Great Plains: Strong Channel and Microsoft focus for Dynamic(s) Growth
P.J. Jakovljevic - December 1, 1999

Vendor Summary

Great Plains Software, Inc. is a global provider of enterprise business solutions for the small-to-medium enterprises (SME) market. Great Plains offers e-business applications for financials, distribution, enterprise reporting, project accounting, e-commerce, human resources management, manufacturing, sales and marketing management, and customer service and support. Founded in 1981, with headquarters in Fargo, ND, USA, the Company is currently one of the fastest-growing ERP vendors, with $134.9 million in revenue in fiscal 1999 (57.6% revenue growth compared to 1998). Great Plains has been a leading provider of business software solutions since 1982 when it began selling its first product, Great Plains Accounting, for DOS-based and Macintosh computers. For most clients, Great Plains Accounting software was the first step in the transition from manual to computer-based accounting. In 1993, the Company released Dynamics, its product suite for small businesses in the mid-market, which comprises accounting, payroll, and human resources. In 1994, it released eEnterprise (formerly Dynamics C/S+), which is an e-business and enterprise-wide business management solution for the upper tier of the mid-market, and is optimized for Microsoft BackOffice. In 1998, Great Plains formed an alliance with Create-A-Check to offer software for check printing and bill paying. In 1998, the Company also acquired one of its VARs, ICONtrol. That provided its eEnterprise manufacturing and human resources functionality, which was previously developed by ICONtrol using Great Plains' development environment. In 1999, Great Plains acquired Match Data Systems to further expand its eEnterprise product with the addition of a project accounting solution developed specifically for the Great Plains platform...