Cincom provides business operations and customer communications software that delivers the perfect customer experience
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  • Overview

Industry Firsts

Since its founding in 1968, Cincom has led the industry through innovation. Innovation has always been a key Cincom strength. In fact, Cincom may have introduced more important innovations than any other firm in the software industry. Here are just a few of Cincom's "firsts."

1960's

  • The first U.S. software firm to promote the concept of a database management system (DBMS).
  • Cincom delivers the first commercial database management system that isn't bundled with a computer manufacturer's hardware and proprietary software ? TOTAL?.

1970's

  • The first American software firm to recognize the importance of international markets, expanding to open offices in Canada, the UK, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, France, New Zealand and Japan.
  • The first systems software company to organize a national users conference.
  • The first software vendor to work directly with a hardware manufacturer to provide software specifically for its equipment.
  • The first to offer software on a rental basis.
  • Introduces an integrated database and data communications monitor (DB/DC) for the IBM? marketplace (three years ahead of IBM).
  • The first software company to offer 24x7 support.
  • The first software vendor to offer virtual paging to IBM users.
  • The first to provide a relational view of the data structure.
  • The first to develop a DBMS for a minicomputer.
  • Delivers the first directory-driven database system.
  • The first to initiate the concept of Technical Product Support centers (five years before IBM).
  • The first software firm to provide free software to university educational systems.
  • An early and major presence in the marketing of high-level, or Fourth Generation Languages (4GLs), and Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE).

1980's

  • The first full-service software firm to offer both manufacturing and financial applications, as well as database and online system software products.
  • The first to introduce an interpretive application development system for the IBM mainframe environment (five years ahead of IBM).
  • The first software company to provide end-user procedural manipulation of both database and non-database files.
  • The first to deliver an "n-tiered" database. This technology isolated the physical data definitions and the users' and applications' views of data from each other.
  • The first computer software manufacturer to receive the prestigious "E" award from the US Department of Commerce for superior performance in increasing US exports. Later in the decade, Cincom is awarded the President's "E-Star," the highest award given for continued export excellence.
  • Experts rate Cincom's SUPRA? database as "more relational" than all other DBMS systems, including IBM's DB2?.
  • The first software firm to be nationally recognized by an American president.
  • During a speech in Cincinnati, President Ronald Reagan praises Cincom and its founder, Tom Nies, for being "the epitome of the entrepreneurial spirit."
  • The first to offer a comprehensive system for data network automation and automated operations to the international market.
  • The first third-party software company to provide network management systems for IBM networks.
  • The first software firm to be commended and recognized by a UK Prime Minister when Sir Edward Heath publicly commends Cincom on its 20th Anniversary in the UK for its role in establishing the UK Software Industry.

1990's

  • The first software firm to be selected by the U.S. government as a standard for government agencies
  • Cincom CEO Tom Nies honored as the longest actively serving CEO in the industry and inducted alongside other industry pioneers such as Bill Gates (Microsoft?), Larry Ellison (Oracle?) and Steve Jobs (Apple?), into the Smithsonian Institution's permanent Computer History Collection.
  • Introduces the industry's first object-oriented application assembly environment.

2000's

  • OverC?, a Cincom subsidiary, is the first company to be recognized by Datamonitor as a "Value-Added Intermediary" (VAI).
  • Offers a web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) foundation for e-business.
  • Pioneers data access and integration using open standards with Cincom TIGER?.
  • Celebrates 40 years of service in the US and 35 years in Europe.
  • Cincom CEO, Thomas M. Nies is awarded the Technology Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by Ernst and Young.
  • Cincom is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.