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The tools formerly known as Borland

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Just saw on Nick's blog that Borland has finally spun off their dev tools into a separate business called CodeGear.  I really want them to succeed, as I think it's good for the industry and -- on a more personal note -- I know a lot of my old friends and colleagues there have paid their dues and deserve a little success.  However, I can't help my mind from going to dark places on this, so I need to blurt out a few things... why couldn't they find a buyer for "DevCo"? (Tod Nielsen's story about not being able to find a suitable adoptive parent for his baby rings a little hollow) When it comes to a viable business for independent developer tools vendors, is there still a there there? Why oh why would they announce a new company in the year 2006 with a website that contains only a line of code and an email link for press inquiries? Is it a good idea to market their tools under a new brand when the Borland brand has undoubtedly been a key asset of their tools business? I suppose time will reveal how successful the strategy is, but meanwhile I look forward to lots of enthusiastic coopetition.  :)

Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2006
  1. Buyer - there is none.
  2. Strategy - there is none.
  3. Web site - there is none. What is the pattern? As an ex-Borland customer and avid supporter, I continue to be dismayed by their decision-making process. We were a staunch C++Builder shop, but after Borland "left us out in the cold" for a number of years, we switched to Visual Studio and have never looked back. I kind of feel sorry for the developers there - I'm sure there are a lot of fine folks there with great ideas. But Borland's management is totally clueless, so unfortunately, everyone's hard efforts don't amount to much in the end.

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2006
    You got a typo, it's "CodeGear" not "GodeGear".

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2006
    Tom: Yes, their managerial/business history has been unsettling.  It'll be interesting to see how they run the railroad given that the dev tools people now control their own destiny.  I think we should be able to tell a lot in the first 90-days, and if the first 90-days don't tell us much, then I think that will tell us a lot.   :) Jelon: Oops.  Some kind of Freudian something or other.  Anyhow, it's fixed.