MicroScope articles from May 2002

MicroScope archives from May 2002

All change as HP takes control: new UK managing director after Compaq takeover but channel positions are still up in the air.
May 7, 2002... Hewlett-Packard moved swiftly to fill the top positions in the UK after clearing the final hurdle to its takeover of Compaq last week, but has yet to make a decision on the channel roles. In a surprise move, the UK country manager of HP...

Westcon seeks to extend Cisco into Landis territories.(newly acquired Landis distribution business)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Cisco is to hold "logical business discussions" with Westcon over whether its newly acquired Landis distribution business will be granted a Cisco franchise to add to those already held by sister company Comstor in the UK, Germany, Belgium and...

Westcon chosen to replace Sphinx CST. (News).(as a Check Point distributor)
May 7, 2002... Westcon has joined Allasso and Unipalm as a Check Point distributor, at the expense of Sphinx CST. Tariq Ahmed, channel and sales director at Check Point UK, confirmed it was in the process of parting company with Sphinx and claimed it had...

Microsoft name crops up over Navision 'strategic transaction'. (News).
May 7, 2002... Speculation is mounting that Microsoft is in talks to buy Navision after the accountancy vendor admitted it was considering a strategic transaction. While Navision refused to confirm Microsoft was its potential suitor, many in the industry...

Decision on ABK CVA postponed. (News).(company voluntary arrangement delayed by bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Failing equipment supply firm ABK's plans for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) have been delayed following a move by its directors to appoint a new insolvency practitioner. Nitin Joshi, director of insolvency services for receivership...

Future of Landis UK remains unknown. (News).(sale of Landis' European distribution activities to Westcon)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... The fate of Landis UK was still in the balance last week with all the main parties involved remaining tight-lipped. Uncertainty over the future of the UK business intensified after it was not included in the sale of Landis' European...

Q1 results not to blame, claims IBM. (News).(appeal for voluntary redundancies among its 25,000-strong UK workforce)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... IBM has dismissed suggestions that its appeal for voluntary redundancies among its 25,000-strong UK workforce was in response to disappointing first quarter results. A spokeswoman for Big Blue confirmed it had announced a "voluntary...

Cisco acquires Hammerhead Networks and Navarro. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Cisco is back on the acquisition trail after paying almost $173m ([pounds sterling]123.6m) in stock to acquire Hammerhead Networks and Navarro. Hammerhead's software will be incorporated into Cisco's IP product line. Navarro cost $85m and...

KPMG Consulting sees its Q3 results slide. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... KPMG Consulting saw sales fall 22 per cent to $582m in its third fiscal quarter ending 31 March. The service provider's profits for the quarter were down 19 per cent to $23.7m. KPMG Consulting chairman and CEO Rand Blazer attributed the...

Microsoft tactics found out. (In Brief).(planning to push RealNetwork's video software out of the market)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Microsoft anti-trust trial documents reveal it was planning to push RealNetwork's video software out of the market by upgrading its own free version on Windows and using similar tactics to the ones it used against Netscape's browser.

SAP confident it will perform. (In Brief).(expects annual sales to rise 15%)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... SAP has revealed it expects annual sales to rise 15 per cent as it attempted to calm market fears that it was losing sales to Microsoft.

AMD's Martin Gillo gains cabinet position. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... AMD's director of human resources for Europe, Martin Gillo, has been appointed to a cabinet position in the State Government of Saxony as the State's Secretary of Economic Affairs and Labour. Gillo has been with AMD for more than 20 years and...

It was 20 years ago today. (In Brief).(Editorial)
May 7, 2002... 1 May -- Chariots of Fire by Vangelis advances to number two in the US; This Time by the England World Cup squad is at number four in the UK; RAF bombs Port Stanley 2 May -- Argentine cruiser Belgrano is sunk -- 362 dead 4 May -- HMS...

