Philips
Data Systems
Source: Internet
Philips Computer
Industry (PCI) is the original name with which Philips established in
1963 an industrial group with intent to manufacture computers. Later
changed its name to Philips Data Systems (PDS), a group that
excelled in the computing world and which had its headquarters in
Apeldoorn , Netherlands . Philips Data Systems (PDS) started
marketing its products in Spain through the company Gispert, sa in
the late sixties. The history of computers manufactured by Philips
Data Systems (PDS) and ends when all its European subsidiaries
were purchased by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
History
During and after
World War II developed some electronic equipment consisting mainly of
large vacuum tubes. While it took some time before such machines were
important to commercial arithmetic, especially in the automation of
business administration, Philips already involved in internal
developments in computer and Research Laboratory in 1958 there was a
computer called PETER. Later, in 1960, ending the production, also in
its laboratories, a computer called PASCAL, much faster and reliable
than its predecessors.
The Board of
Directors of Philips decides, based on this knowledge, to begin the
manufacture of computers and in 1963 created the group Philips
Computer Industry in Apeldoorn with twenty-five people who came from
the Physics Laboratory. In 1964 came the question of technological
disadvantage, especially with IBM, which determined that, in future,
many of the strategies that presided over the research and
technological innovations within the Philips Data Systems
(PDS) are inspired by previous advances from IBM.
Minicomputers
With the advance of
computer manufacturers of the United States as IBM , Univac ,
Burroughs , etc.., European industry in 1972 created a consortium of
Germany's Siemens , France's IIC and Dutch Philips Data Systems
(PDS). In 1975, with the bureaucratization of the consortium, it is
broken. CII joins Honeywell and later evolved into Honeywell-Bull .
In the joint work emerged minicomputer Unidata , which quickly
evolved into Philips P300 family.
Philips Data
Systems began a successful career with the P350, a team
implemented throughout Europe. Agreements were also Arenco Sweden,
which specializes in bank computers, and created the P800. After this
milestone, the Philips Data Systems (PDS) expanded its market
big banks, so far limited to general office environments.
In the seventies and
early eighties the success of Philips Data Systems (PDS) is
completed minicomputers P450 series, P3500 and P4000 or large storage
systems such as Megadoc . Operating systems implemented in the
Philips minicomputers were all owners but had a great acceptance and
implementation across Europe and prominently in Spain through
Gispert, sa With the commercialization of Apeldoorn minicomputers
reaches the factory employs 2500 people and Philips Data Systems
(PDS) international expansion. In Spain, in 1983, Philips Data
Systems (PDS) acquires the entire share capital of Gispert, sa
and in January 1985 changed its name to Philips Computing and
Communications , sa. (PICS).
Philips minicomputer
series ends with the marketing of equipment P9000 Series with
Unix-based operating system called MPX.
P-7000
The P7000 system
installed 32 terminals stand alone online. He had the ability to
operate simultaneously with different programs in languages such
as DATA V4 , COBOL , EDITOR ... But mostly highlighted its
communication capacity, both in interactive mode as batch .
This power coupled
with a specific software, MAESTRO, Softlab company allowed its entry
into large firms, mainly the banking sector, to download the big
computers around the work of writing programs, check them,
maintaining versions and achievement of results as you work in real
mode. At a lower level, was sold in hotels, bingo halls, and several
companies that required storage capacity and processing speed.
Printer
Teller
In 1969 Philips
acquired the Swedish company BANQIT [ 1 2 3 ] and start sharing ATMs.
Years later, in 1982 there was a global agreement between Philips
Data Systems (PDS), Diebold and DeLaRue. Diebold brought his
experience of being the world's leading manufacturing ATMs ticket
vending dollars-one format. DeLaRue contributed by manufacturing
world leadership ticket dispensers Philips formats and the system
integrator. This alliance Philips Data Systems (PDS)
positioned as the world's number one distributed automated teller
machines (ATM) and ticket dispensers.
BANQIT finally sold
to Digital Equipment Corporation in 1991, then in 1998 was acquired
by Compaq Computer Corporation. In 1999, after thirty years, reverted
to BANQIT Swedish capital.
Personal
computers
The appearance of
the IBM PC (1982) together with the failure to adapt the Unix
operating system to high-end products manufactured by Philips Data
Systems (PDS) forces in 1986 to start manufacturing personal
computers (PC). Philips PC starts production in factories outside the
Netherlands and as a result in a short time 2000 people lost their
jobs in Apeldoorn.
On the other hand,
due to the increasing integration of computer technologies with the
technologies of communications, Philips Data Systems (PDS) was
decided to merge with Philips Telecommunication Systems (PTS), based
in Hilversum . The result of this merger came as systems Sophonet ,
which incorporated all the basic operating philosophy of the Internet
, but quickly saw the impossibility of these developments. In 1989
the two divisions are separated again.
The Philips PC was
successful even in the Netherlands , where the existence of PC Tulip
was a very important competition for all manufacturers of personal
computers. But then came the inevitable, the company Digital
Equipment Corporation with high availability of money in 1992 Philips
Data Systems (PDS) purchased with the intention of acquiring
Philips customers. Since then Apeldoorn plant is limited to
assembling printed circuit boards and reduces its workforce to 73
employees.
Finally, the Belgian
IPTE group, based in Genk and specialize in providing material for
the electronics industry, opts to purchase the plant in Apeldoorn
where the workforce was reduced to 26 employees. However, when you
reach that figure thwarts the plant sale and Apeldoorn in 2003 is
closed for good after forty years of activity.
