Boole & Babbage

Boole & Babbage was an American enterprise-software company founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1967. It began as K & K Associates, established by Ken Kolence and David Kaitch, and later adopted the Boole & Babbage name after receiving investment from Franklin “Pitch” Johnson. The name referred to George Boole and Charles Babbage, two nineteenth-century British thinkers whose work was associated with the development of modern logic, computation, and information technology. The company became an early Silicon Valley software venture and is described as the first software company in the region to receive venture-capital funding. Its initial business centered on software for monitoring IBM mainframe environments. One of its notable early capabilities was tracking computer usage by hours, helping organizations measure and manage expensive centralized computing resources. The company achieved significant early sales, but its operating costs later became difficult to sustain. In 1972, Bruce Coleman was appointed president to reduce expenses, and the company reached a more stable cost position by 1978. Boole & Babbage faced a major technology crisis in the 1980s when changes to IBM hardware and operating systems made some of its products obsolete. The company responded by developing new software, returning Coleman to the presidency, and pursuing a broader role in systems management. It went public during this period and expanded beyond its original mainframe-monitoring base. In 1990, it acquired Avant-Garde Computing, a company associated with network management, monitoring, and security products. This strengthened Boole & Babbage’s ability to address increasingly distributed enterprise environments rather than only traditional mainframes. A central product transition occurred with COMMAND/Post, introduced for client/server systems in 1990. The product became the company’s principal offering and reflected the industry’s shift from centralized mainframe architectures toward networks of servers and clients. Boole & Babbage also marketed its products through highly visible technology advertising. In 1993, it licensed Star Trek imagery from Paramount Pictures for campaigns supporting COMMAND/Post and MainView, including advertisements featuring Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker. By the late 1990s, the systems-management software market was increasingly shaped by larger vendors with greater resources and broader product portfolios. Boole & Babbage struggled to compete independently. In October 1998, its board agreed to a stock-based acquisition by BMC Software. The transaction was completed in March 1999, bringing the company to an end as an independent corporate entity. Boole & Babbage is historically notable as an early specialist in systems management and as one of the older companies in that field.

Boole & Babbage originated in 1967 in Palo Alto, California, as K & K Associates, founded by Ken Kolence and David Kaitch. The company started with three employees and worked on software for monitoring IBM mainframe computers. After investment from Franklin “Pitch” Johnson, it changed its name to Boole & Babbage. The new name invoked George Boole and Charles Babbage, reflecting the company’s association with computing and information technology. The business was an early Silicon Valley software venture and became the first software company in the region to receive venture-capital financing, according to the company’s historical account. Its main product monitored mainframe activity and introduced the ability to track usage by hours. Although the company generated substantial early sales, expenses exceeded profits by 1972. Bruce Coleman was brought in as president to improve financial discipline. The expense-reduction effort had succeeded by 1978, after which Coleman left the company. The company later experienced a serious product and technology setback. Upgrades to IBM hardware made some of its software obsolete, bringing it close to bankruptcy. During the 1980s, Boole & Babbage developed replacement products and became a public company. Another disruption followed IBM’s 1984 operating-system changes, which again rendered several products obsolete. Coleman returned as president as the company worked to recover and reposition itself. Boole & Babbage increasingly pursued systems management across distributed computing environments. In 1990 it introduced COMMAND/Post for client/server systems. The product soon became the company’s leading offering and represented a shift away from a purely mainframe-centered business. That same year, Boole & Babbage acquired Avant-Garde Computing, adding network-management, monitoring, and security capabilities in both software and hardware. Marketing was also part of the company’s effort to distinguish its products. At the 1993 Computer Measurement Group annual conference, Boole & Babbage announced a two-year agreement with Paramount Pictures to use Star Trek imagery in advertising for COMMAND/Post and MainView. The campaign used Jonathan Frakes in his role as Commander William Riker, including creative filmed or staged around the USS Enterprise bridge setting. During the late 1990s, larger technology companies increasingly dominated the systems-management market. Boole & Babbage found it difficult to compete at the necessary scale. In October 1998, its board approved an acquisition by BMC Software through a stock swap. The transaction closed in March 1999. The acquisition ended Boole & Babbage as an independent company, although its products and technology became part of the broader systems-management portfolio associated with BMC Software.

• 1999

  Acquisition completed

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  BMC Software completed the transaction in March, ending Boole & Babbage’s independent corporate operation.

