CIRCLE 1 ON READER CARD

Xerox thinks computers
shouldn't be too busy totalk to you.
So we've developed ways for y~u to reallytalk to your computer. And have it talk backintelligently.
Distributed Multi -use computer systems.
From Xerox.
It's a new approach to hardware and software
design that combines a unique hardware interrupt
structure with independent processors and multiport memory.
And we tie it all together with what we thinkis the most advanced operating system in thebusiness: CP-v. It gives you simultaneous access infive modes:
Real Time.
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We can give you more computer acces~ibility for everyone in your .
company. Which means better, faster, less expensive deeisions.
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Talk to us. Call (800) 421-6882. In California, (213) 679-4511, ext. 950.
Or write Xerox Corporation, Dept. I 5-08, 701 S. Aviation Blvd., EI Segundo,
California 90245.

XEROX
XEROX® is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION.

February, 1975

CIRCLE 4 ON READER CARD

ITEL has found the missing linkl
Hierarchical Main Memory.
A new concept in data storage technology for
IBM 370 systems. An' innovation that bridges the gap
between monolithic memory and the various formsof auxiliary storage. An ITEL exclusive.
By combining the high speed of monolithic
memory with the low cost of auxiliary storage, ITEL
Hierarchical Main Memory meets large capacity main
memory requirements at a substantially reduced
price per bit.
By greatly increasing the amount of real memory available, ITEL Hierarchical Main Memory can .
.eliminate the paging overhead associated with virtual hardware and virtual operating systems.
At ITEL,we couldn't have acquired over half abillion dollars in IBM computer leasing experience
without digging up something new.

ITELYour financial alternative. _One Embarcadero Center. San Francisco. California 94111, Phone (415) 983-0000

2

CIRCLE SS ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

DRTRMRTIIDN®
VOLUME 21

NUMBER 2

This issue 120,230 copies

FEBRUARY 1975

FEATURES
Networked Minicomputers
Complexes of small processors offer
less expensive, more reliable, and more
flexible alternatives to larger single'
cpus. Long in the experimental stage,these configurations are now proving
themselves by running real ~ork.
.

DATAMATIEt~.

40 A HIERARCHICALNETWORK
R. L. Ashenhurst and R. H. Vonderohe. The minis pretend to belarge-scale mainframes, but the
peripherals, data, and even theoperating systems reside somewhere else.

44 A RING NETWORKDavid J. Farber. Unlike the hierarchical net,this configuration has no critical link.

47 A LOCAL NETWORKWilliam Wulf and Roy Levin. Processing need not be distrib-

uted among several locations. Is this an inexpensive lIIiac
IV for commercial dp?

51 A VIRTUAL CHANNEL NETWORK
A. G. Fraser. As expected, the Bell Labs net concentrates
on communications. It may also hint at future Bell communications offerings.

59 TOWARD THE AUTOMATED OFFICE
Edward K. Vasaki. Today's dp manager may someday run
one.

63 ORGANIZED PROGRAM MAINTENANCE
John W. Mooney. Good performance can be bought for
even:' unding jobs. It takes only money and respect.

67 THE IBM SYSTEMl32
Michael Cashman. An analysis of what will almost certainly
be the largest selling computer system in history.

127 THE FORUM
Robert M. Gordon. Programmers shouldn't spend their time
programming.

NEWS IN PERSPECTIVE
69 ANTITRUST
IBM files pretrial brief. It claims government hasn't a caseon issue of competition, citing U.S. and foreign competitors
not mentioned in Justice Dept. case.
.

70 TRANSPORTATION
Door-to-door bus service in Santa Clara gets a small helping
hand from computers.

71 PRIVACYFirst pass at privacy laws given an "A" for adequate; California looks to future privacy laws.

76 FINANCING
Computer .stocks: did financial community shun everyone
but IBM out of fear of IBM?

DEPARTMENTS
9 LETTERS
IBM's credibility, a controversy on backup computers, andanother on mnemonics.

11 PEOPLE
Kent Gould: three years in the center of a storm ... Henry
F. Sherwood, a surprise resignation in Europe ... Othersin new posts.

17 L00K AHEAD

81 BANKINGFirst Nebraska, now California as savings institution bring·banking services to the supermarkets.

85 TECHNOLOGY
CCD memory comes in at 10 for

apenny.

88 INTERNATIONAL
Bulgaria: A nation of "choice" people ... and computers

96 BENCHMARKS
Recession victim; Honeywell here to stay; No dropoff at
Burroughs; Xerox computer operations back together again;
A test for DDS; Commodity futures system; No great rushin teller stations.

100 HARDWARE
Xero~

unveils a microfiche printer; Computer Automation
mels its product line and introduces a 1 megabyte minicomputer.

108 SOFTWARE. A sophisticated program for testing and analyzing Fortran.
. programs makes its debut.

122 ADVERTISERS' INDEX

Another look at how IBM could be broken up.

22 CALENDAR
Hardware exhibits, computer audit, SID forum on agenda.

27 SOURCE DATA
Reviews of Federal Guidelines and AFIPS Manual on security, plus info on reports, products, courses.

39 EDITOR'S READOUT
Breaking up IBM; and drawing your own dotted lines.

February 1975

ABOUT THE COVER
Moving from two dimensions to three; from concept to realization, our modular construction symbolizes the openended flexibility available in the minicomputer networks explored in this issue. Photographer Andy Cominos and deSigner Barbara Benson put it all together.

3

CRTRMRTICN..
EDITORIAL STAFF
EditorJohn L. Kirkley
Articles Editor
Richard A. McLaughlin
Angeline Pantages
International Editor
Nancy Foy
European Editor
Communications Editor Phil Hirsch
Industry Editor
W. David Gardner
Products Editor
Michael Cashman
Source Data Editor
Daniel P. Schlosky
Calendar Editor
Gloria Tidstrand
News Editor
Tom McCusker
Bureau Managers
San Francisco
Edward K. Yasakl
Los Angeles
Edith D. Myers
Washington, D.C.
Phil Hirsch
NewYork
Angeline Pantages
New England
W. David Gardner
Correspondent.
Minneapolis
James K. Johnson
Southwest
Robert F. Alexander
Australia
Frederick A. Bland
Editorial Advisor
Robert L. Patrick
Technical Advisor
Lowell Amdahl
Contributing Editor.
Paul Armer, Howard
Bromberg, Philip H. Dorn,
Louis B. Marienthal,
Ray W. Sanders,Milton R. Wessel,
F. G. Withington
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Headquarters: 1801 S. La Clenega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035. Phone (213) 559-5111. Eastern:
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DATAMATION Is pubI~_I IIshed monthly on or
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every month by Technical Publishing Company, 1301 South Grove Ave.,
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Form 3579 to be sent to TechnicalPublishing Company, P.O. Box 2000. Greenwich, CT 06830. ©
Copyright 1975 Technical Publishing Company'. ®
"Datamation" registered trademark of TechnicalPublishing Company. Microfilm copies of DATAMATION may be obtained from University Microfilms, A Xerox Company, 300 No. Zeeb Road, Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48106. Printed by Beslow ,Associates, Inc.

-

!If='

Maxell OC-300 Data Cassettes
end all read and write errors due to dropouts.
We don't spot-check the DC-300. We
painstakingly examine each and every one.
Sure it takes more time, but its
worth it. Wf! developed a memory systemdata handling-control cassette thatmakes sure your clever thinking stays justas clever inside the computer.
We dropped dropouts by setting surface electric resistance to an incredible orderof 108/Sq. That means no static electricity.

The cassette shell is made stronger withfour carbon impregnated guide rollers, a
newly designed capstan and pinch roller.
Basically, the DC-300 is the best data
cassette made. It gives you the chance.
to run ahead of the pack (where you want
to be). Or don't use it and then wait for
dropouts to leave you with hay on your face.
Maxell Corporotion of America,
Moonachie, N.J. 07074. Available in Canada.

CIRCLE 81 ON READER CARD

4

I:IATAMATICIN

Typical FORTRAN
execution times (microseconds)
V-74V2 PDP11/45
A=B+C

7

33

(double) A=B+C

10

82

A=B

4

14

Do Loop

4

22

A(I,J)=B

22

63

A=Sin(B)100

251

February, 1975

Move over DEC.
Varian just beat the
PDP 11/45 with the V-74V2.
Really beat. As these
new benchmark tests show (allrun recently, on the latest
operating systems and compilers' and the same FORTRAN
benchmark programs run inevery case).
It's the V-74V2'Ssynergistic combination of
hardware, software and firmware enhancements that did it.
Specifically, the FORTRAN
Accelerator, the new Floating
Point Processor, and the
VORTEX operating systemwith all the software built
around it.
And if you need to
double your processing speed,
the V-74 1/2 gives you theflexibility of mixing core andsemiconductor memory (330 ns)
without changing a single
CIRCLE 86 ON READER CARD

operation.
Then there's a big plusthat doesn't show up in thenumbers. In the I/O area, the11/45 unibus is a'troublesome
bottleneck. With the V-74V2'S
dual port memory, the only
bottleneck is your imagination.
DEC's PDP 11/45 nolonger figures. Especially when
you consider the price. The
V-74V2 is delivered at up totwenty percent less.
For your copy of thecomplete report, call yournearest Varian Data Machines'
office. Offices in major U.S. andEuropean cities. Or write Varian
Data Machffies, 2722 Michelson
Drive, Irvine, CA 92664,(714) 833-2400.

~varian\.!!y data machines5

The Datapoint Diskette 1100-

I

The Next Step Forward
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Datapoint, it has the same operatororiented styling and features including awide, clear video display and typewriterand numeric keyboards that have madeDatapoint dispersed processors"workhorse"data entry and processing
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The system's integrated Diskette unit
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This capability puts bottom-line
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Result: Local personnel stay in closer
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3. LOCAL DATA PROCESSING - The
computer's power permits data to beprocessed by use of a number ofhigh-level languages; DATABUS, RPG IIor BASIC, saving home office computer
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Remember that data files on the diskette
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5. A TRUE DISK OPERATING SYSTEM Many processor-based terminals offer only
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DATASHARE without modification.
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information on this next step forward indispersed data processing, contact yourlocal sales office or write or call Datapoint
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DATAPOINT CORPORATION

The leader in dispersed data processins

Home Office: 9725 Datapoint Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78284 (512) 690-7151 • Sales Offices: Atlanta/(404) 458-6423· Austin/(512) 452-9424· Baton Rouge/(504) 926-3700• Boston/(617) 890-0440· Chicago/(312) 298-1240· Cincinnati/(513) 421-6122· Cleveland/(216) 831-0550· Oallas/(214) 661-5536· Denver/(303) 770-3921• Des Moines/(515) 225-9070 • Detroit/(313) 478-6070· Greensboro/(919) 299-8401 • Hartford/(203) 677-4551 • Honolulu/(808) 524-3719· Houston/(713) 688-5791• Los Angeles/(213) 645-5400· Milwaukee/(414) 453-1425· Minneapolis/(612) 854-4054· Nashville/(615) 385-3014· Newark/(201) 376-1311· New York/(212) 759-4656• Orlando/(305) 896-1940· Philadelphia/(215) 667-9477· Phoenix/(602) 265-3909· Pittsburgh/(412) 391-7213· Portland!(503) 761-2250· Puerto Rico/(809) 783-5320• Salt Lake City/(801) 272-6441· San Diego/(714) 460-2020· San Francisco/(415) 968-7020· Seattle/(206) 455-2044· Stamford/(203) 359-4175· St. Louis/(314) 291-1430• Tulsa/(918) 664-2295· Washington, D,C.I(703) 790-0555· International: TRW /Datacom-International/Los Angeles, California, TELEX 691286 (213) 475-6777• Sydney, Australia/922-3100 • Vienna, Austria/022Z136 2141· Brussels176 20 30· Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/246 7661· Toronto/(416) 438-9800· Copenhagen/(01) 965-366• Guayaquil, Ecuador /394844· London/903-6261 • Helsinki/90-661 991 • Paris/581 1270· Hanover, Germany/(0511) 634-011 • Rotterdam/(01 0) 216244• Tel Aviv, Israel/(03) 410565· Milan/316 333· Tokyo/264 6131 • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia/21416· 0510/15 34 90· Makati Rizal, The Philippines/877 294· Singapore 10/378165• Johannesburg1724 9301· Stockholm/(08) 188295· Lyss/Byrn.e/(032) 844240.

CIRCLE 17 ON READER CARD

letters
Tracking IBM's backtracking

The News In Perspective summary byDavid Gardner in the December issue(p. 107) was fascinating reading tosome of us addicted IBM-watchers who
have been unable to keep up with the
documents that are relevant <to thegovernment's antitrust case. It is beginning to look like the reflections andlapses into truth on the part of lBiM
management people over the years
may produce an antitrust equivalent of

my assessment of that company's power was exaggerated, I take some comfort in the knowledge, based on IBM'S
own records, that I was fairly on target
most of the time-and that the highest
management of the company knew
very well what they were doing all thetime they were doing it and then denying it had been done. In that respect, atleast, they do resemble the pack thatroamed the' Nixonl domain, although
for some reason I cannot quite grasp, I
do not feel it quite so reprehensible ofcorporations to be greedy and deceptive as I do those who are chosen inelections to run our government. May:be none of us should tolerate these
double standards .
. . . it is a great joy to see the walls ofsecrecy breached and to see, after somany years, the truth about industryand the truth about our corrupt government-coming to light. I thank DATAMATION for its contribution to thisprocess.
WILLIAM RODGERS
Centreville, Maryland
Mr. Rodgers is the author of "Think: A
Biography of the Watsons and IBM."

Backup computert~j,,,,­

Richard Nixon's tapes, although thedrama and denouement may suffer by
the probable failure of Gerald Ford topardon people funning a big company
the way he could give sanctuary tosomeone destroying the country. Nevertheless, it ought to be interesting towatch these men trying to persuade thecourt that previously uttered truths
don't count and that readjusted testimony is more valid. One is remindedagain of the cornered Mr. Nixon,
trapped by evidence of his own making, trying to persuade us that what hemeant was not what he said.
I ,do not myself mean to suggest
odious comparisons here for I believe
the IBM men who must defend themselves against antitrust charges are superior to the last pair we elected to thetwo highest offices of the land. Nevertheless, as Mr. Gardner so deliciously
pointed out, when you argue at one
point that you are not a monopoly
beca use you only have 70% of
the business, you cannot very well expect to preserve your reputation forveracity when you come along laterand tell us you have, recomputed thefigures and now discover you are not amonopoly because you have only 38%of the business. We get the feeling yourfigures are not to be trusted.
Having taken some flak now andthen from IBM men complaining that

February, 1975

Regarding Lars Persson's statementthat "real-time" is a weak argument forhaving a backup computer (Designing
for Minimum Downtime, November,p. 51), I have to make a four letter
comment .... BULL!
I wonder what happens to Scandinavian Airlines' reservations systemand how the company's revenue isaffected when the tubes go blank?
What about process control computers? What about banks, warehouses, stock markets, brokers, communications, to name only a few. They
don't require redundancy to preserve
human life, but the loss of a computer
system could cost them great los~ ofmoney and, in some cases, could put
them out of business.
Of course if Mr. Persson is referring
to a batch accounting job he can getaway with outages. But he can't makethe generalized statements he does andthen base his article on them.
Why, even the statement that "thefact your, competitor has a backup system is no reason for you to have one"is not generally true: If my time-sharing vendor's system "bombed" and I
found they had no backup, I'd sure ashell go out and find another vendor
who had backup. If my bank's systemfailed a few times when I was on-line
and I couldn't get out of there quickly
with an updated passbook, I'd find another bank to do business with. So
competition is of importance.

The need for a backup system must
be equated against the impact on acompany of system failure vs. the costof recovering from that failure. It may
take only a few minutes to recoverfrom the blip-of-the-light type of failure but if your system was receiving
random input over which you have nocontrol, you don't know if you've lost
data, what was lost, or what to ask forif the source could repeat it. And if
you have people ,all over the worldscheduling their production or otherwise depending on your computer todeliver some information, you had better be able to deliver it. They won't bevery happy with a message to the effectthat the system was down and that it
will start up again after the engineers
arrive ... and if they can fix it promptly or have to send out for some part.
JERRY FRAENKEL
Data Processing Manager
The Associated Press
Rockefeller PlazaNew York, New YorkMr. Persson replies: Your comments"smash an already open door."
My statement that the only reason
to duplicate anything is to save moneyby doing so, goes very well with yourcomment that "the need for a backup
system must be equated against the
impact on a company of system failure,versus the cost of recovering from that
failure." The only difference I can see
is that I have substituted "impact on acompany" with "cost for a company."
This, 'however, is a very important substitution as it makes it possible to use
calculations instead of rules of thumb.
Let me say it in another way. Here
we have two theories, one saying that
real-time computers need a bacl<up,
the other saying that one has to compare outage cost to backup cost.
Everyone knows that in most real-timecases these theories give the sameanswer. But the first one does not tell
you whether you need a hot standby()r a cold one. And it does not help you
pinpoint the very rare and very interesting situations when a real-time
computer does not require a computer
backup, just a manual fallback procedure. There are such animals.
Further it looks as if you believethat a single level of backup should beenough for all real-time installations.
How do you judge whether a second
installation is needed as a backup foryour backup,· maybe even in another
City? By the' feelings of your fingertips? Or by calculations? It is up to
you in your case. I prefer the calculations.

Mnotes on mnemonics

I agree with Mr. Wander (Letters,
Dec. 1974, p.161) that the higher-level
languages should replace awkward
mnemonics like .EQ., .LE., etc. by =,<, etc. for improved intelligibility andother reasons. But any improvement
in machine efficiency is incidental; if(Continued on page 116)9

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CIRCLE 60 ON READER CARD

peopIe

There are no good losers and all ofthem will be protesting when it comestime for them to lose revenue."
For state legislators who are considering central edp control and looking for the man to honcho the project,
the blunt-talking Gould had this advice: "When you pick your key guy,
do not fire him if he gets in trouble'cause plan on it, he will get in trouble.

AFTE R
THREE STORMY YEARS
Looking back on three stormy years
as chief of edp control and development for the state of California, Kent
H. Gould has some harsh words forvendors and some advice for statelegislators.
Gould, 37, left the state job
last July to become Manager, Management Information Systems for N ational Semiconductor's NS Electronics(H. K.) Ltd. in Hong Kong. A key
figure in California's controversial
procurement of computer equipment
for the Stephen P. Teale consolidated
data center (March 1974, p. 122),
Gould says he made the decision in
January '74 to leave ,the state on or
about July 1. "I felt that by that time,
I would have achieved all that waspossible to achieve and that perhaps
my effectiveness might, by that time,
be crippled by the vicious in-fightingthat w.as going on."In the middle of the Teale fight, in
mid-1973, Gould was affected by said
in-fighting when it was leaked to thepress and to legislators. (no one eversaid by whom or why) that he had asmall amount of stock in Boole andBaggage (where he once worked), a
software firm which was a subcontractor to IBM whose bid for the Teale
Center Gould favored.
His words for vendors: "In the use .
of computers in government today,
what is even more inexcusable thancost is the unnecessary proliferationof hardware, and I don't really carewhat the vendors say and I mean allof them. They only have one interest. . . to sell. Some, in some cases, aremore careful, and some do truly careabout their customers at various points
in time but when it comes down to theend, when they are losing their sale ...

If he isn't in trouble, it is because heisn't doing anything.""It is not possible to do a Central
EDP Control job in any state," says
Gould, "without getting into trouble,
without getting everybody mad at you
because what you are effectively doing

KENT H. GOULD
Hong Kong is a ballis tearing down empires and demanding more performance, more productivity, more cost effectiveness."
Gould strongly believes that consolidation in state edp is an important issue. "Today's processing capability inevery machine line allows the user todo more and save money. I think thereal key issue facing gov'ernment andthe use of computers in the coming
three or four years is going to be productivity. That is not necess<\fily theissue which is going to get the mostpress and the most attention. By productivity, I do not mean efficiency, I
mean the true productivity of the computer pushing capacity to its limit andgetting what we in the semiconductorbusiness call true yield, getting themost product."
Gould considers his tour in Sacramento to have been "fulfilling but noteasy." Despite shortcomings that appear today, he says, "we did reduce

the amount of money being spent and
we did, in fact, reduce the number of
installations.".
He likes Hong Kong ... "it's a ball". . . and he likes his new job. He is
responsible for installing information
systems in Hong Kong which will be
used to monitor and assist in the management of the corporation's Hong
Kong operation. The Hong Kong facility, says Gould, "is the only National
facility able to do product testing andfinal product identification on an off
shore basis."
The operation will be installing information systems for: order control,
backlog reporting, customer service,
sales support, fixed ,asset accounting,payroll, inventory valuation, and customer shipment support.
"All of these major application systems are already operational in one
form or another at the National corporate· headquarters in Santa Clara,
Calif.," said Gould. "Others are being
developed using corporate guidelines
at our facilities in Germany, Scotland,Hong Kong, and Singapore."
Gould became known to the senior
management of National Semiconductor while still with Boole and Babbage
which did a job for NS, helping it organize a basic approach to data processing. He was approached on the
Hong Kong assignment in May 1974.
"I decided yes, this would be for me
the best choice."
Gould holds a BA in international
relations and economics from theUniv. of Southern California and has
done post graduate work at the Univ.
of California, Berkeley and UCLA. He
holds a Certificate in Data Processing
and is a member of the Data Processing Management Assn. (DPMA), theAmerican Production Control & Inventory Society, the Assn. for Computing
Machinery (ACM), the Assn. For Systems Management (ASM) , and theFederal Task Force for the establishment of edp accounting standards under sponsorship of ,the U.S. General
Accounting Office.
In addition. to his position as western regional technical manager for
Boole & Babbage, Inc., his jobs prior
to joining the state of California in-

IN NEW POSTS" " " _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __DANIEL O. ANDERSON was promoted to vice president
of finance and administration for Honeywell's North American Computer Operations . . . DR. JACK R. HARRIS
was named vice president, scientific systems, of Pinkerton
Computer Consultants, Warminster, Pa. . . . Copperweld
Corp. named ALEXANDER FERENCE to the newly
created post of Manager of Information Systems . . .
PETER A. CUNNINGHAM left Quantum Science Corp.
to b.ecome president of Input, Palo Alto, Calif. market re-

February, 1975

search and business consulting firm ... RICHARD COBB,
senior vice president of Mathematica, Inc., was named tohead the company's newly formed RAMIS Div., which
supports a data management, information, retrieval andsupporting system . . . MICHAEL P. LA VIGNA waspromoted to corporate vi,ce president, marketing, at On.Line Systems Inc. . . . CARL G. HOKANSON was appointed president of Lear Siegler International, Inc ..

11peoplecluded: corporate director, Management Information Services for the
Larwin Group, Inc.; manager, Services & Systems, McDonnell-Douglas
Corp.; staff to Corporate Directorof Equipment Operations, Northrop
Corp.; senior systems analyst, North
American Aviation, Inc.; and programmer, Bank of California.
'
Gould refers to the California consolidation implementation as "the firstsuccessful effort in that state's movetoward utilization of today's technology while reducing costs." Prior to theconsolidation efforts, he says, "thegrowth in computing power was without cohesive thread and could be likened to what has so often happened
in a multi-division corporate entity.""The approach (in California) required a complete assessment of current capabilities and needs. These had
to be structured in such a bshion as
to establish a set of correlation points
for future use. An assessment ofemerging data base and data communications technology had to similarly
be developed so that current capabilities, known requirements, and futurecapabilities could be correlated."

One of the most consistent weaknesses of this type of effort, says
Gould, is that "current capabilities areunderestimated 'and future ,require:"
ments never have sufficient elasticity.
This inevitably results in a long range
plan which is out of date when implementation begins. This can be avoided
by using planning factors that force
recognition of the changes in the business environment.
Gould firmly believes that "dataprocessing has become essential to theeffective operation of government"
but he feels "the demands placed ona member of the professional community in government today are inconsistent with the public understandingof what it takes to oper:ate government. People so frequently talk about
the opportunity to serve your country and the 'benefi,ts'. In reality, benefits are worse than industry . . . job
security is fiction because, at the wishof any legislator, positions may be andare eliminated."

INTERNATIONAL SURPRISE

A resignation that evoked considerable
surprise and speculation in both Europe and the V.S. was that last monthof Henry F. Sherwood as director of
the Diebold Research Program in Europe.
Sherwood w.as founder of the program and had been director since its
inception in 1965. He resigned effective January 1. He also' resigned as avice president of the Diebold Group,
Inc., N. Y., parent company of Diebold Europe, Frankfmt, which adminHENRY F. SHERWOOD
isters the European Research ProWhere to now?
gram. Sherwood's operation was one
well as Western Europe.
of the few remaining profitable venA magna cum laude graduate fromr=====================;;;;;;---, tures of the Diebold
the Vniv. of Detroit in business adminGroup.
istration, he began his data processing
David Butler, dicareer with Vnivac in 1956. Subserector of operations
quently he became manager of thefor Diebold EuManagement Sciences Div. of anrope, London, since
American-based international account1972, was aping firm, and in 1962 he joined Burpointed to succeed
Sherwood who was , roughs C9rp., where his responsibilities
tape perforator
included product development strategy.
noted for running a
In between times he became adroit
highlypersonalized
and reader)at being photographed with lumiorganization.
naries, including the Pope. He also
. During Sher, achieved the distinction of becoming
wood's 10 year dian Admiral in the Texas Navy.
rectorship, the DieHe also found time to author nubold Research Promerous ,articles and to lecture extengram, Europe, grew
sively throughout Europe and the U.S.
from an initial six
on management problems associatedsponsors to 100with edp. He is a lecturer at .the Techgovernmental, innical Vniv. of Berlin and, in 1970, wasCall or write nearest office: RCA Service Company
dustrial, and comA Division of RCA, Technical Services
appointed a Fellow of the Hudson Inmerdal organizastitute for Policy Research.
Bldg. 204-2
43 Edward J. Hart Rd.
tions and computer
Camden, N.J. 08101
Liberty Industrial Park.
Sherwood had not announced future
Jersey City, N.J. 07305
Phone: (609) 77.9-4129
industry particiPhone: (201) 451-2222 (N.J.)
plans
at this writing. but speCUlation
3310 South 20th Street
pants. In the same(212) 267-1550 (N.V.)
Philadelphia, Pa. 19145
was that he would start a firm of his
7620 Gro5s Point Road
time frame, SherPhone: (215) HO 7-3300 (Pa.)
own in Europe.
Skokie, III. 60076(609) WO 3-2043 (N.J.)
wood is credited
Phone: (312) 965-7550
His successor, Butler, started in data
1778 Marietta Blvd., N.W.
with having built up , processing in 1962 as a programmer
2711 Irving Blvd.
Atlanta, Ga. 30318
Dallas, Texas 75207
a highly successful
Phone: (404) 355-6110
and later dp manager for a hospital
Phone: (214) ME 1-8770,professional com20338 Progress Drive
board. He joined V rn'ick Diebold in
1501 Beach Street
Strongsville, Ohio 44136
Montebello, Calif. 90640
puter consulting ac:1965 and worked on a range of conPhone: (216) 238-9555
Phone: (213) 685-3069
tivity with clientssultancy assignments for the Diebold
from 'Capetown to
Research program. He is a member of
If. Registered trademark
Helsinkiand inthe British Computer Society and 'aof TeletYpe Corp.
Fellow of the Institute of Directors. 0
cluding Eastern as

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CIRCLE 80 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

(~)J I:,' @:{ff!E'~l!.11 !lp:~!IT\' ~,7~f~:tnf)!T!j ;Wlit:·<;t..I~ \i;'lF~; 1!ifnI1t< imEf(!1'~ (!'J11·iit2.F~

tnt\1[~H'i fFE1; WF, W~ i'r?X"i(;rrF~} (~tIJro1i ~m:f
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f:"l~nrU ,:{nt:) r{:f{~'i(~, (~F.ftE! ~Fn:'j}: 1~1i §:Fl

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flt~.~:'i' )iT~\?' mi[lf~ m'."~fttE1T' Itit!h!i;1t~F
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T~,J? r~{iIi~f flff" Po) ~1:gIi::i3!.mtfi!C~.·! f~r~?~

G:rmrrD r;rrrrGt~ mn~t3, 6.1 '!f!.lilnfl1l:~ fr?J:D
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tnf:.fi F€fir! [I i\f;:-;;: (!{:o.Htt:ft.:::t, (;\jJ11 \~?fm tJxitif( (~J!.1!1!l,i)rG:l!I!Jf:-\~T=El!·~.1iID{~jf:J-I€lTI1~.ul'b

fn~Yir.mi(!Emf.:t!fJH~1~T,pfr(-nm91:E1~TIFrm(-r.:
B:!F (t(!.fii1 g'5J;;:;I' rr!:' U~Ifl(/';:; lro!1 tl~ (rZ;fi"l,;fr4~.{!·r~T;1H~Ii!V]HfHrin~Jrf.r~:lm\,;,tlI!\(i11,~ {;{t~r1f2 @i (Y01t~h:*fr;-l:

We designed the new DECwriter II
for speeit and reliability.
.
And we priced it to sell.
$1250 in quantities of a hundred.
The DEC writer IT gives you perfonnance no one
And easy interfacing. A 20rnA Teletype interface
is standard, EIA is' also available.
can touch at the price. ,It's fast. A true 30 characters per second, including And trouble-free maintenance. TheLA36is
carriage return and line feed. This makes full use of modularly designed. Printhead, .keyboard, mechastandard phone lines and eliminism, logic board, and power board are all readilynates the need for softwareac~essible for easy replacement.
generated fill characters.
i:;..
All at a very low price. $1250 in quantities
It's versatile. You can use:<':~>:)'"., ;':" '~, of a hundred. Can you afford not to, .. / . . / ,:.,. find t?
your standard line-printer:/'~/><, //"::~~..
ou more.
fonns with the DEC writer IT.
~L·~)":·\,./~:» ,,:"'--_._ Call us. Dial 800-225-9480. Toll. . ':-:.'. '-: .':' /'.'~- .;' f f
830AM 530PM
You get 132-column printing. .
. '~~~~it{..~<·:;;'~./· ree ro~ :to :And the reliable tractor-type,_.,'/I,rt, f//
7; Eastern tIme. (US only.
paper feed takes up to 6-part fonns - any:. -,';);.~':'-i: i.·>~' Massachusetts residents, pleasewidth from 3 to 14'1'8 inches. So you don't need'\ r.;· ..l>":-lJ;;.:~: dial (617) 481-7400, extensi on
special fonns.
;::i;)~''-:-'~ 6653.)
And it's reliable. We designed the DEC writer IT
using proven concepts only. For example, both theprinthead and keyboard - the two most critical
One Iron Way, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752.
elements - are fieldIn Canada: Digital Equipment of Canada Limited,proven designs, already P.O. Box 11500, Ottawa, Ontario, K2H8K8.
in use at Digital cus(613) 592-5111, extension 127.
tomer installations. We
build the DEC writer IT In Europe: 81 Route de l'Aire, 1211 Geneva 26,
to last; it'll give years of Telephone: 42 79 50.
service with minimum
maintenance.
You get highly legible
printout. A full 96 printable characters, upperand lower case. Eachcharacter is printed on a 7 x 7 dot matrix. Legibility,
as well as reliability, is ensured by a servo-system
Unbundling the worl,d's mostto control carriage motion and by a st~pper-motor­
popular minicomputer systems.
controlled paper feed to produce accurate line
spacing.

~Di:~~:i~~~!~~:~~:~Of~DmDDmD

COMPONENTSGROUPCIRCLE 50 ON READER CARD

Ifyou think all premillQ1~om~uter tapes are aliketake a closer look at
BASF2000/A.D.

I

Straight edges

Because all premium computer tapes
re 100% certified and meet industry
tandards, you might think they're allqual. They aren't. The important differnce is the margin by which a manulcturer's standards exceed industry
tandards. It's this extra margin that allows
o margin for errors. Let's look at a few
uperior points of BASF 20001 A.D.
omputer tape:

Another hassle, even with premium
tapes, is edge waviness. This causes.intermittent reading and writing errors.
Dynamic conditions during tape transport
can occasionally compensate for thewaviness, so it's a tough job to track
down. Again, our double-cut slitting technique keeps 20001 A.D. edges absolutely
straight and symmetrical.

)ebris-free edges

Uniform width

Rough edges and debris on tapes
re the resul.t of inferior slitting, whichauses the coating to overhang the base.
he projecting edges become detachedy tape guides and drive rollers. The~sult: loss of head-to-tape contact ...
nd errors. BASF has eliminated theseroblems with an exclusive double-cut
itting technique that keeps our tapedges perfectly debris-free.

BRAND_A

BRAND B

Uniform tape width is essential, inorder to avoid dynamic skew errors.
According to industry standards, a width
tolerance of±.002" is acceptable. We
peg our 20001 A.D. standard at±.001".
It's a small detail, but it could eliminate a
few 3:00 a.m. debugging sessions.

coating .. , a higher energy oxide that
produces an output consistently higher
than that of the National Bureau ofStandards reference tape. Then we apply
this oxide with a unique coating techniquethat provides a more even dispersionof oxide particles in the binder. For any bit
density, including 6250 B.P.I., 2000/A.D.
gives you more reliable writing and reading ... better bit-to-bit uniformity ... fewer
drop-ins and drop-outs. And virtually nopermanent errors.

Hard surface

We've developed a new "hotter oxide"

Head wear is inevitable, but itshouldn't be excessive. That's why wedeveloped a finishing operation that gives
20001 A.D. a harder, smoother surface
than anyone else's. It's a lot kinder toyour tape head, and keeps your maintenance time to a minimum.
And in conclusion
2000/ A.D. costs no more than otherpremium tapes. You're already paying for
BASF quality ... you might as well haveit. For the whole story of how 20001 A.D.
stacks up against the competition, write to
BASF Systems, Crosby Drive,
Bedford, Mass. 01730. .
-BRAND CCIRCLE 12 ON READER CARD

Superior coating

BASF

~ l

You're already paying for BASFquality, you might as well have it. L~J

,

,

.~~
•
··[(()OKZAMEAD.
~.......................................... .
.

DECISION IN DENVER: HHATNOW?
If the u.s. supreme,Court~ccePtsTel~x"s request, for a reviewofth~: ,U.S.
Court,o~ Appeals' decision, tha.t reversedtheIBM:-Telex cas.ein,.:.favor.•. of IBM~the computer colossuSWOl1' t have to face a particularly hostile court. 'The
court.has,.tra<iitionally',tended .to' rule againe;t 'compani~saccused' of'vi91ating
ant~trustregulatioIls~butthat's changed,in recent years"I>aI'ticu~arly'~in~e,Rich~rd~ix.on's ,'appp~l1te,eshav~,'j()ined,t;he~ourt·•.. "... M,()l:"eo.v~.r, 'afew'years" ago,-atl~ast:thre,eS~p~eme, Court Justices" were reporteq to be IBM:stockho14ers. _(f3:I1y.IBMstockholders·currentlyon . the. court would .presumably disqualify them;.'selves from hearing the IBM-Telex appeal) .,': .' ... , " , .', '....., ,'. ..:,' ... ''Whilethede:isi~Il in DenverV1~s a' res?uridirigvi,:~orYforIBM~Ild're~tored
the 'fi~m to itsped~stalofinvincibility, 'the decision could have unhappy
long-..term e~fects for 'the, ,re1:t1ainder of '~,theweakening computer indue; try • ,,}n'effe,ci," the <iecision permits 'IBM to systemat~cally stak€!out',an4' 1>,ear do~"()nsm~ll~r. compe tiIlg co~p.mies. . TIle de:is ion als qSt;renRt;hens:IB:M:'s • hand "in' its,
case 'with the' Susfi..ce :Dept~,"if notsignificantlyfronl alegal"point "then''from a psychologic,al point •. " IBM would certainly have 'to give 'up lesslna
Consent ,Decree now.: Some speculate that IBM might, be en courage,dto let thecase drag 'on for years ':~n the belief thatiiwouldwinthe, governmentca:~e too',
MEANWHILE, BACK'. AT . ARMONK
Bef ore ,the Telex decision, I~Mwasmov:i.ng· ahead wi thaplan to ',break ~ ts ; Dat;:a'P1:'0cessing 'Div.'in two-- the 115' through thel4Stoin one:unit t , the 155,
on up, in the other•.... In' at least some IBM sales areas, the plan called "forvarious IBM industry marketing operations:tobeused for field facilities forone of the new gr'oups, >while industry~ marketing would presumably be:re~stab­li'sh:dineac,h of the. new groups ~'.. The reason for the ,new reorganization?', S'ome . speculatethat. it' spllanned .to make, the~omp~tercolosst:xs' easier"tomanage,while'()thers., believe the, move had antitrtlst overtories(e. g~ IBM .isrestructuring ~tself' along' lines i t would find acceptable in .' a Consent. nec'ree),:On 'the subject, G. A~ Saxton. & Co., a Wall Street firm with a sterling
rep~tat:i.onfor ,expert;ise:i.n tlle cOlllput~r in<iustry', and one that has:lon~enjoyed' good relati'ons and c~mmunications with IBM, is tell~ng' its clientsthat IBM managementis'apparentlywil1ing to'talk about a fundamentalrestfuc':'~uring.
If that's, so, IBM could be' willing to accept some form of breakup in
Con?entnecree. Wi thout .aCori~ent'Decree ;t~e Saxton fil:"lllfeels ~he IBM-:
Justice Dept. lit1gat10ncouldstretch o,ut beyond i980 --a date, that could
be intolerable , to the. remainder of the struggling, "capital-strapped.iridust:ry.
, Another plus fora GonsentDecreecouldbeembodiedin PresidentF()rd 's
choicef?r attorn~yg:neral,E~wardH. ;J~eYi,:thepresidentofthe>~niversityof Chicago. As a: former head of Justice's ',Antitrust Div~. and former chief'counsel . to the House'Subconunittee ,on':MonopolYP~w-er, Leviwouid' have a; ,more~,than~usual,;tnterest'dnthe, larg:st'antitr:ust"case in historyandwo,uld, pre':' ''sllffi~blybe'able to' av?1.dtime-consumingbriefingst6 understand the case,
wh:i.chis·, sche'duled. togo to' ·trial in. New York' City this

be

,

.

. .

.

NCR-IN FACILITIES'MANAGEMENT,, NCR' Corp .'s infinit;esimal share of tl1e computer;market: llad been unprofitable
until last year,althotighitdominates hi.th: point~of~sale market.that ..IBM'> now pursues hungrily.', The Dayton:, Ohioc0m.pany ~'wllere'IBI1'sThomas ,Watson t
Sr ~ first ente;redthe' bu?iIless,m~ch~nes ,niarket~has, turned, its,'computerbusiness arourid:.wit:hamassivecost' trrmming'..and, marke'ting ,:reorganiz'ati0Il. •· program. Its latest move has been to'ente,:r a field that IBM, seems d€:.terminedto shun ,-- facilities management. ' (IBM' chairman 'Frank,T. Cary:says FM;is too
hard for users.'"to justify to the' board.pf' d:Lrectors";seeNov.l;1971.)
NCR's first contract is with Ohio's Montgomery' County; where Dayton "islocated. 'rhe$:?O 3, 000 con tr act call? '. for,~CR 'peop~~ '. to:. take oyer ()perat ionof the county's Century· 251 and "201-baseddata' processing center arid to makea study for the, county' sfuture comput:er'buy~-overthe' next ,three years. The
contract is understood to, be the pilot ,for an aggressive facilities management

LOOKAI-EAD
effort by NCR in the lucrative government market and, eVentually, in thefinancial systems market where NCR has ,long held itsownagainst IBM in
systems know-how, if not in volume of hardware' installed.
,,

BELL AFFILIATE CHARGED WITH BRIBES, SHREDDING AND DELAYS .
'The J\lsticeDept.' s case against AT&T may be aided by revelatioIls from another';antitrust ,cas:e against the company. A ,former top official of AT&T affiliate'. Southwestern Bell, James Ashley, has talked of :paymentofbribesto city
councilmen ,. shredding' of embarrassing internal documents, and intentional 'delays ,in supplying circuits to users of independently-made.terminalequipment~
His testimony was made recently in a,depositionin an antitrust case'filed two
years ago by the now bankrupt San AntonioTelep~one'co.a~d~ ot~ermanufacturersof equipment that connect'with the Bell system., Bell has denied 'all the'
charges.
"h~~~;~~thought,

the,.Bosto~

bird,
to be'extinct,hasbeen, sighted in. It's a computer hardware company startup venture~-s9mething'that
been seen throttgh the tangle .ofbankruptciesalld. forced:mergers for,years •. The c()mpany,inL~xington, Mass., is called Lexidata,and has. designed
a soon-to-be announced, inexpensive: graphics terminal thatwould'.sell~for'$l,200,in, large oem orders. The company claims 11::s equipment outperforms
similar hardware on the market that typically sells for $15,000".

'cuBA',,"-T-h-e-.-w-e-s-t'-'-.
.
'-'-G'-'-e-rm.. .,. '-'-an-smuggling ring'.' .
' ....... '.' in shipping IBM materials into ..
the Soviet Union may have had some 'American' members'.' , While: . German authorities
announced the arreBtof nine Germarisin theriiH~,'sonie American individuais'
are 'said to . . be.urider. 'investigation in. the. case ••• Mea.nw~:dle, another communist
country -~ Cuba--is interested in purchasing. as manya~T,OOOtypewritersfrom IBM-,-Canada. The deal is still.iri thenegotiatingst'ages, but, ,IBM-Canada
does admit that the Cubans have expressed an interest in the typewriters • If
IBM can pull the deal off, it could represent an importclIii foot , in; the door
for IBM, just at a time when u~ S .-Cuban relations arE(improving~
FIRE AT KERONIX: WHOSE ALLEGATIONS ARE' RIGHT? 'On the eve of his birthday, Jan. 3, 1973,'executive vpGeo:rge'Foldva~y of
Keronix, Inc., of Santa Monica, ,Calif. ,received'an 8 p~m.telephonecall
from Laszlo . Keresztury ,presidentofthe60-employee •. core memory company.
He was ordered to, come right down., The plant wason' fire. , Foldvary,arrived,at the flaming plant in a dinner j acket, thinking the call ,had ,been a ploy toget' him toa surl?rise birthday party. ; .' . '. . . . . . ..•. . .' . ....
.".', Last 'Christmas Eve Keronixfiled a civil suit in Santa.Monica superior
courtalleging that the firewass~i:by agents of minicomputer maker Data
General Corp. It asked for:$55'milIion inactualandpunitiye damages,.' It's
.a'bizarrecase' involvingFBI,and.loca~ 'and ··'countyinv:estigat:lonsint()Data.)
General's. alleged.·hil~ingofa ·.det~ctive ··agency,that.,.tried·, without' success··• .•·~owire,tap the Keronix phones, ,successfully got telephone 'records to'.intimidate
Keronixcustomer's·,.and finally set the company' s plant'afir~ ,at 7 :15, 'p'.m.,'oTl
Foldvary's' birthday ' e v e . ', .
. '.' ,:'
Keronix,whichsells 'add-on memories for 'Data General and six other minicomputer lines arid now manufactures a. minicomputer of its0tvn,: ha~'se.ttlie
business.press anci the'fiercely competitiveminfcomptiter indus~ry'buz~ing ,,withquestions·about the . s\1it. Half of last month 1 s one-hour Data General'ann~al meeting:,was ,devoted'~o:it. ': Data General's president Edson,de9astro
said the charges are,r~prepos ter0t;1s" and Frederick R. Adler, a founder and 'director, , called. thesuitCi "bloody pain in'th,e rieck" that will cost thecompany $250 ,000 a year' in legal fees to fight: . . de.Castro and Adler are named
the f)uit. 'Thre.e ,DataGene.ralo!=ficers ,including ,deCastro, were, ,'calJ-ed>
before a. grandforquestioriirig aboutthe.Keronix: case. Data General. has"Continued,on:'page9~in.

