TakeFive Software is chartered with providing solutions to aid in complex software development. These solutions include specialized tools, an open architecture and services which enable TakeFive Software to uniquely address customer issues such as support for legacy systems, scalability, portability, policy enforcement, training and integration services.
TakeFive Software is a wholly owned subsidiary of Integrated Systems Inc., a leading provider of real time operating systems. Together TakeFive Software and ISI will develop solutions specifically targeting the embedded system market.
Analyst Steve McClure of International Data Corporation said of TakeFive Software in 1994, " TakeFive Software entered the market at an opportune time. The window of opportunity for a tools vendor of this genre is open. With its core technology, international presence and key endorsements from Ericsson, Taligent and the Union Bank of Switzerland, TakeFive is poised to carve a niche for itself in the market for object-oriented development environments. & quot;TakeFive Software has continued to focus on improving its development tools and SNiFF+ has become well recognized for its power and high quality.
TakeFive Software has been profitable in the four years since its inception, growing at a rate of approximately 100 percent per year. The company has an impressive list of accomplishments.
June, 1992 TakeFive Software GmbH founded, Salzburg Austria
September,1992 TakeFive acquires UBILAB license for SNiFF+
March, 1993 SNiFF+ 1.0 released
April, 1993 Ericsson begins deploying SNiFF+ to over 700 engineers
January, 1994 TakeFive establishes U.S. headquarters in Cupertino, CA
March 1994 Taligent licenses SNiFF+ for CommonPoint Application Framework
January, 1995 SNiFF+ 2.0 released
June,1995 SNiFF+ 2.0 wins "Most Innovative New Software " at SunWorld
October, 1995 TakeFive becomes an Integrated Systems, Inc. company
January, 1996 TakeFive launches SNiFF+ for Java
For Fortune 500 companies who require the flexibility to combine best-in-classtools into a graphical integrated environment, SNiFF+ is their solution. SNiFF+ combines powerful tools with an open, portable architecture to provide an IDE for managing complex software development. Unlike traditional development environments, SNiFF+ impacts overall productivity and software quality by adapting to unique customer requirements such as support for legacy tools, scalability, multiple languages and platforms and enforcing development policy.
SNiFF+ includes support for configuration management, workspaces and build management to enable teams of developers to handle and build complex code and multiple releases. SNiFF+ provides the most comprehensive set of browsers and parsers to understand, reverse engineer and evaluate the impact of code changes for many programming languages. SNiFF+ also provides a documentation editor for automatically documenting source code and promoting reuse. Finally SNiFF+ hasa graphical editor, compiler and debugger for software implementation.
In addition to the toolset, SNiFF+ provides an open, portable, standards-based architecture. A parser API is available to allow support for additional or proprietary languages. A symbol table API is included for developing customized applications based upon symbol data. Adapters are also included for integrating source code managers, editors, compilers, debuggers, and CASE and testing tools. The environment is available for leading UNIX platforms including Sun, HP, IBM, Digital, SGI, SCO, Unixware and Linux.
SNiFF+ will continue to evolve into an even more open, scalable and portable environment.
SNiFF+ 3.0 will have a new CORBA compliant architecture, using IDL to separate the tools, services and data into individual components. This will allow customers and partners to develop their own tools and easily integrate them into SNiFF+'s open architecture. This architecture will also allow the development of a client-server based product which will improve resource requirements. The incorporation ofa commercial database will allow users to more easily access SNiFF+'s symbol information.
With the addition of SNiFF+ 1.0 for Windows, SNiFF+ will become the first development environment to be available on all leading UNIX platforms as well as Windows, providing powerful new options to cross-platform developers. SNiFF+ 1.0 for Windows will run on both Windows NT and Windows 95 and will integrate with leading tools available on these platforms, providing a suite of tools previously unavailable in the Windows development tools market.
Finally, SNiFF+ will continue to push the state-of-the-art for software development by using the WWW as an interface for cooperative software development. Plans include support for distributed software configuration management across the Web.
Given the size and complexity of today's typical development projects, software engineers require responsive, quality technical support. The company offers experienced technical support teams who provide expert assistance to customers worldwide. The support program also includes product upgrades so customers benefit immediately from new technology.
TakeFive Software's believes the best way for developers to understand the benefits of a programming tool is to use it on their own source code. An internet distribution strategy makes it very easy for customers to access demo products and upgrades. All binaries for SNiFF+ are kept on an FTP site and can be downloaded at the user's convenience. Evaluation licenses are available, providing a fully-functional version of SNiFF+ for a specified period of time.
In 1992, UBILAB, the research laboratory of Zurich-based Union Bank of Switzerland, formed an exclusive partnership with TakeFive Software. TakeFive Software obtained the source code and the rights to market the prototype SNiFF+. That partnership resulted in the first commercial version of SNiFF+, version 1.0.
TakeFive Software focuses on solutions for the implementation phase of the software development lifecycle. Strategic relationships with its parent company and partners enable customers to transition smoothly from analysis and design through support and maintenance, resulting in support for the entire lifecycle.
Most recently, TakeFive Software has become an Integrated Systems, Inc. company. Integrated Systems is a leading worldwide provider of embedded operating software and simulation and control design software tools. TakeFive Software operates as a wholly-owned, independent subsidiary of Integrated Systems, enabling TakeFive Software to expand its sales channels, project consulting, trainingand services, in addition to accelerating product development.
TakeFive Software's customer list includes AT&T, Bank of America, Dassault Systemes, Eastman Kodak, Northern Telecom, JP Morgan, Siemens, and many others.
One of the first companies to recognize the potential of SNiFF+ was Ericsson, a leading telecommunications manufacturer based in Stockholm, Sweden. Since its adoption of SNiFF+ in April 1993, the product has become an essential tool for over 700 engineers at Ericsson. More recently, AT&T's Software Technology Center, the company's central organization for recommending technology products, adopted SNiFF+ as a preferred product.
SNiFF+ addresses the complex needs of these companies, giving programmers a robust yet easy to use development environment. Challenges these developers face include: managing a large andcomplex code base comprised of both new and legacy code; integrating the diverse tools, languages and platforms needed to build large software systems; managing team development and communication; and effectively re-using existing code to reap the benefits in productivity this can provide.
Guenther Walcher, Chairman of the Board, is a successful international businessman and venture capitalist who has extensive experience in managing high technology companies and corporate partnerships. As a founder, president and CEO of SkiData GmbH of Salzburg, Austria, he grew the company to over 150 employees and $30 million in revenue. He has served as Chairman of the Board since 1993.
Christian Kleinferchner, CEO and President of TakeFive Software GmbH, initially developed the idea of publishing and marketing SNiFF+. Prior to joining TakeFive, he was the leader of the research and development team at a Salzburg-based CASE tools company, and developed tools in the area of prototyping and executable specifications. He holds an engineering degree from a technical school in Salzburg, Austria.
Mark Williams, Vice President of U.S. Operations, has 16 years of experience in sales, marketing and development of software applications and tools. Mark worked previously for Rational Software, Digital Equipment and Texas Instruments and holds an engineering degree from Washington University.
Peter Bucsi, Vice President of Engineering, heads the development department of TakeFive Software. He previously led several software development projects at companies in Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He holds a degree in electronic engineering from the University of Budapest.
Andreas Pabinger, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, is an expert in international sales and marketing of high-technology software products. Before joining TakeFive Software, he worked for Algorithmics of Toronto, Canada, a software firm specializing in investment software. He holds a Master's degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Linz, Austria, and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Toronto, Canada.
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