Exhibit 10.1

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

This Consulting
Agreement (this Agreement) is entered into on May 18, 2001 between
BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the Company),
and DAVID HELLER (the Consultant).

WHEREAS, the
Company desires to obtain the benefit of the Consultants knowledge and
experience by retaining the Consultant, and the Consultant desires to accept
such position, for the term and upon the other conditions hereinafter set forth.

NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the mutual promises and agreements contained herein, the
adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the
Consultant hereby agree as follows:

|1. |  | EFFECTIVE DATE AND CONSULTING TERM:   This Agreement shall be effective on the
date first written above (the Effective Date). The Consultant shall
commence rendering his consulting services hereunder on May 30, 2001 and shall
continue to render such services for a three-year term expiring on May 29, 2004
(the Consulting Term), unless the Consulting Term shall be earlier
terminated in accordance with Section 7 or 8 below. Each twelve month period
during the Consulting Term that commences on May 30 and ends on May 29 of the
following year shall be referred to herein as a Year.
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|2. |  | POSITION AND DUTIES:   During the Consulting Term, the Consultant shall, at
the request of the Companys Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer
or Board of Directors, render consulting services to the Company relating to
strategic planning, product development and general business and financial
matters. During the first Year of the Consulting Term, the Consultant shall not
be required to devote more than 100 hours to the rendering of his consulting
services hereunder, and during the second Year of the Consulting Term, the
Consultant shall not be required to devote more than 50 hours to the rendering
of his consulting services hereunder. During the third Year of the Consulting
Term, the Consultant shall not be required to cause the Consultant to devote
more than 25 hours to the rendering of consulting services hereunder.
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|3. |  | LOCATION:   The Consultants consulting services shall be rendered at the
Companys principal executive offices or at any other mutually agreeable
location. The Company shall not be required to provide the Consultant with
office space or secretarial or other support services in connection with his
rendering of consulting services hereunder.
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|4. |  | COMPENSATION:   The Consultant shall be compensated by the Company as follows:
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| | a. | Consulting Fees:  During the first Year of the Consulting Term, the Consultant will
be paid the sum of $40,000. During the second Year of the Consulting Term, the Consultant
will be paid the sum of $20,000. During the third Year of the Consulting Term, the
Consultant will be paid the sum of $10,000. During the Consulting Term, the Consultants
fees shall be payable monthly in equal installments, regardless of the actual number of
hours devoted by the Consultant to the rendering of services hereunder during any month
in the Consulting Term.
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| | b. | Expenses:  During the Consulting Term, the Company shall reimburse the Consultant for
all business expenses reasonably incurred by the Consultant in the performance of his
consulting services hereunder as requested by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
Officer or Board of Directors, upon submission to the Company of appropriate
documentation in respect of such expenses and approval by the Chief Executive Officer.
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| | c. | Benefits:  During the Consulting Term, the Consultant shall not be entitled to any
employee benefits (e.g., group health insurance, vacation, sick leave, severance or
401(k) participation) from the Company.
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| | d. | Stock Options:  Any Company stock options previously granted to the Consultant by the
Company shall, subject to the terms of the applicable plan and agreement pursuant to
which they were granted, continue to vest and remain exercisable.
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|5. |  | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR:  During the Consulting Term, the Consultant shall be
an independent contractor and not an employee of the Company. Accordingly, the
Consultant shall be responsible for payment of all taxes for remuneration
received under this Agreement, including Federal and State income tax, Social
Security tax, Unemployment Insurance tax, and any other taxes or business
license fees as required.
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|6. |  | EFFORTS:  The Consultant shall devote reasonable efforts and attention in rendering his
services hereunder.
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|7. |  | VOLUNTARY TERMINATION:  The Consultant may voluntarily terminate his
consultancy for any reason upon providing the Company with 30 days prior
written notice. In the event Consultant voluntarily terminates his consultancy
with the Company, the Consultant shall be entitled to no compensation from the
Company other than in respect of (x) any monthly installment of consulting fees
earned but not yet paid as of the effective date of his termination and (y) the
reimbursement of his expenses in accordance with Section 4(b).
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|8. |  | OTHER TERMINATION:  The Consultants consultancy may be terminated by
the Company in the event of the Consultants death or disability (as
defined below) or for cause (as defined below). Upon any termination under this
Section 8, the Consultant shall be entitled to no compensation from the Company
other than in respect of (x) any monthly installment of consulting fees earned
but not yet paid as of the effective date of his termination and (y) the
reimbursement of his expenses in accordance with Section 4(b) above. For
purposes of this Agreement, (a) disability means the
Consultants inability to perform services for any consecutive 120-day
period as a result of a physical and/or mental impairment and (b) for
cause means a termination of the Consultants consultancy by the
Company for any of the following reasons:  (i) any action taken by the Consultant
which has a material and detrimental affect on the Company, its shareholders,
its reputation or its businesses; (ii) the Consultants willful and
continued refusal to perform any duty reasonably assigned to him in accordance
with the provisions of this Agreement; (iii) any breach of this Agreement by the
Consultant, which if curable, is not cured within 10 days following written
notice from the Company to the Consultant of such breach; (iv) the
Consultants conviction (including any plea of guilty or nolo contendere)
for any criminal act which impairs the Consultants ability to perform his
duties under this Agreement; or (v) the Consultant becoming an officer,
director, employee or agent of, or a consultant to, a corporation, person, firm
or entity, which in the reasonable determination of a majority of the full
membership of the Companys Board of Directors results in, or is likely to
