WOW…
I’m not easily impressed. My peers sometimes call me cynical; I prefer to call it realistic. Either way, when it comes to the Connections Conference, Ultimate Software put on its best show ever.
I was impressed!
Attendance
People, people everywhere! There was more traffic at the Sability booth this year than ever before. Over 1,800 Ultimate customers were in attendance, and it felt like we talked to everyone. It’s always great to spend time with our customers face to face, and strategize about their initiatives for the year ahead. We also noticed an increase in new Ultimate Software Group (USG) customers, and those making their final decision to join the Ultimate universe. In our opinion, seeing the Ultimate culture firsthand makes the decision easier. Customers are not just purchasing software – they are partnering with the vendor. We’ve always felt Ultimate’s customer service and partnering approach with customers make them unique.
The Sability Team was busy at the booth.
Thanks to all that came by our booth to talk to us! Amy Jankowski from Calpine was our lucky prize drawing winner of an iPad Mini. Congratulations Amy!
Sessions
The feedback we received was that the sessions were top notch. We’ve been excited to see the user interface enhancements, as well as the new talent management products that have come out. The new recruiting module has been out, and while there have been some bumps in the road, we are very bullish on where it is heading. We love what we are seeing with the new Onboarding module, and we’re excited for its general release.
Due to my time at the booth, I was only able to attend the general sessions. They were all outstanding. It was great hearing Cecile Alper-Leroux discuss the new releases, as well as Adam Rogers describe the implications of the NetSuite partnership. I always enjoy listening to Scott Scherr talk – it feels like you are the only other person in the room and he’s letting you in on all the company secrets. Everything feels very transparent with him.
With all due respect to the other guest speakers, Magic Johnson stole the show. He speaks like he played – freestyle, but always in control. It really felt like he understood our business, and Magic is an amazing businessman himself. I’m not sure how anyone would be surprised by that, however, since he is a Spartan. Go Green!
Partnership
Ultimate Software has always been partner friendly. Over the past year, they have taken it to another level. Over 35 partners were represented, which doubled in size over previous conferences. Collaboration was a theme in the partner pavilion, and we determined many ways to work together. The Ultimate/NetSuite partnership is big – it’s going to open quite a few doors for both organizations. Kudos to USG Strategic Alliance team for growing the network and making everyone’s feedback a priority!
What were your impressions of the Connections meeting? Share them below.
