Happy Birthday! Eclipse is 25!

Please see below for a brief ‘timeline’ of Eclipse’s history:

May 1987
Eclipse Computer Systems is founded by Steve Ough (now Chief Software Architect). The company develops and supplies its first Case Management and document production system to a Legal Expenses Insurer. This first product was entitled CHAMP (Claims Handling And Management Programme).

1988
Eclipse is incorporated as a limited company. The firm develops a full accounting and sales order processing system for a Cutlery importer, Lancasters, and continues to expand in the legal sector.

1990
A growing Eclipse (now numbering 5 staff!) moves premises to Merchants House (Little Germany, Bradford). A new Case Management system entitled ‘Chase’ is born. Proactive marketing begins and sees Eclipse attend the much-missed Barbican Legal IT event (the biggest exhibition in the calendar at that time).

1992
Russell Thomson (now Chief Business Executive) and Dolores Evelyn (now Sales Director) join as Eclipse’s first dedicated sales team.

1994
Eclipse picks up speed, seeing the 20th client sign up for its ‘Chase for Windows’ system.

1996
Russell Thomson becomes a shareholder and Joins Steve on the Board of Directors.

1997
The very first Eclipse staff conference taking place abroad – all staff are taken to Dublin for a weekend event. This tradition has continued and Eclipse takes all staff for an annual conference event (locations have included Portugal, Spain, The Alps, Amsterdam).

1999
The new Eclipse Case Management system is launched – Proclaim. Surge in new client wins and Chase upgrades including current clients such as Barnetts Solicitors, MSL Legal Expenses and Colemans-ctts.

2002
Proclaim Accounts launched as Eclipse expands its legal IT footprint into Practice Management Systems. The expanding company (now numbering 30 staff) moves to Kelso House (Little Germany, Bradford) and becomes a Law Society Recommended Legal IT Provider. Eclipse retained this badge every year until the demise of the Law Society’s Software Guide in 2009. 2002 also sees a market first – Eclipse launches FileView, the legal IT sector’s first real-time online case tracking tool.

2005
Growth continues, with turnover reaching £3million and the Proclaim end-user figure passing the 5,000 mark.

2007
Eclipse wins its first international client – 1car1 (Australia), a vehicle hire and management firm.

2008
Proclaim wins the coveted “Integrated System of the Year” prize at the Legal Technology Awards. The Proclaim Hosted (SaaS) solution is launched, providing clients with the option of hosting at Eclipse’s data centre or at the location of their choosing.

2009
Record results in the Law Society’s Software Solutions Guide – Eclipse ranks 1st in 7 categories. The company expands into purpose-designed buildings at its Bradford base, with headroom for 200 staff.

2010
Longstanding employees Mick Thompson, Tracy Blencowe and Dolores Evelyn are promoted to the Board of Directors to assist Steve and Russell in the next stage of growth.

2011
Eclipse’s turnover hits a record high of £8 million, staff headcount exceeds 100 and the company announces a record 104 new client wins in the 2010/11 financial year.

2012
Eclipse is the first-to-market with Case Management solutions designed exclusively for Alternative Business Structures. Turnover reaches £9million and staff headcount exceeds 120.

2013
The sky’s the limit…!