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SD Times 100: 2003 — Innovators & Leaders


Software development is a mature profession.

By SD Times News Team
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June 1, 2003 —  The first programmer is generally considered to be Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace (1815-1852), and much of the theoretical underpinnings of today's computer systems evolved in the 1940s and 1950s. Yet the pace of change continues to accelerate. In today's software development community, there's plenty of room for innovation. Big companies, small companies, standards bodies, open-source projects all continue to advance the art, continuously setting a new direction and agenda for enterprise developers.

The SD Times 100, presented here for the first time, is our attempt to identify those tool and platform vendors that consistently offer an innovative approach to enterprise software development, as well as those that are in a strong leadership role in their competitive space. Those two attributes are not the same, of course, as innovation doesn't necessarily lead to market success, and often the biggest companies are the most firmly entrenched in the status quo.

Yet both leaders and innovators have something in common: Everyone is watching to see what they'll do next. Enterprise development managers look to them to set expectations for the next wave of computing, competitors regard them nervously, investors open their checkbooks, and other vendors wish to partner with them-or acquire them, as we saw often in 2002.

The era of Lady Lovelace may be over. But the legacy of computing innovation that she inspired is still very much with us.



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 Here is the full list of winners from the debut SD Times 100:

MODELING

  • Rational Software Corp.: Leading up to its acquisition by IBM Corp., Rational continued to be the 800-pound gorilla in the modeling space. The new XDE innovated by melding traditional modeling and visual development.
  • Embarcadero Technologies Inc.: ER/Studio generated buzz for both data and application modeling.
  • I-Logix Inc.: Rhapsody leads interactive embedded designing and modeling.
  • Interactive Objects Software GmbH: Innovated on styling OMG’s Model Driven Architecture.
  • Jcorporate Ltd.: Through Expresso, it polishes Apache’s Struts MVC framework.
  • MetaMatrix Inc.: Demonstrated the power of OMG’s Meta Object Facility.
  • Popkin Software Inc.: Takes enterprise modeling and architecture to the highest level.
  • Select Business Solutions Inc.: Aonix spin-off brings modeling approach to component builders.
  • Telelogic AB: The Tau of modeling spans enterprise and real-time applications.
  • TogetherSoft Inc.: Now owned by Borland, Together Control Center gave a perfect mix of code and models.
COMPONENTS & LIBRARIES

  • Trolltech AB: Qt and Qt Embedded have become the libraries of choice for developers who wish to build cross-platform applications in C++. Innovations in scripting and integration set Trolltech apart in 2002.
  • ComponentOne LLC: Early .NET leader with GUI component subscriptions for VS.NET.
  • Dundas Software Ltd.: Charting innovator powers up .NET clients and ASP.NET servers.
  • ILOG Inc.: Multiplatform innovator in business rules and analysis components.
  • Infragistics Inc.: Leads with Java and C#-based .NET suites and common object model.
  • Logic Library Inc.: Logidex emerged as leading component archive for Java and .NET.
  • Rogue Wave Software Inc.: C++ component mainstay stands out with Bobcat servlet container.
  • Select Business Solutions Inc.: Component Architect brings rigor to the design of reusable software.
  • Software FX Inc.: Leading component maker offers key chart extensions for .NET.
  • Visual Numerics Inc.: IMSL Java libraries showed that math isn’t just for Fortran and C++.
TEST & DEBUG

  • Compuware Corp.: The premium tool lineup virtually guarantees a spot in every tester’s toolkit; from the ubiquitous BoundChecker to the DevPartner family, it’s a commanding presence in code testing/debugging.
  • FMS Inc.: Expanding innovative code analysis tools to cover .NET platform.
  • Identify Software Ltd.: With AppSight, leader with “flight recorder” approach to testing.
  • Mercury Interactive Corp.: Consistently delivers enterprise and Web performance management.
  • Parasoft Corp.: Continues expanding line of full-featured automated test tools.
  • Quest Software Inc.: Solutions shine in end-to-end n-tiered app performance resolution.
  • Rational Software Corp.: TestStudio and TestTeam, now at IBM, continue to head test-suite category.
  • Sanctum Inc.: AppScan first in unit-testing .NET code for security weaknesses.
  • Segue Software Inc.: SilkTest and SilkPilot innovate in functional, regression app testing.
  • Wily Technology Inc.: Market-leading tools drive distributed enterprise app monitoring.
TOOLS & ENVIRONMENTS

