August 14, 2014 | Matt Stava | Founder & CEO
We are nearing the 6th anniversary of Spinnaker Support. Looking back in time, SAP had disbanded its TomorrowNow subsidiary (pressured by an Oracle lawsuit); Spinnaker Management Group then picked up JD Edwards software maintenance assets (formerly part of TomorrowNow); and the Spinnaker Support subsidiary was launched to market (then focused on providing third-party maintenance for JD Edwards software applications).
From the outset, we believed that third-party maintenance showed enormous market potential, beyond just the JD Edwards user community. Many organizations using SAP and Oracle solutions were tired of paying exorbitant maintenance fees (now up to 22% per year based on initial software license fees) in exchange for diminishing levels of support – and were seeking an alternative model. Third-party maintenance promised:
- An “off-ramp” from SAP or Oracle for those wanting to migrate, those content with what they had, those heavily customized, and/or those enduring some form of financial duress.
- An “on-ramp” back to SAP or Oracle if so desired by the client.
- Freedom of choice and reclamation of control.
- Premier maintenance/support for a fraction of the cost.
But, third-party software maintenance was sporting a black eye, resulting from litigation by Oracle against SAP/TomorrowNow for theft of intellectual property. So, Spinnaker Support was not launched until we developed a thorough understanding of all legal boundaries and best-in-class processes by which world-class support would be offered and best delivered.
As founder and CEO of Spinnaker Support, my original objectives are being achieved. We have:
- Strategically expanded the number of software applications we support.
- Extended the services we provide to fill emerging market gaps with creative solutions.
- Delighted our customers with world-class support as evidenced by 98+% satisfaction scores and enviable loyalty/referenceability.
- Consistently lengthened our geographic reach to 33 countries from regional operating centers based in Denver, London, Singapore, Mumbai, and Cape Town.
My objectives are being accomplished while the company retains solid financial footing, drives a culture of integrity and trust, and remains litigation-free.
I am pleased to report that, after 6 years, Spinnaker Support has serviced subsidiaries of 287 unique ultimate parent organizations (26 in the Fortune 1000). Our sales pipeline continues to exponentially grow. We attract first-rate talent and retain awesome employees. We now support a myriad of Oracle and SAP enterprise solutions/versions with software maintenance, managed services, technology advisory, and consulting. Currently, almost one-third of our active clients leverage two or more Spinnaker Support service offerings. We are uniquely positioned in our served market.
We’re not the only vendor competing in the fast-growing third-party software maintenance space, but our vision, ISO 9001:2008 process certification, and unwavering execution on doing things the right way has served us and our customers well. Spinnaker Support is poised to be a major market force for years to come.
