Letter from our CEO

A few weeks ago, I was one of millions of people who watched live footage of the first launch of the Falcon Heavy, the largest rocket in the world and one of the largest objects ever to fly into space. And then I watched it again. And again. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you, given that our company name is Rocket Software.

I also watched as two of the three booster rockets traveled back to earth and landed in synchronicity next to each other, so gracefully and seemingly effortlessly. Of course, as an engineer, I know that nothing about that journey was easy. But the SpaceX team sure made it look easy. They even added a bit of flair by launching Elon Musk’s cherry-red Tesla Roadster – and the now-famous Starman – into orbit.

In that moment, space travel became cool again. It wasn’t about Apollo missions or space shuttles or astronauts walking on the moon, although all of that prior “work” was critical to the success of Falcon Heavy. What everyone is talking about now is a brand-new space experience that includes bright red electric cars, livestreamed videos, and David Bowie music. It’s a lot more exciting than a black-and-white picture of a moon rock.

This is exactly where successful tech companies need to be right now. And, yes, that includes Rocket Software, and it applies to what we do for our customers and partners. Every successful tech company needs to build on the past, to optimize every detail and create that next special, “cool,” moment. Every successful technology company needs to modernize  to deliver new and modern products and services. And every successful tech company needs to create exceptional and differentiated experiences for their customers.

We all can’t launch Teslas at Mars, but we can optimize and modernize and deliver our own differentiated experiences that our customers find to be exceptional.

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