ZeroTurnaround

ZeroTurnaround was an Estonian software company that developed tools intended to make Java application development faster and less disruptive. Its best-known product, JRebel, was an integrated development environment plugin that allowed developers to update application code without repeatedly rebuilding and redeploying the entire application. The company described this capability as hotpatching or dynamic application reloading, addressing a persistent productivity problem in Java Enterprise Edition development. The company originated in Tartu, where Jevgeni Kabanov and Toomas Römer met while working at Webmedia, an Estonian information-technology services company now known as Nortal. They began working on the underlying technology in 2007. The project was also connected to Kabanov's doctoral research at the University of Tartu, conducted under the supervision of Varmo Vene, head of the university's Institute of Computer Science. This combination of academic research and commercial software development helped shape the company's focus on runtime code modification and developer efficiency. ZeroTurnaround was formally spun out with financial support from Webmedia in 2009. David Booth, whom the founders met at industry conferences, initially joined as a marketing consultant in January 2009 and became chief executive officer by March of that year. Under this leadership, the company commercialized its Java tooling internationally. By 2014, Kabanov stated that the products were being used by approximately 3,500 organizations in 80 countries, indicating that the company had developed a substantial global customer base despite its Estonian origin. The product portfolio expanded beyond JRebel. LiveRebel was introduced as a deployment-management tool for live applications, supporting rollout and rollback operations through a proprietary code-versioning system. Unlike JRebel, which focused primarily on developer workflow, LiveRebel addressed operational deployment concerns. LiveRebel was discontinued in 2014. In March 2013, ZeroTurnaround acquired Javeleon, a Java productivity-tools company spun out of the Maersk McKinney Moller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark. The acquisition broadened the company's Java development technology base. ZeroTurnaround raised outside capital as it expanded. Reported financing included seed funding from Webmedia, a Series A round led by Bain Capital Ventures, additional Bain-led investment in January 2014, and a loan from Western Technology Investment in March 2014. The company was acquired by Rogue Wave Software on November 29, 2017. In January 2019, Perforce acquired Rogue Wave, including the former ZeroTurnaround product portfolio and JRebel. Following those transactions, ZeroTurnaround ceased to operate as an independent company, while its technology became part of larger enterprise-software portfolios.

ZeroTurnaround emerged from a software project developed in Tartu, Estonia, by Jevgeni Kabanov and Toomas Römer. The founders met at Webmedia, an Estonian IT-services provider now called Nortal, and began collaborating on the project in 2007. The work addressed the slow feedback cycle common in Java Enterprise Edition development, where even modest code changes could require lengthy build, restart, and redeployment processes. The project had both commercial and academic dimensions. It formed part of Kabanov's doctoral work at the University of Tartu, supervised by Varmo Vene, the head of the university's Institute of Computer Science. The resulting technology enabled runtime modification of Java applications, a capability the company later marketed as hotpatching or dynamic application reloading. Webmedia provided seed support, and the project was spun out as ZeroTurnaround in 2009. David Booth joined as a marketing consultant in January 2009 after meeting the founders at industry conferences and became chief executive officer by March. The company then developed an international market for JRebel, its principal Java development plugin. JRebel integrated with development environments and reduced the need for repeated full application builds and redeployments. By 2014, the company reported that its tools were used by about 3,500 organizations in 80 countries. ZeroTurnaround also developed LiveRebel, a production deployment tool designed to support application rollout and rollback. It used proprietary code-versioning technology and complemented JRebel by focusing on live application operations rather than only developer-side iteration. LiveRebel was discontinued in 2014. The company expanded its technical portfolio through the acquisition of Javeleon on March 19, 2013. Javeleon had been spun out of the Maersk McKinney Moller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark and specialized in productivity tools for Java developers. ZeroTurnaround financed its growth through Webmedia seed funding, a Series A investment led by Bain Capital Ventures, further Bain-led investment reported in January 2014, and a loan from Western Technology Investment in March 2014. The company was acquired by Rogue Wave Software on November 29, 2017. In January 2019, Perforce acquired Rogue Wave, including the former ZeroTurnaround software products and JRebel. These transactions ended ZeroTurnaround's independent corporate existence and transferred its technologies into successor companies' software portfolios.

• 2019

  Perforce acquires successor portfolio

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  Perforce acquired Rogue Wave Software, including legacy ZeroTurnaround products such as JRebel.

• 2017

  Acquisition by Rogue Wave Software

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  Rogue Wave Software acquired ZeroTurnaround on November 29.

• 2014

  Reported international adoption and LiveRebel discontinuation

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  The company reported use of its products by approximately 3,500 organizations in 80 countries. LiveRebel was discontinued during the year.

• 2013

  Javeleon acquisition

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  ZeroTurnaround announced the acquisition of Javeleon, a Java developer-productivity software company.

• 2009

  ZeroTurnaround is spun out

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  The project became a company with support from Webmedia. David Booth joined as a marketing consultant in January and became chief executive by March.

• 2007

  Founding project begins in Tartu

  [1]ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org

  Jevgeni Kabanov and Toomas Römer began developing the Java productivity technology that later became ZeroTurnaround.

Developer productivity software focused on reducing Java build, restart, redeployment, and application-release friction.

• Java development productivity tool

  JRebel

  JRebel was ZeroTurnaround's flagship Java development tool. Delivered as an integrated development environment plugin, it allowed developers to apply many code changes to running applications without completing the conventional build and redeployment cycle. The product targeted Java and Java Enterprise Edition teams seeking faster feedback during development. Its runtime reloading capability was marketed as hotpatching or dynamic application reloading and became the company's best-known commercial technology.

• Application deployment management

  LiveRebel

  LiveRebel was a deployment-oriented product for live applications. It supported rollout and rollback operations and relied on a proprietary code-versioning facility. Whereas JRebel primarily improved developer iteration, LiveRebel focused on managing changes in production environments. The product was discontinued in 2014.

• 2019

  Transfer of legacy products to PerforceM&A

  Background

  Perforce acquired Rogue Wave Software and its portfolio of application-development products.

  Action taken

  Perforce acquired Rogue Wave, including legacy ZeroTurnaround products such as JRebel.

  Aftermath

  The former ZeroTurnaround technology entered Perforce's product portfolio.

  Source

• 2017

  Sell the company to Rogue Wave SoftwareM&A

  Background

  ZeroTurnaround pursued a corporate transaction after developing an international Java-tools business.

  Action taken

  Rogue Wave Software acquired ZeroTurnaround on November 29, 2017.

  Aftermath

  ZeroTurnaround became part of Rogue Wave Software and no longer operated as an independent company.

  Source

• 2014

  Discontinue LiveRebelOther

  Background

  LiveRebel was ZeroTurnaround's tool for live-application rollout and rollback.

  Action taken

  ZeroTurnaround discontinued LiveRebel.

  Aftermath

  The company's product emphasis remained associated primarily with JRebel and Java development productivity.

  Source

• 2013

  Acquire JaveleonM&A

  Background

  ZeroTurnaround sought to expand its Java developer-productivity technology portfolio.

  Action taken

  The company acquired Javeleon, a software business originating from the Maersk McKinney Moller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark.

  Aftermath

  The transaction added Javeleon's Java productivity tools to ZeroTurnaround's portfolio.

  Source

1. 1ZeroTurnarounden.wikipedia.org