Rational Software Corp, Santa Clara, California has acquired a 54% interest in Objectory AB, the Stockholm, Sweden-based company whose co-founder is Ivar Jacobson, the inventor of use-case technology. Rational already has object modelling technique methodologist Jim Rumbaugh and object methodologist guru Grady Booch on board. Rumbaugh joined the company in October 1994 as part of Rational’s acquisition of the Martin Marietta Information Group and has been working with Booch on a unified object method. Jacobson will join Rational as vice-president of business engineering, although it is not clear yet whether Jacobson will remain in the US. Rational said it has acquired the company to extend its tools life-cycle and to provide access to the banking and insurance markets, and plans to integrate Objectory into its business. It is also hoping Jacobson will add momentum to its own object-oriented programme. The company denies it is trying to corner the methodologies market, but with the addition of Jacobson, Rational has another influential member of the Object Management Group’s Analysis and Design Special Interest Group (CI No 2,725). Rational issued 272,087 shares in return for majority control of Objectory and holds an option to acquire the remaining 46% of the shares in January 1996. The total value of the deal is expected to be between $7.5m and $10m.
