I agree that a developer product inherently has a smaller market than an end-user product, but Symantec is a small company, and with the pro version selling for $500, there is more leverage per unit sale. As to the size of the Java developer market, this is a quote from PC Week Online, October 28, 1996:
"Despite Java's immaturity, it has caught the attention of most ISVs large and small alike--along with corporate developers, many of whom are devoting significant programming resources to prototype Java projects.
The number of Java developers, currently at 200,000, will quadruple by the turn of the century, predicts Evan Quinn, an analyst with International Data Corp., in Framingham, Mass."
If Symantec manages to hold their lead and capture a significant share of this market, I believe it will have a significant impact on their growth and bottom line. I don't know their plans, but there is a lot of potential for add-on type Java products, also. Also, the new "visual" part of their line is user-friendly enough that non-hardcore developers may try their hand at it, too.
Just a few thoughts to put my previous Java message in perspective.
Marian Dieter |
