Google Acquires Nik Software
We are pleased to announce that Google has acquired Nik Software. For nearly 17 years, we’ve been guided by our motto, “photography first”, as we worked to build world class digital image editing tools. We’ve always aspired to share our passion for photography with everyone, and with Google’s support we hope to be able to help many millions more people create awesome pictures.
We’re incredibly grateful for all of your support and hope you’ll join us on the next phase of our journey as part of Google.
All our best!
The Nik Software Team
Hope you have better luck than those before you…. I use all your plug-ins, would hate to have to learn a new system.
I’ll second this one. Please don’t let this acquisition degrade your products.
These kind of acquisitions by companies that have become TOO BIG, ALWAYS degrade professional products.
Exactly! Great software just got gobbled up by Google. Guess I’ll have to start looking for new software. Probably had a lot of money thrown at them and couldn’t say no.
I too hope that Google does not let your non iOS (and soon to be Android) apps be your only concern. Your Desktop plugins are among the best in the business.
Fairly foreboding – I see a tiny little blurb from Nik at the top, and 40 comments lamenting the end of Nik, asking for info…and not one reply from Nik to any of these.
Agreed, love your plugins and software including snapseed. Please don’t lose focus on the desktop/plugin software.
I love you guys, and wish you the best of luck with the acquisition, but my heart will break in a million pieces if this is the end of your brilliant Aperture plugins. Hopefully Google won’t just brush them under a rug.
Congrats and good luck!
I use some of your plugins and been considering doing an upgrade to latest revisions. Now I am not sure anymore if I am willing to invest in this anymore.
I am afraid that development of all tools except those web based and iPhone/Android apps will be stopped.
wow, I now hope your app becomes free, following the google spirit!
Welcome to the Borg. Resistance is futile. (I will miss all of your first class plugins also).
Wow, that caught me off guard. This is such a shame for the photographic community, as Nik Software and team where amongst the best in the industry, and a real value for photographers. I fear that now under the guidance of Google, the company will get consumed and lost in the Google cloud, and the future of the products will be very questionable.
This is terrifying. You make the best plug-ins in the business. I am scared.
Dégouté !
Une si belle collection de plug-ins.
;(
Disgusted!
A beautiful collection of plug-ins.
;(
Great. I just bought the complete collection. Thanks for that. I suppose you’ll make it free now so I just wasted what little money I have.
I also just bought the complete set back in July. I won’t say that I feel ripped off, because I assume the software I have will continue to work (unless Google can figure out a way to force upgrades on people). But Nik (oops, sorry–Google) won’t be getting any more money out of me. I’m certainly not going to pay for the privilege of having Google spy on everything I do with the software and then selling my info to advertisers. In fact, even if it’s free I’m not willing to let them do that. Time to look for replacements.
I hope you guys do not get diluted and stop producing great plugins. I am a user of all your plugings and would hate for them to go away because of the purchase by google and misalignemt of strategies.
I am so saddened to hear Nik Software has been bought out by a company I have no trust in. I use all your plug-ins, you have the best photographer’s tools available. I guess this isn’t the death of Nik Software, but is sure feels like it.
I second these sentiments.
Agreed. “For nearly 17 years, we’ve been guided by our motto, ‘photography first’”
How does one reconcile that with Google?
I hold my breath and hope for the best. Some reaction would be nice, as i see manny wottyd comments here.
agreed- I really hope they’re buying Nik and not just Snapseed, I’d hate for my recently purchased plugins to fall by the wayside so Nik can become just another unused android app.
So this means Snapseed for iOS will be left to rot in the App Store with no updates until it’s quietly removed, right? Google’s not known for being nice with the companies and software they acquire.
Congratulations, I guess. I only hope current users of your software don’t get left out in the cold.
You just ruined my day. Sorry to see this happen to a good product line
Booooooo. Terrible news. Google has a horrible, miserable track record of continuing the quality of the software it purchases. Not worried about the Snapseed line for iOS/Android, but I fear that this will be the end of the quality releases available for Color Efex, Silver Efex, and other fat clients.
What would be Google’s motivation for continuing excellence on plugins for Photoshop or Lightroom, or for that matter, Aperture? Maybe a good purchase for the average consumer, but a terrible event for Pros and passionate amateur photographers.
Aye, I do wish you folks luck.
It would be helpful to have a statement from you or Google or GooNik or Nikoogle as to what this means for your products. Snapseed for Android would seem to be a given but I’m more interested in the LR plugins. I have more invested in Nik plugins than I do in Adobe software so I’m curious as to what the future holds. If a comment has been made, a link would be helpful.
I just emailed Google and got a response. They said it would be business as usual:
http://socialtimes.com/if-google-acquired-nik-software-for-snapseed-what-will-happen-to-the-other-products_b104955
Did you catch the “for now” in the response there from the Google rep?
“What will happen to these products? Nothing. A Google representative told SocialTimes thatr now, users can expect business as usual.”
Horrible news! I really hope they don’t kill your plugins. So much for photography first.
As much as I’m happy for you to cash in on your success. I wish you would have picked any company in the world other than Google. This is quite literally the worst technology related news I’ve heard in years.
I love Google, but I LOATHE them when they buy companies I love and destroy their products. This is the worst thing that could have possibly happened to Nik Software. I’m almost in tears.
Independence, please.
…oh, and autonomy….
Oh well. Snapseed was great while it lasted. Time to find an alternative app I guess.
I hope your pro products don’t go south because of this aq… Google probably bought NIK for their mobile and consumer business – I am completely invested in the pro products and am worrying about Google’s commitment to the pro photographer market.
My sentiments exactly…
I make my living via silver efex pro. Looks like I need to buy a hard disk copy of and never expect any improvements.
I suspect this will turn into a steady decline for the amazing Efex plugin products as Google is likely most interested in snapseed. Happy for the good people at Nik that hopefully got rewarded.
Sad to see this news… i hope things don’t change and they move your suite to Picassa!
Too bad for the iOS app.
I am one of your aficionados. I use all of your products. I am delighted to hear that Google owns you. Pleeeeeeeeeeease, make sure that Google does not manage your business the way Microsoft managed iViewMediaPro.
+1 – can you really call that “managing”?
