Max's annual update

Can't believe it's June 2007 since I last sat down here at my desk with enough time on my hands to write a blog entry. Giles had just been born then and if you've got kids, you know how much my life has changed since then. We're still in Seoul, living by the river in 이촌동. Giles is nineteen months old now and is developing so much more quickly than he has before. He understands us speaking both Korean and English though doesn't speak himself yet. He loves trains and diggers, neither of which are hard to find in Seoul, and has just this morning started building tall things from his blocks. It's good to write down where he's at because I know even a week from now it'll be history.

But it hasn't been Giles that's been taking up all my time in 2008 but the sale of my business, Metropix, ultimately to the Daily Mail and General Trust. We got a number of offers for the business back in February and appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to handle a process of marketing the company formally. I'm quite restricted in terms of what I can say about what went on but it was all good, if totally exhausting. We went from having a senior management team of two plus a part-time chairman, to having all three of us working fuller-than full time for nine whole months to get the deal through. The final stages played out in November as it was becoming clear that the world economy was heading for years of turmoil. But we got there in the end thanks to the commitment of everyone involved on both sides.

The press release from DMGT is here and I've pasted it below for safe-keeping.

So we're about to start looking at different places to live here in Seoul. But we're not planning any big changes really; for whatever reason I don't feel any different sitting down for a day's work now than I did when it was my own company. In fact if anything, I've been working a little harder recently because it's so satisfying to focus on technical work again.

I can't imagine I'll be blogging much but I'll see you back here about a year from now, and in the meantime I'm on flickr, the facebook and the rest. Links on the front page of the site. Bye for now and have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

----------

http://www.dmgt.co.uk/mediacentre/newsreleases/20081205/5691/

Landmark acquires 3D modelling firm
Friday 5 December 2008

Landmark Information has acquired 3D floor planning service Metropix for an undisclosed sum, after finalising the details of the deal this week.

Generating 3D floor-plans and building walkthroughs from 2D drawings using technology pioneered by Metropix, the company’s core clients are estate agents. Its sophisticated software empowers users to upgrade 2D images automatically to 3D images and walkthroughs.

The London-based firm, which will slot comfortably into DMG Information’s portfolio of companies and enhance Landmark’s range of products and services, has also produced models for use by Google Earth.

“Metropix is a very successful business,” commented Stephen Stout, Landmark group managing director. “From seeing the original opportunity and future growth to understanding the customer's exact preferences and requirements, Metropix delivers the market's favoured solution.

“Our independent market research on Metropix showed that customers rated most highly its ease of use and customer service compared to the competition,” added Stephen who also praised the company’s innovative Planbank database, containing over a million floor-plans.

Metropix was founded in 2004 by Max Christian and Brian Farrell who, under the terms of the deal, will continue to undertake their current roles at the company.

“We are delighted to be joining Landmark Information Group,” explained co-founder Brian. “Metropix is now able to improve it's penetration in the UK market, drive international expansion, support continued development of the service with the existing team as well as develop ways of more widely utilising the Planbank database.”

As the market leader in the UK and Ireland, Metropix also has significant market positions in several European countries, the United States, Australia and South Africa.