<s>
Softonic.com	B-Application
is	O
a	O
web	O
portal	O
based	O
in	O
Barcelona	O
,	O
Catalonia	O
,	O
Spain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
founded	O
in	O
June	O
1997	O
and	O
is	O
owned	O
by	O
Softonic	B-Application
International	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softonic	B-Application
started	O
in	O
1996	O
as	O
a	O
file-oriented	O
download	O
service	O
called	O
Shareware	O
Intercom	O
,	O
at	O
Intercom	O
Online	O
(	O
Grupo	O
Intercom	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
provider	O
of	O
Internet	O
services	O
in	O
Cerdanyola	O
del	O
Vallès	O
,	O
near	O
Barcelona	O
(	O
Catalonia	O
,	O
Spain	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
became	O
independent	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Softonic	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
Softonic	B-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
in	O
German	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
2005	O
,	O
English	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
the	O
service	O
was	O
oriented	O
only	O
to	O
downloads	O
of	O
DOS	B-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
software	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
evolved	O
to	O
offer	O
software	O
downloads	O
for	O
Mac	B-Device
and	O
mobile	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softonic	B-Application
was	O
listed	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
place	O
to	O
work	O
in	O
Spain	O
(	O
100	O
–	O
250	O
employees	O
)	O
"	O
in	O
an	O
annual	O
study	O
by	O
the	O
Great	O
Place	O
to	O
Work	O
Institute	O
from	O
2009	O
–	O
2011	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
second-best	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2014	O
,	O
Softonic	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
a	O
headcount	O
reduction	O
procedure	O
would	O
be	O
carried	O
out	O
as	O
a	O
cost-cutting	O
measure	O
,	O
allegedly	O
due	O
to	O
financial	O
and	O
organizational	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2015	O
,	O
Softonic	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
industry	O
veteran	O
and	O
Download.com	B-Application
co-founder	O
Scott	O
Arpajian	O
had	O
been	O
appointed	O
as	O
CEO	O
of	O
Softonic	B-Application
,	O
replacing	O
Founder	O
Tomás	O
Diago	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2016	O
,	O
Softonic	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
partnership	O
with	O
business	O
software	O
platform	O
Crozdesk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2019	O
,	O
Softonic	B-Application
acquired	O
Ghacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softonic	B-Application
acquired	O
FileHippo	B-Application
;	O
the	O
FileHippo	B-Application
home	O
page	O
states	O
"	O
Softonic	B-Application
International	O
,	O
S.A.	O
holds	O
the	O
license	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
name	O
and	O
logo	O
of	O
Filehippo	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softonic	B-Application
offers	O
free	O
download	O
via	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
Store	O
of	O
popular	O
TRIO	O
Office	O
Suite	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softonic	B-Application
's	O
"	O
Softonic	B-Application
Downloader	O
"	O
was	O
described	O
by	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
CEO	O
Scott	O
Arpajian	O
as	O
having	O
"	O
facilitated	O
bad	O
behaviour	O
amongst	O
third	O
party	O
vendors	O
which	O
ended	O
up	O
harming	O
the	O
user	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
malicious	O
links	O
impersonating	O
the	O
downloader	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arpajian	O
said	O
that	O
shutting	O
down	O
the	O
Softonic	B-Application
Downloader	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
things	O
he	O
had	O
done	O
when	O
he	O
took	O
over	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
February	O
2015	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
his	O
intention	O
was	O
to	O
regain	O
the	O
trust	O
of	O
the	O
site	O
's	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