Sergio,
I hope NiK Mods will post my earlier comment, but in short, I can almost guarantee you that Google will manage the Nik product acquisition worse than what Microsoft did with iViewMedia pro. At least, Microsoft kept iView a “box” item for some time, and tried to integrate it into it’s OS and retain it’s asset management strategy. The issue is Microsoft is more of a productivity company and not creative, and they thought that purchasing iView would give them an entry to that market. However, Microsoft’s acquisition at least built and try to retain the professional community on their platform such as Art Wolfe and many others. Google will destroy our professional community’s use of this software. I almost wish MS would have made an offer first. I know exactly what they would have done with it and our professional community would have been better off.
What a shame .. I’m sure Google will put tons of resources on your professional photo tools .. Ya right .. today is not a good day
Ahh..The rapid homoginization of the photographic community is upon us. Let’s just sit back and watch it crumble.
I guess this is the beginning of the end, after 12 years of using your plug-ins, probably time to move on.
As was said earlier, hope you have better luck than those before you.
Horrible! Press release did not inform your buyers of who retains control of development and operation of Nik!! Seldom is it good for the end user, when a big company buys out an independent producer of a product of service.
I have seen this time and time again in the construction materials industry. lowes, Home Depot, etc, will go to producers and their buying agents will dummy down products for a price point, beat the manufacturer up in pricing for big numbers in distribution. I have been told many times as a retailer, from manufactureres I bought from, “we woudl rather have a 1000 customers like you than 1 big box account”
Nik did this for distribution and short term profits. Any of you readers ever get great customer service from the likes of Google and Facebook?
Keith
Really sorry to hear this. My only complaint with NIK to date is the cost of the updates, but they are my go-to plugins so I reluctantly pay it (Topaz and OnOne hardly ever get touched). Dan and the live training, plus the other archived videos, cemented my love for these plug-ins. Google just doesn’t evoke that same feeling that the company wants to be in touch with its customers. Great for the company’s owners. Keeping my fingers crossed for its employees and we users.
I use and depend on your entire suite. Even though this is a great payday for many of you, it feels like the end of the line for your excellent line of pro products and a sad day for photographers! I would like to be proven wrong.
As is obvious from the comments here and already growing throughout the internet, photographers are not very happy to hear of this news. As a photographer heavily invested in your software (both financially and as my most used tools), I am distraught by this news. I rely on Nikon Capture NX 2 for my raw editing and am now worried that any future versions will either cease or be created alone by Nikon without Nik or support for your plugins (assuming those don’t vanish as well).
Could you not just sell them Snapseed? I can live with it becoming a dead app in the iOS ecosystem (and, lost in the world of Android ambivalence) as long as your CORE business with photographers went unaltered.
Please release a statement soon letting us know if we need to start looking at new workflows and learning new plugins to replace yours.
This is sad news, Nik software is one of the best plugins that we have been using for a long time. Not sure what happens to this software, google should make some statement on this.
I am nervous that this means the end of Nik as we know it. Not good news, I’m afraid.
Sad news… I doubt we will continue to see the same excellency for future Nik/Google products. Hopefully we will see the current Nik team leave google and create e new Nik as fast as the acquisition contract allows them
Oh please, please, please don’t trash the Photoshop/Lightroom plug-ins.
Given the history of other Google acquisitions, this could be a very sad day for photographers. If they try and roll everything in to Picasa, it would be one of the worst days ever.
Oh no, guys please promise, when the way turns to something bad, leave and start again from scratch. I trust you as a team, not an US company with totally different culture.
Please be proud of yourself!
I don’t see much good coming from this
Picnic, Sparrow and now…I don’t see much good coming from this
I don’t understand all the hand wringing over the acquisition. Google has shown that it cares about photography and photographers in general, in fact, many at Google are amateur photographers, and they work very closely with professional photographers to enhance their product lines (especially Google+). Nik is in good hands.
Yeah Google cares. Here take it. It’s free. We’ve got free cookies.
Is that a joke? Outside of search, Google makes horrible products. They get a pass because they are Google, but look at their history. Their main photo product is Picassa. They didn’t kill it but oh how it has been stagnated by the big G. Gmail is a popular product but it is UGLY. G+ cost them milions of dollars and they have 14 users. Google Wave?? Google docs is always in beta and never seems ‘done.” This is horrible news for creative people.
I am nervous about this too. I rely heavily on your plugins. Your motto fits the photography community’s needs perfectly. I don’t trust Google to have the same dedication. I use Aperture & Photoshop in my workflow. I highly doubt Google will be anywhere near as supportive. Your plugins are the best bar-none. Sad.
I am deflated and disappointed with the sellout – you have an excellent set of plugins that I fear will become, over time, extinct. Google is not known for its support of non-core products which are left to languish into obscurity – much like the Dodo.
Is NIK going to become part of Picassa? (ugh).
Now I’m regretting the money I spent buying the whole NIK Suite!!!!!!!
Picassa showed promise once upon a time. Then it was bought by Google. uh oh….
After watching Google acquire companies, pillage them for talent and what little bits of the software they want, and let the rest go down in flames (anyone remember the Sparrow e-mail client?) I have to say that as someone who was about to invest in Nik filters, I am now no longer convinced that it would be a wise investment and may instead make due with Alienskin.
Why? What is the goal for Google? Hard to imagine this being a good thing for photographers but maybe I’m missing the obvious?
All,
This is tragic news not just for professional photographers, but for our professional industry. Yes, NiK software was a fantastic tool for us pro’s for creating unique and awesome images with a very intuitive interface. Many of us have built a business around the custom styles our images have taken on and clients sought after. However, anyone who has been in the high tech software business will know what this acquisition is all about. Having worked at the largest software company in the world for over 16 years and done some M&A work, I have a perspective…Let me explain:
When a company such as Google competes in the market with the likes of facebook for content, they need to be quick to market with innovation to retain their user and market base, but more importantly compete against an even larger competitor…Apple. Google has no time to develop photo software, nor do they have any interest in supporting our professional community. So they just buy out a company like NiK for its, software, patents and IP (Intellectual property). Heck, it took NiK 17 years to get there, It’s easier for Google to buy NiK for above market value and cut their employees by 2/3 for the software vs. developing it themselves (trust me, developing a well refined product and suite is not an inexpensive venture, ask NiK how much they invested in the last 17 years). What Google is afraid of are two things…1) Facebook and Instagram deal, and the growing numbers of apple i-phone/I-Pad users and the apple/facebook partnership. Are you seeing what this is all about? Google is not in the software development business…they are in the content, phone and advertising business. Software for google is just a means. So what is the best way to continue to drive users to develop content for google…give them free image enhancement tools such as snapseed. They also see that snapseed available as an i-phone and i-pad app is a huge competitive threat. So how do you kill the competitive threat…pull the rug from under them. That is, now that google owns Nik, they will kill the snapseed for iphone and ipad, preventing the apple platform from using it, driving phone users to use the lame google phone platform as well well as any tablet and future “thin terminal” for the home. Remember Larry Ellison’s vision?
