VAI: 30 Years Old, and Counting

July 22, 2008 Alex Woodie

When Bob Vormittag founded VAI (formerly Vormittag & Associates) as a small software development company for the IBM System 3 line in 1978, he didn’t envision what it would become. Now, as VAI celebrates its 30th birthday this month, the company took a minute to ponder its past, and consider what the future will bring.

VAI is one of the remaining independent, middle-tier ERP developers serving the System i community. The company, which is based in Ronkonkoma, New York (on Long Island), develops a suite of RPG-based applications called S2K Enterprise that are used by more than 750 companies. VAI’s customer base consists primarily of blue-collar companies in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail industries, and includes such familiar names as Dunkin’ Donuts, Turtle Wax, and Roto-Rooter.

Bob Vormittag, president and CEO of VAI, reflected on his journey. “When I launched VAI in 1978, I envisioned a software firm that was customer-focused, technology-driven and market adaptable,” Vormittag stated in a recent announcement. “Today, as we celebrate our 30th year in business, our expansion into industries and locations around the globe is greater than I had initially imagined.”

While much of the midmarket ERP industry is in retraction, VAI is looking to grow the company. To that end, it recently opened a second office in Chicago, Illinois. It also maintains offices in Miami and Orlando, Florida; and Newport Beach and Oroville, California.

Later this year, VAI will roll out S2K 5.0, a new version of its ERP suite that will feature a new Java interface, new Web-based dashboards, new wireless capabilities, and perhaps integration with voice over IP (VoIP) products.

“VAI continually strives to meet the needs of international businesses, large and small, and this year we will introduce our most advanced software to date with S2K 5.0,” Vormittag continues. “VAI’s software, together with the IBM Power Systems platform, will lead us into the future with a technology solution that continues the VAI tradition of providing flexible, scalable, easily implementable and affordable enterprise management software.”