HP3000CXMini DataCenters

Think of them as branch offices. Computers forthe many data handling "customers" within acompany. The 3000CX is a series of small,terminal-oriented systems that work as an
adjunct to the corporate EDP center.
Not just minicomputers. Mini DataCenters.
They're the only minis with a single, fully multiprogrammed, multiuse, operating system. You
get spooling, virtual memory, and a communications subsystem to link Mini DataCenters toeach other. And to the big number crunchers
as well.
You can run programs in five languages (anycombination), in all three modes - time-share,real-time, and batch.
Full service "branches." A Mini DataCenter
will support an entire department or division
with interactive terminals and options to handletasks in business, science, and industry.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTFINANCE & ACCOUNTING~~::----:=F~·········k~ ,. / J.-=~''''~<:~~-u

T

1

I

TO CORPORATE EDP SYSTEM

So, while the folks in R&D are using a Mini
DataCenter for real-time data acquisition, shipping is using it to caff up orders, and marketingis generating a quarterly sales report. As thevolume increases, add another 3000CX (or two).
More for your money. Caff HP and see one inaction. Then you decide. Four 3000CX models
cost from $99,500 to $203,500 in the USA. Low
enough to let you branch out now.

UP minicomputers.
They work for a living.
HEWLETT

fMl

PACKARD

Sales and service from 172 offices in 65 countries.
22507 A

1501 Page Mill Road. Palo Alto. California 94304

February, 1975

CIRCLE 18 ON READER CARD

19

Our Independent Graphics Software System
Leaves You To Your Own Devices.
000000000000

000000000000

Microfilm Devices

Drum Plotters

Interfaced to:Interfaced to:

Calcomp (563, 565, 763,
765, 936, 1036, 1136); H.I.;
Zeta

Flatbed Plotters
CRT's

Interfaced to:Interfaced to:

CIL; Xyenetics; EAI;
Tektronix; Hewlett
Packard; Gerber Artwork
Generator; Gerber

Tektronix (aU);
Computek; H.I.; Vector
General; Adage; IBM 2250

Calcomp (835, 865, 890);
FR 80; COMP 80; SC 4020;
SC 4060

All we ask is the ability
to draw a straight line.

20

DATAMATIONOur users are able to construct a sophisticated plot
on a CRT terminal in about an hour. Check it for accuracy on a drum plotter. Then use microfilm for the
production run. And all with the same program.
Almost every computer application can-make gooduse of graphics. Bar charts, pie graphs, performancecomparisons, route maps, even computer. usage
graphs are plotted from computer printouts. Graphics, generally, haven't been plotted directly by thecomputer. Hardware is available. But limited and incompatible software has been the obstacle. DISSPLA
now makes plotting feasible.
DISSPLA is machine and device independent. And
it is rapidly increasing graphics use. One user installed
this package and one week later ordered 30 terminals.
Another user averages five thousand plots daily~
Graphics are now practical for more programmers
than just the specialized.
1. MACHINES' DISSPLA turnkey versions arereadily available for IBM 360/40 through 370/195(OS, DOS, VS, and TSO); CDC Cyber 70, 6000
Series, 7600 (SCOPE and KRONOS); UNIVAC
1106/1108/1110 (Exec 8); Special military (Q20B,
UNIVAC 1230). In fact, each principal version took
less than four weeks. to prepare and checkout.
2. EASY TO USE DISSPLA is a system of FORTRAN subroutines. And heavily used from COBOL,. ALGOL and PL/I. Beginner, intermediate and advanced manuals are provided with many examFebruary, 1975

pIes. You'll receive the instructions to produce thetwo plots in this ad with the DISSPLA information package.
'
3~ PUBLICATION-QUALITY PLOTS DISSPLA
has business and scientific features, maps, 3-D
hidden line surfaces, 51 pUblication-quality character sets, shading and numerous other features.
4. ALREADY IN WIDE USE DISSPLA has
been in use more than six years. And now in morethan 50 installations in the U.S. and Europe. Hereis a partial list of our users:
The First National Bank of Chicago; Bell Laboratories (Murray Hill,
Whippany, Merrimack Valley, Columbus, Naperville); AEC (Argonne,
Hanford, Savannah River); AVCO Computer Services; EXXON; General
Dynamics (Convair); CDC,Cybernet (Worldwide); FMSAEG; Lockheed
Missiles and Space Company, Inc. (Sunnyvale); Naval Electronics Lab
Center; Naval Undersea Center; Naval Weapons Center (China Lake);
Dutch Post Office (PTT); Shell Petroleum (Worldwide); SIA (London);Standard Oil Company (Indiana); TRW Systems.

Display Integrated Software System and Plotting LAnguage
A proprietary software product <:>f ISSCO

For more information call Sunny Harris (714) 565-8098 or (714) 272-5606.
Or writelIu!b@
Integrated Software Systems Corporation
P.o. Box 9906, San Diego, California 92109

CIRCLE 34 ON READER CARD

In Europe contact:

1/ b van Blankenburgstraat 58
Repl\.ov. The Hague, Holland
Telephone 070-608425

21

calendar
FEBRUARY
Midwest Digital Equipment Exhibit, Feb. 18-19, Minneapolis. More than 50 manufacturers of computer terminals,
data communication equipment, peripherals, data acquisition and digital test instruments will exhibit their products
for an expected attendance of 500 users and manufacturers. Contact: .Clarence K. Peterson, Deerland Distributors,
Inc., Hennepin Squar:e Bldg., Minneapolis, Minn. 55413,(612) 331-6433.
3rd Annual SWAP Symposium, Feb. 17-20, Lake Buena
Vista, Fla. The 2,000 members of Wang Laboratories users
society are invited to attend this meeting to discuss problem-solving, and new· applications and programs. Reports
from committees and special interest groups will be presented. Fees: $35. Contact: Jason Taylor, 836 North St.,
Tewksbury, Mass. 01876, (617) 851-4111.
.

MARCH
7th Annual Southeastern Symposium on System Theory,
March 20-21, Auburn, Alabama. Sponsored by the engineering schools of Auburn Univ. and Tuskegee Institute,with IEEE participation, the symposium will feature theoretical ..and applications-oriented papers on system theory concepts and methodology. Topics include micro and mini.
computers, environmental systems, communication sysItems, biomedical systems, and instrumentation systems.
Fees: $35, members; $45, nonmembers. Contact: FredO'Brien, Jr., Auburn Univ., Auburn, Ala. 36830, (205)826-4370.

data communications users and vendors," is expected to
attract 2,000 representatives from business, industry andgovernment. Sessions will include advice on the purchaseof data communications hardware, software and services,
and applications programs on "how-to" plan and implement datacom systems in several specific areas. The DataComm school will be geared to newcomers in the fieldwith discussions of systems planning and administration,
data terminals, data transmission services and modems,.and data processors and software. More than 100 vendors
will exhibit their products and equipment. Fees: one day,$50; three days, $95; team fees (three or more), $25 and$50, res·pectively. Contact: Ken A. Puleo, 160 Speen St.,
Framingham, Mass. 01701, (617) 879-4502 (collect).
16th International SID Symposium, April 22-24,· W.ashington, D.C. "Original papers and state of the art tutorials,
describing significant developments, will be presented on
display hardware and software techniques, devices, systems, applications and effectiveness," at this annual forum.
Approximately 35 exhibits will display operational equipment, systems and components. A supplemental two-day
seminar program on displays, cosponsored by the Society
for Information Display and the Univ. of Maryland, will
be held April 21 and 25. Symposium fees: $45, members;$55, nonmembers; $10 less for advance registration; seminar fees: $70, one day, $110, two days. Contact: Lewis
Winner, 152 West 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036, (212)270-3125.
6th Annual Pittsburgh Modeling and Simulation Conference, April 24-25, Pittsburgh. In addition to traditional
areas of the subject topic, this· year's meeting will emphasize social; economic, educational, urban and global modeling and simulation. Sponsors are the Univ. of Pittsburgh's
school of engineering, in cooperation with the IEEE and the
ISA. A varied audience of engineers, social scientists andeconomists is expected. Fees: $35, members; $40, nonmembers. Contact: William G. Vogt, 231'Benedum Engrg.
Hall, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.

APRIL
5th Conference on Computer Audit, Control and Security,
April 14-16, New York. Ibis meeting will feature papers
and panel discussions covering developments of the past
16 months in edp .audit, control and security of information systems. About 500 auditors will exchange ideas andexperience, as well as information on advanced systems.
The conference is sponsored by the Institute of Internal
Auditors and Automation Training Center. Fees: $300.
Contact: IIA, 5500 Diplomat Circle, Orlando, Fla. 32810,(305) 647-4700.

Computing Careers for Deaf People, April 28-29, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Groupon Computers and the Physically Handicapped (SIGCAPH),
this' conference will "emphasize the challenges and opportunities for deaf people in the computing field" by acquainting educators, vocational cou'nselors, industry, and government with recent developments in training of the deaf for
dp careers. Interpreters will be available. For registrationand fee information contact: Dr. Steven L. Jamison, 1501
California Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. 94304, (415) 493-3000,
ext. 3107.

International Conference on Reliable Software, April 2123, Los Angeles. Conference objective is to bring together"theoreticians, tool-developers and practitioners to exchange
results, concepts, experience and ideas contributing to theachievement of relia:ble software." Daytime meetings, evening panel sessions and ad-hoc discussions will center on thetheory, construction ~ids, testing and estimation, and practical .aspects of the conference subject. Fees: $45, ACM orIEEE members; $50, nonmembers; (add $10 after April 1) ;$10, students. Contact: Dr. Barry W. Boehm, program
chairman, TRW Systems Group, One Space Park, E1!5017,
Redondo Beach, Calif. 90278.

4th Man-Computer Communications Conference, May 2627, Ottawa, Canada. The radio and electrical engineering
division of the National Research Council of Canada issponsoring this conference to "provide a forum for thepresentation and critical discussion of recent and current
work in interactive computer graphics applications andtechniques." Technical sessions will be geared to the interests of industry, government and universities. Contact:
M. K. Ward, National Research Council, Ottawa, Canada
KIAOR6.

Interface 75, Data Communications Conference & Exposition, April 21-23, New Orleans. This third annual conference, billed as "the only national forum exclusively for

22

MAY

Conferences are generally listed only once. Pleasecheck recent issues of OATAMATION for additional meetings scheduled during these months.

l:JRTRMRTION

When you service mixed vendor systems
you'd better be eXperienced.
"We're experienced. Andwe'rebetmll
We have to be experienct!d.Tronblesh60ting
a complete mixed vendor datapr~cessing system~and servicing it efficiently ..;,. isllo p~ace. f()ra trainee. ThaCs why RSC; service rep~ have in-depth
training and field t!xperiengeinJ60 mixed vendor
environments. DoesthatIl1<l}(e llS better? Defiriitely~
Because themctn .who makest11a~ first call can handle
the job. And there are some other iJ11p0rtant benefits
too. Like fast response time. ·G~eat doctlmentation
andl'artsjllvent()~yback~up~And lower price. We'rein complete system service. We've goUt all on the line.
The buck stops here.
There are national andintematiomtl airlines,
majorU.S.industrials, and the U~S. government,~ong Il1any others, that liked ourapproachenoughto hire us. You'll like it too. Forthe fullstory,callor
write Mike Salter,CoIllffiercial Marketing Manager,at Raytlleon Service Company ,12 Second Avenue,
Burlington,¥ass. 01803.
..

Tel.(617)272~9320.[RAYTHEO~

Todays broadest choice of medium-speed
Centronics offers more models, features and options than anyone else.

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the job.
It's industry's broadest and fastest-growing line ofprinters and teleprinters. Which means you havemore to choose from. Including three different
series of printers with speeds from 100 to 1000
char/sec. (40 to 300 lines/minute). And column
widths from 80 to 132. And data communications inreceive-only or keyboard send/receive. And
multicopy printing with bold face characters oncommand. And our new, unique condensed type.
Plus a choice of over 20 foreign language character sets for multilingual printing. Plus a broad
range of other capabilities that puts Centronics
printers in a class by themselves for optimum
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And that's not all.
Centronics has more optional features than any
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[Jj

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tronics, dllcJ rast, twin-head bi-directional printing(no carriage return to slow down output).
High reliability- Proven in tens of thousands of
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basic, field-proven modular components.
Expert field service-Available through over 50
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offices in Canada and Europe. With t'.Jationwide
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of printers, Centronics keeps your costs low, ~:md
assures prompt deliveries-two of the very best reasons for making Centronics your source for printers.
Centronics Data Computer Corporation: Hudson,!'Jew Hampshire 03051 (603) 883-0111.
Eastern Region: Burlington, Mass., (617) 272-8545
Central Region: Kettering, Ohio, (513) 294-0070
Western Region: Santa Ana, Calif., (714) 979-6650
Centronics Data Computer (Canada) Ltd.:M ississauga, Ont., (416) 625-0070
Centronics International Corp.: Brussels, Belgium,

02-762-3572/3

CIRCLE 75 ON READER CARD

Thefastest-~Jrowing family of medium-speed printers 0: [E [rO E::LI LT« [I] LTD [J [~C ~Our Graphics.
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picking. Whatever you need ina big way, our graphics giveyou. At a price that's just as.
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Graphic Tablet, $4995.
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-

TEKTRDNIX®
CIRCLE 61 ON READER CARD

source data
SOURCE DATA provides information
on books, courses, references, reports,
periodicals, and vendor publications.

]
SECURITY OR
INSECURITY
security Systems Review Manual
by R. L. Patrick
American Federation ofInformation Processing Societies
AFIPS Press, 1974
109 pp. $10.00
Guidelines for Automatic Data
Processing Physical Security and
Risk Management
by R. V. Jacobson, Dr. W. F. Brown
and P. E. Browne
Federal Information Processing
Standards Pub. 31,1974
92 pp. $1.35

These two latest computer security
manuals are opposite extremes in approach to the subject.
The AFIPS Security Manual might
have been better named the "Insecurity
Manual." It is largely a collection ofquestions, 800+ in number, calculated
to spur the imagination and concern of
its audience. No reasonably dedicatedcomputer center manager could readthe AFIPS manual and feel secure about
his installation. The manual states thatin order to do an adequate threat analysis, one must be suspicious and "think
like a thief." This reviewer was suspicious to begin with and now may beslightly paranoid.
The most unsettling thing about the. AFIPS manual is there are no solutions
to some of the problems portrayed.
Particularly those in the systems section. After all, how many of us canafford to rewrite his operating system?
Still, there is a great deal to be said
for AFIPS' approach. Many data center
managers today have convinced themselves they have a "reasonable" levelof security. Some have paid a very highprice to counter obvious security
threats. After reading the AFIPS manual,. they may discover very subtle but dangerous flaws in their security plan. For
instance, one may install a diesel generator to supply emergency power, but
put the fuel supply in a place where itis easily polluted. The AFIPS manual

February,- 1975

causes one to think about most possible
security breaches. Many can be discarded without too much thought, but
at least they were considered and rejected.
AFIPS includes many "general principles" which are minimum recommended reading for "busy" managers.
Most are basic, some are subtle and a
few are thought-provoking. The goalsof the manual are, first, to allow eachcomputer center manager to assess hisneeds for security, and, second, \ tomake him aware of steps taken byothers faced with similar problems. It
may well be an excellent self-assessment tool. Since the manual was computer composed and therefore shouldbe easily updated, I can only assume
the second objective will be satisfied infuture publications. The manual rec-

Data Base Systems

How do users rate the leading database management systems? A 28-page
report, A Buyer's Guide to Data BaseManagement Systems, a November
supplement to Datapro 70, finds ahigher degree of overall satisfaction
among users of the four leading independent systems-TOTAL, IDMS, SYSTEM 2000, and ADABAs-than. with
IBM's IMS or DL/ 1 DOS/ vs. Each DBMS
was evaluated by the users surveyed.for performance in five categories:
overall satisfaction, throughput! efficiency, ease of installation documentation, and vendor support. In addition
to detailed analyses and comparisonsof these systems, the report presents
guidelines for selecting and implementing a DBMS. Price: $10. DATAPRO RESEARCH CORP., 1805 Underwood Blvd.,
Delran, N.J. 08075.
Computer Output Microfilm

The results and analysis of a survey ofcurrent and potential computer output
microfilm (COM) users is documented
in the 47-page book, Industry Survey:
Computer Output Microfilm. Covered
are such subjects as COM recorders,processors, duplicators, preferred microforms, polarity, reduction, film
~ type, etc., plus additional figures onuser organizations. Price to members:$40; to nonmembers: $65. Publication
Sales, NATIONAL MICROFILM ASSN.,
8728 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.
20910.
Time-sharing Market© DATAMATION ®

"Patrick's manual didn't say anything
about this kind of a security leak."ommends itself to data center managers, dp auditors and systems designers. Of this audience, the auditors
will find it most useful.
If after reading the AFIPS manual,
you are feeling insecure about yourcomputer center, let me recommend
the Federal Guidelines for ADP Physical Security and Risk Management.
It begins with an II-point action
summary. The summary starts withhow to organize your security program, and covers risk analysis, natural
disaster probabilities, utilities, com(Books continued on pq.ge 112)

Revenues in 1974 for computer timesharing services exceeded $1 billion
for the first time, and are projected to
double within five years. The medianmonthly expenditure was about $5,000,
and General Electric, Control Data,
Tymshare, and National css were themost heavily used vendors. Of the
250,000 terminals installed for timesharing purposes, a growing proportionis composed of CRT/keyboard display
devices and special purpose terminals.
Further details of an in-depth market
survey of a cross section of dp managens of major industrial firms andfinancial institutions are found in the
190-page Timesharing Markets. A
10-year market projection, a detailed
analysis of the market, and future tele27

source data
communications requirements for timesharing are featured. Price: $595.
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, INC., 46 Main St., New Canaan,
Conn. 06840.
•

nies arre included. Competition frombanks, dp spin-offs of large companies,
and in-house expansion of computer
power due to decreasing costs of hardware and data communications, arecovered. Price: $495. QUANTUM SCIENCE CORP., 245 Park Ave., New York,
N.Y. 10017.
DATAMATION Subject Index

Computer Networks

All aspects of computer networks including hardware, software, data transmission, time-sharing, and theory applicable to network design are covered'in a 169-page Computer Networks: A
Bibliography with Abstracts (COM74-11S72/6WC). Using the NTIS on'line search system, NTisearch, 153
abstracts of research' reports were selected. Price: $20. NATIONAL TECHNICAL 'INFORMATION SERVICE, U.S.
Dept. of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal
Road, Springfield, Va. 22161.

There are still some copies of the subject index of 1974 DATAMATION, Vol.
20, Nos. 1-12, which includes references to feature articles, conference
reports, book reviews, News in Perspective, Editor's Readout, and theForum. DATAMATION, Los Angeles,
Calif.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 200 ON READER CARD
I

" vendor'-literature

COBOL Standard

The 1974 revision of American National Standard Programming Language COBOL (X3.23-1974) is now
available. Forms for and interpretations of COBOL programs are specified,and a high degree of machine independence is intended. Price: $12.
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE, INC., 1430 Broadway, New
York, N.Y. 10018.
Communication Facilities

Privately built communications facilities are rated higher by data communications users than Bell System facilities,
which itself scores slightly higher thanWestern Union, other telephone companies, and the specialized common
carriers. Such are the findings of an
extensive user survey reported in All
About Data Communications Facilities, a 27-page reprint from the December supplement to DATAPRO 70.
Designed to -help users in selecting facilities, the report features charts andtables that summarize current rate
structures for the public networks,
leased lines, WATS, TWX, Telex, andother services. Price: $10. DATAPRORESEARCH CORP., 1805 Underwood
Blvd., Delran, N.J. 08075.
Remote Computing Services

Network Information Services (NIS) ,the remote computing services industry, will grow from $766 million in1973 to $2.9 billion in 1979, according
to the 125-page report, The Remote
Computing Industry. Analyses of 20
successful remote computing compa-

28

Printing & Plotting

Why, Where, and How to Use Matrix
Electrostatic Printers, Plotters, Printerl
Plotters, 'and Proofers, a 16-page booklet describes advantages and applications of electrostatic outputing. Impact
and nonimpact printers are compared,
PLOTTER

~'"

en'"
~~

o
>
~~

~~

----

:

MATRIX1200RESOLUTION:

200 POINTSIINCHCOMPUTERSOFTWARE

PDP11-DOS
VERSAPLOT 1::-- -------------_ .. _- .-Paper Eater

Getting rid of files, folders, etc. in ahurry is made convenient by this vendor's Model 10 Shredder. Up to 300
pounds of unwanted papers, including
paper clips and staples, are shredded
into 1;4 -inch strips "to ensure that confidential matters stay confidential."
Described as "blending with any office decor, the equipment can be kept
close at hand" to provide, one supposes,
instant ability to make paper evidence
vanish. The equipment is also described
as quiet and clean in operation. CUMMINS-ALLISON CORP., Glenview, Ill.
FOR COPY CIRCLE 202 ON READER CARD

Print/plot System

Systems which include a Statos 31 or
33 electrostatic printer 1plotter andmatching read-only magnetic tape unit,
designed for use with large computerssuch as the IBM 360/370 in an off-line
configuration, are described in a sixpage brochure. Hardcopy applications
are featured; and the electrostatic writing technique is discussed, as well as thesoftware which supports the system.
VARIAN, Palo Alto, Calif.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 203 ON READER CARD

Private Phones'Interconnect telephone systems forbusinesses and institutions are described in literature available from thisvendor. The INTERCONNEX systems arereportedly for firms requiring from 12
to several thousand extensions. LEARSIEGLER, INC., Santa Monica, Calif.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 204 ON READER CARD--

1:Disc Products

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

TIME (MILLISECONDS)

and this vendor's electrostatic machines
are discussed in detail. Applications
from general dp use to medicine, production control, and printing and publishing are mentioned, and a four-page
folio presents sample output.
Two basic software packages forelectrostatic plotting are described ina 12-page brochure, Versaplot Software. Illustrations of plot samples and'other pertinent information are included. VERSATEC, Cupertino, Calif.
FOR COPY CIRCLE 201 ON READER CARD

Three technical product bulletins describe new disc products. The Memorex 3673 'disc controller is im electronic interface unit that permits direct
attachment to large 370s, and in addition, provides 2-, 3-, and 4-string
switching. The 3672 disc storage control unit interfaces to 360 model 195"
370 models 135 and up, and also
contains the optional string switchingcapability. The 3675 double density
disc is a large capacity, high performance, direct access device consistingof two independent drives; in conjunction with the 3673, the 3675 provides more than 400 million bytes of
on-line storage.
These bulletins contain photographsand' descriptions, lists of standard andoptional features, operation characteristics, specifications, and other pertinent information. MEMOREX CORP.,
Santa Clara, Calif.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 206 ON READER CARD

. (Continued on page 33)
ORTRMRTICN

Advertisement

Notes and observations from IBM which may prove of interest to data processing professionals.

At a 3650 point:...of-sale terminal, a sales clerk "wands" a magnetically-encoded
merchandise ticket at a Dillard's Department Store. .

IBM Industry Systeflls
Meet the PublicSupermarket checkout clerks, bank "tellers, department store salespeopleall face a steady stream of customers
who seem to have one thing in common. They're in a hurry. They'd like tobe taken care of so they can get on tosomething else.

Now three new IBM systems are atwork aiding people who serve the public. The systems are making possible
faster, more accurate customer service
and they're providing managementwith swifter, more comprehensive information. Much of this information isgathered when transactions actuallytake place, at the point of sale or at
the teller's window. The result should
be a marked increase in overall operating efficiencies.
The three new systems are the IBM"3600 Finance Communication System, the 3650 Retail Store System andthe 3660 Supermarket System. In recent months, each of the systems has
been installed at a number of locations.
Experience with them," although brief
to date, already throws light on thekind of benefits these systems help
make possible.
Dillard Department Stores, with
headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas,
operates 30 full-line department storesin six states. New stores are being
added at an average of three a year
and sales have grown rapidly to a projected $185 million in 1974.
Dillard's is using the 3650 RetailStore System in two stores, one in Little Rock and the other in Lubbock,
Texas. Three more stores will be converted to the 3650 this year. Components of the system now operational at
Dillard's include point-of-sale terminals, ticketing units and store controllers, the latter interfacing with theterminals on one hand and with Dillard's IBM System/370 Model 145 on
the other.
"Results with the 3650 so far havebeen very good," says Archie Crittenden, vice president of corporate systems and data processing. "We expect
the system will provide us with both
flexibility and centralized control."Chemical Bank, New York, was oneof the first commercial banks to installthe 3600 Finance Communication System. With 158 offices in metropolitan
New York, plus comprehensive domestic and international banking services,
Chemical's ultimate objective with thesystem is the establishment of a single
data processing network for the en-"tire hank.
(Continued on next page)

Advertisement

Helping CODlputers Operate At Top EffIciency
Two years ago, Bernie Patton, computer operations manager for Deere &Company of Moline, Illinois, faced adifficult challenge. Deere's progressive
data processing plan required a major
equipment and programming conversion in a comparatively short time(from a System/360 Model 65 multiprocessor system and two System/370
Model 155s under OS/MVT HASP to
dual System/370 Model 168s running
OS/VS2 and ASP).
Introducing change into a production system can increase the possibilityof error, and Deere's plans called fornumerous major changes. At the sametime; the testing of system programming changes demanded an hour anda half of dedicated machine time every
weekday. This required taking 47 RJE
terminals linked to Deere plants, sales
offices and parts depots off-line.
"Production pressures resulted ininsufficiently tested software," says'
Patton, "and that caused us too many
outages. The productivity of our dataprocessing professionals was being
hampered by a lack of test time. It
was costing us time an~, money, andour users were unhappy.
Patton and his staff mapped out astep-by-step conversion plan. .They

Bernie Patton and Dick Townsend (right) review results of a programming test on
the Model 145 with Karen Ziegler, systems programmer.
were determined to maintain- maximum
availability on the new Model168s andit was essential that alll)ew programming work smoothly. As a result, aSystem/370 Model 145 with virtualstorage capability was used to meet thetesting requirements.
Dick Townsend, Deere's manager
of computer centers, says: "The Model
145 meant far greater reliability of ourMore efficient computing power has helped business boom at
Deere & Co.-home of Deere tractors.

Industry Systems ...
(Continued from first page)"We now have numerous networks
with various types of terminals linked
to our IBM System/370 computers,"
points out Donald R. Moore, vice president. "The 3600 is a major step toward
integrating all these terminals into one
compatible system. And with its extensive on-line capabilities the 3600 will
put us on the road to real-time control
of operations."
And James F. Welch, vice president, information systems, points out. that the 3600 should make possible
substantial savings in time and costs.

"For instance, the system will be able
to produce' up-to-the-minute accountbalances and place holds for all checks
cashed," he says. ''This could eliminate time-consuming check-cashingapprovals."
Ralphs of Los Angeles is a major
supermarket chain on the West Coast,with 80 stores in Califomia. The company sees the 3660 Supermarket System as making possible a major advance in customer service. In Octobera Ralphs store in Lakewood, Califomia
was completely converted to 3660 op":eration, with the company's IBM
System/370 Model 145 serving as thehost computer.

programming. We also were able to
make changes faster, while encounter. ing fewer problems. Programmer tumaround time was substantially reduced.
We were not only able to maintain extremely heavy production schedules
but were also able to ineet commitments to our user departments." Patton adds: "There is no doubt that the
System/370 Model 145 has made acontribution toward increasing theoverall productivity of our' data processing department."
Soon, Deere will be opening a second computer center, Rve miles away,with a Model 158 and a Model 168.
During lulls in testing, the Model 145
will run as a production machine. At
other times, however, it will run under
VM/370 for testing. Says Patton:"Every job we can run on the Model
145 under VM/370 will mean one lessproblem when we put the Model 158
and Model 168 systems on the air."

IBM"The transition was smooth andour Lakewood customers are responding favorably to the system," reports
John Robertson, vice president .of information systems. "Before converting,
we set up a demonstration booth in thestore to familiarize our customers withthe procedures involved. They particularly like the register receipt tape,with each item identiRed and' priced.
"Accuracy will be another beneRt,"
he continues. "When the price of an'item is retrieved from the 3660, theshopper doesn't miss any sale or promotional price and is always charged
the correct amount of sales tax on thecorrect taxable item."IBMAdvertisement

Ne"" IBM Systetn
Reduces Cost of Storing Data
The increase, bothin multiprogramming and complex applications, haspointed up the need for more on-line
data storage capability. As scheduling
becomes more difficult, the handlingand storage of tape reels and disk packs
takes up more space and ties up manyskilled people.
Now there's a new way to store
and access information. It's called the
IBM 3850 Mass Storage System and it
extends the virtual storage concept todirect-access storage devices. Combining the economy of tape processing
with the Rexibility of disk, the 3850
c~m expand a user's on-line data storage
capacity to as much as 472-billion characters of information.
Use of the system can end practically all manual handling of tape reelsand disk packs. At the same time, the3850 can dramatically reduce the ac-·tual monthly cost for storing a megabyte of data down into the 20-to-50cent range. This can make new complex

applications economically feasible.
Key to the new system is the IBMdata cartridge, only two inches acrossand four inches long, which can holdup to 50 million bytes. Two cartridges
have a storage capacity equal to thatof one IBM 3336 Model 1 Disk Pack(shown above).
Cartridges like these are stored ina «honeycomb" of cells. When data isneeded for processing, a cartridge isremoved from its cell by an automaticmechanism and the data is read onto
an IBM 3330 Disk Storage for computer use.
IBM

A Test for the
Solar Home·
A computer in the garage and solar
panels on the roof were. two featuresof this home in Columbus, Ohio. The
home was built by the Homewood Corporation of Columbus in an effort to.make a real contribution to solving thenation's energy problems through lowcost residential energy.
Ohio State University, using thehome as a field test lahoratory, installed
an IBM System/7 to demonstrate thetechnical and economic practicality ofsolar heating and cooling in singlefamily homes.
The computer took readings every
15 minutes. As it monitored the home,
it checked temperatures in various spots
around the house, recording the opening and closing of doors and checkedsuch energy-related factors as thermo-

Researching Energy Alternatives
Energy development has become acritical national priority, involving bothgovernment and private business. To
help meet this challenge IBM has recently increased its energy research
efforts as exemplified by the work at
its Scientific Center in Palo Alto, California, headed by Dr. Horace Flatt.
"Here we have combined some of
the best talents within IBM to work on
one problem-to help find solutions to
the nation's energy problems throughthe use of the computer," says Dr.
Flatt. "Our scientists are now involvedin a variety of projects, including studies of pollution and optimizing elec-h"ical power distribution, as well as
thermonuclear fusion."
Dr. Baxter Armstrong, manager ofthe fusion project, describes nuclear
fusion as "the far-out technologicalhope of the energy crisis over the longterm. Here at IBM we have worked
since 1969 to assess the contribution
which the computer can make toward
the goal of controlled nuclear fusion."
Fusion reactors, he explains, offer
several advantages over today's nuclear
fission reactors, including an almost
limitless supply of fuel.
"In the Fifties the outlook for achieving this goal of a practical fusion reactor was disappointing. But with the advent of new plasma
confinement machines
and large, high-speed
computers, there is
new promise for a solution to this mostcritical problem.
Toward that end weare working here toformulate large-scalecomputational me.l.....-_----'_... V
thods which will per...c--'----------_
mit the realistic simuWorking with a fusion reactor model like this,lation of l~boratory
engineers hope to produce electricity by direct conversion, experiments or eventcomplementing primary power indirectly generated
ually, even of prothrough a conventional steam cycle. (Schematic courtesy posed fusion confineof Dr. R..F. Post of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.) . ment machines." IBM
DECELERATION AND COLLECTION ELECTRODESFUSION REACTOR

l..--._ _HIGH VOLTAGE

DIRECT CURRENT

An experimental solar home heatedand cooled by the sun ..
stat setting, air and water Rowand useof appliances and lighting. Outside, thecomputer kept track of the temperature, precipitation, wind direction ahd
velocity.
Engineers at ·Ohio State are evaluating this information. Results of theiranalysis will give developers like
Homewood the data needed to build
the most efficient solar home.
Says Homewood vice president
vVilliam Goldman, "We want people
to see that solar energy for the home is
not a dream. It's a real possibility'.".

IBMAdvertisement

The Changing Role of the DP Manager
Time was when the data processing
manager ran a ,computer department
which sometimes amounted to an extension of the accounting. department.
Payroll checks, financial statements andgeneral le'ciger work were the order ofthe day.
But times have changed. Business- .
men no longer look at the computer asa super-adding machine, spewing out
just basic fina~cial data. They look to
it as an information tool for the entire
company, providing tighter control
over their assets.
This situation has thrust the dataprocessing manager into a position withmuch broader and heavier responsibilities. Besides managing a team of programmers and technicians, he must
now be able to work with and coordinate information with executives at alllevels. He answers the needs of various
departments with workable, usable information. In short, he has become an
executive making decisions which canaffect the entire company.
Responding to these changes, IBM
is offering a five-day Data Processing
Executive seminar at its Data Processing Division Education Centers in San
Jose, California and Poughkeepsie,
New York.
. Ted Garvey, an instructor in the
program, explains: "We stress the needfor management involvement in thecreation of an information system plan,
which is also an integral part of thebusiness plan."To do this, the seminar focuses on
having each student evaluate an organization from the viewpoint of thechief executive. In this way, the DP
director can develop an understandingof the problems of the entire organization on every level.
One DP manager who attended the
IBM seminar. was Dick Eaton, data

Ted Garvey drives lwme a pOint at
the San Jose Education Center.

Ed Malzahn (right) and Dick Eaton in the Ditch Witch plant in Perry, Oklahoma,
created an information system used as an integral part of the business plan.
processing manager of the Charles
Machine Works of Perry, Oklahoma, amanufacturer of a broad line of service
line trenchers. The trenchers, marketed under the tradename Ditch
Witch, are the invention of Ed Malzahn and his father Charles.
As Eaton recalls: "I was brought
in to organize the company's dataprocessing department in 1971." "Ouridea," adds Ed Malzahn, president,"was to computerize our business because we couldn't keep pace with theway we were growing."
The Charles Machine Works, which. has its origins back in 1893 when Ed
Malzahn's grandfather opened his
blacksmith shop for the homesteaders,
now has an IBM System/370· Model
135 operating under DOS/VS using
CICS and DBOMP.In the plant, which
covers some nine acres, and in the offices, 20 terminals are on line to thecomputer.
"At first," Eaton says, "I tried todevelop an information system for theentire company, from our plant operations right down to the accounting
department. The trouble was I didn't
zero in on the needs of the other departments and because of this, I ran
into some problems.
"The idea of working with the user
was something I became more aware •of while at the seminar in San Jose,"says Eaton, "and after I returned to
Ditch Witch, the first thing I did wasto get together with Ed Malzahn. We
then organized a steering committee
which consisted of a task force for eachdivision, from manufacturing to sales~
In this way the problems of each department were discussed openly andfreely and then, after working with ourgroup of systems programmers, wewere able to help work' out theirproblems.
"Just recently, we met with the engineering task force to discuss a comprehensive project control system. Thissystem will enable them to keep trackof the costs of 21 different steps during
development of a project. They want
to be able to find out, via terminals
the exact status of each project -as it i~developed. From our discussions, theDP department will be able to write
programs to fit their requirements. We
follow the same procedure throughout
the company.
"In the end I guess you could say
spending more time with each depart-.
ment and having everyone involved indeveloping the system has made possible a more well-managed company,
as well as a better organized DP
depmtment.
"We've really taken a new look at
ourselves. We now have a long-range,
seven-year business plan, which ties
together our business objectives with
our data processing requirements.
We're into the third· year of that plan
now and we're right on target."

DP Dialog appears regularly inthese pages. As its name suggests,
we hope DP Dialog will be a
two-way medium for DP professionals. We'd like to hear fromyou. Just write: Editor, DP Dialog, IBM Data Processing Division, White Plains, N.Y. 10604.

IBM®

Data Processing Division75-1

source data
Decibel Reducers

Quietizers, acoustic enclosures whichstop noise, are described in a catalog
as available for dp terminals, word
processing terminals, and office machines. They are claimed to be rugged
and durable, yet are easy to install andallow easy operator access to the machine. VAN SAN CORP., City of Industry,
Calif.

scribed in an illustrated four-page brochure. This vendor's line of printercontrollers and programmable off-line
pririting systems are featured. SPURPRODUCTS CORP., Santa Monica, Calif.
FOR CO'PY CIRCLE 210 ON READER CARD

Computer Leasing

A portfolio on computer leasing provided by this vendor, a subsidiary ofFirst National Bank of Bo~ton"presents
descriptions of services and equipment(computers and peripherals) available.

Answers to questions such as "Whyshould a company look into computerleasing?" and "How is the bottom line
affected by computer leasing vs. outright ownership?" are given. Over 240
cities across the country are serviced
by this vendor. IBM 360s, 370s, tapedrives, disc storage, printers, and otherperipherals comprise the equipment inventory available. Installation practices
and procedures are described. RANDOLPH COMPUTER CO., Greenwich,Conn.
'
FOR COpy CIRCLE 208 ON READER CARD

FOR COPY CI,RCLE 207 ON READER CARD

Microelectronics
Microelectronics Technology at Raytheon/ Quincy, a 12-page brochure describes high reliability, hybrid microelectronic circuits available from thiscompany. Technical discussion on the~. I
J

Dp Seminars

A number' of three-day seminars, onvarious topics of interest to dp managers, system analysts, programmers,
controllers, financial analysts, user
managers, etc. are scheduled fromFebruary through April. The topics include data base systems; micro, mini,and midicomputer systems; edp financial analysis and reporting; effective
system analysis and design; structured
programming and other tools; and data
communication systems. These courses
will be held in selected cities (SanFrancisco, Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, and Boston). Fee: $425 for eachcourse (10% discount for AIlE members; team fees, half price). AMERICANINSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS,
P.O. Box 25116, Los Angeles, Calif.
90025.
design and packaging of thick film
circuits, and descriptions with picturesof production and quality control facilities are included. RAYTHEON CO.~Quincy, Mass.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 205 ON READER CARD

Office Furniture

A 20-page brochure describes nine
ways to plan "next generation" offices
and workstations. Arrangements ofworkstations for programmers, crt operators, and word processors are provided, as well as those of executive andmanagerial offices. Photographs, scalelayouts, and drawings detail the components of each assembly. STEELCASE,
INC., Grand Rapids, Mich.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 209 ON READER CARD

Printer Links

Units which link the IBM 1403-series
printers to non-IBM computers are de-February, 1975

Individual IMS Training

CDC'S Individualized Education Services Div. has come up with a complete IMS training program designed
for an individual or group learning situation. With audio, visual, and written
text materials, the curriculum includes
IMS data base programming; IMS database concepts; IMS data communications, concepts, and programming; andIMS advanced data based programming. IMS. P.O. Box 0, CONTROL DATA
CORP., Minneapolis, Minn. 55440.
Management by Objectives

A self-study course on goal orientationin management is offered by AMA. Designed for all management levels, thecourse is not a theoretical one, butrather will stress "a nuts-and-bolts approach," giving guidelines, do's anddon't's, and procedures. Other AMA

self-study courses include "Communications for Results," "Human behavior
in the Organization," "Training andDeveloping Today's Work Force," and"What Managers Do." Price: $55 eachcourse ($50 for AMA members); 20%
discount for all five courses. AMERICAN
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS EXTENSION INSTITUTE, 135 W. 50th St., New
York, N.Y. 10020.

Creative Computing
A bimonthly, Creative Computing, is a

nonprofit magazine for students andteachers using computers in colleges,
secondary schools, and lower grades.
Articles, news, and reviews of computer related subjects are included, andgames, problems, exercises, etc., arefeatured. Articles in the first issue(November-December) include "TheGuinness Book of Computer Records"
and "Computer Experiments in Cognitive Psychology." Subscription: $8/yr.
($6 for students). CREATIVE COMPUTING, P.O. Box 789-M, Morristown,
N.J. 07960.
FOR COpy CIRCLE 211 ON READER CARD

Information Systems

An international bimonthly journal.
Information Systems, concerned withdesign, construction, maintenance, anduse of computer-based information
systems, begins publication in early
1975. Seeking to serve as a forum forresearchers, developers, and practitioners in the field, the journal will havea unique feature in allowing readers to
subscribe just to specific articles available as printouts or on magnetic tape.
The editor-in-chief is Dr. Hans-Jochen
Schneider, Institut fur Informatik,
Univ. of Stuttgart. One year subscription (6 issues): $60. PERGAMON PRESS,
Fairview Pk., Elmsford, N.Y. 10523.

33

'J

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fMm:!l§)) @.'"~1 ftsl &'I~~i) <!'~frn!1iI§:@ fij[iit§:~}~rn~tH~lwmJ{~~l~Etu}@ir&~hTfJIUl!Iffi:i~t4.yfllit!I~s\'.'iilhi
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1~~i(~1eJ t;mh~ ~i t (ij~l~m~jl ~@! ff~ ~J~) (ilitjlijiliI;i{~~1, ~v(t~j~J \t~.UH
rt.h!z;J j~iJ'l§J!~j! :1l9.)H c~\ (§J!j~X~i!J!~! I~JK!J~m~lt(9:~ml!)!im r (Ql~xr.,!rrt;Jrt!)I! {!ft ,~~ii@i\l§W @i!§,(ijtft »2~~ flii
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..,..oI'>·-

Its soil'S to talle

a llet. Idlld of ttee.
to sollie yoIlt papet'ptoblelns.
Why use miles of forest . .. when all you may need
are inches of microfiche? One of our modular
DatagraphiX System 4500 COM recorders can help
you beat computer-crippling paper problems inseveral ways.

you have our Model 150, eliminating host computer. handling and reformatting. Or consider the online
Model 120 which interfaces directly with existing
computer equipment. And there's still much more
to come in the modular System 4500.

