All of the organizations included on the Technology Pacesetters list this year have remained agile in the face of changes in the economy and VAR marketplace.  Many of these organizations have proactively adapted by expanding product lines and offering cloud or hosted solutions.  Socius has done both in the past year.

In May 2011, Socius acquired a Microsoft Dynamics NAV practicing, enabling them to provide the full portfolio of Microsoft Dynamics solutions.  Socius has also invested in developing both their hosting and Cloud Services practices, empowering clients with the power to choose an on-premise or cloud deployment for any of their ERP or CRM solutions.  Socius recently launched www.cloudtechnology.com to support this growing area of their business.

This is the eighth year that Socius has been included in this prestigious list of Technology Pacesetters.  With thousands of firms servicing this industry, it is a tremendous accomplishment for Socius to be consistently selected to this elite group of VARs.  See the full Technology Pacesetters list.

Other awards that Socius has received in 2011 include the Bob Scott’s Insights Top 100 VARs, Accounting Technology’s VAR 100, Microsoft Dynamics’ President’s Club and Microsoft Dynamics’ Inner Circle.

About Socius:

Socius is a strategic business consulting partner that provides comprehensive business management solutions to help companies leverage technology to accelerate their growth and profitability and compete more successfully in today’s economy.  As a Gold Certified member of the Microsoft Partner Network, a Sage Authorized Partner, and a SYSPRO partner, Socius represents the most trusted accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence and analytics technologies on the market.  Backed by more than 25 years of award-winning experience, Socius proudly serves clients throughout the country from its offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio; Kansas City; and San Jose, California.

The new cloudtechnology.com site includes an overview of what Socius Cloud Services offers in addition to breaking down the cloud deployment options for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Dynamics ERP, and Microsoft Office 365.  This site also provides an instant quote tool for Cloud Services’ rapid deployment of Microsoft Dynamics GP as well as access to free trials of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Office 365.

Ultimately, cloudtechnology.com will serve as the login access portal for clients leveraging Microsoft Dynamics GP through Cloud Services and will include a 30-day trial of that solution.

Socius Cloud Services offers clients and prospective clients the power to choose the deployment type for any of the ERP or CRM solutions that Socius provides.  Not only do Socius clients have a choice of whether an on-premise or cloud solution is right for their business at the time of implementation, but they also have the flexibility to change deployment types as their business needs grow and change, without fear of data loss.

“In the current economic climate, the fact that cloud business solutions have a low up-front investment and no ongoing maintenance costs makes them appealing to companies with tight budgets that are looking to improve their business management quickly,” said Jeff  Geisler, Socius’ CEO and Senior Managing Director.  “This trend has been most evident in the CRM market, which broke into the cloud prior to most ERP products.  We believe that as more ERP solutions are available in the cloud, that we will see this trend carry over to financial management systems, which is why we have focused on developing a cloud business model for all of our rapidly growing ERP solutions.”

As a Master VAR, Socius will be partnering with Microsoft Dynamics reselling partners as Sales Affiliate organizations.  These Sales Affiliates will continue to sell to and service their existing customers and grow their individual businesses with the support of Socius’ business development processes, marketing efforts, brand recognition, and Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Network.

Socius was chosen to be in the select group of elite partners named as Master VARs due to their proven record of business growth since becoming a Microsoft Dynamics (initially Great Plains Software) partner in 1984.  Despite challenges in the market, Socius has achieved and maintained managed growth in all areas of their business while staying relevant and at the cusp of new developments in the business technology industry.  This growth has earned Socius a consistent place in Microsoft’s Inner Circle throughout the distinction’s history.  The strength of their core business enables them to extend their proven processes for driving organizational growth to their Sales Affiliates.

