Irish e-learning company Riverdeep has inked a deal with Software McKiev, the world’s largest Macintosh software development company, to bring some 20 Riverdeep education software products to Apple’s new OS X ‘Jaguar’ operating system.
Software McKiev will convert the applications to run on Mac OS X Jaguar and market the new editions in Macintosh-specific retail and online channels throughout the US and Canada.
The titles selected for the new collaboration will include: The Print Shop, Kid Pix Deluxe, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Edmark Thinkin’ Things, Dr Suess’s ABC and the ClueFinders series.
The first product of the collaboration to reach the marketplace, The Print Shop, will be available in Apple Store retail locations in the US as well as online in early February.
Software McKiev is the world’s largest company that specialises in helping software publishers adopt Apple technologies. The company’s World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia, for example, is bundled on most iMac, eMac and iBook computers.
One-time Nasdaq star Riverdeep has in recent months witnessed its share price floundering and speculation over the past few months has indicated that the company may soon de-list as a publicly-quoted company. CEO Barry O’Callaghan is currently putting together a management buyout (MBO), backed by the company’s founder and largest shareholder, Pat McDonagh.
The two men own more than 25pc of the company.
By John Kennedy