I will assure you that snapseed will be integrated into every google phone, they will take the plug-ins and convert them to a web modules for people to do online editing with flickr and will kill the software for adobe and apple products, essentially locking out us professionals from ever getting upgrades.
What this means is that billions of people will now be able to take their lame phone images, add some snapseed effects, call it art and put it on google (kinda like instagram), which google will then be able to own.
So you see, the CEO of NiK did the right thing for himself and sell his company for a nice payday and possibly an E-level position at google (maybe EVP of “consumer” imaging products), but he absolutely screwed his employees, his loyal clients, but more importantly is helping in killing an industry.
Congratulations!
Gooch… thanks for your well thought out comments. I completely agree, but now I am even more depressed.
Excellent comment Gooch! One of the best comments I have seen on the internet in a long time….even if your comments got me more depressed…I think you nailed it….My only hope is that if all you say comes true…than it will leave the door open for someone new to come in and fill the void of “professional” image editing tools for people who care about photography and don’t care about getting thousands of likes on a social media page…
Really I just hope that Google takes Snapseed and then just leaves NIk alone to keep building great tools for photographers….One can dream….
Oh how awful of news. The wrong way to start a new week. A blow to the “Small Businesses” of the USA AGAIN! When will it stop? Nik, such a great company. Always creating such fantastic products and new innovations, GONE!!! Google is not what I see as a good move for Nik. The ideas and superb product will not be the utmost attention of Google. I want to see the Nik logo only on their products not along with Google. .Just like all other buy outs Google will not leave it alone and will want to change things, and the loss or a great company will be lost. DON’T FIX IT WHEN IT IS NOT BROKE!!!!!
Sorry to lose you, I will no longer be purchasing the products. NIK is who I bought from not Google .Good Luck to all of you who were once NIK Software. I will cherish all the products I have. (The entire Collection)
Unfortunately, I can’t see this as being very good news for the wonderful collection of professional software that you guys have been providing to professional photographers throughout the years. I use all the Nik plug-ins with Aperture and sometimes with Photoshop. I don’t see how this development will continue in a progressive, cutting edge way.
While I am happy with what you guys come out of it with, I join the chorus of concern and disappointment with the acquisition by Google and the future of the software.
Very sad to read this news
I hope things don’t change!
It’s good to see that I’m not the only one who worries about the announcement. I fear that we can download (buggy) nightly-builds from Google Code within the next couple of months.
No good can come from this.
J’espère que vos productions comme Viveza, HDR, Silver … ne seront pas oublié par Google !
Bonne chance pour la suite.
The stupidest choice NIK ould ever make.
Say goodbye to your great professional products being dumbed down.
Google is a huge treat to any software company.
Nice,
now we won’t get any further updates? Like Sparrow?
A sad day to say the least.
Please tell your loyal fans what the sale to Google means. Other than on a Google+ entry about the sale, the comments everywhere else are from fear to disgust. We need to know what this means for the future of the Nik Software plugins.
Certainly a good news for you. For me, it’s just sadness. I really love iOs snapseed far away better than iPhoto. I even bought it for my mac and now it’s over, google is going to destruct my pleasure. So sad.
This is terrible news for two reasons. Nik software plugins will die just like software previous bought by Google that does not fit in the Google goals and Google is a company I.don’t.trust.at.all.
I was planning on upgrading my complete collection, but I’m glad I haven’t done so yet. Time to look for a replacement.
“Time to look for a replacement” – that’s the problem. What can replace these? Is there anything even close to Viveza?
The only thing close is the Topaz suite… and they’re not even close. It’s all just so sad…
I want my money back.
Nothing will change, of course… Oh well, my hope will die last (again).
This sucks.
Why didn’t you just spin off Snapseed? Or spin off the plug-ins to someone that actually cares about professional users? Google doesn’t give a rats ass about professionals and their tools even less so to Aperture users.
You are leaving us in a very worried and angry state with your cryptic announcement. We just bought some software.
With google, photography is definitely not first.
Why can’t Google be innovative and develop their own crappy apps instead of decimating truly awesome ones.
As you can see above, none of these posts are enthusiastic for you…
Enjoy your money, but you just broke your model… you didn’t sell out for putting photography first that’s for sure!
Very sad. Nik Capture NX will surely die if noone buys this from Google again. Hope Nikon has some good contracts with Nik Software so that at least it will be somehow continued. Urgent communication on this topic is needed asap as Capture NX is one top unique selling point for Nik against Canon.
As I understand it, the relationship between Nik and Nikon was terminated earlier this year. Nikon is now solely responsible for Capture NX2 again, which means that NX3 will suck.
I was on the cusp of buying the Complete Collection Ultimate after recently doing the trials one at a time. (Would it have killed you guys to do 30-day trials like the rest of the world? Some of us have lives too, you know.) I don’t think I’ll now be spending $400 on software that has about a 10% chance of ever being updated again. I guess I’ll update my OnOne Suite to 7. I never used 6 that much.
I would happily be proven wrong, but this sounds like terrible news for the photo community.
I have really come to appreciate the quality of Nik’s plugins with Lightroom 4 and I’m really disappointed to hear this. I’ve also tested many of the plugins by Topaz Labs and, while they’re not bad, they’re not Nik either. Nik’s software “feels” professional. Unfortunately, I can only imagine a company like Google will end up with Nik products looking and feeling more like a consumer level product rather than a professional level product. It always seems, when companies that specialize in a product, are acquired by a company that doesn’t, the specialty products eventually end up with lower quality and the customer takes the hit.
A great innovative and creative company on the verge of destruction due to greed.
So sad, I’m speechless – I’m off to get good and drunk!
