Marking its fourth acquisition in a year, Prophet 21 recently purchased Dynamic Data Systems, Inc., an enterprise software solution provider, based in Denver.

Dynamic Data is the provider of Turns, "software offering a complete business system for distribution," said Prophet 21 president Chuck Boyle. "Its functionality is applicable to industrial distributors and those in building supplies as well as medical products."

It is the latter industry (medical) that primarily attracted P21 to Dynamic, Boyle explained.

"About 60 percent of their customers are distributors of medical products," he said. "That's a vertical market that P21 has had very good success in. There are a lot of synergies between us and Dynamic because of this shared market."

Boyle is also excited about being able to bring Brad Smith, who was the owner of Dynamic, to P21 as its director of business development. Dynamic's Denver office will now represent an additional location for P21. Boyle anticipates only a few layoffs.

"People like Brad are impossible to recruit," Boyle said. "And we're bringing on a very strong group from Dynamic. Our strategy was to retain as many people as we possibly can, but there are some [people] because of overlaps, that unfortunately we were unable to retain."

In addition to Dynamic, Prophet 21 has acquired Distributor Information Systems Corp., Systems Design and Faspac since June 2003.