{{Short description|American software company, 1984–1997}} {{About|the office automation developer|the software used by the oil and gas industry|EnABLE software}} {{Infobox company | name = Enable Software, Inc. | type = Private | industry = Software | founded = 1984 | founder = Ron Quake, Bob Hamilton | defunct = 1997 | location_city = Ballston Lake, New York | location_country = United States | products = Enable (office suite), PowerLine }}
'''Enable Software, Inc.''' was a privately held software development company based in Ballston Lake, New York, founded in 1984 by Ron Quake and Bob Hamilton.<ref>{{cite web|last=New York Companies, USA|title=ENABLE SOFTWARE, INC.|url=https://www.nycompaniesindex.com/enable-software-inc-iva4/|accessdate=Feb 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1167685,00.asp|title=Profiles In Technical Excellence (1985)|work=PCMAG|access-date=2017-09-23|language=en}}</ref> The company's flagship product was ''Enable'', an integrated office suite for IBM PC compatibles that combined a word processor, a three-dimensional spreadsheet, a relational database and communications software in a single package. The company ceased operations in 1997.
==History== Enable Software launched its integrated suite in the mid-1980s, positioning it as a comprehensive productivity package for the IBM PC market at a time when most office software products were sold separately. The multi-dimensional spreadsheet component was a notable feature, allowing users to work across layered sheets rather than a flat grid.
In 1992, ''Enable Office'' was updated to add electronic mail and calendaring software. The company claimed at that time that its products had more than one million users.<ref>{{cite web|last=Enable Software|title=Press release|url=http://textfiles.com/computers/PRESSRELEASE/enable.txt|accessdate=Feb 16, 2014}}</ref> Enable 4.5, released in April 1992, added support for OS/2 2.0.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hamilton|first1=Rosemary|title=Enable 4.5 application package ships|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ioRslYZXVkAC&q=%22Enable+Software%2C+Inc.%22+-wikipedia&pg=RA1-PA42|accessdate=May 3, 2016|work=Computerworld|date=April 6, 1992}}</ref>
In 1993, the company introduced ''JetForm for Enable'', a mail-enabled forms designer for Microsoft Windows,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hammett|first1=Jim|title=Enable debuts workflow line with forms designer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjsEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Enable+Software%2C+Inc.%22+-wikipedia2&pg=PA52|accessdate=May 3, 2016|work=Infoworld|date=June 21, 1993}}</ref> and ''PowerLine'', a multi-protocol terminal client for Windows comparable to HyperTerminal.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hammett|first1=Jim|title=Windows package offers keyboard chatting feature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ODwEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22enable+software%22+powerline&pg=PA41|accessdate=May 3, 2016|work=InfoWorld|date=April 5, 1993}}</ref>
Enable Software ceased operations in 1997. At that point approximately 190,000 active users remained on Enable products.<ref>{{cite web|last=Promises Kept, LLC. |title=Enable Integrated Software Support |url=http://www.promises-kept.com/Support/Enable.aspx |accessdate=Feb 16, 2014 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222142134/http://www.promises-kept.com/Support/Enable.aspx |archivedate=2014-02-22 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://en.igbts.net/dig/view/0123bce868e90000.shtml Review of Enable O/A 4.0] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222220740/http://en.igbts.net/dig/view/0123bce868e90000.shtml |date=2014-02-22 }}
{{Authority control}} Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:Defunct computer companies based in New York (state) Category:Software companies based in New York (state) Category:Software companies established in 1984 Category:1984 establishments in New York (state) Category:Defunct companies based in New York (state) {{US-software-company-stub}}