I may even take up drinking… suggestions of where to get started? Just start with the hard stuff?
Terrible news, very sad.
I totally rely on Nik software for my photo editing. Nik has always done a state of the art job with product, service, and innovation. If Google messes this up it will be a very sad day.
Nik Software should sell their Pro Product line to a company that actually cares for professional products.
Oops, too late.
Google only cares for Snapseed.
Why did you now turn off comments on your re-posted news release? Here we go…
If Nik software is not compatible with CS7 or Lightroom 5 I likely would not upgrade my Adobe products.
Very sad. I just “found” Nik Software a few months ago and have quickly centered my workflow and new investments around it. There is no way I’ll believe that the folks at Goggle will leave those good things about Nik, that makes it such a great piece of software. It will just become another department in a huge corporation and just as unresponsive as the rest of Google. This is a really sad day.
My deepest condolences! This is the game-over message for NIK’s serious products and the beginning of gimmicks for google play. No thanks!
My heart sank when I heard this news. I love your tools and I have a great fear that things are going to go downhill from here. I hope you can somehow prove me wrong on that…
So what you’re saying is we need to start looking for alternatives to your plug-ins now, before google shuts you down. Thank you for the advance notice on Nik’s impending doom.
This is so sad.
Great news for Topaz Labs.
funny… but true.
Yeah, Topaz Labs and OnOne must be giggling about now.
so rude
As an owner of all your plugins and having paid for each and every upgrade, this news has left me nauseated.
“Nauseated”… perfect word to sum this thread up.
GOOGLE….PLEASE DON’T MESS THIS UP! And NIK…Why? Many photographers, pro or otherwise rely on these plugins for an efficient and creative workflow. It will be sad to see the attention to the working photographer decline….all because of an iOS app. ?!?
Google does NOT put photography or photographers first…. always remember that.
Google doesn’t put your privacy first either. Oh crap… what’s the white van dirving by window??
Shocking News!
Shame on NIK, shame on NIKON! This is unbelievable.
I own professional equipment, I always was please to have a state of the art raw-converter for my NEF-pictures, even if the user interface on Capture NX never was state of the art.
I always tried to avoid google as much as possible. They stand for gimmicks and only want to get my Data. This is a pervert solution.
What a bad day for serious an quality-oriented RAW-handling.
I totally disagree with this. No thanks to NIK.
I have the whole suite of NIK software and rely on it as a professional photographer who is very disappointed with this news. I was just wondering when the new updates to the suite would be out. Now I know … perhaps never or will be made for the general public and never be of the quality they are today. Well, guess I will have to write more actions to do what I could do repeatably with NIK Software’s Suite. What a disapointment!!!
Michael, I agree, shame on NIK, but Nikon had nothing to do with this. They have invested in NIK in the past, but do not own the german company. And, Nikon owns Capture NX, but I fear for its future if there is no NIK to contribute to its future development.
Nik, you really need to do some communication with the folks who love your plug-ins about what this means for the whole line. The users have a lot of loyalty to your products and the silence from Nik/Google about this is extremely concerning. Nik was always a company about photography – Google is an advertising company that runs a search engine and other tolls to drive ad revenue. This fundamental difference is what scares those of us who use your products as part of our jobs and/or passions instead of someone who wants to put a funky filter on a shot of their friend’s dog.
I agree – with all the negative comments not a word from NIK – not a good sign!!!!!!
Well this bites. Niks makes EXCELLENT software and Google software is continually in beta. Outside of search, Google is absolutely my least respected major software company. Look at their history of software. Google desktop is dead. Google wave is dead (but no one really even knew what it was). Google + should be dead but they spent way too much money to pull the plug. Gmail is popular but it is a mess with a horrid UI. Picasa was an aquisition and it has been stagnant ever since. If they bought Nik’s just for Snapseed then I a fear for the longevity and creativity of the other products like Color Efex Pro.
Well this is just great. (sarcasm) I can’t stand the fact that Google bought you. They have their hand in EVERYTHING and here’s just one more thing they can put their finger into and possibly change. They’ll probably watch us through our webcam while we work, since they’re known for spying on people through the www and email and who knows what else.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Nice one!
I have been developing a NIK library and love all of your products. This just sounds terrible that a big monster like Google has gobbled you up! PLEASE keep NIK the great plugin that it has been. Many photographers will be at a loss if this is put on a shelf by Google. At least I have the latest releases.
NIK, owned by GOOGLE is required not make any non approved communications. Just like any newly aquired company. The employees are very happy…
Clementee,
Although you are correct in that Google need not communicate, I can tell you with certainty that there are many NiK employees that are not happy. Next Tuesday will be a big day for them and their career futures up in Mountain view.
What a disapointment! As a professional Photographer I have used NIK Software for years and was just wondering when the next version of the Suite would be out. Now, even if it came out, why buy it as it will change drastically for the the novice and for Google to capure more of the “image” market … could it be the goal to make everyone’s stuff look the same.
Sad day in Rochester, MN and for professionals world wide … my opinion.
Googled
On The Occasion of NIK Filters Being Acquired
Now begins the decay.
Newborn millionaires will leave, no longer nourishing each other, their mission or their other offspring products.
New horizons will be sought, and the common focus will be gone.
Snapseed is subsumed. NIK filters die.
Googled all.
Which is worse:
A) Nik management knew this would be the reaction (and did it anyway)
or
B) Nik management had no clue this would be the reaction (were they THAT out of touch with reality?)
I imagine they haven’t responded because they are waiting to be given the “officially approved” response from their new masters.
I am really shocked and so sorry to hear this. I have used and loved the plugins, first for Photoshop and then for Aperture, the I bought Snapseed for iOS. They have all been excellent products and I have appreciated the upgrades and the compatibility of each release. ColorFx nd SliverFx are staples of my workflow. I now both worrry for any future releases and just have this horrible feeling in my gut that the marrow will be sucked out of the Nik company and a hollow shell will be left in a few years time. There are very few companies whose products that I have felt so invested in and who epitomized the combination of knowing what the community wanted and could invent technology that delivered things we couldn’t imagine being possible. There is an incredible customer intimacy and connetion that I felt you fostered that I don’t have with many other companies. And part of that stems from the fact that for some of us, you allow us to make creative expression, and, for me, that is really powerful and precious.
