IScorp? VIScorp who? That's right, the Amiga looks as though it has changed hands again. This news came as a surprise to everyone barely 2 days before the World of Amiga show in London. Following Escom's reported $83 million loss and the subsequent resignation of Manfred Schmitt as CEO, Helmut Jost took over with a mandate to drag the German company back into profit. It appears Amiga Technologies is first on their list for rationalisation. As a company outside outside of their general direction (computer retailing) a buyer for the Amiga business is now being sought: and Visual Information Services (VIScorp) are the prime candidates.

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Just what is VIScorp and what does this mean for the Amiga?

VIScorp, who expect their first product to be available by December 1996, has been formed to produce a television 'set-top box' dubbed the ED or Electronic Device. The ED is based on the Amiga custom chip-set and the operating system which VIScorp had licensed from the Escom owned Amiga Techologies in a deal signed early this year. many at VIScorp are ex Commodore employees including some of the individuals responsible for the Commodore CDTV.

This intended acquisition is part of VIScorp's strategy to build market leadership in the fast-growing field of ITV.... As a result, we would own the Amiga intellectual properties. Bill Buck - CEO VIScorp.

Escom - The low down

Escom's background has been covered before but the events leading up to the agreed sale of Amiga Technologies to VIScorp is of interest. Last year Escom, Germany's biggest PC retailer and manufacturer expanded its computer retail operation into the UK by purchasing the Rumbelows electronic high-street store chain. Almost simultaneously they bought Commodore and most of it's affiliated companies including the Amiga, paying US$10m for the entire package with very little useful inventory. The Commodore brandname, very strong in Germany is now solely used by them for PCs. The multimedia nature of the Amiga was also cited as beneficial to the company's direction. Several key management figures within Escom came from the now defunct Commodore GmbH.

VIScorp has a clear vision of the Amiga technology potential for ITV applications. We are eager to support and work together over the term of the letter of understanding to ensure a smooth transition between the two companies. VIScorp anticipates the support of ongoing European sales of popular models such as the A4000T and the A1200 as well as the current developments and future releases of Amiga Technologies. Helmut Jost - CEO Escom AG.

Escom set up Amiga Technologies to continue the Amiga computer manufacture and development while it agreed it's retail chain would sell the machines. Amiga Technologies put the multi-million selling Amiga 1200 back into production at the Solectron factory Bordeaux, France. The A4000T was also put back into production via QuikPak Inc of Norristown, USA. Unfortunately the Amiga 1200 Magic Pack, bundled with some key Amiga applications including Photogenics, sold poorly over the Christmas 1995 period. Largely this was blamed on the higher than expected cost of the £399 (799DM) bundle and the lack of retail staff knowledge of the platform throughout the Escom chain of stores. Amiga Technolgies had been working in conjunction with German developers Phase 5 to move to Amiga platform over to Motorola's Power PC processor. AT had also developed a new Amiga prototype known as Project Walker which debuted at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany.

I am looking forward to being able to take advantage of the research and development support potential that an Amiga-related company like VIScorp can provide. Petro Tyschtschenko - President of Amiga Technologies.

The full in depth report on the VIScorp buy-out is in the June 1995 edition of CU Amiga magazine. On sale 16 May. Subscriptions.