Company History

Progress built from the evolving needs of our customers

From its very inception, Prelude Software has grown by responding to customer and market needs. Starting out as a consulting firm specializing in the insurance and financial services industries, the company has evolved into a leading technology provider serving a wide range of commercial interests. Our major milestones along the way are presented below:


1988		Prelude Systems, Inc. is founded by Eric Bucher and Betsey Brigham as a technology consulting firm serving insurance and financial service companies in the Northeast.



1991		At the request of Holyoke Mutual Insurance, our founders design and build our MICR check printing application, then called “CheckWorks”. Over the next few years, Checkworks spreads by word of mouth to several insurance companies in the Northeast.



1993		Positive Pay module is added to CheckWorks at the suggestion of a client.



1995		Dolores Wood, a Prelude employee since 1992, becomes the first full-time customer support person and institutes the service standards that have earned the company its outstanding reputation as a customer-centric organization.



1998		Steve Root joins Prelude as a partner.



1999		June - First client signs on to use AutoPilot, a new feature that automates payment functionality to enable disbursement management to run unattended. Fall - Prelude re-locates from Wayland to new company headquarters in Natick.



2000		June - Kemper National Services signs on a Prelude customer. October - Company changes its name to Prelude Software, Inc. to formally mark the transition from a consulting business to a software company. The company also adopts a new logo to coincide with the name change.



2001		January - Steve Root is named President of the company. October - Prelude launches PayPilot as a successor to CheckWorks. The new PayPilot solution extends payment processing capabilities by featuring compatibility with industry-standard databases, enhanced security, expanded approval functionality, and electronic remittance advices.


2003		February - PayFlag module is introduced. This new module enables companies to comply with Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations. March - Country Insurance and Financial Services Company buys Holyoke Mutual and Middlesex Mutual and rolls out PayPilot throughout combined enterprise.



2004		Prelude signs its first international client.



2005		Prelude lands first PointPay customer to issue payments at the point of adjustment in their mobile claim offices and automatically upload claim data to their home office systems. Prelude signs partnership agreement with ImageRight.



2006		Prelude signs partnership agreement with Blue Cod Technology.



2007		Bill Clausen is hired to head the Sales Department.



2008		Prelude signs with Tower Group.