Another Sun executive leaves. (In Brief).(Sun Microsystems president and chief operating officer Ed Zander)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Sun Microsystems president and chief operating officer Ed Zander is set to retire on 1 July after 15 years at the company -- the third top executive to step down in the last month. He will be replaced by Sun founder and CEO Scott McNealy. Chief...

Sage announces profit rise. (In Brief).(ten per cent increase in profits)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Sage reported a ten per cent increase in profits to [pounds sterling]65.1m for the six months to 31 March. Turnover increased by 22 per cent to [pounds sterling]279.8m. Chairman Michael Jackson said: "Our strong recurring revenues provide...

Melissa virus creator jailed. (In Brief).(David Smith from New Jersey created the virus in March 1999)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... The creator of the Melissa virus has been jailed for 20 months for causing more than $80m ([pounds sterling]57m) of damage to e-mail systems worldwide. David Smith from New Jersey created the virus in March 1999 and sent it as an e-mail that...

NAI and ISS forge security integration alliance. (In Brief).(Internet Security Systems)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Network Associates and Internet Security Systems have formed a strategic alliance to deliver integrated security products and services. NAI intends to combine ISS' RealSecure intrusion detection technology with its network fault isolation and...

Computer 2000 takes IT on the road to show off kit to SMEs. (In Brief).(Computer 2000 mobile exhibition around the UK)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Computer 2000 is taking a fully equipped mobile exhibition around the UK highlighting the benefits that IT can deliver to small businesses. The exhibition will be made available to resellers and retailers all over the UK free of charge. It will...

Bull promotes Dunk to CEO. (In Brief).(Mike Dunk to UK and Ireland CEO)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Bull has promoted former Integris sales director Mike Dunk to UK and Ireland CEO following its sale of Integris. He will be responsible for product sales, global support and financial services.

Charity seeks IT mentors and funders. (News).(Prince's Trust Technology Leadership Groups supports IT-related ventures)
May 7, 2002... The call-has gone out to the UK IT sector to support a drive by the Prince's Trust to raise [pounds sterling]10m to help disadvantaged young people set up technology businesses. The move follows the launch of the Prince's Trust Technology...

Ultima Networks out of CVA and plans to relist. (News).
May 7, 2002... Ultima Networks has successfully completed its company voluntary arrangement and is preparing to relist on the London Stock Exchange. The CVA was agreed by creditors of the networking and services group almost exactly six months ago (see...

PC systems.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Caption: After two years as general manager of PC systems at Computer 2000, Gary Fowle has been elevated to commercial director, writes Paul Kunert. He will be responsible for the performance and management of five of the distributor's...

For your excellence.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Don't forget, you can enter The MicroScope Partner Excellence Awards which are designed to recognise and reward resellers for their customer service. The awards are open to all companies, large and small. They are designed to recognise...

The hunt is on for suppliers of counterfeit product. (Software).
May 7, 2002... Resellers are coming under pressure to report distributors and corporates that sell and use counterfeit software, after initiatives from Microsoft and the Federation Against Software Theft placed the channel at the centre of attempts to block...

Veritas defies downturn with value-add approach. (Software).
May 7, 2002... While many companies have been suffering in the face of the economic downturn, Veritas appears to have bucked the trend. The reason, according to Chris Boorman, Veritas vice president of marketing Emea, is that customers are seeking ways of...

Intuit 'well on way' to reaching target reseller numbers. (Software).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... Accountancy software developer Intuit is launching a reseller and advice drive called Quickbooks Premier as part of its aim to increase UK dealer numbers. The launch of the product, which is the advanced version of its original accountancy...

Vignette reduces quantity to focus on quality. (Interview).
May 7, 2002... Kristin Kaufman, vice president of worldwide consulting partners and channels, says the global firm, which currently puts about 50 per cent of its business through the channel, has initially reduced reseller and consulting partner numbers from...

Sikora steps into Harris' shoes. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Pervasive Software has appointed David Sikora as president and CEO after incumbent Ron Harris was promoted to chairman. Sikora joined Pervasive's board in January.

