Latin American PowerBuilder User Group Meeting Followup

Specifically on some PowerDesigner questions that didn't get answered earlier:

Q. We would like to use PowerDesigner, but the cost per seat ($4000 US) is unreasonable when compared to Enterprise Architect ($600).

A. PowerDesigner's features that appeal to the pure UML for the individual developer's increases productivity are indeed quite similar to what you will find in Sparx's product. All the UML diagrams are represented, and the code generation and reverse engineering functions are there. However, PowerDesigner has a few advantages even in this market that are not part of the Sparx feature set - complete loss-less round-trip engineering between model and code, plug-in capability into Eclipse for real-time model to code synchronization and interoperability with all Eclipse-based java tooling, a highly customizable template and script based code generation engine for easy pattern and model-driven development code creation based on your own customized code patterns, and the backing from one of the industry's best design tools development team - Sybase. Beyond the individual, PowerDesigner fosters greater multidisciplinary collaboration by combining the UML solution with the industry's top data modeling solution and some of the easiest to use tools for documenting and maintaining object-relational mapping and persistence code creation. Add to that the possibility up upgrading to the fully integrated design-time repository on the market and further upgrading to the studio adds business modeling and service orchestration design techniques to complete an enterprise-wide modeling and design environment.

Q. Why are the only localizations for PowerDesigner in English and French?

A. PowerDesigner was originally invented in Paris, France and was originally a French Language tool. We are still the most dominant player in the french-speaking world, and because of that history we retain the french User Interface. However, for other localizations, we have yet to meet growing demand to justify the conversion (user interface AND documentation where documentation is a very large part of the process, on-line help, user documentation, and screens all need to be translated, and then integrated into the engineering effort). So - as a result, we retain the PowerAMC brand for French countries for historical and current market condition reasons, and use PowerDesigner, English UI and documentation, for the rest of the world.