Rational Software increased its business in the South Pacific by 90% over the past financial year, says Paul Levy, chairman and co-founder of the company. A good part of the reason is that companies at this end of the world are "embracing software technology".
In planning for this, they appreciate that large amounts of business are now dependent on having accurate and efficient software. E-business has put the consequences of the software directly in front of the customer - and that's a customer who expects to receive a response in "Internet time".
So this has further increased demand for Rational's services, he says.
Rational's suite of products and services aim to discipline the process of software development, by providing a defined methodology - known as the Rational Unified Process - and the tools to help the user exercise that methodology.
"Previously, we were just selling tools," says Levy. "But tools are of little use without a process to show you how to use them effectively."
Levy says the company is "now selling a business solution for a business problem", and talking to CFOs (chief financial officers) and CEOs as often as to CIOs.
The tools and procedures have to be adapted to software developed for an increasing range of platforms, both server and client, he says. At the server end there is a variety of hardware and of software frameworks for the development of e-commerce solutions, and on the client side the emergence of non-PC platforms like cellphones and PDAs.