Popkin partners with BMT. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Popkin Software has signed a strategic partnership with BMT Defence Services to support the latter's enterprise architecture and systems engineering method for analysing, designing and specifying complex technological and business systems.

Veritas suited to IBM AIX. (In Brief).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... Veritas Software has revealed its storage management software suite is available on IBM AIX. The AIX 5L is designed to simplify management and increase data and application availability across a range of supported storage devices.

Logistics boom. (In Brief).
May 7, 2002... The worldwide logistics software applications market will continue to improve and gain momentum by 2004 with a growth rate of 30.1 percent. IDC said vendors offering well targeted applications for specific functions were expected to gain the...

Closer relationship with channel needed: Dominic Hall reports on the latest developments at the Cisco Partner Summit in Orlando. (Networking).
May 7, 2002... Cisco has urged partners to work more closely with the vendor and become involved with customer engagements earlier in the sales cycle to create more services sales opportunities. Addressing resellers and service providers at the vendor's...

Cisco extends router portfolio. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... Cisco used its Partner Summit to broaden its portfolio of module access routers through the launch of 14 new platforms and several enhancements to its product range. The platforms include a new product family in the shape of the Cisco 3700...

Cisco replaces 'unsuitable' sales model. (Networking).
May 7, 2002... Cisco is to impose a new value engagement model on UK and European partners which the company claims will help resellers win new business. The scheme -- which will see the vendor work more closely with resellers in terms of the business it...

Walkabout.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Although Cisco did not use its Partner Summit to spring any great channel shake-ups on its global partners, the company took the opportunity to rally the troops and hammer home a services message. A contingent of around 120 UK resellers and...

ADI 'recovery' quells channel unrest. (Hardware).
May 7, 2002... The ground is finally firming under Taiwanese monitor manufacturer ADI after an easing in the supply issues which have dogged the vendor over the last six months. There had been growing unrest among distributors at the vendor's inability...

HP unifies servers to cut training for dealers. (Hardware).
May 7, 2002... Hewlett-Packard has standardised the boxes in its latest server range so that dealers will not have to be trained separately on each product. Scaling Itanium from the high-end to low-end servers, HP has revamped 80 per cent of its family...

Intel sets conference dates. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Intel last week announced its Spring channel conferences to offer dealers and system integrators training, networking opportunities and 47 third-party vendor showcases. The events are expected to reach 12,000 channel programme members in the UK...

Integra signs Fujitsu deal. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Fujitsu Siemens has entered a two-year agreement with Integra Office Solutions to provide a greater level of direct support. Under the agreement, the dealer groups members qualify as Fujitsu Siemens System Centre Partners and will benefit from...

Apple unveils new notebook. (In Brief).(Apple Computer Inc's Titanium PowerBook G4)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... Apple has unveiled the Titanium PowerBook G4 featuring a new high resolution display, faster PowerPC G4 processors, 1 Mb of level 3 cache, an integrated digital visual interface port and integrated gigabit ethernet. The 15.2in display provides...

CU partners with Compose. (In Brief).(Computer Unlimited)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Computer Unlimited has launched a system for the pre-press proofing industry through a deal with Compose, whose Harlequin-based RIP software for digital printing will be bundled with the distributor's Epson printer range to provide resellers...

French companies 'have less debt and stronger market'. (In Brief).(comparison survey by Plimsoll)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... A recent comparison survey by Plimsoll that looked at the differences between English and French hardware companies showed that our friends across the channel are on top. French companies were stronger financially with less debt and the market...

BenQ re-aligns portfolio to storm UK retail market. (Hardware).
May 7, 2002... Having employed the services of specialist distributors over the last two years, BenQ is looking to tier one broadliners to increase its reseller breadth and cut a swathe in the UK retail market. The strategy follows hot on the heels of...

