Software industry pioneer, Cincom, will mark the 50th anniversary of its founding with a 12-month-long “Next 50 Years” celebration beginning in September 2018. This celebration will include events and initiatives aimed at honoring the company’s storied past while building for the future.
Details for “Next 50 Years” events will be made available in future announcements. For now, Cincom founder and CEO, Tom Nies, is keeping the company’s accomplishments in perspective.
“We can’t be a follower and succeed,” Nies says. “We have to blaze the trails.”
“Among the various successes and so on, has been Cincom’s ability to transition from one industry to another,” Nies explains. “We’ve sold quite a few different products in radically different market-spaces, but at all times, we sold the idea of value to the customer. And the value is significant enough for the customer to make the investments that are necessary to generate that kind of profit. And I take that as a significant differentiator for Cincom.”
The company was truly an original at the time of its inception in 1968, when Nies split from IBM to pursue the then-radical idea that the future of business information technology was in software, not hardware alone, and has been an industry mainstay ever since. It was this pioneering spirit that earned Nies a spot in the Smithsonian in 1995.
Originally selling database management software, Cincom has kept pace with the evolution of technology and market demands, now focusing on software that helps businesses deliver better experiences to their customers. Cincom’s expansion over the past 50 years hasn’t been limited to its product line, however. Starting with a card table in a garage in Cincinnati, Cincom now has offices in Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom to serve its global customer base.
Five decades of changing products, shifting markets and global expansion have given Nies a lot to consider when looking at the next 50 years for his company.
“We can’t be a follower and succeed,” Nies says. “We have to blaze the trails. Sometimes, the people who blaze the trails have to overcome a lot of difficult obstacles along their journey, but that makes them stronger. It’s not easy, but it is stimulating, it is enjoyable, it is gratifying, it is rewarding and it is a thrilling experience. As long as we keep that spirit and that mindset, Cincom will continue to thrive.”
About Cincom
Cincom is a global software company with a legacy of innovation dating back to its founding in 1968. Cincom solutions help organizations improve the way they do business, from multi-channel, configure-price-quote solutions for complex products and services to software that improves customer communications management capabilities. In other words, Cincom builds solutions to help clients improve their most critical business processes and operating results. Visit www.cincom.com for more information.