Hilgraeve

Hilgraeve is a software firm based out of Monroe, Michigan, and is best known for its HyperACCESS program, which has been licensed for use by Microsoft in versions of Windows ranging from Windows 95 to Windows XP.

The company was founded in 1980 by John Hile, Matt Gray, and Bob Everett. The company's name was derived from the first three letters of each of the founder's last names.

The firm's first software product was HyperACCESS, which was initially designed to let Heath 8-bit computers to communicate over a modem. In 1985 this same product was ported to IBM PCs and compatible systems. Over the years the same version of this technology would be ported to other operating systems including OS/2, Windows 95 and Windows NT.

Competition heated up in the early 1990s and Hilgraeve would compete in the online communications software market against the likes of Datastorm's ProComm line of software, and Delrina's WinComm.

In 1995 the firm licensed a low-end version of HyperACCESS known as HyperTerminal (essentially a "Lite" version) to Microsoft for use in their set of communications utilities. It was initially bundled with Windows 95, and subsequently all versions of Windows up to and including Windows XP.

Hilgraeve was an early entrant into devising anti-virus software, and received patents for its HyperGuard product, designed to prevent viruses from being downloaded while connected to an online service.

In 2008, Hilgraeve was acquired by Compuware.

External links

• Hilgraeve: "About" page, accessed November 11, 2005
• Hilgraeve company timeline, accessed November 11, 2005