1976!
Yes, people seem a little bit surprised when we tell them that Latitude’s history goes back this far… and almost all of it in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Past: What a Ride!
In 1976, Robert Simms, a computer science and mathematics graduate, founded a small consulting company called Software Services Corporation. Its main goal was to hire IT consultants who had the skill sets local companies needed. By 1982, the company had a total of 6 employees, 22 contractors and total revenues of just under a million dollars.
Business continued to grow slowly but steadily through the 1980’s. In the mid-1990’s, things really started to heat up. First, Software Services acquired Systems and Software Group in 1995. SSG provided outsourced software project development for its clients. Specializing in Microsoft technologies, this growing company became one of the most important Microsoft partners in the country. It was one of only about 20 companies nationwide that were allowed to review early releases of new Microsoft products.
In 1998, another software company in Ann Arbor specializing in outourcing object-oriented software, Arbor Intelligent Systems, was acquired by AppNet, Inc. Shortly afterward, AppNet acquired Software Services and merged the two businesses into its professional services group located in Ann Arbor. Among its major clients were Nationwide Insurance, UCCnet, British Petroleum, Delphi, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.
In 2000, AppNet was purchased by Commerce One, Inc. The intent was to merge the project-oriented systems integration capabilities of AppNet with the Commerce One’s MarketSite global online exchange software. However, Commerce One was unable to successfully market its software, and the professional services group in Ann Arbor was sold to a small group of investors and renamed Connective Commerce in 2001.
In 2003, one of the vice-presidents at Connective Commerce, Jeff Walter, bought the company and continued its focus on delivering software projects and solutions for its clients. His careful attention to operations has resulted in a profitable company every single year.
In 2005, Latitude acquired the learning technology division of Novations Group, Inc. Novations, founded in 2002, had purchased Strategic Interactive, a learning technologies group out of Lansing, Michigan. Novations, having served Pepsico and the automotive industry, among others, proved to be a valuable acquisition. The learning management technologies Latitude acquired have served Pepsi, General Motors, Chrysler and others, and formed the foundation for many of Latitude’s learning solutions today.
The Present: Experienced, Capable, Consistent
By combining project management capabilities, software development expertise, systems and data integration experience and learning management solutions, Latitude can offer what few other organizations can: real-life, technology-driven performance improvement solutions.
Today, a number of Latitude’s staff that were part of those founding companies remain with the organization. That is why Latitude’s staff average approximately 14 years of experience in the software and consulting industries. With this kind of experience and talent, Latitude can help you with just about any need you might have. If you’re experiencing it, Latitude has probably already seen it and provided a solution for it.