Letter from our CEO

August 2018

Rocket to the CORE

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 28 years as CEO, it’s that nothing ever stays the same at Rocket. What worked for us in 1995 was perfect for that moment in time. And what worked for us in 2005 was perfect for that moment in time. Ditto for 2015. But as our company, customer base, partner community and product portfolio grow and expand, we transform and continually improve and reinvent ourselves time and time again. The quickest path to irrelevancy is to not evolve to meet the needs of customers and partners. I never want to see Rocket described as “formerly high flying,” which is a common epitaph for organizations that failed to evolve.

The need to stay ahead of the curve affects all parts of Rocket, and over the next few months we are more formally rolling out our new R&D organization, which is based around Centers of Rocket Excellence (CORE). It’s a term you’ll be hearing a lot in the second half of 2018 – and beyond – so I wanted to explain what it means. At a basic level, we are concentrating our R&D resources in CORE locations anchored by these five “hub” locations:

Americas (Waltham)
Europe (London)
India (Pune)
China (Dalian)
Japan (Yokohama)

Each of our CORE locations will have full R&D responsibility for specific Rocket product families. Our goal is to consolidate R&D resources and responsibilities – from innovation to operations – into fewer, more scalable locations, each with critical mass, increased chances of connections, and even greater collaboration and agility. And yes, we are aggressively hiring in each of our CORE locations and building around our existing team of talented Rocketeers.

We will soon be announcing our entire map of CORE R&D locations beyond the five “hub” locations listed above. And to be sure, we have many more offices around the world that serve as sales, service, and support locations. But I wanted to make sure everyone knew where the centers of gravity will be for Rocket R&D for our next chapter of growth (and beyond!)

I know that change can be confusing – believe me, it’s sometimes that way for me, too – but we’ve been successful for nearly 30 years because we’re willing to put in the work to reinvent ourselves and build a better Rocket for you every single year. CORE is the latest manifestation of our willingness to evolve.

In the spirit of change, I wanted to share a few songs that talk about the importance of – and the effects of – change.

andy signature

Andrew J. Youniss
President and CEO, Rocket Software, Inc.

"Turn! Turn! Turn!," The Byrds Formed in Los Angeles in 1964, the Byrds are highly regarded for their tight vocal harmonies and distinctive “jangly” guitar parts. They were also instrumental in the development of psychedelic rock in the late 60s.

"Changes," David Bowie Perhaps no one embodies the ethos of change better than Bowie. A look through his back catalogue finds him performing songs in genres as diverse as soul, glam rock and new wave. The man never failed to reinvent himself.

"A Change Is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke Sam Cooke’s signature song is also considered by many to be the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement. Excellent orchestration, featuring soaring strings and hearty French horns, and an unparalleled performance from Cooke push the song from the category of “historically important” to timeless.

"A Change Will Do You Good," Sheryl Crow One of many hit tracks from Crow’s multi-platinum eponymous album, which also features such radio mainstays such as “If It Make You Happy” and “Every Day Is a Winding Road” (whose prominent usage in car commercials seems now to have been overdetermined). This track is everything Crow does best: catchy, comfortable, and above all, chill.