Hynix board under fire for rejecting Micron takeover. (Hardware).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... There was more drama over the proposed sale of Hynix Semiconductor to Micron Technology last week when Hynix creditors threatened to sack the board after it rejected a $3bn ([pounds sterling]2.1bn) deal. The sale had appeared to be nearing...

MIPS licence for AMD. (In Brief).(MIPS64 Instruction Set Architecture)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... MIPS Technologies has licensed the MIPS64 Instruction Set Architecture to AMD. The chip manufacturer plans to develop 64-bit processors that implement the MIPS64 architecture standard, in addition to its current product line of processors based...

Avnet appoints president. (In Brief).(Ger Coppus)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Having integrated acquisitions made over the last couple of years, Avnet Applied Computing has appointed Ger Coppus as president to head up operations in Emea. He will be responsible for overseeing four units which deal primarily with...

Top spot for NVIDIA. (In Brief).(Quadro family of professional graphics systems earns top spot)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... NVIDIA has claimed that its Quadro family of professional graphics systems have earned the top spot as the 3D workstation market leader in recent reports by Gartner, IDC and John Peddie Research. The products in the line offer 2D and 3D systems...

Premier IT acts to slash prices. (Services).(on Microsoft 2000 training courses)
May 7, 2002... London-based Premier IT is the latest training company to move into blended learning in order to slash prices on Microsoft 2000 training courses. Reductions of up to [pounds sterling]2,000 per course have been made as the firm attempts to...

Comment. (Services).(Vocalis user survey on call centers)
May 7, 2002... Voice recognition vendor Vocalis has produced a survey to tell us what we already knew -- that the public hates inefficient call centres. Vocalis' technology hopes to make this scourge of modern life -- which could be costing British...

A small world where consolidation reigns. (Analysis).
May 7, 2002... As chestnuts go, one of the oldest and most well worn has to be consolidation. Any excuse to start talking about shrinking channels and restrictions in choice is seized on by those in the industry. For those convinced we will end up with...

History of the Landis deal.(Westcon buys Landis' European distribution business)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... 26 March -- Westcon pulls out of talks with Landis to buy its distribution arm after a disagreement over price 2 April -- Landis offers creditors 25 pence in the pound to get their backing to continue trading and search for a buyer 16...

Logica 'looks cheap' as record profits fail to prevent nerves. (Finance).
May 7, 2002... Global services and software company Logica has seen its share price fall dramatically over the last three months, despite record revenues and earnings. The company, which provides software for text messaging, recorded a 21 per cent...

The Web is not enough: customers want contact. (Customer Focus).(survey from British Telecom)
May 7, 2002... Providing inadequate communications to customers and offering poor service is the quickest way to lose business. According to a survey from British Telecom, the improvements promised with the advent of the Web have failed to translate into...

C&W amends SLAs to ensure refunds for poor service.(Cable & Wireless' service level agreements are to be upgraded)
May 7, 2002... Cable & Wireless' service level agreements are to be upgraded to bring in rebates for poor service, including sales made by its resellers. Increased competition in the telco services market has forced C&W to boost SLAs to guarantee higher...

ACE Windows course. (In Brief).(Network Computing's training division)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Network Computing's training division, ACE, has launched its division, ACE, has launched its Server Based Computing Professional courses in ten countries across Europe. SBC is designed to cover installment and configuration of Windows-based...

Catalyst to support Blackbird Harvest. (In Brief).(Blackbird's Harvest Warehouse Management System)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Catalyst International has signed an agreement with Irish systems integrator Blackbird Data Systems to support Blackbird's Harvest Warehouse Management System. Catalyst will serve as a one-stop-shop for all Harvest WMS-related support calls,...

ServicePower losses fall. (In Brief).(2001)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... BPO specialist ServicePower Technologies' annual results for the year to 31 December 2001 saw turnover fall three per cent to [pounds sterling]3.2m, while pre-tax losses decreased from [pounds sterling]3.9m to [pounds sterling]2.7m.

