Distributed Processing Technology: Difference between revisions

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

{{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.

==History==

'''Distributed Processing Technology''' (DPT) was founded in 1977, 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 was the first company to design, manufacture and sell microprocessor-based intelligent [[cache (computing)|caching]] [[disk controller|disk controllers]] 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 2–8, 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/>

[[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 data storage|computer storage]] technology, popularizingby theSteve use of disk cachingGoldman in the1977.<ref 1980sname=burnett and/> 1990s.The DPTcompany was the first company to design, manufacture and sell microprocessor-based intelligent [[cache (computing)|caching]] [[disk controller|disk controllers]]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 2–8, 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 1980s.<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 ([[Santa Cruz Operation|SCO]] (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:|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>

DPT's products popularized the use of disk caching in the 1980s.<ref name=obj6:3 /> According to Bill Brothers, Unix product manager at the Santa Cruz Operation ([[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>

== Further reading ==

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

* [http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/BySG/1983-0602-01%20Digital20Mini-Micro%20Design20Systems%20-%20Disk20Floppy%20Controller%20Unburdens20Speeds%20Real20Access%20Time20with%20Applications20Cache.pdf DiskFloppy Controllercontroller Unburdensspeeds Realaccess Timewith Applicationscache]

* [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]

== External Links ==

* [http://www.stevegoldman.com/Publications/BySG/1983-0206-01%20Mini-Micro20Digital%20Systems20Design%20-%20Floppy20Disk%20Controller%20Speeds20Unburdens%20Access20Real%20with20Time%20Cache20Applications.pdf FloppyDisk controllerController speedsUnburdens accessReal withTime cacheApplications]

*[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]

==References==

{{reflist}}

== External Links links==

[[Category:1977 establishments]]

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

[[Category:Technology development]]

[[Category:Computer companies established in 1977]]

{{technology-stub}}

[[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]]