Seeing ACT's weak financial position, Misys PLC, a U.K. software house, stepped in and made an offer for the company. Mr. Foster, speaking of the tense period, says: "For a variety of reasons, there was conflict. We were too big, and it was time to go." Misys bought the company for 212 million pounds in 1995.
Mr. Foster's latest brainchild is Financial Objects, which was founded in October 1995. The company is compiling a library of software components that companies can then slot together as they wish, something like software Lego.