4 ms·

THE FAANG of its era.

jhallenworld 8y ago
To give an idea, read this 1974 article: https://reason.com/archives/1974/04/01/ibm/print https://reason.com/archives/1974/04/01/ibm/print "the 1956 consent decree (which settled the 1952 suit) placed significant restrictions on IBM's computer business [4], and is responsible for the very existence of some segments of the computer industry. It required that IBM sell its machines as well as lease them—there are now over a hundred firms whose sole business is leasing IBM computers! They buy from IBM, depreciate the machines over a longer lifetime, and charge lower rental fees.[5] (Recently some of these leasing companies have expressed their desire that IBM be forced out of the leasing business altogether.[6]) Another provision of the decree aided the growth of the computer services business. It required that IBM operate its services business as an independent (wholly owned) subsidiary, Service Bureau Corporation (SBC), and that any equipment and services provided for SBC be on the same terms as for any other company. Ironically, as part of the settlement of the CDC suit last year, CDC bought Service Bureau Corporation from IBM, and since CDC is not under any antitrust restrictions, it expects SBC to be much more profitable! [7] The 1956 decree also required IBM to train personnel and provide technical manuals for anyone who owns, repairs, maintains, or distributes IBM electronic data processing equipment. The decree also ordered IBM to grant unrestricted licenses to companies desiring to use its patents, and enjoined IBM from instituting any suits for patent infringement which occurred prior to the date of the decree. The aim of these provisions was to cut IBM's share of the market and to "enhance" competition." At the time, the computer industry was known ato be made up of "snow white and the seven dwarfs": "Snow White was IBM and the seven dwarfs were Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data Corporation, Honeywell, General Electric and RCA"
- GeorgeTirebiter 8y ago
  I also heard it as "IBM and the BUNCH" (Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, Honeywell) 'in the day' I don't ever remember seeing a GE or RCA box, but the others seemed to thrive in their niches.

To give an idea, read this 1974 article: https://reason.com/archives/1974/04/01/ibm/print https://reason.com/archives/1974/04/01/ibm/print "the 1956 consent decree (which settled the 1952 suit) placed significant restrictions on IBM's computer business [4], and is responsible for the very existence of some segments of the computer industry. It required that IBM sell its machines as well as lease them—there are now over a hundred firms whose sole business is leasing IBM computers! They buy from IBM, depreciate the machines over a longer lifetime, and charge lower rental fees.[5] (Recently some of these leasing companies have expressed their desire that IBM be forced out of the leasing business altogether.[6]) Another provision of the decree aided the growth of the computer services business. It required that IBM operate its services business as an independent (wholly owned) subsidiary, Service Bureau Corporation (SBC), and that any equipment and services provided for SBC be on the same terms as for any other company. Ironically, as part of the settlement of the CDC suit last year, CDC bought Service Bureau Corporation from IBM, and since CDC is not under any antitrust restrictions, it expects SBC to be much more profitable! [7] The 1956 decree also required IBM to train personnel and provide technical manuals for anyone who owns, repairs, maintains, or distributes IBM electronic data processing equipment. The decree also ordered IBM to grant unrestricted licenses to companies desiring to use its patents, and enjoined IBM from instituting any suits for patent infringement which occurred prior to the date of the decree. The aim of these provisions was to cut IBM's share of the market and to "enhance" competition." At the time, the computer industry was known ato be made up of "snow white and the seven dwarfs": "Snow White was IBM and the seven dwarfs were Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data Corporation, Honeywell, General Electric and RCA"

GeorgeTirebiter 8y ago
I also heard it as "IBM and the BUNCH" (Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, Honeywell) 'in the day' I don't ever remember seeing a GE or RCA box, but the others seemed to thrive in their niches.