Distributed Processing Technology: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Former American computer hardware company}}

'''Distributed Processing Technology''' (DPT) was founded in 1977, in Maitland, Florida. DPT was an early pioneer in computer storage technology, popularizing the use of disk caching in the 1980’s and 1990’s. DPT was the first company to design, manufacture and sell microprocessor-based intelligent caching disc controllers to the OEM computer market. Prior to DPT, disk caching technology had been implemented in proprietary hardware in mainframe computing to improve the speed of disk access.<ref name=obj6:3>{{cite journal|title=Maitland manufacturer's electronic part becomes darling of computer trade|journal=Orlando Business Journal|date=July 2-8, 1989|volume=6:3|url=http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/AboutSG/1989-07-02%20OBJ%20-%20Maitland%20Manufacturer's%20Electronic%20Part%20Becomes%20Darling%20of%20Computer%20Trade.pdf|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=obj9:19/>

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Distributed Processing Technology Corporation

| logo = File:Distributed Processing Technology logo.svg

| image =

| image_caption =

| type = Private<ref name="adaptec" />

| industry = Computer

| fate = Acquired by [[Adaptec]]

| founder = Steve Goldman

| founded = {{start date and age|1977}} in [[Maitland, Florida]], United States

| defunct = {{end date and age|1999|12}}

| products = Intelligent storage controllers

| num_employees =

| website = {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970715042855/dpt.com|title=dpt.com|date=July 15, 1997}}

}}

'''Distributed Processing Technology Corporation''' (DPT) was an American computer hardware company active from 1977 to 1999. Founded in [[Maitland, Florida]], DPT was an early pioneer in [[computer data storage|computer storage]] technology, popularizing the use of disk caching in the 1980s and 1990s.

DPT's products popularized the use of disk caching in the 1980’s.<ref name=obj6:3 /> According to Bill Brothers, Unix product manager at the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), a computer operating system vendor out of California, "The kind of performance those guys (DPT) produce is phenomenal. It's unlike any other product on the market."<ref name=obj9:19>{{cite journal|title=Technology Tops Silver 50|journal=Orlando Business Journal|date=Oct 16-22, 1992|volume=9:19|url=http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/AboutSG/1992-10-16%20OBJ%20-%20DPT%20Takes%20Byte%20Out%20of%20Silver%2050.pdf|accessdate=27 August 2014}}</ref>

==History==

DPT was founded by Steve Goldman who served as the President and Chief Executive Officer until DPT was acquired in January 2000.

[[File:DPT PM2022.jpg|thumb|upright|left|DPT [[Extended Industry Standard Architecture|EISA]] Fast SCSI Controller PM2022]]

'''Distributed Processing Technology''' (DPT) was founded in 1977, in [[Maitland, Florida. DPT was an early pioneer in computer storage technology]], popularizingby theSteve use of disk cachingGoldman in the1977.<ref 1980’sname=burnett and/> 1990’s.The DPTcompany was the first company to design, manufacture and sell microprocessor-based intelligent [[cache (computing)|caching]] disc[[disk controllerscontroller]]s to the [[OEM]] computer market. Prior to DPT, disk caching technology had been implemented in proprietary hardware in mainframe computing to improve the [[Hard disk drive performance characteristics|speed of disk access]].<ref name=obj6:3>{{cite journal|title=Maitland manufacturer's electronic part becomes darling of computer trade|journal=Orlando Business Journal|date=July 2-82–8, 1989|volume=6:|issue=3 |url=http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/AboutSG/1989-07-02%20OBJ%20-%20Maitland%20Manufacturer's%20Electronic%20Part%20Becomes%20Darling%20of%20Computer%20Trade.pdf|accessdate=25 August 25, 2014}}</ref><ref name=obj9:19/>

[[File:PM3001 Disk Controller Distributed Processing Technology.jpg|thumb|upright|DPT's first product: PM3001 caching floppy disk controller]]

[[File:DPTController.jpg|thumb|upright|DPT PM2554 and PM3754112 SCSI RAID disk controllers]]

DPT's products popularized the use of disk caching in the 1980’s1980s.<ref name=obj6:3 /><ref name=burnett>{{cite journal | last=Burnett | first=Richard | date=October 30, 1989 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/277560181/ | title=Predicting the Power of the PC: Maitland Company Caching in with Success of Disk Controller | journal=Orlando Sentinel | page=25 |id={{ProQuest|277560181}}}}</ref> The company was also a pioneering designer of [[RAID controller]] [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASICs]].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Brooks | first=Mary | date=February 5, 1995 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/278588442/ | title=Computer Company Has Found Its Niche | journal=Orlando Sentinel | page=A5 |id={{ProQuest|278588442}}}}</ref> According to Bill Brothers, [[Unix]] product manager at the [[Santa Cruz Operation]] (SCO), a computer operating system vendor out of California, "The kind of performance those guys (DPT) produce is phenomenal. It's unlike any other product on the market."<ref name=obj9:19>{{cite journal|title=Technology Tops Silver 50|journal=Orlando Business Journal|date=Oct 16-2216–22, 1992|volume=9:|issue=19 |url=http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/AboutSG/1992-10-16%20OBJ%20-%20DPT%20Takes%20Byte%20Out%20of%20Silver%2050.pdf|accessdate=27 August 27, 2014}}</ref>

Goldman served as the president and [[chief executive officer]] from DPT's inception until the company was acquired by [[Adaptec]] in November 1999 for US$236&nbsp;million.<ref name="adaptec">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB941464103313049161 |date=November 1, 1999 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |title=Adaptec Agrees to Acquire DPT for About $235 Million |accessdate=November 30, 2017}}</ref> Adaptec completed their acquisition of DPT in December 1999.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=January 17, 2000 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/230512593/ | title=While we were away | journal=Electronics Times | publisher=Miller Freeman | page=16|id={{ProQuest|230512593}}}}</ref>

== Further reading ==

* [http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/BySG/1983-02-01%20Mini-Micro%20Systems%20-%20Floppy%20Controller%20Speeds%20Access%20with%20Cache.pdf Floppy controller speeds access with cache]

* [http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/BySG/1984-09-01%20Digital%20Design%20-%20Caching%20Disk%20Controller%20Relieves%20System%20Bottlenecks%20-%20Compressed.pdf Caching Disk Controller Relieves System Bottlenecks]

* [http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/BySG/1983-06-01%20Digital%20Design%20-%20Disk%20Controller%20Unburdens%20Real%20Time%20Applications.pdf Disk Controller Unburdens Real Time Applications]

<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=Stephen|title=Floppy controller speeds access with cache|issue=Page 231|publisher=Mini-Micro Systems|date=February 1983}}</ref>

<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=Stephen|title=Caching Disk Controller Relieves System Bottlenecks|work=Digital Design|issue=Vol 14 Number 9, Page 102|publisher=Morgan-Grampian|date=September 1984}}</ref>

<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=Stephen|title=Disk Controller Unburdens Real Time Applications|work=Digital Design|issue=Vol 13 Number 6, Page 129|publisher=Morgan-Grampian|date=June 1983}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

[[Category:1977 establishments]]

* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970715042855/dpt.com|title=Official website|date=July 15, 1997}}

[[Category:Computer companies established in 1977]]

[[Category:Computer companies disestablished in 1999]]

[[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States]]

[[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]

[[Category:1977 establishments in Florida]]

[[Category:1999 disestablishments in Florida]]

[[Category:RAID]]

[[Category:SCSI]]