CA today rebranded itself as CA Technologies, in a move it claims will help people better understand what its business is about.
The moniker makeover follows a similar rebrand years ago whereby the company formerly known as Computer Associates dropped the words and became known just as CA.
The new name will show the outside world that CA's business is focused on helping customers manage and secure IT environments, according to the company. Chief executive Bill McCracken went as far as to joke - during his opening keynote at CA World 2010 in Las Vegas - that the real reason behind the rebrand was because he was fed up of getting Google search results relating to California rather than CA.
"We're expanding what we do and who we are and to go with that we're expanding our name too," he said during his keynote.
"The name CA Technologies acknowledges both our past and points to our future as a leader in delivering the solutions that will revolutionise the way IT powers business agility. We are executing on a bold strategy to delight our customers with unprecedented levels of IT speed and flexibility," he added in a statement.
McCracken also used his keynote to talk about the changes that have occurred in the tech industry and what may be on the horizon.
He noted that the economy, technology and user needs had all resulted in massive change in recent years. Just 107 of the Fortune 500 companies around in 1985 remain, he remarked, before drilling down further to say that just 71 of the Fortune 500 listed in 1955 are still standing. What's more, out of the 20 largest of that roll call of honours from 1955, 13 have been wiped out.
"Change happens," McCracken said. "Companies change, industries change. Those that don't go to the dumpster."
When it comes to the cloud, he said confidently "I don't think it's going to happen. I know it's going to happen."
Referencing an Alan Kay quote that the best way to predict the future is to invent it, McCracken added: "[In] the next year, you and we are going to do just that."
Read on for more news from CA World 2010.
