ADD Systems President Bruce C. Bott and Senior Vice President and COO Rob Culbertson delve into ADD Systems’ 2025 accomplishments and the goals for 2026. They share a preview of our upcoming Business Tech Conference in Disney World in May, and discuss the evolving energy landscape, the impact of AI, the continued importance of the ADD User Group, and what lies ahead for ADD Systems.
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Brian Cohen: Welcome to ADDcast. I’m Multimedia Specialist, Brian Cohen, and today I’m joined by ADD
Systems President, Bruce Bott, along with Senior Vice President and COO, Rob Culbertson. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me today.
Bruce C. Bott: Thank you, Brian.
Rob Culbertson: Thank you, Brian.
Brian: Well, I’m excited to have you both back on ADDcast as we look forward into 2026, but before we look forward, let’s look back at the year that 2025 was. Rob, 2025 was another exciting year at ADD Systems. Can you start by wrapping up the last 12 months for us?
Rob: I sure can, Brian. Thanks for asking. So 2025 has been an eventful year with lots of activity here at ADD Systems. We’ve delivered over 100 software releases to our customers across all of our major product lines. In addition, this has been a very, very busy year for our Implementation teams. Hundreds of customer upgrades have taken place in 2025, and we have more to do in 2026. So unlike prior years, where change was occurring at a fairly steady pace, this year saw a dramatic increase, and that’s been very exciting here at ADD Systems. So we are excited about 2025 and we’re very excited about 2026 coming up. One more thing I wanted to mention, Brian, was the fact that we spent a lot of time and a lot of effort and investment in security, mostly cybersecurity. It’s really one of those areas that has changed dramatically over the past few years, and one that we really need to protect, not only ourselves, but also our customers. So it’s been a significant focus for us.
Brian: So, overall, an extremely busy year across all facets of ADD Systems. Thank you, Rob. Bruce, bringing you into the conversation now – in comparison to the last several years, what were your takeaways from 2025?
Bruce: I would say that 2025 was very consistent with the last several years. It was extremely busy. We had a lot of development tasks that we took under our wing here. We migrated a lot of clients from the older Sybase database to SQL – probably over 100 of them in 2025 alone onboarded up. About a dozen new clients. We’re in the process of rolling them out in 2026. Added a bunch of team members to ADD Systems again. I think about a dozen team members were added to ADD Systems in 2025, so it just really was a busy, busy year. And I think one of the busiest things kind of goes on a tail of what Rob said: we’re trying to keep pace with technology. We’re trying to make sure cybersecurity is front and center for ADD Systems. So that’s adding to the process, is adding to the busyness. Lastly, we’ve had to make some tough decisions in 2025 to sunset some older products that weren’t keeping pace with technology and were exposing clients and ADD Systems to vulnerabilities. So just a very, very busy year, maybe, I would say to start over, it’d probably be one of the busiest years I’ve seen in probably the last 10 years.
Brian: And when you think about the changes over the last decade in the industry as a whole, that speaks volumes. Thanks, Bruce. Rob, I’d like to dig a little deeper into something you mentioned earlier, and that’s the 100-plus software releases from 2025. Could you provide some insight into the product enhancements and overall highlights that took place across the ADD suite last year?
Rob: I sure can, Brian. As I mentioned earlier, we had over 100 software releases in 2025. All of our major products and product categories saw an enhancement, including ADD Energy E360, eStore, Atlas, Raven, and Pegasus. Our product releases spanned a range of massive product refreshes to single one-off changes. No two releases were identical. The common theme, though, of all of them is we focus on what our customers are asking of us. So sometimes, their request is something very simple. They get a question, they struggle to answer it, and we make a change and an enhancement to our product to make that request something that is easy for them to answer and easy for them to resolve. So our customers are driving our development. Their requests are things that are going to make them more efficient, things that are going to make them more profitable, and we focus a lot of our energy on addressing the needs of our customers. In addition, there’s always change that’s occurring. You know, whether that be changes in software tools, whether that be changes in operating systems, changes in development environments, third parties – and our changes related to technology also are quite significant. It’s always important to make sure that we keep up to date with all the new tools that are out there, all the new products that are out there, and we can support our customers in the best way possible.
Brian: Excellent. And Rob, I’d like to stick with you for this next question, as one of the things we talked about in the 2025 preview was the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence. Can you talk about how AI played a role throughout 2025 both for ADD Systems and maybe the industry as a whole?
Rob: I sure can. This is really one of my favorite topics: AI. Everyone in the world is impacted by AI today, and that impact will be greater and greater in the next few years. Investment in AI is now in the trillions of dollars, and some industries have been impacted more than others. The software development industry is no exception. We have been able to leverage current AI products to produce software quicker, easier, and with fewer problems using these tools. Some of the largest software companies in the world have claimed that they are now producing 20 to 40% of their code using AI tools. At ADD Systems, we aren’t at that level yet, but I expect that within a few years, we will be there. As generative AI becomes more available, we are looking at how we will produce our products differently. The expertise that we have in the industry and with the design of our products is our key strength, and one that we will be able to leverage more so as the need to write code from scratch diminishes.
