Thomas Caldwell

WordPerfect in Japan: Good-bye, Hello?

I was stumped. I'd searched near and far but, alas, an answer still eluded me. After all this time writing the Query Column, was this finally a question to which I could not dig up a satisfactory answer?

It was a topic that several readers had asked about, and one that, for personal reasons, I also wanted an answer to. For, if I was not able to find the answer, I would have to throw away years of experience and accumulated knowledge and -- gasp -- start all over again. The question that proved to be one of the greatest mysteries of the computer age was: "What ever happened to WordPerfect in Japan?"

Even though spreadsheets, databases, the Internet and, now, intranets are reasons enough for any businessperson to operate a PC, the original -- and still most popular -- reason is word processing. For better or worse, we are judged in this civilization by how many words, how much paper documentation, we produce. This makes the software tool known as the word processor an invaluable companion, rather like Robin to Batman, or Pancho to Don Quixote.

We all know how much time is still needed to learn any complex software application well. GUI and WYSIWYG have made the learning curve less steep, but to learn what all the features are and where they can be found still takes a lot of weekends and after-business hours. Software companies know this and (at least the smart ones) offer all sorts of training and support programs. They know that if users invest time and money learning something, they are not likely to move to a new product.

Unless, of course, they have no choice. Unfortunately, WordPerfect users in Japan, of which I am one, have felt abandoned and betrayed over the past couple of years. After all the time, effort, and money we spent getting to know all about our word processing companion, he ran away and left us to do battle all alone. WordPerfect Corporation, the independent software company which had one of the best user support operations in Japan, was, regrettably, taken over by Novell, a company that never really figured out what to do with its new gem of a product, or how to profit from millions of loyal customers.

After Novell bungled, WordPerfect was sold to the current owners, Canada-based Corel. Earlier this year, I discovered the WordPerfect display at the Windows World Expo in Makuhari. After chewing out the poor fellows on duty for forgetting their customers in Japan, I was told they would get back to me soon on the company's plans to service its foreign-language clients in Japan.

Weeks passed with no word on an upgrade or the company's plans in Japan. So I sat down and began to work on this column, which I had entitled "Farewell to WordPerfect" -- my obituary to a once-great software product. And, grimacing at the thought of learning a brand new word processor after more than a decade with the old one, I made plans to join the hoards of Microsoft Word users.

Then, just a few days before deadline, I received a call from a Corel executive who was visiting Japan. I couldn't meet with him while he was here, but we did talk by phone and he spent a fair amount of time explaining the company's plans in Japan, and what they intend to do with WordPerfect.

So, here's the current situation: WordPerfect 7, the 32-bit version of the program, is being distributed in Japan by (guess who) Softbank. The upgrade is JPY17,000 plus tax and, at least as I write this, only available in Japan on CD-ROM.

Corel currently has no plans for a physical presence here. They believe that by having a Japanese agent, and servicing their international customer-base from Canada, they will do well here. (Ha! Ha! Ha!) Although in theory this may sound like a nice idea, reality has proved otherwise to anyone in the software business with a triple digit IQ. A market is a lot like a marriage; you get out of it what you put into it. Although the Internet will be the way most of us get our software in the near future, there still need to be marketing people on the ground to learn what the marketplace is demanding.

Marketing blunders aside, Corel seems to have put together an impressive suite of programs to compete directly with Microsoft Office. The contents of Corel Office Professional 7 read like a who's who of software that used to be leaders in their respective fields. Besides WordPerfect, you get the latest 32-bit versions of Quattro Pro (spreadsheet), Paradox 7 (database), Dashboard 95 (task manager), and -- hold on to your hat old-timers -- Sidekick 95! A few other applications and Corel's topnotch presentation products are also included.

Given that the Corel seems to be trying to breathe life into WordPerfect, and a serious alternative to Microsoft Office is needed, I've decided to give it another try. I've ordered my upgrade (from overseas) and plan on installing it soon. After all, it's hard to say good-bye to an old comrade, even one being sold and serviced by folks who have a lot to learn.

If you're interested in getting an upgrade, or just want to complain about being ignored for so long, you can contact the company's headquarters at phone +1-613-728-8200 or fax +1-613-728-9790, or check their Web site at http://www.corel.com.

I'll let you know what I think of version 7 (a lucky number?) in a later column.

Thomas Caldwell is a radio correspondent and Japan marketing manager for the United Press International Tokyo Bureau. E-mail: caldwell@gol.com. For a longer profile of Tom, and a link to his Web site, go to http://www.computingjapan.com/magzine/bios.