40th Anniversary of the IBM System/360

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:52:36 -0400
From: Claudio Gutiérrez <cgutierrez () improvement cl>
Subject: 40th Anniversary of the IBM System/360
To: dave () farber net

[

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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