CDSGroup

It all started in the early 1980s. The founders of Conestoga Data Services created a fully integrated ERP system for large retail stores. Back then (before PCs and mobile phones), computers were large and cumbersome. This new software system was built on an IBM mid-range computing platform, which proved highly effective in helping some local retailers manage all their business processes. The company then expanded its solution to other stores across the country. They found a responsive market, with CDS installing retail solutions in dozens of retail stores across the United States. For most of these businesses, this was their very first computer system. By 1995, the IBM platform was giving way to PCs and the internet. As a result, the founders began seeking individuals with expertise in this area and merged with a company called Complete Solution Systems—a Microsoft partner specializing in PCs and networking. With the emergence of browsers and the World Wide Web, the internet was just gaining momentum. The CDS Group had already started developing browser-based solutions for business operations. The outcome of the new company was the combination of the powerful IBM mid-range systems with the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of PCs, allowing them to communicate through networks and the internet.