Objectory AB

Objectory AB was a Swedish software company associated with the development and commercialization of Objectory, an object-oriented software development method. The company was founded in 1987 by Ivar Jacobson and grew out of work connected with Ericsson's software engineering practices, often referred to as the Ericsson Approach. Objectory extended that approach into a more systematic method for analyzing, designing, and implementing object-oriented software. The method was notable for bringing together several modeling concepts that later became influential in software engineering. These included state charts, activity diagrams, and sequence diagrams, as well as a use-case-oriented way of describing system behavior and user requirements. Objectory therefore occupied an important position in the transition from procedural software development toward object-oriented analysis and design. Its contribution was methodological rather than centered on a mass-market software product: the company's value lay in its development process, modeling techniques, consulting expertise, and associated intellectual property. In 1991, Ericsson acquired a substantial stake in Objectory Systems. Following that transaction, the company became known as Objectory AB and operated as an Ericsson subsidiary. Ericsson's involvement connected Objectory's methods with the engineering needs and resources of a major telecommunications company, while also giving the Objectory approach wider visibility in professional software development. Objectory AB was later acquired by Rational Software Corporation in 1995. The transaction placed the Objectory method and its creators within Rational's broader software engineering portfolio. Objectory's concepts subsequently contributed to the evolution of the Rational Unified Process and to the broader body of work associated with object-oriented software engineering. The company's independent corporate identity did not remain the principal vehicle for the method after the Rational acquisition, and its later status as a standalone organization is not established by the available reference material.

Objectory AB emerged from Swedish software engineering work connected with Ericsson. Its origins are associated with Ivar Jacobson, who founded the company in 1987. The organization was initially known as Objectory Systems and focused on formalizing an object-oriented approach to software development. At a time when software projects were increasingly becoming larger and more complex, Objectory sought to provide engineers with a repeatable way to capture requirements, model system behavior, and organize software design around objects and their interactions. The Objectory method extended what was known as the Ericsson Approach, a modeling language developed at Ericsson. Its technical vocabulary included state charts, activity diagrams, and sequence diagrams. These constructs helped teams describe dynamic behavior, workflows, and interactions between system components. The method also became associated with use-case-oriented requirements analysis, although the available reference material identifies the company's broader contribution as object-oriented program design and does not provide a complete account of every version or publication of the method. The company's relationship with Ericsson deepened in 1991, when Ericsson purchased a substantial amount of the stake in Objectory Systems. After the investment, the company adopted the name Objectory AB and became an Ericsson subsidiary. This change was significant because it moved Objectory from an independent specialist venture into the corporate structure of a major telecommunications and technology company. Ericsson's participation provided an industrial setting in which the method could be applied and developed, while Objectory retained its identity as a center for software engineering methodology. Objectory AB's independent corporate history changed again in 1995, when Rational Software Corporation acquired the subsidiary. Rational was building a portfolio around professional software development processes and tools, making Objectory's methods relevant to its wider strategy. The acquisition transferred Objectory's intellectual and methodological legacy into Rational's organization rather than leaving it as a separate long-term corporate brand. Objectory's influence extended beyond the lifespan of its standalone company. Its approach became part of the historical development of object-oriented software engineering and contributed to later work associated with the Rational Unified Process. In that sense, Objectory is best understood as both a Swedish software company and a software engineering method whose concepts helped shape modern development-process literature. The available sources do not establish a current standalone operating structure, product catalog, headquarters beyond Sweden, or a separate website.

• 1995

  Rational Software acquisition

  [1]Objectory ABen.wikipedia.org

  Rational Software Corporation acquired Objectory AB, integrating its software engineering methodology into Rational's broader portfolio.

• 1991

  Ericsson takes a substantial stake

  [1]Objectory ABen.wikipedia.org

  Ericsson acquired a substantial stake in Objectory Systems. The company was subsequently renamed Objectory AB and became an Ericsson subsidiary.

• 1987

  Objectory Systems is founded

  [1]Objectory ABen.wikipedia.org

  Ivar Jacobson founded Objectory Systems in Sweden to develop and promote an object-oriented software development approach.

A specialist software engineering company focused on object-oriented analysis, design, modeling, and development methods rather than consumer software products.

• Software development method · 1987

  Objectory

  Objectory was an object-oriented software development method developed by Objectory Systems and later Objectory AB. It extended the Ericsson Approach and provided a structured way to analyze, design, and describe software systems. Its modeling concepts included state charts, activity diagrams, and sequence diagrams. Rather than being a conventional end-user software package, Objectory was a professional methodology intended for software engineers and development organizations.

• 1995

  Rational Software acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Objectory AB had become an Ericsson subsidiary and was known for its object-oriented software development method.

  Action taken

  Rational Software Corporation acquired Objectory AB.

  Aftermath

  Objectory's methods and expertise became part of Rational's software engineering activities and later contributed to the historical development of the Rational Unified Process.

  Source

• 1991

  Ericsson investment and corporate reorganizationM&A

  Background

  Objectory Systems was operating as a specialist software engineering company whose method had roots in Ericsson-related development work.

  Action taken

  Ericsson purchased a substantial amount of the company's stake. Objectory Systems was then renamed Objectory AB and became an Ericsson subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The transaction placed Objectory within Ericsson and broadened the corporate context for its object-oriented development methods.

  Source

1. 1Objectory ABen.wikipedia.org