SumTotal Systems

Asymetrix Learning Systems, based in Bellevue, Washington, was founded in 1984 by Paul Allen and funded through his Vulcan Ventures.{{Cite web |title= Prospectus for initial public offering |work= Registration Number 333-49037 |author= Asymetrix Learning Systems |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= June 12, 1998 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1052327/0000929624-98-001119.txt |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} Asymetrix then spent around ten years developing software for online education. Among the first products from this development period were ToolBook,{{Cite web |title=List of ToolBook versions which have previously shipped |publisher=SumTotal |work=ToolBook knowledge base |url=http://tb.sumtotalsystems.com/kbfiles/kb/History.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517201023/https://tb.sumtotalsystems.com/KBFiles/kb/History.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=June 15, 2017 }} Asymetrix Librarian, and the e-Learning Network {{En dash}} an early software as a service product. Additionally, an early three-dimensional rendering system Asymetrix 3D F/X was released in 1994 and later renamed Web3d.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} Asymetrix also produced a variety of screen savers for a short period{{cite news |last1=Glicken |first1=Harold |title=CD-Rom - "Jurassic Park: The Screen Saver" |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19940515&slug=1910653 |access-date=23 March 2023 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=Knight-Ridder Newspapers |date=1994-05-15}} and developed Compel (a graphical presentation and prototyping program).[http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/adelaide96/papers/04.html "Design and Implementation Considerations for an Interactive Multimedia Kiosk: Where to Start"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228054827/http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/adelaide96/papers/04.html |date=2014-02-28 }}, Cranston, Clayton, and Ferrands, Central Queensland University, 1996

The company was recapitalized in 1995 with more funding from Allen. In October 1996, SoftBank invested about $3.8 million in Asymetrix. In September 1997, Asymetrix acquired Aimtech for about $3.1 million in stock. In October 1996, the company spun off its client/server tools into a newly created wholly owned subsidiary, ASX Corporation, which was renamed ConQuer Data, Inc. It was later renamed Infomodelers, which was then sold to Allen.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} In September 1997 Asymetrix acquired Oakes Interactive Incorporated, Acorn Associates Incorporated and TopShelf Multimedia for approximately $2.1 million. In the first half of 1998, it acquired New York-based Meliora Systems and Illinois-based Strategic Systems Associates.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} In 1998 Asymetrix went public. The June initial public offering (IPO) raised approximately $31 million. After the IPO, Allen controlled about 45% of the shares. Asymetrix was listed on the Nasdaq exchange with the ticker symbol ASYM, with a lukewarm market reception."Asymetrix generates little enthusiasm after IPO at $11", ''Wall Street Journal, ([http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-general/Microsoft-and-Compaq-align-strategie-in-the-corporate-computing-market.html article mirror]) In September 1999 Asymetrix issued $10 million in preferred stock to Vulcan and Marshall Capital.{{Cite web |title= Securities Purchase Agreement |work= Form 8-K |author= Asymetrix Learning Systems |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= September 30, 1999 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1052327/000101287099003627/0001012870-99-003627.txt |access-date= November 2, 2013 }}