Brian: And I have a feeling we’re going to continue to talk about AI’s role on the 2027 preview episode and probably many years to come. Thanks, Rob. Bruce, bringing you back into the conversation, I’d also like to follow up with something we talked about last year, as 2025 saw a changing administration here in the U.S., along with some major changes in terms of tariffs. Can you talk about how that impacted the industry, as well as here at ADD Systems, and maybe how you see things continuing to unfold as we navigate into 2026?
Bruce: Sure, Brian. I think with the change in administration, the new president’s ways of making changes he wants to make, they are impacting us. There are tariffs that we’re experiencing here. There are higher prices for goods and items we bring in. Servers are costing more. I just heard somebody say yesterday that CPU pricing has gone up 300% on certain servers since December. So clients want more technology. Technology is just the way of the future. They want cybersecurity. They want AI. They want better, stronger, faster solutions. So it’s going to impact every one of our customers to some degree. Ultimately, putting in servers, putting in technology, and having these increases, our clients are just going to have to budget for spending a little bit more. So it’s going to impact the industry we serve. It’s going to impact ADD Systems. I don’t know if it’s going to be a long-term issue. I think maybe in the next 12 to 24 months, it will settle out, and it will be something that we can deal with. But for now, you can’t order servers and expect to know exactly what you’re paying for that server until you place that order. So it’s going to impact everybody. It’s going to be a pinch for the next 12 to 24 months.
Brian: So at least for the foreseeable future. Bruce, looking at something that’s more in our immediate future, 2026 marks the next edition of our major user conference, the Business Tech Conference, or as we refer to it, the BTC, which, for those listening, takes place May 18th through the 22nd at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Orlando, Florida. Bruce, can you talk about some of the highlights and events that attendees can look forward to this year?
Bruce: Sure, Brian. I was gonna make a little joke here, and I probably will still make a little joke here. You know, we seem to be moving at light speed towards this event. And I’d say there is a pun intended there because we’re going to have a big evening event at the Galaxy’s Edge on Thursday night. So we’re excited about that. We do this event every three years. There’s a lot of planning that goes into it, and we’re down to the last few months before this event. We’ve got it down to about 40 different sessions. We’re going to cut those sessions down to something that’s more manageable. We’re going to have updates on E360, ADD eStore, Raven, Pegasus, Atlas, SmartConnect, and a lot of the sub-products that come from each one of those main products. We’re going to have best practice sessions. We’re going to work on enhancing the customer experience. We want to talk to our clients about that process. We’re going to have industry sessions which are kind of generic, but cybersecurity, we mentioned that before – cloud computing. We’re going to talk with some of our partners. Our partners are going to put on sessions with Microsoft Business Central and tank monitors. The ADD User Group is going to have front and center stage for a couple of days. It’s really important that we’re down there. This event is not necessarily just us putting on a show. It’s a chance for us to kind of talk to our clients and get some insight from them as to what’s really taken place the last three years. We’re going to have some 50 employees from ADD Systems down there, so everybody’s going to get a chance to talk to everybody. I can’t say everybody’s going to be there every single day because we still have a business to run, but we will be very, very busy, and we’re excited about this. Down to the last few months. Down to the wire.
Brian: It is certainly fast approaching. And to those listening, be sure to stay tuned here at ADDcast because in the coming months, we have episodes coming up featuring interviews with some of the exhibitors and sponsors of the 2026 BTC. So be on the lookout for those, as well as if you’re traveling to the conference with your family, please check out last month’s episode featuring Phelicia Blake and Kylee Withers, the 2026-2027 Walt Disney World Ambassadors, who offer some great tips and tricks for those of you that are attending and maybe want to take some time to visit the parks as well. But while we’re on the topic of the BTC, Bruce, there was something you mentioned, and Rob, I want to bring you back into the conversation here, as Bruce did mention that each BTC is home of that year’s AUG User Group annual meetings, which are always extremely popular sessions during the week. Rob, can you talk about some of the AUG accomplishments that took place throughout 2025 and maybe what this year has in store for the group as a whole?
Rob: Happy to, Brian. The ADD User Group (the AUG, for short) continues to be a very active, dynamic, and important part of the ADD ecosystem. The user group has added new committees in 2025 and they continue to have increased membership and participation. We at ADD Systems find the AUG to be a great place for our new customers to get to know about the ADD products. Most of the committees have regularly scheduled monthly meetings to discuss topics related to their committee. So for example, the Best Practices and Delivery Committees, along with the SmartConnect Committee, recently held a joint meeting to discuss tank monitors, best practices, and how integration between the ADD products and the tank monitor systems can be enhanced. It was a great example of getting input and feedback from users with different perspectives into how the software systems can be used to improve efficiency and performance. A real win-win for everyone in attendance. Due to the success of this meeting and other joint meetings, the meeting schedule for 2026 is going to highlight similar collaborative sessions, combining the input of multiple areas. Typically, the Best Practices Committee, along with another committee, will focus on making each and every customer better. We’re also finding that many meetings are held which are not focused on the ADD software products, but instead on general industry topics. These collaborative meetings are attended by ADD users that are just starting their implementation and those that have been using the ADD products for decades. The collaboration is impressive, and everyone gets something out of it.
