TCS unveils MasterCraft

BANGALORE: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has launched MasterCraft, which

the company claimed to be the world’s first comprehensive software development

tool. TCS chief executive officer S Ramadorai said that MasterCraft would enable

systematic execution and management of large software development projects much

more efficiently. A typical installation of MasterCraft will cost around

$150,000.

"It has been designed to address key global information technology

issues such as technology change. Software companies, corporates with IT

departments and players in the insurance, financial services and other core

sectors world-wide are expected to buy into the MasterCraft concept," added

Mr. Ramadorai.

This development tool automates primarily the design and construction

functions in the software development process, which includes generation of

code, thereby enhancing productivity -- typically by four to five times over

that of manual coding. The global market for this software is estimated between

$5-8 bn.

MasterCraft operates on multiple-technologies and has cross-platform

compatibility at hardware, operating system and database levels, code can be

generated in C++ and Java. The range of platforms, which includes IBM

mainframes, Windows NT, Linux and Solaris, is being widened on an on-going

basis, the company said.






Explaining the logic behind packaging and selling a product in the open market,
Mr Ramdorai said that in the era of open standards, it was advisable to have

one’s products being used by all and sundry, including the competition, by

making it available first, thus gaining crucial market-share. "Or else, we

will be forced to use the competitors’ products sooner or later," he

added.