Unit4

Unit4
Company typePrivate
IndustryCloud computing software, software
Founded1980
Key people
  • Mike Ettling CEO
Products
  • ERP
  • FP&A
  • Human Capital Management
Services
  • Software
  • Professional services
Revenue€372.2 million (2019)[1]
Number of employees
2,600
Websitewww.unit4.com

Unit4 is an Enterprise Resource Software company that designs and delivers enterprise software and ERP applications and related professional services for people in services organizations, with a special focus on the professional services, education, public services, and nonprofit sectors. It has subsidiaries and offices in 23 countries across Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa.

The company is best known for its People Experience Suite including Unit4 ERP, Unit4 Financials, Unit4 FP&A, and Unit4 Talent Management.[2] In 2015, Unit4 announced a partnership with Microsoft to build self-driving business applications on the Microsoft Azure cloud. Unit4's software is available in either cloud or on-premises setups, with support for on-premise ending in December 2024. In 2020, the company launched a Global Channel Partner Programme to aid partners in implementing Unit4 software.[3]

History

Unit4 was founded in 1980 by Chris Ouwinga and listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 1998.[4]

In 2000, Unit4 merged with the Norwegian ERP software house Agresso Group ASA[5] and the company name was changed to Unit4Agresso.

In March 2014, Unit4 was acquired by international venture capital firm Advent International.[6]

In 2015, Unit4 rebranded its Coda financial management software package as Unit4 Financials.[7] The Unit4 People Platform was also launched in 2015 as the foundation for Unit4 business applications using Microsoft Azure technology.[7]

In April 2019, Mike Ettling, former president of SAP SuccessFactors and CEO of NGA Human Resources, became Unit4's CEO.[8]

Global growth private equity firm TA Associates announced the strategic growth buy out of Unit4 for more than $2bn in March 2021. Global private markets firm, Partners Group, will invest alongside TA.[9] In April 2021, Unit4 released ERPx, its next-generation intelligent Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution[buzzword] built for mid-market, people-centric[buzzword] organizations.[10]

Acquisitions

Acquisitions by Unit4
Acquisition number Acquired company Acquisition date Specialty Country of origin Acquisition costs
9 Scanmarket 2022 Source to Contract Denmark
8 Compright 2021 Compensation Planning USA
7 Intuo[11] 2019 Talent Management Belgium
6 Assistance[12] 2017 Professional Services Netherlands
5 Prevero[13] 2016 CPM Germany
4 Three Rivers[citation needed] 2015 Education USA
3 Prosoft[citation needed] 2015 HRM Asia
2 Teta[citation needed] 2010 Accounting and Services Poland
1 Unit4 Financials by Coda[citation needed] 2008 Accounting UK [14]

Recognition

In 2023 Unit4 has been recognized as:

  • One of the leaders both in the EPM, ESG and Financial Consolidation, Close Management, and Financial Reporting(FCCR) Market Studies by Dresner Advisory
  • A notable vendor on Forrester’s The Environmental Sustainability Procurement Technology Landscapes Q3-2023
  • A key vendor on three Constellation Research’s shortlists (Healthcare ERP, Service-Centric ERP and Enterprise Application Platforms)
  • A sample vendor on two Gartner Hypecycles (ERP and Autonomous Accounting)
  • A Major Player on DC MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled Procurement Applications 2023 Vendor Assessment
  • An Exemplary Vendor in Ventana’s Total Compensation Management Value Matrix
  • A Champion on both the Software Reviews’ Strategic Sourcing Quadrant and Emotional Footprint

References

  1. ^ "Unit Who? The Unit4 sleeping giant awakes". 24 February 2020.
  2. ^ Melissa Evatt (17 January 2023). "Unit4 launches new Marketplace platform". ERP Today. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Secured five-year agreement worth NOK 10 million". Finansavisen. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ^ Claus Jepsen (14 April 223). "How Integration-As-A-Service Could Be The Missing Link For People-Centric Organizations". Forbes. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  5. ^ Steve Brooks (25 April 2023). "Unit4 opens up App Studio to customers and partners to innovate solutions". Enterprise Times. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ Islam Soliman (6 March 2023). "New CRO joins Unit4 to lead global GTM activity". IT Europa. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b Jochen Wießler (10 April 2023). "Digital businesses are more flexible post-lockdown than before, but there's still a lot of work to be done". Sysbus. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Unit4 Announces General Availability of App Studio". Emerce. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. ^ Phil Wainewright (31 July 2023). "Unit4 CEO Mike Ettling on enterprise resilience, ChatGPT, and the BRICS effect". diginomica.
  10. ^ Mike Ettling (28 June 2023). "Intelligent Transformation In A Multipolar World: Why Organizational Resilience Is Critical". Forbes.
  11. ^ Sara Portell (20 October 2023). "Full automation: a vision of the future". ERP Today.
  12. ^ Claus Jepsen (26 October 2023). "Is It Time To Reconsider Your PaaS Usage?". Forbes.
  13. ^ Phil Wainewright (10 November 2023). "Unit4 rolls out packaged services to help its on-premise customers go cloud in the next 2-3 years". diginomica.
  14. ^ https://www.unit4.com/products/financial-management-software