  • Microsoft Corp.: Bill Gates & Co. took over the 2002 agenda with the release of the .NET platform, and of the revamped Visual Studio .NET and C# language. Through plugins and partners, it’s the IDE standard.
  • ActiveState Corp.: First professional-quality IDE for script-language developers.
  • Altova Inc.: XML Spy family emerged as the de facto standard schema editor.
  • Apache Software Foundation: Ant build tool improves on Make, and won Java developers’ hearts.
  • BEA Systems Inc.: WebLogic Workshop leads drive to visual Web services assembly.
  • Borland Software Corp.: Leading independent tools vendor is programmer’s powerhouse.
  • Macromedia Inc.: Rich Web dominance and MX family is no “Flash” in the pan.
  • Metrowerks: The Motorola subsidiary’s CodeWarrior rules every major embedded platform.
  • Migratec Inc.: Struggling firm has innovative solution for 64-bit migration.
  • PreEmptive Solutions Inc.: Tool for compressing and obfuscating binaries essential for ISVs.
COLLABORATION

  • MKS Inc.: MKS continues to expand into the enterprise with significant upgrades to Source Integrity Enterprise Edition and Integrity Manager, including an innovating federated server architecture.
  • CollabNet Inc.: Brings open-source collaboration tools to enterprise development.
  • Merant Inc.: PVCS Dimensions is still the change-management solution to beat.
  • Pragma Systems Corp.: ProcessMax delivers the Capability Maturity Model to the masses.
  • Rational Software Corp.: Now part of IBM, ClearCase holds mind share for source-configuration management.
  • Serena Software Inc.: ChangeMan brings unprecedented breadth to change management.
  • SteelTrace Ltd.: Graphical tools expand requirements management beyond techies.
  • TeamShare Inc.: Innovates in broad-reaching product life-cycle management tools.
  • Telelogic Inc.: Automated change management brings Synergy to dev teams.
  • VA Software Corp.: Links tools and components into complete collaborative environment.
INTEGRATION AND MIDDLEWARE

  • BEA Systems Inc.: Having started out as an integration vendor, BEA continues to excel in its area, most recently with its Liquid Data presenting a new approach to the aggregation of disparate information sources.
  • Actional Corp.: SOAPswitch demonstrated Web services aggregation innovation.
  • Data Junction Corp.: Integration Studio is at the cutting edge of EAI and Web services.
  • Fiorano Software Inc.: Tifosi offered a unique and compelling view of visual app integration.
  • Hit Software Inc.: With Allora, presented a leading system for XML data exchange.
  • IBM Corp.: Despite its new name, MQSeries stays at the front of the message queue.
  • Sonic Software Corp.: Created a bandwagon for enterprise service bus-based architecture.
  • SpiritSoft Ltd.: SpiritWave excels beyond JMS with caching and traffic management.
  • TIBCO Software Inc.: Major message-bus vendor expanded beyond proprietary specs.
  • webMethods Inc.: Integration software keeps adapting to evolving platform standards.
EMBEDDED & MOBILE