Take the short supply of paper, for instance. No need
to worry with DatagraphiX System 4500 on the job.
Your viewer replaces paper-unless you want an
occasional printout.

So, if you're not looking good on paper, look at our
new technology in computer information handling.

Or consider paper costs-which have recently risen
as much as 75%. Also, some computer stock is now
being discontinued by suppliers, forcing you to upgrade to more costly paper.

We're not about to leave youout on a limb.
Call us-(714) 283-1038-or write
DatagraphiX, P. O. Box 2449,
San Diego, CA 92112.

And don't forget the storage situation. To keep ahead,
you must buy in unnecessary volume-then find floor
space for the paper u~til it's needed. We've got yourrecord storage problems under .control, too. Just
compare inches of fiche with mountains of paper.
The System 4500 is designed in modular units to fit
your exact needs now. But you can always add on as
requirements grow.
·The versatile off-line Model 130 COM recorder(shown) accepts magnetic tapes from a wide varietyof computers. I ncorporate a high-speed minicomputer and solid-state electronic data terminal-

February, 1975

System 4500 Model 130

Dohr§rophd' We Ilmle
Stromberg DatagraphiX Inc 0 a General Dynamics subsidiary

CIRCLE 37 ON READER CARD

tile aIIS'MetS.
35._

nervous again) is quite simple. ,The 980A offers unmatchedfeatures at an extremely low cost. Namely, $3200.00 to purchase,$90.00* monthto lease.
.
And all of our units 'are serviced by NCR.
That's pretty much why we think if our shoe fits, the IBM
user's going to wear it.
1---·--------- -~-- --~-~,
Because even though I
Hello, ADDS.
you're very, very good, : I may have anew application for your 980A.
IBM'., '. ',th'. ere" s aI"
ways- room II Please send additi()nal information.
foralittle improvement. I
Sic
I
Address--:-----...;.---...;.----...;.~~~~_ _

a

I
I

I

I

I Applied Digital Data Systems Inc.J\~C'il
0 1

1100 Marcus Boulevard,Hauppauge,N.Y.1l787I1.P .........

~--------------------~*3 year lease-purchase not incl.mait1t~
CIRCLE lION READER. CARD

With· this ha
and this rack...
and any hanging
tape you· use... .
Tab presents the most versatiletape storage yet devised!
We call it Tab Hang ILTM That's because thiscompact new concept in hanging tape storage
accommodates any type seal or cartridge witha hook in use today-and, for that matter,probably any in store for the future!

Spring loaded, plastic-against-plastic.
Basically, the system consists of a rack with
polypropylene hangers that can be used in open,
mass library storage, or in our Data Media Cabinets.
The plastic hangers exert a spring-loaded effecton the tapes-a tap of the finger swings a tape out
so it is easy to grasp. The system allows side-to-side
movement of the hangers, accommodating
the varying widths of hanging tapes.
The plastic hook on your tape mates withthe plastic hanger, eliminating metal-to-plastic
abrasion. Tab's new Hang II, a hanging tape storag~
system for all reasonsL
Call your local Tab Products representative or
write for information. Tab Products Company,
2690 Hanover Street Palo Alto, California 943.04.

T~~
PRODUCTS CO

38

CIRCLE 49 ON READER CARDCRTRMRTICN

Editor's Readout
John L. Kirkley, Editor

Breaking Up IBM
Now that the consent decree rumors of December have died
down, even money has it that the Justice Department antitrust
suit against IBM will finally go to trial. *Whether the final outcome is a judgment or a consent decree, we urge that the concept of "maximum separation" beconsidered.
Maximum separation is one of those things that only lawyers really understand. All we laymen can do is appreciate
the grand design and wisely sidestep the specifics. Reveal
more than a passing interest to your friendly antitrust lawyer,
and he \yill promptly bury you under a flurry of verbal footnotes. But, given that caveat, here's roughly what it's all about.
Maximum separation is often triggered by a competitive
situation called "incremental marketing." A good example
is the sale of excess computer time by a vendor whose primary
product is not computers-like the banks. If this interfereswith or suppresses previously existing freedom of trade, thecourts cry foul. And, in three major computer industry cases,
maximum separation has been the remedy.
The concept was introduced into our industry almost 20
y~ars ago. Among other things, the 1956 IBM Consent Decreerequired the corporation to operate its computer service business as a separate entity. And so the Service Bureau Corporation was spawned. But even more important was the birthof the independent computer services industry. Maximum
separation worked.
In SBC'S case, the concept meant a separate corporation,
separate books, a new name, and no breaks on the purchaseof IBM equipment which would give them an unfair edge incompetition with other service bureaus. There's more, but thegeneral idea was" to be sure that SBC was to compete on its
own, not under the Gray Giant's wing. The fact that SBC
wound up as a poker chip in a high stakes game with CDC'
is another story.
In 1971 the Federal Communications Commission expanded the concept. At the time the communications common
carriers were freely marketing excess computer time-that old
devil incremental marketing again. The service bureaus complained. The FCC decided" that the carriers could compete,but only under the tightest of restrictions. They would haveto form separate subsidiaries with different names, separatebooks, separate personnel and separate locations. And thesubsidiary couldn't sell services to its parent, not even at market prices. (Later an appeal softened the decision somewhat.)
In the same year the Federal Reserve Board ruled on complaints by the service bureaus that bank holding companies
were unfairly marketing their excess computer capacity. The
FRB considered maximum separation and rejected it, imposing
only the barest of restrictions on the banks. ADAPSO is stillfighting that one.
.
Well, what about the present IBM antitrust case? If you
happen to browse through the 1956 consent decree you'll*At the time of this writing the February 18 date was still firm. But, with a six year historyof slipped schedules, that date could hardly be considered a sure bet. And, of course,
a consent decree could be reached at any time.

February, 1975

come across a familiar name on the last page of the judgment:
Judge David N. Edelstein, the man who has been presiding
over the current suit since its inception in January 1969.
And so, when the final moments com'e, it may well be thatthe judge will rummage through his bag of remedies and pullout maximum separation. There's good precedent, and theprecedent is his.
"But the rub is, apply maximum separation to what? And
to what extent? IBM, when challenged, is not a company to
sit idly by, thumbs twiddling, as the Telex documents so vividly demonstrate. Reorganizations have occurred, capabilities
have been dispersed across several divisions; the giant has
not been sleeping.
Back in 1972, for instance, communications, terminals anddisplays were imbedded deep within the newly created System Development Division. SDD'S primary charter is design
and architecture; extracting terminals from this melange
would be difficult at best. And a new remote terminal, thesmall business computer System/32, is a product of the General Systems Division.
To break out components, the judge would have to reach
into the System Products Division, the unit that is charged
with the development and manufacture of cpus. Faced withall this, the path of least resistance would be to cut along
the dotted line that IBM has already so obligingly drawn
around several of its divisions. But, as one IBM-watcher remarked, "It's like the punched card business. IBM will only
get rid of what it doesn't need."Compared to breaking up the corporation into four or five
voracious mini-IBMs, or imposing artificial constraints, suchas restricting their market share to less than 50%, the application of the maximum separation concept is preferable. But
the decision "as to what gets separated from what must be
a judicious one indeed.
0

A Serious Game
Strong opinions are expressed in many quarters about breaking up IBM. Here's one recipe:
Separate manufacturing and development from marketing.
(This is "The Motion Picture Remedy"; it's the solution thatthe courts applied to Loews, who at the time not only owned
theatres but motion picture studios as well.) In IBM'S case you
might combine the Office Products Division with the organization responsible for small systems, the General Systems
Division. This new entity would become a separate company.
Then separate mainframe development and manufacturingfrom marketing, creating two more companies. And finally,
components could also be, spun off. You also might impose
certain constraints: interface specifications must be released
at the earliest practical date; and IBM must service all equipment connected to their gear.
What do you think? We'd be interested in receiving youropinions ab9ut restructuring IBM.
With enough ideas we may have the makings of another new
parlor game for antitrust buffs. Maybe Parker Brothers will "0pick it up. After all, Monopoly has been a hit for years.

39

In this kind of network,
the lowest level minis canact as if they haveextensive sets of peripherals
and very sophisticatedoperating systems. They
actually have access tolarger machinesor other networks.
by R. L. Ashenhurst and R. H. Vonderohe

A HIERA
Since the introduction of computer
systems, there has been a conflict be- .
tween localized and centralized provision of computing services. The
earlier trend, facilitated by increased
versatility in computer system configurations and the organization ofcomputing or information processing
centers, was toward centralization.
The introduction of the interactive
terminal and the corresponding system support, making for convenient
remote access to centralized facilities,
was the logical conclusion of thistrend. More recently however, theavailability of low-cost minicomputers, and the possibility of distributed
computing through networks, have
paved the way for a countertrend toward localizing computing at usersites.
Applications where the computer isan intrinsic part of an industrial process or a laboratory experiment require at least part of the computing
facility to beat the application site,
and under control of its operations
staff. The" minicomputer seems perfectly suited to such applications.
There is also another set of relevant
applications where no physical process
is involved with strict real-time constraints, but rather routine clerical orother human-monitored processes that
require continual interaction with thecomputer on a daily basis. Although
centralized facilities with remote terminal access are supposedly well
suited to this purpose technically,
there is an increasing tendency to recommend a more decentralized solu:tion on grounds of departmental scopeand control. Here again this solution
is made attractive by the availabilityof the low-cost minicomputer systemwith appropriate 110 and mass storage.
Three-level hierarchy"

The needs arising from on-line applications, particularly those of the experimental laboratory where continual
reprogramming of new modes of use
is requi"red on a cycle measured inmonths, have been addressed in a
project of the Institute for Computer
Research at the Univ. of Chicago. Supported by the National Science Foundation in its developmental
stage, a minicomputer network has
been implemented; called the Minicomputer Interfacing Support System(MISS). (Preliminary installations of'
40:DATAMATIONRCHICAL NETWORKin various laboratories of theuniversity are now being facilitated bya grant from the Louis Block Fundfor support of physical and biologicalscientific work, and MISS is also being
applied to on-line clinical applicationsin the university hospitals under agrant from the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare.)
The MISS project embodies hierarchical networking. This is to be contrasted with projects based on an interconnection of minicomputer configurations of approximately 'the samelevel of capability into a network for
purposes of data interchange or distributed computing. In a hierarchicalnetwork, minicomputers running applications are interfaced remotely to centralized facilities which provide operational and developmental .support
as needed, on a shared (hence costeffective) basis. There is a particularemphasis in the MISS project on theformulation of such a system in a general way, for use in a wide range of
on-line applications.
MISS, as shown in Fig. 1, is basedon a tri-Ievel hierarchical concept. At
the lowest level, level 0, are minicomputers of a variety of types, undercontrol of their users andlor, owners
at a diversity of local sites (in thiscase, all on the campus of the Univ.
of Chicago) . At the intermediatelevel, levell, is a computer configuration dedicated to the support of, thelevel 0 minicomputers, to which they
are interfaced by medium-speed(9600 baud) communication lines.
The word "dedicated" is importantnot only is the hardware! software
configuration of level 1 dedicated tothe minicomputer support applicationin the usual technical sense, but with
it is associated a staff group ·'knowledgeable about and competent in online applications. The intermediatelevel configuration (located physically in the Institute for Computer Research) is then interfaced by a highspeed line (50 kilobaud) to a general purpose service facility (in thiscase the campus Computation Center), which provides batch and interactive services at the highest level,
level 2.
Note that: (1) the level 2 configuration could be not just one facility
but a geographically distributed network such as ARPANET, permitting access to the kind of discipline-oriented
computing capability which is increasMISS

February, 1975

ingly being proposed (such as theexisting National Center for Atmospheric Research); (2) the level 1
configuration could be replicated, on
the same campus site or elsewhere, togive additional local access capability
to the same level 2 network; and (3)the level 0 minicomputer systems, notwithstanding what might strike one
from the configuration diagram,should not be thought of as "frontends" for the higher-level facilities,
but rather as "standalones" which areconnected into a supporting network.
This latter distinction may seem a bit
precious, but it is real-an important. attribute of the hierarchical approachis that applications may be geared toa mix of localized-centralized services,
depending on particular needs. Thus
the user is not faced with an initialdecision to "go centralized" (try to
work the application into the generalservices supplied by a computing
center) or "go localized" (procure a
minicomputer system and hope forsome assistance from other users experienced in getting the application
up and running on the same configuration) .
There is another concept which isuseful here, that of the "remote operating system." One way of looking
at the function of the intermediate'level of the hierarchical support system is that it provides an enhanced
operating system, for each of the minicomputer configurations, of a size andcapability that would not be cost-effective if supplied in each minicomputer system separately. Although thenotion of remote (cross-) assemblers
and compilers has become a common
one, it seems at first glance that theoperating system of a computer would
have to execute on that computer. Further consideration shows, however,that many operating system functions
are not logically required to be so
executed at all. 'An analysis of operating system
functions yields the following threeareas of cl<lssification: (a) execution
services; (b) operation services; and(c) data and program handling services. Included in execution services
are such things as interrupt, trapping,debugging and logging mechanisms aswell as peripheral handling and interpretive pseudoinstruction execution.
Of these functions only interrupt andtrapping mechanisms cannot logicallybe supplied at a different level. Evenin these cases, however, the bulk of

the action burdens may be borne remotely. Among operation services are
such things as program loading, starting, stopping, and overlaying, as well
as resource allocation and scheduling,
operator instructions, console displays and accounting functions. Allof these operation services may beadequately supplied remotely. The lastgroup of functions, data and program
handling services, includes file accessand transfer, data sorting, and program functions such as assembling,compiling and editing. Here again allof these functions may be logicallyand even desirably furnished remotely.
Other advantages of the intermediate level are provision of versatile access from level Oto the extended computing facilities of level 2, by an interactive package functioning at level1, and provision of extended· user capabilities at level 0 (e.g. 110 andgraphics) " by interactive packages
functioning at level 1. As the detailsof MISS capabilities are discussed below, it can be seen how these possibilities are achieved.
MISS hardware

At the lowest level of the hierarchy
are the minicomputers, of a variety
of types and dedicated to laboratory
and other on-line functions. Because
it is assumed that they are to be used
a good deal of time in "standalone"fashion, 'the additional hardwarel software required to interface to MISS isdesigned to be minimal (one circuitboard and a resident software package occupying 1K or so of memory,
standardized but specifically tailored tD
each variety .of minicomputer suppDrted) .
The intermediate level of MISS is a
dedicated system. This level prDvides, .on a shared basis for all minicomputer users: (1) extended 110 services (card, printer, etc.); (2) massstorage services (mainly disc, but alsomagnetic tape); (3) access tD thehighest level of the system, where are
maintained a set of specialized support
services; and (4) a connection to central cDmputing facilities. The intermediate level system is implemented
on a DEC PDP-11/45, and the highest
level is at present the IBM 370/168
system run by the University CDmputation Center. In the broader concept of MISS, as mentioned earlier, thethird level is a netwDrk .of majDr CDmputer systems. (This allDws a much
41

HIERARCHICAL NETWORK
broader class of backup services tobe provided, and permits replicationof MISS at. any desired node 'Of the network by simply duplicating the PDP11 145 configuration.)
The level 1 facilities, shared among
MISS users only, are designated MOM,
for Minicomputer Operation Monitor.
Some of the MOM peripherals, in particular magnetic tape units, paper tapereader I punch, card reader and line
printer, may be thought 'Of as extended 110 units for the minicomputers. The console terminal and thedisc units function more as system
resources for MOM itself, althoughusers can obtain limited disc space allocations as part of MOM services andmanipulate data at this level throughthe use of software packages runningon MOM.
Note that no user programs executeat the intermediate level, although thiscapability. could in principle be included in "background" mode. The
reason for this is that the general-purpose facility is available for such execution through 'MOM, and the problemsof load balancing at the intermediatelevel are materially simplified by having only standard commands andpackages executed.
The level 2 facilities are general
purpose and shared with 'Others notpart of MISS. The services supplied at
this level, however, are distinguishedas those particularly developed andmaintained for MISS users, and thoseothers available to any user of thegeneral purpose facility. The former
are designated DAD services, theacronym standing for Data & Algorithm Distributor. Similar considerations would apply to a more general
network at level 2.

User capabilities

In describing the user capabilities
of MISS, it is enlightening to discuss
the various states in which a minicomputer may be placed either by auser or by the user's program.
. The most fundamental state inwhich the user minicomputer may
function is the internal state. In this·state the minicomputer can be acting
solely as a standalone computer. At
such times there is no communication with MOM, save the possibility ofmonitoring timing pulses which MOM
places on the lines. (These timing
pulses are available whenever MOM is'
running, and in a limited sense could
replace some local clock functions.)
If explicit support from MOM is de. sired, the user may log on, either byinitiating a MOM bootstrap (causing
communication and terminal packages .
to be loaded from MOM into the minicomputer core and a minicomputer

executive to be created), or by loading
the packages locally (as from disc)and transmitting a special "attention"
character to MOM.
It is possible to use the minicomputer in internal state, but with MOM
supplying operational support for certain minicomputer functions. Included
among these are data storage and program overlay, and assembler support,
all using the MOM disc file system as
auxiliary storage. Another such feature yet to be implemented is externaltiming support (such as a wake-upcall) using the MOM clocking system.
Alternatively, the minicomputer canfunction in external state, essentiallyas an intelligent terminal for gaining
access to intermediate- and higherlevel interactive services. Transition into and out of external state isaccomplished with ease, and it is alsoquite feasible to set· up most minicomputers so that external and in-central facilities

IBM 370/168

Software

The software architecture of MOM
can be described asa tripartite assem:'bIage, as shown in Fig: 2. Each partof the tripartite assemblage has as. its
objective a different facet 'Of the implementation.
The leftmost portion of Fig. 2 isconcerned with the functions of the
Basic Operating System which provides the support environment for thetwo other parts. The middle portionis dedicated to the direct support ofthe lines connecting user machines tothe intermediate level of MISS. It includes software for both the minicomputers and MOM. The rightmost
portion of the figure depicts the interactive support provided to the minicomputers and their respective users.
More packages may be added to thisportion in the future.
42

Fig. 1. The netw'Ork being implemented at the Univ. 'Of Chicag'O has three levels. C'Omputers at level 0 are standal'Ones, 'Often c'Ommitted t'O a lab experiment. These canshare peripherals and 'Operating system c'Omp'Onents available at the intermediatelevel, 'Or access the central facilities.
CRTRMRTION

ternal states may exist together, as"foreground" and: "background," respectively.
In the direct command mode ofexternal state, individual commands
are issued to MOM and are then executed 'without reqmnng additionaluser int~raction.' These essentiallycomprise the utility functions of Fig.
2. These commands (as is true for all
MISS commands) may be issued either
by a person or by a user program. Included in this mode are commands torequest the time, and date, send messages to the MOM operator, log off, obtain status information on MOM peripherals, etc. Also included are certain specific file manipulation 'commands such as deletion, renaming,
copying, appending, or listing files
which reside on MOM disc files. In
addition there are the operational support commands to load programs into
the minicomputer core from MOM
disc files, or to create a disc file fromthe contents of the minicomputer core.
All commands in this mode are handled by either the minicomputer executive or the terminal executive in
MOM.

Tn the interactive package mode,
which is entered through the directcommand mode, a dialogue takes
place between the minicomputer user
and a package executing on MOM.
The distinction here is that the dialogue is directly with the package andnot with one of the executives. Included in this mode are the text andgeneral editors, the processing service,and the directory service. In each casethe interactive package requires the
manipulation of MOM files in a content-oriented manner.
Both of the modes just describedhave a counterpart in DAD services.
Paradoxically, the counterpart of thedirect command mode is the indirectcommand mode. In this mode thecommands are forwarded by MOM tothe appropriate DAD service. An example of this mode is the remote initiation of job execution on the Computation Center facility. Similarly,
the remote interactive package mode
permits a dialogue not with a package on MOM, but with a package on
the Computation Center facility. Thismode, for example, would permit theuse from the minicomputer keyboard
terminal, of such systems as WYLBUR
for interactive program developmenton the 370/16S.
Current status
MISS is currently in transition from'a development system to an operational system. During the purely development phase, considerable assistance was derived from several users
who were willing to suffer some inconvenience in return for being able
to usethe system and critique it.
Since MISS development was originally aimed toward support of minimal configuration minicomputers (SKcore memory' with only keyboard
printer), the first facility needed wassegment
manager

consolemanagerfile,manager

external
process
allocatorbatch
managerFig. 2. This MOM software, executing at the, intermediate level of the hierarchy, performs services for the minis; some of it, like the text editor, may be used conversationally through the minicomputers' terminals. But no user programs operate at thislevel.
'

February, 1975

J

a bootstrap function. Each user minicomputer connected to MISS is supplied a chassis into which a second
keyboard printer control (9600 baud)is connected. This interface contains
the drivers and receivers for long line
communications and a bootstrap request switch. To bootstrap, the user
first ensures the existence of a nine
word bootstrap routine in his minicomputer core memory or diode memory .. Raising the bootstrap request
switch begins execution of the routine. In approximately three seconds,
a secondary bootstrap routine, followed by the communication package
and terminal package, are loaded intomemory from MOM disc files. This
procedure is completed by a keyboard
printer message requesting a command. As mentioned, the loaded packages require approximately lK of core
memory.
For other than minimal configurations, especially those having theirown disc storage, it will not be necessary to raise the bootstrap switch.
These systems will be able to load thenecessary routines from their own discfiles and effect the equivalent of a"connect" by transmitting to MOM'
several coded characters. This technique will also permit the periodictransmission of accumulated data to
MOM disc files.
'
User feedback from minimal configuration machines has been directly
responsible for the assembly support
offered by MOM. To achieve this support, the standard vendor supplied assembler was modified so that input
and output were conducted throughthe line to MOM. The end result is acommand which greatly facilitates assemblies. In the command the user'
specifies the source file, names theobject file, and indicates whether or
not a listing is desired. When the carriage return key is depressed executing the command, the assembler istransferred from MOM to the minicomputer core memory. The assembly then begins with the source arriving from MOM files and the object
being sent to a MOM file. The listingtakes place concurrently. In this manner assemblies execute at approximately communication speeds of 1,000 cps.
This capability, in conjunction withthe capability of remotely editing
MOM files, has drastically modified
former debugging and program modification methods to the user's benefit.
Another capability users found extremely useful is that of program
loading or file creation. With this capability, users cause arbitrary file tope loaded from MOM disc into their43

HIERARCHICAL NETWORK
core memory, or create a MOM disc
file from the contents of their core.
In addition to the normal loading of
programs, the former aspect permits
the overlaying of· appropriately segmented routines. The latter aspect
greatly aids program debugging bypermitting easily restored starting
points.
Of general use to connected users
are a variety of file manipUlation andfile modification capabilities. The mostuseful of these capabilities have
proven to be the source and general
purpose file editors and the ability tolist any file on the MOM line printer.
In the case of listing files, the user
may disconnect immediately after
initiating the command. The actual
listing proceeds independently.
One capability which has been provided to users but which has been
scarcely used is the ability to automatically store accumulated data.
This fact was originally attributed to
the lack of user confidence in having
MOM be the sole repository for data.
However, it was learned that thenecessary user program interface wassufficiently complicated and painstaking that most users preferred not to~se the capability. This design shortcoming is being corrected in conjunction with the general problem of interfacing MISS to user operating systems.

Results

In the implementation of the MISS
system, a major emphasis has beenplaced on the intermediate level of thetri-Ievel hierarchy. It is at this levelthat the maximum facility for certain
kinds of standard services can be provided to the minicomputer user at thelowest cost. For users with minimal
configurations, the MISS facilities havethe major impact on methods of operation. For minicomputer users with
substantial configurations that normally function with their own operating
systems, MISS provides at least the capability of a communications network
permitting the transfer of information
freely between numerous sites, and access to higher-level support programs.
For both types of configurations theneeds of the user have been kept foremost when making design decisions.
This has resulted in a facility to support a wide variety of applications at
the greatest convenience to as manyusers as possible. The net result isthat while the MISS system is not all
things to all people, the majority of.
users are benefited.
D

Present users

Of the nine minicomputers currently connected to MISS, the most frequent uses have been in the areas ofprogram development, file access, andperipheral sharing. The benefactors ofthese services have been functioning
in the disciplines of chemistry and. physics on such experiments as molecular spectroscopy and electron microscopy. In the majority of cases, theminicomputers are used for data acquisition from the experiments. In
several, the minicomputer also performs some control functions.
Facilitated by a campus cable network currently being installed, 12 additional minicomputers will be connected in the next several months.
These machines are centered primarily in the biological and medical sciences departments, and are used forsuch purposes as film scanning, image
analysis, clinical laboratory test analy~is, cardiac catheterization, and radiation therapy. Many of these configurations are more extensive than theoriginal ones connected to MISS. The
benefits to be derived by these systems are ·information exchange capabilities inherent to networks, and access to higher level support for analysis and large data base storage.

44

Dr. Ashenhurst is Professor and Director of the Institute for Computer
Research at the Univ. of Chicago.
He has worked in various computerrelated fields, including switchingtheory and computer architecture,and is currently the Editor in Chiefof Communications of the ACM.

Mr. Vonderohe is a Project Manager
in the Institute, and has been active
in computer interfacing, configuration design, and computer networks
for many years.

A RINGThe Distributed Computing System(Des) is an information utility developed at the Univ. of California,
Irvine, under National Science Foun:dation Support. The goal of Des isto develop a model for an integrated
hardware and software system which
provides reliable, fail-soft service at
low cost.
Reliability is obtained through distribution-distribution of hardware,
distribution of software, and distribution of control. Gross hardware components, such as small processors andperipherals, are geographically distributed; a failure in one component
does not necessarily make anothercomponent unavailable.
The basic system software is modular, and several processors are capable of hosting the various modules.
Thus the failure of one or more processors or peripherals does not prevent the software from functioning
with the remaining hardware. Finally,
distribution of control eliminates theneed for a central allocation mechanism. No processor which can supportthe basic software is subordinate toanother. Thus there is no central resource which must function in orderfor the Des to function.
The distribution of functions vital. to the success of the Des is made possible by the way interactions between
elements of the system are structured.
Architecturally, . the Des is a network (see Fig. 1), a collection of minicomputers connected by a ring-like
digital communication system. All
communication is done over this ring
through messages between processes,
rather than processors, and is not tiedto physical addresses. (A "process"can be thought of as a module or evenas just a clump of code which talks toother clumps by sending messages like
"open file," "read record," or "shutl:JRTRMRTION

More flexible than '.
a hierarchical network,
the ring does notdepend on
the operation of any
one component

NETWORKby David J. Farber
sending and recelvmg of messages.
down." Examples of processes are thetion needs (in particular the need forhigh reliability systems capable of
These messages are addressed to prodecoder which interprets user comcesses by name, rather than by physisupporting distributed data bases) .
mands, and the loader.) Thus a process can migrate among processors cacal hardware address. A message fromone process addressed to another propable of supporting that process, andThe prototype
The Des minicomputers are concess is first placed onto the ring. As
this migration is transparent to other. nected to the digital communication
processes.
the message arrives at each ring inring by devices called ring interfaces.
Low cost is achieved in several ways.
terface, the interface compares theEach of the component computers ofThis communication ring serves as adestination process name with a list
the network can be relatively small andof all' processes active in the attachedunidirectional information path opinexpensive, although la:rger computerating at 2.3 megabits, with the ring
computer. If the indicated destinationers are not excluded. The communiprocess name is present, the interface
interfaces assisting in information
cation ring is also inexpensive. The
attempts to copy the message into therouting. The control of the ring is dissystem software is a modest programtributed among the ring interfaces.
component memory. Whether the addressed process is present or not, theThe Des software is process oriming effort. Existing applications softented. Thus, all activities are carriedinterface allows the message to travel
ware, interpreters, compilers, and application packages can be readily in- . out by processes,. interacting via theon to the next interface on the ring.
tegrated. Lastly, expansion of this network can be easily achieved. Connection of a new processor is through astandardized interface to the communication ring, which now costs $600
but will shortly be available in LSI form
for about $100. Basic software necessary for the new processor is minimal
since most of the processes required
can be performed for this processor
by other processors.
Goals

We were interested in exammmg
what happens when one creates a system by connecting together a numberof small (mini) processors and· thenviews the result as a distributed machine rather than as a set of independent processors.
We were motivated in our development by our perceived need in thereal world for systems capable of modular growth, system reliability, lowoverall vulnerability, iricremental modernization, and dynamic restructuringof resources. We were responding also
to a set of real world facts and needs.
These include: changes in cost forcomputers (minis are cheap); low
cost/bit large stores; refinements indigital communications; and applica-

February, 1975

Fig. 1. There is no central or master processor in UCI's ring network. When one nodeissues a service request, other systems "bid" on providing the service.

45

RING NETWORKThe message continues around thering until it arrives at the interface forthe processor where the message originated. This interface then removes themessage from the ring.
Each processor on the ring has aresident software system called the nucleus. The nucleus provides facilities
for the scheduling of processes andfor transmitting and receiving messages. Other system functions, such as
resource allocation, deviceI/o, and filesystem services are provided by processes executing in the DCS. Because
the nucleus is the only software absolutely bound to a particular processor, all other system services may be
executed by any machine in the ring·and can be accessed from any user
processes through the message system. A process requesting service addresses requests by name, it does notneed to' know where in the system theneeded service process resides. A request for a service; issued at job initiation or whenever· a new resource isneeded, are recognized by all theprocessors in the system. Those processors with available resources in effect "bid" to supply the service.
Failure detection and recovery

Failures are detected when a communications problem arises, when aninterrupt indicating an error occurs,
or when a regular observable processaction fails to occur. A ring failure, afailure of a ring interface, or a failure
in a component connected to a ringinterface will cause a communication
error. Error detection facilities included in the communications hardware and protocols are the primarymeans for detecting hardware failures
such as intermittent transmission errors, failure of a ring interface, orcomplete interruption of a transmission.
Most failures in a hardware or software component can be classified aseither nucleus or software process failures. The failure of a nucleus is equivalent to a processor failure, since without the nucleus software, a processor
cannot function in the DCS. The failure of either a system or user process
is less serious than a nucleus failure,since its effect is likely to be smaller
and more localized ..
A nucleus failure is detected whena processor fails to accept a message. This failure is recognized whena message is sent and one of two failure indicators in the message is returned as the status of the transmission attt1mpt. Special processes, calledstatus checkers, distinguish the various
failure possibilities and initiate recovery actions when necessary. If a nu-

46

cleus has failed, a remote restart process causes a bootstrap sequence tobe executed in the failed processor.
After the appropriate reinitializationof the processor, a new copy of thenucleus is transmitted and processes
communicating with those executing
in the failed processor are notified. If
a nucleus fails repeatedly, a processor
failure is assumed and that processor
is removed from the system.
A failure of a process is detected
when a machine interrupt indicating
an error occurs, or when a regular
expected action fails to occur. Aftersuch a failure is recognized, the nucleus of the processor where the failing process resides starts a message interchange with some status checker.
The status checker takes some action
depending on the type of process'which has failed. These actions include
the saving of the process environment,
initiating a test process, initiating a
new copy of the failed processor, or
taking no explicit action until told to
do so by an external source, and finally possibly terminating the process.
Although the overall design of the
DCS is intended to minimize the' possibilities of failure, failures will occur.
The distribution of hardware, software, and system control makes it possible to detect and recover from such
errors. In addition; the design assuresthat the effects of such failures areminimized.
Current status

DCS is an operating distributed system running ona five-minicomputerconfiguration. The equipment attachedto the system includes:
1. 3 Lockheed SUE machines (similar to PDP-lIs)
2. 2 Varian 620/i machines operating as file managers
3. 2 2314-class discs ( one attached to each Varian)
4. 1 magnetic tape unit
5. 6 hardcopy terminals
6. 1 Imlac graphic terminal
7. 1 Diablo serial printer8. 1 upper!lower case printer9. 1 data ring operating at 2.3
megabits with ring interfaces,
each having a 16 name associative store and supporting distributed communication control
and variable length messages.
The support software, which we call
DCOS, is completely distributed andincludes components such as: (1) nucleus code which handles communications and processes starting in eachmachine, (2) peripheral control, (3)command and log-in processes, (4 )system status modules, and (5) peripheral interchange processes.

The user level software running under DCOS on the prototype system
includes: (1). assemblers, (2) MOL(system programming language) compiler, (3) link editors, (4) a document preparation system, (5) a text
editor, (6) a distributed debugger, (7)utilities, (8) a distributed file management system, and (9) measurement
tools.
At present DCS is .being used primarily for software development· andfor document production. A course insoftware for minis is running this academic quarter also" in which students
learn to program for DCS. We also
expect in the near future to' connect
DCS to the ARPANET ,as an experiment
in secure local distribution of resources.
Conclusions

We would expect to see the ideas
and hardware organization of DCS to
be used in fields such as:
1. banking
2. airline reservations
3. real-time command and control
4. process control
5. office automation
6. corporate and military logistics
We feel that the most important impact of distributed processing is in
distributed data management. That. is,in an environment where data is geographically distributed yet can be.
viewed by a user as one data base.
Increasing interest among the governmental and business sectors in distributed data management has presented
an opportunity which the computer
profession is just beginning to explore.
We intend to use the DCS as a vehicle
for such exploration.
D

Prof. Farber is with the Information
and Computer Sciences Dept. of
the Univ. of California at Irvine.
His past positions include being
supervisor of computer research
at Bell Labs, and being a memberof the technical staff at both Xerox
Data Systems and Rand. He has
also held offices in IEEE, ACM, andSHARE, and has been selected to
be a member of the National Science Foundation Computer Science
Advisory Board.

DATAMATION

by William Wulf and Roy Levinin most ways
it looks like a geographically
distributed network. No
processor is the master,
but the kernel of an
operating system
resides somewhere.

A
LOCAL
NETWORKThe history of data processing has
been· characterized by a constant pressure for both more, and more costeffective computing power. At any given time, hardware technology imposes
limits on both the maximum power
available from a single computer andon the lowest cost of obtaining a given amount of computational power.
Any attempt to circumvent these technological limits must be done by architectural techniques; one such is theuse of parallelism.
Because our appetite for computational power has grown even fasterthan -the -amazing advances in electronics, many styles of parallelism arebeing explored. Machines such as the
CDC 7600 and IBM 370/195, forexample, utilize parallelism to. speed
the execution of rather conventional
programs. The CDC STAR and ILLIAC
IV, on the other hand, obtain even-greater performance by providing theuser with instructions which operate on
entire vectors or matrices in parallel.
These large machines are very expensive. Moreover, it seems that they
can realize their full potential on onlya small set of specific problems, mostof which are scientific in nature. An
alternative to these very large machines is being explored at a numberof universities and within some of the
major manufacturers-namely the- interconnection of enOligh minicomputers to supply the desired power, as
was done for the Carnegie-Mellon
Multi-Mini Processor, the C.mmp.
C.mmp hardware

The basic C.mmp hardware configuration is shown in Fig. 1. The centralcomponent of the· system is the"switch" which connects 16 processors

February, 1975

and 16 memory boxes. This switch allows any of the processors to accessany of the memory boxes on eachmemory reference. The processors are
not permanently attached to a memory box; rather, each time a processor
wishes to access a particular memory,a temporary connection is establishedthrough the switch for that access. Sixteen separate processor-memory connections are possible simultaneously.
Thus, unless two processors are attempting to access the same memory,
16 separate and simultaneous communication paths exist between processors and memory.
The processors in the current system are modified versions of the Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-II. In principle, any of the several models of
the PDP-II may be used in the system,
although so far we have only used
PDP-11/20s and 140s. The modifications made to the processors to interface the system are relatively minor
and involve about one day of an engineer's time (to change two chips
and 70 wires).
As can be seen from Fig. 1, peripheral devices are connected to 1/0
buses associated with each processor,
and gain access to the shared memory
through these buses; there are no independent 110 channels. Thus a processor can only communicate directlywith the peripherals attached to its
110 bus. In addition, however, eachprocessor can interrupt each of theother processors at several priority.levels and can start and stop -otherprocessors. This facility 'permits one
processor to direct another to perform
an 110 operation for a user program
running on the first processor. Thus
user programs are not constrained to47

A LOCAL NETWORK
execute on any particular processor.
The figure also shows that each 1/0
bus (and thus a processor and its associated peripherals) is connected to thecentral switch through specially designed relocation hardware (Dmapboxes). This hardware implements a
virtual memory mechanism which
both provides protection between programs and increases the system's ability to efficiently utilize the hardware
resources.
Other hardware to be added in thenear future includes: (1) another PDP11 140, (2)' a connection to the ARPA
network, (3) a high-speed intelligent
graphics terminal, and (4) a special
purpose hardware performance monitor.
C.mmp is not a monolithic machine; it can be subdivided into independent, smaller systems. Each of
the possible processor-memory interconnections at the central switch canbe manually locked out. This permits
the hardware to be partitioned into
two, three, or even 16 totally separate
configurations. Thus, for example, asingle processor and memory box
combination can be isolated and turned
over to the hardware engineer for
maintenance, leaving a 15x15 configuration for the users. A similar partitioning can allow the programminggroup to check out· a new version of

the operating system. In either casethe basic system degrades gracefully,
with the software adapting to the smaller configuration (see next section). In
particular, a processor malfunction
does not require taking the entire machine down for maintenance. The offending processor is simply "partitioned out," and execution continued.
Benefits

There are several attractive aspects
to such multiple minicomputer systems:
Reliability: By having multiple processing units, an interconnection ofminis has the property that the failure of anyone of them need not preclude continued operation. In the caseof C.mmp it seems unlikely that theuser will notice the loss of one or two
processors out of 16.
Cost: Minicomputers are producedin large numbers, and the cost for acollection of minis should be much
lower than for a single large processorof equivalent power: It is extremely
difficult to predict how great these costadvantages will b.e, in part because
our own experience with C.mmp includes the one-time development costs,
and in part because the manufacturers' pricing policies are difficult tofathom. However, including the onetime costs, C.mmp cost less than one

Fig. 1. The Carnegie-Mellon Multi-Mini Processor is not a geographically distributed
network. All of its five processors are in the same room. The cpus connect to sharedmain memory through a switch box, and can interrupt other processors through aninterrupt bus.

