Applied Data Research
Encyclopedia
Applied Data Research was a large software vendor from the 1960s until the mid-1980s. ADR is often described as "the first independent software vendor".
Founded in 1959, ADR was originally a contract development company. ADR eventually built a series of products. ADR's widely-used major packages included: Autoflow for automatic flowcharting, ROSCOE (Remote OS Conversational Operating Environment), and Librarian for source-code management. ADR later purchased the Datacom/DB
database management system
from Insyte Datacom and developed the companion product, IDEAL (Interactive Development Environment for an Application’s Life), a fourth-generation programming language.
issued for a computer program
, a sorting system, on April 23, 1968. The program was developed by Martin A. Goetz
with accusations that IBM was "retarding the growth of the independent software industry" and "monopolizing the software industry", leading to IBM's famous unbundling of software and services in 1969. In 1970, ADR and Programmatics, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADR, received an out-of-court settlement of $1.4 million from IBM. IBM also agreed to serve as a supplier of Autoflow, which could mean another $600,000 in revenues for ADR.
in 1986 and was kept intact as a subsidiary
. In 1988 Ameritech sold ADR to Computer Associates. Computer Associates integrated the company into its Systems Products Division and new Information Products Division.
Founded in 1959, ADR was originally a contract development company. ADR eventually built a series of products. ADR's widely-used major packages included: Autoflow for automatic flowcharting, ROSCOE (Remote OS Conversational Operating Environment), and Librarian for source-code management. ADR later purchased the Datacom/DB
DATACOM/DB
Datacom/DB is a relational database management system for the mainframes. Originally developed by Insyte Datacom, later acquired by Applied Data Research, it is now owned by CA Technologies which renamed it to CA-Datacom/DB and later to CA Datacom/DB.- External links :****...
database management system
Database management system
A database management system is a software package with computer programs that control the creation, maintenance, and use of a database. It allows organizations to conveniently develop databases for various applications by database administrators and other specialists. A database is an integrated...
from Insyte Datacom and developed the companion product, IDEAL (Interactive Development Environment for an Application’s Life), a fourth-generation programming language.
First software patent
ADR received the first PatentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
issued for a computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
, a sorting system, on April 23, 1968. The program was developed by Martin A. Goetz
ADR IBM lawsuit
ADR instigated litigation in Federal Court against IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
with accusations that IBM was "retarding the growth of the independent software industry" and "monopolizing the software industry", leading to IBM's famous unbundling of software and services in 1969. In 1970, ADR and Programmatics, a wholly owned subsidiary of ADR, received an out-of-court settlement of $1.4 million from IBM. IBM also agreed to serve as a supplier of Autoflow, which could mean another $600,000 in revenues for ADR.
ADR is sold
ADR was sold to AmeritechAmeritech
AT&T Teleholdings, Inc., formerly known as Ameritech Corporation , was a U.S. telecommunications company that arose out of the 1984 AT&T divestiture. Ameritech was one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies that was created following the breakup of the Bell System...
in 1986 and was kept intact as a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
. In 1988 Ameritech sold ADR to Computer Associates. Computer Associates integrated the company into its Systems Products Division and new Information Products Division.
External links
- www.softwarehistory.org – Martin A. Goetz, "How ADR Got Into the Software Products Business and Found Itself Competing Against IBM" (1998)
- Oral history interview with Martin Goetz, Charles Babbage InstituteCharles Babbage InstituteThe Charles Babbage Institute is a research center at the University of Minnesota specializing in the history of information technology, particularly the history since 1935 of digital computing, programming/software, and computer networking....
, University of Minnesota. - Software Memories – Some basic facts about ADR