Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Softscape, SuccessFactors settle ‘phony PowerPoint’ lawsuit

By Mass High Tech staff

Softscape Inc. has settled a lawsuit against SuccessFactors Inc. related to a phony PowerPoint made to look as if it had come from a disgruntled SuccessFactors customer.

Wayland-based Softscape acknowledged it created a presentation titled “The Naked Truth,” which it distributed anonymously to customers and prospective customers in March. The company said in a press release that it designed the fake PowerPoint presentation to look as if it had come from a disgruntled SuccessFactors (Nasdaq:SFSF) customer; that the presentation included inaccurate information; and that Softscape distributed it.

The amount of money Softscape paid San Mateo, Calif.-based SuccessFactors was not immediately available. Softscape also dropped all of its affirmative counterclaims against SuccessFactors, the companies said.

Softscape makes talent management and other human resources-related software. SuccessFactors also makes workforce software and employee performance and talent management solutions.

“We are very pleased to have successfully resolved this matter. We sincerely hope that our industry can return to doing business the right way and with the highest ethical standards, where fair competition is defined around who delivers the best products, service and value to customers,” Lars Dalgaard, chief executive officer for SuccessFactors, said in a press release.