In October 1999 Asymetrix's name was changed to click2learn.com, when James A. Billmaier was its chief executive.{{Cite news |title= Asymetrix renamed click2learn.com |work= Puget Sound Business Journal|date= October 11, 1999 |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1999/10/11/daily3.html |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} Between 1995 and 1999, like many companies in the dot-com bubble, Click2learn reported growing revenues but continued operational losses.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} Kevin M. Oakes took over as chief executive in January 2000.{{Cite web |title= Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1999 |work= Form 10-K |author= Click2learn |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= March 1, 2000 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1052327/000091205700015057/0000912057-00-015057.txt |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} In early 2000, the company spun off its graphics and rendering software as InfoModelers, which was acquired by Visio Corporation.{{Cite web|title=InfoModelers acquired by Visio! |author=Duncan Dwelle |publisher=Applied Information Science |date=January 29, 2000 |url=http://www.aisintl.com/case/products/infomodeler/infomdl.html |access-date=November 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104065225/http://www.aisintl.com/case/products/infomodeler/infomdl.html |archive-date=November 4, 2013 }} Other noteworthy acquisitions included the May 2001 purchase of IntelliPrep Technologies, Incorporated and Meliora who made Ingenium. {{citation needed|date=March 2017}} As products were consolidated into their Aspen Enterprise Productivity Suite, losses continued through 2002, resulting in operational cost control measures including reductions in workforce.{{Cite web |title= Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2002 |work= Form 10-K |author= Click2learn |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= March 1, 2002 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1052327/000104746903010882/a2105337z10-k.htm |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} In 2003 click2learn (formerly Asymetrix) and Docent Software announced their intention to merge.

Docent Software was founded in 1997 and based in Mountain View, California.{{Cite web |title= Registration of initial public offering |work= Amendment Number 3 to Form S-1/A |author= Docent |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= September 29, 2000 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043134/000101287000005038/0001012870-00-005038-0001.txt |access-date= November 1, 2013 }} David Mandelkern and Pardner Wynn founded the company, with Wynn as chief executive and Mandelkern as chief technology officer The company developed business-oriented training software. Pardner and Cynthia Wynn (then married) had developed Stanford Testing Systems in 1994, doing business as TestPrep,{{Cite web |title= Company Background and How to Reach Us |work= Original web site |publisher= Stanford Testing Systems |url= http://www.testprep.com/stscontact.html |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19970522232048/http://www.testprep.com/stscontact.html |archive-date= May 22, 1997 |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} which was incorporated into Docent software holdings.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} Docent was funded by venture capital in six rounds from investors such as Norwest Venture Partners, Advanced Technology Ventures, and Invesco. It had operating losses for 1997, 1998, and 1999. David R. Ellett replaced Wynn as chief executive in July 1998 on the cusp of the dot-com bubble. In 2000 Docent filed for an initial public offering (IPO) and went public on NASDAQ on September 29, raising approximately $85 million.{{Cite web |title= Docent Inc (DCNT) IPO |publisher= Nasdaq |url= http://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/company/docent-inc-75195-2473 |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} Docent acquired gForce Systems in October 2001 for $5.3 million, which included about $4.7 million in debts and liabilities. R. Andrew Eckert joined as president in December 2001 and ultimately replaced Ellett as CEO in April 2002.{{Cite web |title= Annual Report for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2002 |work= Form 10-K |author= Docent |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= March 24, 2003 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043134/000101287003001362/d10k.htm |access-date= November 2, 2013}} After growing to over 200 employees at the time of the IPO, by 2002 the company had reduced its staff by 20% to cut costs.{{Cite news |title= Docent slices staff |work= Silicon Valley Business Journal |date= May 17, 2002 |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2002/05/13/daily70.html}}

In 2003, when click2learn (formerly Asymetrix) and Docent announced their intention to merge, click2learn's shareholders received slightly more than half of the stock in the merged company - former shareholders in click2learn owned about 52% and Docent about 48% of the shares. At the time of the merger, click2learn employed over 300 people, 100 of which were in Hyderabad, India, and Docent employed an additional 170.{{Cite news |title= Click2Learn, Docent ink merger pact |date= October 29, 2003 |work= India Times InfoTech |url= http://archives.infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/256185.cms |access-date= November 2, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110811184650/http://archives.infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/256185.cms |archive-date= 2011-08-11 |url-status= dead }} The combined company became Hockey Merger Corporation in February 2004 while a new name was planned.{{Cite web |title= Registration of securities, business combinations |work= Amendment Number 3 to Form S-4 |author= Hockey Merger Corporation |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= February 11, 2004 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1269132/000119312504018990/ds4a.htm |access-date= November 1, 2013 }} On March 18, 2004, the new name SumTotal Systems was announced for the combined company,{{Cite web |title= Acquisition or Disposition of Assets |work= Form 8-K: Current report |author= SumTotal Systems |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date= March 18, 2004 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1269132/000119312504044967/d8k12g3.htm |access-date= November 1, 2013 }} with headquarters in Gainesville, Florida. The merger was completed in 2004.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} Shares in the new company were listed on the Nasdaq exchange with the symbol "SUMT" (previous symbols were CLKS and DCNT).