NSL signs Siemens deal. (In Brief).(NET Connection Systems will implement Siemens' HiPath 5000 network switch)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Convergence and infrastructure services specialist NET connection Systems (NSL) has signed an IP convergence reseller agreement with Siemens Communications. NSL will implement Siemens' HiPath 5000 enterprise convergence architecture within its...

The man behind the project: in his book Free as in Freedom, Sam Williams takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into Richard Stallman's obsession with the GNU/Linux label. (Book Review).
May 7, 2002... Future historians may judge Richard Stallman to be the single most important figure in software development at the turn of the 21st Century. But many of his colleagues, past and present, see him as a royal pain in the arse. The two assessments...

HP is finally free to start on the long haul to. (Editorial).
May 7, 2002... EIGHT MONTHS IS A VERY long time to be waiting for something to happen -- unless you're waiting for a baby, of course, in which case it's a little too short a time. But for HP CEO Carly Fiorina, her particular baby -- the takeover of Compaq --...

Rule of thumb. (Editorial).(Column)
May 7, 2002... Caroline Bassett stumbles upon the theory that our thumbs may hold our destiny, only to decide the idea is nothing more than an attractive fairytale Forget palm reading, the shape of your destiny is to be revealed in your thumb. If it's...

Traffic control: the need for firewall protection to prevent incoming viruses and hackers appears to have hit home, with hardware, not software, the medium of choice.
May 7, 2002... A newly published report from Frost & Sullivan analysing the state of the European firewall market makes for interesting reading on a number of levels. Not least because it recognises the technology is transitioning itself -- from one used just...

Smooth operator. (HP Awards).(Transputec wins award for its Transputec Online Partner System)
May 7, 2002... THE APRIL WINNER OF OUR PARTNER EXCELLENCE AWARD IS THE CUSTOMER-FACING INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS, TRANSPUTEC ONLINE PARTNER SYSTEM "We're having a real success with major customers. It's a substantial and unique selling point with us. When...

Turn to security. (Advertorial).(firewall technology)
May 7, 2002... As an increasing number of businesses are now connecting to the Internet, so their vulnerability to attack is increasing. Many are using only the most basic means of security, often wrongly configured and managed. This is an area with plenty of...

Movers and shakers: using handhelds and laptops can increase productivity by banishing downtime, but possibly at the cost of free time. (Mobile Working).(Column)
May 7, 2002... Mobile phones and handheld computers are giving employees greater flexibility to work anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Traditionally, time spent waiting for trains, travelling in taxis or hanging around in airports was wasted. Now, with mobile...

United we stand? Not bloody likely, mate. (Comment).(Column)
May 7, 2002... Partner is one of those words that people in the channel use a lot in their daily lives, but are they using it correctly? Billy Maclnnes wonders whether a reseller can ever really be described as a partner to a global IT corporation During...

All change: services-focused Techies has weathered two recessions, finding that evolving business strategies, although necessary is never easy. (Meet the Reseller).
May 7, 2002... It's just over ten years since Glen Monks, then only 23, set up Techies after the collapse of UK Computerware left him without gainful employment, and started trading from a house - which makes a change from the garage which so many others in...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
May 7, 2002... Credit checking With reference to your article on SMEs and bad debt (see MicroScope, 23 April), I was interested and a little surprised at the statistics printed, specifically the fact that 15 per cent of SMEs never check creditworthiness....

Soap.
May 7, 2002... Is the channel in danger of suffering U from a nudity epidemic? Hard on the heels of the very tasteful CMS adverts featuring people without any clothes on, our minds turn to David Pugh, distribution account manager at monitor manufacturer...

From MicroScope May 1990. (Hindsights).
May 7, 2002... "Bit of a pain, isn't it?" John Weatherhead, managing director of Frontline, on the departure of marketing director Nigel Fox. "Words fail me. The promotion does look doomed from the start" Alistair Handyside, managing director of Software...