  • ARM Ltd.: Not only did the company’s processors and cores advance significantly in performance and efficiency, but their innovations had far-reaching implications for other vendors’ platforms.
  • Green Hills Software Inc.: Impressive growth was fueled by Integrity, ThreadX and fast compilers.
  • Intel Corp.: XScale has become one of the most attractive migration targets.
  • Microsoft Corp.: PocketPC Phone Edition zoomed Windows’ SmartPhone presence.
  • PalmSource Inc.: 32-bit Palm OS 5 for ARM added needed muscle to the handheld.
  • QNX Software Systems Ltd.: Momentix bundling/rebranding strategy galvanized the industry.
  • Qualcomm Inc.: BREW finally came of age, thanks to over-the-air provisioning.
  • Red Hat Inc.: Red Hat Linux led in embedded Linux designs.
  • Sun Microsystems Inc.: Performance jumped thanks to MIDP 2.0 and the new CLDC JVM.
  • Wind River Systems Inc.: New products and simplified pricing redefined the RTOS market.
DATABASE & DATA ACCESS

  • MySQL AB: Not only has MySQL become part of the essential troika of open-source software, with Linux and Apache HTTP Server, but in 2002 the database gained a strong following among enterprise developers.
  • Ascential Software Corp.: Suite of data profiling and transformation tools remains without equal.
  • Crystal Decisions Inc.: Continues advancing as the de facto standard for database reporting.
  • DataDirect Technologies Inc.: Innovative JDBC/ODBC connectors address back-end performance.
  • Embarcadero Technologies Inc.: For data architects, DT/Studio and ER/Studio are the ones to beat.
  • IBM Corp.: WebSphere Everyplace is a new take on remote data access.
  • Microsoft Corp.: SQL Server is ubiquitous on Windows— and, now, on Windows CE.
  • Oracle Corp.: While DB2 and SQL Server gain traction, Oracle remains dominant.
  • Sybase Inc.: iAnywhere has emerged as a leader in mobile relational databases.
  • Thought Inc.: Leads O/R mapping by covering nearly every database and app server.
DEPLOYMENT PLATFORMS

  • JBoss Group LLC: Despite its inability to garner official J2EE certification from Sun, the JBoss app server captured significant mind share over the past year, and the company has emerged as a top Java contender.
  • Apache Software Foundation: The project’s Tomcat servlet container is the standard J2EE issue.
  • Apple Computer Inc.: Finally, Mac OS X is a platform that developers want to target.
  • BEA Systems Inc.: Market presence and technical excellence keep WebLogic ahead.
  • IBM Corp.: WebSphere emerged as the one J2EE platform everyone supports.
  • Mainsoft Corp.: Clearest solution for extending Windows apps to run on Unix.
  • Microsoft Corp.: The .NET Framework and CLR set everyone’s agenda for 2002.
  • Novell Inc.: Rebranded SilverStream app server remains a top Java runtime.
  • Oracle Corp.: Platform leader based on fast runtime, 9iDB and 9iAS integration.
  • Sun Microsystems Inc.: Solaris and J2EE, more than Sun ONE, keep Sun software on top.
STANDARDS BODIES & CONSORTIA

  • BPEL4WS Consortium: IBM and Microsoft clobbered Sun’s WSCI at the orchestration game.
  • Eclipse Consortium : Despite its early history and controversial dispute with Sun’s NetBeans project, IBM’s Eclipse open-source IDE project took a commanding lead, winning incredible third-party acceptance.
  • Embedded Linux Consortium: All key vendors collaborate to unify and enhance the platform.
  • International Organization for Standardization: ISO standards blessing is key for languages such as Microsoft’s C#.
  • Java Community Process: Rules Java, despite the proliferation of closed vendors’ “standards.”
  • OASIS: The powerful Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards consortium controls ebXML, UBL, UDDI and now BPEL4WS.
  • Object Management Group Inc.: Moved slowly on UML 2.0, but ruled with Model Driven Architecture.
  • UnitedLinux: Alliance of Linux Lilliputians caught the big companies’ attention.
  • W3C: Exerts influence on key specs, such as HTML, SOAP, WSDL and XML.
  • Web Services Interoperability Organization: Despite nasty politics, WS-I’s the best hope for real Web services interoperability.




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