48

half of what we would expect to pay
for a single machine of similar power.
Commercial versions might cost moreor less than this; in principle theyshould be considerably less.
Incremental expansion: With a single large processor, a user must replace that processor with another inorder to expand his computing power. Interconnected minis allow the user
to start with only the number he initially needs, and expand by adding
processors as necessary. Further, as
new and faster models of the minicomputer processor become available,
the user may "trade-up" some or allof his processors to enjoy the benefits.
Incremental costs here are small. By
using both of these techniques,. we canconfigure C.mmp to supply computing power ranging: approximatelyfrom that of an IBM System I 3 to thatof an ·IBM 3701168. Of course, comparisons based upon raw computing
measures (million instructions/ sec andmaximum memory bandwidth) canonly be used as rough indications of
power. Relative functional power(number-crunching or character-pushing) will be mentioned later.
Variety of use patterns: Perhaps
one of the strongest arguments in favor of interconnected minis is the variety of ways in which they might beused. At one extreme, all the processors may' be cooperating to solve asingle problem. At the other extreme
each might be solving a problem fora different user. Even when working
together on a single problem, theprocessors may be utilized in several
ways; they might all be working together on a single subproblem, orthey might be working on separable
subproblems.
Both approaches are used in current applications of C.mmp for example, the HEARSAY II speech understanding system utilizes a number of distinct tasks operating truly in parallel,
but all contributing to the recognitionof a verbal utterance. Here, several
processors execute on behalf of a single program (user). At the same time,
however, other tasks may be using other subsets of the processors, such asa chess-playing program exploiting
the available parallelism to speed up
its tree search. Thus the component
processes of these independent activities all proceed in parallel, eliminating to a large extent the scheduling
overhead associated with multiplexing
them on a single processor.
Conservative technology: At any
given time, hardware technology imposes limits on the speed of the basic
circuits used to construct a processor.
Attempts to get more speed in a sinDATAMATION

gle processor require pushing .that
technology-which is both expensive
and risky since hardware fabricatedwith state of the art components isfrequently less reliable and more
prone to subtle design errors. The multiple-mini approach permits the useof conservative, less expensive, andmore reliable technology to achieve
greater total computing power.
Real-time response: A multiprocessor with, say, 16 processors, can provide better real-time responses than a'single processor which is 16 times as
fast. Even though it clearly takes longer to service each individual real-time
event, service for an event can usually
begin immediately in a multiprocessor
system, since more than one processor is available to respond'to the (highpriority) request for real-time service. In a uniprocessor system, the cpu
will' be masked for interrupts at least
part of the time; in a multiprocessor
it may be possible to guarantee atleast one cpu is interruptible.
Applications

By now the data processing community has become sophisticatedenough to understand that there areno panaceas. Thus, although there aremany advantages to multiple minicomputer systems, such systems are
not ideal for all applications and theypose new problems which must be
solved if these new architectures are
to realize their full potential.
Perhaps the most obvious applications for which the multi-minis are illsuited are the large "number crunching" ones, involving a great deal of
floating-point arithmetic. Minis, multior not, frequently do not have floatingpoint hardware, and even those that
do are constrained by their small word
size to implement such operations as
slow, multiple memory reference instructions. They therefore fall shortof large scientific processors both inbasic cpu speed (by a factor of 2-5)
and memory bandwidth (by a factorof 2-8), and these factors may go much
higll,er for specific machines (likeCDC STAR'S pipelined floating-point
processor or the IBM 360/85 with
its cache memory). However, commercial data processing applications
fall well within the minis range of practical utility, since it is intended to perform byte manipulation and 110 withconsiderable efficiency. The C.mmp
architecture can support burst 1/0
rates of 8xl0 6 bytes I sec from conventional secondary storage units, and thetheoretical maximum is eight times
that figure.
Obviously, bit rates do not tell thewhole story. In exchange for the speed

February, 1975

inherent in parallel processing, theuser receives the problem of task-decomposition-that is, the subdivisionof an application program into pieces
which can be executed in parallel andthereby fully use the power available
in the system. Fortunately for the user,
he is not required to solve this problem at the outset; he can choose tobuild his program initially in the traditional, sequential way and rework
it later. Obviously, his initial program
will not run faster, but the system canstill execute 16 such "temporarily sequential" programs in parallel, withno real loss in throughput over a multiprogrammed uniprocessor or batch
system. Eventually, as the user designs
an effective parallel decomposition, he
can rebuild his program to reap the
benefits of the architecture.
Many of the current applications of
C.mmp involve rest::arch into thisproblem of effective task decomposition, and span a wide range. The
speech understanding and paralleltree-search problems have alreadybeen mentioned. Other current applications include data base management,
integer-programming, and benchwork- 'ing programs. We are also investigating the design of compilers whichmake efficient use of parallelism, andthe usefulness of multiple processors
for other standard support software.
The C.mmp operating system

Hydra, the operating system for
C.mmp, like all operating systems, has
two goals: to provide a set of facilities which make it convenient for the
programmer to use the underlying
hardware, and to make sure that the
hardware is efficiently utilized.
The central core of Hydra is a 'kernel' set of operating system facilities
which provide both basic protection,and management of the hardware resources. These facilities are not thosewith which the average programmer
is likely to be concerned; rather, they
are those useful for the constructionof user-visible operating system facilities. Thus, for example, the kernel
does not provide either a file systemor a job control language. It does, on
the other hand, provide facilities which
grant protected access to memory, tothe 110 devices, and other resources.
Almost all operating systems contain a portion which provides facilities
which, although they differ in particulars, have goals similar to those of
the Hydra kernel. The big difference.
is that in Hydra everything outside thekernel is treated as though it were a"user" program. In fact, the Hydra
kernel has no way of knowing which
programs are applications and which

are providing operating system facilities such as file management.
This approach has two important
implications: First, an error in oneof the (non-kernel) operating system
programs like the file system can, at
most, affect the application programs
currently using it. It cannot cause theentire system to crash. In fact, theusual case is that only one application program will be affected by suchan error. (An error in the kernel, ofcourse, usually has a more catastrophic impact. However, because the kernel is reasonably small and has
reasonably
clear,
well-understoodfunctions, errors are relatively rare.)Second, the user may, if he wishes,
define his own operating system facilities. Since the kernel does not (cannot) distinguish between "applications" and "operating system" programs, the user Illay write an ordinary
program which defines what is usually
thought of as an operating system
function-a job control language system, for example. The' user may dothis either to provide himself with afacility not provided by the existing
programs, or to replace an existing
facility by one more closely attuned
to his specific needs.
The second of these issues is one
we consider to be especially important. It is closely related to anotherobjective of the Hydra design, namely, to make a careful separation be- 'tween policies and the mechanisms
used to implement those policies. Thisobjective has many manifestations in
Hydra, but we will illustrate with two
examples: scheduling and disc management.
Scheduling is one of those facilities
which the kernel does not provide;
scheduling is provided by one or more"user" programs. However, the kernel
does provide a mechanism which permits one such program to determine
the scheduling policy for other user
programs, and thus implement a normally privileged operating system
function.
This implies that the operations
manager of a computing facility can,if he chooses, easily define a scheduler tuned to the special requirementsof his installation. It also implies that
if there are two or more separate
classes of jobs to be run on the same
system (such as time-sharing, realtime, or batch) separate schedulers
may be written to handle the various
classes. Finally, it implies that a newscheduler, because it is just anotheruser program, can be written, debugged, and tested in a "real" environment during the normal operation of
the system~49

LOCAL NETWORK
Often the management of peripheral devices such as discs is crucial toboth individual program and overall,system performance. This may be trueof the space allocation strategy, the
110 request service policy, or both.
A policy which works well on the average may be intolerable for a particular application. Thus, once again, theHydra kernel provides mechanisms
which allow user programs to define
these policies, and a manager may define them to suit the unique problemsof an installation or application.
We must emphasize the difference
between what can be done versus whatmust be done. Hydra has user level
programs whieh provide scheduling,device management, job control, andso on. The standard policies and facilities implemented by these programs
are at least as reasonable as thosefound in other "general purpose" systems. The user is not required to define these, but he does have the optionof doing so, and thereby increasing
the utility of the system for his needs.
Specifically he might either increase
the set of facilities or contract them,in the later case reducing the overhead
related to "unnecessary generality."
To provide the flexibility impliedin the previous discussion, the Hydra
kernel provides a protection mechanism which guarantees not only that,users are protected from one another,
but also from the "operating system"
programs. Flexibility and protection
are closely related issues in a system
structure. Flexibility in a multi-user
environment means the ability to use
the facilities of the (virtual) machine
in a manner that the user himself
deems most appropriate ,to his needs.
Protection, although it has a restrictive connotation, should not be considered the inverse of flexibility. It has
much the same goal as flexibility,
namely to allow users to "do their own
thing" without interference.
We feel that protection must be
built in a uniform manner throughout
the operating system, and not just applied to specific entities, such as files.
A uniform data structure in' Hydraprovides such protection for all entities, including files, processes, 110 devices, and all other resources, physicaland virtual. This protection involves
not only the traditional read, write,
execute capabilities, but also arbitrary
protection conditions where the meaning is determined by higher-level software.
Some earlier multiprocessor operating systems have operated in a "master-slave" mode, that is, the operating
system executed on only one processor, the "master."Only user programs

50

could execute on the other, slave processors. A master-slave system has twoserious drawbacks related to reliability and performance. First, any nonreplicated component like a masterprocessor reduces, the overall reliability of the system. Second, as the number of processors increases, the masterprocessor quickly becomes a bottle. neck. For both these reasons Hydra
does not have the concept of a masterprocessor.. The kernel can execute on
any of the processors and, in fact; on. any number of them simultaneously.
While it might at first blush appear
that this increases the complexity ofthe system, in fact it doesn't.
For much the same reasons as listed
above, the user programs are run ina distributed manner. That is, a par, ticular program is allowed to executeon any available processor. At one instant aprogra~ may be executing on
processor number 1, a few moments .
later it may be running on processor
number 13, later on number 5, etc.
This flexibility assures both maximaluse of the processor resources andalso that the loss of a processor need. not impact individual programs. It also
implies, as suggested earlier, that thesystem degrades gracefully when aprocessor is removed.
Current status
C.mmp and Hydra are still research, vehicles and both have been used by"real" users for only a few months.
At this writing there are five processors and 1.5 million bytes of sharedmemory on the system. The numberof processors is scheduled to be expanded to nine by summer. There isa modest collection of discs, tapes, aline printer, terminals, etc. in the current configuration.
The Hydra kernel is complete, as
are initial versions of most of the userlevel operating system programs. The
active application areas are' deeply
involved in task decomposition andhave begun debugging support facilities. All of the software to date is
essentially experimental and will undoubtedly be revised as both the designers and users gain more experience.
Our experience in implementing
the Hydra system may be of interest.
The entire implementation was donein a higher-level language, BLISS, andutilized a structured design and programming methodology. The roughly
90,000 instructions in the current system were produced by about six people at an average rate of more than
40 instructions per man-day. We think
this is nearly 10 times larger than theindustry average for similar projects.
The use of a highly optimizing com-piler for BLISS has proven to produce
code comparable to, and often better
than, that written in assembly ,language. Only about 30 software errors
have been found to date.
Conclusions
Although our operating experienceis still, quite limited, the prospects
seem very bright. All of the evidence
indicates that the cost, performance,and reliability goals will be met or exceeded. Thus, it appears that withinthe' next few years the data processing
manager can look forward to substantially less expensive, higher performance, more reliable, expandable systems implemented as a complex ofsmaller. processors. Moreover, although it may require some adaptation of existing programs to maximally utilize these machines, most of thesebenefits can be realized with nochanges required.
0

Dr. Wulf is an associate professorof computer science at CarnegieMellon Univ. in Pittsburgh. He is
also chairman of IFIP committee
WG2.4 on machine-oriented higher
level language, a member of the
SIGPLAN executive board, and of
the IEEE technical committee on
software engineering, and the editorial board of the IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

Roy Levin is a Ph.D. candidate incomputer science at Carnegie-Mel-'Ion and a member of the ACM. At
a previous position with the PerkinElmer Corp., he worked on the ·expansion of the IBM CP-67 operating system.

DRTRMRTION

by A. G. Fraser

As in the
University of California
system. simple hardware interfaces
take the place of sophisticated software;
here the twist is in the conveyor belt channel.

A
VIRTUAL
CHANNEL NETW'ORK
A small switched data communications
system is .operating at Bell Laboratories' Murray Hill, N.J. location.
Called "Spider" it links 11 computersof five different types. Each machine
connects to Spider through a TerminalInterface Unit (TIu) which itself contains a microcomputer. Several TIUS
share a common transmission loop toreach a switching center. Computersconnected to the system have aswitched data communications service
with the following characteristics:
Speed Control-Any pair of computers can exchange data regardless of
their respective working speeds. Input
and output speeds are coordinated by
the network.
Multichannel Interface-The TIU
provides a computer with the equivalent of 64 independently switched fullduplex communication channels.
Error Control-Error detection andretransmission are carried out automatically by the TIUS.
High Performance-The network is
capable of transmitting at data rates up
to 125,000 bps (or at 500,000 bps if
automatic retransmission on a per
packet basis is not required).
By the late '60s minicomputers werebeing used extensively at Bell Laboratories. These -machines were often located in research laboratories and wereconnected to laboratory equipment.

February, 1975

They were sometimes individually connected to larger general purpose computers through datasets and voice grade
communications lines. In 1969, plans
were made to build an experimental
switched communications network thatwould serve this distributed computing
capability at Bell Labs' Murray Hilllocation. Spider was to be an experimental research system that would provide insights into techniques and services which would interest computer
users if high data rate-low delay communications were available. It would
aid in understanding how to control
such a network and how to structure itat reasonable cost.
After reviewing various multiplexing, switching, and control alternatives,
it was decided that the service to anindividual user should appear to be adirect channel linking him to his correspondent for the duration of a conversation. However, data would actually be transmitted in packets on
demand-shared digital transmission
loops. In this way, long holding times
could be handled without dedicatingtransmission capacity to inactive users.
Thus, the concept of a "virtual channel" was developed. When two machines ask for a virtual channel to beestablished between them, only a routefor the data to follow is chosen: no
assignment of physical equipment or

bandwidth is made. Only when data isready to be sent over the virtual channel does the network find bandwidthand switch capacity along the chosenroute, and these resources are released
immediately after the burst of transmission ends. The virtual channel concept allows the network to use a transmission technique suited to the type of
traffic it has to carry, while the user
sees a service that is independent of thecommunications technology used.
Spider interconnected its first two
computer systems in 1972. Since thenthe population has grown steadily. As
yet only computers are directly connected to the network (see Fig. 1), but.the design includes the possibility ofinterconnecting keyboard terminals as
well.
A general problem with some computer networks is that successful communication' depends upon the correct
working of software and hardware ineach computer. Experience has shownthat this software is not easy to write
and test. The problem is reduced in theSpider network because each computerconnects to the network through the intelligent Terminal Interface Unit. The
TIU substitutes for the dataset of amore conventional network. A majordifference between the TIU and a dataset, however, is that the TIU is capable
51

VIRTUAL CHANNEL NETWORKof handling 64 full-duplex data transmission channels at one time. Thismeans that the pop-II /45 shared filesystem, for example, can carryon simultaneous conversations with several
other computers even though it has
only one TIU. In addition, the TIU provides buffering for one packet of dataon each of its input and output paths.
This allows terminal 110 operations toproceed' asynchronously at any speed
up to the maximum the network canhandle, and the TIU can retransmit thepacket automatically when transmission error makes that necessary.
Considerable thought was given to
general principles for designing an in-:terface between a computer and a communications network. Here the functional characteristics of the interface
were of greatest interest because, unlike
the telephone voice network, there is nouniversally accepted definition of what
data communications service shouldbe. Nevertheless, a durable definition of
the interface between data processing
machinery and the communications
system is required in order to makelong-range planning and optimizationof flexible computer communications
networks practical. There are two cri-the network. A handshake technique isemployed to allow for arbitrary response times from either the terminalor the network, and Spider puts no limiton the length of a message.
2. An aysnchronous data input pathcarries data from the network to aterminal.
3. A channel select path is used by aterminal to specify to which of the 64
channels subsequent data transfers relate.
4. A channel request path allows the
network to tell a terminal when one of
the channels requires attention.
In addition to the above, there areleads in the interface to allow the network and a terminal to indicate to eachother when they are operational andwhen trouble forces a restart of communication.
The controlling component in a TIU
is an experimental special-purpose
microcomputer called 'Fly.' Fly operates at a rate of 5 million instructions
per second. It has 8 operation codes,
256 I6-bit words of program storage,
16 8-bit words of data space and two
256-bit 110 buffers. Its software allows
it to be tested under remote control,and its continued proper operation is

teria of particular importance:
1. Minimization of technological dependence between' terminals and networks. The terminal interface should
depend as little as possible on the internal workings of the network; otherwise, the terminal design would have tochange when the network's internal operation changes.
2. Communication should be possible between any pair of terminals
connected to the network. Gommunication between two terminals should not
be ruled out simply because they operate at different speeds or because
they have chosen to purchase' different
grades of communications service.
The terminal interface design chosen
for Spider satisfies both of' these criteria. In addition, the network provides
error control, speed changing, flow
control (i.e., regulating input and output speeds so that data do not flood the
network, nor are terminals idle unnecessarily), multiplexing and switching. Data format conversion and code
conversion are left to the terminals.
Physically, the interface has fourmain parts:
1. An asynchronous data output
path carries data from a terminal to

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CRTRMRTION

monitored by hardware. Under thecontrol of this microcomputer, a TIU
assembles data, 32 bytes at a time, into
packets. Sequence numbers and checkcharacters are added to the packets before they are shipped to the destination
TIU. At the destination, the packets arechecked and acknowledged, and thedata is delivered to the destination
terminal. In case of error or loss, thecentral switching computer instructs
the source TIU to retransmit the unacknowledged packets.
Terminal computers on Spider areconnected to the central switching machine by 1.544 Mbps digital lines.
Spider uses several loops to connect
terminals to the switching machine.
Each loop serves several terminals andoperates like a conveyor belt for timeslots of fixed size. There are two packet
types: large packets for terminal data
each contain up to 32 data bytes, andsmall packets for internal network signals each contain 4 bytes. In addition,
every packet is prefixed with an 8-bit
TIU identification code. (That is the
TIU'S position on its local loop.) Eachtime slot can hold one packet of each .
.type. Thus, a loop actually carries two
independent information channels, one

Fig. 2. Terminals transmit packets by adding an identification code to their data andputting the message into an open time slot on a conveyor belt-like channel. Receiving
input works similarly.

for terminal data and the other for network signaling.
A TIU transmits a packet by prefixing
its own 10 and depositing the packet in
an empty time slot. When a TIU has nodata to transmit it imposes no load at
all on the transmission loop. At theswitch, the sending TIUS 10 is replacedby the 10 of the destination TIU and thepacket is placed on the destination

TIUS loop. Each TIU looks at every ar-riving packet and takes it from the loop
if the packet contains the appropriate
10. When a packet is removed, the timeslot which it occupied becomes empty.
One potential problem with looptransmission systems is that a failure
in one terminal can put down the entire loop. To eliminate this problem in
the Spider network, a simple Line Ac-

The machinescurrently connected to Spider are:
1. DEC PDP-lll20 and SEL 86-The PDP-11120
is used as a peripheral controller for the' Systems
Engineering Lab's Model 86 mainframe. The 86
supports research into acoustic and visual phenomena, graphics, and man-machine interaction. It isbeing equipped with a variety of peripherals, including analogi digital converters, high-fidelity audio output, visual displays (color and black/white), andgraphics input devices.
.
2. Honeywell DDP224-This machine serves thesame user community as the SEL 86, and is equippedin a similar manner.
3. Honeywell DDP224-A duplicate of the above.
The two machines are used interchangeably on asign-up basis.
4. Honeywell 5l6-Supports research into communications techniques and systems. The machine
has a serial loop I/o bus threaded through several
labs at Murray Hill. Equipment under test is connected either directly to the bus or to a minicomputer which is then connected to the bus. Also available are graphics display terminals and a device thatcan write read-only memory chips.
5. DEC PDP-Ill 45-Will take over the equipment
testing currently handled by the Honeywell 516
mentioned above when the latter is reassigned.

~ Fig. 1. The Bell Labs experimental network, "Spider."6. Honeywell 516-Connected to this machine aretest stations which automatically measure and test
integrated circuit chips.
.
7. DEC PDP-ll/ 45-This machine, which runs
under the UNIX time-sharing operating system, isoperated by the computing service organization forthe benefit of people developing software to support
telephone services.
8. Honeywell 6070-This is the Murray Hill center's prime computer; it runs both batch and timesharing work under the GCOS operating system.
9. DEC PDP-8-Provides a line printer for use by
any computer connected to Spider, plus a 50Kbps
data link to the H 6000.

10. DEC PDP-ll/ 45-This machine, like the PDP-8,
was obtained specifically to service the Spider user
community. It is equipped with mag tapes and discstorage, and acts as a free-standing shared file system for use by the other machines in the network.
11. DEC PDP-ll/45-Supports various computing
science research projects, many of which have to do·with text processing. (Webster's dictionary is kept
on file.) The machine was the base for operating
systems research that resulted in the time-sharing system, called UNIX, that now runs on it. In addition. to disc, this machine has a phototypesetter, a grap'hics display, and a simple voice synthesizer attached0
to it.

~

February, 1975

53

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T.M.

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February, 1975

CIRCLE 65 ON READER CARD

55

VIRTUAL CHANNEL NETWORK
cess Module was designed for the transmission line at each terminal. Failure in
the region of the terminal causes that
section of the loop to be automaticallydisconnected from the system. The
switching computer can also disconnect a terminal by sending a signaling
packet to the TIU.
The central switching machine is aminicomputer (a GTE TEMPO I with
24K I6-bit words of core). Packet
switching is table-driven and is accomplished entirely within interrupt routines. The tables dictate how packets
from each of the TIUS should berouted: the identity of the destination
TIU and the loop on which the TIU islocated. Thus the switch's tables mustchange whenever a terminal stops
sending data on one of its channels andstarts sending on another. This is effected by the TIU sending a signaling
packet to 'mid-level control' software
which runs autonomously within theswitching machine. The mid-level process responds to the TIUS signaling
pa'ckets and adjusts the switch's tables
accordingly.
Mid-level is one of four principal
processes that run autonomously within
the switching machine. A second is theauditor process that is clock-driven andconstantly monitors the state of the
network. If the data flow betweenTIus
should halt, the auditor tries to breakany deadlock that might have arisen as
the result of transmission error. If a
TIU fails to respond to signaling packets
from mid-level, it is the auditor thatcauses these packets to be retransmitted. Finally, the auditor checks on thestate of the data structures within theswitching computer and forces a restart
if they are corrupted.
,
A third autonomous process services
the keyboard' and display which areprovided for manual operation of the
network's diagnostic and maintenanceprograms. This system is like a "oneman" time-sharing machine. It has asmall file system and command interpreter. Unlike most such systems, theuser can spawn processes -that can·· respond to machine interrupts or be
driven from the clock. By this means
one can perform engineering tests while
the network continues to provide service. Such tests include remote operation of a TIU, and contol of specialized
peripperal equipment used for maintenance of network components.
The fourth autonomous process ishigh-level control. In some respects it
is like another terminal on"the network.
A terminal communicates with highlevel control to set up and take down
calls. It does so over certain dedicatedchannels. There are 64 of these "control channels," in one-to-one corre-

56

spondence with the 64 data channels
by which terminals normally communicate with one another. To a terminal,
high-level control is, a "machine" that
responds to certain command messages
like CONNECT and as a side effect alters
the data structure which governs midlevel control's operation.
A barometer of user acceptance ofthe experimental network is the growthand style of use of the free-standing
PDP-II 145 share file system. The first
productive use of the network arosewhen one of the Honeywell 5I6s was
equipped with a program that used ,a
PDP-II 145 for long-term storage of its
files. By invoking a single command, afile could be transferred from the 516
to the file store or vice versa. More recently, software for the DDP224 computers has been modified so that they
can treat file store files in the same waythat they treat files on their own smaller
backing stores. Once a file is opened,
110 operations are performed on it
without regard for its actual location.
The most extreme example of dependence upon the file store occurred whena PDP-II 145 was delivered without its
discs. Until the discs arrived, the machine was able to run the UNIX timesharing system by using a file store discfor swapping as well as file storage.
Apart from some initial exercises,
growth in network usage has relied
upon individual members of the technical staff seeing personal advantage inusing the system. Usually the initial involvement requires some readjustmentof working habits if not some program
writing. As utility routines become
more numerous and familiarity with
network
characteristics
increases,
growth pains are diminished. In theearly days the driving force was the desire to share peripherals, such as discstorage and a line printer. More recently, however, the availability of certain capabilities on one machine has
prompted users of another machine touse the network. For example, users of
the DDP224 have only primitive editing
facilities and can only use their machineon a sign-up basis. The UNIX time-sharing system, or the computation center's
GCOS time-sharing service, on the other hand, operate around the clock andhave excellent editing facilities. It istherefore more attractive to use a timesharing system for program ~diting andto use the network to make these files
available to the DDP224. In the long run
it seems that human resource conservation will be quite as important a reason
for using a network as is the desire to, share hardware resources.
The areas of greatest difficulty have
involved finding adequate protocols
that can survive loss of coordination re-sulting from hardware or software malfunction, or from extraordinary actions
taken by the user. Problems occur at
low levels, between TIUS and the switching machine, and at high levels, between application programs. To handle
these problems we have first to learn
how to specify, develop and test programs that operate in asynchronous andphysically separate machines. For example, there is no single ('halt') button that one can press, so that it is not
usually possible to stop communicating
programs in a coordinated ·way. Memory dumps made on the separate machines will frequently correspond todifferent states of the system. Finally,
persistent protocol problems occur
quite infrequently, are timing-dependent and difficult to reproduce.
An interesting symbiosis has been required to make experimental researchon computer networking possible. Network users are primarily concernedwith their own research, and look on
Spider as a service which aids them inthat goal. Therefore, users' acceptancedepends heavily upon their perceptionsof what advantages the network offers
them, and upon their observations of
the reliability and availability of theservice provided. Since existing habits
have to be changed and effort expended
to make use of the network convenient,these are resonable concerns. To date
Spider has succeeded in building user
confidence on both of these fronts. The
network is available 24 hours per day
to serve the needs of research people
who often work strange hours. Network
services, such as file storage, printing,and access to the Murray Hill computation center are also run around theclock.
0

Dr. Fraser designed the specialized
electronic parts and did the programming for Spider. He came to
Bell Labs in 1969 from FerrantiLtd., where he was responsible forcompiler writing. Prior to that he
was assistant director of research
at Cambridge Univ., where heworked on the file system for the
Atlas computer.

CRTRMRTICN

THE ONLY WAY mCOMPARE
APPLES &ORANGES
Software makes it no comparison. Especially when you
look at the Interdata 7/32 versus the ·PDP 11/40.
Interdata believes that hardware exists to make programmingeasier. That's the reason we invented a 32-bit
minicomputer. And that's the reason there can be nocomparison with a 16-bit machine. When you think about
it, 32 bits makes it happen. Which means, no matter how
you slice it, you get: Unrestricted program sizethat gives you application programs which .are notlimited 'to 65K (16 bits) of memory; Instant diskto-core loading, dynamic address relocation andtask handled traps .to assure you of rapid context
switching; a Command Substitution System thatgives your operator/programmers
macro-capabilities making our 7/32,
with its multi-task operating',system {OS/32MT),c simple and...... <> .... '.
....
•...
easy to use...
.
.. Software, that's plain and simply why we madethe 7/32 happen - to mak~, Y0l1:r software
more efficient and cheaper. So don't try tocompare apples (the' PDP 11/40)' and oranges.
Especially when their apple only has '16' bits
.to help their software and our orange has 32.

.............. ........... ............... ..... ........... ...... . ...................................
~

This isthe Interdata 7/32 minicompute!.

Intetdata, lric.,.Oceariporf,(N.
Gentleme11:o Let's talk oranges. Have anlnterdatarepresentativecontactme.
A subsidiary of The Perkin:Elmer. ~orporation
Oceanport, N.J; 07757.(201) 229-4040.
6486 Viscount Road, Mississauga, Ontario,
CanadaL4V IH3. (416) 677-8990.
Arundel Road,Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.
Uxbridge 52441.
8032 Grafelfingbei Munchen,
Waldstrabe 31, West Geimany. 854-20-34-38.
92 Chandos Street, St. Leonards,
Sydney, Australia 2065.439-8400.

~_----:-_-,--_----:-----:------,_ _...,--_Tit1e _ _ _ __Telephone_ _ _...,...;.-_,.,--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _...,--_----'............ ".............................................................................................................................................................
,

-

"

,

"

CIRCLE 53 ON READER CARD--'

.GREATCOMPUTERSECRETS*re-submitted to the GCS 2100 for editing,reformatting, etc.)
The GCS 2100 can interface up to thirty-two
Touch-Tone® telephones. Card readers. Medium
and high speed line printers. Four-tape drives. Four
fixed or moving head discs.
All on a single system.
The GCS 2100 provides extensive I/O functions
so you can transfer data to and from disc storageand other "1/ 0 devices.

The GCS 2100 can accommodate up to 64
local or remote terminals: local terminals canbe located up to 2500 ft. from the system's CPU.
You get faster, more accurate data entry for
functions like payroll, shipping, receiving andmanufacturing, because the person most familiar
with the data does the keying.
The GCS 2100 also offers data entry fromremote terminals (it can handle up to five remoteterminals over one dedicated telephone line).

A Programmable Extension Package (PEP)
extends the power and the flexibility of the2100 system: up to 255 PEP tables provide

We've been so busy developing our powerful
GCS 2100 system, we've never taken thetime to tell enough people what a great
system it is.
How efficient it is [average of 80% reduction in •errors - 35% to 85% faster document handling).
How reliable it is (less than 1 % downtime). How
simple it is (operator training time less than 8hours). Or how economical it is (10% to 40%
savings in data preparation costs).
And our competitors have loved us for keeping
it such a secret!

The GCS 2100 is a complete data entry
system: it lets you collect and edit data at thesource (data is actually edited while it is being
keyed); store the data on disc; then transfer theclean data to an output media like magnetic tape.
(Data already on tape or cards can becapabilities like automatic data insertions; range
and value checks; table look-ups; logical tests;
character expansion; and data dependent format
switching.
These tables are not job assigned, so they canbe used on several different jobs.
A library of over 100 special edits is alsoavailable. (If there isn't an edit for your needs, we
can design one.)The GCS 2100 also provides up to 99 format
levels per job; up to 255 balance accumulators;
variable length record and blocking factors; and up
to 255 jDbs stored in the system.
GCS 2100 Peripherals: GCB DataTonedata entry via Touch-Tone® telephones. GCS
Data Tel - remote bat'ch communications.
For more Great Computer Secrets, contact
Agent 2100 at General Computer Systems, Inc.,
16600 Dooley Road, Addison, Texas 75001 .
(800) 527-2568 toll free. In Texas (214) 233-5800.

EiCS 2100

GeneraL compU[er/5!:::J5[em5In~

58

CIRCLE 45 ON READER CARDCRTRMRTION

Current trends may culminate in
the office of the future being an extensionof the computer center, or vice versa.

TOWARD THE

AUTOMATEDOFFICE
While data processors are concentrating their efforts on maximizing
throughput and minimizing run times
and, all in all, running an efficient dp
shop for their users, significant developments are beginning to surface in theoffice environments of some of thosesame users-developments in the classic office functions and processes thathave nothing to do with computer-related data capture or the use, say, of
terminals. These developments bring
into play a variety of separate but
related technologies that in the 1980s,
observers say, will tie the front officevery intimately to the corporate dp
function. They will combine a wider
availability of lower-cost communications facilities with technological developments in displays, microelectronics, and data base management.
None of the separate office functions
introduces a new term. Word processing as an activity is rampant ... facsimile transmission is gaining in acceptance . . . digital message store
and forward systems are already being
used by a number of companies . . .
and document storage and retrieval
using microfilm or fiche is old hat.
What's meaningful is the increasing
realization among equipment makers
that these separate developments canbe tied together to increase productivity in the office of the future.
First word processing

Take word processing, for example. It's being seen as the foot in thedoor, the opening wedge to the automated office. Clearly it's the closest the

February, 1975

by Edward K. Yasaki, Senior Associate Editor

office has yet come to automating any
function, and it's the center of most. of what goes on there. Word processors, based on the typewriter, manipulate and adjust text in ways that cut
costs. DATAMATION'S contributing editor, F. G. Withington of A. D. Little,
foresees enhanced capabilities and expanded markets for these systems
with the advent of microprocessors
and low-cost minis. The prices of thesedevices need not go up, he observes,
while the price of labor constantly
does.
Having greater ramification, Withington adds, is the logical follow-on.
If you're typing text, you're also digitizing it for storage on a magnetic medium. You can then carry it to someone else's machine for transcription
or transmit it over lines inexpensively-and have none of the bandwidth
problems of facsimile transmission.
With the mail service being what it is,
it's even appealing to send memos,
letters, and proposals over phonelines. And, of course, all this can become computer input.
Enhanced capabilities through suchintegrated functions is the byword in
office automation. Office products that
now are standalone devices will be integrated into systems, according to
Quantum Sciences study. There already are text editing typewriters
linked to a shared processor, providing economies of scale and such features as access to common data bases
containing, say, customers' names andaddresses and boilerplate p':lragraphs,
as well as shared high-speed printers.

In the future, too, they say, copiers
will be integrated with the facsimiletransceiver, as well as with text editing
output, and with microfilming. The
text editing process will meld withstorage/ retrieval systems and, in other instances, with photocomposition
for in-plant printing. And a dictationtranscriber could become a part of theoffice typewriter. Not to be overlooked,
in addition, is a computer-based, userprogrammable PABX.
According to John Brennan of
Quantum, the electronic s~itchboard
will have modems shared by office terminals, allow incoming messages to be
stored for later delivery, allow officedictation to be recorded on voice
store-and-forward units for later transcription, and provide toll accounting
and traffic analysis to allocate phonebudgets and optimize line usage.
A $23 billion market

The recent Quantum study forecasts
shipments of office automation products and systems over the next five
years totalling $23 billion. Shipments
in 1973 came to $3.4 billion, of
which standalone products comprised
99%. But in 1978, when shipments
will have grown to $5.8 billion, conventional products will account for
79%, integrated systems for 5%, andnew products for the remaining 16%,
Quantum says. In that same timeframe, there will be a growing shortage of clerical labor. And secretarialsalaries in the major cities that averaged $160 a week in 1973 will jump
to $220 a week.

59

AUTOMATED OFFICE
Still, one might question whether
automation in the office environment,
sometimes requiring a drastic change
in the ways things are done, will be
accepted. Prof. Edwin B. Parker ofStanford Univ.'s Dept. of Communications, has been studying and writing widely on information technologies. He thinks the economics of theautomated office will provide sufficient,impetus to bring about acceptance,
despite the attitudes of office workers.
There obviously will be transitional
problems, he adds, and "it's hard to'measure the economics. The thing isthere are things you'll be able to dowith an automated system that you
can't with the manual. And how doyou put a dollars-and-cents value onthese?" An automated system for libraria"ns was developed at Stanford,
he explains, and there were fears andtrepidations among the staff therewhich have since disappeared. But
the decision to implement the system
was made at the management level,
influenced strongly by its economics.
And he sees the same occurring withthe automated office.
Evelyn Berezin, president of Redactron Corp., Hauppauge, N.Y., alsosees equipment being developed witha combination of functions. Her company's word processing equipment,

which comprise a prominent share of
the marketplace, has a communications capability. She foresees a text
editor also being able to access a central data base and going out into theworld over the Telex or TWX network.
In a sales office, she explains, you
might be using word processing equipment for very ordinary letters or for
proposal preparation. You could insert boilerplate information into letters, inquire into a data base to learn
when something was scheduled for delivery or to learn what was in inventory, and also from that same terminal
enter purchase order information forbatch transmission to some central
point.
"So you're talking about a very wide
variety of applications for that word
processing equipment," Berezin says.
"It's available now. And what one
would like to do is to consider thatcombination of capabilities extended
into even more general operations: toreproduce textual information, if you
needed it, or to transmit facsimile information, so that at any field office ormaintenance facility you would be able
t.o do whatever is also possible at thehome office."
Achieving something like this, ofcourse, is often outside the ken of asingle company. San Francisco-based

Fireman's Fund, for example, is theseventh largest insurance company in
the U.S. It has 49 branch offices
around the country and six regional

This publicity still from Redactron Corp.
illustrates some of today's state of theart-separate transcription, text editing;and digital communications pi"Oducts~

DP Management and the Automated OfficeSecretaries are said to favor the useof word processing systems in offices' for it· opens a career path forthem. Freed from the typewriter,
or at least much of the typing duties
she now has, the secretary can become more of an administrative assistant to her boss, it is being said.
The automated office, too, canmean a new career path for thosein data processing. It will require,
however, a far greater awarenessby dp people of what's going onin the corporate office environment,
where computer-based systems on
a dedicated basis· are beginning toappear. These are black-box con·trollers doing things unrelated to theclassic dp shop, but in time thesesystems may be interfaced to thedp center.
Similarly, there's the company's
automatic switchboard. "The dp
manager and the data communications manager will have to become
more directly involved in the acquisitipn of PABX systems for theoffice and for offices throughout thecompany," says John J. Brennan of
Quantum Science Corp., New
York, a firm that has completed a60

study of this market. Most PABXS
are currently selected by, say, theoffice manager, and for the next five
years or so that's the way it willcontinue. But with the approachingavailability of a programmable
P ABX and the ramifications that thathas, it becomes important that thedp manager become involved.
Depending on the nature of anorganization's primary activity, theinitial impetus to the automated office will be made by the word processing, the printing/ reproduction,or the telecommunications function. In most instances· it will beword processing. And that activity
might be headed by an administrative vice president, who also oversees his company's voice communications functions, the printing/
duplicating, and general office services. Whatever that person's title,
he is not the data processing. manager, who is responsible only for
edp and data communications.
With the implementation of someof the concepts discussed here,
however, Quantum Science foresees a change in the organizational
makeup ofa company. Allpf these

activities, it is believed, will become
the responsibility of one executive,
perhaps a vp of information services. Reporting to that executive
will be the managers of edp, communications (voice and data),
graphics, word processing, records,
and general office services.
George Schussel, who has held
management positions in· computing for many years, doesn't see thistype of reorganization occurring
soon. Perhaps over two decades, hesays. Schussel, vp of In(ormation
Systems & Services Group, American Mutual Insurance, Wakefield,
Mass., says, "What I see happening is the MIS or dp function coming under the Administration, rather than the Controller. There's sortof a trend in that direction. As that
happens, and as the dp function
contiimes to grow, all of a sudden
what you're looking at is, say, asenior vice president of Administration who has' a vice president ofdata processing reporting to him,
but 80% of all the people report0
ing to him are in dp."

:DRTRMATION

nance of local files, but can be networked to make shared files.
But A. D. Little's Withington points
out that all this talk about keying data
once at the word processing station,then transmitting it or storing it forlater retrieval, implies a digital technology. "Offices don't work digitally;
they work with analog images on paper." It's a point also made by Tom
Humphrey of Stanford Research Institute. People's reliance on the hardcopy, very difficult to overcome, won't
be changed for a long time, he says.
But there will be less reliance on the
hardcopy.
Humphrey believes there are threeroutes to the automated office. One isword processing; a second is telecommunications; and a third is through theprinting/ publishing technologies. At
SRI they produce about 1,000 masterpages a day for such documents as reports, proposals, and brochu,res.
That's nearly 250,000 master pages a
year, not to be confused with printing impressions. Thus their interest inword processing and other aids to realizing economies. Critical of the typewriter, Humphrey sings praises for theelectronic keyboard, which, with a display tube, reportedly can produce
much greater throughput.
At Trans World Airlines, they use
IBM word processing systems for the
documentation of their computer software and for the maintenance and up-

processing centers. This company islooking to automate its insurance policy preparation. A big expense at thebranches is assembling anywhere fromeight to 30 documents that comprisea policy and typing on each one. The
problem is that an insurance company
is regulated by each state in which it
operates. "So you have forms requirements that are different in each state,"laments Jack Coplen, who heads Fireman's branch office automation group.
"You have maybe 200 forms for eachstate, multiplied by 50 states." He adds
that a large effort is currently underway by the industry to standardize
on forms, something that must be
achieved "before you can really get
the thing down to a scale where you
can attack it with word processing."
Features along these lines are said
to be incorporated in an experimen-·tal secretarial station developed at the
Xerox research center in Palo Alto,
Calif. The people there refuse interview requests, but it's been.1earned thatsome 100 units of a system dubbed
Apollo were being manufactured by
the company's computer operation in .
Los Angeles. Apollo reportedly isbased on a Nova minicomputer from
Data General, has a million bytes ofsemiconductor storage, and a crt witha resolution said to be 10 times greaterthan that of a conventional tv screen.
It purportedly is being used initially·
asa secretarial desk for the mainteREMOTE TEXTEDITTERMINALS

REMOTE PHOTOCOMPOSITION UNITSCOMPUTER
BASED
PABX

REMOTE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL·REMOTE HIGH SPEED PRINTERS' - - - - - DATA PROCESSING CENTER

CPU

__

__

AUTOMATED STORAGE[:'~:;;;~~~;J~~~-L~ ~~ J~~~" RETRIEVltSYSTEMPHOTOCOMPOSITION
UNIT

Source: Quantum Science Corporation

Fig. 1. Text editing, document preparation, facsimile transmission, automated filesystems, and programmable switchboards exist separately today. Integrated, they
could make up the automated office of the future.

February, 1975

dating of 28 administrative manuals.
The text for these loose-leaf manuals
is stored on more than 4,000 reels oftape. The text preparation and editing devices from Redactron and oth. ers are designed to prepare text for
typesetting for applications such as
this.
Who cares about PABX?

The third bridge to the automatedoffice is through telecommunications.
Brennan sees the programmableswitchboard linking the various piecesof the automated office together. In the
U.S., he says, word processing is leading the way to the automated office,while in Europe the programmable
P ABX may do this. The Europeans havemore sophistication in this than inword processing, he explains, and thephone companies there are less restricted from providing computerbased PABX capabilities.
The computer-qased switchboard,
Brennan says, will link the various administrative functions within the officeto each other and to other functions,such as security and control systems.
It will also provide a link to systems
outside· the office-to the corporate
edp center and to outside computer
service vendors. These systems, integrating both voice and data communications through a single control pointat the c.orporate office, will feature modems shared by office terminals and will
perform store-and-forward functions
with· voice messages and digital facsimile signals."Y ou want to be able
to dictate messages into the phone,"he says, "and retain a message for yoursecretary. And you will want to dictate letters to the word processing
center."Brennan admits the initial appealof the electronic switchboard will be
its ability to improve cost controls
by performing an analysis of phone
usage and possibly monitoring and restricting calls. A company might subscribe to both a zone 3 and a zone
5 WATS service; if zone 3 is busy acaller may just go to the zone 5, which
is more expensive. This can be controlled, restricting zone 5 only to thoserequiring that facility .
.. An ·important factor leading to thedelay in the installation of such switchboards, Brennan says, is that the prime
candidates for them, the large offices,
have a strong preference for the Centrex switching services provided by
the phone companies. It therefore will
be up to independent suppliers toprovide a system that can be interfaced to the Centrex and that has thefeatures of a programmable P ABX toperform the office system integration.
61

AUTOMATED OFFICE
Centrex takes the switching gear outof the office and puts it in the telephonecompany plant. "And that practicallyeliminates the programmable PABX
market from the o,ffices that could bestuse it," says Brennan.
In Europe, IBM has been marketingan electronic PABX that is not ayailable
tin the States. If IBM'S attempt to get
into the domestic 'satellite communications business is any indication of
the problem it will have diversifying
its business, it will be several years before its new switchboard will be available in the States. A few other independents, however, are developing systems for the U.S. market. Theirarrival onto the marketplace could coincide with the wide availability of digital network services.
In certain industries-banks, insurance companies and utilities among
them-there are specialized filing applications that require the storage andretrieval of microfilmed documents. In
an insurance company, that might beapplications for policies. In cases suchas this, Brennan sees a, continued demand for a hybrid storage-retrieval
system, such as Kodak's Miracode II.
lt allows for the entry and inquiry offile index information from a terminal,
display on a film reader, and the availability of a hard copy from a readerprinter.
While the implementation of computer-based storage-retrieval systems
will not be widespread in the next five
years, he says, the availability of ashared processor text editing" system
will make it feasible for the indexing
and referencing of material preparedin the office to be done at the time ofthe original text entry. The sharedprocessor can also be used for indexing and referencing material preparedexternally that enters the office files,
and will assist in the integration of all
stored documents in centrally controlled files.
The automated office, then, has thesetypes of characteristics and capabilities, promises benefits that are difficult to express in dollar figures, andapparently will bring about a reorganization of the traditional office structure. Logically, current suppliers ofoffice and business equipment will attempt to establish a Ifoothold in thislarge market.
The vendors ante up

Of the major computer manufacturers, IBM, Xerox, and Univac arein the word processing business to atleast some extent. IBM popularized theterm, taking it from the German T extverarbeitung. Xerox entered the fieldlast October, announcing a standalone

text editing system that many observers see as only the proverbial tip of
the iceberg. Arid Sperry Remington,
which had been selling the Redactron
units under its own name, now has alicensing agreement to begin manufacturing them.
Those who follow such developments look for a restructuring at IBM
that brings into even closer association
the General Systems Div., which markets the System/3 small-scale computer, and the Office Products Div.,
which markets typewriters" copiers,
dictating equipment," and text editing
typewriters. Market researcher Robert F. Wickham, formerly associatedwith Creative Strategies,- says 2741 terminals connected to a S/3 with theproper software could produce ashared processor text editing systemthat would run circles around anything now offered by the Office Products Div.
At Sperry Rand Corp., there's beena recent consolidation of its Sperry
Remington office systems and machines"operations into the Sperry Univac Div.
"This will ensure oUf suc-cessful future
participation in the rapidly growing
information processing systems markets," commented Sperry's chairman
and chief exec officer, J. Paul Lyet. Under this reorganization, Univac will be
responsible for the development, manufacture, and marketing of all computer systems, peripherals and terminal products, office systems, officemachines, and related products.
Others also are expected to maketheir moves. Burroughs recently took
steps to acquire Graphic Sciences Inc.,
manufacturer of facsimile transceivers.
'To date, within companies, dataprocessing and word processing havebeen operating pretty much independently. But when one thinks about it,a lot of the information eventually
massaged and stored by the dp department originates in the office. For
this reason, executives at a number ofcompanies have begun thinking about
the eventual closing of this loop.
"In the long run I think these word
processing machines and the data processing world are really going to move
together," says Redactron's Evelyn
Berezin. "I mean, that's really the future of the office, to tie it all together."
And she thinks it's "terribly important" that the dp manager become involved with word processing. "I think
one of the problems has been that
there's been no management connection between the data processing operation problem and the total officeproblem ... The office of the futureis going to come about only when there
is a connection."
0 "CIRCLE 90 ON READER CARD

62

:DRTRMRTION

People can be motivated to want
to be part of a program maintenance staff.

