Surround Technologies

What Surround Technologies does

Surround Technologies, LLC is a privately held, bootstrapped software development tools and professional services company founded in 1997 and formally incorporated in Florida around 2015. The company develops and sells Accelerator, a code-generation platform that automates the creation of Windows, Web, and Mobile applications using the Microsoft .NET technology stack (ASP.NET MVC, WPF, Silverlight). Its primary differentiator is the ability to generate n-tiered, service-oriented, loosely coupled, modular applications without coding, including a specialized capability for modernizing legacy IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) and IBM System z systems with 5250 green-screen UI reuse that preserves existing RPG programs. The platform integrates with Microsoft Office, MS Dynamics, SharePoint, SQL Server, and Azure, and includes built-in modules such as Business Objects and Services (BOS), Application and Website CMS, and a Secure Messaging Application Plugin.

The company's revenue model combines perpetual developer licenses (single developer at $3,850 with volume discounts; unlimited at $81,000), annual subscription-based production server licenses (Enterprise Application Server and Website/Portal Server with tiered user pricing), annual maintenance at 25% of new license price, and professional services including strategy and discovery, custom software development, modernization, training, and mentoring. Surround Technologies operates with a remote-first, work-from-anywhere model with headquarters in Estero, Florida and a former operational hub in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Surround serves enterprise customers across retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, food distribution, energy/utilities, healthcare/fitness, and arts/culture (named logos include Kmart, Verizon, Seaboard, Sherrill Furniture, CAGI, WREC, Breakthru, MOMA, and Longa-Porro), with specialized pricing tiers for government and education segments. Distribution is primarily direct through website free trials, hosted demo applications for self-service evaluation, and enterprise consulting-led sales. The company has public recognition through back-to-back COMMON UI Modernization Challenge wins in 2016 and 2017, and strategic partnerships with Microsoft, Agilysys NV, looksoftware, and Newlook. No external funding has been disclosed, and the company is founder/management-owned.

Name

Surround Technologies

Legal name

Surround Technologies, LLC

Website

https://surroundtech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surround Technologies is a privately held, bootstrapped software firm that develops Accelerator, a low-code platform for generating Windows, Web, and Mobile .NET applications and modernizing legacy IBM i and IBM System z systems, serving enterprise customers across multiple industries plus government and education segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Estero

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: Accelerator is sold as a developer license with perpetual licensing model. Single developer licenses and volume pricing are available along with unlimited developer license options. The company generates revenue from both new licenses and upgrade purchases.
2. Production End-User Licenses: Enterprise Application Server and Website/Portal Server production licenses are sold per user or in tiered bundles. First 5 users free with development license purchase for Enterprise Application Server. First 200 users free for Website and Portal Server.
3. Maintenance and Support: Annual maintenance program offered at 25% of new license price providing free upgrades, technical support, volume discount accumulation, and one master key for license management.
4. Professional Services: Consulting services including strategy and discovery, custom software development, software modernization, training, and mentoring services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Surround Technologies sells Accelerator, a proprietary .NET-based code generation platform that automates the development of Windows, Web, and Mobile applications by emitting n-tiered, service-oriented, loosely coupled, modular software from a no-code environment. The company also provides IBM i (AS/400, iSeries, System i) and IBM System z legacy modernization tools including 5250 UI reuse, alongside professional services for custom software development, software modernization, strategy/discovery, UX design, and training.

Product overview

Surround Technologies offers a unified product portfolio centered on Accelerator, a code-generation-based software development platform that enables rapid development of Windows, Web, and Mobile applications. The core Accelerator product provides n-tiered, service-oriented architecture generation with no coding required. Additional offerings include the open-source Accelerator for Visual LANSA, Universal FTP for IBM i (UFTP) for file transfer automation, and professional services including Strategy and Discovery, Custom Software Development, Software Modernization, User Experience Services, Training and Education, and Rapid Software Prototyping. The company also provides demo applications (Wide World Importers, Northwind Traders, EasyBuy Cycles, CloudServices24x7) showcasing Accelerator's capabilities. Built-in modules include Business Objects and Services (BOS), Application and Website CMS, and Secure Messaging Application Plugin. The platform integrates with Microsoft Office, MS Dynamics, SharePoint, Google/Bing Maps, and supports IBM i (AS/400, iSeries, System i) and IBM System z modernization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Accelerator: Core software development platform that automates and accelerates Windows, Web and Mobile software development
• Envision Universal FTP (UFTP)
• Accelerator for Visual LANSA

