Mark H. Anbinder, our ever-vigilant Contributing Editor, reported on CE Software's innovative Test Drive program in TidBITS-161. The program recompenses dealers for sales lost to mail order vendors and direct sales. Under the program, dealers demo QuicKeys to users, then give them a crippled version of QuicKeys that works temporarily. At the end of that time, if the user orders the full version directly from CE, CE compensates the dealer who generated the sale by tracking the serial number on the Test Drive disk. We asked if the same program would apply to user groups, and although it didn't at the time, CE has now instituted a similar program for user groups.

A recognized user group can contact CE (in the person of Michele Eddie, CE's User Group Coordinator) and request a Test Drive disk coded for that user group. The user group then distributes the disk to members, and when the users purchase the full version of QuicKeys from CE, the user group receives a bonus for generating that sale. Jim Sheldon-Dean, QuicKeys Product Manager, said, "We are including the user groups in recognition of the fact that they play an important role in the education and support of users. CE has always been a friend of user groups, and we hope that their involvement in Test Drive will help repay them for their support in the past."

We're pleased to see CE's support of user groups and hope the Test Drive program will introduce more people to QuicKeys (which we rely on heavily) and generate much-needed revenue for user groups.

CE Software, Michele Eddie -- 515/224-1995 -- 515/224-4534 (fax)
76136.2137@compuserve.com
CE.PR on AppleLink
CESOFTWARE on America Online, GEnie, and MCI Mail

Information from:
Jim Sheldon-Dean, QuicKeys Product Manager