[IP] 40th Anniversary of the IBM System/360
Delivered-To: dfarber+@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:52:36 -0400
From: Claudio Gutiérrez <cgutierrez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: 40th Anniversary of the IBM System/360
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
[
I was on the SHARE Executive Board during tose launch days and remember
talking with Bo by a pool at a SHARE meeting on whether we could develop a
new language so IBM would not have to again create Comtran, Cobol and
Fortran for the 360. We ended up saying we could -- and they tried. It was
called PL/1. I could write a long book on why it failed to replace those
legacy languages but ...
Dave
]
Computer History Museum to Mark 40th Anniversary of the IBM System/360
http://www.computerhistory.org/ibms360_04072004/
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California and IBM will mark
the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the IBM System/360 -- a
landmark system in the evolution of computing -- with a panel discussion
featuring the National Medal of Technology winners who developed the system
in 1964.
The event is part of the Museum's Speaker Series and is titled "The
System/360 Revolution." The event will be held on the evening of April 7,
2004 at the Museum, at 1401 North Shoreline Blvd. in Mountain View, exactly
40 years after the introduction of the IBM System/360 on April 7, 1964.
In addition to its impact on the development of computer technology, the
IBM System/360 is recognized for its impact on business and government over
the past 40 years. For example, in the 1960s, the System/360 was the
backbone of the SABRE reservation system for the burgeoning airline
industry, helped facilitate space flight at NASA, and served as the
backoffice foundation of many of the world's government and financial
institutions.
Many consider the introduction of the IBM System/360 to be the biggest
business bet of all time. At the height of IBM's success, then Chairman
Thomas J. Watson, Jr. bet the company's future on the concept of computing
compatibility. In 1964 dollars, IBM invested three-quarters of a billion
dollars just on engineering, and another $4.5 billion on factories and
equipment. It hired more than 60,000 new employees and opened five major
new plants. At the time, it was believed to be the largest privately
financed commercial project ever undertaken.
"We are excited to host this amazing anniversary; by hearing the historical
stories from the panelists and other key S/360 developers, we can learn
about how far we have come," said John Toole, executive director and CEO of
the Computer History Museum. "Forty years later, many of the attributes
born on the System/360 remain fundamental aspects of computing."
Among the confirmed participants for the event:
Fred Brooks, Jr. -- Project manager for System/360 from late 1961 until
announcement in April 1964. He received, along with Erich Bloch and Bob
Evans, the National Medal of Technology at the White House by President
Reagan in 1985 for his work in developing the S/360. Brooks is currently a
Kenan Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill.
Bob O. Evans -- Then vice president of development for the IBM Data Systems
Division, Evans is credited with persuading management to abandon a less
ambitious product plan for one that resulted in the S/360.
Erich Bloch -- In 1962, Bloch headed development of the Solid Logic
Technology program (SLT) which provided IBM with microelectronic technology
for the S/360. Bloch is a past director of the National Science Foundation.
Reservations are required to attend the event. The Speaker Series is free,
with a suggested donation of $10 for non-members. The lecture starts
promptly at 7:00 p.m. A reception will be held at 6:00 p.m. for invited
guests and Computer History Museum members. For more information, please
visit www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures.
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