The Only Thing You'll Ever Need to Know About Creating a Company That's Built to Last

Cincom Celebrates 40 Years in the Software Industry

Cincinnati, Ohio – September 29, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Long ago and far away (from Silicon Valley anyway) in September of 1968, a radical idea for a new product and a new company was born in a Cincinnati basement; an idea that took seed with $600, a card table, and a dream.

A Daunting Dream

The challenges of the dream were daunting: create, market, and sell a product that one of the biggest companies in the world (IBM) was giving away for free.

No Product, No Customers, No Industry

That dream also included no venture capital; no one would finance it. Why? Because no one understood it. Software or softwear? What's that, clothes? One bank actually thought that. Why? This was seven years before Microsoft was founded in 1975 and nine years before Oracle was founded in 1977. And, this was in Cincinnati, Ohio not Silicon Valley.

Forty Years Later?

Forty years of pioneering, advancement, and leadership in the turbulent and unforgiving software industry followed from this company and its employees.

Governors, President Ronald Reagan, Former British Prime Minister Heath, the Smithsonian Institute, and Harvard Business School among many other prestigious organizations have recognized their efforts.

Built-to-Last on Two Simple Concepts

The company?

Cincom Systems (http://www.cincom.com).

On September 29, Cincom marks its 40th year in the software business. Though the Cincom dream was daunting, risky, and some thought impossible, Cincom built that dream to last on two simple concepts: create and serve.

Create

Cincom employees create software and services products that solve real business problems, and they have been since 1968.

These products create customers.

Serve

Serve the customers as well as the employees who create the products.

What You Need to Know

Without customers, there can be no service. Without service, there will be no customers.

"One of the reasons I've chosen to keep Cincom a private corporation is that I believe companies should put their customers first, and the people who are serving those customers a very close second." - Cincom CEO, Thomas Nies, the longest-serving CEO in the technology industry

Built-to-last is built on "Create and Serve."

Cincom Timeline:

Cincom Technology Industry Firsts

Cincom and President Ronald Reagan Video

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland Video 40th Anniversary Message