"The primary driver of the phenomenon of looking at source code and trying to understand binaries and source code that's in it is the Internet," Levin said. "Sarbanes-Oxley is certainly a driver, too."

Coverity stressed quality in software and how failures in the field can result in recalls or other calamites. "There's an increasing cost of achieving software quality," said Seth Hallem, CEO at Coverity.

The company analyzes code for a broad range of security and quality flaws, selling services based on lines of code.

Hallem boasted that unlike other participants in the event, Coverity has not needed any venture capital. "We don't have any funding. Why? Because we have a product that delivers clear and immediate value," Hallem said.

Fortify CEO John Jack noted his company's security focus. "We're addressing a problem at Fortify that we have found to be globally applicable and that problem is security," he said. Developers have primarily focused on application features, leaving others to concentrate on security, Jack said. Thusly, applications have not been developed with security in mind.