• 1998

  BMC Software acquisition approved

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Boole & Babbage’s board approved a stock-swap acquisition by BMC Software.

• 1993

  Star Trek advertising partnership announced

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced a two-year licensing arrangement with Paramount Pictures for Star Trek imagery in advertising for COMMAND/Post and MainView.

• 1990

  COMMAND/Post introduced

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Boole & Babbage launched COMMAND/Post for client/server systems; it subsequently became the company’s main product.

• 1990

  Avant-Garde Computing acquired

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition expanded Boole & Babbage’s network-management, monitoring, and security capabilities.

• 1984

  IBM operating-system changes create product obsolescence

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Changes in IBM operating systems made several Boole & Babbage products obsolete, prompting a leadership return by Bruce Coleman and a product-development response.

• 1972

  Expense-reduction program begins

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Coleman became president after operating expenses outpaced profits.

• 1967

  Company founded as K & K Associates

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Ken Kolence and David Kaitch founded the three-person company in Palo Alto, California.

• Renamed Boole & Babbage after venture investment

  [1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  Following investment from Franklin “Pitch” Johnson, the company adopted the Boole & Babbage name and became an early venture-backed Silicon Valley software company.

Enterprise systems-management software specialist focused on monitoring, measuring, and managing mainframe, client/server, network, and security environments.

• Mainframe systems management · 1967

  Mainframe monitoring package

  Boole & Babbage’s original core offering monitored IBM mainframe environments and helped customers measure computer usage. Its ability to track usage by hours addressed the operational and cost-management needs of organizations that relied on centralized computing. The product family established the company as an early specialist in systems monitoring.

• Client/server systems management · 1990

  COMMAND/Post

  Introduced in 1990, COMMAND/Post was designed for client/server computing environments. It became Boole & Babbage’s principal product as enterprise technology moved beyond traditional mainframes toward distributed networks of servers and user workstations. Its role in the company’s advertising also made it one of the brand’s most visible offerings.

• Systems monitoring and management

  MainView

  MainView was marketed alongside COMMAND/Post in Boole & Babbage’s 1993 Star Trek-themed advertising. It represented the company’s broader systems-management portfolio and its continuing focus on monitoring and controlling enterprise computing environments.

• Network management, monitoring, and security

  Avant-Garde Computing product portfolio

  Through its 1990 acquisition of Avant-Garde Computing, Boole & Babbage added products covering network management, monitoring, and security software and hardware. The acquisition broadened the company’s capabilities as enterprise computing became more distributed.

• 1993Star Trek systems-management advertising

  United States

  Boole & Babbage licensed Star Trek imagery from Paramount Pictures for a two-year advertising program promoting COMMAND/Post and MainView. Jonathan Frakes appeared as Commander William Riker, including creative associated with the USS Enterprise bridge.

  Outcome. The campaign gave the company a high-profile science-fiction and enterprise-technology association; the available reference does not provide performance metrics.

  Source

• 1998

  Agreement to be acquired by BMC SoftwareM&A

  Background

  By the late 1990s, larger technology companies were putting pressure on independent systems-management vendors.

  Action taken

  The board approved a stock-swap acquisition by BMC Software.

  Aftermath

  The transaction closed in March 1999 and ended Boole & Babbage as an independent company.

  Source

• 1990

  Launch of COMMAND/PostProduct launch

  Background

  The company needed to address the growth of client/server computing and reduce reliance on products tied to older mainframe environments.

  Action taken

  Boole & Babbage introduced COMMAND/Post for client/server systems and made it a central product in its portfolio.

  Aftermath

  COMMAND/Post soon became the company’s main product and featured in later advertising.

  Source

• 1990

  Acquisition of Avant-Garde ComputingM&A

  Background

  Boole & Babbage sought broader capabilities as networked and distributed computing expanded.

  Action taken

  The company acquired Avant-Garde Computing, adding network-management, monitoring, and security products.

  Aftermath

  The transaction broadened Boole & Babbage beyond its traditional mainframe-monitoring base.

  Source

• 1999

  BMC Software completes acquisition of Boole & Babbage[1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The previously announced stock transaction was completed, ending Boole & Babbage’s existence as an independent company.

• 1998

  Boole & Babbage agrees to acquisition by BMC Software[1]Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The company’s board agreed to a stock-swap acquisition by BMC Software as competition in the systems-management market intensified.

1. 1Boole & Babbageen.wikipedia.org