ORGANIZEDPROGRAMMAINTENANCE
Planning, staffing, and organizing acompletely new approach to program
maintenance made 1973 a turnaroundyear in data processing for Spring
Mills, Inc., a major Fort Mill, South
Carolina based textile manufacturer.
Now, two years later, we have collected enough information to know thatthe approach we adopted was the rightone.
Spring's Computer Information Services (CIS), based at the company's
Customer Service Center in Lancaster,S.c., was at that time operating 24
hours per day, 6 days per week, withan IBM MP/65.and over 3,000 productive programs written in COBOL, RPG,and BAL. Two 1401s and two 7070s
were supported with an additional 800
productive programs each. In addition,
thousands of frames of microfilm andmicrofiche were produced daily. And
approximately.700 new programs werebeing placed into production eachyear. (No new programs were being
written for the second generationequipment, and attrition was diminishing the number of old ones.)
The old way

No records were kept before 1972
to provide statistics relating to cost andeffort, although deficiencies in new development were evident. New systems
were implemented behind schedule andover budget. One or more programmers remained on the projects, often as
long as six months, correcting and enhancing the systems to make them operational and acceptable to the users.
This, then, affected manpower scheduling for systems waiting to be staffed
and taxed the user's patience and confidence in data processing in general.
Records were compiled during 1972
showing where all efforts were expended, to determine what percentageof time was actually being devoted to
new development and what was hap-

February, 1975

pening to the rest of the time. Efforts
were categorized as: new development,
maintenance, special projects, and administrative overhead.
.
Prior to 1973, CIS had no particular
staff members assigned to maintenance.
Instead, it was performed in conjunction with new development. No plans
were made for servicing requests andno personnel were budgeted for performing this necessary and sometimes
critical function. Therefore, in 1972,
30.1 % of total programmer effort wasspent in maintenance while only
45.2 % went to new development. The
remaining time went to special projects(10.5%) and administrative overhead(14.2% ).
A few words of explanation areneeded to clarify terminology. "Special
projects," as defined by CIS, means:"one time" programs, conversions fromone language to another, and special reporting necessitated by wage and pricecontrols. Maintenance falls into one ofthree categories:
1. Repaircorrecting program deficiencies
2. Revisionsbusiness or government oriented changes such as payrollchanges, and changes to improve job or program efficiency
3. Enhancementsdifferent reporting from or additions to existing systems
Repairs and revisions are performedon an "as needed" basis without regard
to cost justification. The user submits
a written request for an enhancement
cost estimate. When he receives theestimate, he evaluates the cost versus
the payback and benefits he expects toreceive. If his findings are favorable hethen submits a request to have the task
performed.
Administrative overhead is defined
as non-project oriented activities suchby John W. Mooneyas supervision, education, vacations,holidays, sick leave and other time off.
The 45.2 % effort applied to new development sounded great, but we knew
it could stand a lot of improvement.
Not only were new and needed systems
going undone, the 45.2% being developed was full of errors due to constant interruptions created by maintenance, thus compounding the maintenance problems. Maintained programs
often required re-maintaining because
programmers, in their haste to be ridof the burden, would neglect to upgrade documentation or ensure that
'only the correct version of the program
remained in the libraries. With a staff
of 40 programmers servicing between
70 and· 80 requests each month, any
type of control using this method ofhandling maintenance was impossible.
At one point the test libraries contained
more modules than the production
libraries.
The new way

At the beginning of 1973, we createda maintenance team made up of a
selected group of senior and juniorprogrammers. A project manager was
assigned to organize the team and operate as follows:·1. Prepare a log and record all re- .
quests in and out, by date, forcontrol.
2. Evaluate each request for its
severity and assign priorities.
3. Assign tasks to the programmersin the group.
4. Ensure standards were met anddocumentation upgraded.
5. Ensure that maintained programs
were thoroughly tested before being placed in production.
6. Get programs back into production as expeditiously as possible.
Since maintenance has traditionallybeen regarded as distasteful and unre-63

ORGANIZED PROGRAM MAINTENANCE
warding, we braced ourselves for a mutiny or, at best, a slump in morale. To
help ease the situation, certain promises
were made to the personnel selected toserve in this area. They were assured
that ~~g....on...J~ team theX-.
would alwa.Ys receive the largest mectL)nc.re~allowed by compaw policy.
They were also assured iliat if they
wished, ,they would be !Q"tated out ofmaintenfter servin SiX monthS'''''';rthout forfeiting t e promised lUcrease earned during their stay. It was.also explained to them that this task
was more importa'nt to the company
than any other programming function.
When the maintenance backlog permitted, members of the team were assigned one time special programs towrite so they would be prepared towork on new development when they
desired the change. (At this writing, I
have received no request for rotation.)
Instead of the anticipated low morale problem, maintenance personnel
accepted their new responsibilities as achallenge and a way of learning how
not to write programs. Their morale
has remained high; they offer suggestions of what not to dO' to new development personnel; and, they voluntarily
arranged Saturday staffing among
themselves, which was not then one of
their required duties. The team developed into multilingual experts capable of handling any program changeor any abend. They take pride in theirwork and are respected' by others andpraised by management. They have offered many suggestions causing standards and documentation changes affecting program maintenance.
In 1973, this team serviced nearly
1,000 requests for revisions, enhancements, repairs, etc., while reducing
the total maintenance percentage to20.1 %, allowing new development toreach an all time Springs Mills high of
57.9%. This amounted to a 10% decrease in maintenance effort and a
12.7% increase in new development.
(The additional 2.7% difference occurred in administrative overhead andspecial projects.)
The fact that new development personnel were concerned with only new
development and the maintenance staff
concerned only with maintenanceseemed to have a positive affect on
morale within the programming department. The newly developed systems
went in on time, under budget, andoperational. Programmer turnover for1973 averaged 9.3%.
The second year's numbers

In 1973, we were staffed with 40
programmers, of which 10 were assigned to the maintenance team. New
64

projects made it necessary to increase
the staff to 44 early in 1974, but none
were added to the maintenance group.
The turnover rate for 1974 settled out
at about 11.3 %. Five programmers left
the company; but none left from theteam. So far, no one on the team haseven asked to be reassigned.
. In 1974, maintenance ran 20.2% of
total effort, a marginal increase of
0.1 % over 1973. There are now eightprogrammers in maintenance; twowere placed on new development projects in July (and objected to the move).
The computer department is replacing its old configuration of hardware
with two 370/ 158s. Springs Mills Management is pleased that more effort ~s
now going into new development, andwe are constantly looking for ways toimprove what we already have. For
example, a programmer implementing
a program change rarely knows the affect the change could have in succeeding jobs or' systems. Consequently, one
systems analyst has been assigned tothe team to research changes when dependencies are not known.
Now all new programs are implemented with the possibilities of future
maintenance in mind. New systems undergo a rigid review prior to the detaildesign stage. Reviews, presented by thesenior systems analyst, are attended by
the CIS Director, a data processing auditor, the managers of Program Development, Systems Development, Technical Support, and Operations, and thesenior programmer that will be assigned to the project. An attempt ismade, by all persons involved, to pickholes in the system or discover loose
ends or uncertainties. Once the systemappears sound, the analyst reviews thesystem with the user. At that time theuser accepts or rejects the system.
When a system design is accepted by
the user, program estimating is done,schedules established and program
specifications are begun. All program
specifications are edited and reviewed
by a senior analyst or project manager
before being accepted by the programming staff. Edit program specifications
are further reviewed by a programming
project manager for completeness andclarity.
At implementation, all programs arethoroughly examined for adherence tostandards before being approved for
production. All programs must be
modularly constructed with clear andmeaningful notes explaining the purpose of each module. Program options,constants, tables, etc. must be external
to a program to reduce future programchanges. Programs, particularly edits,
must produce a program control summary accounting for records in, records

out, number and type of errors produced on error lists, money and/ or
quantity amounts.
If all programs meet standards thesystem is given a shakedown run by thedevelopment team and an operations
analyst where operator instructions andother such considerations are reviewed.
If the system passes these rigid' examinations it is then classified as productive; however, all new programsmust run productively and trouble free
for a 90 day period before they become
the responsibility of the maintenanceteam.
In addition to all previously mentioned checks and examinations systems and programs must pass, our dataprocessing auditors periodically pull
documentation folders from the library
and audit either an individual programor an entire system. Their role is toensure that the system complies withthe user's accepted goals, that users getwhat they need, and that what they get
is' accurate. Often the auditors recommend certain changes that can further
benefit the user or make maintenanceeasier.
Springs places a lot of emphasis on
reducing future maintenance. With thenumber of new producing programs being implemented yearly, surely the percentage of total effort spent on maintenance must grow accordingly. We
realize of course that certain kinds ofmaintenance must always be performed-our objective is to minimize the effort. Consequently, it is evident that nomatter what we do nor how sophisticated our systems or installations become; maintenance is a fact of everyday life, it is expensive, and it is here
to stay. Therefore, it is something thatmust be planned, staffed, and above all"organized."0

Mr. Mooney is the manager of program development at Spring Mills'
Customer Service Center. He has
had 21 years of dp experience including positions with Colorado Interstate Gas Co., Delcos, Inc., andTexas Eastern Transmission Co.

:DRTRMRTION

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Chances are that you don't have adequate documentation right now. And, you need it!
Most EDP organizations lack the skill to produce
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Sure, you can hire a 'specialist' to develop
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KEYSTONE'S modular format presents exact'how to' examples. It includes the most effective andefficient techniques of documentation preparation, as
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If your computer documentation methods and procedures aren't up to the new standard, why not goright to the source.

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February, 1975

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CIRCLE 32 ON READER CARD

65

Is. your system wiring a twisted bag of worms ?
o
()

000

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(J

THERE'S A SINGLE LINE SYSTEM THAT
DOES MORE AND CAN COST YOU LESS !
Growing systems require extensive communications wiring with the increasing numbers ofprocessors, sensors, controllers, keyboards
and displays. Multiple twisted pairs merelycompound the problem. And, each I/O device
you add just increases the growing bag ofworms.

munications and several channels of closed
circuit TV. That's just a bit more than you'll getwith a twisted pair. And, it costs less to install.
We offer - on a single cable - frequency
division multiplexing, 1000 full duplex channels and time di\f.ision multiplexing withinchannels. Maybe we can help you get theworms out of your system as well as the wiring.

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66

CIRCLE 62 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

Since its rental price is about one-third that of a
System/3 model 10, IBM can call on more customers.
with the System/32 than it could with all its othercomputer systems combined.

THE
IBM SYSTEM/32
Complete with phrases. such as "increased productivity to help fight inflation" and "immediate help for the small
businessman, who typically gets hurt
worst in a recession," IBM'S General Systems Division almost made it sound asifits new product, the long awaited baby
brother to the System/3, might alone
bailout the economy. That seems likea tall order, but one thing seems fairly
certain about the January 7 announcement: American business will never bequite the same again. By some esti. mates, IBM currently has approximately
70,000 ~omputer systems installedworldwide. There are probably upwardsof 100,000 businesses in the U.S. alonethat could not only use the power of the
new machine, but could make themonthly payments, starting around$770/month for the system, plus the
charges for supporting programs. It
seems then that a larger number of people are about to see an IBM salesman
for the first time than have seen one
within the last five years.
If IBM is worried about the implications those numbers might have to the
U.S. Justice Dept., it didn't show at the
Atlanta unveiling, where a phalanx ofsystems were shown visiting editors tounderscore GSD'S total commitment tofive relatively large and isola table industries: construction, hospitals, membership organizations, wholesale food,and the wholesale paper and office,products industries. This emphasis is
somewhat of a retrenchment from thecustomized support offered with System/3 software which undoubtedly
forced IBM into trying to wear too many
hats. It seems to be a wise decision:
there's less chance of getting a large
number of unhappy users-something
no vendor wants. These marketing emphases are the initial ones: more will
February, 1975

undoubtedly be added.
A good way to look at the productis to consider it a System/3 model 2,.with the numbers combined for better
identification. Resembling an accounting machine, the System/32 combines
a microprocessor-based cpu, a choice of
16K, 24K, or 32K size Mosfet technology memories, a visual display screen, a
floppy disc unit for accomniodating
input arid small file output, and a large(5 or 9.1 megabyte) fixed disc unit Initial IBM product announcements have a
habit of growing into more exciting systems, however, and IBM "grudgingly" letit be known that there was certainly
room for expansion of the system andthat there is nothing implicit in the design of the cpu that would prevenf itfrom handling a larger memory complement, though, as always, IBM doesn'tlike to speculate on future, unannounced products.
With 4,500 sales personnel. in 67
branch offices across the U.S. and Canada (the only two countries where thesystem was announced), .it probably
doesn't matter that IBM is, again, coming
to this market late .. The Singers, Qantels, and Datapoints of the world havebeen making a good living in specificapplication areas. (See June 1973, p. 76.)
Though for its power the System/32
might be the lowest priced system inhistory, other vendors won't have thatmuch trouble coming in under IBM'S
price-but that isn't always enough. In
support of the sales personnel are 2,700
to 3,000 specialists involved iIi system
support.
Interestingly, IBM believes that System/32s will "stay put" longer than past
products, and that the 600,000 lines ofcoding in the application packages
won't be mooified very much at the userlevel. The message seems to be that if

by Michael Cashm~n, Associate Editor

more processing power is needed, getanother system, or go up to the bigger
System/3 models. Part of this reasoning
may explain a new three-year leaseplan. complete with an inflationary pro- .

Hospital applications are one of the fivevertical industries IBM will heavily support
wi,th the new System/32. The operator isshown peering at output generated by the"high-speed" (50, 100, or 1551pm) printer.
Immediately to her left can be seen thedisplay screen. The cabinet to her left holds
the cpu/memory, floppy disc unit, and thelarge, (5 or 9.1 megabyte) non-removable
disc storage unit.

tection clause that promises prices won't
rise more than 5% per year during thelast two years of the lease. Signs of thetimes. The new plan, called the Term
Availability Plan, knocks roughly 5% off
the stan~ard monthly rental charge.
Pricing
A minimum system with 16K ofmemory, 5 megabyte· disc, and 40 cps

67

SYSTEM/32
printer is $809/month on straight rental,$770/month on the new TAP, or $33,100
on purchase with a maintenance chargeof $165/month. For each additional 8K
of memory add $50/month; add$89/month for the 9.1 megabyte disc. A
fully equipped system with the 1551pm
printer,big disc, 32K of memory, bisynchronous communications support,

RPG II language and utilities would run$1,374, plus any industry application
programs required. These numbers
might mean that some System/3 model
6 equipment will come in off lease, andan IBM spokesman confirmed that was.
a possibility.
So, on the eve of the most important
antitrust case it has ever been involved

in, IBM seems to be as strong as ever.
If the Justice Dept. does. demand that
the General Systems Division, with its
arsenal of System/3 and System!7 gear
be broken away from IBM, this division
will probably turn out to be the largest
member of the new company structure,in. terms of numbers of systems in0
stalled.

. . . - - - - - - - - - - - A Closer Look At The S p e c s - - - - - - - - Hardware
Designed largely by the team responsible for the original System/3, theSystem/32's architecture allows upward compatibility to that system.
The bipolar cpu features an 8K microprocessor to hold most of theoperating system, with an additional
2K of user memory required. The 8Kof Mosfet memory is a writable control store that is loaded from a flexible disc periphe~al that is standard
on all systems and which can be used
for other purposes. The internal machine speed is approximately 1usec
per instruction, but it's a lot slower
than that at the system level, roughly 60usec per instruction. Data is represented in EBCDIC form, and the system's memory cycle time is 600 nsec.
IBM will not be responsible for microcoding altered by users for theirown applications, but this level ofmachine seems an unlikely candidate
for such alterations anyway.
A variation of the Winchester
project disc drive, but with a simplified access arm arrangement, is standard on the system, providing 5
megabytes of direct access storage as
standard; 9.1 megabytes optional.
Chances are good that the System/32
will never be found waiting on information from the disc: the transfer
rate is the same as previous Winchesters at 889KB. Access times, excluding latency, range from 13msec minimum to 180msec maximum, depending on model, with an average accesstime of 70msec for the standard unit,
and 14.2msec minimum to 167msec
maximum for the 9.1 megabytemodel.
The keyboard/console looks like a
typewriter to help keep things as simple as possible for first time users.
A lO-key numeric keyboard andfunction keys are clustered aroundthe console. The function keys are
dual-defined, providing 24 commands.
The visual display screen is similar
to the one that appeared on the 3740
data entry system some time ago anddisplays up to six lines of 40 characters .. With its 64-character· set, thescreen is used for operator prompt-

68

ing, file inquiry, or other output
functions under program control. .
The diskette if 0 device is used ina number of ways, serving as a replacement for punched cards. It is
used to initially define the system,and then can be used for input (coming from a 3740 data entry system),for output, for storage of informationfrom the larger, nonremovable disc,etc. The unit can read up to 3,400
128-byte records per minute andwrite and verify at· a rate of 1,800
128-byte records per minute.
The standard printer for the System/32 is a 40cps unit that uses a 7x7
wire matrix as the writing element
A second model doubles the speed
to 80cps. Standard features include
bidirectional printing with line optimization to save time, a 64-character
set, and a 132 print position line
length. These printers operate liketypewriters with regard to printing
on a single form or ledger cards.
A line printer is also available forconsecutive diskettes is provided.
Beyond this complement of software, the user can pick packages andutilities that support his intended
functions. If the user expects to write
his own programs, RPG II is available
under a license for $25/month. The
utilities program product includes fa:~ilities for creating and maintaining
disc files, sorting, and creating andmaintaining system operating procedures. It rents for $15/month. Applications programs tailored for the five
speCific industries supported by IBM
are separately priced, as shown in thetable.
Communications
By attaching. an optional communications adapter ($95/month),
the System/32 may be used to communicate with a larger System/360
or 370, a System/3, a System!7, another System/32, or a 3741 data
entry device, model 2 or 4 by using
the binary synchronous com-

Industry

Front-end Charge

Monthly License

Construction
Hospital
Membership
Wholesale Food
Wholesale Paper$470 to $2,330$2,000$1,485$2,975$2,500 to $2,975$20 to $100
$868
$62
$140
$120 to $455

the System/32 for printing at 50, 100,
and 1551pm. This unit uses an engraved print belt containing either 48
or 64 character sets. Line and serial
printer capability cannot both be hadon the same System/32.
Software
The logic necessary to support discstorage operation, the display screen,
the keyboard, and printer operation
is included with the System/32. In
addition, a new buffered data management technique is provided forthe display and the keyboard is said
to make programming interactive
data entry easier. All disc data accessmethods available on the System/3
are offered on the new machine(consecutive, direct, and indexed).
Off-line multivolume support ofmunications protocol. IBM'S newest
communications technique, synchronous data link control (SDLC) is alsoavailable for the System/32 ($1161
month), enabling the system to function as a remote batch entry work
station. This equips the new machinefor use in distributed processing networks where it will probably becomea very common item.
SupportThis has been IBM'S forte for many
years and shows no signs of changing. Roughly 2,700 to 3,000 support
personnel in 66 service centers from
Maine to Hawaii will be offering everything from self-study courses
to instructor1classroom techniques,
plus pre installation test time at local
0
offices, etc.

CRTRMRTICN

news in -perspective

Antitrust

IBM Says Government Hasn't
A Case on Competition Issue
Cites U.S. and Foreign Competitors Not Mentioned in Justice Dept. Case
International Business Machines Corp.
competes in the edp .business againstcompanies the Justice Dept. has neverthought of, including "more than 200
European and Japanese companies," anumber of which "are presently marketing .their edp products in the UnitedStates."In its defense against the JusticeDept.'s antitrust case, scheduled to go
to trial this month in Federal District
Court in New York, IBM will claim that
the Justice Dept. failed to establish thatthe big computer company is a monopoly as defined by Section 2 of the Sherman antitrust act on which the case isbased.
"In this case, perhaps for the first timein a monopoly case that has actuallygone to trial, there is substantial direct
eyidence of competition," IBM contends
in a pretrial brief filed Jan. 15 with thecourt. The 160,000-word brief also answers government allegations that thecompany tried to crush competition by
price cutting, tie-in agreements ~ndfighting machines-that is, machines introduced to crush the comparative products of other systems competitors.
Of its 360/90 that was Cited by thegovernment as a machine to knock off
Control Data Corp.'s 6600 largescaleseries, IBM says, "we will deny that andwill prove it not so." In its brief, it
claims the model 90 was built at therequest of federal agencies-or the"Plaintiff" as it refers to the government
throughout the one-inch thick brief.
Throughout the document, IBM also
cites "plaintiff requests" as the source
for its development of other "innovative" machines, including the Model
360/67, also cited by the Justice Dept.
as a "fighting machine." That model
February, 1975

was built as' the result of demands bymany users "becaus(! of research on
projects thought by agencies such as theAdvanced Research Projects Agency of
the Department of Defense, to be important to the national defense and welfare."Bundling defended

In its defense of tie-in agreements,
IBM claims that the practice of "bund-ling," as it became known, "was not only .
in existence at the time of the 1956 Final
Judgment (Consent Decree) but was
sanctioned and IBM (was) ordered tofurnish all services which had been andwere being supplied to rental custbmers
without separate charge to all purchasecustomers." And it claims that bundling
did not prevent "hundreds of firms"
from entering the software services business during the 1950s and 1960s. The
company began charging separately for'some previously bundled services five
years ago.
Or" alleged price cutting, -the company's brief refers to its accomplishments as an innovator whose competitors eventually are "forced to respondto the innovation through imitation,
original innovation or price reduction."
It continues: "As the innovator isbrought to the level of its competitors,
it feels the pressure for further innovation or reduced prices in order toachieve higher profits."
IBM'S defense will emphasize growththrough excellence and risk. As it "betthe company" on the 360 line, so is it
now "betting the company" on the new
Future System line. As a measure of its
excellence it cite~ what might becomea de factq standard for maintenance response. "~n 1974 ... IBM responded toa malfunctioning machine within one
hour in 81.5 percent of emergency calls,
and within two hours in 92.3 percent ofsuch calls."
Its case in the pretrial brief also is that
IBM is a natural resource, facing "strong
and growing 'competition ... from anumber of European "and Japanesecompanies ... (who) with the active
support of their governments are entering the United States market in increasing numbers and at an increasing rate
and represent both actual and potential
competition to all domestic edp compet.
itors, including IBM."IBM also claims that the Justice Dept.,in "asking this court to limit its focus
to certain small, artificial portions of the
EDP industry," does not include in its
definition of the computer market 18
companies which IBM says "manufacture and market complete edp systems."
Among these, it names AT&T which it"says had 1972 revenues in edp of $706
million, Litton Industries, with $219
million, Lockheed Aircraft with $156
million, and Mohawk Data with $76
million.
In an~economic analysis ofthe industry
filed with the court last Dec. 10, the JusticeDept. defines the main computer market
as including nine companies: IBM, Burroughs, Control Data, Honeywell, NCR,
Univac, Xerox, and Digital Equipment
Corp. and Singer. IBM said this is a narrow
definition and "another example ofplaintiff's continued efforts to increase IBM'S
market share."
The company's defense concludes
that it has earned its success throughcompetition on the merits and that theJustice Dept.'s claims are "unprecedented, unwise and. should be dismissed."69

news in perspective
Transportation

Bus Service: Helping Hand from Computers
In the midst of renewed discussions of
the oil shortage, of increased costs for
fuel, and relaxation of what had been
increasingly stringent pollution standards for auto makers, the computer
technology has risen to lend a small
helping hand. It is making possible apersonalized bus service that offers~oor-to-door transportation to residents
of California's expansive Santa Claracounty, south of San Francisco. Similar
bus services are running in more than
50 communities across the country, according to a spokesman for the U. S.
Transportation Dept.'s Urban Mass
Transit Administration. But never before had any of them attempted to service a population of more than a million
residing within 240 square miles.
Using a computer-assisted schedulingand dispatching system, the county's
transportation agency is offering to pick
you up at your front door at one endof the county and take you to the otherend for only 25¢. Ten cents will sufficefor those below 18 and over 64, agegroups that account for a significant
share of the ridership.
Santa Clara's dial-a-ride system, also
referred to in the trade as demand responsive transportation, uses 25-seat,propane-powered buses, smaller thanthe coaches that run along fixed arterial
routes. But the appealing feature is thatthe bus will come to your front door andtake you to a neighboring address; one
phone call, sufficiently in advance of the
pickup time, will do the trick.
For the commuters, who comprise thebulk of the ridership, arrangements also
can be made to be picked up each day
at the same time for transportation to
the same place. The bus, on its way, willstop to pick up other passengers headed
for the same or nearby destination, travelling down residential streets in theprocess, as in a carpool. Obviously, thereverse direction can be followed at theend of the working day.
Door to door in Haddonfield

In smaller communities where thissame experiment is also being conducted, such as around Haddonfield,
N.J.-where the dial-a-ride system has
been in operation since early 1972-thebus will take you door-to-door to justabout anywhere locally. Not quite to
Camden or Philadelphia, but then who
wants to ... well, anywhere locally. The·

70

area b~ing served covers al~ost II
square miles and a population of 40,000.
Small enough not to require the use of
a computer, the Haddonfield service
earlier . was reported to have carriedsome 1,200 passengers a day, now is
down close to 700. What with none ofthe public transit systems paying its own
say, the life of the Haddonfield opera-

fixed-route arterial lines, however, thetotal approaches 30,000 a day. That's an
improvement over the average 12,000 in
1972; before the county purchased the
local, private bus lines, and 17,000 a day
in '73.
In contrast to Haddonfield, Santa
Clara county stretches over 13,000
square miles, most of that being in themountains that run along three of its
sides. The valley floor covers some 500
square miles, with the bulk (97%) of the
population residing within 240 of them.
This area is laced with 19 arterial routes
where buses run on fixed schedules, thetraditional public transit system. The
fixed~route bus service purportedly provides a "transit opportunity" to a theo-

TWO SECONDS: Reservationists in Santa Clara control room, sitting at split screen crts,
book bus trip requests and automatically search the nearest vehicle for the· customer.
Search procedure requires about two seconds.

tion is currently in jeopardy.
Last winter, at the height of the petroleum panic, computers also lent a handin the organization of local carpools,
some of which still exist. 'But the computer-assisted public transportation system in Santa Clara, serving an area
where populations and service facilities
are widely dispersed, is more than a proposed solution to the gas shortage or the
air pollution problem. It is, perhaps
more importantly, an attempt to provide
low-cost and convenient transportation
to that segment of the population that
otherwise might have none. This includes-schoolchildren, the retired, andthe handicapped. On order are fourbuses equipped with hydraulic lifts thatwill be able to accommodate riders inwheelchairs-a service also planned in
Ann Arbor, Mich. ¥ore than 5,000 passengers are being transported daily during weekdays in Santa Clara county, stilla miniscule percentage of the total traffic, but it is growing.
,
When one adds ridership on theretical 60% of the population, whichmeans that many people have a bus stop
within a quarter-mile of their homes.
"But our financing is from 100% of the
population," says James T. Pott, director of the county's transportationage~cy.

"Local exchange"
Therefore the dial-a-ride system wasoverlaid onto the same geographicalarea. To implement it, the 240 square
miles have been divided into~ 18 local
areas, each said to be equal to or larger
in size than any other dial-a-ride operation in the country. By analogy, thefixed arterial routes might be comparedwith AT&T'S long lines division, while
each of the 18 dial-a-ride areas operates
like the local exchange, feeding andbeing fed by the arterial routes but also
handling local traffic.
The local bus will now pick you up
and take you to any address within thesame area. It will also take you to anytransfer point on an arterial route or to
DRTRMRTICN

a transfer point for a dial-a-bus operating in an adjacent area. Transfers are
free. According to the county's Jim Pott,the transit system now serves a theoretical 97% of the population.
One commuter tells of a dial-a-ride. bus she was riding that reached atransfer point of an arterial bus just as
the latter pulled away. The driver of thesmaller bus chased the arterial vehicle,
flagged it down, and transferred his pas-...
senger. It sounds like something thatmight occur in Derby, Conn., which also
has tried the dial-a-ride service, rather
than the less intimate Santa Claracounty.
The 18 local areas are grouped into
four control areas. And in three of thesecontrol areas are F our-Phase Systems
IV 170 computers to assist in the scheduling and dispatching of the buses. (Thefourth area lacks sufficient passengers tojustify a computer.) The configurationin each control room is a 72K processor,
adequate to support up to 60 buses;from 11-15 crt terminals, two 2.5-MB
disc drives, and a 300-1 pm printer.
I,n the control room, a reservationist
sits at a crt terminal and keys in acaller's name, address, and destination.
On the right-hand side of the split
screen, a list of street names similar· tothe pickup address is generated automatically, showing which of the 18 local
areas that address is in. The same also
appears for the destination address. At
the bottom of the screen appears a time
constraint: If the customer must be delivered to a destination at a certain time,
as for a doctor's appointment, the timeof pickup will be automatically displayed. It takes into consideration the
speed of buses in that local area (someares are more congested than others)
and the distance.
Two second cycle
Each request for a trip reservation receives a serial number, which is the timeof day to the tenth of a second. That
number follows the trip request until it
is completed. When the reservationist
has booked the reservation and approved it with the customer, an ACCEPT
key is .hit. That information then goes
into the scheduling queue, and the system assigns to the trip request the vehicle in the best position to accept it.·This,of course, is based on proximity, productivity, and other factors. It requires
about two seconds. All this informationis then immediately printed out to avoid
the data being lost in case the systemshould go down.
It then goes to the dispatcher, who isin constant voice communication withvehicle drivers. The driver, on arriving
at a destination assigned previously,
calls in for the next address. The disFebruary, 1975

patcher, looking at the crt screen, assigns an address to a driver and codesthat address with a T. It shows that theaddress has been transmitted, or assigned. The next time that driver calls
in to indicate he (or she) has arrived at
the address, it can be wiped off thescreen. Throughout the process of booking a passenger and assigning a vehicle,
there is a manual override capability.
In an upgrading of this system, now
in the early stages, the voice communication is to be replaced by digitalcommunication, backed up by the radio.
In that mode, each vehicle will beequipped with a display that shows thedriver his next two addresses; a third
address will be in a queue. At that ti'lle,
the dispatcher will merely hit the
TRANSMIT key, see the T on the screen,
and know the address has been assigned. Most significantly,' too, the new
system will have an automatic table lookup feature. Each address in the county
will be stqred for quick reference, andthe local zone will be flashed for eachpickup and destination address requested by a customer. It promises to speed
up· the reservation process, which currently, is one of many administrative

problems that has kept ridership down.
In addition, it will uncover any fictitious
addresses . and perhaps reduce thenumber of no-shows-people including
pranksters who don't show up when thebus does.
A recent addition to the software, allof which was designed and developed
by Lex Systems Inc. of Menlo Park,
Calif., is called a deferred demand module. It enables a reservationist to accept
a request at, say, 9 a.m. for a pickup
at 2 p.m. that day. That trip request goes
into a deferred queue and gets a priority
status.
The county's Jim Poti' says he knowsof no other dial-a-ride operation thatuses a computer. He also acknowledges
that no urban transit system can sustain
itself only with fare box revenues.
Therefore the public, which subsidizes.
these operations, might find the justification in the extent to which they remove private cars from the roads, withall that that means, or the social factor
of providing mobility for employment
and social purposes to those who lackprivate conveyance.
-Edward K. Yasakl

PrivacyFirst Pass at Privacy Laws
Given an "A" for Adequate
The Privacy Act of 1974 has some weaknesses, ambiguities and unnecessarily
restrictive features, but it generally isadequate as a first pass at legislation toprotect the privacy of individuals onwhom personal information is contained in government data banks.
This is the opinion of analysts who
have reviewed the privacy bill which
Congress passed just before Christmas
and President Ford signed a short timelater. But these analysts were emphasizing in January that their conclusions
were only preliminary. Dr. Willis H.
Ware, of the Rand Corp., who headed
a government-sponsored study on theissue of personal privacy, said he willorganize two workshops for persons experienced with the subject, to further
study the implications of the legislation.
The workshops, in February and April
in San Diego, will be sponsored by theAmerican Federation of Information
Processing Societies (AFIPS). The federation last spring formed a Special Committee on the Right of Privacy, headed
by Dr. Ware who was chairman of anadvisory committee to the Dept. of
Health, Education and Welfare on automated personal data systems (September 1973, p. 112).

The Privacy Act of 1974, also referred
to in government announcements as S
3418, basically is the House privacy bill
(HR 16373); but with some changes inspired by the Senate measure (S 3418).
The Senate's main accomplishment
was to get a privacy commission included in the final legislation. Originally, thecommission would have been authorized to make a two-year study of assorted privacy problems and have thepower to delay the establishment or
modification of any federally-supported
personal information system which
failed to meet specific privacy protection standards.
Notice to OMB
Under the compromise legislation,
power to rule on personal information
systems remains with the Office ofManagement and Budget (OMB) which
now must be given advance notice ofan agency's intention to establish or
modify such systems.
The commission's study assignment,
meanwhile, has been expanded slightly
to include such questions as whether anorganization maintaining a mailing list
should remove an. individual's nameupon his request. This was mandatory71news in persp'ective, in the original bill.
The new law allows the commission
to go into operation immediately. Other
provisions take effect around Oct. l.
Some exemptions

All personal information systems
operated by federal agencies are covered by the new law with the exceptionof most law enforcement and intelligence files as well as some personnel
records. Some 'systems operated by federal contractors and grantees also arecovered-i.e. those operating under contracts signed after the effectIve date of
the legislation. (But law enforcement
systems covered by such contracts canbe exempted).
The privacy law bars federal, stateand local government systems from discriminating against any individual who
refuses to disclose his social security
number, but this provision applies only
to systems which go into operation afterJan. 1, 1975. The Senate bill also includ-ed privately-operated personal information systems, but the House language
ultimately prevailed.
Generally, an agency' that discloses
personal record information to an outsider must make sure it's accurate, relevant, timely and complete. It must obtain the subject's consent beforehand,and must record the nature and purposeof each disclosure, as well as the nameof the individual receiving the inform a. tion. There are several exceptions, however. The major one involves "routineuse," which is defined to mean" ... disclosure of a record ... for a purpose.. '. compatible with the purpose forwhich it was collected."
There also is a general ban on personal records reflecting how an individual exercises his First Amendment
rights. However, such information canbe collected and disseminated if it isauthorized by statute or if "pertinent toa duly authorized law enforcement
agency."Information collected from confidential sources must be disclosed to the subject if he asks, but in most cases thesource doesn't have to be identified.
Corrections procedure

If the subject of a federal dossier believes the information is incorrect, he
can request a correction, and the agency
holding,the record must respond within
10 days after receiving his request. The
actual correction must then be madepromptly, or, if the agency believes theoriginal information is correct, it must
review the subject's complaint and tell
him why it disagrees. The individual canthen ask the agency to reconsider. It has
30 days to do this, or more if it can show
"good cause." Finally, if the agency stillrefuses to change the record, the subject
can take the case to court.
An agency covered by the new privacy law must allow the subject of each,personal record to read its contents, except for "information compiled in reasonable anticipation of a civil action or(Continued on page 76)

Californians Look to Future Privacy Laws'o72

Even as they were assessing the Privacy Act of 1974, S 3418, signed into
law during the holidays, an embryonic group in California, representing private industry, was more concerned with future privacy legislation.
A group of nine met Dec. 30 inPalo Alto to try to launch an inter-industry task force to gather information to present to Congress before it
gets going on new privacy legislation.
One of the group, William R. Pascoe, an attorney for the California
Bankers Assn., led a delegation
which went to Washington last August and was given major credit forgetting the private sector eliminatedfrom then pending privacy legislation (September 1974, p. 130). "We
felt at the time," said Pascoe, "thatCongress was making concessions in
the interest of getting some kind ofbill through with Ervin's name attached to it (Sen. Sam Ervin, D.,
N. C. sponsored the original Senate
version of the bill) before he retired.
We anticipated early hearings on privacy legislation that will affect theprivate sector in the new Congress
and we want to be in a better position to deal with legislation we know
is coming up."
Others involved in the December
meeting were Eben Tisdale of WEMA,
an electronics industry trade organi-zation; Bob Campbell, Sunkist
Growers; Harold Arthur, Wells
Fargo 'Bank; Shari Cole, TRW Inc.;
Irwin Gubman, Bank of America;
Jim Case, Dylakor Computer Systems, and Bill Fenwick, an attorneywith Davis, Stafford, Kellman arid
Fenwick, Palo Alto.
Among the kinds of information
the task force would want to get, said
Pascoe, would be a reasonable estimate based on facts, specifics, ofwhat it would cost private industry
to change information systems so as
not to involve use of social security
numbers. "We would want to take alook at all information systems ofprivate industry tq come up with alternative provisions that would
achieve the privacy objectives sought
by Congress at minimum cost to private industry."
Participants in the initial meetingwere charged with getting response
within their own organizations,determining if their individual industries want to participate and whatlevel of financial and other support
they would be willing to lend, andseeking out other industries thatwould be affected and interested:"We are looking for high levelparticipation, like industry presidents, at least in the i~itial stages,"
Pascoe said. He said response within
the CBA has been all for partici-

pation. A second meeting of thefounding group was to be held Jan.
3l.
Pascoe said the CBA currently is
considering the wisdom of pushingfor federal privacy legislation thatwould head off, preempt, state andother local bills that are popping up.
He mentioned the Cullen bill currently before the California legislature, a descendent of and similar to
the Bagley bill (December 1973, p.
108) which died in the last legislature, and a proposed ordinance by
the city of Berkeley, Calif. which
would require that city, before
adopting any new information system, to develop a social impact statement including reference to the citizen's right to privacy and an evaluation of whether or not the system
would invade it. "Then hearings on
the system would be held bringing
all sorts of people down to city hall."
Pascoe feels privacy bills have to
be looked at "as a package, at alllevels. Ultimately we (private industry) should get together and draft
a bill that would achieve privacy
safeguards at minimum cost to private industry."
But he emphasized that drafting
legislation will not be the concern of
the task force. "No one will bebound to support anything. We will
merely be gathering a data base." 0CRTRMRTICNSpUt Decision-NCR Paper Black Print and IID(e~jp) lBnun~...both winners. .
Both fight the good fight in making clean, crisp copies ofwhatever you enter on your business form's original. Neither
can smudge on a copy, on a typist's fingers, or on someone's
clothes. NCR Paper, Black or Deep Blue, is easy to read even for normally blue-blind copy machines. While both
image systems do everything well, the important thing isthat NCR Paper - and only NCR Paper - offers you a choice.
We felt it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

Specify NCR Paper... alI carbonless Is not alike.

February, 1975

CIRCLE 58, ON READER CARD

13

"THE·
GENERAL AUTOMATION. CHALLENGE:
At the risk of sounding brash, we'd like to
Our SPC-16 family has helped a lot of OEMs
anq end-users build a lot oftell you exactly where we standrFiiiiiiiiiiiil;;;;P:::::::::;~~'
powerful, low-costin the minicomputer marketplace:systems for alot of
In computers andtough, tight-budget
systems for.·applications.
communications,
Our family of mighty
data management and..--.--~ minis is also one of theindustrial automation,
General Automation·
primary reasons weoffer so much 'is number one.
capability inIn these three areas,
communications, I
we offer a betterindustrial automation andpackage of total solutions,data management systems.
performance, price and product suppo~ ,than any computer company in the world.
The best total communications SystemS.
General Automation is the rriajor supplier ofNo other computer'company has worked so
minicomputers for P ABX control systems,
hard or dug so deep to understand thefront end processors, Telex message systems
requirements of these three comers of theand message switching systems for themarketplace ..
world's largest. .
Involvement has aiways been our long suit.
communications
companIes.
We've never favored the sell 'em and leave'em end of the bu~iness. Which is why we're
not number one in volume hardware sales.
We think ii's better to be the best specialist
than the biggest generalist.
n",.

The most mini for the money.
A good example is our family of SrC-16
computers. Quite simply, they are the world's
most powerful minicomputers ..They do more
w<;>rk in ~ess time with less memory than any
other mini you could buy. As a result, weoffer the least expensive solutions instead ofthe least expensive minicomputers.
74

CRTRMRTlbN

Oqr extensive experience has also made us
the nu~ber one solver of tough problems
for any company that needs a ~ustom
communications system.

The best industrial
automation systems.
General Automation has
solved more i~dustrial
automation problems
than any minicomputer
manufacturer ~ tbe
world. As a result, wehave invested moretime and understandthis field better than
any minicomputer
manufacturer iJJ.
the world.

If we can't solve your communications
problem, nobody can.

The best total data management systems.
We can put you in better touch with yourbusiness by' replacing a lot of time-consuming,
non-productive status meetings, paperwork
and guesswork with simple, automatedsystems that tell everyone who needs toknow, everything they need to know,
whenever they need to know it. No matterwhen~ they are or what they do or how
they do it.
.
We .can deliver a compatible, expandable,
high-performance family of systems that canform a network offering batch data processing,real-time data entry
and retrieval,decentralized
control andcustomapplications
software.

@J

Our systems areworking insuch applications
as automotive'
manufacturing and. eS,ting, pr9 ces,s, control,
eat packing, el~ctronics
anufacturing, newspaper.JI• •IY publishing, warehouse
contrQl, metalworking and dozens of others.

~

You couldn't bring your industrial automation'
problem to a more experienced
minicomputer company.

Challenge us.
We'd like the opportunity to prove we're .
more aggressive than arrogant. Let'us show
you that for a total package of technology,
experience, involvement, price and prpductsupport, no minicomputer compqny offers
you more or ul?-derstands your pusiness'better than General Automation.
'
We have another family of on-line/batch
systems th().t offers centralized control and av~t ~ibrary of standard applications software.
I~addition, we sell a low-cost, highlyinteractiv~ tum-key system throughdistributors for c'ompanies that need economy
more than sy~tem growth. Arid wemanufacture the number one ~BM 1130
repl~c~ment system.

