The purpose of this blog is to briefly highlight IBM’s computer technology leadership.
Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are servers. I use these terms interchangeably to make it easy for folks to find this information on the web.
I enjoy history and travel because understanding past key trends helps us make sense of how we arrived at where we are today.
I recently traveled to Portugal. Before my trip, I knew very little about this country’s heritage. I was amazed to learn that Portugal once led the world in navigation. Its sailors were nearly 100 years ahead of their European contemporaries. In fact, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Brazil, South Africa, India, Indonesia, China, and Japan, well before Spain, England, Holland, or France.
What does this have to do with IBM?
Portugal’s leadership in navigation is a fitting analogy for IBM’s leadership in technology.
Let me highlight a few milestones:
- 1956: IBM introduced the first disk drive, the RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control).
- 1964: IBM launched the System/360, a revolutionary family of mainframe computers with a compatible architecture—an industry first that standardized hardware and software.
- 1960’s: IBM developed magnetic stripe technology, still used today in credit cards and ID badges.
- 1970: IBM introduced the System/370, the successor to the System/360, now with virtual memory support.
- 1973: IBM released the 3340 “Winchester” Drive, the first sealed hard disk drive—a major advancement in storage technology.
- 1970: IBM researcher Edgar F. Codd proposed the Relational Database Model, laying the foundation for modern SQL databases.
- 1978: IBM introduced Single Level Storage with System/38 architecture. This innovation allowed for seamless integration of programs and data, simplifying data management and improving system efficiency.
- Late 1988: IBM invents and first implemented Logical Partitions (LPARs) to allow a single physical mainframe to run multiple isolated operating system instances
- 1988: IBM introduced the AS/400, a powerful midrange computer system for businesses. It has since evolved into the iSeries, and today runs as IBM i on Power Systems.
- 1990: IBM began work on the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set) 64-bit Processor which is the foundation for the IBM i servers, about 12 years before other chip makers caught up.
Regardless of what hardware or software platform your organization uses, we benefit today from the extraordinary computing advancements made possible by IBM’s pioneering technical leadership.
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