Hershey Systems Acquired by Hyland Software

Today, I was shocked to receive an announcement in my email that stated that Hershey Systems was acquired by Hyland Software. I have been working with Hershey Systems since 1998 when I first started doing Document Mangement at Azusa Pacific University. At the time, they were a reseller of a software called Keyfile, which was eventually acquired by another company (Lexign, if I remember correctly). Then Hershey Systems developed their own software called Singularity and ceased being a V.A.R. (Value Added Reseller). I continued to work with Hershey Systems for ten years before I left Azusa Pacific University to move to Colorado. Then, as fate would have it, I found and applied for a job at the University of Colorado Denver because they were implementing a new document imaging system using Singularity and working with Hershey Systems. So, again, I began working with Hershey, but at a new institution. Cumulatively, I have 11 years of working experience with Hershey Systems. As a result, I was shocked when I heard that they had been acquired. I attended a webinar presented by Hyland Software today where the CEO of Hyland Software described what this means for Singularity users across the country. It sounds like they are going to continue to develop, sell, deploy, and support Singularity...but they may be integrating it with their Higher Education DM sofware, called Onbase. It should be interesting to see how this affects the product and the service that we previously received from Singularity and Hershey Systems.

In a way, I'm sad to see the end of an era. I've got a lot of history with Hershey. I've still got tons of Hershey swag from over the years with their branding and logo. It's a nostalgic thing, I guess. I'm sure this will lead to bigger and better things for Singularity and for UC Denver....but it's weird to think that Hershey Systems will no longer exist after today.