Nobody ca~ offer a better total solution ind().ta man~gement ..
February, 1975

Write or call General Automation,
1055 South Ea~t Street, Anaheim, California
92803. Or call(714) 778-4800.
In Europe, write General Automation,
S.A., 24 rue du Sergent Bauchat, 75012
Paris, France. Telephone (1) 346/7973.
In' Canada, write G. A. Computer Ltd.,
880 Lady Ellen Place, Ottawa K1Z5L9,
Ontario. Telephone (613) 725-3626.

IF WE CAN'T DO IT, NOBODY CAN.
GENERA~ AUTOMATIONCIRCLE 46 ON READER CARD

75

news in perspective
proceeding.". Before a new records system, or a new
application, goes into operation, Congress and OMB must be informed so they
. can evaluate "the probable or potential. effect" on individual privacy. Also, thepublic must be given a chance to object.
And the agency, each year, must publish
a complete description of each personal
information system in the Federal Register, including how the information is·used.
The law includes several other administrative requirements-for example
the agency has to establish "rules ofconduct" for "persons involved in thedesign, development, operation, or
maintenance" of any personal records
system, together with an instruction pro. gram which will familiarize personnel
with these rules.
The critics

Criticism of the law is directed mostly
at what has been left out. For example,
its exemption of the files oflaw enforcement agencies. This was to have been
covered in separate legislation, but ne-

gotiations between Congress and theJustice Dept.· were broken off last fall
and the 93rd Congress adjourned without such legislation.
Dr. Ware thinks some of the language
concerning other activity that is exempt
from. the law is ambiguous and that arequirement that agencies maintainrecords of accesses to personal data files
going back five years is prohibitively expensive if it applies to routine as well
as extraordinary accesses. OMB has estimated that the cost of total compliancewith the legislation just for federal agencies will reach $300 million a year after
a startup cost of $100 million.
William R. Pascoe, of the California
Bankers Assn. (see accompanying story)
said the bill is "not precisely as wewould have drafted it," but that he's
"generally happy," though hoping that
Congress will allow the federal commission to conduct its two year study before
it acts on legislation affecting privately-operated personal information databanks.
And, says Dr. Ware, it's adequate "asa first whack at the problem."FinancingComputer Stocks: Did Financial Community
Shun Everyone But IBM Out of Fear of IBM?
A new and potentially explosive issue
has· been raised in the Justice Dept.'s
antitrust case against IBM: the relationship between the computer industry andthat mysterious and amorphous institution that is generally referred to as WallStreet.
While the computer industry .in general and IBM in particular are secretive
enough to make the Central Intelligence
Agency look like it operates in a fishbowl, Wall Street and financial community relationships with the computer industry have been secretive to the extent
that it's not widely known that such a
relationship even exists.
All that may change now. The government is seeking to subpoena datafrom major U.S. banks, insurance companies and Wall Street houses that deal
with the computer industry, but particularly as to the relationship between thefinancial institutions and the computerleasing and peripherals sub-industries.
IBM is strongly resisting the government move on the grounds that it represents an injection of a new and delaying
issue into the antitrust case.
Understanding the matter is becoming more important as IBM continues to76

consolidate its overpowering .financial
dominance over the remainder of the industry, which, in turn, has become subject to a growing financial blight.
Bankruptcies, forced mergers, and aslowdown of growth due to shortage ofcapital are becoming commonplace in
the industry.
While IBM'S valuation has fallen withthe dropping stock market-IBM's valuation has dropped from nearly $54 bi!lion in 1973 to about $23 billion in midJanuary of this year-other computer
firms have generally taken an even
. worse stock market pounding with theresult that IBM'S relative firiancial
strength over the remainder of the industry has grown over the period.
What are the mechanics of these stock
investments?
There are indications that the government may be seeking the answer to thatquestion. For instance, the Justice Dept.
has asked for records of computer in. dustry investments of some banks whichshare directors with IBM. Among' thebanks the Justice Dept. seeks information from are the Chase Manhattan,
Morgan Guaranty and First National
City Bank. Each of the last two named

have two' IBM directors on their boards.
The importance of the banks cannot
be overestimated-the three largest New
York city banks manage more money
than all the nation's mutual funds combined. And the banks buy a great dealof IBM stock. At one point in 1974, forinstance, the financial news paper, Barrons, reported ~hat the Morgan Guaranty bank's trust department owned 4lh%
of IBM'S stock. The val~ation of Morgan
Guaranty's IBM stock has often topped$2 billion.
Information is scarce, but in late 1969
the Securities and Exchange Commission studied 200 major financial institutions, including the 50 largest bank trust
departments, and found that the institutions owned more than 43% of IBM'S
stock. Many believe that percentage has
increased since then. IBM has long beenthe "glamor of the glamor stocks" andmore funds and institutions hold more
IBM than any other stock.
Why do people buy IBM? There areindications that Wall Street buys IBM,formuch the same reason that IBM customers buy IBM computers: because everybody else does. The purchaser is not criticized when he purchases IBM equipment or stock that doesn't perform well.
A Wall Street analyst summed up thefinancial phenomenon best perhaps
when he told Business Week last year
that, "nobody lost their job for following Morgan Guaranty into IBM and Polaroid and staying with the ship while
it went down. But if they bailout ...
and something good happens to thestock, they'll be keelhauled."
There have been, of course, goodsolid reasons to purchase IBM stock, notthe least of which is the fact that thestock, like helium, always seemed to go
up. The computer colossus has had excellent management, decent equipment,a fine earnings and revenue record, andcontinued dominance over· the remainder of the computer industry.
While the nation's leading banks andfinancial institutions tend to purchasemore IBM stock than any other firm,
conversely they do not tend to purchasethe stock of other computer firms.
Surviving on bank credit

One result is that the stock of nearly
all of the remaining firms in the computer industry are selling at such depressed rates that the firms find it difficult, if not impossible, to raise needed
funds through traditional money market
equity channels. Many are surviving onbank credit lines, but company failures
will surely rise as the financial squeeze
continues.
And, while the smaller and younger
companies have been hardest hit, theformation of startup firms has virtually
CRTRMRTICN

ceased in the past few years. Thus, thegrim and worsening financial situationacts as not only a barrier to survival;
it serves also as a barrier to entry to theindustry.
Just as there have been good reasons
to purchase IBM stock in the past, there
have been good reasons to avoid purchasing the stock of IBM'S competitorsand not the least of these reasons is IBM
itself: The firm is not only a formidable
competitor; in some cases, it has beena fatal competitor.
IBM has apparently not been completely unaware of the importance -ofWall Street support to .its competitors.
..During 1967 when IBM was examining
ways to stop the leasing company
threat-which it then regarded as themost serious competitive threat to
IBM-T. P. Papes, a top IBM executive,
suggested using Wall Street in the battle
against leasing firms. In a Papes' memo
cited by the Justice Dept. the IBM executive suggested: "Send information to theinvestment banking community thatwould cast doubt upon the future of theleasing company industry."
A year later, IBM was well into its war
against the leasing companies and thefirm's top officials, including Thomas J.
Watson Jr. and T. Vincent Learson,
took particular interest in a negative report on the leasing companies from theMorgan Guaranty bank~ In part, the report stated:". . . the computer leasing industry
has had to cope with financial publicity
which has voiced scepticism about these(leasing) companies. Many such articles
have appeared over the past year or two,but the most critical was The Wall Street
Journal article on October 31, 1968. It
is rumored that some banks have decided not to lend additional money to computer lessors since October 31st ..."

Peripheral firms hit
The leasing companies, of course, did
indeed disappear as a serious threat toIBM, largely because they couldn't obtain the funding they needed frombanks and other financial institutions.
In addition, peripheral equipment competition to IBM also dropped off to ashadow of its old vigor when Wall Streetceased its heavy support of the peripheral firms.
One of the key elements the JusticeDept. undoubtedly will be looking forin its examination of bank and financial
institutional reports on IBM and thecomputer industry is evidence that IBM
has been viewe4 by the investing community as possessing the ingredients ofmonopoly power. If, for instance, thegovernment can establish that the U.S.
financial community concentrated its
computer industry investing in IBM and

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CIRCLE 92 ON READER CARD

February, 197577news in perspective
largely avoided the remainder of the industry for fear of IBM'S strength, thenthis would presumably help the government's antitrust case against IBM.
Also, the Justice Dept. will undoubt-·
edly be looking for evidence that WallStreet turned negative on leasing firms. and peripheral firms as IBM stepped up
its campaigns against sub industries.
The tip here is in the list of companies
the Justice Dept. is interested in: Leasing
firms like Greyhound Leasing and Data
Processing Financial & General Corp.
(DPFG) and peripherals firms like Memorex and Telex.
The government's subpoena list also
indicates it will seek information on themodus operandi of Wall Street analysts.
The government, for instance, hasserved notice that it wishes to subpoena
information from a few leading WallStreet houses including Oppenheimer &Co., whose leading computer industry
analyst, Gideon Gartner, has been aparticularly outspoken booster of IBM
stock. Gartner has also been generally
negative about IBM competitors.
Gartner is a former manager of market information for IBM and is regarded
by many as knowing more about the
inner workings of IBM than any other
Wall Street analyst. His knowledge,
however, hasn't helped him much since
IBM· stock has usually dropped since hehas been recommending it at Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is somewhat representative of most of the Wall Street
analyst houses in that the firm has consistently recommended the purchase of
IBM stock and the avoidance of purchasing the stock of IBM competitors.
Dynamic, changing

The relationship between IBM andstock analysts is a dynamic one and, according to Wall Street sources, has beenchanging since Thomas Watson Jr.
turned over· the management reins of
the firm to Vincent Learson. (One reason for the change may be that in recent
years the calibre of Wall Street computer analysts has improved. For instance, most now have computer industry backgrounds ·and concentrate
more intensely on few, rather thanmany, firms).
During W at~on's long reign, IBM remained somewhat aloof from analysts,
dribbling out bits of information andleaving the analysts to work with IBM'S
virtually unbroken string of quarters ofrecord revenues and profit increases.
Recently, however, the company has
been more open with analysts. It should
be noted however that IBM, like theother firms in the industry, remains extremely secretive. For example, computer firms that lease equipment-theoverwhelming majority of firms in theindustry do-don't disclose the value ofequipment shipped each year and thisis a glaring omission of information that
could be used to better evaluate theprogress of a company.
The foundation to IBM'S dominanceof the financial side of the industry iswell established, however, and is predicated upon IBM'S standard-setting practice of marketing equipment on a shortterm rental basis. Over decades, IBM has
built up a rolling cash lease base datingback to the rental of its tabulating machines.
Once IBM reached a critical financial
mass in the mid 1960s, the firm began
to enjoy a true embarrassment of riches
stemming from the huge base of equipment that continues to generate revenues even though much of the equipment is antiquated, as far as computerequipment is concerned. IBM has a staggering $3.5 billion-plus in liquid assets,
which is enough to fund just about any
project the firm could ever dream of..
On the other hand, IBM'S competitors
are strapped for funding because of theunique nature of the computer rental
business, which requires a manufacturer
to pay Jor its equipment outright but
receive payment from customers in installments over the years.
Victims of the crunch

For IBM'S big competitors in the edp
general systems market, the financial
squeeze has become a real crunch recently. Both General Electric and RCA,
firms with substantial financial resources, decided they could not muster
the financial resources to effectively
compete with IBM and each firm
dropped out of the business. Other companies like Control Data and Xerox
Computer Systems remain unprofitable.
Only Univac, Burroughs, Honeywell
and NCR remain profitable but at substantially lower levels than. IBM'S astronomical 27.1% pretax prpfit margin.
Furthermore, all of those profitablefirms were able to draw on the resourcesof non-computer activities to help themover the difficult financial hump.
At least one financial analyst, Eugene
K. Collins, of Evans & Co., N ew York,
believes the financial squeeze may wellintensify. "The historyofthe general purpose computer systems manufact,urers,"
said Collins at a hearing of the U.S. Senate's subcommittee on antitrust and monopoly, ~'indicates the extent to which

CIRCLE 99 ON READER CARD

80

DRTRMRTION

the capital barrier and the 'systems lock'have worked to minimize competitionin the industry.
"Even the 'surviving' systems companie~ as a group look weak from a financial point of view, relative to IBM. Comparing IBM'S financial strength to theother systems companies' ability to internally generate and to externally raise
capital indicates that the industry ~ould'-and perhaps will-become even more
highly concentrated in the future."
The non IBM sector of the computerindustry had better" if delirious, days in.the past. In the mid and late 1960s-the
so-called "go-go years" on WallStreet-computer companies raised
money easily. Often companies with nosales or profits and in some cases withno real product, raised millions. For instance, Scientific Data Systems which,if it had utilized conservative accounting
practices, was not profitable. Yet, Xerox
paid nearly $1 billion for SDS and thatcomputer operation has remained in red
ink ever since. Another company, called
Foto-Mem, successfully executed threepublic offerings and saw its stock zoom
to. $60 a share while the firm had noreal working product. People often

joked about Wall Street's next soon-togo-public company. It was called "papertronics. "But the bubble burst in 1970 andwhen it did some people were rich, but
a great many more had lost their shirts"investing" in the next IBM. One problem of course, was that many firms
utilized questionable accounting methods and when the government required
them to use more traditional accounting
practices, the. firm encountered new
problems. Also, the officers of many unprofitable computer firms had no complaints as long as they were getting richpersonally on their soaring company
stock. When the stock markets plunged,
there was nothing left for many of thembut to sue IBM.
Computer. stocks now have a badname on Wall Street similar to the reputation uranium stocks once had. And
there was a quiet lesson for the com~puter industry on Wall Street last year.
Leasco Data Processing, one of the hottest stock plays of the "go-go years,"changed its name to Reliance after its
insurance unit. There is now more glamor, it seems, in insurance than in com-We David Gardner
puters.

BankingFirst Nebraska;
Now California
There are those in banking circles whoare saying Hinky Dinky has spread to
California.
It's not a disease. Hinky Dinky is a
Nebraska supermarket chain whichmore than a year ago combined withFirst Federal Savings & Loan Assn. of
Lincoln, Neb. in a pilot project which
made certain banking services available
to supermarket customers via terminals
in the markets. There were lots of repercussions including three lawsuits, noneof which has been completely resolved.
But the Hinky Dinky project goes on.
And now it's happening in California.
California Federal Savings & Loan
Assn., one of the nation's largest S&LS,
last month began a similar pilot projectwith Von's Grocery Co. and Hughes
Markets, Inc.
The three Nebraska lawsuits, broughtby the state's attorney general, by fivecommercial banks, and by 11 banks andsavings and loan organizations, against
Hinky Dinky, First Federal and theFederal Home Loan Bank Board whichapproved launching of the pilot, alleged
illegal banking activities. Lower courts
ruled in favor of the defendants in all
three cases and an injunction which had
stopped the program last July was liftedlast September and the program was re-

sUliled and extended from two Hinky
Dinky stores in Lincoln to five. John
Dean, First Federal's executive vicepresident, expects to extend the program
to Hinky Dinky stores in Omaha by
mid-March.
Dean said the attorney general's lawsuit had been appealed to the state supreme court and he was anticipating ahearing before March 1. The other two
suits, he said, "are sitting in limbo."
What Is branch banking?
At issue is a question of just what constitutes branch banking. Dr. Barry
Wessler of Telenet Communications, anElectronics Funds Transfer Systems(EFTS) watcher~ is concerned that the
Nebraska decisions to date imply thatthe place where a banking terminal resides need not be considered a branch
office. He worries that this could leadto a New York bank, say, placing terminals in sites in other states "not authorized to do banking" and that "toomuch might happen all of a sudden."No state lines have been crossed inthis manner yet and Dr. Wessler feels
there would be a lot of discussion anda lot of lobbying pressure before it
could happen. Dean wants to do it.
Hinky Dinky has stores in Iowa andDean sees no reason why a First Federal
customer who happened to be in Iowa
for the day, shouldn't be able to access

Fol ks· sayou r 'In te rtran synchronou~ sets are 90ode~o~~h.

Good enough . to . •' bea.·•.·PClrt • ofleTS. o.atar~utei~ CClrlCl~~i.An~
for discriminating users within
theU;S.
Jhe.• r.eason:yye.off~r.these .• goocifeatures: .•.• : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.' Data rates from 24QQ bpst()
230.4 Kbps.(Upt?l rJlegCl~:'
bitonspedal •.or~er~)• Patented pul'se p()sitiorl~()u~blet modulationseheme.No
adjustments,· period: Besf
err()r .perfor'manceov~rma rg inal.·· ci reu its~
-Meets AT&T metallic:' sp~~ificati ~:)Os'.. •.•. . . • • •. ••.. .•.•. .......................:> .
- Positive . system •.•.~.iag"osties:
Loca landremot~loop~Help­
ful circuit trouble alarnrlight.
Now·we've.im prc:)vedourl.~t~r:­
tran.Withour."ew,.extra()rdin~
qrilylow. priced30~~(]yr~ntClf·····
program.
, Intertrari.~orld resped~cJl~orn~p~ti tive Iy •. p ri c.e d.yye'vetakerI '.•~
goodvalueandrJladejt greater~

10 .slmpllstle .solutloDS.
ODl,produetIYedeclsJoDs.
CIRCLE 91 ON READER CARD

February, 197581

rakesbJ.at happens to

Cut

CORPORATE OFFICES: Ann-Arbor. Michigan 48104 (313) 971-d900. DISTRICT SALES OFFICES: Atlanta (404) 457-1166 • Boston(617) 8907290 • Chicago (312) 297-5200 • 'Cleveland (216) 831-8625 • Columbus (614) 888-8657'· Dallas (214) 521-6710· Denver (303) 458-0794 • Detroit(313) 355-5770 • Greensboro. N.C. (919) 274-2964 • Hartford (203) 529-1100 • Houston (713) 688-5224 • Indianapolis (317) 784-6779 • Kansas City.
Mo. (816)842-7799 ·Los Angeles (213) 640-0120 • Miami (305) 592-1533 • Milwaukee (414) 257-3780· Minneapolis (612) 854-2309 • New York(212) 371-9050· Philadelphia (609) 665-1170 • Pittsburgh (412) 922-3350· Portland. Ore. (503) 227-5672 • San Francisco (415) 349-6626 • St. Louis(314) 878-0090· Washington (703) 527-0200. SERVICE CENTERS IN 80 CITIES. CANADA: Sycor International Ltd., Toronto (416) 429-0883.

82

DRTRMRTION-

50% and guessdata entry casts?
~t$ are reduced and so are errors. Use of
Sycor's 340 intelligent' terminal with dual flexible disk in,a typical'orderentry'application can, in'fact, reduce
keystrokes by 50%.
And fewer keystrokes means greater throughp4t withfewer operators and a sharp reduction in error rates.
. Our Model 340 with dual flexible disk may be
used to automatically retrieve data from a file thatan operator would normally have to
These two'IBM-compatible diskettes put
500,000 '''fill-in-the-blanks" charactersat your operator's fingertips. This new
allows you to store customer, 'prpduct(price and salesmanright where you need them mqst - at the source of the data.
And you can use it not only to retrieve data, but also tomaintain and update files - even generate reports. And
you can do 'it fast ... because the Sycor flexible disk has'
the fastest access time in the business.
¥

we'll surraulXl vau with periphel als.
Another advantage of our Sycor' 340 is its larges~pporting cast of peripheral equipment. Things
like two speeds of matrix .
printers; a line printer, a card
reader, and seven and nine-trackmagnetic tape drives.
'
From the people who brought
you intellig~ This new concept ofremote data base'management wouldn't bepossible without the intellig~nce of our Model 340
and its powerful TAL programming language.
The Sycor 340 and its wide variety of peripherals
is part of the family of intelligent terminals that have made .us
the leader in the field. For more information, contact yournearby Sycor representative. He's got all the answers for, reducing your data entry costs.'
.'

SYCOR
.

February, 1975

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CIRCLE 74 ON READER CARD

83

drawn on an account in a commercialbank." Both Dean and Weber contemplate adding additional services, such as
bill paying, at a later date ...
In the case of the California system
this wouldn't happen until after midJuly when the pilot phase of the projectis due for completion.' At that time,
Weber indicated, California Federal
might also consider negotiations withother stores and extension throughout
the Von's and Hughes chains. Only fivemarkets are involved in the pilot. The
first became operational Jan. 22.

news in perspective
his account there as easily as he can in
Nebraska. "I don't feel state lines haveany more effectiveness in this electronic
world."
Another concern of Dr. Wessler's
about bank's putting terminals in storesis that this could give one bank a lockon a store's business. He feels that any
EFTS between stores and banks "should
be oriented the way money is oriented
with the retailer responsible for all financial transactions to the bank. We
shouldn't have the bank standing at the
cash register."As Dean sees his syste~' evolving thisultimately would be avoided. First Federal owns the IBM 2730 terminals in thefive Lincoln markets. When the. system
is extended to Omaha, he hopes to use
AT&T Transaction Telephone terminals
which can use dial-up voice grade lines
and have audio response. Initially First
Federal would buy these terminals but,as the system spreads-he thinks it will,
into department stores and other typesof retail establishments as well as geographically-he sees the retailers taking
over the terminals and leasing them di-

rectly from the telephone company. Thenthey could use them to access the computers of a number of financial institutions.
New accounts

Dean was unable to estimate thenumber of new accounts ,that have come. to First Federal as a result of the Hinky
Dinky experiment but said "we \\::ere
picking up 100 a day for awhile." Federal law makes it illegal to open accounts
at the markets but customers can pickup literature there and can open accounts by mail. Robert Weber, vicepresident for EFTS 'for California Federal, said he expects new accounts to bea definite by-product of his bank's program.
In the Nebraska program, services
available via the terminals are limited
to deposits and withdrawals into andfrom savings accounts. Dean says deposits have exceeded withdrawals byfour to one in dollar value. The California system adds check cashing. "Anykind of check can be cashed," said
Weber, "even a check made. out to cash

FDR DSFTOTAL VIRTUALIUPPORT

California system

The California Federal ~ystem is using
Amcat II terminals made by Addressograph-Multigraph, tied to a Univac 1106
computer at the' bank's main office. A
Data General Nova handles line control
and message switching for the markets.
Terminals, installation, and software for'the system were provided by Jacquard
Systems, Inc:
Like the Nebraska system, Cal Fed's
uses a plastic identification card which it
calls California Money. A depositor's
account number and name are encoded
on a strip of magnetic tape. When hewants to make a deposit or a withdra~alat a participating supermarket, he fills, out a brief form similar to a credit card

NEW MARKET STUDYTIMESHARING
AND RELATED REMOTE
COMPUTER SERVICES MARKETS

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· .. 190 pages, 26 diagrams & tables, market projection· .. Background & economics 01 timesharing· .. U.S. market breakdown lor sixteen market segments· .. Results & analysis 01 a market survey 01 timesharing users· .. New trends in marketing· .. Future telecommunications requirements lor timesharing· .. Analysis 01 in-house vs. outside timesharing services· .. Future terminal requirements lor timesharing· .. present market position 01 more than 30 suppliers 01 services· .. A look at opportunities and strategieso Enclosed is my .check lor _ _ _ copies 01 TIMESHARING
MARKETS, at $595.00 per copy (postage & handling included)o Please bi II me for _ _ _ copies at $595.00 per copy (plus postage& handling)o Please send detailed table of contents of study.
(Connecticut residents include 6% sales tax)
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Resource Developmenl Inc., (6 Main Sireet. New Canaan. Connecticut 06840.

CIRCLE 84 ON READER CARD

84

CIRCLE 83 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

charge slip which he hands, with his California Money card, to a supermarket
representative who enters both into theterminal. The service is being offeredthroughout the day and into the evening, seven days a week.
Both Cal Fed and Nebraska's First
Federal emphasize to potential users of
the system the advantage of the combination of easy and efficient access totheir accounts with the interest bearing
nature of the accounts. This makes somecommercial bankers nervous.
The prestigious American Bankers
Assn. would prefer what one ABA
spokesman termed "a well planned, orderly transition" to EFTS. He says that
the S&LS are "jumping into what they
think is a void in the marketplace without considering the impact on all consumers."
The ABA late last month began meeting with representatives of state banking
associations to begin planning for the"orderly transition," one which would
take into account rules and regulationsof all states. ABA' would like to involve
S&LS and retailers. It is particularly concerned with retailers who, unlike thecommercial banks and the S&LS, are notregulated.
And the Federal Home Loan Bank
Board continues to consider applications from S&LS which would like toplace terminals in non-banking sites.
One is from San Diego First Federal
Savings & Loan Assn. which would liketo put terminals in at three airports. And
other California S&LS' have approached
BART (the Bay Area Rapid Transit system) on putting cash dispensers in its
stations.
"People say we're doing something
new," says Dean of Nebraska's First
Federal. "We're not. It's just a new wayof doing what we've always done."-Edith Myers

Technology

CCD Memory Comesin At 10 for a Penny
There exists a speed gap between thefast main memories of computers andthe much slower rotating, memories,
discs and drums~ Among the several
technologies that people say are coming
along to fill this gap, the eeo or chargecoupled device, as ~xpected, has hit them'arketplace first. Fairchild Camera &Instrument Corp. last month announced
the commercial availability of memory
components based on the eeo.
It is, of course, slower and cheaper
than semiconductor and core memories
but faster and more expensive thanmoving-.head discs. The initial product,

greatest use in cache buffers, swapping
stores, and mainframes." Its average access time reportedly will be, at worst,
25 microseconds.
The initial device, the ceo 450, is
being shipped in evaluation quantities,
priced at $90 each for any quantity up
to 10, or $75 if you take 100. Fairchildsays it'll be producing these devices involume in the third quarter of this year,
and foresees the price dropping to lessthan 0.1 cent/bit by year-end for volume purchasers. The device, which has
a 3 MHZ data rate, replaces nine conven-soon to be followed by more, stores
9,216 bits and has an average byte accesstime of 200 microseconds. It is aimed
at applications in terminal buffers, torefresh displays, in smart terminals, asdata storage in microprocessors, and forelectronic switching in data communications networks.
In the works, however, and due to beannounced in a few months is a 16K
eeo organized as a LA RAM (line addressable random access memory). It reportedly will have a faster access time anda lower per-bit price, and "will find its

Payroll system pays employee and employer

n na

15)

n

~.n.

A computer-oriented payroll
system called a Badge Recorder,lI\}®~Q)OJ.1LQ)uD(c ~l!.®®U.~ t1»fi r~ rr~ I ~(QJ»~H '!5l~Q in which employees ringIN and OUT uSing a~~alvce~ ~~ uu. ~r~.'wallet-size plastic badge,'
instead of a time card, is payingaaa
Republic Steel a "dividend" of
U1l~U [ill tal~Dsome 20 hours labor / day saved.
,,"
There are no time cards at~~©1©.1® ~®©(Q)IJ©1®rr their ~entral Alloy District
,,"
~ ,
'
plants In the Massillon-Canton,~~Q5)~®m
Ohio area ... a considerable
savings in itself! The laborsaving is in key punch time
formerly requi red to take payroll
ti me off of some 4,500 ti me.
cards/ dav. This is accomplished by running the tape off
the Badge Recorders through a
Scanner which pulses an automatic key punch to produce
the cards for computer input.
The Badge Recorder System
has spread to other Republic
Steel districts.
Badge Recorders are moving
in to cut payroll accounting
labor in industrial, institutionaland commercial applications.
Find out now how it's done ...
write for brochure or phone theCincinnati representative listed
in the Yellow Pages underUTi me Recorders"a

WU~U u !ril®W

CCa

U1l

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d~ ICJ..n-C..i..n..n..a..:rJ®1
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TOM'

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A UNIT OF' a.N.AA~ a.ONAL

1834 Central Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45214
CANADA: Cin, Systems & Signals ltd .. 120 Falcon St .. London, 36, Ont,

CIRCLE 98 ON READER CARD

February, 197585

1SDu@ ~nIT~ts ts~®

®rl ~2S IDnts \rnIT~

OI=lTRMFlTION

86

of a hierC!rchy
ual machines.
Virtual Machines ... your insurance against
obsolescence. Object machine firmware implemented on one PC board. Allows simple,
inexpensive upgrades in coming years.
Newest Architecture ... proprietary parsing logic,
look ahead, 35 nanosecond bipolar register file,and 65 nanosecond local store. Assures longevity of the host structure.
• Thruput: 26 million bytes/second continuous
data rate• Storage: 16 million bytes direct addressing
design• I/O: Discrete microprocessor controllers
SEL 32/50. If you're an OEM, you'll want tofind out about the 64KB single chassis systemfor 19 fnch EIA mounting. You can also meetyour multiprocessor and distributive configuration needs.
SEL 32/55. End User? You'll be interested in
key features like large computer capability,
instant software maturity, 32 bit data paths, andtwo floating point processors.

Priced to put a lot of money in your pocket(and a little in ours).

ENGINEERING LABORATORIES

6901 W. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, 33313
European Inquiries:
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I HAVE PRESENT NEED FOR SYSTEM.
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I
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SYSTEMS Engineering Laboratories. 6901 W. Sunrise Blvd.. Ft. Lauderdale. Fla. 33313 :February, 1975

CIRCLE 26 ON READER CARD

87

tional MOS dynamic shift registers in terminal-type applications.
At its current price, obviously, theCCD memory poses no threat to the mature disc and drum memories. Fairchildvp Tom Longo sees their CCB prices
dropping to 0.0 I cent/bit in a few years,
but admits they have no idea when they
could get it down to the more competitive O.OOI-cent range. Meanwhile, Cambridge Memories champions the magnetic domain tip' (DOT) memory while
IBM continues its work on the bubble
memory. That's what mem'ories are
made of nowadays.

news in perspective

J-

(f)

o<.)
<.9

o..J

International

Bulgaria: "Choice','
People and Computers

10ns

1fLS

1ms
ACCESS TIME-+

1s

SPEED GAP: Fairchild Camera shows how CCD memory fills speed gap between fast
semiconductor and core main memory and that of slower rotating units.

. . . with built-in test
features to isolate any
system failures

Bulgaria, says one encyclopedia, "iswedged in between Greece and Turkey
on the south, Rumania on the north,and Yugoslavia on the west. The easternboundary is formed by the Black Sea."
It is a country of 42,800 sq. miles and
8% million "choice people." The term"choice" was that of Bulgaria's Deputy
Prime Minister, Ivan Popov, in the U.S.

The Series 12 Multiple Modem System with more newfeatures and versatility than anyone else offersincluding a new 1200 baud modem. Expandable from
1 to 120 modems, each with its own power supply
regulator for high reliability. Easily replacedP. C.
boards with self-diagnostic capability means you
service your own equipment. Get the whole story in
our 4-page brochure. Or call us-we're nationwide.

II Anderson Jacobson

1065 Morse Ave .• Sunnyval~, CA 94086. (408) 734-4030

CIRCLE 94 ON READER CARD

88

DRTRMRTION

:'AN IM~ERATIVE FOR'COMP4TER PROFE~SIONALS
Visitors to the 1975 National
Computer Conference inAnaheim, Calif., May 19-22 will
be able to choose from approximately 90 program sessions and over 900 exhibit
booths. The '75 NCC is shaping up as the most varied andcomprehensive computer conference ever held on the West
Coast. All events will takeplace in the ultra-modern
Anaheim Convention Center.
An estimated 400 spea~ers
and session participants will
explore key issues and answers
in three vital areas ... Data
Processing Methods and Applications, Science and Technology, and Societal Issues.
Under these broad headings,
over 20 critical topics will beanalyzed in depth. Many will
be covered in "mini-programs"-: one- or two-day updates
on the most recent developments within each topic andheld, where possible, at one
specific location.
The '75 NCe exhibits are expected to fill 90,000 square
feet, with some 300 exhibitingorganizations anticipated.
They will provide the visitor
with a unique opportunity to
examine the latest in dataprocessing products, systems,
software, and services.

MORE NCC DETAILS
Mail coupon for advance information on '75 NCC, or topreregister. With preregistration, you'll receive your NCe
Everything Card covering thefull conference and exhibits.
Benefits include: a $15 saving
over registration at Anaheim,
conference luncheon discounts, advance housing
arrangements, and the '75
NCC Proceedings.

THE INDUSTRYON DISPLAY
The '75 NCC will include thelargest computer exhibit everheld in a major West Coast
city. Visitors will find a wide
assortment of products andservices - including minicomputers, mainframes,
peripherals, terminals, package programs, communications systems, data processing
services, technical publications, and much more; Many
products will be displayed forAmong key areas to be explored are training of usertechnical personnel, defining
operational requirements andmanagement objectives,privacy and confidentiality,
and advanced system design
techniques. Additional important areas will cover such
subjects as government andlegal issues, electronic funds
transfer, medical/health care,computer archit~cture, interaction of hardware and software, memory technology,
microprocessors, data basemanagement, programming
technology; interactive graphics, and communications andnetworking.

'75 NCCHIGHLIGHTS• Approximately 90 program
sessions. '• Over 400 leading speakers
and program participants.
• Approximately 300 exhibiting organizations.
• Addresses ,by leading
national" authorities, highinterest special events, anda variety of social activities.
Donal A. Meier'75 NCC General Chairman

the first time. There will also
be live demonstrations, newproduct literature, and theopportunity for personal
contacts with industry
representatives.
A PROGRAMVITAL FOR TODAY
The '75 NCC program has
three primary objectives: toupdate the specialist on the. latest in computer scienceand technology; to updateusers on methods and applications; and to promote interdisciplinary discourse leading,to increasingly cost-effective
systems and software.

r - - - - - -Stephen W. Miller
Program Chairman- - - -~-

-OT;'27S""\'75 NCC, c/o AFIPS, 210 Summit Ave., Montvale, N. J. 07645_ _ Yes, send me my Everything Card. I've enclosed $60, covering the '75
NCC program and exhibits, plus preregistration benefits.
_ _ Please continue to send me all the facts.
_ _ ' My company is interested in exhibiting at '75 Nee.
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Title _ _ _ _ __Company _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____
Street _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __I

City _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ State _ _ _ _ Zip _ _ __\..._-

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.'75NCC The Biggest Computer Show on Earth
c/o AFIP~, 210 Summit Avenue, Montvale, N. J. 07645
Telephone toll-free (outside of New Jersey): (800) 631-7070. February, 197589

~_"_J
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The Now 83fl

A ~lltl~e ~e§§ of a good fclnlnrIlgo
90

C1~T~MRTIDNIt has come to our attention that there are people who
don't need all the speed of our 840.
So weve come up with a computer that goes ~ little
slower. And costs alotless.
The Nova 830.
The 830 uses our low-cost 32K byte memoryboards.
..
,But aside from that, you can't tell an 830 froman 840.
The 830 comes with the 840's Memory Management
and Protection Unit that lets you expand up to 256K bytes,.all of which eire fully supported.
And it has the 840's Mapped Real Time Disc Operating System that helps you develop programs as much as
it helps run them. (MRDOS is one of Data General's familyof compatible operating systems. So it can handle all ourhigh level languages andall our peripherals. )Like th·e 840, the 830 is a natural for dual operations:Timesharing and Batch, Remote Job Entry and Batch,
Timesharing and Remote Job Entry, or if you're so inclined,
Batch and Batch.
And like the 840, you can get an 830 in 45 days.
Or less.
Unlike the 840, you can get an 830 with 128K bytes
of memory for $23,150.

Data
General.
The cOlTIputer cOlTIpany you can understand.
4. Data General Corporation. Southboro. Massachusetts 01 77 2. (617) 48 5-9 100.

Datagen of Canada Ltd. IData General Europe. Paris. France 504-23-44.

February, 1975

CIRCLE 25 ON READER CARD

91

We've made electrostatic
Writing beautiful.
,,Iri 1971 Versatec introduced the first
500 LPM printer/plotter for 'under$8,000,~ .
"Bea~tiful:' said
the computer programmer. '"Beautiful;' said
the OEM.
"Not so beautiful:' said critics who
didn't like the 7 x 9dot, matrix, 100 dots~•.•
per inch printout ;!>~aij7).:that put "spots" before their eyes~;
In 1973 Versatec turned a cornerwith' high resolution printout: 160 dots
per.inch .. And then-in 1974-we founda. way to make the writing bolder;
blacker, and even more beautiful at 200
dots per inch. .
. We call our new techniquehigh resolut.ion Dual Array
Writing. It gets rid of the "dotlook" by overlapping the dots.
S,arhples are shown above.

I.ill

•

•

r

.'

600 LPM printers are
now $4,500.

prices start at just.$4,500, and printer/plotters at $5,900.
Our Universal Versaplot Software is
the most powerful
ever designed forelectrostatic plotting and starts atjust $900.
We have controllers for over 30
computers.
Now add thefact that Versatec
has the broadest
product line in electrostatics, the highest resolutions (160
and 200 points per inch), and the largest
installed base-:-more than 2,500 units
operating ~orld wide.
. It's a beautiful story all around.
For details concerning on-line or offline operation on your computer
system contact Versatec, Inc.,
10100 Bubb Road, Cupertino, Calif.
95014.
Or phone (408) 257-9900. TWX
910-338-0243.
~~

V VERSATEC

All this is part of a very
handsome package. Our printerThe leader in electrostatic writing.
92

CIRCLE 78 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

news in perspective
last fall heading a trade mISSIOn
studying this country's electronics in~dustry. His delegation was a sub-groupof a larger trade mission of some 150
which, after visiting Washington D. C.
for some general trade talks, split up
and fanned out over the country studying a variety of U.S. industries.
Prof. Popov, an electrical engineer,
has long held a strong interest in electronics and computers. His group wasinterested, among other things, in terminals, big computers, and· minicomputers.
Bulgaria was, until the early '60s, pri~marily an agrarian country. More recently the govemment has been pushingindustrial development and the computer industry has come in for a lion's
share of the pushing. Prof. Popov seems
as proud of his country's advancements
in computers as he is of its people.
In Los Angeles in October to sign a"protocol" agreement (a kind of intent
to do and guidelines for doing business)with Dataproducts Corp., he said there
are "several hundred" computers installed in Bulgaria, noting proudly thatmost of these are Bulgarian made anddesigned. Of the remainder, he said,
some are U.S. made, mostly IBM, someare Soviet, some are ICL and others arefrom the Danish GIER and Japanese Fu-

jitsu. The Bulgarian computers, Prof.
Popov said, are either minis or medium
scale and are completely compatible
with computers and peripherals produced by other Comecon (Council for
Mutual Economic Cooperation-abody that coordinates production ofcomputers and related equipment formost countries of the Eastern bloc)
countries.

AGREEMENT: Prof. Ivan Popov (left), Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, thanks Graham
Tyson, president of Dataproducts Corp. (second from right) for a gift he received during
a visit to Dataproducts to sign a "protocol" agreement. Watching are Bogomil Gerassimov(second from left), Bulgaria's Counsellor to the Council of .Ministers, who acted as interpreter, and Angel Angelov, Deputy Director of Bulgaria's ISOT.

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CIRCLE 69 ON READER CARD

February, 1975

BP950

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CORPORATIONCIRCLE 54 ON READER CARD

93

news in perspecti've
Like mld-360s
The most used Bulgarian computer,the ES 1020, was compared by Taddeus
Ciundziewicki, Dataproducts' directorof marketing, Eastern Europe, to the
middle of the IBM 360 line. Prof. Popovsaid the largest U.S. made computer in
Bulgaria is an IBM 370/145 with 500Kof memory, used in shipbuilding. "Butwe have bigger," he said, "Soviet andDanish." He said most computers usedin Bulgaria are hooked into a unified
national system.
In addition to Dataproducts, companies visited by Prof. Popov's delegation
included IBM, Control Data Corp., andGeneral Electric. Bulgaria has protocol
agreements with Control Data and GE
similar to that with Dataproducts.
Dataproducts has been doing busi-

Protecting valuables means
knowing one hell of a lot morethan a 50Cl: key can tell you.

A man spends his life and thepaid lives of his employees todevelop volumes of informationand masses of material. Now hewants to secure it. He puts it behindlocked doors - guarded by aneasily duplicated 50q: key
Ludicrous, isn 1 it?
Unfortunately this is all too often
the case, But there an alternative
Banks, pharmaceutical companies
and other industries have learned
that theres a better way-a muchbetter way
Controlling access and recording
movement is the key to protecting
valuables.
For over thirty years Cardkey
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Access Control. We deliver a highlevel of security EffiCientlysEconomically Permitting or
denying access and exit with shift
control capability: recording whowent where and when, allowing
you to void an employee's accessat any or all entrances or exits,
is just the beginning,
There's much more to our central
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880 Central Controller gives you
instant visibility It can be tied
directly to the mainframe, or it
can put the infor.mation on any
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one has to punch in the information
it's done automatically Its data
gathering capability for payroll.
inventory control, cost accounting
and other source data collection
tasks makes the Interrogator 880

Central Controller worth ten times
its price in time savings alone.
It eliminates the need for othertypes of security systems which
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In fact, its flexibility and broad
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A telephone call can get you all
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20339 NORDHOFF STREETCHATSWbRTH, CALIFORNIA 91311(213) 882-8111/TELEX: 651-375

ness with Bulgaria since 1972. In 197273, the fi~m received $300,000 in orders
from Bulgaria for memories, line printers and punched card readers. In 1973,
a core stack stringing contract was
signed. An export license application forthis contract, submitted to the U.S. government, is still pending. In December
1973, Dataproducts signed a $425,000
contract with Bulgaria for purchase ofModel 8330 card equipment. In negotiation is a contract for Model 2230 line
printer equipment with an estimateddollar value of 4-5 million. Ciundziewicki said this contract is similar to an
already approved contract with Hungary and one pending with Roumania.
Who to deal with
Ciundziewicki explained that computer companies doing business with
Bulgaria have to deal with both ISOT
and Isotimpex. ISOT is the computer industry manufacturing and buying organization. Isotimpex is a sub-group of
ISOT dealing with import! export. "Wen'egotiate the technical details with
ISOT," said Ciundziewicki, "and thecommercial terms with Isotimpex."
Prof. Popov seemed quite happy withthe results of his trip to the U.S. "Thegood understanding, the desire for cooperation, was more than we 'expected."
He was particularly strong in his praiseof Dataproducts. "We were particularly
impressed by what we've seen here (Dataproducts' plant). The fineness ofworkmanship, testing and control, the'whole operation impressed us tremendously." He noted they did not inspectfacilities of all companies they visited.
"AtIBM," he said, "we know them fromtheir European subsidiaries. Things are
not very. different here."Of his overall impressions of thiscountry, the genial .Bulgarian grinned
and said, "I have an optimistic impression. We've discovered America after
Columbus."
And while he wasn't generally evasive, when asked at the Dataproducts'
plant, where he was going from there,
his answer, after several moments' hesi, tation, was "to the hotel."Prof. Popov s~ems to enjoy being interviewed, seeing himself in the role ofteacher and the interviewer in the roleof student. And he likes to turn thetables. After apologizing for perhaps n'ot
having been as serious a teacher as heshould have been, he asked questions-questions like what are you
going to write and what did you get outof the interview.
Since journalists are notoriously badat answering questions, the answers he
got were not even as good as "to thehotel."-E.M.

