Intentia

Intentia was a Swedish enterprise software company founded in 1984 by Björn Algkvist, Mikael Agerås, Göran Felldin and Rune Groppfeldt. It developed business applications for organizations operating in manufacturing, distribution and other sectors, with a portfolio that extended beyond traditional enterprise resource planning into customer relationship management, supply-chain management, asset management, business intelligence, data warehousing, electronic sales and electronic procurement. Its principal product was Movex, an enterprise application suite that became the foundation of the company's international business. The company emerged during a period when the enterprise resource planning market was relatively fragmented by country and region, with comparatively few suppliers serving customers across borders. During the 1980s, Intentia concentrated on building a strong position in Sweden. In 1991 it acquired Entra Data and subsequently redeveloped Movex, helping establish the product as the center of its application strategy. During the 1990s, Intentia expanded into approximately 30 countries. It initially used business partners to enter foreign markets, then increasingly acquired some of those partners and established its own subsidiaries. Intentia's technology strategy changed significantly during the middle of the 1990s. Its applications had initially run primarily on IBM platforms, including AS/400 and S/390 systems. The company then moved toward a Java-based development environment, becoming one of the earlier enterprise-resource-planning vendors to undertake such a transition. The shift enabled support for additional operating environments, including Unix systems running Sun Solaris. For a period, Intentia maintained both RPG-based and Java-based applications, although new development increasingly focused on Java. The Java transition also supported an effort to position Intentia as more than a conventional ERP supplier. The Intentia Application Suite was expanded with adjacent products and capabilities, including the Opportunity Analyzer business-intelligence application, BPW data-warehouse functionality, and electronic business applications such as e-sales and e-procurement. This broader approach was intended to address the growing demand for integrated business processes and Internet-enabled enterprise systems. To help finance international expansion and major development programs, Intentia introduced its shares on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1996. The company remained publicly traded until its combination with Lawson Software. On June 2, 2005, Lawson announced an agreement to combine with Intentia in an all-stock transaction. The resulting business operated as Lawson Software, with United States headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, and international operations headquartered in Stockholm. Intentia was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list on May 26, 2006. The transaction marked the end of Intentia as an independent listed company and its brand became part of Lawson's enterprise software operations. Lawson was subsequently acquired by Infor Global Solutions in 2011.

Intentia was established in Sweden in 1984 by Björn Algkvist, Mikael Agerås, Göran Felldin and Rune Groppfeldt. It entered the enterprise software market at a time when ERP provision was still highly fragmented along national lines. Rather than immediately pursuing a broad global footprint, the company first concentrated on developing a strong domestic position in Sweden. A significant early corporate and product milestone came in 1991, when Intentia acquired Entra Data. Following the acquisition, it redeveloped Movex, the product that became its principal enterprise application platform. Movex supported the company's expansion from a Swedish software supplier into an international provider of integrated business applications. During the 1990s, Intentia expanded its presence to about 30 countries. Its initial international model relied heavily on business partners. As the company gained experience and sought greater control over implementation and customer relationships, it acquired selected partners and created additional subsidiaries. This combination of partner-led entry and direct operations allowed Intentia to broaden its geographic reach while developing a more unified international organization. The company's technical architecture also changed during this period. The original Intentia Application Suite ran primarily on IBM platforms, including AS/400 and S/390 systems. In the mid-1990s, Intentia chose to move its development environment toward Java. That decision made it one of the earlier ERP suppliers to adopt Java as a central technology direction. Applications were subsequently certified for additional operating systems, including Unix implementations such as Sun Solaris. For some time the company continued to support both RPG-based and Java-based applications, but new products and development increasingly used Java. The technology transition was linked to a broader change in market positioning. Intentia wanted to be viewed not only as an ERP company but also as an e-solutions provider capable of addressing a wider range of digitally connected business processes. In addition to core enterprise applications, the company developed or promoted business-intelligence, data-warehouse, electronic-sales, electronic-procurement and other e-business capabilities. Opportunity Analyzer served as a business-intelligence offering, while BPW provided data-warehouse functionality. These products extended the scope of the Intentia Application Suite and were intended to make the platform more useful across international business operations. Intentia's internationalization and product-development programs required substantial financing. The company therefore introduced its stock on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1996, where it traded under the symbol INT B. Its public-company period ended after Lawson Software agreed to combine with Intentia. Lawson announced the transaction on June 2, 2005, describing it as an all-stock combination. The combined company retained the Lawson Software name, with its United States headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, and international operations headquartered in Stockholm. Intentia was acquired for a reported SEK 3.5 billion and was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list on May 26, 2006. From that point, Intentia no longer operated as an independent listed software company, although its products, technology and customer activities continued within Lawson's business. Lawson itself was acquired by Infor Global Solutions in 2011. This later transaction further changed the ownership context of the former Intentia operations. Intentia's independent history is therefore defined by its Swedish origins, the development and internationalization of Movex, its early Java migration and expansion into adjacent enterprise applications, followed by its absorption into Lawson.

