KODAK Design2Launch customers in Pharmaceutical, CPG and Retail industries join growing list of global BLUE customers

CHICAGO, IL and STAMFORD, CT - BLUE Software, developers of BLUE™, the leader in Brand Lifecycle Management (BLM) software-as-a-service (SaaS), announced today the acquisition of The Eastman Kodak Company’s (NYSE: KODK) Design2Launch software and services business, a leading provider of Brand Graphics Management technology, as part of its ongoing growth and expansion strategy. The expert KODAK Design2Launch (D2L) team and technology expand BLUE’s established, market-leading position. The addition of D2L’s global brand customers solidifies BLUE’s dominance in pharmaceutical, consumer products, retail and industrial chemical sectors. 

This is the second acquisition by BLUE and its financial partner Diversis Capital thus far in 2016 and demonstrates the continuing growth and technology innovation commitment BLUE has made to customers, and the marketplace. BLUE Software will integrate D2L with their existing operations acquiring all technology, IP, customer contracts and employees. The combination brings a best of breed approach for pharmaceutical, consumer goods, and retail, and creates one of the largest skilled software development and services organizations with expertise in the sophisticated needs of customers in regulated industries. The financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Design2Launch team, customers and partners to BLUE,” said Stephen Kaufman, Chief Product Officer at BLUE Software. “D2L has been an influential force in the workflow space for many years. Adding them to our team will be a natural addition to our technology portfolio and they definitely share our deep passion for our markets. The D2L organization and customers complement our leadership in the CPG, retail, and pharmaceutical space. In fact, we now count 8 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies as BLUE customers.” Kaufman further commented, “D2L’s agile development approach is already an embedded aspect of their culture, which will only accelerate our integration and development capabilities. Additionally, their team enhances our existing regulatory validation skills with additional methods, tools, and talents to bring continued value to customers and the marketplace.”

“Design2Launch is very pleased with the opportunity to join BLUE,” said Dennis Reaves, VP & General Manager Design2Launch. “BLUE’s commitment to industry leadership and investment in technology innovation is second to none. We have spoken with many customers and partners, and received positive responses and support for the acquisition. The cultural alignment between organizations gives me great confidence in the value that our customers will receive by combining the two.” 

Current BLUE and KODAK D2L customers and partners can expect no disruptions, only improvements as a result of this acquisition, including faster product development and enhanced capabilities that arise from the combined strengths of both development teams. Customers will continue to receive support from their current contacts. All current customer, partner, and OEM agreements remain unchanged.