Microsoft to acquire Great Plains Software

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 2/1/2001

Microsoft Corp. plans to acquire Great Plains Software Incorporation, Fargo, N.D., a leading supplier of mid-market business applications.

By acquiring Great Plains, Microsoft plans to accelerate the success of small and medium companies globally by automating interconnected business processes that are needed to succeed in today's economy.

The companies plan to bridge the gap between on-premise software and Internet-based software.

Microsoft spokesperson, Erin Brewer, says while analysts have differing views on how to define small-to-medium companies, Microsoft will focus their efforts on companies that have anywhere from 10 to 1,000 employees.

"In the short term, users of Great Plains solutions shouldn't expect any changes," says Kim Albrecht, director of public relations at Great Plains.

"Longer term, we will work with Microsoft to help customers succeed in an increasingly interconnected economy with interconnected business management solutions built on Microsoft's .NET platform," says Albrecht.

By joining forces, Brewer says, powerful business application technology will be provided that partners can customize, and that customers could use to run their business applications for small and medium companies in the same way.

When completed, Great Plains will become the Great Plains Division.