Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4. 1950 to 1959: Starting the Ascent of
Digital Computers and Software
The 1950s witnessed the migration of computers from military and academic pur-
poses into the business domain. It also witnessed the evolution from custom-built,
special-purpose computers to commercial computers such as the Ferranti Mark I,
LEO I, UNIVAC I, IBM 701, and IBM 650. Even more important, transistors and
integrated circuits were patented during this decade and began to be used on pro-
duction computers. By the end of this decade, computers were being built glob-
ally in China, Russia, Poland, Japan, and many other countries. Programming be-
came a significant occupation and the early “high-level” languages of FORTRAN,
COBOL, and LISP were created. The term “software” as we know it was coined.
The Cold War and the Korean War continued to demand increased funding for
both digital and analog computers, and they also increased the importance of soft-
ware in military and civilian sectors.
Military and Defense Computers in the 1950s
The tense Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States and its
allies continued during the 1950s. The first Soviet atomic bomb was detonated on
August 29, 1949. Needless to say, having the Soviet Union join the nuclear club
triggered a massive increase in defense funding for both weapons systems and
computer technology. U.S. air defenses needed a major upgrade. It was also obvi-
ous that manual air defenses could not possibly be effective, so computerization
was mandatory.
SAGE
In the previous decade, defense funding for computers was far greater for analog
computers for fire control and ballistics than for digital computers. Very early in
the 1950s, the balance began to swing toward digital computers with the SAGE
system, or semiautomatic ground environment, which eventually became the most
expensive computer ever built, and the SAGE software program became the most
expensive program to date. These would remain the most expensive until the
end of the decade. After SAGE, large systems and large expenses would sweep
through both the defense and business communities.
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