SAN ANTONIO -- "When we started the business, the PC [personal computer] was just coming into existence. To watch people go from rooms full of computers to a computer that literally sits under their desk and drives an entire enterprise is pretty amazing." Thus, Greg Gilkerson, president of PDI, describes one of the two most dramatic changes he's seen since establishing his company, then known as Professional Datasolutions Inc., 25 years ago.
"The most recent major shift started about 10 years ago with the Internet and the networking that's become so commonplace," he told CSP Daily News. "[image-nocss] Now we have a system that takes full advantage of that.… Those are the two big [changes]; the advent of the PC was huge and gave us a nice start, and the networking now is really driving the stuff that we're doing today."
After having held an anniversary luncheon in June, PDI will continue its 25th anniversary recognition during its 2000 Users Conference next week in San Antonio.
"It's an opportunity for our customers to network and to become informed about recent developments in our products," Gilkerson said. "We spend most of the time in the classroom, a lot of hands-on training. This year, we're going really deep into our Enterprise software."
PDI/Enterprise is a seamless software system that provides a complete automation solution from the corporate financials to the store back office. "We have about 150 companies that have either migrated to or are migrating from Enterprise our existing client base, and we have a lot of new customers that are completely established on Enterprise and want to go further with it," Gilkerson said. "That's the case anytime you have a good tool; you never are utilizing it fully."
But the more than 300 will get a break from the computers during the anniversary highlights, which include:
A technology showcase featuring new products from proven industry technology companies. Golf, a day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and an evening of good food, friends and fun. Keynote speaker J.C. Watts, the former University of Oklahoma quarterback who led the Sooners to two Big 8 championships and Orange Bowl titles. He is also a former U.S. congressman, and today he is chairman of his own company providing market development, communications and public affairs services. A prayer breakfast that will include a concert by Christian songwriter/artist Brandon Heath."These retailers are all using the same system, so it's like they all speak the same language," Gilkerson said. "It's really nice that everybody there is on a common platform. You see them collectively as companies, but you also see them as groups of companies getting together to talk about better ways to do things."
Temple, Texas-based PDI's User Conference 2008 will be held September 6-10 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. More information is available at www.profdata.com.
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