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Delrina

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Delrina, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 202515 sources
Delrina Corporation
Company typePrivate
IndustrySoftware
Founded1988 in Toronto, Canada
FounderBert Amato, Mark Skapinker, Dennis Bennie, Lou Ryan
Defunct1995
FateAcquired by Symantec
Headquarters
Toronto
,
Canada
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Dennis Bennie (Chairman and CEO), Mark Skapinker (President), Bert Amato (CTO), Lou Ryan (Head of global sales)
ProductsWinFax, PerForm, FormFlow, WinComm, Cyberjack, screensavers

Delrina Corporation was a software company based in Canada that operated from 1988 until 1995, primarily recognized for its flagship product WinFax. This software allowed computers equipped with fax modems to transmit documents to fax machines or other computer systems. The company also marketed electronic form solutions such as PerForm and FormFlow. In 1995, the American software giant Symantec acquired Delrina.

Among its offerings, Delrina developed screensavers, one of which resulted in a significant legal dispute over copyright and trademark infringement (Berkeley Systems Inc. v. Delrina). This lawsuit clarified that commercial software with satirical elements does not enjoy the same First Amendment protections as parody found in cartoons or literature.

Delrina's portfolio included online communication software under the WinComm brand and a Web browser named Cyberjack. Following its acquisition by Symantec, the company's divisions were divested, and several former leaders went on to establish venture capital enterprises.

Corporate history

Founded in Toronto in 1988, Delrina was established by Zimbabwean expatriate Bert Amato, South African expatriates Mark Skapinker and Dennis Bennie, along with American Lou Ryan.[1] Bennie, who had previously co-founded Mission Electronics and Aviva Software (which later became Ingram Micro Canada), sought to achieve technical and market dominance within specialized sectors,[2] a goal Delrina realized with its electronic forms and PC fax software. Prior to incorporation, Amato and Skapinker had begun developing an electronic forms product that evolved into PerForm. Bennie, then leading Carolian Systems International as CEO, secured a $1.5 million CAD initial investment to launch Delrina. Carolian acquired a 51% ownership stake, appointing Bennie as chairman and CEO, Skapinker as president, and Amato as CTO.[3]

Delrina’s original base was a modest office on Mount Pleasant Road in Toronto. Its global sales operations were managed from a San Jose, California office headed by co-founder Lou Ryan.[4] The company grew beyond Toronto with additional branches in Kirkland, Washington, Washington, DC, and Lexington, Massachusetts, later expanding into the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.[5]

Origins of PerForm

The company’s first product was an electronic forms application named PerForm. The concept was developed by Amato and Skapinker during consulting engagements when they identified a demand for electronically completing forms rather than merely digitizing paper documents. PerForm gained substantial traction within Canadian and U.S. government bodies; in the U.S., this was bolstered by the Paperwork Reduction Act, which aimed to decrease paperwork volume. A key early contract was a multi-year agreement to supply PerForm to the U.S. Navy in 1990. During the First Gulf War, the software was installed on Compaq laptops used by American soldiers to facilitate requisitions for items ranging from Coca-Cola to portable toilets. Other major clients included corporations such as 3M and Rockwell International.

PerForm distinguished itself through an intuitive user interface, comprehensive development tools, competitive pricing structure, effective workflow management features, and strong security measures. In 1991, it earned the "Product of the Year" award for electronic forms from InfoWorld, while PC World Magazine designated it a "Best Buy". By 1993, PerForm had secured a dominant position in the retail segment.

During the early 1990s, Delrina collaborated with value-added resellers like NCR and GE Information Services, who tailored PerForm for corporate customers transitioning from paper-based forms. This success contributed to steady revenue growth: from CAD 5.6 million in 1989 to CAD 8.8 million in 1990, reaching CAD 11.9 million by 1991.

Challenges in Achieving Profitability

Although revenue figures were on the rise, the company faced ongoing difficulties in generating profits. Substantial costs, primarily linked to marketing and research and development, caused losses to escalate from $500,000 in 1989 to $1.5 million by the following fiscal year. By fiscal 1991, the net loss had increased further to $1.7 million.

In April 1991, Bennie successfully raised $7.7 million through a private placement aimed at sustaining operational activities.

The firm focused on broadening the reach of its electronic form software, with Bennie expressing in May 1992 that "we've barely scratched the surface of our market."

