content: <PAGE>
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
                        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                              WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
  
                                     FORM 8-K
  
                                  CURRENT REPORT
  
  
      Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 27, 2000.
  
  
  
                           Rational Software Corporation
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
  
             Delaware                       000-12167              54-1217099
  (State or other jurisdiction of          (Commission           (IRS Employer
          incorporation)                   File Number)        Identification No.)
  
  
                               18880 Homestead Road
                            Cupertino, California 95014
                      --------------------------------------
                      Address of principal executive offices
  
  
                                  (408) 863-9900
                --------------------------------------------------
                Registrant's telephone number, including area code
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <PAGE>
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
       On November 27, 2000, Rational Software Corporation, Catapulse Inc.,
  Paul Levy, Michael Devlin, and certain other parties entered into an Agreement
  and Plan of Reorganization pursuant to which Rational agreed to acquire all of
  the outstanding shares of Catapulse not owned by it pursuant to a merger
  transaction. A copy of the Agreement and Plan Reorganization, as amended and
  restated, which provides for the merger of Catapulse with and into Rational, is
  attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
  
       Under the terms of the merger, Rational will issue 0.0825 shares of
  Rational common stock for each share of Catapulse capital stock outstanding at
  the effective time of the merger, and will assume the options, warrants and
  other rights to acquire shares of Catapulse capital stock with appropriate
  adjustments based upon the exchange ratio.  Shares of Catapulse stock owned
  by Rational will be cancelled in the merger.  In lieu of fractional shares of
  Rational common stock, Catapulse stockholders will receive cash in payment for
  any such fractional share.
  
       The merger will not be completed unless the conditions contained in the
  Agreement and Plan of Reorganization are satisfied or waived, including:
  
       .  the approval of the issuance of shares of Rational common stock in the
          merger by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Rational pursuant to
          the rules of the Nasdaq National Market, as well as by a majority of the
          shares of the disinterested stockholders of Rational,
  
       .  the approval of the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization and the merger
          by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Catapulse under the
          certificate of incorporation of Catapulse and the Delaware General
          Corporation Law, as well as by a majority of the outstanding shares of
          the disinterested stockholders of Catapulse,
  
       .  the effectiveness of a Form S-4 Registration Statement for the
          registration of the shares to be issued in the merger,
  
       .  there has not been any action or event that has had a material adverse
          effect on Rational or Catapulse, and
  
       .  the receipt of certain regulatory approvals or the expiration of
          applicable waiting periods, including under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
          Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.
  
  Accordingly, there can be no assurances that the merger will occur.
  
       The Merger Agreement may be terminated (1) by mutual agreement of the
  parties thereto, (2) if the merger is not completed on or before June 30, 2001,
  or (3) if certain other specified events occur before June 30, 2001.
  
       The merger will be accounted for by Rational under the purchase method of
  accounting.
  
       The foregoing summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
  Agreement and Plan of Reorganization attached hereto.
  
       The information set forth in Rational's press release dated November
  27, 2000 and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 is incorporated by reference.
  
  <PAGE>
  
  ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
       (c)  Exhibits.
            --------
  
            Number    Description
            ------    -----------
  
            99.1      Agreement and Plan and Reorganization dated as of November
                      27, 2000, as amended and restated, by and among Rational
                      Software Corporation, Reindeer Acquisition Corporation,
                      Catapulse Inc., Paul Levy and Michael Devlin, U.S. Bank
                      Trust, National Association as Escrow Agent, and Paul Levy
                      as Securityholder Agent.
  
            99.2      Press release announcing the signing of the Agreement and
                      Plan of Reorganization.
  
  <PAGE>
  
                                     SIGNATURE
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
                                     RATIONAL SOFTWARE CORPORATION
  
  
                                     /s/ Timothy Brennan
                                     --------------------------------------------
                                     Timothy Brennan, Chief Financial Officer and
                                     Secretary
  
                                     Date:  December 13, 2000
  
  <PAGE>
  
                           Exhibit Index.
                           -------------
  
                           Number         Description
                           ------         -----------
  
                           99.1           Agreement and Plan and Reorganization
                                          dated as of November 27, 2000, as
                                          amended and restated, by and among
                                          Rational Software Corporation, Reindeer
                                          Acquisition Corporation, Catapulse Inc.,
                                          Paul Levy and Michael Devlin, U.S. Bank
                                          Trust, National Association as Escrow
                                          Agent, and Paul Levy as Securityholder
                                          Agent.
  
