System Development Corporation: Difference between revisions
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The '''System Development Corporation''' was a US information technology firm, 1957-1987. | |||
The '''System Development Corporation''' (SDC) grew out of the Rand Corporation's System Research Laboratory (a US Air Force think-tank) and a [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]] Lincoln Labs project - SAGE(Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), an air defense system. SAGE was the "first computer-based, real-time, online, manmachine system" and "it revolutionized the information industry by spanning the prehistoric computer era of serial batch processing and the modern world of interactive systems." (Baum, 1981, p. 20).<sup>3</sup> | |||
System Development Corporation | |||
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The convergence of the two projects came when the Rand Corporation agreed to provide the software programming for SAGE in 1955. Starting with only five Rand programmers, the SAGE project and staff grew quickly and soon totaled more people than the RAND Corporation itself. The project became the independent System Development Division. It's role, size and future prospects as a systems designer conflicted with Rand's charter as a researcher for the USAF, so in 1956 a new, non-profit corporation was formed: the System Development Corporation (SDC). | |||
In 1981 SDC became an independent Burroughs Corporation subsidiary and in 1987, an enlarged Burroughs Corporation was renamed UNISYS Corporation and SDC was folded in to UNISYS. | |||
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Revision as of 14:48, 21 January 2025
The System Development Corporation was a US information technology firm, 1957-1987.
The System Development Corporation (SDC) grew out of the Rand Corporation's System Research Laboratory (a US Air Force think-tank) and a MIT Lincoln Labs project - SAGE(Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), an air defense system. SAGE was the "first computer-based, real-time, online, manmachine system" and "it revolutionized the information industry by spanning the prehistoric computer era of serial batch processing and the modern world of interactive systems." (Baum, 1981, p. 20).3
The convergence of the two projects came when the Rand Corporation agreed to provide the software programming for SAGE in 1955. Starting with only five Rand programmers, the SAGE project and staff grew quickly and soon totaled more people than the RAND Corporation itself. The project became the independent System Development Division. It's role, size and future prospects as a systems designer conflicted with Rand's charter as a researcher for the USAF, so in 1956 a new, non-profit corporation was formed: the System Development Corporation (SDC).
In 1981 SDC became an independent Burroughs Corporation subsidiary and in 1987, an enlarged Burroughs Corporation was renamed UNISYS Corporation and SDC was folded in to UNISYS.
SOURCE:
1. Stepka, S. A., & Gasser, C. (1997). Burroughs Corporation records. System Development Corporation records [Finding aid]. https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/3/resources/201
2. West Virginia Secretary of State. (n.d.). Business organization detail: UNISYS Corporation. Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://apps.sos.wv.gov/business/corporations/organization.aspx?org=115438
3. Baum, C. (1981).The System Builders: The story of SDC. System Development Corp.
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PAPERS AT: |
University of Minnesota, Charles Babbage Institute |
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PAPERS DATES: |
1946-1982 |
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SIZE: |
23 cubic feet |
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INCLUDES: |
Collection contains the records of the System Development Corporation, including a history file with information about the RAND Corporation, the System Development Division, and the System Development Corporation. It also contains correspondence, meetings and minutes, symposiums and presentations, product literature, technical literature, reports on systems engineering, systems design, human-computer interaction, and user interfaces, and a subject file. |
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SOURCE: |
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PAPERS AT: |
Stanford University, Department of Special Collections |
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PAPERS DATES: |
1957-1993 |
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SIZE: |
170 linear feet |
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INCLUDES: |
System Development Foundation executive records, research program files, financial files, administrative files, subject files of people and places, other materials |
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SOURCE: |
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf429003m4/entire_text/ |