Letter from our CEO

I hope you enjoyed happy and healthy holidays in December. I also hope that you are welcoming 2019 with open arms and bold expectations. That’s exactly what I am doing.

Reflection on 2018

As you know by now, a major Rocket Software transaction was announced in October of 2018. For some reason, the press got interested and decided to write about it. (A Google search of “Rocket Software and Bain Capital” today returns over 10,000 results.)

You can read any of those articles, and they all say pretty much the same thing: a reference to the company valuation, maybe include a quote or two from me and someone from Bain Capital, and an opinion about the enterprise software industry. Those articles tell only a very small part of the Rocket story. And while those articles focus on large numbers, big names, and general themes, they unfortunately all miss the more important story line.

That’s the one I have been working hard to create over the past 29 years. The more important story line is the one I try to live every day. The more important story line has nothing to do with technology or software. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that those headlines that you read back in October only happen because of the real story that doesn’t make the papers.

As I reflect on 2018, I want to share the important story of Rocket. Our story is about humanity and empathy. Our story is about trust and love. The real story of Rocket isn’t about what we do (even though everyone still asks me what Rocket does) – it is about how we do it (which nobody ever asks about).

Looking forward to 2019

On April 16 of this year Rocket will celebrate our 29th birthday.

When Rocket started back in 1990, we said we wanted to build something long-lasting and something that would make a difference. We have stayed true to that aspiration and are proud that on April 17 we will begin our fourth decade! We are thankful to each of our customers and partners who have relied on Rocket – our software and our Rocketeers. It is because of you that we can think big and deliver an even better Rocket to you in our fourth chapter.

In 2019 we want to help you optimize and modernize your infrastructure, your data, and your applications. In 2019 we want to help you get more out of your investment in IBM zSystems, IBM Power, IBM i, and MultiValue technology. We want to help you connect to the cloud, deploy advanced analytics, and further connect to and secure your mission-critical data.

And we will do all of that while staying true to who we are. We were able to reflect on that this past holiday season—a time of year to bring even more humanity, empathy, trust, and love to each other and our communities. The world needs more of that—especially now.

I am proud of the Rocket that we have created together. I am proud of the milestone that Rocket achieved this past year. But as you can tell by now, I am prouder of our how than I am about our what. I know our success comes from thousands of Rocketeers who live our core values every day and bring just a little more humanity, empathy, trust, and love to our customers, to our partners, and to the communities in which we serve.

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