Brian: And that’s something I have to completely agree with as somebody who attends all of the AUG Best Practice Calls. I’m sure those who attend are pretty familiar hearing my voice month in and month out. There is a lot going on at the AUG this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the group has in store as we move into 2026. Thank you for that, Rob. Now, Bruce, I want to turn back to you for this next question. As last year, you and I discussed the importance of client visits to you. Can you talk about some of the highlights of those visits you had throughout 2025 and even though the BTC is fast approaching this May, where you’re going to have, obviously, a lot of one-on-one face time with our clients. If somebody maybe wants to touch base with you before that, how would they go about setting that up?
Bruce: Well, I could talk to you about 2025 first, and then I’ll go into how we can get a meeting scheduled with me if a client wants to have me onsite to talk about stuff. First, in 2025 I visited, I think, 52 total clients. Kind of ironic. That’s one per week, even though I didn’t do one visit per week. Sometimes there were five clients over the course of three days that were clustered together. So I love seeing clients. It’s sometimes an opportunity to catch up with old friends and just have lunch. Sometimes it’s a first-time introduction to a new client. Other times I get involved in some deep dives into problems. I go out and see a client. They have some problems they want to bring to the table. We talk about it, and there may be even follow-up sessions where we go out onsite. I love fixing problems. I love solving problems, but I even love more the fact that when I bring some of the team members of ADD Systems along with me, that they can solve problems. They love fixing clients’ problems. So if anybody’s experiencing any issues with our software or our services, we want to hear from you. And so that might be the first opportunity for somebody to say, Bruce, come out and talk to us. We have something going on. But I also like to eat. So if you want to have lunch, I’ll treat you to lunch. We’ll come on out and visit with you. Again, the easiest way to get in touch with me is either call me or email me or talk to your Account Manager. They certainly could make arrangements to have me come onsite. I’ll go anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. I don’t believe I’m going to be able to go out to Guam, where we have a client in Guam – that might take a little more doing, but happy to try, happy to try and see anybody that wants to see me. I think with the era today of video conferencing, it’s made things so much better on connecting with clients. But there’s nothing like face-to-face meetings and the opportunity to shake hands with our clients. So love doing it. 2025 was no different than years past. I hope 2026 I’ll get to go and see another 50, 55, 60 clients. So I’m excited. Looking forward to the BTC because there’s a lot of opportunity to see people that I don’t go onsite to see. So, exciting.
Brian: A word that seems to be a common theme for a lot of the things we’re talking about this year. Thank you, Bruce. Now before we wrap things up, I’d like to have you each pull out your crystal ball so we can look into the future for 2026 for a moment. And Rob, can you talk about maybe some of the unique opportunities and challenges this year might have in store for our industry?
Rob: Well, Brian, I see 2026 is another year of major changes. AI will continue to become more and more prevalent, and we’ll find more inroads into every organization, including ADD. Security practices will continue to be a leading focus, with general employee education for security practices becoming mainstays in all organizations, large and small. For ADD Systems, we’ve already planned out our next few major releases, and are looking forward to the BTC conference in May and some major announcements at that time. I’m really looking forward to 2026. I think it’s going to be a fantastic year for ADD Systems and all of the ADD customers.
Brian: Excellent. Thanks, Rob. Now, Bruce, I’d like to pose that same final question to you, only looking internally, what would you say the unique opportunities and challenges are for ADD Systems as we navigate into 2026?
Bruce: Well, I think assuming we survived the BTC event because there’s a lot of work that goes into that. The next couple of months will be very busy for those that are participating. So once we survive that event, I think the challenge is going to be the fact that we got to take all that energy and excitement that we bring to the event, and we got to transfer that into results for our clients. I think overall, the event’s over, everybody breathes a sigh of relief, and you say, Okay, we got the weekend and we’ll go home and we’ll be back at work the next week. Well, that’s when the real fun starts because all of our clients, that energy, that excitement kind of goes right back to how do we get this implemented? So we think that’s going to be the challenge, is implementing all the technology that our clients want in a very short period of time. As far as opportunities, I think, we’re in the right industry. Our clients treat us well. As long as we treat them well, they’re going to continue to treat us well. We’ll continue to grow and enhance our product offerings, and we’re going to continue to work closely with our clients after the event in 2026 and for the many, many years to come.
Brian: Certainly no shortage of things to look forward to in 2026. Well, like every year, Bruce and Rob, I’d like to thank you both for taking the time to speak with me today and look forward to talking with you next year to see where we stand for 2027.
Bruce: Thank you, Brian.
Rob: Thank you, Brian.
Brian: And I also wanted to take this time to remind those who are listening that if you haven’t yet registered for the 2026 BTC, there’s still time to do so. Visit addsys.com/btc for more info. And to keep up with the latest happenings at ADD Systems, visit addsys.com/blog, or connect with us on social media by following ADD Systems on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or X. If you have any questions about ADDcast, feel free to reach out to us at addcast@addsys.com. Thanks for listening, and have a great day.
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