Early in 1992, Delrina entered into a letter of intent for a merger with WordStar International Inc., but negotiations dissolved within a month due to intricate legal, accounting, and managerial challenges. WordStar was interested in Delrina's advanced technology, whereas Delrina sought to utilize WordStar's extensive international sales network. Despite the merger’s collapse, Bennie maintained confidence in expanding the sales team to establish a global presence. Shortly thereafter, WordStar combined forces with Spinnaker Software and SoftKey Software Products to create SoftKey International.

Following this, Delrina pursued distribution agreements with Wallace Computer Services, UARCO, and NCR Corporation to diversify its sales channels.

WinFax Product Development

As part of a strategic diversification effort, the company ventured into the fax software sector with its WinFax offering. Tony Davis, initially engaged as a consultant developer, produced a prototype which Delrina agreed to publish. At the 1990 COMDEX exhibition, WinFax attracted considerable interest despite limited exposure, validating its market potential. Davis convinced Delrina of the product’s promise and assumed the role of lead architect.

The original WinFax release only supported fax transmission through select fax modems and lacked receiving functionality; this limitation was resolved with WinFax PRO 2.0 in 1991. A notable advantage was its universal compatibility with all fax/modems, unlike competitors that targeted single-brand support. Delrina also introduced an OEM edition bundled with fax/modems, initially securing partnerships with eight manufacturers—a number that expanded to over 100 by early 1993.

The strategy of bundling the "LITE" OEM variant proved financially successful: most purchases stemmed from users upgrading to the PRO version after registration. To tap into the Apple Macintosh user base, Delrina acquired Solutions Inc.’s BackFax in 1991 and rebranded it as "Delrina Fax Pro." A DOS-compatible version called "DosFax PRO" was released in 1992.

To improve its electronic forms software, Delrina pursued optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Although an acquisition attempt failed in 1991, a 1992 agreement with Caere Corporation incorporated AnyFax OCR into WinFax PRO 3.0 and FormFlow products. Subsequent versions later adopted Xerox's TextBridge OCR engine.

Robust sales of WinFax enabled Delrina to report its first profitable quarter in three years by October 1992, coinciding with intentions to acquire additional consumer software companies.

Amaze Inc. Acquisition

In October 1992, Delrina acquired Amaze Inc., based in Kirkland, Washington. Amaze specialized in daily planner software that featured licensed comic strips such as Cathy, Bloom County, B.C., and The Far Side. The purchase included settling Amaze’s outstanding debt of $3 million (U.S.) and adding two of Amaze’s directors—Rowland Hanson, former Microsoft Vice President of Corporate Communications, and George Clut—to Delrina’s board of directors.

Berkeley Systems Inc. v. Delrina

In 1993, Delrina released the Opus 'n Bill screensaver, featuring licensed Bloom County characters. This included a "Death Toasters" segment where Opus fires at flying toasters—an element closely resembling Berkeley Systems' iconic Flying Toasters screensaver from their After Dark collection. Berkeley Systems initiated legal action, alleging copyright and trademark violations.

Delrina argued that their work constituted a software parody safeguarded by the First Amendment. Nevertheless, a court injunction issued in September 1993 halted product sales and mandated a recall, resulting in an estimated loss of $150,000 (U.S.) for Delrina. The lawsuit gained public notice and drew support from satirist Mark Russell and cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, who advocated for the parody’s legitimacy.

Judge Eugene F. Lynch ruled in favor of Berkeley Systems, emphasizing that commercial software does not receive the same First Amendment protections as parodic literature and that the toaster designs were substantially similar. The court acknowledged that Berkeley’s concept was originally inspired by the Jefferson Airplane album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland, which depicted winged flying toasters; Jefferson Airplane later sued Berkeley Systems but lost due to absence of trademark registration.

Some commentators, including writer L. Ray Patterson, viewed this verdict as prioritizing expanded copyright protections over First Amendment freedoms.

Despite the unfavorable outcome, Delrina gained widespread media exposure throughout North America, which significantly boosted sales prior to the recall. The company subsequently modified the module—removing wings from the toasters and substituting them with propellers—and rebranded it as the "Censored Toaster Module." This revised version exceeded sales expectations by threefold in subsequent years.

Josef Zankowicz, then Delrina’s publicity manager, remarked: "We hoped to be sued... Because by suing us, the market leader opened the door." At its peak, this product line contributed less than 15% of Delrina's overall revenue.

Success of WinFax

The swift expansion in sales of WinFax dramatically increased Delrina's revenues, rising from $19.2 million in 1992 to $48.6 million in 1993—more than doubling within a year. WinFax quickly overtook the original forms product, eventually representing 80% of company revenue within several years. By 1994, over three million copies had been sold, consistently ranking among the "Top 10" software titles.

