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Great Plains Software

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 7 min

Great Plains Software, Inc.
Company typePublic
Nasdaq: GPSI[1]
IndustryInformation technology
Founded1981; 44 years ago (1981)
FounderJoseph Larson
Defunct2001 (2001)
FateAcquired by Microsoft
Headquarters
Fargo, North Dakota
Area served
United States
Key people
Number of employees
2,200

Great Plains Software, Inc. was an accounting software company located in Fargo, North Dakota, whose products focused on small to medium-sized businesses.[2] It was founded in 1981,[3] went public in 1997,[4] and was sold to Microsoft in 2001.[3][5][6] Prior to its acquisition, it had 2,200 employees.[2]

History

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The company was founded in 1981 by Joseph Larson, who also served as the company's first president.[7] Doug Burgum, who later went on to become a future Governor of North Dakota and United States Secretary of the Interior, joined the company in March 1983 as a shareholder.[7] Burgum provided seed capital for the company; he bought out its other investors in early 1984 and became its new president.[8] Larson continued to serve as a company director until its acquisition.[7]

The company grew to about 170 employees by 1987,[9] and had around 290 employees by 1989.[10] It earned about $300 million in annual sales and had its IPO in 1997, after using the Internet to help it expand beyond North Dakota.[11] In 1999 the company acquired Match Data Systems, a development team in the Philippines.[12] In 2000, after several layoffs, it announced its acquisition by Microsoft for $1.1 billion.[13] The purchase was completed in 2001.[3]

Its products were rebranded "Microsoft Dynamics GP" in 2005,[6][14] part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 as of 2016.

References

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  1. ^ "SEC docs".
  2. ^ a b Eccher, Marino (June 1, 2011). "Part 1 of 7: Rising to the Challenge: History of Great Plains Software before merger". Fargo Forum. Forum Communications Company. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "TECHNOLOGY; Great Plains Software Purchased by Microsoft". New York Times. Dec 22, 2000. p. Section C, Page 4 of the National edition. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  4. ^ Eccher, Marino (June 1, 2011). "Profile: Doug Burgum: Entrepreneur and philanthropist". Fargo Forum. Forum Communications Company. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  5. ^ Eccher, Marino (June 2, 2011). "Part 2 of 7: Two worlds collide: The merger of Great Plains and Microsoft". Fargo Forum. Forum Communications Company. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Why Microsoft bought Great Plains Software". techrepublic.com. January 11, 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "N.D. software firm sold to investors". Star Tribune. March 23, 1984. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  8. ^ Gretchen Heim Olson. "Spring 2006: Doug Burgum's Prairie Fire 20 Years and Blazing". North Dakota Horizons. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016.
  9. ^ Meyer, Jeff (September 4, 1987). "Great Plains Software takes great pains to protect ideals". Star Tribune. Associated Press.
  10. ^ "Local resident joins software firm". Journal Gazette. August 21, 1989.
  11. ^ Rich Karlgaard (September 16, 2002). "Microsoft Is Plain Crazy". Forbes.
  12. ^ "Software firm has new service". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. April 16, 1999.
  13. ^ "Microsoft buys Great Plains Software". Associated Press. Florida Today. December 22, 2000. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Great Plains Historical Timeline". msdn.com. Archived from the original on Jun 23, 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
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