FAQ—The Roland-Cakewalk Alliance

Answers for everyone:

What is the Roland-Cakewalk Alliance?
Roland and Cakewalk have come together with a shared vision to create and deliver co-developed innovative music products for musicians.

When will we see these products?
Expect to see "co-branded" Roland/Cakewalk products announced later in 2003 and early 2004.

Will this change the Cakewalk product line?
No. Cakewalk will continue to develop current and future products independent of Roland. Cakewalk branded software products will remain the same. There will be no change in Cakewalk brand representation found in packaging or marketing materials.

Why is Roland investing in Cakewalk?
The investment is intended to facilitate the delivery and distribution of future "co-branded" products under development. Roland has also made investments in industry leading companies REMO INC., manufacturer of drums and drumheads and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation that it has co-developed products with in the past.

What is a minority investment?
This means that Roland has purchased a percentage of Cakewalk significantly less than 50%. Therefore Cakewalk and Roland remain independent companies, who will work together to create joint products and to improve distribution.


Answers for customers:

As a customer outside of North America what changes?
If you are planning on purchasing a Cakewalk product please do so with confidence. Over the next few months as distribution changes occur you will find improved customer/product support and more upgrade availability.

To make sure you are registered with the new distributor in your area please take a moment to register with us. We will then pass this registration information on to the new distributor and you will not miss any of the exciting news and offers from Cakewalk and Roland.

I am a Cakewalk customer in the United States, what changes for me?
Nothing changes.


Answers for resellers:

Roland now distributes Cakewalk products outside North America?
Cakewalk products have been distributed by Roland in Japan since 1995. Roland and its subsidiary, Edirol, have an extensive international distribution network. Leveraging Roland's global reach and expertise, Cakewalk products will be more readily available around the globe.

As a dealer outside of North America what distributor should I purchase from?
The transition to Roland/Edirol joint ventures (JVs) distribution will occur over the next year. For a period of time you can still purchase Cakewalk products from your existing distributor. Click here for the current list of international distributors.

Does this change Cakewalk distribution in North America?
No. Distribution of Cakewalk products in the United States and Canada does not change. The change only affects select countries outside North America.

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