Sparx Systems: Value-driven Solutions Welcomed by Global Markets

International Data Corporation’s findings on Sparx Systems show sound pricing strategies and feature-rich products generate sustainable, long-term growth on a world-wide scale.

Creswick, Australia, June 20, 2007 – Sparx Systems today announced the publication of International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Vendor Spotlight report. The report focuses on Sparx Systems’ position as an innovative contributor to the competitive Model Driven Development (MDD) tools market.

Sparx Systems’ goal of providing a world-class, high-end modeling and design environment at a sensible price is both validated and applauded by the report which recognizes that “marrying the volume pricing strategy with appealing product features… promote[s] wide adoption and use of its software.” The Vendor Profiling section of the report in particular highlights the company’s commitment to product development. Findings confirm that strong customer focus achieves long-term customer loyalty, while low marketing and sales overheads are instrumental to Sparx continually achieving profitability targets. IDC found that the company reinvests heavily into research and development, with a majority of its workforce dedicated to product development.

IDC also applauded Sparx’s commitment to customer-driven development and closely following industry trends. “Sparx strives to address the various challenges faced before, during and after the development process – throughout the entire software lifecycle,” says CEO Geoffrey Sparks. “As software developers ourselves, we know that to be truly efficient, teams must be able to communicate effectively. Our competitive pricing structure reflects this and allows every member of a team direct access to up-to-date models and information, which greatly reduces communication issues and can significantly increase a team’s efficiency.”

The “highly efficient” Sparx distribution model addresses global markets by leveraging the Internet Channel, delivering products through a web-based e-store. Keeping overheads low allows a very attractive pricing structure, and thereby enables consistent profitability in this extremely competitive market. IDC also lauded the Sparx Systems online support services as exemplifying excellent value. Of significant note to larger corporations is the network of value-added resellers and partners that “complement local operations”, by delivering first-rate services to meet the specific needs of corporate customers.

While investigating the current markets for MDD tools, IDC acknowledged that a staggering majority, some 95%, of Sparx’s customers are offshore. Presently, the Sparx brand profile within Australia is relatively low; yet Sparx has attracted customers from over 60 different countries which the IDC report recognized as “a significant achievement.” The majority of Sparx’s customers are based in Europe and North America and the client base includes a substantial number of Forbes Global 2000 companies. IDC remarked that the Sparx pricing philosophy and volume-driven approach “builds the foundation within a large, committed user base.”

Furthermore, the report concedes that MDD tools are “most promising for creating reusable components, enterprise services and mobile applications efficiently.” In addition, it submits that increasing pressure to find affordable, efficient and flexible solutions will drive the market for model-driven software development tools, as will greater and more complex development requirements. The MDD market projection is touted by the report to grow steadily in the coming decade, which revealed “significant new demand for modeling tools, driven by MDD’s evolution… as the focal point of application development.” The report forecasts that the Sparx UML suite, which includes Enterprise Architect and the Sparx MDG suite of products, has “potential for long-term growth” in the MDD software development tools markets. The versatility and excellent functionality of Enterprise Architect ensure its continued growth and popularity.

The Vendor Spotlight Report is available for download

About Sparx Systems

Sparx Systems specializes in high performance and scalable visual modeling tools for the planning, design and construction of software intensive systems. The company’s flagship product, Enterprise Architect, is the design tool of choice for over 100,000 registered users in more than 60 countries world wide.

With customers in industries ranging from aerospace and automotive engineering to finance, defense, government, entertainment and telecommunications, Sparx Systems is a leading vendor of innovative solutions based on the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and its related specifications. A Contributing Member of the Object Management Group (OMG), Sparx Systems is committed to realizing the potential of model-driven development based on open standards.