Like others have said, I fear that the emphasis on smartphone photography will be the kernal that Google wanted and the rest will die on the vine.
I know this is all business, but for the last few years of being one of your customers, I felt like you could satisfy the commercial and the artistic parts of this market.
As others have said, my visceral reaction is this is just so sad. Please prove me wrong.
“…and with Google’s support we hope to be able to help many millions more people create awesome pictures.
We’re incredibly grateful for all of your support and hope you’ll join us on the next phase of our journey as part of Google.
All our best!
The Nik Software Team”
Read between the lines… is this almost reading like a farewell speach?
One thing is for certain, there are not many millions of professional or pro-amateurs in this world. But as stated before millions of noobs who want to slap a cheesy filter on their friend’s dog because they think it looks ‘cool’.
Again, why not spinoff Snapseed or the Pro-plugins first?
I’m waiting until this thread is shut down and deleted… making a copy now…
YUCK, DOUBLE YUCK.
I guess now is the time to learn ACR.
It’s not really Google’s fault if a company slows down after they’ve acquired it. It’s not like they change how that company operates when it’s been working.
This is probably the best thing that can happen to a company. They will get the freedom and resources of Google. They will only grow bigger and better with this, so everyone that’s nervous can relax.
I share the concerns of others and hope this is not the end to a great line of products. Don’t let GOOGLE change you.
Soon to be picked apart, like Piknik, and 119 others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Google
The best software, I am sure left to rot on the vine. Unlike others, at least I didn’t upgrade to Color Efex 4…I guess wait and see.
Well. I suppose what we really learned about the NiK executives today is that after 17 years of raising a beautiful child and having it grow up to be a mature and wonderful leader and contributor to our photographic community, they have dropped it off at the google adoption center where it will crawl back to its infancy and become a rebellious filled with angst adolescence all so that it’s parents can take a nice long vacation.
This also demonstrates once again how innovators and entrepreneurs become lazy and give up and just sell out…why? Because its the new American way. At least they didn’t get Bain Capitol nocking at their doorsteps, more people would have lost jobs. What ever happened to vision and true leadership and becoming a great company. There was a lot of life left in this young company.
When the Nik products we know die and the newly cashed up brains behind it complete their ‘non competition’ period… they’ll jump back in to the market with a new, improved line of products. Hopefully.
Oh, my! I just bought a full set of Lightroom plug-ins a week ago. Can I have my money back?
I’d demand it!
I use and love your plugins for Photoshop (colorefex and silverfx) and am a bit distressed about this news. I hope you still keep producing fine plugins for advanced systems and that this purchase by Google is not just an attempt to get rid of some competition and concentrate on its mobile platforms. There is a massive worldwide community who use and depend on your great work.
Please keep it up.
This news saddens me. I’ve come to rely upon many of your plugins over the past couple of years. They help me to get the job done a lot faster than the alternatives and work beautifully.
We will no-doubt see a steady decline in their quality and reliability now that Google have purchased NIK. This is a scenario we’ve seen repeat itself again and again, and not just with acquisitions made by Google (look at the steady decline in the reliability of Skype since MSFT purchased them).
Now I guess is the time to hone my skills in Lightroom and Photoshop even more, so that I don’t need to upgrade any of the NIK plugins again.
RIP NIK.
Congratulations to the owners for making a financial killing. I just hope that you do not let the money go to your head and continue to make the great plug-ins. (I doubt it).
I am sad that you have been purchased by the big monster in the cloud.
Some kind of comment to all the negative posts would be appreciated;
Hey, NIK guys, thanks for the great demo booth at Photoshop World last week. Your software presentations were great, showcasing brilliant plug-in features, as only NIK can supply. Unfortunately, little did we know we were being led down the garden path of acquiring–and learning–soon-to-be-dead software. Now that’s what I call customer service… Talk about selling out.
Nothing stands still when its great.
Nik was my best find of 2010 and the complete package has me totally hooked. Your continuing product developments, Color Efex Pro4, HDR2 and the excellent training sessions have achieved for me what your motto states.
Lets hope that you screwed Google for a great sum of money and the acquisition enables you to improve your own life.
Money is not everything, but it as sure as hell opens up other opportunities. Good luck guys and thanks for making my passion so much better.
Dear NIK Team,
your software has always been bought amd used by people who want to make the best out of their photos. A lot of these people are professionals or highly ambitious amateurs. They want a software that works without being tied to any online service, without ads and without being forced to create a google account.
We don’t want apps or gimmicks, we want a tool. That tool needs to be under our control, the data needs to stay exactly where we put it.
Keep Google out of your software products, or we keep your products out of our computers.
I had to take a look at my calendar… but it’s not April 1st.
So… bye Nik… ehrm google… hello OnOne!
Whoa folks! Why all the angst with so little information? I too love the Nik suite and would love to continue using it and upgrading when possible. Has anyone ever thought that this might be a good thing for us pro users? What if Nik was in financial trouble? Nobody knows if they would have just folded. Then where would we be? My best view of the situation, with scant real facts, is that the Nik suite will continue on its current track with the mobile apps as another track benefiting from the Nik developers. I can’t see a company destroying the core business of an acquisition. I can see them using that business to benefit the mobile apps and keeping ahead of future competitors.
I do agree to give all involved a F- for their public relations to existing customers.
“Why all the angst with so little information?” <- Precisely because of so little information. They knew what the effect of this announcement would be. There's a reason why there hasn't been a single response from Nik – it's over. Vic @Google says it'll continue as is "for now". I'm sayin' it now – it's over. I fully anticipate that within 2 years, we'll bump up against compatibility issues with the Nik pro plugins and the latest version of OS X – and there will not be updates. This is sad, because the Complete Collection cost me close to what I paid for Photoshop in the first place. You can say that we don't HAVE to upgrade to the latest OS, but new macs can't install/boot any system older than what they shipped with. And the saddest part is that this is ALL because of Snapseed. This $5 hobbyist app is going to kill the best pro PS plugin suite available…because that suite has no place in Google's plans.
Fully agree!
Please name one piece of commercial software that Google ships and provides support for?
Sketch up
Sketchup is now owned by Trimble.
God Bless America
My angst actually does come from information from both parties, and not just the info you read from the blogs and news that are just repeating the same corporate press release.
