Quark after Gill: Stay the course

According to Glen Turpin, director of corporate communications with the Denver developer, Gill's decision to sell his 50 percent stake in the company to pursue philanthropy won't affect Quark's strategic direction or its product lineup.

"Things are definitely going to stay the same," Turpin said. "Our strategic vision put forth by (Quark CEO) Fred Ebrahimi is sound and reflected by our commitment to media-independent publishing."

No successor as chairman has been announced, but Vice President of Technology Kamar Aulakh has assumed control of daily technical operations and most of Gill's duties as chief technology officer.

Turpin confirmed that Gill -- who is widely viewed as the primary creator of QuarkXPress, the company's flagship desktop publishing application -- has been stepping back from daily operations for months before making his move public in an e-mail sent on Monday to Quark employees.

Turpin declined to comment on who purchased Gill's half of Quark and for what price; some Quark veterans, however, speculated that Ebrahimi was the likeliest purchaser. In his farewell memo, Gill said he plans to focus on his philanthropic efforts through the Gill Foundation, a charitable organization he founded in 1994 in response to attempts to legislate against gays and lesbians in Colorado.

On the product side of the equation, Turpin said development of Quark's lineup of products -- including QuarkXPress, CopyDesk, and Digital Media System -- will continue as planned. Turpin said that while an upgrade to Quark DMS is due soon, he declined to specify a release date for XPress 5.0, the first major upgrade to the application in several years.

Turpin confirmed that the company has recently expanded its operations to international campuses in India, Germany, and Singapore in addition to Quark's Denver and Chicago offices; he said the move is intended to ensure 24-hour QA and maximize the company's R&D efforts. However, Turpin said, the international moves won't replace the company's stateside operations.

Pamela Pfiffner, vice president of Internet media at Portland, Ore.-based CreativePro.com, expressed mixed feelings about the news. "Tim will be missed very much in the industry; he is a visionary and a hell of a guy.

"I don't think that Quark is going to founder as a result; over the past several years, Tim has hired good engineers.

"Fred and Tim had a symbiotic relationship. Fred took care of the finances, which allowed Tim to create a vision for the company. I think Tim's departure will create an imbalance. I don't think the impact of his leaving will be felt until next year and following years." It's business as usual at Quark Inc. following the departure of founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Tim Gill, the company told ZDNet News on Wednesday.

According to Glen Turpin, director of corporate communications with the Denver developer, Gill's decision to sell his 50 percent stake in the company to pursue philanthropy won't affect Quark's strategic direction or its product lineup.

"Things are definitely going to stay the same," Turpin said. "Our strategic vision put forth by (Quark CEO) Fred Ebrahimi is sound and reflected by our commitment to media-independent publishing."

No successor as chairman has been announced, but Vice President of Technology Kamar Aulakh has assumed control of daily technical operations and most of Gill's duties as chief technology officer.

Turpin confirmed that Gill -- who is widely viewed as the primary creator of QuarkXPress, the company's flagship desktop publishing application -- has been stepping back from daily operations for months before making his move public in an e-mail sent on Monday to Quark employees.

Turpin declined to comment on who purchased Gill's half of Quark and for what price; some Quark veterans, however, speculated that Ebrahimi was the likeliest purchaser. In his farewell memo, Gill said he plans to focus on his philanthropic efforts through the Gill Foundation, a charitable organization he founded in 1994 in response to attempts to legislate against gays and lesbians in Colorado.

On the product side of the equation, Turpin said development of Quark's lineup of products -- including QuarkXPress, CopyDesk, and Digital Media System -- will continue as planned. Turpin said that while an upgrade to Quark DMS is due soon, he declined to specify a release date for XPress 5.0, the first major upgrade to the application in several years.

Turpin confirmed that the company has recently expanded its operations to international campuses in India, Germany, and Singapore in addition to Quark's Denver and Chicago offices; he said the move is intended to ensure 24-hour QA and maximize the company's R&D efforts. However, Turpin said, the international moves won't replace the company's stateside operations.

Pamela Pfiffner, vice president of Internet media at Portland, Ore.-based CreativePro.com, expressed mixed feelings about the news. "Tim will be missed very much in the industry; he is a visionary and a hell of a guy.

"I don't think that Quark is going to founder as a result; over the past several years, Tim has hired good engineers.

"Fred and Tim had a symbiotic relationship. Fred took care of the finances, which allowed Tim to create a vision for the company. I think Tim's departure will create an imbalance. I don't think the impact of his leaving will be felt until next year and following years."