                           99.2           Press release announcing the signing of
                                          the Agreement and Plan of
                                          Reorganization.
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RATIONAL SOFTWARE CORP", "cik": "0000722056", "assigned-sic": "7372", "irs-number": "541217099", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0331"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-12167", "film-number": "788575"}, "business-address": {"street1": "18880 HOMESTEAD RD", "city": "CUPERTINO", "state": "CA", "zip": "95014", "phone": "4088639900"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "18880 HOMESTEAD RD", "city": "CUPERTINO", "state": "CA", "zip": "95014"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "VERDIX CORP", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
text: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
                        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                              WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
  
                                     FORM 8-K
  
                                  CURRENT REPORT
  
      Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  November 27, 2000.
  
                           Rational Software Corporation
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
             Delaware                       000-12167              54-1217099
  (State or other jurisdiction of          (Commission           (IRS Employer
          incorporation)                   File Number)        Identification No.)
  
                               18880 Homestead Road
                            Cupertino, California 95014
                      --------------------------------------
                      Address of principal executive offices
  
                                  (408) 863-9900
                --------------------------------------------------
                Registrant's telephone number, including area code
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
       On November 27, 2000, Rational Software Corporation, Catapulse Inc.,
  Paul Levy, Michael Devlin, and certain other parties entered into an Agreement
  and Plan of Reorganization pursuant to which Rational agreed to acquire all of
  the outstanding shares of Catapulse not owned by it pursuant to a merger
  transaction. A copy of the Agreement and Plan Reorganization, as amended and
  restated, which provides for the merger of Catapulse with and into Rational, is
  attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
  
       Under the terms of the merger, Rational will issue 0.0825 shares of
  Rational common stock for each share of Catapulse capital stock outstanding at
  the effective time of the merger, and will assume the options, warrants and
  other rights to acquire shares of Catapulse capital stock with appropriate
  adjustments based upon the exchange ratio.  Shares of Catapulse stock owned
  by Rational will be cancelled in the merger.  In lieu of fractional shares of
  Rational common stock, Catapulse stockholders will receive cash in payment for
  any such fractional share.
  
       The merger will not be completed unless the conditions contained in the
  Agreement and Plan of Reorganization are satisfied or waived, including:
  
       .  the approval of the issuance of shares of Rational common stock in the
          merger by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Rational pursuant to
          the rules of the Nasdaq National Market, as well as by a majority of the
          shares of the disinterested stockholders of Rational,
  
       .  the approval of the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization and the merger
          by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Catapulse under the
          certificate of incorporation of Catapulse and the Delaware General
          Corporation Law, as well as by a majority of the outstanding shares of
          the disinterested stockholders of Catapulse,
  
       .  the effectiveness of a Form S-4 Registration Statement for the
          registration of the shares to be issued in the merger,
  
       .  there has not been any action or event that has had a material adverse
          effect on Rational or Catapulse, and
  
       .  the receipt of certain regulatory approvals or the expiration of
          applicable waiting periods, including under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
          Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.
  
  Accordingly, there can be no assurances that the merger will occur.
  
       The Merger Agreement may be terminated (1) by mutual agreement of the
  parties thereto, (2) if the merger is not completed on or before June 30, 2001,
  or (3) if certain other specified events occur before June 30, 2001.
  
       The merger will be accounted for by Rational under the purchase method of
  accounting.
  
       The foregoing summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
  Agreement and Plan of Reorganization attached hereto.
  
       The information set forth in Rational's press release dated November
  27, 2000 and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 is incorporated by reference.
  ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
       (c)  Exhibits.
            --------
  
            Number    Description
            ------    -----------
  
            99.1      Agreement and Plan and Reorganization dated as of November
                      27, 2000, as amended and restated, by and among Rational
                      Software Corporation, Reindeer Acquisition Corporation,
                      Catapulse Inc., Paul Levy and Michael Devlin, U.S. Bank
                      Trust, National Association as Escrow Agent, and Paul Levy
                      as Securityholder Agent.
  
            99.2      Press release announcing the signing of the Agreement and
                      Plan of Reorganization.
  SIGNATURE
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                     RATIONAL SOFTWARE CORPORATION
  
                                     /s/ Timothy Brennan
                                     --------------------------------------------
                                     Timothy Brennan, Chief Financial Officer and
                                     Secretary
  
                                     Date:  December 13, 2000
  Exhibit Index.
                           -------------
  
                           Number         Description
                           ------         -----------
  
                           99.1           Agreement and Plan and Reorganization
                                          dated as of November 27, 2000, as
                                          amended and restated, by and among
                                          Rational Software Corporation, Reindeer
                                          Acquisition Corporation, Catapulse Inc.,
                                          Paul Levy and Michael Devlin, U.S. Bank
                                          Trust, National Association as Escrow
                                          Agent, and Paul Levy as Securityholder
                                          Agent.
  
                           99.2           Press release announcing the signing of
                                          the Agreement and Plan of
                                          Reorganization.