I am first and foremost a story teller.
The tale of Solomon is an intriguing story, so I enjoy recounting it.
A Very Brief History of Microsoft Dynamics SL:
From Findlay, OH to Fargo, ND to Redmond, WA
Perhaps you all know this and perhaps you don’t. I, for one, never really stopped to think why this giant of software companies was named Solomon. For all I knew, Solomon was perhaps the first or last name of one its founders. NOT so.
Founded in Findlay, OH in 1980 as TLB, Inc. (The Lord’s Business), the company was soon renamed Solomon as a continuing reminder of its original purpose, which was to conduct business according to biblical principles (see footnote)*. Its first accounting software products were released in 1981.
Over the years, Solomon won many prestigious awards and its client base grew exponentially. All this, of course, made it a prime target for an acquisition. Indeed, in 2000, Solomon was purchased by Great Plains Software (now Microsoft Dynamics GP) out of Fargo, ND. And in 2001, Great Plains was purchased by Microsoft, which I can safely assume we all know is headquartered in Redmond, WA.
Eventually, Solomon was renamed Microsoft Dynamics SL. Read more about SL.
*Footnote: I'd like to take a leap of faith there and suggest that the phrase "according to biblical principles" includes the ideals embodied in what is known as "The Wisdom of Solomon." Which leads me to yet another captivating story.
Solomon was the Biblical king famous for his wisdom. In 1 Kings, he sacrificed to God and prayed for wisdom. God answered his prayer, promising him great wisdom because he had not asked to self-serving rewards like long life or the death of his enemies.
Perhaps the best known story of his wisdom is the Judgment of Solomon in a case involving two women, each of whom laid claim to being the mother of the same child. Solomon resolved the dispute by commanding that the child should be cut in half and thereby shared between the two. One of the women immediately renounced her claim, proving that she would rather give up the child than see it harmed. King Solomon declared the woman who showed compassion to be the true mother, entitled to the whole child.
The Judgment of Solomon, painting on ceramic,
Castelli, 18th century, Lille Museum of Fine Arts
Solomon was also considered to be the author of several Biblical books, including not only the collection of Proverbs, but also of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the later apocryphal book, the "Wisdom of Solomon," also known as the "Book of Wisdom."