CA Looks To Cloud With Name Change

Enterprise software giant CA has changed its name yet again, after the company, which used to be known as Computer Associates, changed its name to CA Technologies.

The company made the announcement at its CA World 2010 annual user conference in Las Vegas on 16 May. The CA World conference drew more than 7,000 CA customers, partners and others.

What’s In A Name?

CA Technologies officials said the new name is more descriptive and demonstrates the company’s commitment to managing and securing IT environments – from mainframe to distributed to virtual and to cloud – to deliver more flexible IT services to its customers. The company also has revamped its website, ca.com.

“The name CA Technologies both acknowledges our past yet points to our future as a leader in delivering the technologies that will revolutionize the way IT powers business agility,” said CA Technologies CEO Bill McCracken, in a statement. “We are executing on a bold strategy, where IT resources from the mainframe to the cloud, and everything in between, are delivered with unprecedented levels of speed and flexibility. Critical to this vision is our ability to provide a superior customer experience, which we will unquestionably deliver.”

The new brand messaging program sets the foundation for what CA Technologies makes possible for customers in a technology environment that demands business results at the lowest possible cost. It also underscores the company’s strategy to become a market and thought leader in such high-growth areas as cloud computing, virtualisation management, IT management as a service, and identity and access management.

Early Days

CA was founded in 1976 by the flamboyant Charles Wang and business partner Russell Artzt. Since then, CA has been one of the most acquisitive software companies in the history of the business. In the late 1980s CA became the first software company to top $1 billion (£688 million) in sales.

In 2005, CA launched a rebranding campaign referring to itself as CA as opposed to Computer Associates.

“The brand and name change to CA Technologies was designed with insights from nearly 700 customers, partners and market thought leaders and was developed to ensure that we tell a consistent story in the market that reflects the full breadth and depth of what we offer,” said Marianne Budnik, chief marketing officer at CA Technologies, in a statement. “These changes begin a journey that will unfold over the next few years and develop as CA Technologies continues to make business agility a reality for its customers.”

CA Technologies will launch an advertising campaign in financial daily business and trade publications, and new television ads begin in July, the company said. The integrated marketing campaign will demonstrate a consistent brand message and image to CA’s global audiences through the global print advertising campaign, Website redesigns, online marketing, collateral and signage. The company also has modified its logo and usage of colour.

Originally published on eWeek.