PokerTracker and Holdem Manager Merge

The industry-leading poker tracking and analysis companies, PokerTracker and Holdem Manager, have just made huge waves by announcing a merger.  This is perhaps the biggest piece of software news since PokerTracker and Holdem Manager started providing online poker solutions a decade ago.
 
If you are already using one of these dynamic poker software suites, it should be business as usual in the short-run, with the plan to keep both poker software suites running as separate brands.  If you aren't using either program, but were considering trying out one, rest assured that there are no changes in the works for either Holdem Manager or PokerTracker; each will continue to provide potential customers the ability to test run their software for 30 days, risk-free.

In the long-run, there are expected to be changes, especially as the management, staff, intellectual property, and other resources are combined.  Some of these changes should, without dispute, be great both for players and the merged company.
 
If you are using either software, the biggest short-term need for you is most likely support.  Support just doesn't encompass asking how to use the software, which can be often answered in forums or FAQs, but also reacting to changes various poker sites make.
 
In the short-run, there might be some minor bumps in the road as support staff is trained on the nuances of their previous competitor, but in the long-run the merged company expects support to be better than ever.  According to a press release, "We will gradually cross-train support teams for both products.  However, this will take time.  Ensuring that we maintain the high standards that both brands have for support is our primary focus."
 
Tech work is suspected to be business as usual since both development teams will continue to operate separately.  Where we might see an improvement is in the combined management team becoming aware of changes, letting both teams know at the same time that a patch or update is required.
 
It is also believed that having two development teams work independently but share knowledge could be helpful for developing new products or bringing features from one product to another.
 
One example of this is HM Cloud Beta, which allows players to keep their HUD in a virtual cloud, thus improving computer processing time.  Holdem Manager officials believe this merger will not only improve the timing of HM Cloud coming out of Beta, but also bring Cloud technology to PokerTracker enthusiasts: "As a result of the merger, even more resources will be dedicated to the launch of the Cloud platform and it will soon be available to both PokerTracker and Holdem Manager customers."
 
There are other features we could see rolled out soon that are possible because of the merger.  An example is that PokerTracker currently has a Mac and PC version, while Holdem Manager does not yet have a Mac version.
 
The merged company also expects that the releases of new software, such as Holdem Manager 3 and PokerTracker 5, will not be delayed.  Whether this holds true might be up to the competition.  In the past, PokerTracker and Holdem Manager were always trying to outdo one another or, at a minimum, keep up with what the other industry leader was doing.
 
One might speculate that without any other heavy competition, less resources and money might be spent on developing new innovative poker software.  Another view, however, is that releasing a new version of either software means more revenue through new software sales.  At this point, it becomes a matter of whether the investment the merged company might make into new software will bring in enough new money from existing customers to make it worthwhile instead of focusing on what the competition may or may not be up to.

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