Borland edges out IBM for federal bids

Borland Software has signed a deal in which systems integrator Spectrum Systems will offer Borland's tools in its bids for federal government contracts. Spectrum, which provides networking and application development services to federal agencies, dropped IBM's Rational product line in favor of Borland's line of application "life cycle" tools.

Borland last year acquired a number of companies, including TogetherSoft and Caliber, and assembled a suite of tools that cover a range of application development-related tasks, from gathering requirements to application modeling, coding and testing. Spectrum President Ron Segal said the company chose Borland's line because its tools work well together. Segal also said that government agencies are showing growing interest in a more structured application development process, which Borland's application life cycle tools facilitate.