OpenMake Software
OpenMake Software is a privately held DevOps software company focused on build automation and multi-platform application release automation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
OpenMake Software is a privately held DevOps software company whose product portfolio centers on automating software builds and application releases across heterogeneous technology environments. The company was founded in 1995 as Catalyst Systems by Tracy Ragan and Steven Taylor, establishing an early focus on software configuration and development-process automation. It later adopted the OpenMake Software name as its business and product activities expanded. A significant early turning point came in 1997, when the company entered an original equipment manufacturer agreement with CA Technologies. The arrangement added automated build functionality to CA Harvest, CA's software configuration management platform. According to the available reference material, the relationship continued after its initial formation, linking OpenMake's build-automation capabilities with an established enterprise configuration-management ecosystem. OpenMake's principal offerings are OpenMake Meister and OpenMake DeployHub. Meister is positioned as a build-automation product, helping development and delivery teams coordinate repeatable software compilation and build processes. DeployHub is designed for multi-platform application release automation, supporting the movement and deployment of applications through delivery environments. The product was formerly known as Release Engineer and became generally available in October 2014 after a substantial user-interface refresh and update. The DeployHub product lineage was strengthened in September 2012, when OpenMake acquired the assets of Trinem Consulting, an Edinburgh-based United Kingdom consultancy. The acquisition provided the basis for the Release Engineer technology that was subsequently reworked and released as DeployHub. This transaction marked an expansion of OpenMake's release-automation capabilities beyond its historical build-automation focus. OpenMake maintains offices in North America and Europe and serves organizations that need to coordinate software construction, configuration, and application release activities across multiple platforms. Its market identity is therefore oriented toward enterprise DevOps, continuous delivery, application lifecycle management, and the automation of software delivery workflows rather than toward consumer software. The company has received recognition within software-development and application-lifecycle-management circles. It received a Jolt Award in Change and Configuration Management and was also nominated for an earlier Jolt Award. OpenMake appeared on the SD Times 100 list, which recognizes notable innovators and leaders in software development, including DevOps leadership, in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2017. It also received CodeProject Members Choice recognition in application lifecycle management in 2009 and 2010, followed by recognition in agile software in 2011. OpenMake remains described in the reference material as an active, privately held software company. Publicly available information supplied for this entry does not establish a current chief executive, ownership structure, revenue figure, employee count, or a more precise corporate headquarters address.
History
OpenMake Software began in 1995 under the name Catalyst Systems. It was founded by Tracy Ragan and Steven Taylor as a software company focused on automating activities associated with software development and configuration management. The company's later identity reflects a broader emphasis on open, automated software build and release processes. In 1997, Catalyst Systems entered an OEM agreement with CA Technologies. The arrangement integrated automated build functionality with CA Harvest, a software configuration-management product. This gave the company's technology a route into an established enterprise development-management platform. The available reference material states that the relationship continued beyond the initial agreement. OpenMake subsequently expanded from build automation into application release automation. In September 2012, it acquired the assets of Trinem Consulting, a consultancy based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The acquired technology was associated with Release Engineer, an application release-automation product. OpenMake later refreshed and updated the product's user interface and brought it to general availability in October 2014 under the name DeployHub. The company's portfolio came to be represented primarily by OpenMake Meister for build automation and OpenMake DeployHub for multi-platform application release automation. Together, these products address successive stages of software delivery: creating repeatable builds and coordinating application releases across different platforms and environments. This places OpenMake within the enterprise DevOps, continuous-delivery, configuration-management, and application-lifecycle-management software sectors. OpenMake is described as privately held and maintains offices in North America and Europe. The supplied sources do not identify a parent company, public-market listing, current executive team, ownership details, revenue, or a complete chronology of offices and product versions. Recognition has formed another part of the company's history. OpenMake received a Jolt Award in Change and Configuration Management and was nominated for an earlier Jolt Award. It was included in the SD Times 100 list in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2017, with the list recognizing software-development innovators and leaders, including DevOps leadership. The company also received CodeProject Members Choice recognition for application lifecycle management in 2009 and 2010, and for agile software in 2011.
