What BD Software does

BD Software is a privately-held, sole-proprietor professional services firm operating from the Metropolitan Boston area (North Reading, MA), founded in 1978-1979 by Leor Zolman. The company's core offering is instructor-led programming training delivered to corporate clients either on-site or via Zoom, covering C, C++ (legacy C++98 and modern C++11/14), Unix/Linux, Perl, Java, and STL. Training is priced on a per-course flat-fee basis (ranging from $12,000 to $28,000 for 2-5 day engagements covering up to 20 attendees), with travel billed separately outside the Boston metro area and optional printed materials available for an additional per-attendee fee.

The firm complements its training services with a portfolio of open-source developer tools, most notably STLFilt (STL Error Decryptor), a Perl-based utility that simplifies cryptic C++ Standard Template Library compiler errors across nine compilers including MSVC, gcc, Intel, Borland, Comeau, Metrowerks CodeWarrior, Digital Mars, and EDG. STLFilt integrates with ActivePerl, STLport, and Dinkum libraries, and is distributed as freeware to reinforce the firm's reputation within the C++ community. Legacy heritage includes BDS C, a C compiler originally released in 1979 for CP/M-80.

BD Software's business model is straightforward professional services: course fees plus travel reimbursement, with no SaaS, subscription, or recurring revenue layer. The company has no institutional investors, no parent company, and operates without disclosed revenue or headcount figures beyond an 11-50 employee range. Named enterprise customers include Qualcomm, Sapient Inc., and Boston Technology. Content differentiation rests on licensed use of Scott Meyers' Effective C++ courseware and Dan Saks' C++ materials, while competitive positioning leverages Leor Zolman's 40+ years of software industry experience and personal relationships with C++ standards community leaders.

Name

BD Software

Legal name

BD Software

Website

https://bdsoft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BD Software is a Boston-area sole-proprietor firm providing on-site and Zoom-based instructor-led training in C, C++, Unix/Linux, and Perl to enterprise and mid-market technical teams, supplemented by the open-source STLFilt C++ error-decryption tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Programming Training Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Software Engineering & Application Development Training (Languages, Frameworks, Testing) (BPAEANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Software Development (Programming, Frameworks, Dev Tools) (EDABAFAA), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Product Management (Core) (EDABAHAC)

Keywords

• C++ programming training
• Software development courses
• STL error decryption tools
• Corporate programming training
• Open-source developer tools

Headquarters

HQ city

North Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instructor-Led Training Services: BD Software generates revenue through fee-per-course training engagements. Pricing is based on course duration (2-5 days) and geographic location, with a flat instruction fee covering up to 20 attendees. Optional physical course materials are available for an additional per-attendee fee. Travel expenses are billed separately for on-site training outside Metropolitan Boston area. The company offers Zoom-based training as an alternative delivery method.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BD Software delivers expert instructor-led programming training in C, C++ (legacy/C++98 and modern/C++11/14), STL, Java, Perl, and Unix/Linux, provided on-site at client locations or via Zoom. The training is led personally by founder Leor Zolman and uses courseware licensed from recognized authors such as Scott Meyers and Dan Saks. The company also distributes free open-source C++ developer tools (STLFilt, STL Container Initialization Library, Proxy Compilers, STLTask) that support the broader C++ development community.

Product overview

BD Software, operated by Leor Zolman, offers a focused portfolio of developer tools and programming training services. The core product is STLFilt (STL Error Decryptor), an open-source freeware tool that simplifies cryptic C++ STL compiler error messages across 9 different C++ compilers including MSVC, gcc, Comeau, Intel, Borland, and Digital Mars. Complementing this are on-site instructor-led training seminars in C, C++ (both legacy/C++98 and modern/C++11/14), Unix/Linux, and Perl programming. Training courses are authored or co-authored by recognized experts including Scott Meyers (Effective C++ series), Dan Saks, and Leor Zolman himself. The company also maintains historical products like BDS C (a 1979 C compiler) for heritage purposes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On-Site C++ Training Instructor-led C++ programming training delivered at client locations or via Zoom by Leor Zolman, covering both legacy C++ (C++98) and modern C++ (C++11/14) topics for enterprise and mid-market engineering teams.
• Effective C++ Training A 4- or 5-day lecture-only course based on Scott Meyers' Effective C++ book series, teaching rules of thumb for designing and implementing correct, efficient, portable, maintainable, and extensible C++ software for developer audiences.
• Effective STL Training A 4-day hands-on course teaching the C++ Standard Template Library, written by Scott Meyers, covering STL containers, iterators, algorithms, and function objects through lectures and lab exercises for C++ developers.
• C++ and Object-Oriented Programming Training A 5-day course by Dan Saks teaching C++ as a practical tool for program modularity, extensibility, and robustness, using hands-on exercises and larger examples to teach object-oriented features in context for developers.
• C Programming Training A 5-day hands-on course teaching C programming language syntax and idioms to programmers experienced in other languages, with focus on pointers, arrays, and C-specific design patterns.
• Unix/Linux/Perl Training Training in Unix fundamentals, Korn shell programming, and Perl scripting for Unix/Linux users and administrators, delivered on-site by Leor Zolman.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Scott MeyersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Meyers, author of the seminal Effective C++ book series, has authorized BD Software to use his courseware for training delivery. Leor Zolman presents Meyers' materials including Effective C++, More Effective C++, and Effective STL courses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large-scale online learning platform offering individual courses and credentials in C, C++, and software engineering from universities and industry partners. Reaches the same developer audience as BD Software through a fundamentally different delivery model.
• Learning Tree International: Established global IT and software development training company with on-site, public, and virtual options for programming languages including C, C++, and Java; comparable in delivery style and corporate audience to BD Software.
• O'Reilly Media: Long-established technical publisher and learning platform with deep coverage of C, C++, Unix/Linux, and Perl through books, videos, and live online training. Overlaps with BD Software as a training resource for software engineers and competes for the same corporate learning budgets.
• Udemy: Marketplace for affordable online programming courses including extensive C/C++/STL content. Competes for budget-conscious corporate training spend and for individual developer upskilling.

Direct peers

• DevelopIntelligence: Corporate technical training provider specializing in C++, Java, modern web, and DevOps courses delivered on-site and remotely; directly competes for the same enterprise training budget as BD Software with a roster of multiple instructors.
• Big Nerd Ranch: Boutique instructor-led software development training firm with on-site and guided boot camps; sells premium hands-on training to enterprise engineering teams in a model closely comparable to BD Software's instructor-led corporate engagements.

Emerging players

• Pluralsight: Online technology learning platform with extensive C++, Java, and software development course libraries. Competes with BD Software as an alternative channel for developers seeking programming skill development, albeit through subscription self-paced video rather than instructor-led delivery.
• CppCon Training Classes: Pre-conference training classes held alongside the CppCon C++ conference, drawing instructors from the same C++ expert community as BD Software. Targets the same expert-led training market segment.

Regional players

• Linux Foundation Training: Official training arm of the Linux Foundation offering courses on Linux, Kubernetes, and adjacent programming/system administration skills. Overlaps with BD Software's Unix/Linux training and competes for corporate engineering training dollars.

Others

• GitHub Learning Lab: Free interactive coding and developer skills platform integrated into the GitHub ecosystem. Adjacent training resource for software developers seeking to expand technical skills; competes indirectly with BD Software for corporate learning attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hotchili.bd

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 BD Software