CIRCLE 97 ON READER CARD

94

DRTRMRTION

CUT YOUR AIR FREIGHTCOSTS IN HALE

Ship 3,000 pounds for the costof 1,500 pounds.
We call this United's ((Daylight
Savings." You can save 50% or more onhigh density shipments. We figure therates point-to-point, per container. So themore weight you load in each container,
the less you pay per hundr~dweight.

You save from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m.

United's UDaylight Savings"
from New York City, for example:
Weight of LD-3
contents (lbs.)
1500
Density (lbs. per
cubic foot)
10
flat
To:
charge *Chicago$112$ 7.47
22.20
San Francisco 333
Los Angeles 318
21.20(Max.)

2100

2700

3000

3160

14

18

20

21

Cost per 100 pounds$ 4.15$ 3.73$ 5.33
15.86
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11.10
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11.78
10.60

To get our ((Daylight Savings" rate,'Based on airport-to-airport Time of Tender "Daylight Savings" rates.
These rates were effective Jan. 1, 1975, and are subject to change.
just get your shipment to us between
4 a.m. and 4 p.m.-our least busy tim-_e~.~lal~All you do is load our big lower deck~container and give it to us-we'll
reward you with our big discount.

$ 3.55
10.54
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UniTED AIRLinES. CARGO
February, 1975

95

News in Perspective

BENCHMARKS • • •Recession Victim: A chain of recession
related occurrences felled Memory
Technology of Sudbury, Mass. The remnants of the add-on memory systems~aker now belong to Cambridge Memories, Bedford, Mass. The chain was
begun when Memory Technology's biggest oem customer, Control Data, apparently ,unable to find customers for
the Massachusetts firm's products, cancelled a big contract retroactively, leaving Memory Technology with systems
in storage and not enough money for
payroll. The company was deeply indebt to the First National Bank of Boston. Cash was hard to come by and thebank finally seized the company's
assets. Some of these, including, capital
equipment and machinery, designs,
technology, and patents and productrights, were sold to Cambridge whichindicated it would discontinue theMemory Technology ,add-on systems
for IBM 370/l55s and l65s but probably
would continue the add-on for the 145.
Here to Stay: Honeywell Inc. has vigorously denied rumors that disappointment with 1974 operating results would
lead it to abandon the computer business. "There aren't any such plans atall," said Edson W. Spencer, president.
He said the firm's 1974 computer results
were hurt by a number of factors including the recession which has induced
many computet customers to change
from outright purchases to equipment
leasing which has meant deferred income for the company and increased
borrowings at high interest rates to finance the leased equipment. Spencer
said the company also failed to realize
the full cost and time required to introduce a new product line like the Series
60. Since the introduction of the series
last spring he said some $400 million inorders has been received with the series
accounting for "a very significant part."
The latest Series 60 order, for $25.6 million worth of 66120s, came from Ford
Motor Co. which will use them to re, place Honeywell 2000 computers in the
U.S. and Canada.
Not Burroughs: Ray W. Mac Donald,chairman of the board, Burroughs
Corp., in reporting record revenue andearnings for 1974, said industry predictions that computer shipments may de'cline in 1975, primarily due to productcycles, "would not apply to Burroughs."
He said product cycles have little influence on Burroughs because of planned
overlapping of dates of introduction ofdifferent members of product families

96

and the scheduled improvements ofmajor products on a phased program.
He said he expects Burroughs' computer
shipments in 1975, measured at sales
values, to grow at least 30% over the
1974 level. Burroughs' revenue for 1974
was $1,532,628,000, up 19% from 1973.
Net earnings in 1974 were $142,937,000,
a 23% increase over '73 results.
Together Again: Xerox Corp. has re-consolidated its computer development,
manufacturing, and marketing operations into a new division, the Data Systems Division. John t. Lewis, formerly
in charge of computer marketing, wasnamed division president. He will supervise some 3,700 employees involvedin planning, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and service.
The new division is part of the Special
Businesses Div. headed by general manager William R. Brown. other units in
Brown's organization are Diablo Systems, Xerox Computer Services, andXeroradiography of Pasadena. Three
years ago, Xerox organized its U.S.
operations by function, separating plannin~, development and manufacturing,

JOHN C. LEWIS

and marketing into three groups. Related computer activities became part ofthese groups. Lewis said a strong cOn;tputer order position has created new demands on computer development andmanufacturing' and that the reconsolidation will help the company "improve
responsiveness to customers' requirements." 'He noted that Xerox met an
end-of-year delivery schedule announced with introduction of its 560
computer line last February by shipment Dec. 27 of the first two 560s to
a Massachusetts vocational school anda New York-based consulting engineering firm.
A Test for DDS: AT&T has received aqualified go-ahead on its Dataphone
Digital Service (DDS) from the Federal

Communications Commission. The FCC
authorized the phone company to begin
DDS operations in five cities in which it
already has facilities and to constructand operate facilities in 19 additional
cities. but it questioned the rates AT&T
wants to charge (below private line
rates). The commission said Bell could
charge the planned rates in the first fivecities on an interim basis but would
have to charge higher rates in the added
19, until a rate study is completed. The
five favored cities are New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, and Boston. The other 19 are Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Kansas city,Mo., Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee,
Minneapolis, New Haven, Newark,
Pittsburgh, Portland, Ore., St. Louis,and San Francisco.
No Great Rush: Although nationalbanks have been authorized by theComptroller of the Currency to install
remote teller stations just about anywhere, there has been no great rush to
do it. Bankers had sought the concession
to enable them to counter competition
from savings and loan associations
which were given similar authority lastsummer by the Federal Home Loan
Bank board. Now there is a deterrent
in the form of legislation sought by Sen.
William Proxmire ofnWisconsin, which
would impose a moratorium on the installation of such facilities until Dec. 1,
1976. The Senator fears'that the largebanks and S&Ls will drive the smaller
ones out of business if remote teller stations are allowed to proliferate before
the implications of electronic funds
transfer systems (EFTS) are explored.
Congress has established a National
Commission on Electronic Funds
Transfer to make such a study. But some
S&Ls are undeterred and are goingahead with remote teller installations(see p. 81).
Commodity Futures System: Acquisition of a computerized system for reporting commodity futures transactions
has been recommended by a sharplydivided study team composed of Agriculture Dept. officials and commodities
traders. The traders opposed computerization. The study group majority recommended installing an on-line system,with a computer based in Washington,over a three year period; system proposals would be solicited the first year, anda contract awarded the second. The
Commodity Futures Trading Commission will decide, finally, whether to implement the system. CFTC, authorized by
the last Congress, officially goes -intobusiness next April.
D
CRTRMRTICNANOTHER PAGE FROM TALLY'S RELIABILITY STORY
Consistent print quality line after line.

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The Tally technique minimizes moving parts. The one-piece Tally print
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Join Tally's growing list ofcustomers. Write for our brochure.
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LLY®

LOOKAI-EAD

Six
New
Minicomputer
Products
Why would we enter an already crowded minicomputer market when we'vebeen so successful with add-on memories? Simple. We cah offer combined OEM
product discounts with an exciting range of products. In fact the best discounts
available. Bundled or unbundled. Nova compatible but better. Good enough tooffer a one-year warranty.
. .
I DS minicomputers. 16-bit, 800, 1000, or 1200 nanosecond models with up to
65K words of directly addressable memory. A versatile applications-oriented
instruction set. Front loading. And standard features you would order as options with a Nova. *.

Our four models feature, as standard, power fail/restart. A hinged front panel tofront load circuit boards. Forced air cooling and an easily serviceable power supply with 50% more power than our competition;
Input/output board. Standard TTY control, current loop or EIA. Real time clock.
High-speed paper tape reader and punch. And an RS232C modem interface.
Multi-communications adapter. Designed for connecting computers into multiprocessor systems. One microsecond basic cycle time. And up to 300 feet of .
cable between computers.
.
8-channel multiplexer. Offered for asynchronous data communications with aprogram selectable baud rate for each line. An RS232C data set interfaces up to
9600 baud.
. .
.
Disk controller. Compatible with Diablo Series 40/50 disk drives. 100 or 200
tpi at 1500 or 2400 .
Tape controller. Only Nova-compatible 1600 bpi. 9-track industry standard tape.
Now you can benefit from our six new minicomputer products. Let us show you
how. Call George Foldvary, Executive Vice President, (213) $29-3594. Or write
Keronix, Inc., 1752 Cloverfield Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90404.
*Nova is a Data General registered trademark.

KERONIX
1752 Cloverfield BoulevardSanta Monica, California 90404(213) 829-3594 TWX 910-343-6480

February, 1975

CIRCLE 36 ON READER CARD

99

hardwareWorld's Widest Mini Family
Wha.tever businesses Computer Automation was in before, it's in a few more
now. In one fell swoop it has added
to both the top and the bottom of its
line, come up with new 110 and software, and carried distributed intelligence maybe one step too far-to theintelligent cable. CA'S product line may
be the only thing around' that's expanding faster than the V.S.'s monetary inflation.
Taking it from the top, the newest
biggest mini from CA is now the Mega:..
Byter, a machine that proves minis
are small in outward appearance andprice only. It obviously takes its nameTwo Bell Laboratories scientists·from having up to 1MB of main memalso received their patents earlyory (oddly enough, still core). In addithis year for developing the charge- tion it offers stack architecture, a 222coupled device (CCD) which is
instruction repertoire, decimal arithbeing considered for many practical
metic (a first for this builder) andapplications as a replacement forcompatibility with CA'S smaller matransistors.
chines.
The compatibility turns out to be
Digital Equipment Corp. continues
its aggressive pricing strategies
both a blessing and ·a curse. On theby slashing memory prices as muchminus side, the compatibility is upas 36% on selected PDP-II
ward only, and holding the Megaconfigurations, and announcing new
Byter's bus size down to be' compatimodels with the lower priced memr
ble with the smaller machines also

Off-line

A small computer is the basis ofan aircraft collision avoidancesystem patented early this year.
The system, developed by George B.
Litchford of the Lichstreet Comrpany, Long Island, N.Y., uses signals from existing air traffic
control equipment together with
automatic responses made by transponders which are already on allcommercial aviation craft. The
computer provides data to a crt
display to warn the pilot of any
nearby aircraft or an obstruction
such as a mountain peak, marked
with a standard beacon.

ories. A 32K x 16-bit chunk for
the PDP-II now goes for $8K, downfrom $11,900~ The ,64K box was cut
from $23,800 to $ISK.

Recession and generosity don't
exactly go hand in hand, whichhelps make California Computer
Products, Thc.' s recent donationof $160K in computer equipment
for minority training worthy ofcomment. Pepperdine Univ. and the
Telco Institute of Urban Technology each received a complete
drum plotting· system and accessories which will be used by thetwo private schools in a HEW program to train minority students
in computer technology.
The Air Force Avionics Labcratory
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, has
contracted with the Goodyear Aerospace Corp. for an II-month study
on how microprocessors can be used
to improve warfare signal process~ing systems. Some possible military Uses for microprocessors
being investigated under the contract include helping protect .
pilots in heavily defended hostile
areas, and new, smaller, more
economical electronic warfare systems with greatly increased capability. A pity.
100. holds down the amount of directly
addressable memory to 64K, a frustrating. drawback in a megabyte machine. On the positive side, however,compatibility has· forced the stack de:sign to be implemented in software,and this means that multiple stacks
can be going simultaneously.
. All kinds of new instructions areavailable. In addition to the decimalarithmetic, there's a MOVE that works
on up to 255 bytes, and a STRING COMPARE that compares string magnitudes
and locates mismatched characters too.
These and others suggest the machine
may actually bea suitable component
in an end-userbusriness system.

CA touts the MegaByter as competition for Digital Equipment's PDP11145, Data General's Eclipse, andInterdata's 7/32. To prove it, the firm
has offered its first version of an optimizing FORTRAN IV. Still no Accounts
Receivable, though.
. For peripherals interfacing, there'sa multi-channel multiplexor called
DIOS (Distributed 110 System). DIOS
is compatible with every member of
CA'S family of processors. It can beused to interface terminals, datasets,
card equipment, but not discs which
presumably need faster lines. DIOS, inturn, relies on cables that have microprocessor chips imbedded in them.
The cables pick up haIfof the inter. face workload. The "picoprocessors"
bring the price of the cables up to$145 each, but offer another dimension in flexibility in exchange, by making the interfaces between cpu and peripheral that much less subject tochange and that much easier to implement. (The DIOS 110 distributor
runs as little as $380, partly as a consequence of the cables.)Another new member of the line
to which DIOS and its tentacles may
attach, is the "millicomputer", socalled because, in CA'S eyes, it's midway between a minicomputer and a
microcomputer. True to form, thecompany calls it the "Naked Milli,"
but it implements it in MSI rather than
LSI. A full-scale 16-bit bipolar processor, it covers only a half a card, andis priced at less than $295 for one($695 with lKB of semiconductor
memory). It is on this machine thatthe company bases its boast of the"broadest range of compatible products in the industry." All programs
written for this machine will reportedly run on any larger member of thefamily. Further, programs written in
the larger instruction sets (the millihas only 93 instructions) will run on
this cpu through software macros.
So at least it is possible, if not practical, to pullout the $295 milli; put ina MegaByter . and connect it to thesame peripherals through smart cables.
The jump in performance will cost
about $1 OK if the MegaByter has only,
say, 32K of 1.2-usec core memory(which isn't much money for that sizeof machine). To go to 192K still only
costs $27K. A full-blown version witha real million bytes, costs $11 OK. .
DRTRMFlTION

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East: N. Y. (212) 586-19700 Boston (617) 261-58670 Phila. (215) 676-43480 Pittsburgh (412) 343-44490 Wash., D.C. (703) 979-55000 Rochester (716) 254-2479
Midwest: Chicago (312) 986-14140 Cqlumbus (614) 864-47140 Detroit (313) 559-8223. South: Dallas (214) 233-77760 Atlanta (404) 393-1440
Houston (713) 783-17600 Orlando (305) 628-0132. West: San Mateo (S.F.) (415) 574-48000 L.A. (213) 553-1811 0 Denver (303) 770-63300 Seattle (206) 242-0505

February, 1975

CIRCLE 35 ON READER CARD

101

By the time
your drum plotter turns this out,
a Gould printer/plotter
can turn it out 400 times.

If what you're looking for ishigher plotting speed and lower
plotting cost, we've got somethingthat can give you both. And something else besides.
A Gould electrostatic printer/plotter. The one that makes yourold drum plotter remarkably underproductive. The one that gives
you a useful printing capability inthe bargain. A Gould plotter is so fast, itcanturnoutthis
plot in only 2 seconds - versus an average 13Y2 min·utes for your old drum plotter.
And what gives that Gould plotter its blinding speed
is its direct on-line operation to your computer. Whether
it's the PDP-8/E, PDP-9, PDP-II, PDP-IS. HP2100.
Nova/Supernova, H316/S16,Raytheon704, UNIVAC
1108, IBM 360/370, CDC 3000/9000. Interdata 70
and more.
In addition to output speeds up to 400 times faster, aGould printer/plotter gives you a lower unit cost, as
well as lower paper cost. Better-looking output, since
there's no ink to smudge, clog or run out of. Few moving parts for quiet operation, high reliability. Software

that's upward compatible with theleading drum plotter. Without any
sacrifice in mainframe CPU time.
And, in addition to everythingelse, it gives you an alphanumericprinting capability that also lets you
compile management reports at
speeds up t03000 lines perminute.
Users will tell you ,that a Gould
ele~trostatic printer/plotter makes
their computer-aided design system truly interactive
since output of modified data for verification can bequickly obtained. And by producing hardcopy output
in a matter of seconds - instead of the many minutes
it can take with older methods - time savings are maximized.
This all adds up to the best printing/plotting hardware and software available anywhere. And it's backed
by Gould's own factory- trained service technicians.
To learn more about Gould electrostatic printer/plotters- get in touch with Gould Inc., Instrument
Systems Division, 20 Ossipee Road, Newton, Mass.
02164 U.S.A., or Kouterveldstraat 13, B 1920,
Die'gem, Belgium.

-} GOULD102

CIRCLE 10 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTJON

hardware
Deliveries have started; there's nopaper <tiger here. Shipments take about
60 days. COMPUTER AUTOMATION INC.,
Irvine, Calif.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 220 ON READER CARD.

A 9600 Baud FirstThe vendor claims this 9600 baudmodem is the first to be able to operate on unconditioned private lines(usually C2 or D1 level" conditioning
is required) and that it can also operate at that speed on most DDD (Digital
Data Service) lines. That ought tomake the device look particularly attractive to ,those intending to makeuse of Bell's newest, fastest transmission services. It uses type 3002 leasedlines, thought to be the most common
for both multipoint and point-to-point
networks, and can fall back to 7200
or even 4800 baud when conditions
demand.
Its error rate is claimed to be lessthan one bit in 100,000 in worst casesimulations, and it operates in simplex, half- or full-duplex modes. It
also has the ability to handle multiplexed transmissions in multipoint networks without necessitating hardware
or software modifications to central
site hardware. The unit is priced at$9,700 (figure it at a little over $1 abaud) and delivery takes 30 days.
INTERTEL, Burlington, Mass.

is also practical. It stores up to 100
floppy discs and keeps them segregated with 10 movable dividers. Madeof color impregnated high-impact plastic, it weighs about 10 pounds empty.
Priced at $89, its only concession tohistory seems to be its roll top. MORLEY CO., Portsmouth, New Hamp.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 224 ON READER CARD

help. The switch can interconnect up
to 256 lines of speeds from 300 baud
to 9600 baud. Not a multiplexor, it
doles out available lines or ports on acontention basis.
One of its best selling points is expected to be its built-in diagnostics
and audio and visual alarms. The
vendor claims ,any "qualified" electrical technician can service it, and thequalifications may not be too toughsince the diagnostics supposedly pin
things down to the card level.
The basic unit, with 10 lines and300 baud interface cards, starts atunder $13,000. (Systems of 100 lines
are less than $5QO/line, it is claimed.)
Delivery takes four to six. months.
MULITIPLEXCOMMUNICATIONS

INC.,

Hauppauge, New York.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 230 ON READER CARD

Flip-side Mag Cards

Selec,trics used for word processing applications have a mag card feature for word storage, as do someother text development systems. Previously the magnetically recorded card
stock had one side coated with a lu-

IBM

Communications Switch

Have 10 or more terminals that needto dial each other? Or three times as
many terminals as computer ports?
Maybe the Automatic Data Switch can

FOR DATA CIRCLE 223 ON READER CARD

Bigger Tiny 370

Perhaps to increase the distance between it and the System/3, the smallest IBM 370 has just gotten a little bigger. Previously available in four sizes
ranging from 64KB to 156KB, the370/115 has been allowed anothermemory expansion to 192K. The additional MOSFET expansion brings theprice of the maximum 115 to $4,115
per month or $187,000. (The 156K
machine runs $3,765/month or$172,000). Now IBM can turn its attention. to thoughts of competition between the S/3 and its little brother.
IBM, White Plains, New York.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 222 ON READER CARD

Floppy Storage

This company's claim to fame has been
in building practical devices. The firm
is named after its founder, James Morley, who invented the first automaticshoe button sewing machine back in
1890. How can you argue with that?
The present product, the File One,
February~ 1975

product
spotlight
Microfiche PrinterTen microfiche, equivalent to 980 letters, can be mailed across country(first class) for 10 cents. Upon theirarrival, they can now be translated to
8Y2 x 11" form in about 20 minutesby the Model 970 printing system.
There is more to the 970 than asophisticated way to beat the post office out of some stamps, of course.
The system not only allows for the useof fiche as a paper distribution medium, but makes it easy to selectively
print one or more frames from a fiche,
to print several copies of these selected frames, and to collate up to499 sets of those pages.
The many advantages of microfiche(a nickel or dime to duplicate 98
pages of information onto another

fiche, computer output 10 times as
fast as line printers: and 2 % of thestorage space of paper forms) might
be accepted by more shops if users
could quickly and easily get a sharp,
inexpensive paper copy when theyneeded it. The 970 is built to do that.
Like a copier, the machine is rented
on a per page basis; 50,000 printsworth is included in the minimum
monthly rental of $1,500 (which figures about 3 ¢ per page) .
Models are available to print from
24X and 20X reductions, from horizontal layout on the fiche or vertical.
All the models run between 3,300. and 3,500 pages per hour. XEROX CORP.,
Stamford, Conn.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 221 ON READER CARDo103

BUT NOW WE'RE ONE OFTHEBES-&

At Bell & Howell,wejust
acquired a proven, well-:-known
COM unit. We can now offer
you a total· microfilm package
we consider second to none.
You get a recognized COM
unit that interfaces with major
mainframe computers.

You get thebackingof
Bell & Howell national sales
and service.
And.you can fill all yourother microfilm needs from ourrange of imaginative softwareand reliable microfilm readersdesigned for COM.

COM· plusS~rvicepltls~r~~:~ft·~u~~:;g~t:e-al1
Now's t~etiIl}eto~riteor
call sowecanpl'0ye .()tlP t ota1
capability il1n:icrofUIl1~.
01974. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY;

WE MAKE MICROFILM MEAN BUSINESS.
BUSinESS EQUIpmEnT GROUP
6800 McCormick Road Chicago, Illinois 60645

IIICI BELL EJ HOWELL.

.

CIRCLE 28 ON READER CARD

hardwareor more boxes. GRAHAM MAGNETICS,
Graham, Texas.

answers back. TYCOM CORP., Midland,
New Jersey.

FOR DATA CIRCLE 231 ON READER CARD

FOR DATA CIRCLE 232 ON READER CARD

bricant like graphite and anothercoated with the magnetic oxide. This
new stock, with both sides coated withboth the lubricant and the oxide, doubles the amount of storage per card.
Each side can contain about one typewritten page of text.
The cards come packaged 25 to abox-each with its own protective
sleeve-for $37.50 per box in verysmall quantities, $33 per box for 10

Acoustic Coupler

Cassette Reader

Trying for the low end of the market,
this unit is priced at $199.50 for prepaid orders. Compatible with the Bell
103A, it is called the Model 920 and
can automatically switch between data
and acoustic operations. It realizes
its low price by being a send-only unit,
so presumably will have to find a home
in locations where no one wants any

Somehow this firm figured out how torecord. 16 channels of analog information on two tracks on about one-quarter inch of tape. Recording density isthus about 615 bpi, for a read rate ofabout 1700 bps at 2.75 ips. Reading
between the ps's, this makes it a spe':'cialized small computer peripheral
which will mostly see service in reading tapes produced on the firm's otherproducts. Analog resolution is 12 bits,
and interfaces for minis, larger mainframes, or Rs232C terminals are available. Prices start at $2,095 with a parallel interface. DATEL SYSTEMS, INC.,
Canton, Mass.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 233 ON READER CARD

Synchronous Multiplexor

The TDM 1251 is another unit whichanticipates ,the establishment of ultrahigh-speed digital networks. As withmost multiplexors, its buyer is offereda choice of interfaces (Rs232, CCITT
V24, CCITT V35, Bell 303)! for a variety of input rates (600 bps to64Kbps)and output rates (to256Kbps). The final characteristics ofthe device are decided by the choices
the customer ticks off on ,the menu.
Only the serial synchronous 110 isfixed.
A standadl unit accepts inputs to19.2Kbps and outputs at up to
72Kbps. A standard box with spacefor 22 channels runs $3,700 plus about$250 each for the channels to put inthe box. Larger boxes, with more little nests to stuff channels into, accommodate up to 62 inputs. GENERALDATACOMM INDUSTRIES INC., Wilton,
Conn.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 234 ON READER CARDIntelligent Tape Drive

As microcomputers fall to about $10
or $12, watch for more and more items
we once considered "peripherals" to
get intelligence all their own. The PTT8000 is a case in point. Built aroundan Intel 8008 microcpu, the device
looks like a cartridge tape drive, but
comes with up to 4K of memory and12 switches and 20 lights that can be
programmed to function "as you likeit." (For users without the gear toactually program the PROM firmware,eith.e.r this firm or Intel is willing todo the codirig from customer sped:fications. )The 8000 comes with an Rs232 interface or can be run full-duplex, canswitch between transmission speeds up
CIRCLE 79 oN READER CARD

106

J:JRTRMRTICN

to 2400 baud, and can run in local
or .on-line modes. Its cartridge is the
3M unit.
The price is $2,695. THREE PHOENIX
CO., Phoenix, Ariz.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 229 ON READER CARD

Midicomputer.

If a minicomputer costs less than
$10,000, what do you call a 32-bit
machine that's just as small but runs
about $20,000? Whatever the name,the. 32/55 and 32/50 are that, andthey represent the frontal edge of SEL'S
attack on the minicomputer market.
. The 32-bit cpus are intended forreal-time applications. They are virtual machines, unlike the rest of SEL'S
line, and the virtual firmware is collected on a single card so that the personality of the mainframes can bequickly changed. The midis are built
around a single 110 bus architecture,
now considered de rigueur by manybuilders. But·· this bus is rated at up
to 26.6 megabytes per second. Included in the mix are a file of 32x32
35nsec bipolar registers, a 256x32
65nsec scratch pad, and up to 1MB of
600nsec core.
Software includes a real-time operating system, an optimizing FORTRAN
IV, macro assembler, and applications
packages previously developed for
SEL'S existing line-up.
The difference between the machines
is that the 150 is for oem buyers (itruns about $18,000 with 32KB, interrupts, etc.) and the 155 for end users(prices start at $25,000 with the sameamount of memory, plus cabinetry,etc.). Optional hardware includes two
floating-point processors and a sharedmemory connection for dual cpus.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING LABORATORIES,
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 226 ON READER CARD

Terminal Connec.tor
There's an excellent analogy for thethree-pronged plug and two-hole wall
receptacle in data processing. Users

with IBM mainframes and non-compatible terminals have been frustrated
in ·,trying to connect them; similarly,
users wishing to. buy impressive-looking terminals sometimes sighed andpassed them by because of the hookup problem. Here's one potential solution.
This micro controller, which has
been on the market about six months,
has just been optioned with firmware
to handle binary synchronous communications protocol. Also, when the
IBM specifications are fully released,
the vendor intends to add an' option'::,:..:.:.. :.........•.,......•...'.: ........ :'........,.:...::.:: ...:.•.•.............;.•.....•....................

". . . . . • . . . . . . . . . .'.

for SDLC protocol too.
Built 1'0 handle up to eight terminals,
versions can be ordered to handle selective calling, automatic answering,data translation, clustering and multiplexing, on private or dial-up lines.
Buffering to 16K bytes on lines to4800 baud is also offered. A 4K bisynch version is priced at about$1,900. Primarily for oems, the vendor
promises to configure tailored versions
for end-users for about $300 to $500
more. APPLIED SYSTEMS CORP., St. Clair
Shores, Mich.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 227 ON READER' CARD
0

'.'

...."

.

".

'

.........................:'............................................. ::..........'...•

wQUlDN'T·SEEMSOS(Aft
Find out more. Call or write

R Martin. Rusco Electronic Systems.
P.O. Box 284BD, Pasadena, CA 91105.
Calltoll free: (800) 423-4194.
In Califomi!\, call direct or' colleCt:(213) 682·3601.
Sales representatives in major u.s. cities.

~RUSCOtEJ

ELECTRONIC SVSTEMSDivision of Rusco Industries, Inc.,an American Stock Exchange company.

CIRCLE 73 ON READER CARD

February, 1975107

software & services
Updates

Computers seldom get accused ofhelping to clear the air, but you
would find that kind of attitude
prevails at Michigan State Univ. 's
observatory at East Lansing ••Computers are credited with increasing the site's efficiency by
300%, giving the equivalent of
300 viewing nights instead of the
100 per year average without automation. The machinespe'rformtasks such as data collection, recording,processing, analysis,
down to such mundane chores asaiming the telescope, moving theprotective dome, and adjusting
the glass to keep pace with thestars as they move across the sky.

What is being billed as a full
fledged data base management system for minicomputers has beendeveloped by Express Software Systems, Inc., New York, N.Y. Implemented on the Wang 2200B mirii,
the Express File Manager (EFM)
product handles hierarchical structures up to 16 levels. File description, maintenance, and inquiry
are performed irrteractively via
crt and involve no programming.
The system can run in as little as
16K bytes.
Excerpta Medica On-Line is thename of a new service that allows
researchers, physicians, and other
health care personnel in North
America access to a data base ofworldwide medical literature froma desktop terminal. Developed
jointly by the Excerpta Medica
Foundation of Amsterdam, Holland,
and Informatics Inc., ,Rockville,Md., the data base contains
articles , drawn from, 3,500 journals
consisting of 20,000 individual
issues each year. Search tools
for the information include a comr
puterized medical thesaurus con~taining 180,000 preferred terms,
and 360,000 synonyms.
Boston-based Cullinane Corp. has
added "privacy clauses" to its
IDMS data base management sys'tem.
The clauses, implemented in thesubschema processor, allow thedata base administrator to restrict or limit program or command
options. In essence, the new coding can be used to allow certain
users to add, but not delete records; retrieve but not update asubschema area, and perform other
dntricate access coqtrols.

108

Paging Analysis

A new enhancement for this firm's
job accounting program, JASPER, provides paging statistics to IBM DOS/VS
users to help pinpoint changes inpage fault activity. Reports are generated to analyze the effects of increased paging and enable the, user tospot degradation, optimize job mix,
and probably improve throughput.
One report, the page rate analysis report, shows the number of page faults
per minute, mther than by program.
The paging rate is calculated for eachprogram and is plotted on a new report on a minute by mipute basis.
Rates are accumulated on a historicbasis, allowing the user to compare
current processing with past performance. The package also operates in
a DOS environment, and can provide
comparison data for installations making the move from non-virtual to virtual processing. 'JASPER is priced from
$2,500 fora 360 DOS system to $4K
for a 370/ DOS/VS. The new paging
activity reports add $IK to the price.
DATACHRON CORP., New York, N.Y.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 213 ON READER CARD

Graphic Terminal Support

A software package has been developed that makes it possible for POP-II
DOS users with at least 24K of memory to use the Tektronix 4014 and4015 model graphics terminals. The
software is written in ANSI FORTRAN IV
and .POP-II assembler language, and'includes subroutines that allow theuser to select any of ,the four hardware character sizes available on the4014. One routine permits the user
to use any type of' hardware dashedlines, focus, and defocus lines. Writethrough mode is also supported, as is
output buffering ,to speed execution
time. A user manual and either source
paper tape or source Dectape is priced
at $575. TEKTRONIX, INC., Beaverton,Ore.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 214 ON READER CARD

PDP-11 Cross Assembler

Any machine that supports an ANSIFORTRAN compiler with 24-bit or larger
integers can run this pop-II cross assembler, called X-ll, it's claimed. X-II
is 'syntax compatible with Monitor
Version vo9 of the pop-II DOS Batch
Assembler (MACRO). Input to the 'as~sembler, in the form of card images
and a macro library, produces an output listing in Macro-II format and abinary file suitable for input to Lihk11, the DEC linkage editor. "Well annotated" source code and test programs, installation and user documentation, and a one year warranty
are included in the one-time charge of$3,500. Delivery of X-ll, in magnetic
tape form, is two weeks after !eceipt oforder. COMPATA, INC., Woodland Hills,
Calif.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 235 ON READER CARD

Data Base Management

A data base management system developed at Wheaton, College, Wheaton, Ill. has been' taken under Digital Equipment Corp.'s wing,' tested,refined, and is now offered to othersoftware spotlight
Fortran Analysis

RXVP automates the analysi~ and testing operations of FORTRAN software
programs. The input, consisting of thesource FORTRAN statements of the program to be analyzed, is first scanned,
on a module by~module basis. Tables
are constructed showing the program's basic structure. This structureis then analyzed, with the output
being suggested test data that could
be fed the program to test all possible decision points. RXVP also informs the user which program paths
have been tested, what occurred inthose paths, and which program paths
have been neither tested nor analyzed.
RXVP can handle various size FORTRAN programs, from as small as 50
statements to many thousan4s, but thebasic lease price. of $1-2K a month(depending on options) suggests that
it is more suitable for use 'in the aerospace industry and by governmental
agencies. RXVP is also ,offered on aservice basis using remote batch transmISSIOn techniques. GENERAL RE-:SEARCH CORP.,' PROGRAM VALIDATIONPROJECT, Santa Barbara, Calif.
FOR DATACIRCLE212 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

~----'-------------'-'ASI-STFor further information call or write today;
Applications Software Incorporated
Corporate Office21515 Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, California 90503(213) 542-4381

The Software Manufacturer

February, 1975

CIRCLE 77 ON READER CARD

109

software& services
colleges and universities for (hopefully) reducing their dp costs. WISE,
for Wheaton Information System for
Education, provides many generalized
data base management functions anda set of specific college/university application programs. Administrative
computer applications include student. records, alumni information, and ad-

mISSIons information. Typical programs include course registration, student grade reporting, grade ,transcripts, analysis of incoming stu,dents'characteristics, and analysis of alumni
donation patterns. WISE runs under
DEC'S Resource Sharing Time Sharing/Extended monitor (RSTS/E) , allowing simultaneous WISE processing.
WISE is touted as sharing many design similarities with generalized database management systems, and imposing very few preconceptions on thenature or amount of data a school may
wish to keep. Applications programs

are separate from data base descriptions, making the system easy to expand.
For schools already having a PDP11/40 o~ PDP-11 /45 system with atleast 48K words of memory, a magnetic bulk storage unit consisting of
three disc cartridges, a line' printer,and four video terminals, a WISE system, including support services, ispriced at $10K. A complete hardware/ software configuration is priced
at approximately $115K for a typioal
system, with the bare minimum being$85K. Systems generally require fourmonths for delivery. DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORP., Maynard, Mass.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 216 ON READER'CARD

Small Biz Fortran

There are few opportunities.that can compare with these .. .
Bring your career alive in '75 by joining the dynamic force in .. .

Lockheed has developed 'an ANSI standard FORTRAN package for its SYSTEM
III small business computer system.
This makes it possible for the III to
not only perform accounting related
processing, but take on engineeringand scientific tasks as well. The. compiler executes in a minimum of 24K
bytes .. Files created by the RPG II
and assembler languages on the system are said to be fully compatible
with the new FORTRAN. Both the FORTRAN and RPG II compilers have theability to exit to assembler language
programming to take care of special
application requirements. The complete FORTRAN package is priced at$2,200, including documentation andsupport manuals. . LOCKHEED ELECTRONICS COMPANY, INC., Los Angeles,
Calif.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 215 ON READER CARD

REAL-TIME COMMAND/CONTROL
Opportunities now exist to take major responsibility in one of several departments involvedin both large and small scale military software projects developing a new advanced
state-of-the-art real-time command and control software system.
'
Our client, one of the nation's largest and most respected developers of equipment andadvanced systems innovators, is looking for individuals with outstanding technicalcredentials in the field of complex real-time software systems, preferably command andcontrol, weapons, radar and communications. A background in some of these areas will beconsidered: Data Base Management; Radar and Communications System Programming;
Radar, Weapons, Missile Simulation; Operating System Software Development; Real-Time
Software Design; Software Project Management; Weapon System Software Development;
New Business Acquisition; Micro Programming Systems; Real-Time Executive System
Design; Computer Systems Architecture. If you have a successful background in some ofthese areas, we can offer long-term career opportunities that include attractive andimmediate rewards and extraordinary advancement potential. Please write in complete
confidence, including salary history, to: LRK ASSOCIATES, 12004 AINTREE LANE, RESTON,VIRGINIA 22091 .
'U.S. CITIZENSHIP / CLEARANCE REQUIREDLR<ASSOCIATES

Representing an Equal Opportunity Employer M/ F

Manufacturing/Distribution

PICS 2000 "piggy backs" atop MRI System Corp.'s System 2000 data management system to provide an integrated production information andcontrol system. Two subsystems areavailable: PICS 2000/DIST and PICS
2000/MFRG. PICS 2000/DIST provides
for: order entry (including shipping),
accounts receivable, inventory control, forecasting, inventory management, purchasing and receiving, andaccounts payable. PIeS 2000/ MFRG
provides for: forecasting, inventory
management, product schedule planning, manufacturing activity planning, order release and plant monitoring and control. Other subsystems
can be constructed to operate under
the PICS 2000.
Subsystems are implemented interms of System 2000 data item andrecord structure definitions and callable strings of System 2000 com-

CIRCLE 113 ON READER CARD

110

DATAMATION

claimed. Each record includes the rate
center (city and state) assigned forthe local exchange, the vertical andhorizontal coordinates of the rate center, and the time zone and daylightsavings codes. Each telephone exchange designated "Low Density" under the Hi-Lo rate includes all assigned "homing points"-Hi Density
rate centers through which private
line services can be routed.
The Hi-Lo Rate Center Listing is
supplied on a 9-track EBCDIc-coded
tape in either 800 or 1600 bpi. The
block length is 10 records of 160
characters each. The price for the initial file is $2,500, with updating service available semi-annually at $400!
update. CENTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT, INC., Ramsey,
N.J.

mands for data input and report output. Numerous types of reports are
generated. In addition, program language (COBOL, FORTRAN) interfacing
programs are included to perform
more complex data base work thatmight include BOMP, gross and net
MRP (zero time phasing), fixed field!
free field input utility routine, etc. •The basic prices for the PICS 2000
subsystems are $4,500 for the distribution function, and $7K for the
manufacturing .subsystem. The PICS
2000 nucleus is priced at $11 K. The
System 2000 data management system is available for IBM, Univac, and
CDC computers from 'MRI Systems
Corp.; Austin, Texas. SCI-TEK INC., ,:Wilmington, Del.
FOR DATA <!:IRCLE 219 ON READER CARD

FOR DATA CIRCLE 218 ON READER CARDSERVICES ...
Network Optimization

On-Line Accounting

The Hi-Lo Rate Center Listing is adata base that can be used to optimize
private line usage under AT&T'S Hi·
Lo tariff. More than 29,700 records
can be accessed by area code andtelephone exchange number, eliminating the time consuming look-ups required in most similar systems, it's

BARON (Business! Accounts Reporting. Operating Network) is an on-line accounting system that runs on the vendor's remote computing time-sharing
network. Though available nationwide, close local support is available
only along the Eastern seaboard, inmost major cities. Standard program

modules are supplied, but the user
has the ability to generate customized
programs, or alter the standard packages. Programs exist for billing, inventory· control, production! purchaseorders, accounts payable! receivable,
agings, daily registers, sales performance, statements, and more. Englishlike statements in a proprietary language called VICTOR are used to com-.
municate with BARON. The language
basically resembles COBOL and PL!1.
All that is required in the way of hardware to get BARON working is one ormore terminals to be leased from thevendor. Comprehensive checks arebuilt into the BARON software to ensure that data in a given file cannot
be modified by one user while another is generating output from thesame file.
Pricing gets a bit difficult with services like this. For order entry applications, the cost is approximately $1
per order for processing through all
associated modules, such as inventory
control, etc. The same rate applies tobilling applications. These rates are
based on volumes ranging from 500
to 5,000 transactions per month. APPLIED DATA RESEARCH, INC., Princeton, N.J.
FOR DATA CIRCLE 217 ON READER CARD
0

LOS ALAMOSSCIENTIFICLABORATORYTHE COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH GROUP
OF THE LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY SEEKS RESEARCH COMPUTER SCIENTISTS (PH.D.) FOR POSITIONS AS EITHERSTAFF MEMBER OR GROUP LEADER. CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS OF THE GROUPINCLUDE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES AND
METHODOLOGY, OPTIMIZING COMPIL.:ERS, INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS, ALGEBRAIC MANIPULATION, COMBINATORICS, AND THE STUDY
OF ALGORITHMS. WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDTO OUR CURRENT CAPABILITIES IN SUCH
AREAS AS OPERATING SYSTEMS, COMPUTERNETWORKS~ AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS.
Send complete
resume or request
application from:
R. Lynn Wilson,
RecruiUng Supervisor
Division 75·RR
Los Alamos ScientificLaboratory
P. O. Box 1663
Los Alamos,
New MexiCO 87544

losalaznos

SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY

P.O. Box 1663
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544

U.S. CITIZENSHIP REQUIREDAn Equal Opportunity Employer

Our new Model 60 packs in the most
testing capabilities per dollar cost. Allows you to pinpoint thesource of trouble between any MODEM and TERMINAL by pro·viding access to all 25 lines of the EIA RS232 interface. Has
12 monitoring LED's plus two voltage-sensing LED's. 24 miniatureswitches allow isolated testing and observation of terminal andmodem signals. Mini-jumper cables included for easy crosspatching and signal monitoring. Sturdy 13 oz. unit is self-contained, battery p?were~. II
INTERNATIONAL
Send order now for ImmedlDATA
ate delivery.
SCIENCES. INC.
A[NANCED TECHNJQUES IN 04TA COMMf.AoIICATIONS

100 Nashua Sf.. Prov., R.I. 02904. Tel. (401) 274-5100. TWX 710-381-0285
CIRCLE 112 ON READER CARD

February, 1975

CIRCLE 82 ON READER CARD

111

Runadisk
operatingsystem for$3640 tDEC USERS:*08/8*RT-11
Disk monitor*

NOVA USERS:
*008
*APL

Books
(Continued from page 27)
puter reliability, physical protection,
procedures, contingency plan, employee awareness and audits.
It was written to cover most potential causes of computer center failure.
This reviewer was pleased to note thatwhile all areas of the operation werementioned, the authors assumed thereader had basic management principles well in hand and only sought toenhance those skills as they applied tosecurity.
Detailed suggestions on "how to"with graphic examples were plentiful.
Guidelines for selecting remedial measures were excellent. The manual evenwent so far as to explain to the uninitiated, with diagrams and words, thefeatures and benefits of motor generators, un interruptible power supplies,
and air conditioning systems. A small
number of questions (compared to the800+ in AFIPS) were included to as-

Understanding the IBM 360 and 370
Computers, With Machine Language
Programming

VARIAN USERS:• Vortex*M08
E. Basic*"H. P. USERS:• ~08 III
*MT8

* Delivery: Off-the-shelf.
SYKESdisk runs these operating
systems as the systems device
and can also be used as an auxiliary device. SYKESdisk 7000
flexible disk system provides:• Full IBM 3740 compatibility• Smart hardware controllar• $8 removable diskette• 256 K Char./diskette• No CPU expansion required• Dual and single drive systems• Off-the-shelf hardware interfaces for above listed CPUs.
Write us and start running.

