Mac OS X Developer Profile: Marratech

With the introduction of Mac OS X and its built-in Java HotSpot Virtual Machine, it became possible for Marratech — a Swedish software company that develops and markets solutions for interactive web-based meetings and conferences on Windows, Linux, and Solaris — to reach customers on the Macintosh platform. “This was especially important for us in the higher education markets,” says Serge Lachappelle, Marratech’s vice president of product management. “In order for us to win customers in these markets, especially those that are exclusively Mac or a mix of Macs and other platforms, it was crucial to have a product that worked on a Mac.”

Java is Just the Beginning

Marratech’s Work Environment software provides a multi-platform solution that enables multiple participants to communicate via voice, video, and whiteboard that allows them to share documents in a distributed workplace spanning across the public Internet. The Work Environment’s unique benefits include multi-platform capabilities, high voice quality, high security, easy deployments and recording capabilities. It includes the Marratech Pro client software and the Marratech E-meeting Portal server software.

Being unfamiliar with development on Mac OS X, Marratech contacted the Apple Developer Connection for help and advice. As their software was written mainly in Java, the development cycle was similar to that of other platforms, except for being able to add additional features and functionality to the product using Mac OS X technologies. Marratech also leveraged UNIX coding and compiling tools.

“The best advice we received, though, was that Mac users do not want to use an application that was simply ported to the platform,” Serge says. “Mac users want a Mac experience on their screens. This meant we had to create a true Mac OS X application.”

Getting More from a New Platform

Marratech took this advice seriously and decided to focus on enhancements aimed at creating an authentic Macintosh application and an exceptional user experience. “We sat down and thought like a Mac user,” says Serge, “and took advantage of the Mac OS X technologies available to make our application outstanding. We wanted to build in Mac functionality from the ground up.”

In their development of Work Environment for the Mac, Marratech added several improvements. For example, they fine-tuned QuickTime to enhance video performance on the Mac with higher video frame rates at a lower CPU mode. They made sure that the user interface conformed to Aqua guidelines, and exploited the brushed metal look Mac users know and love. They optimized performance for the G4 and the G5 systems. And through Quartz, they included the Mac’s built-in PDF support, allowing them to enable PDF importing in the application’s whiteboard, a unique-to-Mac OS X feature.

“Our user base is now disproportionately a Macintosh one,” Serge says. “Our solution fits the Mac user mindset extremely well, in part I believe because we were so scrupulous in our development for Mac OS X. Mac OS X technologies offer our application many advantages we don’t see in other platforms,” he continues. “We’ve made sure that we take advantage of them as much as possible.”

On the server side, Xserve is now the platform recommended by Marratech to all its customers. “The Marratech E-meeting Portal, the server software solution of the Marratech Work Environment, is a perfect match for the Xserve,” Serge explains. “It is easy to deploy and customize, the 1 gigabit Ethernet card is well matched to our software’s scalability, and the Unix core of the operating system lends incredible stability and security.” In Europe, Marratech offers their product bundled with Xserve, a very popular option. “Xserve has proven to be the fastest and most reliable server platform, and our software works great on it.”

Leveraging the Apple Developer Connection

In addition to technical advice, Marratech also received marketing help from the Apple Developer Connection and recently signed a Complementary Software Provider agreement, making Apple an official reseller of their product in the United States education market.

"Apple's Higher Education sales force gave us a lead at University of California San Francisco," Serge says, "where the school had plans to adopt a Windows only collaboration platform to unite biochemistry researchers and three separate campuses. This would effectively have locked Mac users, of which there were many, out of the communication loop. When they saw our product, they cancelled their previous plans and adopted it. Along with supporting all required platforms, Work Evironment turned out to be easier to deploy and use."

Deployment of their product to Mac OS X has brought Marratech many benefits. "Developing for Mac OS X was a big win for us in every way," Serge says. "By looking at the best way to develop our product for the Mac we were able to build in better performance, ease of use, and additional features, all important attributes for our customers. And both by working with Apple and deploying on the platform, we were able to leverage their marketing insights and reach a much larger and critical customer base. This has certainly helped our sales and revenue worldwide."

For more information about Marratech and their products, visit the website at www.marratech.com.

“Mac OS X technologies offer our application many advantages we don’t see in other platforms”