HELSINKI–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Futuremark today announced that it has sold its Mobile and Embedded business unit to Rightware, a new spin off company set up to accelerate the development and marketing of Futuremark’s benchmarks for the mobile and embedded industries. Rightware will be run by former Futuremark CEO Tero Sarkkinen while Jukka Mäkinen, Vice President of PC Products and Services and Head of Futuremark Games Studio, will take the role of acting CEO at Futuremark until further notice.
Futuremark is best known for 3DMark, the PC benchmarking software for gamers which has been downloaded more than 45 million times. In January 2008 the company set up Futuremark Games Studio and in November of last year launched its first game, Shattered Horizon, an innovative multiplayer FPS for PC played in zero gravity.
“Spinning off Futuremark’s mobile and embedded business not only generates financial security to support our plans for game development and PC benchmarking software,” said Jukka Mäkinen, CEO of Futuremark, “It also sets up Futuremark as a more focused company creating great software for PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts.”
“The divestment of the mobile and embedded business was the right move for both Futuremark and Rightware”, said Artturi Tarjanne, Futuremark Chairman of the Board. “Futuremark is now fully focused on its core strength of developing innovative graphics technology and software, such as the groundbreaking Shattered Horizon online game and the world-famous 3DMark and PCMark performance measurement suites.”