- 2014DeployHub becomes generally available
After a user-interface refresh and product update, Release Engineer was relaunched as DeployHub and made generally available.
- 2012Trinem Consulting assets acquired
OpenMake acquired assets of Trinem Consulting in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, strengthening its release-automation portfolio.
- 1997OEM agreement with CA Technologies
The company entered an OEM agreement that added automated build functionality to CA Harvest software configuration management.
- 1995Company founded as Catalyst Systems
Tracy Ragan and Steven Taylor founded the company under the Catalyst Systems name.
Products and positioning
Enterprise-oriented DevOps software provider specializing in build automation and multi-platform application release automation.
OpenMake MeisterBuild automation
OpenMake Meister is the company's build-automation offering. It is intended to help software teams standardize and automate the construction of applications, reducing manual coordination in development and delivery workflows. The supplied material identifies Meister as a principal OpenMake product, but does not provide a detailed feature list, supported platforms, pricing model, or current release information.
OpenMake DeployHubApplication release automation2014
OpenMake DeployHub is a multi-platform application release-automation product. It evolved from Release Engineer, a product associated with the assets acquired from Trinem Consulting. OpenMake refreshed and updated its user interface before making DeployHub generally available in October 2014. Its documented role is to automate and coordinate application release activities across multiple platforms and delivery environments.
Flagship businesses
- OpenMake Meister
- OpenMake DeployHub
Brand decisions
- 2014Launch DeployHubProduct launch
OpenMake had acquired and reworked technology formerly known as Release Engineer.
What changed. After a complete user-interface refresh and update, OpenMake made DeployHub generally available.
Aftermath. DeployHub became the company's named offering for multi-platform application release automation.
- 2012Acquire Trinem Consulting assetsM&A
OpenMake expanded its capabilities from build automation toward application release automation.
What changed. The company acquired the assets of Trinem Consulting of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Aftermath. The acquired Release Engineer technology was refreshed and later made generally available as DeployHub.
- 1997Partner with CA Technologies through an OEM agreementStrategy
The company sought to extend its build-automation technology through an established software configuration-management platform.
What changed. It entered an OEM agreement with CA Technologies, adding automated build functionality to CA Harvest.
Aftermath. The reference material states that the relationship continued after the original agreement.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Taylor | Co-founderformer | 1995– |
| Tracy Ragan | Co-founderformer | 1995– |
Recent events
- 2017OpenMake Software returns to the SD Times 100
OpenMake Software was recognized on the SD Times 100 list in the context of software development and DevOps leadership.
Other - 2014DeployHub becomes generally available after product refresh
Following a substantial user-interface refresh and update, the product formerly called Release Engineer was made generally available under the DeployHub name.
Product launchProduct generation - 2012OpenMake Software acquires Trinem Consulting assets
OpenMake acquired the assets of Trinem Consulting of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, supporting the expansion of its application release-automation capabilities.
M&A - 2011OpenMake recognized in agile software category
OpenMake Software received CodeProject Members Choice recognition in the agile software category.
Other - 2010OpenMake receives further CodeProject Members Choice recognition
OpenMake Software received a second CodeProject Members Choice recognition in application lifecycle management.
Other - 2009OpenMake receives CodeProject Members Choice recognition
OpenMake Software was recognized by the CodeProject Members Choice Awards in the application lifecycle management category.
Other - 2008OpenMake Software appears on the SD Times 100
OpenMake Software received another SD Times 100 listing for its contribution to software development and delivery practices.
Other - 2007OpenMake Software appears on the SD Times 100
OpenMake Software was again included in the SD Times 100 recognition program.
Other - 2006OpenMake Software appears on the SD Times 100
OpenMake Software was recognized on the SD Times 100 list of software-development innovators and leaders.
Other - OpenMake Software receives Jolt Award recognition
OpenMake Software received a Jolt Award in Change and Configuration Management and was nominated for an earlier Jolt Award.
Other
Sources
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