Applied Excellence

What Applied Excellence does

Applied Excellence, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned IT consulting and custom software development firm founded in 1988 and based in West Bend, Wisconsin. The company specializes exclusively in the IBM i Power Server Platform, serving organizations that remain committed to that environment for their mission-critical workloads. Founder Michael Fritz, a business analyst and software developer with 35 years of IBM i experience, leads the firm.

The firm's core product is SALUTE, a proprietary framework used to build custom business applications on the IBM i platform. SALUTE provides a structured foundation for rapid, consistent application development, allowing the firm to deliver tailored software to clients operating in the IBM i ecosystem. By focusing solely on a single legacy enterprise platform, Applied Excellence positions itself in a narrow, specialized niche where generalist consultancies lack depth.

The business model is project-based professional services: clients engage the firm for custom application development and related consulting on IBM i systems. Revenue mechanics appear to be fee-for-service on bespoke engagements rather than recurring SaaS or licensed product revenue. The customer base is described in terms of platform commitment rather than named industry verticals, suggesting a horizontal mix of IBM i users across sectors such as manufacturing, distribution, and other mid-market enterprises that have retained the platform.

Name

Applied Excellence

Legal name

Applied Excellence, Inc.

Website

https://mysalute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Applied Excellence is a founder-owned IT consultancy in West Bend, Wisconsin, that builds custom business applications for the IBM i Power Server Platform using its proprietary SALUTE framework, serving organizations committed to the IBM i ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IBM i Platform Custom Business Applications

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

iBPMS (Intelligent BPM Suites) & Process Automation Suites (HDAEAHAG)

Keywords

• IBM i software development
• AS/400 custom applications
• Enterprise platform consulting
• SALUTE business framework
• Business analyst services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development & Implementation: The company designs and builds custom business applications for the IBM i platform that are not typically available in the marketplace. This includes solution development, system programming, and implementation services. The approach involves working with client programming staff or assembling project teams, with knowledge transfer for ongoing support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Applied Excellence designs and builds custom business applications for the IBM i (AS/400) Power Server platform using its proprietary SALUTE Framework. The company delivers Business Analyst consulting, IT implementation, system programming, and training of ongoing SALUTE support staff, targeting organizations committed to the IBM i platform that need capabilities not available off the shelf.

Product overview

Applied Excellence offers a single unified product architecture centered on the SALUTE Framework, a proprietary development framework built specifically for the IBM i (Power Server/AS/400) platform. The company designs and builds custom business applications using this framework, combining it with professional services including Business Analyst consulting, IT Implementation, System Programming, and Staffing/Training. The SALUTE Framework serves as the core platform enabling rapid development of business applications with standard features for workflow, data management, and business process management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SALUTE Framework: A comprehensive business application framework developed over 30+ years for the IBM i platform, designed to provide powerful standard features and advanced functions for custom business applications.

Products and services

• SALUTE Framework A proprietary 30+ year solution development framework for the IBM i (AS/400) Power Server platform, described as a "near" Low Code and "near" Open Source approach. It provides reusable building blocks (Process, Produce, Procure, Protect, Planner, Provide, and Parties) for rapid custom business application development targeted at organizations committed to the IBM i platform that need capabilities not typically available off the shelf.
• Custom Business Application Development Designs and builds custom business applications for the IBM i platform that are not typically available in the marketplace, integrating documents, workflow, security, usability, data collection, and reporting. Targeted at organizations committed to IBM i that need additional business application capabilities beyond standard offerings.
• Business Analyst Consulting Consulting engagement in which Applied Excellence evaluates past and current business data, works with stakeholders to identify goals and best practices, and analyzes organizational workflow to improve decision-making processes. Targeted at CIOs, business owners, and IT leaders running organizations on IBM i.
• IT Implementation Services Implementation support for IBM i projects, delivered by working with the client's existing programming staff or by assembling a project team for the client. Includes knowledge transfer so that the client has its own ongoing technical support built in after engagement.
• System Programming Programming services following solid standards and consistent development controls to deliver programs that are effective, efficient, and effortless to use, modify, and manage. Incorporates program logic controlled by settings and properties so systems can adapt over time.
• SALUTE Support Staff Training Training services that teach client programming staff how to set up and program within the SALUTE Framework, giving the client its own ongoing user and technical support capability built in once the engagement ends.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Emerging players

• Zend (Perforce): Provides PHP on IBM i tooling and modernization — partial overlap as another IBM i-native application enablement vendor with a smaller, more focused footprint than Fortra.

Broad incumbents

• Fortra (formerly HelpSystems): Large, established provider of IBM i security, automation, file transfer, and integration software (via HelpSystems and acquired Linoma/RJS). Broader portfolio but overlapping buyer base with Applied Excellence.
• IBM (IBM i Power Systems): Platform owner and largest incumbent in the IBM i ecosystem; provides operating system, services, and partner programs that underpin Applied Excellence's market.

Direct peers

• Fresche Solutions: IBM i application modernization and development services firm focused on RPG, DB2, and IBM i web/mobile enablement — directly comparable niche specialization and service model.
• Profound Logic Software: Provides development tools and modernization frameworks (RPG, Node.js, RPGsp) for the IBM i platform — directly comparable as a specialist enabling custom application development on the same stack.
• BCD (BCD Software): IBM i DevOps, web enablement, and modernization tooling — comparable as a niche IBM i vendor serving the same enterprise buyers building or extending custom IBM i applications.
• Remain Software (TCVision): IBM i application modernization and lifecycle tooling — comparable niche-specialist vendor addressing the same custom-development and integration use cases on IBM i.
• Looksec (Look Software): Provides IBM i web and mobile enablement tooling, allowing IBM i applications to be exposed through modern UIs — directly comparable as an IBM i custom-application enablement specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Applied Excellence