First Data Systems Inc. (FDS) supplies information management systems and services to the land title and real estate closing industry. Since 1975, First Data has provided complete technology solutions to thousands of users throughout the country. In 2002, FDS was acquired by Stewart Title Company out of Houston, TX. Up to that time, First Data was a privately owned and operated corporation under the leadership of Patrick Vaden. Mr. Vaden still remains a part of FDS as vice chairman, and Molly Dillingham, long-time associate and most recently executive vice president, has stepped into the role as First Data's president and CEO.
First Data was born out of the passage of the Real Estate Settlement and Procedure Act in the early 1970s. Edward Seddon and Patrick Vaden designed and implemented an automated system to improve their internal operations at Cumberland Title Company. (Cumberland Title Co. currently operates eight locations in the Middle Tennessee area). Word quickly spread through the mid-south and they soon found themselves in a position to offer their system expertise to other title companies and law firms with similar needs. Seizing this opportunity, the two entrepreneurs formed Olympia Data Systems (Later renamed First Data Systems). The charter of this venture was to provide a quality land title and real estate document preparation system, utilizing the latest information management technology.
First Data's commitment to the needs of its customers, and to its vision for the future, is exhibited in its most popular offering ' Application Service Provider (ASP). Initiated in early 2001, as TitleWorkPlace, FDS introduced one of the industry's first ASP service platforms. This platform allows customers to use web-based data hosting, managed by FDS, to give them anytime, anywhere access to the many applications needed in the land title and real estate industry.
First Data now has a staff of over 50 professionals dedicated to designing, installing and supporting the finest systems in the land title and real estate industry. Each associate of the First Data team is committed to providing superior service and solution integrity with the most current technology.
