Beyond Geospatial: Safe Software’s Journey to a Global, AI-Driven Integration Platform

GeoConnexion: Safe Software has been synonymous with FME, first released as a software product but now available as a data integration platform. Please describe how that product has expanded to a platform over the years, and how changing data integration needs from customers have changed the product.

Don Murray: "When Safe Software ‘Safe’ was founded in 1993, the point was to address file translation and specifically the 'CAD-to-GIS' challenge. For many years, FME was focused on solving that specific problem. However, as data volumes exploded and organizations moved to databases, our customers’ needs shifted. They stopped asking, 'How do I translate this file?' and started asking, 'How do I automate this data flow?’. That shift drove our evolution from a desktop utility towards an Enterprise Integration Platform. "

"We most recently rebranded the products to reinforce that Safe is a platform that includes FME Form for authoring workflows, and FME Flow for enterprise automation. FME Flow Hosted is our SaaS version of FME Flow. We now support all kinds of data and are the only vendor in our space to support spatial data. The company now goes by the tagline as the only ‘All-Data, Any-AI Platform’ and Safe is now used for all types of data including big data, stream processing, data virtualization, automation, and Augmented Reality."

GC: In your recent  press release, it says that “…Internally, the growing Safe Software team has embraced AI, with over 600 active custom GPTs at the company, and over 40,000 messages per month sent to its enterprise GPT.” Please describe your take on AI and how it helps to expand your operations internationally and improve customer service, such as the 24/7 support for FME users worldwide.

DM: "At Safe we view AI not as a replacement for human talent, but as a force multiplier. Internally, we have fully embraced an 'AI-first' mindset. AI is a great Assistant but you need the human authority to oversee it. Our team is the authority and everyone now has assistants to support them. We have built over 600 active custom GPTs that assist with everything from writing code to generating documentation. This internal adoption is what allows Safe to scale operations globally while maximizing the impact of our existing team."

"For Safe customers, this efficiency translates directly into even better support. By equipping our support teams with AI-driven tools that can much more easily retrieve technical answers from our vast knowledge base, they can resolve issues - including complex ones - faster than ever before. We are also baking this philosophy into the product itself with our AI-Assist functionality along with many exciting productivity improvements that are coming down the line."

GC: Safe Software has expanded considerably, notably in the UK and the EU. Please explain how your international expansion strategy has changed, moving from resellers in these countries to having your own local brand offices there.

DM: "Our partner network has always been, and remains, the backbone of Safe’s global success. As we continue to grow, the requirements of our largest enterprise customers in regions like the UK and Europe have evolved. Large government bodies and utility companies often require a direct relationship with the software vendor for security, roadmap alignment, and 24/7 operational assurance. Establishing our own local offices in the UK and Europe isn't about replacing our partners; it is about empowering them. I see us driving partner revenue higher as we can give our partners support resources in the same time zone."  

"By having Safe 'boots on the ground,' we can provide a regional hub that offers deeper technical resources, localized marketing and faster feedback loops to our development teams in Canada. This allows us to give better support and be closer to our large enterprise customers through direct vendor engagement with our partners. Our partners continue to deliver the specialized implementation services and local industry expertise they are known for. We are able to give our partners better support and are committed to raising the bar for everyone in the ecosystem."

 

GC: FME has seen wide adoption in the geospatial market, but its use is not limited to this niche. How important are new products such as FME Realize for customers inside this niche? How has the market responded to the release of this new product?

DM: "FME Realize is incredibly significant because it solves the 'last mile' problem of data integration. For decades, professionals have spent countless hours creating highly accurate digital twins and datasets, but that value was trapped on a screen in a back office."

"FME Realize changes that with augmented reality (AR) to liberate that data, allowing it to be visualized in the real world, at scale, by the people who need it most - the field workers.
The market response has been enthusiastic. For example, utility companies, airports, and municipalities are using it to let field crews 'see' underground infrastructure overlaid on the pavement beneath their feet using mobile devices. It bridges the gap between digital data and physical reality. While FME Flow handles the heavy lifting of data integration in the background, products like FME Realize demonstrate the tangible value of that data, making operations safer and more efficient for front-line workers."

GC: Please explain the significance of surpassing $100M in revenue and the strategy from here to get to $250M by 2028. Are there plans for expansion to new geographic regions or specific verticals for example?

DM: "Surpassing $100 million in Annual Revenue is a proud milestone for us. We see this as a stepping stone, not the finish line. To reach $250 million by the end of 2028 is a big task. Our strategy relies on three pillars: strategic partnership, innovation and vertical expansion. Our investors, JMI Equity, have been very supportive in this respect and their expertise in scaling software companies will help us accelerate Safe growth."

"We will double down on Safe’s 'All-Data, Any-AI' vision, ensuring FME becomes the standard for integrating traditional enterprise systems with the new wave of AI agents. Geographically, we will continue to deepen Safe’s presence in Europe and North America. Vertically, we are looking beyond our strongholds in government and utilities to aggressively target other industries such as AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction), where the convergence of BIM and GIS is creating massive data integration challenges that only FME can solve."