Following the recent move of many former East German chemists to go private, Smmerda, Thringen-based Robotron Software AG has set out to reap the profits. Robotron has, according to Computerwoche, acquired the rights to sell Hannover-based Bromaschinen-Import und Vertriebs GmbH & Co’s Forte pilot software for chemists – for the moment just in the east of the newly reunited country, and in other eastern Europe countries. Since the Hannover company wants to focus on selling hardware and developing applications, the sales rights for what is now western Germany are also effectively up for grabs, but whether Robotron will take over this business is not yet clear. As Bromaschine GmbH sees it, Robotron wants first to concentrate on its personal computer manufacturing subsidiary, Aquarius Systems. In the west, the prices for the Forte software, which runs under MS-DOS, range from the equivalent of $480 to $5,450 and the Hannover company is considering a Unix version of the product. The office equipment dealer will continue to handle development and maintenance for the time being, but these areas will someday be taken over by Robotron.
