All of us in the region were grateful for the outpouring of support from around the country and across the globe. As “neighbors,” located just outside the city itself, our concern continues for those affected by the tragedy and we join in wanting to look ahead. The Boston Strong slogan says it all; it’s a little like the World War II “Keep Calm and Carry On” slogan designed to prepare Londoners for the rigors of an enemy bombing campaign. It recognizes our tough challenges but commits us to move ahead.
Of course, there are echoes of Boston Strong that go way beyond the aftermath of the Marathon Bombing. Even in our industry, the region’s tech scene has seen fewer high-flyers and few crash and burn scenarios than the west coast. Instead, we typically have a lot of dedicated people (and companies) pursuing good ideas wherever they go – getting them right and showcasing a Boston Strong value system that keeps the focus on results. That’s the Progress model; since the company’s inception; identifying with developers and providing the best possible tooling at each evolutionary stage of IT. Rather than focusing on the latest “shiny new thing” our company has always taken the longer view and figured out how to add value and build a developer community that is both loyal and richly empowered.
We are still at it, now focusing more and more on PaaS as the ideal tool to boost developer capabilities in the hybrid cloud era.
On the 21st of April, we will once again be proudly watching the Boston Marathon (the world's oldest annual marathon, incidentally); wishing everyone well, and making sure to live Boston Strong. And we hope you will celebrate with us as we return once again to a beloved tradition and move past the trauma of 2013.
Karen Tegan Padir
Karen Tegan Padir is the president of the Application Development and Deployment Business Unit at Progress, reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer Phil Pead. Padir, a 20-year software industry veteran, is responsible for the strategy and growth of Progress application development assets including Telerik, Modulus, Rollbase and the Pacific Platform.