This unexpected growth accelerated company development; employee numbers grew from 250 at the start of 1993 to 350 by year-end. The rapid increase in WinFax users placed heavy demands on Technical Support due to compatibility with over 300 modem models, prompting Delrina to invest around $800,000 in telephony infrastructure and hire an additional 40 support personnel by December 1993. By late 1994, Delrina earned accolades for providing "exceptional" customer support.

In 1993, Delrina created a Communication Services division focused on commercial clients and formed partnerships with major telecommunications firms such as BellSouth and MCI Inc.. That November, it introduced Fax Broadcast, allowing subscribers to send faxes to up to 500 recipients through Delrina’s network. A Fax Mailbox feature enabling remote access to fax and voice messages experienced delays due to a dispute with AlphaNet Telecom, which was resolved by mid-1994 after compensation was paid.

By late 1994, Delrina ranked among North America’s fastest-expanding software companies with a workforce exceeding 500 employees primarily based in Toronto. Financially strong by February 1995, the company commanded nearly three-quarters of the fax software market share, was free of debt, and held $40 million in cash reserves. Monthly shipments of WinFax reached 200,000 units with an installed user base of four million. Operational efficiencies improved as cost of sales declined from 30% to 25% of net revenue, boosting gross profit margins.

Influence of Windows 95

In November 1992, Skapinker had an opportunity to meet Bill Gates at a dinner hosted by Microsoft, where he inquired about fax capabilities planned for the forthcoming operating system (which would become Windows 95). Gates confirmed that "basic fax functionality" was intended and encouraged cooperation with Microsoft’s development teams.

The company concentrated on creating a suite designed to augment the built-in features of Windows 95.[6] Bennie outlined plans to develop four distinct applications addressing fax, data management, telephony/digital voice, and Internet connectivity, which eventually formed the basis of CommSuite 95.[7]

In 1994, Delrina expanded its expertise by acquiring AudioFile, known for computer voice technology, resulting in TalkWorks—a solution that allowed certain fax/modems to operate as a voice mail client.

Delrina ventured into online communication by licensing Hilgraeve's HyperACCESS terminal emulator in 1993,[8] which served as the foundation for its WinComm software. Initially included with WinFax in the Delrina Communications Suite, WinComm was launched as a standalone product in March 1994. Despite entering a market dominated by Datastorm's Procomm, Delrina pursued an assertive expansion strategy.

The company acquired Canadian bulletin board service CRS Online[9] and utilized it to distribute complimentary versions of WinComm LITE and FreeComm starting in March 1995.

As the Internet became commercially accessible in the mid-1990s, Delrina introduced Cyberjack 7.0 in December 1995. Developed by a South African team, Cyberjack integrated a Web browser, Usenet reader, ftp client, IRC, and Microsoft Exchange email support.[10] It also featured a "Guidebook" tool to help users manage Internet addresses.[11]

Released simultaneously was CommSuite 95, which bundled WinFax PRO 7.0, WinComm PRO 7.0, TalkWorks, and Cyberjack components.[12]

Following the August 1995 launch of Windows 95,[13] Delrina encountered direct rivalry as Microsoft incorporated basic fax functionality and licensed Hilgraeve's HyperTerminal (which also underpinned WinComm) into its operating system.[14] Although Microsoft's offerings were more rudimentary compared to Delrina’s established products, their market presence represented a considerable challenge. Furthermore, Microsoft's introduction of the free Internet Explorer browser in late 1995 effectively disrupted the paid browser market, diminishing Cyberjack’s competitiveness.[15]

Symantec acquisition and subsequent developments

In spring 1995, Delrina Chairman Dennis Bennie engaged in discussions with Symantec CEO Gordon Eubanks regarding a potential merger. By September 1995, the founders of Delrina—who maintained majority control—agreed to sell the company to Symantec through a stock transaction valued at $415 million US. The deal was publicly announced in July, received shareholder approval in November, and finalized on November 22, 1995. This merger positioned the combined entity as the fifth largest software firm in the United States. Within Symantec, Delrina was reorganized as the "Delrina Group," integrating other communication software such as pcAnywhere. Bennie joined Symantec’s Board of Directors and assumed the role of Executive Vice President.

At its height, Delrina employed over 700 people worldwide, predominantly based in Canada. Symantec’s acquisition reflected a broader pattern of major U.S. companies acquiring Canadian software firms; notable examples include Microsoft's acquisitions of Softimage and Zoom-it, as well as Silicon Graphics' purchase of Alias.