Louoates, I too wish that there was something positive from this for the pro community, but unfortunately, there is not. UNLESS as a pro, you plan to transition your workflow to G+ and post all your images up to the google cloud for client review. I do not anticipate there will be a long term stand alone product coming after the acquisition transition period. We will probably learn more late next week.
One benefit, I suppose if we are looking for an optimistic POV, is it allows for other possible entrants into our pro community market. Unfortunately, OnOne Software is probably the only other game in town with a comprehensive suite, and they just announce V7 pre-order with an improved interface. The issue with there color efx equivalent is that it is just Kubota’s actions licensed to OnOne software under their interface.
Hope this page will not turn into http://www.bumptop.com.
I hope that I am wrong, but this sounds like really bad news to me.
Sad news. And too bad all this feedback is likely go unnoticed in relation to the pile of google cash.
I loved silver efex and color efex, but then again I liked iView Media Pro and we saw what MS did to that. Even PhaseOne can’t bring it back from the dead. With respect to CaptureNX, even if Nikon gets back in the driver’s seat, I fear they are unequipped to steer their way toward a next release. Hope I’m wrong.
Instead of BREAKING NEWS, it should be HEART BREAKING NEWS. Don’t touch a photographer’s camera or his/her software! They are dear to their heart and part of their passion.
Eh ben, en voilà une nouvelle?
Comment pouvez vous faire cela?
Une entreprise qui a bonne réputation et de bons produits ne devrait pas se laisser aller à jouer uniquement avec de l’argent!
Pourquoi faire cela?
A terrible day for the users of Nik Software indeed. Hope the owners got a lot of cash up front. Wonder who will filled the void that will be left?
Who knows maybe it will be a good thing to have a large Corporation to fund more software development, and looking at all the software plug-ins very little of it are new just rehashed old versions.. I am sick and tired of updating software at considerable expense to find hardly anything new!
My prediction:
Google will bastardize a good tool to a point where Adobe will buy them out to incorporate the style and technology into future versions of LR and/or PS as they’ve done with other programs from the past that seemingly disappeared.
Can’t blame Nik. Money talks………
I sincerely hope that what most of the commenters above intimate is incorrect. I love Nik plugins. I hope Nik responds with an assuring message. But alas, I believe that is unlikely.
So, maybe hello OnOne software (sheeesh! did I actually say that?)
Good bye, Nik Software. I’ll enjoy HDR Efex Pro while it’s still available but I think we are destined to part company. Google has no experience with professionally developed software and I expect this is the end of the Snapseed et al.
If NIK Software had just sold Snapseed to Google, it would have been a loss as an iPhoneographer, but not a huge hit to me and others a photographers. But, as a professional photographer, the to be assumed complete loss of the single best photo editing suite on the market is horrible.
I cannot imagine a world where Google allows the core products of NIK – its Efex Pro suite plugins – to continue forward in an independent and innovative way. And, the complete silence from NIK other than a brief announcement on their website – not even an email to its loyal customers!!! – tells me and many that this is essentially a sell out from our perspective. We, its loyal customers and users, have been left behind.
I can’t say I am thrilled by this news. I thought NIK was somehow connected to NIKON and fairly safe from such acquisitions that are now somewhat the norm for smartphone app developers. I am a professional photographer and look for grounded stable companies that I invest in when choosing complementary products for my work. Will we see development of the desktop plug-ins beyond the new releases from the past 10 months? What would Google want with that stuff? Spin it off to another business such as OnOne, Adobe or others we see ads for in the pro publications. Upgrading is now something I have to ponder. Thanks to all of the NIK people who worked on a great pallet of tools.
I’m in the middle of a Color Efex 4 demo and was planning to order it this week, and strongly considering Silver Efex Pro also. But I am not inclined to enrich Google, who I detest, with one penny. They’re notoriously untrustworthy when it comes to privacy, and they really do want to own all content on the web. And all because of puny little mobile app? This is sickening.
How could you do this!!! PLEASE don’t kill my Aperture/Photoshop Plug-Ins.
Mobile, mobile, mobile. Why not just sell Snapseed? Cell Phones are not “Photography First”.
I’m seriously nervous, and upset. Another independent creative developer removed from the global market. In 5 years you’ll be consumed by Google, and our Pro Software will die on the vine.
Very Sad.
It’s important for all of us consumers to remember that people start companies and build products to make money. Occasionally, there is a company like Nik that makes some of us forget that: “Photography first”, community with the podcasts, great support, fantastic training, etc. And then the founders cash out – fair enough – and we all wake up to remember that it’s not about us, it’s about the founders. It reminds me of idolizing some athlete and then finding out that he’s a thug. Shame on us for getting drawn in and forgetting that, “it’s nothing personal, it’s just business”.
Anyone tried phoning them to get a straight answer?
http://www.niksoftware.com/company/usa/entry.php
This is what I got from the rep in the online support:
- “Nik Software will continue to support all of our products as we have before.”
- “We do offer a 30 day return policy if you would like a refund on your purchase.”
- “At this point we do not have any information about future updates or upgrades. At this point all we know is that we will continue to support our current products as usual.”
- “I am sorry for the disappointment. We will continue to support our current products until further notice.”
Very sad, I really hope for some assurance from Nik that the plug-in line will not cease.
I though Nik was above being bought out by big business, what about the employees who will surely be laid off?
Did the heads at Nik even care about the workers who will be fired?
Or the photography community who will lose their daily used plug-ins?!
We the users demand answers!
The New York Times goes on to say that “Google seems most interested in Nik’s mobile and online tools and how they can improve Google Plus. Google declined to say whether or when it would discontinue any of Nik’s other products, like desktop software for professional photographers.”
Courtesy of Laura Shoe blog
Google has no interest in keeping and advancing the plugins that Nik has developed. Nik has always had a first rate web site with many learning tools via their webinar series. I expect this will disappear also. The Nik owners have pocketed a lot of money; for Google it was chump change; for us users we can see the 6 Nik plugins circling the Google drain.
Great shame. I am a working photographer who uses the full set of Nik Aperture plugins every day and got rid of Photoshop as a result of that over 4 years ago.
Snapspeed is a child’s toy for the iPad which is another child’s toy. I sincerely hope that the main Nik products will continue to be supported and developed. With Google’s money, it is possible they could become number 1 above Adobe.
I fear that will not be the case as Google long ago abandoned their ‘Do No Harm’ philosophy.