In October 2005, SumTotal acquired Pathlore, a mid-market learning management systems company with a focus in state and local government and healthcare.{{cite web|url=http://www.elearnity.com/A555F3/research/research.nsf/ByKey/DWIN6VRMBM|title=Acquisition of Pathlore completed by SumTotal Systems (Pathlore Software Corp) |publisher = Telecomworldwire |via=Highbeam|access-date=2011-08-03}} In 2006 SumTotal acquired the privately owned software company MindSolve Technologies, founded in 1994, for about $12 million. Mindsolve focused on performance management software.{{cite web |url= http://www.elearnity.com/A555F3/research/research.nsf/ByKey/DWIN6VRMBM |title= SumTotal Acquires MindSolve Technologies |publisher=Elearnity |work= Press release |date= November 14, 2006 |access-date= November 2, 2013 }} In May 2009 Vista Equity Partners, the largest software-only private equity fund, agreed to acquire SumTotal for $160 million{{Cite news |title= SumTotal Chooses Rival Bid From Vista |work= Dealbook |publisher= The New York Times |date= May 27, 2009 |url= https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/sumtotal-chooses-rival-bid-from-vista |access-date= November 1, 2013 }} and closed the transaction in July 2009.{{Cite web |title= Deregistration of Securities |work= Form S-3 |author= SumTotal |publisher= US Securities and Exchange Commission |date = July 24, 2009 |url= https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1269132/000119312509154757/dposam.htm |access-date= November 1, 2013 }}

On January 5, 2011, GeoLearning was acquired by SumTotal.{{Citation|title=GeoLearning |publisher=Sumtotal Systems |url=http://www.sumtotalsystems.com/geolearning/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722172203/http://www.sumtotalsystems.com/geolearning/ |archive-date=2011-07-22 }}

In July 2011 SumTotal acquired CyberShift, a Parsippany, New Jersey, software company focused on SaaS multitenancy workforce management and expense software, and Accero, an enterprise payroll and benefits software provider.{{Cite news |title= SumTotal Systems Acquires CyberShift and Accero|publisher=Business Wire|date=July 7, 2011 | url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110707005471/en/SumTotal-Systems-Acquires-Accero-CyberShift|access-date=May 21, 2014 }}

In August 2014, Skillsoft Limited, a computer-learning software and content provider, announced that its subsidiary, Skillsoft Corporation, had entered into an agreement to acquire SumTotal Systems, LLC from affiliates of US-based private equity firm Vista Equity Partners.{{Citation |date=August 2014 |title=Acquisition |publisher=skillsoft.com |url=http://www.skillsoft.com/about/press_room/press_releases/august_21_14_acquisition.asp |access-date=March 11, 2017}} In September 2014, SumTotal was acquired by SkillSoft.{{cite magazine |title= Skillsoft Acquires SumTotal|magazine=Forbes |date= October 1, 2014 |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/10/01/skillsoft-acquisition-of-sumtotal-corporate-training-market-disruption/|access-date= October 1, 2014 }}

Services include learning management, workforce management, talent management, HR, planning, analytics, payroll and benefits.{{cite magazine|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9407759|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907221705/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=9407759|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 7, 2009|title=SumTotal Systems, Inc.|magazine=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=2011-08-03}} The company delivers its software as a service (SaaS) using cloud computing, and in some cases premises-based licensure. The company has regional offices in the United States, Canada and outside of North America including Europe and APAC.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

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Category:Software companies established in 2004

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