Razorfish Looks to .NET for Help

Razorfish Inc. Wednesday partnered with Microsoft in developing enterprise solutions based on Microsoft’s ambitious .NET strategy.

Six months in the making, the partnership may give Razorfish the boost it has needed. The announcement comes at a time when Razorfish is vulnerable in the market, plagued with difficulties that began last year. In December 2000, investors charged in a class-action lawsuit that Razorfish executives made misleading statements about the consulting firm’s health and traded stock before releasing bad news about the company. Already this year, the company has gotten rid of large numbers of global staff, including three resignations of top executives in its London office, and reported a net loss of $137.1 million in the second quarter.

Razorfish is clearly looking for a way to get an edge on the market and make up for its loss in revenues and loss of industry confidence, and the company sees .NET as its edge. Microsoft’s .NET strategy has been promising many things, including a revolution in the way that users experience the Internet. Razorfish has been working with Microsoft at the Microsoft Technology Center’s Envisioning Lab in Waltham, Mass., developing prototypes based on the .NET platform. In addition, the center has been providing Razorfish with training and support for .NET developments.

“We are very pleased that Razorfish used the Microsoft Technology Center to develop specific solutions based on Microsoft .NET technologies that showcase real solutions to real business problems in today’s economy,” said Peter Boit, vice president of E-Commerce at Microsoft. “Razorfish is developing innovative and creative solutions for their clients showing the true capability of Microsoft technology combines with a compelling user experience.”

According to Razorfish, it is one of the few certified members within the e-services sector that has been selected to participate in the .NET initiative program.

According to Bob Lord, executive vice president of Razorfish, its relationship with Microsoft has enhanced the company’s current value-added service offering and opened valuable new channels into the enterprise market. “By integrating the Microsoft .NET Platform into Razorfish’s service offerings,” Lord said, “we are able to further strengthen our technology capabilities and provide our clients with Microsoft’s leading-edge enterprise platform.”