IUIII
SYKES DATATRDNICS INC.

(8)375 ORCHARD STREETRDCHESTER,NEVV YORK 14606(716) 458-8000

source data

TELEX .97- 8326

by William T. Batten
Pren,tice-Hall, Inc., 1974
453 pp. $15.50

For the novice who wants his/ her
hand held on the way to understanding
the System/360 instructions, Batten's
text provides excellent material. To
the dp sophisticate who knows othermachine languages and can read reference manuals well enough, the presentation of material may seem tediousand paarly arganized.
Following an introduction to dp andSystem/360, the machine instructions
are described, most of them in great
detail, along with related basic concepts such as number systems andhexadecimal arithmetic. The numerous illustrations and examples, and thecontinual preview and review of infarmation, are invaluable aids to the beginner. Batten maintains a strict logicalorder of presentation, introducing newmaterial only when relevant to what
has been or is about to be discussed.
This sometimes causes related items,
such as fields of the Program Status
Word, to be described in separate
chapters, but the connectian between
them is always noted and reviewed.
On the other hand, some of us perhaps know tao much to' appreciate this'presentation. Though some basic concepts are discussed in separate chaptersor sections which can conveniently besist the analyst in riskassessment. They
seem totally relevant.
Unlike the AFIPS manual this pub. lication avoided discussing those areasof security where there is no clear solution. It didn't address the writing of
secure operating systems. It did address the three areas of dp security
whete substantial progress can bemade, physical, personnel, and recovery planning.
Both AFIPS' book and the Federal
guidelines accomplished their main objectives and both' must be reviewed inthat context. The AFIPS security manual was design~d to stimulate the imagination of the broadest possible
audience. The FIPS Guidelines was
written' to provide solutions to clearly
definable problems. Security or insecurity, take your choice.
-T-. G. Stephenson
As Manager of Computer Processing'Services and Systems within Hughes
Aircraft's Computing and Data Processing Dept., Mr. Stephenson is incharge of the operation of several verylarge computer installations. He previously spent 10 years with IBM in
Field Engineering.

ignared, most details and backgroundinformation are ·an integral, inescapable part of the text. The mare sophisticated reader must be humble and patient. The picture of the generalscheme of things is presented graduallyand never quite campletely. Small
pieces of it are linked tagether, but at
the end there are "miscellaneous instructions" which never really fit anywhere-or do they? There is no overview of all the machine instructians,
other than a few sentences in an early
chapter and an appendix which lists
them in aperation cade order. A
thaughtfully
composed
overview
would have done much toward providing an understanding of the computer, as promised, rather than of theindividual instructions.
Clearly, then, even the novice could
want more. There is little to be learned
here about programming in machine
language or about System/370. Batten's book is not for everyane, nor is it
everything it tries to be. But for thase
who need it, it can provide an easygaing, friendly introductian to System/360 machine language, instructian-by-instruction.
-Caroline Rose

Ms. Rose is a senior systems programmer in the Data Management Systems
Group of Tymshare, Inc. She has
worked on implementation of a large
interactive FORTRAN compiler, and isextensively experienced in applications
programming and technical writing.

CIRCLE 71 ON READER CARD

112

:DRTRMRTIONNo terminal is an island.
terminals, he can quickly pinpoint the causeof most problems.
.
Almost 30% of all terminal malfunctions do not originate in the terminals
themselves. So our analyst, with the help
This Termicare Center is the heart ofof a pool of experts, can frequently
our nationwide terminal support system. restore your termi nals on the spot. If not,It consists of 5,000 square feet fu Ilof
we wi II send a field man from one of 400
sophisticated communications andservice locations. We'll alert hi m to thediagnostic equipment, service records
nature of your problem so he can bringand highly skilled people.
the necessary equipment and parts.
Because Termicare is central ized, weOnce the problem is resolved, it
can focus all our resources on solving
becomes part of your system's history.
your problems. You don't have to rely on Future malfunctions wi II be avoided orjust one man in the field.
solved more quickly.
Thinking about a terminal system?
For example, if aterminal
Let me prove what Termicare can do tomalfunctions, you call our Termicare
Center toll-free. Within minutes, one ofkeep it operati ng. For a free brochure on
Termicare, without obi igation of course,
our analysts takes charge of yourproblem and sticks with it unti I it's solved. please call 800-631-7050 (in N.J.
By monitoring your equipment and201-529-1170). Or write Western Union.referri ng to the deta iled
Data Services Company, 70 McKee
history we keep on your
Drive, Mahwah, N.J. 07430.

"Because a terminal is only as goodas the service that keeps it working,.we give you Termicare®:'z. V. Zakarian, president!!!!! data serv1ces compan!:::lFebruary, 1975

CIRCLE 63 ON READER CARD

113

The BroDiol microfiche
Why we should be the.businessIf she can handle
a~ 8-tr~ck player,
she'll be a: whiz on
the Brul1ing 95.
The model 95 Cartridge Retrieval
Display is the secret to oursystem. With this unit at her
fingerti ps, she can punch two
buttons and get a display of any
account in the house. In seconds.

Its as easy as A,B, C, 0, E.
In today's complex world, the best systems arestill remarkably siinple. Here's how ours works:
Put a master from your COM unit into theBruning OP 40/80 Duplicator/Collator and makesets or copies at up to 7qO an hour; Or convert
source documents to fiche with the Bruning 750
Camera/Processor.
Send your fiche duplicates to the model
95 Cartridge Retrieval Display units that you've
placed wherever you need them. Or use manual
Bruning Microfiche Readers.
"After all that micro-manipulation, sometim~s
you still need a hard copy. So add a Bruning 5500
Reader/Printer and have hard copies in"a hurry,
at very little cost.
.

SOURCEDOCUMENT

•

..

.

,

retrievalapproacb.
end
COM.
.
of your

Suddenly, you've got a flexible system you
can afford for every iocation you need to cover.
One that your secretary can work. One that's
programmed to use your COM data base. A total
system that puts ~o~ to work.

All this makes important people happy.
People in libraries, phone companies,
utili ties, hospitals. People in stores. with lots of locations. Lawmen andlawyers, bankers, insurance men.
Bruning's system cuts the gap
between the question and the. answer in countless applications,and makes cost accountants happy
wherever it goes.

Call 800-447-4700 toll-free (in Illinois call
800-322-4400) for more information. When you're
ready, talk to a Bruning System Analyst.:
He's a man with answers, not order blanks.
Or write Bruning, 1834 Walden Office Square,
Schaumburg, Ill. 60172.
.,~®ADDRESSOGRAPH MULTIGRAPHTBB BOLD FOROB .

11I111~BOGBAPHICS!

BRUNING DIVISIONCIRCLE 27 ON READER CARlletters(Continued from page 9)

machine efficiency were the only consideration, we would all still be writing
in machine or assembly la:nguage tosave the machine the trouble oftranslating the higher-level language.
(Come to think of it, too many of us
still are.)Progminmer efficiency is much more
important than machine efficiency. A
programmer costs about $10/hour
and averages about one line of fullytested and debugged code per hour.
A large scale computer might cost$500/hour and execute 10 million instructions per second. Assume thateach line of code translates into 20
instructions. Then the cost of paying
a programmer to write that one line
is $10;' the cost of executing that line
one million times comes to 28¢. The
cost of machine time ·is negligible compared to the cost of programming, andgetting smaller every year.
Well, that's good, but what about
the cost of repeatedly compiling andloading while debugging? Let's look atthat. Suppose that each compilation ofa line requires the execution of 100,000

machine instructions and that the program must be recompiled 1,000 times.
Then the cost per line is $1.40.
Thus the cost of that line of code
under these aSsumptions is $10 for the
programmer's salary and $1.68 for. machine time. Halving the machinecost reduces the total cost by only 7%.
Eliminating it entirely cuts the total
cost by only 14%.
What happens if we spend some ofthat machine time to provide more error checking, better diagnostics, interactive editing and debugging? Suppose
machine time doubles while programming time drops by 33 %. Total cost
drops 14 %. If tripling machine time
can halve programming time, we de-crease project cost by 14 %, plus whatever benefits accrue from having it
done in half the time.
These estimates are probably con'servative. Very few programs will berecompiled 1,000 times. If the number of recompilations is as few as 100,
we can afford to double machine time
for as little as a 4 % increase in programmer productivity.
In short, we should be working on
improving programmer productivity
rather than machine efficiency. The potential profits, both financial and psychological, are significant.
PAUL HUGHETT
Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Palo Alto, California... May I remind my respected friend
Ken Wander that the goal of computer manufacturers is not "efficient programming" or indeed "efficient use" oftheir machines . . . the harder they
are to use and the more difficult thesolution, the more machine time, andthe more valuable the machine time
becomes both to users and especiallyto manufacturers.
MICHAEL J. VIEHMAN
Tetra Tech, Inc.
San Diego, California. . . Hasn't Kenneth Wander heard
about APL? APL has been available since
about 1967, and uses the symbols< ~ 2: > =/= -:- X * -- r l € in approximately the riormal mathematicalusage and has many other symbols forease of programming. PLI 1 also uses
the symbols -- < > I in addition to
the symbols used by primitive languages such as FORTRAN.
MARK S. FINEMAN
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Computer Scheduled

MAGNETICALLY

Simulation
Using·GPSS
by Thomas J. Schriber,
The University of Michigan
533 pages$16.95GPSS is a special-purpose language that facilitates thebuilding of computer models for discrete-event simulations, especially when queueing situations are involved. By
using this book, students become adept in GPSS, eventhough they may not have had previous computer experience. Written to help those who learn either in a
, classroom or on their own, the book is highly explicit, contains twelve appendices that provide convenient language summaries, and poses over 300 problems to test student understanding. A separate Solutions'
Manual is available to instructors.
To be considered for your complimentary examination copyof this text, write to Art Beck, Dept. 639, New York office.
Please include your course title, enrollment, and present text.

111-II'g'
I.JOHN WILEY & SONS, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
In Canada: 22 Worcester Road, Rexdale, Ontario
Price subject to change without notice.
CIRCLE 68 ON READER CARD

116

A 4985-GD

Write for 16 Page Illustrated Catalog

FREE• Keep your computer running-not idle.
• Schedule in 6, 10, 15 & 30 min. cycles,
for daily, weekly or monthly periods.
• Know in advance when slack periods or. heavy work loads are coming.
• Make changes.& additions immediately.
• Every hour saved saves you $20-$40-$60.
Representation throughout most of the United States

mETHODS RESEAiCH
70 Asbury Avenue, Farmingdale, N.J. 07727
CIRCLE 85 ON READER CARDDRTRMATION

fo\[85§OlUl[ElV~l(Q)w®~~~(5)U"n«;® per character,lowest priced d2&J, .. ~nUll® ~®U"mnUll(8)~. andnext-to~lowest price of any terminal!

What else do you want to know
about this new llEllE ..llECTM terminal?
49.47 cents per character* ... that's the cost of this simple, conversationalmode teletypewriter replacement' crt terminal! 80 character x 24 line
format gives you fuli 1920 character display capability with 20 to 60 mA
current loop and TTL interface or optional RS-232-C interface. Silent
TELE-TEC DATA-SCREEN® terminals operate at switch selectablespeeds' from 110 to 9600 baud to meet any communications line requirement.

•

Separate keybo(:lrd 'utilizes TTY format for easy operator adaptation.
TELE-TEC terminal's logic (proved by more than 8000 DATA-SCREEN®
terminals in the field) generates sharp 5 x 7' dot matrix characters andbott~m line entry duplicates hard copy roll-up.
We'll be glad to tell you even more if you call or write us.

,.",_~~~.r4~

Stabilitr~ge-Based on 101 quantity terminal price of $950.

BeilutrTEe, Incorporated. 9800 NORTH ORACLE ROAD. TUCSON, ARIZONA USA 85704. (602) 297-1111
February, 1975

CIRCLE 29 ON READER CARD

117

Now you can marry. the best of IBM·to other computers.
Grummann=:§§!~!!!!!!!~
PrinterTheControllerr;

For years people have been trying to
you can improve your printing quality, speed,
imitate the IBM 1403. Unsuccessfully. Now,
and reliability. All at an attractive, andwith the Grumman Printer Controller you
perhaps, money-saving price. Speaking of
can connect your present computer to an
price, you can buy our controller or rent it.
IBM 1403 and give yourself the best printing We provide maintenance, of course.
in the business.
With our printer controller you can
The IBM 1403 has built an extraordinary connect the IBM 1403 to your present DEC,
record. Highly reliable, high speed operation. Xerox, GA, or CDC computer. We'd like to. Unusually consistent, clearly readable
hear from Burroughs, Univac and the otherprintouts. (No wavy lines so typical of drum computer users, too. For complete informaprinters.) Type fonts your operator cantion please write o~ call Jon Ayers, Grumman
Data Systems, Computer Products Division,
readily interchange. And, of course, it
45 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, New
handles form changes easily.
York 11797. (516) 575-3034.
With the Grumman Printer Controller

Grumman Data Systems
Products and services that lower the cost of computing.
118

CIRCLE 38 ON READER CARD.

DRTRMRTION

You 1.ru\ynot believe Ollrsalesman, out how could you notbelieve your own computer.
We know the image most sales people have. "They'll say
anything to make a sale." And our sales people are pretty.
sensitive about that. So they would like you to ask a third party
about our retrieval and reporting system.
That third party would
be your own computer:The only thing our sales
people would do is supply facts
about The Data Analyzer: And
if your computer were fed all
the facts about The Data
Analyzer and all the facts aboutother retrieval sys~ems, itwould tell you that you really can believe what our salesmen say.
To get all the facts, send in this coupon and see
what your computer would say about The Data Analyzer: .

The Data AnaJ.yzer.
The retrieval/reporting· systemcomputers would prefer.
I. A few facts you and your computer might find interesting -program Products In:- -I

about the 5 leading systems.
•

Data
Analyzer Mark IV

Easytrieve

CulpritASI.ST

95 Chestnut Ridge Road
Montvale, New Jersey 07645
201-391-9800
I find these facts interesting. Please
send more.

;;2~1
.

I

ConventIonal columnar reports
~
~
~
~
~
Basic language (learned in 2-3 hrs.).~~
Cross-tabulations and matrix analysis~
Graphs and Statistics~~
NAME
Complete data analysis (subscripting etc.)~
Executive command language~
COMPUTER
Exits to "own-coded" routines
.
~
~
~
~
~
COMPANY _ _ _ _ _ __Entry of procedural language throughout~
STREET
Macro processed functions~
CITY
Interfaces withJMS and TOTAL~".", .
~~------..
I
f
d'
.
STATE
ZIP _ __
N
·L_ewpncmg~n~r~ay~c~my_ _ ~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~

II

I
.I

I

I

I

I

February, 1975

I
I
I

CIRCLE 41 ON READER CARD

119FREE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE

WHAT IS YOUR TRUE WORTH?

FOR PROGRAMMERS AND ANALYSTSJOB OPPORTUNITIESBULLETIN
Cadillac Associates represents the nation's largest and most respected professional placement service. Our close relationship with
the nation's finest firms generates continuous career opportunity
information and allows us to confidentially present your qualifications to those at "decision.making" levels.
Our bulletin, published quarterly,'listing available opportunities in
the Systems & Data Processing field is available free of charge andwill be mailed to your home upon your request.
For your free bulletin, without any obligation, cir~le reader service
card '#115. Please USE HOME ADDRESS ONLY!

CONFIDENTIAL
PLACEMENT SERVICE
If you desire immediate assistance in locating an opportunity consistent with your objectives (professional/financial/ geographk),
CALL OR WRITE TODAY. A member of our staff of SYSTEMS &'EDP SPECIALISTS will reach you by telephone to discuss yourobjectives and how we might help you satisfy them: A resume,or some details of background, will be appreciated.
'

Serving Northeast, Southeast and Midwest U.S.
RSVP ,will provide free ~mployment
counselling and develop and selec-.
tively distribute your resume.
Our openings include scientific andcommercial applications, telecommunications, control systems, softwaredevelopment and systems programming utilizing most languages, computers and operating systems. We
also serve engineering and marketing personnel in the computer field.
Call or send resume o~ rough notes of objectives, salary, location
restrictions, education and experience (including computers, models,
operating systems and languages) to eithe~ one of our offices. Or
check the reader service'card for c. free sample resume and typicaljob descriptions. We will answer all correspondence from U.S.
citizens and permanent residents and will guarantee our best efforts in a professional and ethical manner to all qualified applicants. Our client companies pay all of our fees.
•

Remember: Our client firms are located from coast to coast andassume all expenses (agency fee,interviewing & relocation).

E. W. MOORE

RSVP SERVICES, Dept. M., Suite 700, One Cherry Hill Mall,
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034 (609) 667-4488• RSVP SERVICES, Dept. M., Suite 104, Towle Bldg., 1777 Wolton
Road, Blue Bell, Penna., 19422 (215) 629-0595

Executive Vice President

CADILLAC ASSOCIATES, INC.*
32 West Randolph st.
Chicago, III. 6060,1
Financial 6-9400*"Where More Executives Find Their Positions Than Anywhere
Else in TheWorld.".
CIRCLE 115 ON READER CARD

Even WebsterJs
KnoW's AboutGUEST
QUEST (kwest). v. 1. To make a search; to go on a quest.
QUEST SYSTEMS, INC. n. 1. A corporation founded in 1968. 2. The
largest professional recruitment firm in the U.S. functioning solely in thecomputer sciences; its client companies pay all employment fees,
interviewing and relocation expenses. Quest is known for its deep
personal commitment to relate to each candidate as an individual withindividual goals. 3. Its professional staff averages over 6 years ofexperience in EDP recruiting (additionally, staff members have direct
hands-on experience in pro~r'amming, systems, hardware sales, etc.)
4. Quest is presently searcfiing for programmers and analysts (commercial, scientific, systems software) for over 3,500 client companies in
the U.S. Quest has openings in over 700 U.S. towns and cities. 5.
Methodology - see Questsystem.
QUESTSVSTEM (kwestsis'tem). n. 1. Discussing with an individual
what he would like to be doing in light of what he has been doing. 2.
Analyzing the realities of his objectives as they relate to the current job
marketplace. 3. Contacting client companies and other Quest staff
personnel to identify positions of possible interest. 4. Introducing thejob candidate to his prospective employers by providing complete
details to each about the other, ensuring the efficacious use of
everyone's time. 5. Arranging interviews. 6. If employment offers areextended, Quest assists in evalua.ting the responsibilities, compensation and opportunities (and relates tflose to the initially stated objectives). The Questsystem has been working for thousands of professionals at no expense, whatsoever. Ask your friends of their pastdealings with Quest. Then, put the Questsystem to work for you. For
additional information on this subject, please inquire directly to Quest
Systems, Inc. (All inquiries/resumes received will be responded to
immediately and in confidence.)

RSVP SERVICES
Employment Service for Computer Professionals
CIRCLE IlION READE-R CARD

EDP SEARCH
WHY IS FOX-MORRIS THE FIRST CHOICE
OF EDP PROFESSIONALS?
A recognized staff of professional experts offering LOCAL, REGIONAL &NATIONAL COVERAGE through our direct branches as well as coast to
coast coverage through our 75 member firms of National Personnel
Consultants, Inc.
Completely confidential service geared to your career objectives.
Unparalleled contacts with industry based on years of successful results.
Professional resume evaluation and career guidance.
Client companies assume all employment costs-including interview
expense, relocation (if necessary) and search fee.
SEND RESUME DIRECT, OR CIRCLE NUMBER BELOW ON READER CARD.

fox-morris
personnel con,sultants
New YOr-'<:(212) 697-1820, 633 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017
Philadelphia: (215) 561-6300, 1500 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa._19102
Pittsburgh: (412) 232-0410, 6 Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
Wilmington: (302) 654-4465, 2005 Concord Pike, P.O. Box 7017, Del. 19803
Princeton: (609) 452-8135, P.O. Box 2063, U.S. Rt. I, Princeton, N.J. 08540
Baltimore: (301) 296-4500, 409 Washington Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21204
Charlotte: (704) 375-9151, 1415 East Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Atlanta: (404) 321-3888, 2200 Century PkwX., N.E., Atlanta, Ga; 30345

CIRCLE 110 ON READER CARD

120

CIRCLE 114 ON READER CARDCRTRMRTICN

· Why twelve ads in .
Datamation are better
than six ads in
Datamation and six ads
anywhere else.

It computes. In an
uncomplicated way.
Think of your ads assales calls. You'd neveromit 70 of your most important 100
prospects. Neither does DATAMATION.
It alone reaches all the buying influences. In fact, the next best EDP publication reaches only 30% of DATAMATION's
audience.
Clearly,' multiple'ads anywhere
else ca n't give you coverage of people

they never reach. Anywhere else is really
nowhere.
DATAMATION multiplies your advertising effectiveness likeno one else can. Our advertisers recognize this. That's why we carry more
advertising than any other publicationin the field.
When you think about it, that's why
we should be carrying more of your advertising. Six times or twelve times, it
computes.
....--R T R MR T"Piohna;ngN
First in market coverage-worldwide.

February, 1975

®

.
121

1975 Computer
Salary Survey-

Yours Free!
---~~~~
Digest of~!:?uter Opportunities-<3-

Thenextsll!padvertisers' index
Addressograph MultigraphBruning Division ......... 114, 115
AFIPS . '...................... 89
Anderson Jacobson . . . . . . . . . . . .. 88
Applications S~ftware Incorporated. 109
Applied Digital Data Systems .36, 37'Inc...................... 70'~ 71
Artronix Instrumentation ........ 62
BASF Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16
Beemak Plastics .... . . . . . . . . . .. 93
Bell & Howell, Business Equipment
Group ................. 104, 105

Do you know how much money your colleagues
make for doing the work you do? Do you know
which computing skills are most lucrative? Do
you know how to get a better po'sition?
Source Edpdoes. And we'll sharewhatwe know
with you. Our ninth annual salary survey andcareer planning guide, "The Next Step,"compiles salary data received from over,15,000
computer professionals. 'We add to that advice
developed over our thirteen years of computer
recruiting experience: danger signals that mean
you should start looking for a new position,
mistakes to avoid, strategy in career planning.
You'll also receive the "Digest of Computer
Opportunities," our periodic supplement listing
positions available right now in every part of thecountry.
Source Eqp is the largest nationwide recruiting
firm devoted exclusively to computer
professionals. We offer "The Next Step" as aservice to people like you. Fill o,utthe reader
reply card and we'll send you one absolutely
free. Or write:
Source Edp
Corporate Headquarters
100 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606

3t2/782-0857

Houston
Irvine CA
KansasCity
Los Angeles
Minneapolis

Data General ............... 90, 91
DatagraphiX ................. 35
DATAMATION ................ 121
Datapoint Corporation .......... 6, 7
Datum Illc.................... 77
Digital Equipment
Corporation ......... 14, 15, 54, 55
Elgar Corporation .. ~ ........... 123
Fox-Morris Personnel Consultants .. 120
General Automation ......... 74, 75
General Computer Systems, Inc.. .. 58
Gould Inc., Inshu-ment Systems
Division ................... 102
Grumman Data Systems ......... 118
Harris Computer Systems . . . . . . .. 8
Hazeltine Corporation .......... 101
Hewlett-Packard .......... , . . .. 19~rce<3ctp
Regional offices:Atlanta
ChicagoCleveland
DallasDetroit("<;Idillac Associates, Inc ...... '.... 120
California Computer Products, Inc.. 126
Card key Systems, A Division
Greer Hydraulics, Inc. .. . . . . . .. 94
Centronics Data Computer
Corporation .............. 24, 25
Cincinnati Time Recorder Co. ..... 85
Computer Corporation of America . 34
Computer Sciences Corporation .... 128
Computer Transceiver Syst~ms Inc.. 13
Computer Transmission
Corporation ............. 80, 81
Computerworld ................ 129

New York
New Orleans
Northfield II
OakBrook II
Palo Alto
Philadelphia
San Francisco
St. Louis
Union NJ

International Resource
Development, Inc............. 84
Itel Corporation ............... 2
kennedy Co~ .............. Cover 2
Keronix Corporation ........... 99.
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ... 111
LRK Associates ................ 110
Maxell Corporation of America. . .. 4
Methods Res,earch .............. 116
Modul~r Computer, Systems .... 78, 79
Mohawk Data Sciences Corp. . ~ Cover 3

Nash~a Corporation . . . . . . . . . . .. 10
NCR Corporation .............. 130
NCR Paper-~~p.leton.
Papers DIVISion ............. 73
Precision Publications ... . . . . . . . .. 65
Program Products Inc. . ......... 119
Quest Systems Inc. . ............ 120
Raytheon Service Company ..... " 23
RCA Service Company, A Divisionof RCA, Technical Services . . . .. 12
RSVP Services ~ ................ 120
R~sco Electronic Systems ......... 107
Science Accessories Corporation ... 106
Source EDP ................... 122
Sycor ....... ~ . ',' .......... 82, ,83
Sykes Datatronics Inc. . ......... 112
Systems Engineering
Laboratories .............. 86, 87
Tab Products Co. . ..... ~ . . . . . .. 38
Tally Corporation .. ~ . . . . . . . . . .. 97
TEC incorporated .............. 117
Tektronix, Inc., Information
Display Division, .......... , .. 26
Teletype Corporation ........ Cover 4
United Airlines Cargo .......... 95
University Computing
Company .............. 124, 125

Houston Instrument Division of
Bausch & Lomb ..•........... 123

Varian Data Machines . . . . . . . . .. 5
Versatec, Inc. ................. 92

IBM ................. ~9, 30, 31, 32
Innovation Data Processing . . . . . .. 84
Integrated Software Systems
Corporation .............. 20, 21
I~teractive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . .. 66
Interdata .................... ,57
International Data Sciences, Inc. ... 111

Western Union Data Services
Company .................. 113
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. : ........ 116
Wright Line, A Division ofBarry Wright Corpcration
93
Xerox Corporation ........•....

CIRCLE 109 ON READER CARD

122

:DRTRMRTION

-_._.. _ - - - - - - - - - --_.. .._.. __ ..._ - - - - - - ------, -1.-... Technical
IF'Publishing Company
Arthur L. Rice, Jr., Chairman of the Board
James B. Tafel, President
GardnerF. Landon, Exec. Vice President
Calverd F. Jacobson, Financial Vice President
and Treasurer
Thomas A. Reynolds, Jr., Secretary
M. Jay Turner, J,r., Director of Circulation
Paul C. Jarvis, Director of Information Services

Model DP-3
$5150

400
steps/sec.
22" x 144'

Advertising Offices
Eastern District Managers
A. Treat Walker,
Warren A. Tibbetts: Greenwich, Ct. 06830
35 Mason St. (203) 661-5400
New England District Manager & Vice President
Warren A. TibbeHs: Manchester, N.H. 03104
112 W. Haven Rd. .
(603) 625-9498
Midwest District Manager 'John M. Gleason: Chicago, III. 60606
205 W. Wacker Drive(312) 346-1026
Western Manager and Senior Vice President
Hamilton S. Styron: Los Angeles, Calif. 90035
1801 S. La Cienega Blvd.
(213) 559-5111
District Manager
Alan Bolte, Jr.: Los Angeles, Calif. 90035
1801 S. La Cienega Blvd.
(213) 559·5111
Western District Manager
James E. Filiatrault: Mountain View, CA 94043
2680 Bayshore Frontage Rd.
Suite 101(415) 965-8222
U.K., Scandinavia, Benelux, Germany
In.tergroup Communications, Inc.
Wallace K. Ponder, European Director
Paul D. Dimmock, Regional Manager
31 Lyncroft Avenue
P,inner, Middx. HA5 lJU
EnglandTel: (01) 868 9289
Cables: PAC oM, PinnerFrance, Switzerland, Italy, Spain
Gerard Lasfargues
32 rue Desbordes Valmores
75016 Paris
FranceTel: (1) 288 9022
Japan
Shigeru Kobayashi
Japan Advertising Communications, Inc.
New Ginza Building .
3-13 Ginza 7-chome
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Japan
Tel. (03) 571-8748

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IIlIiI..iiiill....mllIlIlI ~~~jW~~¥gA&~~~~~#~.~~.~~~~~~n Eigard L!PS.
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CIRCLE 59 ON READER CARD

February, 1975

123

If your DBMS islaying eggs, get them all
in one basket with UCC TEN.
Having a data base management system is one thing. Getting it under control isanother.
What's.needed is an automated, centralized source of all the data ... about thedata. Something that will let you put yourfinger on the information you need.
Quickly and precisely. Without paperwork
and the errors that come with it.
That something is the UCC TEN Data
Dictionary/Manager. Without it, the benefits you expected and needed from a DBM
system will pro.bably go unrealized.
When used in conjunction with IMS,UCC TEN does more than centralize data
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designs.
S6, you can scramble for the information you need. Or, you can find it all in one
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I: 0 Please send me more information on::: 0 Have someone call me about:- :: 0 ucc ONE (Tape Management Software). A system that protects :I
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o ucc lWO (DOS under OS). Lets you run DOS programs under :I
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:o UCC SIX (pDS Space Management). Automatically inventories :and controls OS disc space. Minimizes PDS compression
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7200 Stemmons Freeway· P.O. Box47911 • Dallas, Texas 75147
A Wyly Company
February, 1975

CIRCLE 64 ON READER CARD

125

\

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n n r , } " l,,,,,\ j (U \ .. \ I J I I 1-' \ \ I •..., I ,-, I ~.- :);") .

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service offices in over :30
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3. CalCon1p drives arecornpatible with IBlVI :1()O/:~O,
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126

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CIRCLE 31 ON R[ADER CARD\.

I ne.. D lVI -1V1 2-7 f) 24 1 1 \VesiLa
F'ahna !\v('nue. Anaheim .
California B2801, Telephone(714) 821-2011.

This forum is offered forrea~ers.~ho want to express
their opinion on any aspect of information
processing. Your contributions are invited.

theforum,

WHO NEEDSPROGRAMMERS?
As estimates, as many as 400 million programs may havebeen designed and manufactured for the more than 400
thousand computers humans have installed on this planet(at a cost almost certainly in excess of $400 billion).
Perhaps 90% of the programs are functional duplicates.
There are three main reasons for this state of affairs, andits continuance in the foreseeable future:
1. We train people who will be called programmers
when they are employed; then we continue to reward themfor doing what their name implies: writing programs. Why
should we expect them to do otherwise?
2. Even if we changed their name and attempted tocompensate them (at least in part) for finding and using
program designs created by others, programmers would
be faced with an insuperable task: there is no practical
way to uncover useful information about more than a
few thousand programs (remember: some 400 million
may have been written).
3. Almost invariably-both in' and out of school-welook at the problem-solving process as if it were a one-way
street: here is a problem; find the solution. Perhaps thatview is encouraged by the fact that there seems to be solittle traffic going the other way: here is a solution, findthe problem.
The augmented human intellect
For the moment, let me ask you to accept that computers ought to be freely used as intelligent technicians,
not only by students, but by every other person who canbenefit from them; the context is that called the augmented human intellect. I myself would prefer a mode inwhich· I could say simply, "Here, George, take care ofthis." That is also the mode in which I would prefer toassociate with my intelligent human technicians; but weour social institutions and I~o not always program themwell enough for that. It is more likely that we will attain"the Georgian end" with our machines before we achieve
it with our people. In either case, however, the end is a

3. Provide means by which it is possible to determinethat there already exists a program (or a system design)
to do what is wanted. (The complementary set has greatvalue too: learning that. a sought-for program or systemdesign does not exist.)
4. Incorporate the behavior implied by 1, 2 and 3 inthe repertoire of our everyday skills and practices.
Some economic incentives
If all that precedes this sentence is insufficient incentive
to seek the grail I have identified, let me add financial
incentive, not necessarily as the keystone, but not to beignored either. I do not pretend that the numbers I will
use are accurate; I have made no carefully-constructedsurvey. But they are good enough, I suggest, to illuminate
the starting-point of the path we ought to take.
.
In the slightly more than two decades during which wehave been using computers, more than 400,000 of them
have been installed. On the average, perhaps, between 100
and 1,000 programs have been designed and manufactured for each of them: a grand total of between 40 million and 400 million programs! On the average, again
perhaps, the cost of developing those programs lay between $100 and $1,000 (those just have to be conservative estimates) .
I will admit that there is a modest amount of duplicationin this collection of all the world's programs. Suppose that
90% of the collection are functional duplicates of theremainder. Of the 4 million to 40 million not duplicates
I will also admit that some are proprietary or, for someother reason, not of potential interest to users of computers: suppose they, too, number 90%. That leaves between 400,000 and 4 million programs that are of potential interest, 1 % of the original lot.
I need hardly remind any of you reading this that there
is no practical way for you to uncover any useful information about as many as two or three percent of those
programs! It is also unlikely that many of you have a
nodding acquaintance with so many programs that you
cannot express their number with two decimal digits. That,
I assert, is a pretty sad state of affairs: as few as 10% of
the programs that have been written may be functionallyuniqu~; the fortunate among us may have access to de.::=::=-(Q~~

long way off.
J
Is there anything we can do until the millenium ar" ~rives? I believe there is. For example, many of the char"'acteristics of the intelligent technician can be ·put at our \disposal if we can construct an environment in which we ~humans can function more effectively and more efficiently ..
If we are to do so, we shall have to:
1. Assure that the "system design" (or "system analysis," if you prefer) which is manifested by the code (pro.
gram?) is available to those for whom the. code- itself
is not the solution they are seeking.
"Would you like to sit at my automated executive console for
2. Assure that more computer programs are manufaca few minutes, mom, and play 'Mr. Biggie'?"
tured in such a way that they can be used by persons
other than their authors.
© DATAMATION I!Ii.~

February, 1975

127

C8C----_
we're •
·grOIlng

how about you?
The world of Computer Sciences Corporation ismultidimensional, where steady growth anddiversification are common elements. Our information Network (INFONET) Division, America's
fastest growing teleprocessing network, is consistently moving into new areas. We serve more
. than 2,500 users through more than twenty
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MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES: We have openings for results oriented professionals with a dataprocessing background and a consistent record ofover-quota performance in selling to upper level
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COMPUTER SCIENCES CORPORATIONWorld Headquarters: 650 North Sepulveda Boulevard
EI Segundo, California 90245
Major Offices and Facilities Throughout the WorldAn Equal Opportunity Employer M/F

the·forum
scriptions of fewer than 0.2 % of those-that is, of 2 outof every 10,000--of all the programs ever written!
Let me continue to belabor the obvious: if you insist
that I have overestimated the number of programs thatare duplications, I will grant that possibility. So let us
suppose that only 70% are duplicates; and that, of thoseremaining, 70% are proprietary or for other reasons notof interest. In this second instance,' then, there are be-·tween 12 and 120 million programs functionaliy unique;and between 3.6 and 36 million remain after eliminating
the proprietary, etc. Of this number (nine times as many
as I identified in .the first instance), the fortunate among
us may have access to descriptions of but two out of
every 90,000 of the functionally-unique programs ever.
written. If the first instance was merely a sad state of affairs, the second is only a disaster!
Wpichever case you prefer, let us consider its financialside. In the case of the first instance, all that unnecessary
duplicated effort cost between $36 billion and $360 billion; in the case of the second instance, the cost has merely been between $28 and $280 billion. Whichever case
you prefer-I, for one, am indifferent to your choicewe ought to regard as scandalous this squandering of thevaluable resources that were involved: people, machines,
money. And given the magnitude of this waste, it is all
the more difficult to excuse the failure of computer users
to devote a reasonable sum of money to the development
and operation of a system that would help would-be-users
answer that first question I put: Does there already exist a
design for a program to do that which I wish to do?
Finally, from a consideration of matters like those above,
I am often led to conjecture about the name of the gamethat computer users play. In 1969, McKinsey & Company(Unlocking the Computer's Profit Potential, McKinsey &Co., Inc., New York, 1969.) reminded \ts clients (andmany fortunate others) that the name of the game is"make money": .
"From a profit standpoint, our findings indicate, computer efforts in all but a few exceptional companies
are in real, if often unacknowledged, trouble. Faster,
costlier, more sophisticated hardware; larger and increasingly costly computer staffs; increasingly complex
and ingenious applications: these are in evidence
everywhere. Less and less in evidence, as these. new
applications proliferate, are profitable results. This is
the familiar phenomenon of diminishing returns. But
there is one crucial difference: As yet, the real profit
potential of the computer has barely begun to betapped.".
Conclusion

So far I have identified a variety of reasons why weought to change our behavior. We ought to start changing
at once. If we do not take the initiative ourselves, it will
be taken by others, many of whom may not be qualified
to make the required decisions (even if they have thepower to· do so). Besides, if we begin now, we just possibly might be able to do the right thing right.
-Robert M. Gordon
Bob is an ElectroData alumnus presently harbored in New
Zealand as the director of the computer center at the Vic- .
toria Univ. of Wellington. He is engaged in a research project to determine the direction of rotation of rotating memory devices in the southern hemisphere, he says, and apilot project to develop software sharing "down under."CIRCLE 66 ON READER CARD

128

J:lFlTFlMFlTICN

In a year when it's
Important to cut corners,
you should start by
cutting this corner.
The 1975 Computer Caravan is coming to you with the information you need to increase efficiency
and save money. Information is worth money in the computer industry. And The Computer Caravan is thenational computer users' forum and exposition that brings you a unique combination of information sources.
The User-to-User Forum lets you exchange experiences and share solutions with other users in a series ofpanels and workshops. And the Exposition gives you information direct from suppliers in an informal, business like atmosphere. You can look around and get the latest from many suppliers at the same time. And
when you're finished, you'll be able to apply this information to your own organization. You'll increase..
efficiency and save money. That's the heart of it. Here are the details:'75 Forum Topics
Forums run each day from 9:00 to 3:00. Admission fee is $35 per day, including lunch. Advance registrationis recommended. Overall topics are:Day One - Computer Systems Management
Day Two - Software
Day Three - Trends & Options in Data Communications
We also have special afternoon sessions that are open to all Caravan attendees. Topics for '75 include
Professional Development; Virtual Vs. Real Storage and The Human Interface; External Opportunities andDangers for Data Communications Users.

Exhibitors

The Schedule

We'll be keeping some excellent 'companies at our The Computer Caravan is the computer conference'75 Exposition. No advance registration is required, that comes to a city near you. Here's our '75 schedule:
but we'll be happy to send you a free ticket if you
City
Date
Site
send in the coupon. Here's a current list:
Atlanta
Feb. 24 - 26
Atlanta Merchandise Mart
Modular Computer Systems. NCR Corp. Digital
Philadelphia
Mar. 4 - 6
Philadelphia Civic Center
Equipment Corporation. Anderson-Jacobson, Inc.
(Center Exhibition Hall)• Martin Marietta Data Systems. Memorex Corp.
Hartford
Mar. 11 - 13
Hartford Civic Center(Computer Media Products) • Varian Data Machines
New York
Mar. 18 - 20,
New York Coliseum(4th Floor)• Texas Instruments, Inc.• Sycor, Inc.• T-Bar, Inc.
• Hazeltine Corporation. Incoterm Corp.• Lockheed
Cleveland
Apr. 1 - 3
Cleveland Convention
Electronics Company. Hewlett Packard. Mini-Computer
Center
Systems. Omnitec Corporation • Scope-Data,lnc.
ChicagoApr. 8 -19
McCormick Place• American Telephone & Telegraph Company
St. PaulApr. 15 -17
St. Paul Civic Center• Cincom Systems • Datapoint Corporation • General
SeattleApr. 29 - May 1 Seattle Center
Automation, Inc. • Interdata • Pansophic Corporation
San Francisco May 6- 8'
Hyatt Regency• Software International • Control Data Corporation
San Francisco• Cullinane Corporation • Grumman Data Systems(5 Embarcadero Center)• BASF Systems. International Communications___________________________ _Registration Office
Corporation, a Milgo Company • patatype Corporation• B,eehive Terminals. SoftWare AG • Boeing Computer
The Computer Caravan/75
Services. Delta Data Systems. Computer Devices,
797 Washington Street Newton, Mass, 02160 (617) 965-5800
Inc. • Prime Computer, Inc. • Cincinnati Milacron
D Please send me further information and a registration forl'!1 for• Stromberg DatagraphiX .• Consolidated Computer, Inc.
The Computer Caravan Users' Forum. I understand that no• Cooke Engineering Company • Wabash
advance registration is required for the Exposition,·

D Plea,se send me a free guest ticket for the Exposition only.
Name ___________________________________
Title ___________________________________
Company--------------------------------"

sponsored by

I~I COMPUTERWORLD
February, 1975

Address _________________________________
City_____________State_ _ _ _~Zip _ _ _ __CIRCLE 44 ON READER CARD

129

SystemsAnalystsIYour experience ond education
represent an important personal investment--what have you done with it so far?
"Got a job" isn't quite the full answer, is it? You're you.
And there's more to life than just "a job" -or there
should be!

-highly visible from the time you join us, with prompt
recognition of superior performance.

What could you expect.if you joined us? A quality oflife that means the difference between "a job" anda way of living.

We have plants and offices all over the U.S. Whether
you work for us in one of these, or at our corporate
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Something very exciting is happening at NCR. We've
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best business equipment. We now design and manufacture complete electronic systems of many kinds.
For business .. For industry. For government. And the
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Complete involvement ... continuing career development ... an environment of individual responSibility
that encourages new ideas and rewards initiativethese are the dividends we offer on the personal
investment you've already made on your educationand career to date.

As a result, We have an urgent need for experienced
programmers and analysts of all kinds, up to andincluding the most· advanced levels, for challenging
assignments in finance, manufacturing control, marketing~ and engineering systems.

You owe it to yourself to check out the shape of thisopportunity. Send your resume to:
Ms. Marjorie L. Jones
NCR Worldwide Headquarters, Dept. 0-2-75
Corporate Executive & _ . .
Professional Recruitment m~rn
Dayton, Ohio 45479.
.
_•

Because we are a large company, we offer a total
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because we are organized in relatively small productoriented divisions, your abilities and contributions' are130

An Equal Opportunity Employer MIF

CIRCLE 101 ON READER CARDDRTRMRTION

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