by Jon Darbyshire – January 4, 2010
In 2009, Archer’s community of customers, partners and product experts surpassed a number of important milestones. We welcomed 65+ new client organizations and 1,300 additional members into the Archer Community, and our global user group meetings were attended by more than 1,000 governance, risk and compliance professionals. Through extensive collaboration with Community members, the Archer team also delivered an advanced suite of GRC solutions to the market, fueling tremendous growth for our company. I thank you for your support of Archer, your active participation in the Archer Community, and your involvement in setting the standards for best-in-class GRC programs.
Today marks another important milestone for Archer and our valued customers and partners. I’m excited to announce that Archer Technologies has taken a major step forward by signing a definitive agreement to join the EMC family of enterprise software solutions. We will operate as a part of RSA, the Security Division of EMC. As a member of the EMC family, Archer will:
• Further strengthen our ability to fuel our customers’ success
• Rapidly deliver new solutions to market
• Empower both IT-GRC and Enterprise GRC programs on a global scale
The Archer team will remain focused on delivering best-in-class governance, risk and compliance solutions built on the flexible Archer SmartSuite Framework. Our community-driven approach to product innovation will be stronger than ever, and the relationships we share with our valued customers will not change. You will continue to receive the same exceptional service you have come to expect from the Archer team—and you will see the same faces, receive the same communications, and hear the same voices on the phone. The Archer team, including our executive leaders, will be at your service now and into the future.
Moving forward, you will also have the power of EMC behind you, including an unmatched technology infrastructure, a global team of sales and services personnel, and an expansive partner ecosystem. Here are just a few of the benefits to your organization:
• Additional resources focused on product management and development, services and sales
• Deep integration with technology solutions from EMC and the RSA Security Division, along with the continued freedom to integrate the vendor-neutral, content-independent Archer SmartSuite Framework with other third-party products
• Even greater focus on community-driven innovation through the Archer Community, Archer Exchange and our user group meetings
• Access to EMC’s international data centers for our SaaS/hosted customers, providing greater deployment flexibility
• Expanded training capabilities and courses delivered by Archer-certified experts around the globe
• Additional expertise around the delivery of enterprise-class software solutions from a Fortune 200 technology company
The Archer team will be reaching out to our primary customer and partner contacts over the next several days to answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, I invite you to visit the Archer web site for more information. I also encourage you to join us for the upcoming Archer GRC Summit (April 14–16, 2010), where you’ll see cutting-edge uses of Archer solutions, network with your colleagues, and learn more about how your organization benefits from Archer’s transition into the EMC family.
Thank you for your past, present and future support of Archer Technologies. Thanks also to Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, which acted as exclusive financial advisor to Archer.
On behalf of our entire team, I look forward to working with you as we continue our mission of delivering the industry’s most comprehensive and powerful solutions for governance, risk and compliance.