Products and services

• Accelerator Core proprietary .NET-based code generation platform that automates development of Windows, Web, and Mobile applications by emitting n-tiered, service-oriented, loosely coupled, modular software with no manual coding required. Targets enterprise development teams and IBM i/IBM System z modernization initiatives.
• Universal FTP for IBM i (UFTP) File transfer automation utility for IBM i and Windows environments that simplifies and automates data file transfers between local and remote hosts through packaged scripts.
• Strategy and Discovery Consulting service that analyzes and assesses an organization's application portfolio and develops strategy and roadmap for software modernization and development initiatives.
• Custom Software Development Professional service for building software specific to business needs, ranging from training and mentoring to complete turnkey application delivery.
• Software Modernization and Transformation Modernization and transformation services for legacy systems including IBM i, IBM System z, and Windows applications, including 5250 green-screen reuse and Web/Mobile interface delivery.
• User Experience Services User experience analysis and design services to help customers gain the greatest productivity from software applications.
• Training and Education Training and mentoring services covering Windows, Web, and Mobile development as well as Microsoft .NET training, teaching customers the company's development practices.
• Augmented Reality Solutions Augmented, virtual, and mixed reality solutions designed to enhance operational capabilities and business productivity for enterprise customers.
• Rapid Software Prototyping Service that creates real working software prototypes within days or hours to demonstrate business vision and build the business case for further investment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% or higher user productivity increase reported by customers using Accelerator-based applications

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Agilysys NV, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2010Extended partnership with Agilysys NV, LLC to accelerate implementation of their cloud computing strategy. Surround Technologies provides software development and modernization services to support Agilysys cloud initiatives.
• looksoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2010Partnership to create re:new Application Development Toolset. Companies could leverage framework-based generation to provide pure SOA-based applications through the combined solution.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccelerator is built on Microsoft .NET technology stack and generates Microsoft-compatible applications. Deep integration with Microsoft technologies including .NET Framework, SQL Server, Windows, Azure, Silverlight, WPF, and ASP.NET MVC.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mendix: Siemens-owned enterprise low-code platform covering web and mobile app development, legacy modernization, and multi-experience application delivery. Directly comparable in horizontal low-code positioning and competes with Surround for the same enterprise Rapid Application Development budget.
• Appian: Public enterprise low-code platform focused on process automation, case management, and custom application delivery for regulated industries. Comparable horizontal low-code positioning and competes with Surround on enterprise modernization RFPs.
• OutSystems: Established enterprise low-code platform for building web and mobile apps and modernizing legacy systems with strong visual development tooling. Targets the same enterprise app-delivery and modernization buyer as Surround, but at much greater scale and with significantly larger capital base.
• ServiceNow App Engine: ServiceNow's low-code development environment for building custom apps on the ServiceNow Now Platform, with workflow and integration primitives comparable to Surround's Business Objects and Services framework. Competes with Surround for enterprise in-house developer teams needing custom workflow and line-of-business apps.
• Pega: Enterprise low-code platform for workflow, case management, and customer engagement applications with a visual app-development studio. Comparable as a broad low-code/RAD incumbent competing for the same enterprise custom-application modernization budgets.
• Microsoft Power Apps: Microsoft's flagship low-code platform for building web and mobile apps across Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics, and SharePoint — Surround already integrates into this ecosystem. Competes with Surround for the same Microsoft-centric enterprise development buyer, with unsurpassed distribution and bundling leverage.

Direct peers

• LANSA: Long-standing low-code/RAD platform for enterprise and IBM i developers, with a Visual LANSA IDE that Surround once integrated via its (now open-source) Accelerator for Visual LANSA. Targets the same IBM i and cross-platform enterprise development buyer as Accelerator.
• Profound Logic: Specializes in IBM i modernization tools that expose RPG and legacy green-screen applications as web, mobile, and browser UIs. Directly comparable to Surround's 5250 UI reuse and Accelerator-for-IBM-i value proposition, serving the same IBM i developer and CIO buyer.
• GeneXus: Code-generation platform that automatically generates web, mobile, and desktop applications from a single model for multiple databases and platforms. Conceptually closest to Surround's "develop for Windows, Web and Mobile from one stack with no coding" Accelerator positioning.
• Fresche Solutions: IBM i and mainframe modernization vendor formed via the merger of looksoftware and Skyla — Surround's previous co-development partner on the re:new Application Development Toolset. Competes head-on with Surround for IBM i modernization, application assessment, and developer productivity engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SurroundTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/surroundtech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surround Technologies