Upon becoming a Socius Sales Affiliate, partner organizations will gain access to the full portfolio of Microsoft Dynamics solutions which includes all Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions and Microsoft Dynamics CRM along with Socius’ Cloud Services solutions.  All Socius Sales Affiliates will benefit from gaining access to Socius’ standardized reporting, VAR specific CRM, business intelligence tools and dashboards as well as their Expert Finder tool which will enable them to locate individuals within Socius’ Sales Affiliate network who have expertise in a particular area to address a certain client need.  Sales Affiliates will also benefit from Purchasing Programs and Service offerings that will impact the bottom line quickly and allow Sales Affiliates to focus on what they do best.

Socius has a rich history of partnering with organizations to help them succeed, which they will bring to their Sales Affiliate network.

“Partnership is in the DNA of our organization,” said Jeffrey R. Geisler, Socius’ CEO and Senior Managing Director.  “The name, Socius, is Latin for partner or ally, and we try to embody that spirit of partnership in all that we do.  When we work with a client organization, we strive to be an extension of their team, supporting their business growth.  The same is true of our Sales Affiliates – we are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of the organizations that we partner with as a Master VAR.”

Interested in becoming a Socius Sales Affiliate?

About Socius:

Socius is a strategic business consulting partner that provides comprehensive business management solutions to help companies leverage technology to accelerate their growth and profitability and compete more successfully in today’s economy.  As a Gold Certified member of the Microsoft Partner Network, a Sage Authorized Partner, and a SYSPRO partner, Socius represents the most trusted accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence and analytics technologies on the market.  Backed by more than 25 years of award-winning experience, Socius proudly serves over 1500 clients throughout the  United States from its offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio; Kansas City, Kansas; Fargo, North Dakota; and San Jose, California.

Prior to the keynote address on making intentional and strategic connections in business by renowned business consultant, Pam McGee, InterDyn Socius is honoring five outstanding clients with Aspire Awards for Excellence in making connections that have lead to organizational success.  The 2011 Aspire Award winners are:

AtriCure, a surgical device development and implementation company from West Chester, Ohio, received the Excellence in Evangelism Award for their readiness and enthusiasm in sharing the best practices they have established and the success they have had with their Microsoft Dynamics GP business solution with other users and organizations considering the ERP software system.

The Excellence in Industry Implementation Award is being awarded to the emergency roadside assistance services company, National Automobile Club (NAC) in Foster City, California.  NAC has worked with InterDyn Socius to customize their Microsoft Dynamics GP solution and leverage Field Service modules to streamline every aspect of their business and respond to service calls with greater speed and efficiency.

Bend Research, a pharmaceutical research and development company in Bend, Oregon, is being honored with the Excellence in Building Customer Relationships Award in recognition of their vision that their Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution goes above and beyond managing customer interactions.  Bend Research has customized their solution to enhance the connections they are building with their customers and vendors, to track internal employee data, and streamline additional business processes.

BWF America/Envirotech, a dust collection and filtration solutions and services company headquartered in Florence, Kentucky, is receiving the Excellence in Innovation Award as a result of their broad use of technology tools to deliver measurable organizational benefits.  In the last year and a half, BWF has expanded their use of their Sage MAS 200 ERP solution from 60% of application features used to 90% and enhanced their reporting processes.  In addition they have implemented a combination of third-party software solutions and custom development by InterDyn Socius to streamline and automate their inventory management.

“We are honored to work with these industry leading organizations and pleased to recognize their many accomplishments,” said Jeffrey R. Geisler, CPA, Socius’ CEO.  “These clients are great examples of the ways that connecting your technology solutions to your business processes, and efficiently connecting your people to your business data, empowers organizations to succeed. With the nature of the partnership we have with our clients, we share in these successes and celebrate with them.”

Annually, Accounting Technology and its online counterpart WebCPA recognize the country’s top 100 value-added resellers (VAR) of mid-level accounting software packages. VARs are selected for the list and ranked based upon company and revenue size and growth from year to year, as well as the variety and value of the accounting software solutions they provide.

