CyberSource Corp.
today announced plans to make its software.net division a separate entity, and said the online software retailer signed the latest in a series of co-marketing agreements, this time with Excite Inc.
Under the restructuring, CyberSource’s division devoted to digital commerce and rights management services will be headed by current CEO and president Bill McKiernan. Mark Breier, former vice president of marketing at Amazon.com, becomes the newly appointed CEO of software.net.
“Over the last four years we have created two very successful
businesses–software.net and CyberSource Corp.,” said McKiernan. “As these
businesses have evolved it has become obvious to us that they address
different market segments and require different business models and
marketing skills. It makes sense for them to focus on their respective
markets, technologies and customers and give them both the opportunity to
become two hugely successful independent businesses.”
In a separate announcement, software.net said it completed a three-year marketing agreement that makes it the exclusive reseller of 30,000 software titles on Excite. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Excite areas that will carry the titles include the software department of
the Computer and Internet channel, the Software Shopping area of the
Shopping Channel, and the Small Business section of the Business and Investing Channel. Non-exclusive placement of software.net merchandise will also be featured in other Excite areas.
This latest agreement comes on the heels of software.net’s $21 million
marketing deal announced last month with America Online.