Following this period, certain divisions of Delrina were divested: the Electronic Forms Division was sold to JetForm in September 1996. JetForm (later known as Accelio) was subsequently acquired by Adobe Systems, which discontinued electronic forms products by 2004. The rights to the Echo Lake multimedia product were obtained by Creative Wonders and rebranded as Family Album Creator.

Despite declining demand for fax software due to the rise of email, WinFax continued to generate significant revenue for Symantec; one year after the merger, fax software accounted for approximately 10% of Symantec’s income.

Post-Delrina Developments

Delrina acted as a springboard for entrepreneurial expertise, with numerous founders and staff going on to establish thriving enterprises. Backed by investments from Skapinker and Amato, and with Bennie as lead Director, Davis launched Lanacom, which created an early Internet "push content" solution. After just over a year, Lanacom was acquired by Backweb, a NASDAQ-listed software firm; Davis stayed on as president while Bennie took a Director role.

Following this, Skapinker and Davis co-founded Brightspark, a software-focused venture capital firm. Brightspark Ventures secured $60 million in funding in 1999 and an additional $55 million in 2004 from Canadian financial institutions. The firm employed several former Delrina personnel including Allen Lau, Eva Lau, Sandy Pearlman, and Marg Vaillancourt. Brightspark earned the Canadian Venture Capital Association’s "Deal of the Year Award" twice, recognizing the sales of ThinkDynamics to IBM and Radian6 to Salesforce.com.

Bennie established XDL Capital, which manages venture capital funds named after "Ex Delrina." In 1997, XDL Ventures raised $25 million, followed by $155 million for XDL Intervest in 1999. David Latner, previously Delrina’s legal counsel, became a partner; Amato acted as both advisor and significant investor. XDL Intervest concentrates on internet-centric startups and is led by Tony Van Marken, former CEO of Architel Systems Corp., and Michael Bregman, ex-CEO of Second Cup Ltd. The advisory board features Canadian billionaire Robert Young, co-founder of Red Hat Inc.

A number of companies supported by XDL were founded or headed by ex-Delrina personnel:

Delano, founded by Bahman Koohestani, specialized in e-business solutions. With seed capital from XDL Capital and Bennie as Chairman, Delano went public on NASDAQ (DTEC) before being acquired by Divine in 2003.

Pinpoint Software Corporation, launched in 1992 by Lou Ryan with Bennie serving as director, offered network PC management software. Partially funded by XDL Capital, it rebranded as ClickNet Software in 1998 and later became Entercept Security Technologies Inc. Entercept was purchased by Network Associates in 2004 for $120 million, with its technology integrated into McAfee security products.

Protégé Software, created in 1996 by Larry Levy (Delrina’s European Managing Director), raised $120 million with participation from XDL Intervest. Protégé facilitated the launch of 20 U.S. companies in Europe—nine ranked among Red Herring’s Top 50 Private Companies—and five eventually went public. After the internet bubble burst, Protégé was sold to multiple buyers including Warburg Pincus.

'Netect Ltd., a network security company funded by XDL, was acquired by Bindview Development Corporation (NASDAQ:BVEW) in 2001. Managed by Marc Camm (former Delrina GM Desktop Communications), Netect’s leadership transitioned with Camm becoming EVP of Marketing at Bindview following the acquisition.

Over time, Delrina’s primary markets—fax and form software—were eclipsed by email, e-commerce platforms, and Internet technologies. Daily planner applications remained specialized; immersive 3D multimedia environments gave way to conventional user interfaces. Symantec discontinued support for WinFax PRO in June 2006.

Delrina is widely regarded as an innovation incubator that nurtured talent and industry knowledge for many who continued to shape Toronto’s software landscape. Former employees stay connected through the "xdelrina" Yahoo group forum.

Forms products

Delrina's first offering, PerForm, was an electronic forms software suite, paired with FormFlow to address workgroup and enterprise forms management. Both products achieved leading market positions, rivaling solutions from WordPerfect, Microsoft, Novell, Lotus Software, and JetForm.

PerForm and FormFlow enabled the development of standalone form applications that could be transferred across network environments. Each package featured a "Designer" tool for form creation and a "Filler" component for submitting completed forms via fax or email. Capabilities included mandatory field enforcement, data validation through input masks, and secure data storage employing a Public-key encryption method.

Initially built for the DOS-based Graphics Environment Manager ("GEM"), later iterations—such as PerForm PRO—expanded support to Windows 3.1 and subsequent Windows platforms. PerForm PRO 3.0 incorporated integration with Delrina's WinFax software and introduced automation functionalities.

