Northgate Information Solutions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northgate Information Solutions plc is a major supplier of software applications and outsourcing solutions in the United Kingdom, including HR and payroll applications. The company describes its client list as including all of the UK’s regional police forces, approximately 90% of UK local authorities and more than 50% of FTSE 100 companies. The company has notably survived a catastrophic fire at its headquarters site in 2005.
[edit] History
1969 - Founded as CMC, Computer Machinery Company. Manufacturers of Key to Disk computer systems.
1981 - Purchased by Microdata. Company changed names to Microdata UK, or MUK. Company also start the UK Manufacture of the Reality Range of computer systems. The name was given to the computer system and the Pick operating system. At the time, the company owned all of the rights to the Pick Operating system by agreement with Dick Pick.
1983 - Microdata purchased by McDonnell Douglas Corporation as part of their diversification into what was known as sunrise industries.
1984 - Company re-branded as MDIS, McDonnell Douglas Information Systems.
New Manufacturing and Office complex Purchased in Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead. Work Starts as soon as the building is open to double its size, known as Phase 1 and 2.
1989 – Second New building completed at Boundary way for the thousand staff at the head office location. At the time, the company had one of the largest company car fleets in the country.
1992 – The last year MDIS made a computer system. The end of UK manufacturing for the company. The old Reality Operating system is re-engineered into an Open UNIX application capable of running on non MDIS computers. This allowed the Reality Operating Environment and applications developed for Reality to continue to be sold and maintained. The Open approach led to a Windows platform by 1995 and continual feature enhancements that carry on to this day...
1993 - Management Buy Out. At this time, and with the end of the cold war, the parent company McDonnell Douglas, was realising that they didn’t have a Microsoft on their hands and were susceptible to a cash offer. 29 Senior managers and Directors of the company, under the leadership of Jerry Causley CEO, and through Bearings bank, purchase the company from McDonnell Douglas.
1994 - Floatation on the London Stock Exchange. Shares are sold, prior to the floatation, at 260 Pence each. Within two months the shares were worth less than one pound.
Through the latter part of the nineties, most of the original directors and senior manages leave the company, to be replaced by a new management group. The new CEO, John Klien, takes the reigns as the company issues yet another profit warning to the stock exchange.
1998 - Second Building, known as Maylands Park south, sold to 3Com. This complex accommodated about 600 staff, who were either re-located to other building or made redundant.
1999 – Chris Stone, new CEO appointed. At this time the company was losing about £100m per year and several years of downsizing and rationalisation followed. The company focused on its core markets, local Government and Public sector, (Police, fire and Ambulance services) and products, (Payroll, pensions and HR systems). Services such as Hardware Maintenance and Managed Services are also offered.
2000 – In order to re-brand the company, and shed the old loss making image, the company changes name to Northgate Information Solutions. This was actually the name of a small software house the old MDIS company purchased years earlier.
2001 – Through Re-focusing, and the loss of about two thirds of the original MDIS staff the business finally returns to profit. The sale of the Health Business, managed services, applications and support, the company raises capital for acquisitions.
Company Head office, now located in one three storey building, consolidate onto two floors.
2002 – Northgate acquire Prolog, payroll outsourcing & solutions
2003 – to Consolidate on core business and clients, the company acquire CaraPeople, (payroll outsourcing), blue8, (location and citizen centric IT systems for emergency services), Hays CSG, (data management information systems (police) and consulting), PWA Group, (HR applications).
2004 – From this point, the company continues its rapid growth and consolidation. No longer a company stuck in the glory days of its history, struggling to re-shape to the changing business needs of its markets, it aggressively acquires business after business. Acquires Rebus (HR Group, HR and payroll solutions), CIM Systems, (communication technologies for control room environments). In recognition of its achievement, it is listed on the stock exchange FTSE 250.
2005 - Acquisition of Sx3, and MVM Holdings Limited. This may have been a step too far. A number of staff feel that they are now working for Sx3, due to the integration of their senior managers.
December 11 2005 – a Major Fire at the Buncefield Oil Depot effectively destroys the Hemel Head office complex. Staff are told to report to offices in Oxford and Peterborough. The share price dips on the first trading day, but recovers by lunchtime.
October 2006 - Share price fluctuates, company announces that they are subject to an unsolicited takeover approach.[1] It has since been announced that this has amounted to nothing.
