Javelin Software

Javelin Software Corporation
Company type	Private
Industry	Software
Founded	1984
Defunct	1988
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Key people	Rob Firmin (Co-founder and CEO), Stan Kugell (President), Chris Herot (VP Engineering), Charles Frankston (Engineer)
Products	Javelin (data analysis and modeling application)

Javelin Software Corporation Overview

Javelin Software Corporation operated from 1984 until 1988 and was headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company created an innovative data analysis and modeling application known as Javelin, which evolved from its initial 1.0 release in 1984 through to version 3.5 by 1993. Marketed as a next-generation alternative to conventional spreadsheet programs and a rival to Lotus 1-2-3, Javelin received several industry honors, including InfoWorld's Software Product of the Year award, outperforming Microsoft's Excel in that competition.

The corporation's anticipated initial public offering was withdrawn following the 1987 stock market collapse. Subsequently, Information Resources, Incorporated (IRI) acquired Javelin's assets and continued its development until Oracle Corporation took over IRI in 1994 and eventually terminated the product line.

Unlike typical spreadsheet software, Javelin utilized an object-oriented approach centered on variables instead of cell-based data structures. These variables represented business entities such as time series and included attributes like relationships, references, and annotations. Calculations automatically aligned these objects by calendar dates or user-specified time periods, enabling multidimensional analysis and adaptable consolidations without losing data integrity due to worksheet alterations.

This separation of data from worksheet layout facilitated advanced financial modeling; for instance, expenses and income entered at varying intervals could be allocated or interpolated fluidly. Javelin's architecture supported comprehensive traceability via twelve interconnected dynamic views—such as diagrams, formulas, tables, charts, notes, and macros—making complex models transparent and easier to audit.

Its robust built-in support for time series modeling combined with calendar intelligence distinguished Javelin in both corporate finance and government sectors. Prominent users included universities, military initiatives like the Strategic Defense Initiative, and global institutions such as the World Bank for economic forecasting.

Javelin earned recognition including PC Magazine's "Best of 1985" for technical innovation and PC Week's "Most Significant Product." The InfoWorld award notably caused internal friction at Microsoft when Excel was narrowly surpassed.

Co-founder and CEO Rob Firmin integrated his academic research from the University of Chicago with practical financial planning insights to shape the company's direction. President Stan Kugell contributed to designing the user interface. The engineering team was led by Vice President Chris Herot and featured key contributors like Charles Frankston.

Javelin's concepts influenced subsequent software products including Lotus Improv, which incorporated named data arrays and pivot table functionality on more sophisticated graphical user interfaces. Despite its technical strengths, Javelin's commercial expansion was limited by early graphical interface constraints and a marketing approach that positioned it directly against entrenched spreadsheet leaders.

Although Oracle discontinued Javelin, its innovative business model approach and powerful analytical capabilities ensured it remained a standard reference in financial modeling and econometrics for many years.

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