At the margins.
May 7, 2002... The soap opera for the IT channel... Dennis Doors and Jeff Coulter have emerged on another side of the space/time continuum, but not the right side. Melissa Callard is becoming chief suspect in the murder of Jeff Cantatos. Now read on......

CU acquires Gomark.(Computers Unlimited)
May 7, 2002... Computers Unlimited are proud to announce the acquisition of design and graphics software distribution specialist, Gomark Ltd. The agreement gives Computers Unlimited access to a comprehensive portfolio of design, 3D modelling and...

The new Macromedia MX range is here!(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... If you sell into web design markets, prepare to get excited. Macromedia have unveiled their latest range of MX improved products, to compliment the existing Flash MX. Now, ColdFusion, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks have all had the MX treatment....

Wacom Cintiq 18sx. (What's Hot and What's New).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... WACOM have announced the launch of a new and larger state-of-the-art Interactive Pen Display. Scheduled to ship in June, the Cintiq 18SX is an 18.1" LCD tablet, which features SXGA resolution (1280x1024), 24-bit colour and an Ultra-FFS surface....

RealViz Interactive Studio. (What's Hot and What's New).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... REALVIZ Interactive Studio is the way to build interactive 3D applications for Macromedia Shockwave and VRML. Included in the studio are REALVIZ Stitcher, REALVIZ ImageModeler and REALVIZ SceneWe@ver. Buying the studio is a cost saving of...

New Macromedia MX range unveiled. (What's Hot and What's New).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Macromedia have unveiled their latest range of MX improved products, to compliment the existing Flash MX. Now, ColdFusion, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks have all had the MX treatment. Macromedia have also announced the MX Studio, which...

FileMaker FREE licenses. (What's Hot and What's New).(FileMaker Intro Pack)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... FileMaker nave introduced a great new VLA-only package that consists of a Server and 10 clients Intro Pack. The price of this bundle has been positioned so that it effectively means that 5 of the clients are FREE. Description ...

New apple incentives. (What's Hot and What's New).(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Apples new incentives revolve around DVD Studio Pro 1.5, and Final Cut Pro 3. One day training courses, hosted by Apple themselves, are available FREE to you and at a massive discount to your customers, when either of these titles are...

Adobe Photoshop 7. (What's Hot and What's New).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... The most anticipated Mac OS X release, this professional image-editing software promises to meet the multimedia demands of today's market. Additionally, Photoshop 7 is now available as part of the Adobe Collections series which makes these...

Vectorworks. (What's Hot and What's New).(Nemetschek North America's Vectorworks 9.5)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Vectorworks has everything you need for precision 2D drafting, powerful 3D modelling and sophisticated client presentations. It features a built-in Database and spreadsheet, and a flexible scripting language to automate routine drafting tasks....

Shave and a Haircut. (What's Hot and What's New).(hair creation package)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Hair rendering in 3D is the stuff of nightmares for the designer. All this is set to change with the introduction of Shave and a Haircut for CINEMA 4D R7. Its being hailed as the most powerful hair creation package in the industry and is sure...

Olympus launches new cameras. (What's Hot and What's New).(C-120 and C-220 Zoom)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Olympus Digital imaging has announced the launch of two new camera's, the C-120 and C-220 Zoom. They show that digital photography is both affordable and straightforward to use. Both cameras boast an impressive 2.1 Megapixel CCD that for an RRP...

Wacom launch new 18" Cintiq. (News).(Cintiq 18SX)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... WACOM have announced the launch of a new and larger state-of-the-art Interactive Pen Display. Scheduled to ship in June, the Cintiq 18SX is an 18.1" LCD tablet, which features SXGA resolution (1280x1024), 24-bit colour and an Ultra-FFS surface....

Procreate tools enhance Adobe Photoshop 7. (News).(Painter 7.0 and Knockout 2.0)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... Procreates line up of creative tools not only offer Photoshop 7 users vastly improved performance, but also an enhanced Creative flare. The line-up of tools include Painter 7, a natural media tool that allows the user to create brush...