Successful software product line development in a small organization. A case study

This report details the experience of a small company, Market Maker Software AG of Kaiserslautern, Germany, as they adopted and used the paradigm of software product lines to help their business grow successfully into a new market area. While software product lines are often associated with large, traditional software organizations, the experience of Market Maker and other small companies like it shows that software product lines represent an ideal development concept for companies of all sizes. This case study reports on the history of the company, how it came to adopt product lines as its prominent development strategy, the role of the key individuals involved, and how they met and overcame various technical challenges. The report concludes with a section analyzing the Market Maker approach.