While PerForm captured the retail segment, Delrina launched FormFlow in 1994 targeting enterprise requirements. FormFlow featured email connectivity and offered multi-platform Filler modules compatible with DOS, Windows, and Unix systems.

WinFax

WinFax empowered PCs equipped with fax-modems to transmit faxes directly to standalone fax devices or other computers.

Throughout the early 1990s, multiple versions were released supporting Windows 3.x and later Windows 95. WinFax PRO 2.0 was introduced in July 1991. Localization efforts extended the product’s reach into key European and Asian markets. Collaborations with modem manufacturers such as U.S. Robotics and Supra resulted in bundling basic "WinFax LITE" editions, which encouraged users to upgrade to the full-featured PRO version at discounted prices. By 1994, nearly 100 companies—including IBM, Compaq, AST Research, Gateway 2000, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard—included WinFax with their hardware offerings.

In late 1992, WinFax PRO 3.0 was released for Windows 3.x, followed by a Macintosh-compatible version. The Lite edition continued as OEM software bundled by fax-modem producers and was updated to WinFax Lite 4.0 several years later.

March 1994 saw the release of WinFax PRO 4.0, which introduced an improved OCR engine, enhancements for mobile users, superior on-screen fax display, and integration with widely used email clients like cc:Mail and Microsoft Mail. A Workgroup edition enabled networked sharing of fax modems. Additionally, the product was marketed alongside grayscale scanners under the name WinFax Scanner.

The last version bearing the Delrina name was WinFax PRO 7.0 (late 1995), which deliberately skipped versions 5.0 and 6.0 as a marketing strategy to align version numbers with Microsoft Office releases. This edition represented the first fully 32-bit application built specifically for Windows 95, setting it apart from competitors. By this stage, Delrina had been acquired by Symantec, which assumed responsibility for subsequent updates starting with version 8.0.

Multimedia offerings

Delrina expanded the scope of conventional screensavers, originally created to protect CRT monitors from phosphor burn-in, by incorporating audio elements and simple interactive features, establishing these as pioneering multimedia products.

After acquiring Amaze Inc., Delrina produced a variety of screensavers based on licensed cartoon characters. The 1993 launch of "Opus 'n Bill Brain Saver" resulted in copyright disputes. Additional prominent screensavers included one tied to the initial live-action The Flintstones film and "The Scott Adams Dilbert Screen Saver Collection," released in September 1994.

Echo Lake

Introduced in June 1995, Delrina's groundbreaking multimedia application Echo Lake served as an early form of digital scrapbooking. Internally described as a fusion of Quark Xpress and Myst, it provided users with an immersive three-dimensional virtual workspace where videos, audio clips, and images could be arranged into virtual albums. These creations could be shared with others or printed out.

Though praised within the industry for its ingenuity and appeal to home users, Echo Lake faced limitations due to the technological environment of the time, particularly challenges users encountered when inputting and playing multimedia content on standard computers.

Electronic forms

Multimedia

  • The Far Side Daily Planner Calendar Publisher 3.0 – September 1993
  • Delrina Intermission 4.0 Screen Saver – October 1993
  • Opus 'n Bill Brain Saver – October 1993
  • The Far Side Screen Saver Collection – June 1994
  • Opus 'n Bill On the Road Again Screensaver – September 1994
  • The Scott Adams Dilbert Screen Saver Collection – September 1994
  • Echo Lake – June 1995

Fax

  • WinFax 1.0 – December 1990
  • WinFax PRO 2.0 – June 1991
  • WinFax Lite – April 1992
  • DosFax Lite – April 1992
  • DosFax PRO 2.0 – June 1992
  • WinFax PRO 3.0 – November 1992
  • Delrina Fax PRO 1.5 for Macintosh – September 1993
  • WinFax PRO for Networks – November 1993
  • WinFax PRO 4.0 – March 1994
  • WinFax Scanner – 1994
  • WinFax PRO 7.0 – November 1995
  • WinFax PRO 7.5 (bundled with TalkWorks) – October 1996
  • WinFax PRO 8.0 (bundled with TalkWorks PRO) – March 1997
  • TalkWorks PRO 2.0 – August 1998
  • WinFax PRO 9.0 – August 1998
  • TalkWorks PRO 3.0 – August 1999
  • WinFax PRO 10.0 – February 2000

Online communications

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named web.archive.org
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 1994AnnualReport p1
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MacFarlane
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Softwarriors p33
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named thefreelibrary
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 1994AnnualReport p2
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Harris p34
  8. ↑ "Company History". Hilgraeve.
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Burger
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JimFreund
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CommSuitePartII
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Millman
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Segal
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReferenceA
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named freeware

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