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Open Source Transformation:
Managing the Tranistion to an Open Source Business ModelThursday November 29th, 7 pm
Sponsored by Microsoft Corp.Microsoft Corp.
201 Jones Road - Sixth Floor - Conference Room MPR B
Waltham, MA 02451
781 487-6400
Driving directions and mapAndover-based Aras Corp was founded in early 2000 to deliver a next-generation enterprise software solution for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Upon release, the Aras solution garnered broad industry recognition including being named one of the Top 125 Most Advanced Technology Companies and the Top 40 Emerging Software Companies for multiple consecutive years.
An innovative and unique model-based SOA technology proved superior to other systems on the market and Aras was successful in winning a number of prestigious customers including Motorola, Lockheed Martin, Delphi, Ingersoll Rand, Rolls-Royce, ACCO Brands, the US Army, and many others.
Aras' competitive advantage was a better product, however the company was at a disadvantage against other providers who spent hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing, sales and operations.
To drive momentum, the Aras management team explored alternative strategies to further accelerate growth. After over a year of strategy development and business planning, Aras moved to an open source model in January 2007 and become the first Microsoft open source company in the process. The results have exceeded expectations; sales immediately grew by over 200% and 1,000's of companies are downloading and using the Aras solutions.
Marc Lind, VP of Marketing at Aras will walk us through the transition process and the key decisions made along the way. You will learn first hand how Aras managed this 'bet the company' change in strategy. Join us for a unique and fascinating case study in how one company dramatically changed its model to accelerate growth and change the industry forever.6:00 pm - Student Warm-up
6:30 pm - Networking -- food and drink provided
7:00 pm - Event StartStudents & PDMA members $20 ($30 after Nov 27th -- $35 at the door)
Non-PDMA members $30 ($35 after Nov 27th -- $40 at the door)Speaker Bio
Marc Lind Vice President, Marketing
Aras Corp www.aras.com As an executive team member at Aras, Marc leads the Microsoft enterprise open source go-to-market business strategy to drive revenue for profitable growth. Marc manages brand positioning, packaging & pricing, the Microsoft strategic alliance, community building, analyst & public relations, demand generation and the open source sales model. Prior to Aras Corporation Marc was President of PartsDriver, an enterprise supply chain solution provider. Previously, at Analog Devices he helped build relationships with major customers including Intel, Lucent, and Nortel and led a division-wide reengineering project. Earlier in his career, Marc was a consultant in world-class manufacturing and quality systems. He holds a BBA in Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is a member of the PDMA, APICS and AME [Association for Manufacturing Excellence]. Marc is a frequent speaker at leading industry events such as the Babson Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, SME Competitive Manufacturers Conference and Microsoft ISV Summit at the Open Source Business Conference.
