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The first company founded specifically to provide software products and services was the [[Computer Usage Company]] in 1955. Before that time, computers were programmed either by customers or the few commercial computer manufacturers of the time, such as [[Sperry Rand]] and [[IBM]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Elmer C. Kubie|date=Summer 1994|title=Recollections of the first software company|journal=[[Annals of the History of Computing]]|volume=16|issue=2|pages=65–71|doi=10.1109/85.279238|s2cid=5733812}}</ref>
The [[software industry]] expanded in the early 1960s, almost immediately after computers were first sold in mass-produced quantities. Universities, governments, and businesses created a demand for software. Many of these programs were written in-house by full-time staff programmers; some were distributed between users of a particular machine for no charge, while others were sold on a commercial basis. Other firms, such as [[Computer Sciences Corporation]] (founded in 1959), also started to grow. Computer manufacturers soon started bundling [[operating systems]], [[system software]] and [[programming environments]] with their machines; the [[IBM 1620]] came with the 1620 Symbolic Programming System and [[Fortran|FORTRAN]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2003-01-23|title=
The industry expanded greatly with the rise of the [[personal computer]] (PC) in the mid-1970s, which brought computing to the average office worker. In the following years, the PC also helped create a constantly growing market for games, applications and utility software. This resulted in increased demand for software developers for that period of time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Occupations in Information Technology|url=https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/acs/acs-35.html|access-date=2021-03-21|website=
==Nature of the work==
Computer programmers write, test, [[debug]], and maintain the detailed instructions, called [[computer programs]], that computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Many technical innovations in programming — advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools — have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today. Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization.<ref name="bls-ooh">{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-programmers.htm|title=Computer Programmers : Occupational Outlook Handbook|publisher= U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Programmers work in many settings, including corporate [[information technology]] (IT) departments, big [[software companies]], small service firms and government entities of all sizes. Many professional programmers also work for consulting companies at client sites as [[Independent contractor|contractors]]. [[License|Licensing]] is not typically required to work as a programmer, although [[professional certification]]s are commonly held by programmers.<ref name="bls-ooh"/> Programming is considered a [[profession]].<ref name="Coursera">{{cite web|url=https://www.coursera.org/articles/how-to-become-a-computer-programmer|title=How to Become a Computer Programmer|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=30 September 2022
Programmers' work varies widely depending on the type of business for which they are writing programs. For example, the instructions involved in updating financial records are very different from those required to duplicate conditions on an aircraft for [[Flight training|pilots training]] in a [[flight simulator]]. Simple programs can be written in a few hours. More complex ones may require more than a year of work, while others are never considered 'complete' but rather are continuously improved as long as they stay in use. In most cases, several programmers work together as a team under a senior programmer's supervision.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Computer Programmers |url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-programmers.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com#tab-2 |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Bureau of Labor Statistics |language=en-us}}</ref>
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