CollabNet Acquires Danube, Expands Agile Development Offerings

Agile is a set of software programming methodologies that emphasize iterative development by cross-functional teams, an alternative to traditional "waterfall" development methodologies. Scrums are development frameworks that incorporate the Agile philosophy.

The addition of Danube's technology to CollabNet's flagship application life-cycle management platform, CollabNet TeamForge, will help businesses unite their fractured development projects, said CollabNet CEO Bill Portelli in an interview.

The terms of the acquisition weren't disclosed.

Along with its ScrumWorks Pro software for managing distributed development teams, Danube offers a range of Agile-related training, certification and consulting services. Portelli said acquiring the Danube software and services makes CollabNet, based in Brisbane, Calif., a leader in the emerging Agile ALM market.

CollabNet will continue to sell ScrumWorks as a separate product. But customers also will be able to buy CollabNet TeamForge, ScrumWorks and CollabNet Subversion -- the latter CollabNet's software configuration management tool -- as a single package when the products are fully integrated by the middle of the second quarter, Portelli said.

Many of CollabNet's customers already use its development tools combined with the Danube software. "A few of our customers have done their own custom integration of these tools." Portelli said.

CollabNet sells its products using both inside direct sales and resellers in commercial and federal government markets that provide software integration services around the tools. Danube President Lazlo Szalvay called ScrumWorks "an extremely channel-ready product" that should appeal to CollabNet's channel partners.