG, is pleased about the partnership with Adobe: “Adobe asking us to be their digital fulfillment service provider confirms our position as a leading electronic software distributor. The download depot enables Adobe to explore new and innovative sales channels. At the same time, we are ensuring that Adobe’s authorization concept is being implemented and only approved customers can purchase discounted Adobe licenses.” The implementation of the download depot on university portals will be effective immediately, beginning with universities in Berlin, Würzburg, and Zurich. Other universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will follow in the coming months.  About Adobe Systems Incorporated:
Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com. About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution such as softwarehouse.de, one of Europe's largest platform for downloads of standard software. In 2010, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 72.7 million. asknet’s clients include numerous providers of specialty software such as F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security. The company also supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities. ]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:40:00 +0100 asknet publishes business figures for the first nine months of the year http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-publishes-business-figures-for-the-first-nine-months-of-the-year/ *** Sales and gross profits down year-on-year in the first nine months of 2011 *** EBT of 0.5 million euros in the third quarter due to a one-off effect *** Organizational structure streamlined *** Result expected to develop positively in the fourth quarter Karlsruhe, San Francisco, November 15, 2011 – asknet AG, a leading supplier of global eCommerce solutions for software and digital media companies, has announced its business figures for the first nine months of 2011. In the reporting period, the Group generated sales revenues of 47.4 million euros, around 8 percent below the previous year’s figure. Gross profits, which represent the growth of the Group, were almost 5 percent down year-on-year to 7.2 million euros, of which 5.1 million euros was contributed by the eDistribution segment and 2.1 million euros by ePortals. asknet Group’s operating result (EBIT) was -1.3 million euros. The result in the first nine months of 2011 was negatively impacted by the company’s weak business performance as well as one-off costs for streamlining its organizational structure. After interest and taxes, asknet made a loss of 1.3 million euros.

Growth in the eDistribution segment declined due to weaker business with existing top-selling customers and a lack of new customer agreements with large software producers. The ePortals segment, on the other hand, developed positively. In the third quarter, new contracts were concluded with the University of Cologne, RWTH Aachen University and Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. Overall, however, ePortals could not fully compensate for the decrease in eDistribution. Due to overall weaker business performance, asknet considerably streamlined its organizational structure in the past quarter. The Group’s workforce was cut by 6 to 93 employees in the third quarter; the Executive Board was reduced from three to two members; and the Supervisory Board was reduced from six to three members. These measures enable asknet to increase efficiency in the long term with reduced structural costs.

The reversal of provisions to the amount of 763 thousand euros, which had been set aside in the previous quarter for a notification of interest charges issued by the tax authorities, had a positive effect on the result in the third quarter of 2011. The Group does not expect its result to be impacted by these events any longer as the tax authorities have suspended the execution of interest charges and the company is also covered by insurance. As a result, asknet Group generated earnings before taxes of 0.5 million euros in the third quarter of 2011. The Executive Board of asknet AG anticipates the positive business trend to continue in the fourth quarter of this year, one of the reasons being the implemented savings measures.

“We see good growth prospects for our business arising from the ongoing expansion of the ePortals segment in Switzerland and Austria. The positive development regarding some medium-sized customers also makes us confident that we will get back on our path to growth in the eDistribution segment in the medium term,” said Michael Konrad, Co-CEO of asknet AG.

The quarterly report 3/2011 of asknet AG (german version only) can be downloaded here.
Selected key performance indicators of asknet Group
 

Jan 1 - Sep 30, 2011

Jan 1 - Sep 30, 2010

Sales Revenues

€ 47.4 million

€ 51.6 million

Gross Profits

€ 7.2 million

€ 7.6 million

EBIT

€ -1.3 million

€ -0.8 million

EBT

€ -1.3 million

€ -0.7 million

Net Profit / Loss

€ -1.3 million

€ -0,7 million

About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution such as softwarehouse.de, one of Europe's largest platform for downloads of standard software. In 2010, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 72.7 million. asknet’s clients include numerous providers of specialty software such as F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security. The company also supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities.

