Solid Sands acquires Plum Hall suites to boost testing portfolio

Solid Sands has acquired the technology and test suites of Plum Hall, a longstanding provider of compiler test suites. The move expands Solid Sands' portfolio and customer base in the compiler and software testing market.

Market expansion

Plum Hall, established in 1979, has supplied compiler test suites to developers and software companies worldwide. This acquisition brings the Plum Hall suites under the Solid Sands brand and management, combining two well-known validation platforms in the industry.

According to Solid Sands, the integration of Plum Hall's test suites will enable broader industry coverage and improve qualification support for software developers. The company says existing Plum Hall customers will receive continued support from Solid Sands' engineering teams.

"We welcome the Plum Hall community of customers and partners to Solid Sands. By adding the renowned and upgraded Plum Hall suites to our product portfolio, we can now deliver broader test coverage and improved qualification capabilities, which are always a must for software developers. Customers can expect continued support for the Plum Hall suite from Solid Sands' professional and highly experienced engineering team," said Marianne Damstra, CEO, Solid Sands.

Compiler demand

Recent and upcoming major changes to programming language standards, such as C23, C++23, and the upcoming C++26, are increasing the need for robust validation. By incorporating Plum Hall's validation tools, Solid Sands aims to address demand created by more complex programming specifications.

Plum Hall's suite will complement Solid Sands' existing products in verifying compiler reliability and coverage as language and library standards evolve.

"This surge in new specifications is driving a sharp increase in required test cases, making it increasingly challenging for compiler developers to keep pace. With this acquisition, Solid Sands is now able to meet that demand while also unlocking important technology synergies, enabling accelerated development of our own test suites. It's a clear dual benefit for our customers and the industry," said Sjoerd van der Zwaan, CPO, Solid Sands.

Continuity and support

Plum Hall's legacy as a provider of testing solutions is set to continue under the Solid Sands brand. The company underlined that development, technical support, and distribution for the Plum Hall test suites will continue for existing and new customers.

Douglas Teeple, CEO of Plum Hall, commented on the transition and future plans for the acquired business.

"I am delighted that Solid Sands will carry out development, support and distribution of the Plum Hall test suites along with their own solid product line. Solid Sands staff members have an excellent understanding of the field of compiler and library testing and verification. I am confident that Solid Sands will carry forward the Plum Hall test suites with excellent customer service and will continue to support the suites as compiler technology develops in the future," said Teeple.