result in, a conflict of interest with the Consultants position as a
consultant to the Company.
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|9. |  | NON-SOLICITATION:  During the period from the Effective Date through the
end of the Consulting Term and for a twelve month period thereafter, the
Consultant will not, directly or indirectly, recruit, induce or otherwise
attempt to persuade any person who is now, or who subsequently becomes an
employee, sales representative or consultant of the Company to terminate his or
her relationship with the Company.
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|10. |  | CONFIDENTIALITY:  The Consultant shall not, commencing on the Effective Date
and at all times thereafter, directly or indirectly communicate or divulge to,
or use for the Consultants own benefit or for the benefit of any other
person, or entity, any of the Companys trade secrets, proprietary data and
confidential information (including, without limitation, nonpublic information
pertaining to or derived from (i) meetings or deliberations of the
Companys Board of Directors (or any committee thereof) and (ii)
discussions with any officer or employee or former officer or employee of the
Company, member or former member of the Companys Board of Directors or any
current of former agent or attorney of the Company) communicated to or otherwise
learned or acquired by the Consultant in the course of his service hereunder or
in the course of his service on the Companys Board of Directors.
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|11. |  | MUTUAL RELEASE:  The Consultant on behalf of himself and his successors,
assigns and heirs and on behalf of each person or entity claiming through any of
them, and the Company, on behalf of itself and its affiliates, their respective
successors and assigns and each person or entity claiming through any of them,
hereby forever relieves, releases and discharges the other (and, as applicable,
any released partys successors, predecessors, assigns, heirs, agents,
directors, officers and employees) from any and all claims, debts, liabilities,
demands, obligations, actions, or causes of action, whether arising out of acts
or omissions occurring before the execution of this Agreement, whether known or
unknown, apparent or concealed; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be
deemed to release (i) the Company or the Consultant in connection with their
respective rights and obligations under this Agreement or any stock option
agreement, (ii) the Consultants rights to indemnification or reimbursement
under the Companys by-laws, articles of incorporation, directors and
officers liability insurance policies or indemnification agreements and (iii)
the Consultants rights to reimbursement of expenses incurred in respect of
his service on the Companys Board of Directors. The Consultant and the
Company acknowledge that they have read Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the
State of California, which states in full that:
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| | A
general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to
exist in his favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him must have
materially affected his settlement with the debtor.
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| | The
Consultant and the Company waive any rights that they have or may have under
Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California to the full extent
that they may lawfully waive such rights pertaining to this release, and affirm
that they are releasing all known and unknown claims that they have or may have
against any of the parties referred to in this Section 11.
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|12. |  | DISPUTE RESOLUTION:  In the event of any dispute or claim relating to or
arising out of the Consultants relationship with the Company, this
Agreement, or the termination of the consultancy with the Company for any reason
(including, but not limited to, any claims of breach of contract, wrongful
termination or age, disability or other discrimination), any dispute or claim
shall be fully, finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration
conducted by the American Arbitration Association in Santa Clara County,
California. The Consultant and the Company hereby knowingly and willingly waive
their respective rights to have any such disputes or claims tried by a judge or
jury. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this arbitration provision shall not apply
to any disputes or claims relating to or arising out of (i) the actual or
alleged misuse or misappropriation of the Companys property, including,
but not limited to, its trade secrets or proprietary information or (ii) the
Consultants actual or alleged breach of Sections 9 and 10 above.
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|13. |  | SEVERABILITY:  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this
Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision hereof,
which shall remain in full force and effect.
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|14. |  | ASSIGNMENT:  This Agreement may not be assigned by either party hereto
without the prior written consent of the other party, except that the Company
may assign this Agreement to a corporation succeeding to substantially all the
assets or business of the Company whether by merger, consolidation, acquisition,
or otherwise.
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|15. |  | ENTIRE AGREEMENT:  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between
Consultant and the Company regarding the terms and conditions hereof, and
supersedes all prior negotiations, representations or agreements between
Consultant and the Company regarding the Consultants consultancy, whether
written or oral.
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|16. |  | MODIFICATION:  This Agreement may only be modified or amended by a supplemental written
agreement signed by Consultant and an authorized officer of the Company.
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|17. |  | COMPANY:  The term "Company" as used in this Agreement means and includes not only Borland
Software Corporation, but also any subsidiary, parent or affiliated corporation of
Borland Software Corporation.
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|18. |  | EACH PARTY THE DRAFTER:  This Agreement and the provisions contained in it shall not be
construed or interpreted for or against any party to this Agreement because that party
drafted or caused that party's legal representative to draft any of its provisions.
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|19. |  | GOVERNING LAW:  This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with and governed by the
laws of the State of California without reference to the conflict of laws principles
thereof or of any other jurisdiction.
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IN WITNESS
WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date first
written above.

BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION

|                                      | 
|------------------------------------- | 
|By:/s/ Keith E.Gottfried              | 
|Name: Keith E. Gottfried              | 
|Title: Senior Vice President, General | 
|Counsel & Corporate Secretary         |