]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:01:00 +0100 asknet Partners with omba on eCommerce Payment Solutions http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-partners-with-omba-on-ecommerce-payment-solutions/ Global eShops Provider partners with international Payment Service Provider to expand global offering on payment methods. asknet, a leading provider of global eCommerce solutions that increase sales and expand markets for software and digital media companies, today announced a partnership with the international Payment Service Provider (PSP) omba. The strategic relationship allows asknet to offer additional payment options for its customers’ commerce sites including Sofortbanking, one of the most often used E-payment systems in Germany, as well as Postfinance. “The international payment expertise of omba paired with asknet’s industry knowledge complement each other in an optimal way for our customers,” said Michael Konrad, Co-CEO of asknet AG. “The partnership with omba works well with the asknet philosophy to always strive to offer our customers a wide variety of payment methods, which can be a challenge for merchants in the highly dynamic eCommerce market. With omba, we now offer our customers a more expansive choice of payment options.” Thomas Tittelbach, Managing Director of omba GmbH, looks forward to the success of the relationship. “We are excited to work with asknet to expand its ePayment offerings with local payment methods. This alliance demonstrates our ability to provide payment methods for both established markets and new ones.” In addition to well-established payment options, omba’s portfolio is constantly growing with local payment methods in emerging markets such as Latin America, Russia and China.


About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution such as softwarehouse.de, one of Europe's largest platform for downloads of standard software. In 2010, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 72.7 million. asknet´s clients include numerous providers of specialty software such as F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security. The company also supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities.

About omba:
Omba is an international Payment Service Provider for merchants that process international transactions. The company focuses on international markets with above-average growth rates. Based in Germany, omba offers various payment methods via a unified interface to support the further revenue growth of merchants.

Press contact omba GmbH:
Thomas Tittelbach
Stendaler Str. 4
10559 Berlin
Email: thomas@ombapay.com
www.ombapay.com

]]> Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 asknet Augments Global eCommerce Platform with Payment Option “MULTIBANCO” for Sales in Portugal http://www.asknet.com/no_cache/news-events/latest-press-releases/detailview/article/asknet-augments-global-ecommerce-platform-with-payment-option-multibanco-for-sales-in-portugal/ Karlsruhe, San Francisco – August 24, 2011 - asknet, a leading provider of global eCommerce solutions that increase sales and expand markets for software and digital media companies, announced today that it has added MULTIBANCO as a payment option to support its customers’ sales in Portugal. With 30 percent market share of the country’s online sales, MULTIBANCO is a must-have for businesses... asknet, a leading provider of global eCommerce solutions that increase sales and expand markets for software and digital media companies, announced today that it has added MULTIBANCO as a payment option to support its customers’ sales in Portugal. With 30 percent market share of the country’s online sales, MULTIBANCO is a must-have for businesses expanding their eCommerce presence in this market.   MULTIBANCO, operated by Sociedade Interbancaria de Serviços S.A.(SIBS) offers diverse payment functionalities: If a customer wants to pay his online order via MULTIBANCO, he receives a payment reference identifying the specific transaction. The customer then processes the payment at any ATM supporting MULTIBANCO and the product is automatically delivered after the transaction was successful. Therefore the online shop provider is widely protected against fraud. MULTIBANCO plays a major role in the Portuguese market because of its widespread acceptance and convenience of more than 10,000 ATMs. Furthermore, the MULTIBANCO card can be used in more than 95% of shops and restaurants, payphones, road tolls etc, and covers the entire country and its banks. Think global – act local
asknet’s global eCommerce platform enables businesses to develop localized e-shops using different combinations of shop languages, billing currencies, payment options and customer service languages.  
Best practices show that adapting eCommerce shopping carts and payment processes to regional habits increase sales. With the flexible and scalable asknet eCommerce platform, global eCommerce can be deployed within a short timeframe, to generate sales from virtually all countries in the world. About asknet:
asknet offers its clients customized outsourcing solutions for global software sales via the Internet. Founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology (KIT, formerly the University of Karlsruhe), the company has become a leading independent global provider for electronic software distribution. In addition to its fully integrated shop solutions for software publishers, the company develops and maintains portals for software distribution such as softwarehouse.de, one of Europe's largest platform for downloads of standard software. In 2010, asknet posted sales of approximately EUR 72.7 million. asknet´s clients include numerous providers of specialty software such as F-Secure, IS3, Nero, NetObjects, Norman, and Panda Security. The company also supplies software products to around eighty percent of German universities.

 

Press Contact
asknet AG      
Martina Oerther
Phone: +49/721/96458-6369
eMail: martina.oerther@asknet.de]]> Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:44:00 +0200