1970 to 1979: Computers and Software Begin Creating Wealth - The Technical and Social History of Software Engineering - page 143

Galorath Incorporated
Galorath was started by Dan Galorath in 1979 as a consulting organization aimed
at improving software development, which was a common concern during this
decade. The company later incorporated in 1987 in Marina Del Rey, California.
Galorath is one of a number of organizations that build parametric software cost-
estimating tools. The main product of Galorath is called SEER, and it has soft-
ware, hardware, and manufacturing flavors.
Parametric estimation for software projects is more accurate than manual es-
timation, and the accuracy is even better for large applications with more than
1,000 function points where few project managers have extensive data or experi-
ence.
Parametric estimation should have been a mainstream technology used on all
major software projects. But for some reason, the parametric companies have
stayed comparatively small and also independent rather than being scooped up by
larger global companies.
Note
Companies named after their founders often encounter problems
if the company is sold, as can be seen in the discussion of Ed
Yourdon's company later in this chapter. The company retained the
founder's name long after it had gone on to something else.
IMSAI Computers
In 1973, William Millard started a home business called Information Management
Associates (IMS) in San Leandro, California. In 1974, the company began to
design a special workstation for General Motors auto dealerships, but it did not
finish this.
In 1976, IMS brought out a clone of the Altair 8800 called the IMSAI 8080.
Like the Altair, it used the Intel 8080 chip and even copied the S-100 bus. The
IMSAI came out in 1975 and sold well for a few years, perhaps delivering as many
as 20,000 units. However, sales declined and financial problems mounted. IMSAI
was acquired by two former employees, Thomas Fischer and Nancy Freitas, after
IMSAI filed for bankruptcy in 1979.
The IMSAI computer would serve as a model to the dozens of clones that
would mimic the IBM personal computer in future decades. Once a salable