This was quite shocking to hear today. I’ve been helping Nik promote their plug-ins on my website for a decade now. Seems overkill for Google to scoop up the whole company for the desired small bit of tech, but of course Nik was a participant in the transaction.
The good news is there are a ton of other excellent plug-ins and imaging apps to draw from. See http://www.plugsandpixels.com for more info.
Ready to get depressed? Read Trey Ratcliff’s comments and watch this Google+ hangout video (really poor quality – is this the future tech behind NIK?) of him interviewing some people from Google+ about the NIK purchase.
http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2012/09/17/the-importance-of-google-acquiring-nik-software/
First off, now we know why the NIK people are silence… it was revealed that the purchase price was $1,000,000,001… that is one billion and one dollars.
Second. Trey writes about the power of cloud computing in image post-processing. Two concerns: one is obviously what the license from Google will claim in regards to your photos. But, also, Are you really going to work on a 300 MB file in the cloud? Really? Ironically, he contradicts himself in the video.
in the first few minutes of video (while the screen flashes with bad images and Trey drops in out a couple of times), one of the Google employees used the word “landscapey” in regards to his won photography.
The Google guys (none of which are likely of a power level in Google to actually be able to ensure this), claimed that the client side apps that photographers love will be business as usual. I’m not buying that for a second… especially in light of the new billionaires’ silence.
Also, from his text and comments in the video, Ratcliff has totally bought into the Google ecosystem.
I wish we could all demand a refund from the new NIK billionaires because they sold its loyal customers out and we deserve a piece of that pie.
I’m not going to watch the video — I already removed Trey from my RSS feed as soon as he started spouting off about how great this acquisition was and how great Google+ is.
Poor Nik. They sold their souls to Google and are now owned by them. Rich, yes (well, some of them) but no longer their own masters. They aren’t even allowed to reply on this thread. The hammer came down fast! Better learn to like it, Nik!
I doubt Google cares one bit whether we all refunded (even if we could) and never used Nik software again, or if we posted 100,000 negative messages here. They’re going for the Instagram/Facebook mobs now.
The pen is mightier than the sword. But the dollar is mightiest of all.
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This is sad news. I have the full suite of Nik filters and I like them a lot (especially Color Efex Pro.) I have doubts they will support them for too long; I can’t imagine why Lightroom or Aperture plugins would be a priority for Google. Since I use a Mac, my chances might be even slimmer.
Wow! Nik produced great software that made significant improvements to my work and that of many other professional photographers. Hope the financial payback was enough to justify totally screwing your loyal customers.
Its sad that a company selling professional level products don’t have the professionalism to make an official statement about the future of said professional products that so many people make their living using.
it’s all about …money, lawyers and greed.
What do you call 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? .. a Good start!
Greed.. Your Neighbor has a vibrator that plays “Oh come all yeah faithfull” and you want one too!
One thing I have learned is that garages come in one size….Too Small! The same is true for money, whatever you ask for…isn’t enough in five years!
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As one for whom Nik’s suite of software has had a vital place in my workflow for many years, this is the worst possible news. I have no confidence at all that Google will commit to the same high standards of research, development and product for the pro and pro-sumer sector.
But it’s your business guys and I guess you are free to dispose of it as you choose. I genuinely wish you well. But it kind of feels that after years of dogged commitment to Nik (when in earlier years the products sometimes weren’t as great as they are today), you’ve disposed of me as well. That’s a bit of a disappointment fellas. Because it was on the commitment of the likes of me, you built the business.
I guess I better start looking around at some workflow alternatives.
I use all the Nik Photography software, it is the best in the business. As a Mac user since the days of the Mac Classic, I’ve avoided any software that’s not as secure as Apple stuff – I’m praying that Nik continue to develop Color EfexPro, and all their other stand alones and plug ins.
Well I’m saddened by this, They are brilliant products but I have a bad feeling this will be the end of Nik Software. The only consolation is that there are a lot of brilliant people in programming and now this has happened it won’t be long before something else appears on the scene. I have a feeling this is a case of grab the money and run without any thought for all the people who helped make Nik their money in the first place.
who pays for nik plugins now thats it is bought by google must be a retard……
Amazing to read the widespread negative/fearful comments. It speaks volumes to me personally. Since I use all of the Nik products (except Snapseed) my reaction is much the same as others — if the softtware slides I move on. I can’t help but believe that Google bought Nik for reasons other than why photographers buy Nik software.
It was nice while it lasted–Good bye my friend. Hello OnOne. BTW, OnOne is not even close to the quality of NIK but they are still building. NIK will be treated poorly and PHOTOGRAPHY will not be the driver for this company. We will see BS adds promising all the great new stuff and then be disappointed by product. CRAP !
Really sad! I remember when Adobe bought out the U-Lead software, PhotoStyler – and then killed it after using all the code to add Photoshop to the PC platform (PS 2.5). This is a swan song for Nik – my once favorite plug-in software.
2 days and still not a single word from Nik – I am still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!
One thing for sure… be sure to download and make double and triple copies of you installers for all platforms as we don’t know how long they are going to be around to download, maybe all of the demos too.
I finally find plugins that do what they advertise and the company sells out. I loathe google and will not be purchasing any future upgrades. Time to look at onOne again.
onOne and Topaz plug-ins (among others) are always being discounted at http://www.plugsandpixels.com/discounts.html
So Nik competitors are taking advantage – I saw yesterday in the online nytimes a onone ad – so they are out for the grab of unhappy nik users – I even went in and looked at their suite of products (not as good as Nik) – I love the nik pro products but would like to hear from them or their new owners what are they going to do. Forget Snapseed but what will be the stregic direction for the other pro products. day 3 and nothing from them!!
Bitterly disappointed. This will not end well for us loyal supporters of your great products. History shows that clearly with very few exceptions.
I’m thinking Logic and Final Cut both of which flourished under Apple’s ownership (I know FCPX is a different product now).
I can’t see Google caring a jot for the pro plugins.
Very bad news, except for NIK´s owner. I am afraid this is the beginning of the end of such good set of products for real photographers as NIK had managed to develop.
Photography first? We live in the time of pathological greed so forgive me if I jump to the worst case scenario. Finally these geniuses at Nik find a way for us to edit selectively and then Google comes along with cash and will probably turn the Nik genius factory into a hotdog stand for the masses. The best predictor of behavior is previous behavior so forgive my pessimism.
