As the number of programming tools and sources of code snippets multiplies, a question many companies must ask is if their software is indeed theirs. In many cases, companies aren’t sure about this crucial detail and the ability to know what is yours and what is not only gets tougher as time goes on.

It is for this reason, Mahshad Koohgoli decided to launch Protecode, a company dedicated to ensuring companies are fully aware of what code is part of a company’s portfolio of software, where it came from and if there are any licensing pitfalls IT managers need to be aware of.

The software sits on the desktops of developers and monitors their actions. It cross references what the coders are doing against company policies. The solution then looks at new pieces of developed software and determines what it is, where it came from and if there is potential for this software to get your company in trouble.

If there is a licensing violation, Protecode allows the company to comment on the problem for later reference or correct it. It can even stop the software from being developed until the problem is fixed.

Koohgoli is not a stranger to startups as he was the person behind Nimcat Networks, a big player in the p2p telephony area. His company was subsequently sold to Avaya and he stayed with the telecom giant for over a year thereafter.

As Koohgoli states emphatically, "Would you drive a car without a seatbelt?" He continues by saying that you wouldn’t and finishes the thought by saying, "Then why would you develop software without insurance?"

And that is what Protecode does for organizations… It provides insurance. It establishes intellectual property ownership and moreover creates a software bill of materials. This sort of reporting is exactly what happens in the hardware space and now the same best practices used in hardware are available for software development.

My thoughts on this new venture are very positive. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Koohgoli’s abilities and the market Protecode plays in is absolutely huge. This is an important product for many companies to have and I would imagine sales will be brisk to virtually all Fortune class organizations and software companies looking to minimize lawsuits.

If you are interested in contacting Mahshad Koohgoli to learn more his e-mail address is koohgoli(at)protecode.com.