This year, special consideration was given to organizations experiencing business growth through acquisitions and mergers and those embracing cloud computing technology.  Socius has made strides in both of these areas.  With the recent acquisition of Lean Back Office, Socius added a Microsoft Dynamics NAV practice, completing the portfolio of Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions.  Additionally, Socius is equipped to provide their clients and prospective clients the power of choice when it comes to ERP deployment.  Socius’ growing Cloud Services practice provides a cloud alternative to the traditional on-premise deployment of all of our Microsoft Dynamics ERP products.

With thousands of firms servicing this industry, it is a tremendous accomplishment for Socius to be selected among the top 100 VARs.  Along with the VAR 100, Socius has consistently received numerous honors from both Microsoft and Sage year after year.

View the VAR 100 List

2011 Inner Circle members are invited to the Inner Circle retreat, at the breathtaking Fairmont St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, Aug. 7–10, 2011, where they will have a unique opportunity to share strategy and network with Microsoft Dynamics senior leaders and other successful Microsoft Dynamics partners from around the globe.

This recognition of the Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle came during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), the company’s annual premier partner event, which took place this year in Los Angeles. WPC provides Microsoft Corp.’s partner community with the opportunity to learn about the company’s road map for the upcoming year, establish connections, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations and learn new skills.

“We’re excited to recognize InterDyn Socius as a leader in the Microsoft Dynamics global partner community for promoting and delivering solutions that drive customer success,” said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics Partners. “By providing the highest level of sales and innovation, customers can have absolute assurance they are dealing with the ‘best of the best’ when working with InterDyn Socius.”

InterDyn Socius is dedicated to supplying valuable solutions that help customers achieve a competitive advantage by working with them to identify the best solutions and services that accommodate their business needs while exceling in customer satisfaction. By collaborating with the teams at Microsoft, InterDyn Socius maintains a strong expertise of the Microsoft Dynamics platform to provide innovative solutions, strong services and unparalleled value to Microsoft Dynamics customers.

InterDyn Socius provides implementation, training and consultation for small, midsize and corporate businesses using business enterprise applications. InterDyn Socius specializes in developing and deploying solutions based on the entire portfolio of Microsoft Dynamics ERP, CRM, and collaboration products that help leading global companies across industries get to market faster and achieve continued success.

“It is an honor to, once again, be included in the Inner Circle,” said Jeffrey R. Geisler, InterDyn Socius’ CEO and Senior Managing Director.  “We are very proud to serve as a trusted partner to so many successful businesses and to be recognized by Microsoft for ways that we have helped to further those organization’s success.”

Read the complete article here: Microsoft Dynamics Partners Fuel Business Growth by Embracing Change

Through this acquisition, InterDyn Socius will be adding Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision) to its suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions from Microsoft Dynamics and Sage.  With the addition of Microsoft Dynamics NAV to their product offerings, InterDyn Socius is now certified to provide all four of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions in the market, enabling them to more effectively deliver the best solution for each of their client’s unique business needs.

“We congratulate InterDyn Socius on taking this step to join our valuable partners offering a complete Microsoft Dynamics business management software solutions portfolio,” said David Smith, General Manager of Microsoft Dynamics.  “InterDyn Socius has a focus on and commitment to excellent customer service and is now prepared to provide that same focus and commitment to Microsoft Dynamics NAV users. With this product addition, they are equipped to help customers select and provide a full range of quality Microsoft Dynamics solutions that are designed for each customer’s success.”

The consultants of Lean Back-Office will continue to leverage their deep knowledge and experience in lean business processes to provide solutions and services to their midmarket and large business clients from InterDyn Socius’ Northeast Ohio office location in Brecksville. 

 “We are excited to have the Lean Back-Office staff join the InterDyn Socius team and bring with them their expertise in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and lean manufacturing,” said Jeffrey R. Geisler, CPA, InterDyn Socius’ CEO.  “Adding the NAV solution to our organization enables us to provide our clients with even more options for obtaining a business solution that is ideal for their companies’ needs.  Additionally, we are excited about the mutual benefits that our developing relationship with Apple Growth Partners will bring.  By partnering with such a reputable organization, we can help equip even more organizations in Northeast Ohio for success.”