Ha! their phones are disrupted… maybe people are finally starting to call them and they just decided to shutdown their phones cuz they don’t want to talk to us.
Google is not making any friends here.
Need to start taking our complaints to Vic Gundotra’s page… https://plus.google.com/u/0/+VicGundotra/posts/2YWhK1K3FA5
But I ain’t joining G+ again, I cancelled my account with them.
All the best folks…. hope that this does not change the focus and priority of Nik, which is about brilliant and easy to use photo editing products for serious photographers.
I absolutely love your products… the core suite- viveza, colorefex & silver efex… it would be painful to see them dying a slow death. Hope everyone is proved wrong on this one!!!
like many others that have commented, I have the complete collection of NIK plugins for Aperture. I use NIK so much now, that I have eliminated Photoshop in my work flow. My NIK workflow is SOOOOOOOooooooooo much faster that my Photoshop workflow. NIK software is also a million times easier to accomplish the same tasks as in Photoshop.
I really, really, really, really, really, really don’t want to go back using Photoshop. Please continue to support NIK plugins for Aperture.
Nik Software & Google,
I hope that your venture together will be a winner. One way to ensure that is to continue with the Nik products that have been so useful, necessary even, to those of us in the photography world. As a user of all of the Photoshop plug-ins and Capture NX2, it will prove a real hardship if these are dropped.
Remember the users as you move forward.
Thanks.
This news makes me so sad. I have used all the Nik plugins since version one, way before control points were added. My workflow as a fine art photographer has evolved along with Nik products. If the excellent products, support, and unmatched education/training is diminished, it will be devastating to my work. I fear a great loss may be coming. I will attend a Nik Webinar and see if Dan Hughes is allowed to comment on my questions.
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Ahman Adam
Webzemini Software
I have experience with a non-software corp. buying the company I worked for. Like Google my acquiring company has presence on the web.
With this experience of being acquired, I can tell you Google will have no idea who, within Nik’s current employees are the talent.
Google will only look at their strategy. And while taunting quality and improvements, will have no concern for the quality of the products.
This will result in the caring talent moving on and the rest being let go.
My software has all but been destroyed by the acquisition. And the funny thing is, corporate is trying their best to make it successful.
They don’t know how to run a desktop software business and value the talent that develops it.
As a side note out of 50 employees acquired we only have 4 original employees left after 4 ½ years and our software is absolutely embarrassing.
I love Nik Software and my heart sank when I read the news on DPReview. I felt someone got on my computer and deleted my Silver Effects Pro 2.
David Davis
Google is chanting that +Google will become the worlds Go-To network place for media professionals and all the Macs out there. This purchase gives them skin in the game. Sort of, but Google maps got kicked off the iPhones. Might not be relevant… I hope it comes together for Google and I hope the Nik team members are now very wealthy, you deserve it and I’m sure you will continue to innovate and out-do yourself time and again. I look forward to the next round.
But Google, remember this immediate negative response, Nik products best not be marginalized and lost in the whole internet customer takeover game, because we won’t forget.
I’m a bit late to this wake, but like Gooch above I see this as the beginning of the end for the Nik software I’ve used and lov… uh, really liked over the years.
I compare it to the purchase of JASC’s Paint Shop Pro by Corel some years back. PSP … a reasonable alternative to Photoshop, that since acquisition by Corel has had five iterations … basically it’s been made prettier.
But the ten year old copy of Jasc’s Paint Shop Pro that I use for quick and dirty tweaking still does 90% of what the “New” “Improved” Corel versions. can do, without the prettied up and LESS functional interface.
Just as I fear the soon to come “New” “Improved” Nik software will be significant steps backward in functionality. The dumbing down of good software to attract the masses NEVER improves good software.
Alas.
I am not happy about this, I was going to upgrade to Color Efex 4 but now this news has stopped me cold. Google calls the shots and they may say they are committed to keeping the high end software but this is just to keep revenue flowing for the interim its as simple as that.
Onone Software is where I will turn now. My investment in time and money in Nik is over.
Very very sad day.
I am of the same opinion as you do, if you consider that the man can say the same respect as you
Spiegelschrank
Helpful information. Fortunate me I found your web site by accident, and I’m surprised why this coincidence did not happened in advance! I bookmarked it.
It has been a pleasure to have been on the team for the last 5 years. I hope we have a place with Google. I hope they will continue the work on the plug ins as well. You have a great product let’s hope they realize its worth
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I do consider all of the concepts you have presented for your post. They’re really convincing and can certainly work. Still, the posts are too brief for beginners. May you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.
This turns my stomach. I loved NIK but am told because I opted out, I am no longer entitled to support. I don’t know what NIK was thinking but this was an idiotic move. BYE BYE NIK, I LOVED your plugins but I loathe google and refuse to continue with this path…I will be using Topaz. You ruined a great thing selling out to a nefarious company like google.
My local photography retailer isn’t even allowed to SELL NIK anymore. They’ve had to pull them all off the shelves.
Google is buying out everything like microsoft did in the past decades! I am so excited to see who will be the big dog in the decade to come.
Congrats and Gud Luck!!!
Software
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Software
All your plug-ins are belong to us.
Hope that Google will only be involved with Snapseed and leave the Nik Plug-in software side of the business as a separate business for the professional market.
Google not welcomed here.
I was thinking about buying the Nik Plugins, but .. google? What the…? No Nik plugins for me then.
So I get this email from Google today with a free download offer of various NIK plugins – I think b/c I already owned Silver Efex Pro 2. Well guess what? The download wiped the software that I PAID for off my system. It’s no longer accessible through CS3. Not to mention the free plugins are nowhere to be found either. I HATE that Google is mucking up NIK. So *very* unhappy.
The Don’t Be Evil people ought to least focus first on Don’t Be Incompetent.
Stay away from the download folks….it’s a mess waiting to happen.
Wow. You guys were the BEST. Your customer support was unparalleled. I certainly don’t anticipate that will continue. It was nice while it lasted. Love the people behind Nik as much as the software I now rely on. We’ll see how long that lasts too I guess.
Like most good businessmen, the top dog at NIK is sitting down with a big cigar and a bank full of cash thinking of a new name to call his new software….. maybe?.. Think positive, enjoy life.