---
title: "Rational Software: AI company profile, people and coverage"
description: "Rational Machines was an enterprise founded by Paul Levy and Mike Devlin in 1981 to provide tools to expand the use of modern software engineering practices, particularly explicit modular architecture and iterative development. 1 billion to IBM on February 21, 2003."
canonical: https://monitor.paciva.ai/company-rational-software
type: Organization
wikidata: Q1493633
wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_Software
source: AI News Monitor
publisher: Paciva
license: CC BY 4.0 for this page's own layer; facts from Wikidata (CC0 1.0)
---

# Rational Software

> Rational Machines was an enterprise founded by Paul Levy and Mike Devlin in 1981 to provide tools to expand the use of modern software engineering practices, particularly explicit modular architecture and iterative development. 1 billion to IBM on February 21, 2003.

Read on the web: https://monitor.paciva.ai/company-rational-software

## Facts

- Category: Artificial intelligence
- Founded: 1981-01-01
- Dissolved: 2003-01-01
- Status: closed
- Also known as: IBM Rational, IBM Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software, Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software

## Accounts

- x: https://x.com/ibmrational
- facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibmrational

## Key people

- Mike Devlin, founder (American businessman)
- Grady Booch (American software engineer)

## Ownership

Parent: [IBM](https://monitor.paciva.ai/company-ibm.md)

## Products

- software

## Coverage on the Monitor

Every article, podcast, video and market the Monitor holds on Rational Software, dated and linked to its publisher: https://monitor.paciva.ai/company-rational-software#connections

## Sources

- Facts: Wikidata (CC0 1.0), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1493633, read 2026-11-11
- Summary: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_Software

Part of [AI Companies](https://monitor.paciva.ai/companies.md), the Monitor's directory of every AI company on file.