“Socius continues to grow the business organically through strategic partnerships and acquisitions which allows us to expand our product and service offerings,” said Terry Ginley, InterDyn Socius’ Director of Product Strategies and Acquisitions.  “We will continue to build our capacity and teams in each of our offices as well as look to expand into new locations.”

As part of this transaction, InterDyn Socius has also reached a referral agreement with Apple Growth Partners, an affiliate of Lean Back-Office.  This agreement will enable InterDyn Socius to provide ERP and technology solutions to Apple Growth Partner’s clients. 

Dave Gaino, CPA, Chairman of Apple Growth Partners, said, “The evolution and complexity of ERP systems made InterDyn Socius the ideal candidate to lead our Dynamics ERP team into the future. Their depth and breadth of experience affords expanded resources to our clients such as CRM and Microsoft Dynamics AX, a higher end solution for clients that grow beyond Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Being local offers a seamless transition and increased opportunity for all of our clients to gain access to the talent and multiple software solutions offered by InterDyn Socius.  This also solves the independence conflicts created by Sarbanes Oxley for technology firms owned by accounting firms.  We look forward to this strategic alliance with this area’s premier technology consulting firm.”

Serving as a strategic consulting partner, InterDyn Socius implements requirement-specific software solutions to improve business production, streamline staff and office procedures, and allow for improved communication with customers and partners. InterDyn Socius specializes in providing ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence, and Collaboration solutions. 

The qualifications for consideration to this year’s list include diversifying product lines, holding onto talent, maintaining or increasing marketing budgets, and performing mergers and acquisitions, all of which InterDyn Socius has accomplished in the past year despite economic pressures.  In the accompanying article, Bob Scott indicated that InterDyn Socius’ participation in the formation of the Advanced Distribution Partners exemplified the kind of product line diversification through alliance building that helped organizations in this industry segment to succeed over the past year. 

“With the changes that our market-space is currently facing, we cannot continue to grow without effective partnering, not only with others in our industry, but with our clients as well,” said Jeffrey R. Geisler, InterDyn Socius’ CEO and Senior Managing Director.  “It isn’t a coincidence that the word Socius in Latin means ‘partner’ or ‘ally’.  We are continually striving to improve our partnerships and create alliances.  It is an honor to be recognized in such elite company for the success we have had with those efforts.” 

This is the second year that the award has been made by Bob Scott’s Insights, a weekly electronic newsletter and companion Website.  However, Scott has been providing information, analysis, and humor to value-added resellers and suppliers of mid-market accounting software since 1991 and has been involved in the awarding of previous industry honors.

Scott, who was editor of the former Accounting Technology for 13 years, is also executive editor of another Progressive Media Group publication, The Progressive Accountant, which is available at www.progressiveaccountant.com.  Bob Scott’s Insights is available at www.bobscottsinsights.com.   The Progressive Media Group, a leader in B2B online media, is headquartered in Clifton, N.J.  It helps business marketers reach targeted decision-makers through their portfolio of email newsletters, websites, e-directories, job boards, webinars, live events, and databases focusing on the nonprofit, healthcare, finance/accounting, human resources, education, construction, government, supply chain, retail, distribution, manufacturing, and professionals industries.

About InterDyn Socius:

InterDyn Socius is a strategic business consulting partner that provides comprehensive business management solutions to help companies leverage technology to accelerate their growth and profitability and compete more successfully in today’s economy.  As a Gold Certified member of the Microsoft Partner Network and a Sage Authorized Partner, InterDyn Socius represents the most trusted accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence and analytics technologies on the market.  Backed by more than 25 years of award-winning experience, InterDyn-Socius proudly serves clients throughout the country from its offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio; Kansas City; and San Jose, California.