Harris Computer Systems: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:29, 24 July 2022

Revision as of 04:32, 24 July 2022

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== Origins ==

<!--base/dist-->The origins of Harris Computer Systems began in 1967 in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], when [[Datacraft Corporation]] was founded.<ref name="sent-hawkish"/> It would specialize in minicomputers for the scientific engineering market and for educational use.<ref name="sent-hawkish"/>

<

The best known of these were the DC-6024 line, which were based on a [[24-bit computing]] architecture and debuted in 1969.<ref name="sigarch"/> Successive models were denoted with names such as DC-6024/1 and DC-6024/4, which became known as "Slash 1", "Slash 4", and so forth.<ref name="sigarch">{{cite journal | url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/48675.48680 | date= June 1988 | title= Evolution of the Harris H-series computers and speculations on their future | author-first= Chuck | author-last=Crawford | journal = ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News |volume=16 | issue =3 | pages= 33&ndash;39 | doi=10.1145/48675.48680 | s2cid= 32635502 }}</ref> The Slash 1 made cost-effective use of hardware for floating-point operations and quickly became popular as alternatives to computers from [[Systems Engineering Laboratories]].<ref name="sigarch"/>

The best known of these were the DC-6024 line, which were based on a

< [[24-bit computing]]

architecture and debuted in 1969.<ref name="sigarch"/> Successive models were denoted with names such as DC-6024/1 and DC-6024/4, which became known as "Slash 1", "Slash 4", and so forth.<ref name="sigarch">{{cite journal | url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/48675.48680 | date= June 1988 | title= Evolution of the Harris H-series computers and speculations on their future | author-first= Chuck | author-last=Crawford | journal = ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News |volume=16 | issue =3 | pages= 33&ndash;39 | doi=10.1145/48675.48680 | s2cid= 32635502 }}</ref> The Slash 1 made cost-effective use of hardware for floating-point operations and quickly became popular as alternatives to computers from [[Systems Engineering Laboratories]].<ref name="sigarch"/>

== Harris Computer Systems Division ==

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<!-- == Spin-off == I'M DOING TOO MUCH ON THIS. STOP. -->== Harris Computer Systems Corporation ==

< On October 7, 1994, Harris Computer Systems Corporation came into being, as a spinoff to Harris Corporation shareholders.<ref name="nyt-spinoff"/> There were some 480 employees who joined the new enterprise.<ref name="sent-spun"/> It had revenues of about $60 million,<ref>''High Technology Market Place Directory'' (Princeton Hightech Group, 1996), p. 97.</ref> and had earned about $2 million over the year prior.<ref name="sent-spun"/> Said John Hartley, the head of Harris Corporation: "This is a well-established, profitable business that we believe will best realize its full potential as a stand-alone public corporation."<ref name="njbiz"/> The CEO of the new company was Siegel, who said "this move will give the new company greater access to capital markets for future growth."<ref name="sent-spun">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105585674/south-florida-sun-sentinel/ | title=Harris spins off computer division | author-first=Jay | author-last=Weaver | newspaper=South Florida Sun-Sentinel • | date=September 30, 1994| page=3D | via=Newspapers.com }}</ref>

The new company's business focus was on systems for [[real-time simulation]] and [[Simulation#Simulation in education and training|simulation for training]] and for [[Data acquisition|data acquisition and control]].<ref name="nyt-spinoff">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/30/business/company-news-harris-approves-spinoff-of-computer-systems-unit.html |title=Company News: Harris Approves Spinoff of Computer Systems Unit | agency=Bloomberg News |newspaper=The New York Times | date=September 30, 1994 | page=D3}}</ref> An additional focus was on [[Computer security|secure systems]].<ref name="signals-1994">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ig-AQAAIAAJ&q=%22Harris+Computer+Systems%22+spun+off&pg=RA6-PA41 | title=Trans-Atlantic Pact Spurs Processing Power, Security | magazine=Signal | date=January 1995 | author=CAR | pages=41&ndash;44 }}</ref> Its headquarters were those of the division prior, being in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]].<ref name="nyt-spinoff"/>

<

< The company's main product was (continued to be) the Night Hawk computer system, which featured high perforamnce, multi-processing, and real-time capabilities.<ref name="signals-1994"/> Accordingly, it was intended for high-performance, real-time applications in both the government and commercial sectors.<ref name="sent-hawkish">{{cite news | url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1995-03-12-9503100719-story.html | title=Harris Hawkish About Its Future | author-first=L. A. | author-last=Lorek | newspaper=South Florida Sun-Sentinel • | date=March 12, 1995 }}</ref> Night Hawk was especially strong in the [[flight simulator]] market.<ref name="sent-hawkish"/>

< The main competitor of Harris Computer Systems Corporation was [[Concurrent Computer Corporation]] of [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]].<ref name="app-move"/><ref name="njbiz"/> A secondary competitor was [[Encore Computer]] of Massachusetts.<ref name="sent-hawkish"/>

<

<

During 1994&ndash;1995, Harris Computer also garnered some large aviation and telecommunications contracts in the civilian world.<ref>Patrick J. Spain, James R. Talbot, ''Hoover's Handbook of American Companies 1996'' (Reference Press, 1995), p. 436.</ref>

At the same time, Harris Computer Systems introduced a product for network security called CyberGuard, whose purpose was to protect systems against unauthorized incursion over the Internet.<ref name="signals-1994"/>