Jan Baan is back. The software-industry pioneer ousted from Baan Co., the former high-flier he founded, has emerged from five years in the shadows to announce his new company, Cordys. Like Baan, Cordys makes software for giant corporations. But while Baan made its name selling manufacturing software to the likes of Boeing (BA), Cordys is focusing on software that knits together applications sold by hundreds of independent companies, from SAP (SAP) to Siebel Systems (SEBL).
Will Baan, 58, be welcomed with open arms? That's yet to be seen. He left the Netherlands-based Baan in 1998 after an accounting scandal. It has been sold twice since 2000 and has become a niche player.