Great Plains Software

{{Infobox company

| name = Great Plains Software, Inc.

| logo = Great Plains Software logo.svg

| caption =

| type = Public

| traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|GPSI}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/758540/000091205700036189/a10-k405.htm|title=SEC docs}}

| genre =

| fate = Acquired by Microsoft

| predecessor =

| successor =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1981}}

| founder = Joseph Larson

| defunct = {{End date|2001}}

| location_city =

| location_country = Fargo, North Dakota

| locations =

| area_served = United States

| key_people = {{ubl

|Doug Burgum (president)

|Joseph Larson (director)

}}

| products =

| services =

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| assets =

| equity =

| owner =

| num_employees = 2,200

| parent =

| divisions =

| subsid =

| homepage =

| footnotes =

| intl =

}}

Great Plains Software, Inc. was an accounting software company located in Fargo, North Dakota, whose products focused on small to medium-sized businesses.{{cite news |last1=Eccher |first1=Marino |title=Part 1 of 7: Rising to the Challenge: History of Great Plains Software before merger |url=https://www.inforum.com/business/part-1-of-7-rising-to-the-challenge-history-of-great-plains-software-before-merger |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=Fargo Forum |publisher=Forum Communications Company |date=June 1, 2011}} It was founded in 1981,{{cite news |title=TECHNOLOGY; Great Plains Software Purchased by Microsoft |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/22/business/technology-great-plains-software-purchased-by-microsoft.html |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=New York Times |date=Dec 22, 2000 |page=Section C, Page 4 of the National edition}} went public in 1997,{{cite news |last1=Eccher |first1=Marino |title=Profile: Doug Burgum: Entrepreneur and philanthropist |url=https://www.inforum.com/business/profile-doug-burgum-entrepreneur-and-philanthropist |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=Fargo Forum |publisher=Forum Communications Company |date=June 1, 2011}} and was sold to Microsoft in 2001.{{cite news |last1=Eccher |first1=Marino |title=Part 2 of 7: Two worlds collide: The merger of Great Plains and Microsoft |url=https://www.inforum.com/business/part-2-of-7-two-worlds-collide-the-merger-of-great-plains-and-microsoft |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=Fargo Forum |publisher=Forum Communications Company |date=June 2, 2011}}{{cite news |title=Why Microsoft bought Great Plains Software |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/why-microsoft-bought-great-plains-software/ |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=techrepublic.com |date=January 11, 2001}} Prior to its acquisition, it had 2,200 employees.

History

The company was founded in 1981 by Joseph Larson, who also served as the company's first president.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-nc-software-firm-sold-to/130646350/|title=N.D. software firm sold to investors|work=Star Tribune |date=March 23, 1984 |access-date=August 25, 2023}} 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. Burgum provided seed capital for the company; he bought out its other investors in early 1984 and became its new president.{{cite web |author=Gretchen Heim Olson |title=Spring 2006: Doug Burgum's Prairie Fire 20 Years and Blazing |url=http://www.ndhorizons.com/featured/index.asp?ID=16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215232447/http://www.ndhorizons.com/featured/index.asp?ID=16 |archive-date=February 15, 2016 |publisher=North Dakota Horizons |df=mdy-all}} Larson continued to serve as a company director until its acquisition.

The company grew to about 170 employees by 1987,{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-great-plains-software-takes/130712144/|title=Great Plains Software takes great pains to protect ideals |last=Meyer |first=Jeff |date=September 4, 1987|newspaper=Star Tribune |agency=Associated Press}} and had around 290 employees by 1989.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-gazette-local-resident-joins-sof/130712300/|title=Local resident joins software firm |date=August 21, 1989 |newspaper=Journal Gazette}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2002/0916/041.html|title=Microsoft Is Plain Crazy|author=Rich Karlgaard|date=September 16, 2002|work=Forbes}} In 1999 the company acquired Match Data Systems, a development team in the Philippines.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-software-firm-has-n/130629717/|title=Software firm has new service|newspaper=The Bismarck Tribune|date=April 16, 1999|agency=Associated Press}} In 2000, after several layoffs, it announced its acquisition by Microsoft for $1.1 billion.{{cite news |title=Microsoft buys Great Plains Software |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/florida-today-microsoft-buys-great-plain/130628993/ |access-date=August 25, 2023 |work=Associated Press |publisher=Florida Today |date=December 22, 2000}} The purchase was completed in 2001.

Its products were rebranded "Microsoft Dynamics GP" in 2005,{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2009/03/13/great-plains-historical-timeline.aspx|title=Great Plains Historical Timeline|work=msdn.com|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623114053/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordynamicsgp/archive/2009/03/13/great-plains-historical-timeline.aspx|archive-date=Jun 23, 2011}} part of Microsoft Dynamics 365 as of 2016.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20000828130757/http://www.greatplains.com/ Official website] (archived snapshot, as of August 2000)

Category:1981 establishments in the United States

Category:2001 disestablishments in the United States

Category:Doug Burgum

Category:Microsoft acquisitions

Category:Defunct software companies of the United States