1. 2011Lawson joins Infor

   Infor Global Solutions acquires Lawson Software, the company that had absorbed Intentia.

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2. 2006Intentia is delisted

   Intentia is removed from the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list on May 26, completing its transition into Lawson Software.

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3. 2005Lawson announces combination with Intentia

   Lawson Software announces an all-stock agreement to combine with Intentia International AB.

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4. 1996Stock-market listing

   Intentia's shares are introduced on the Stockholm Stock Exchange to help finance international expansion and substantial product-development projects.

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5. 1995Shift toward Java-based development

   Intentia begins a major technology transition from IBM-platform applications toward a Java-based development environment and broader operating-system support.

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6. 1991Acquisition of Entra Data

   Intentia acquires Entra Data and subsequently redevelops its flagship Movex product.

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7. 1990International expansion

   During the 1990s, Intentia expands into approximately 30 countries, initially through partners and later through acquired partners and new subsidiaries.

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8. 1984Intentia is founded in Sweden

   Björn Algkvist, Mikael Agerås, Göran Felldin and Rune Groppfeldt establish Intentia as an enterprise software company.

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Intentia positioned itself as an international provider of integrated enterprise applications rather than solely as an ERP vendor. Its differentiation rested on the Movex application suite, sector-oriented business functionality, international deployment capabilities and an early migration from IBM-centric technology toward Java-based enterprise software.

• MovexEnterprise resource planning

  Movex was Intentia's flagship enterprise application and the central product around which the company built its international business. After the 1991 acquisition of Entra Data, Intentia redeveloped Movex and used it to support integrated operational processes for organizations in areas such as manufacturing and distribution. The product was initially associated with IBM platforms and later formed part of the company's broader Java-oriented application strategy.

• Intentia Application SuiteEnterprise applications

  The Intentia Application Suite grouped the company's core business applications and related capabilities. It initially operated mainly on IBM platforms such as AS/400 and S/390, then expanded toward Java-based deployment and additional operating systems including Unix on Sun Solaris. The suite covered ERP-related processes and was extended with customer relationship, supply-chain, asset-management and electronic-business functions.

• Opportunity AnalyzerBusiness intelligence

  Opportunity Analyzer was a business-intelligence application associated with Intentia's effort to broaden its offering beyond conventional ERP. It was intended to help organizations analyze business information alongside the operational data managed by the Intentia application environment.

• BPWData warehousing

  BPW was a data-warehouse application in Intentia's extended portfolio. It complemented the company's transactional enterprise applications by providing a separate environment for organizing and using business data for reporting and analysis.

• E-sales and e-procurement solutionsE-business applications

  Intentia developed electronic-sales, electronic-procurement and related e-business applications as part of its attempt to present itself as an e-solutions provider. These capabilities extended the application suite toward Internet-enabled commercial and purchasing processes.

• 2005Agreement to combine with Lawson SoftwareM&A

  Intentia required scale and financing for international operations and ongoing enterprise-software development, while Lawson was seeking to combine with a major international software provider.

  What changed. Lawson Software announced an all-stock agreement to combine with Intentia International AB. The combined business was to operate under the Lawson Software name.

  Aftermath. Intentia ceased to operate as an independent listed company and was delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list in 2006. Lawson was later acquired by Infor in 2011.

  Reported acquisition value. SEK 3.5 billion (2005)

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• 1995Move toward Java-based enterprise applicationsStrategy

  Intentia's applications had traditionally run mainly on IBM platforms, while the enterprise software market was expanding toward more portable and network-oriented technologies.

  What changed. The company adopted a Java-based development environment, while temporarily maintaining both RPG- and Java-based applications. The move enabled certification on additional operating systems, including Unix on Sun Solaris.

  Aftermath. The technology shift supported a wider application strategy and helped Intentia market itself as an e-solutions provider rather than only an ERP vendor.

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• 2011Lawson is acquired by Infor

  Lawson Software, the company that had absorbed Intentia, was later acquired by Infor Global Solutions. This placed the former Intentia business within Infor's enterprise software portfolio.

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• 2006Intentia is delisted following Lawson combination

  Intentia ceased to be a separately listed company after its shares were removed from the Stockholm Stock Exchange's O-list on May 26, 2006.

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• 2005Intentia announces combination agreement with Lawson Software

  Lawson Software announced an all-stock agreement to combine with Swedish enterprise software company Intentia. The planned combined company was to operate under the Lawson Software name, with United States headquarters in St. Paul and international operations headquartered in Stockholm.

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