Fifty Years Ago .... from the pages of Computer Weekly (Copy)
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June 1976 computing, compiled by TNMOC volunteer archivist, Brian Aldous.
A selection of stories from Computer Weekly from June 1976. The full archive of Computer Weekly can be seen at TNMOC, where there are special rolling displays of front pages from 25 and 40 years ago.
EPSS-US link-up soon:
A major step forward in international packet switched networking could be made soon with establishment of direct links between the UK Post Office Experimental Packet-Switched Service, EPSS and several packet switched networks in the US. This would give EPSS users in the UK access to vast databases and other computer services in the US and would be a big move towards a worldwide packet switched network. The Post Office says that it is talking to several existing and prospective public packet switched network operators in the US, and that a gateway node in London should be set up within the next three years. However some form of prototype link could be established within the next year if the US Federal Communications Commission accepts an application for Telenet to link up with EPSS. Telenet is the first to get in on the action because at present it is the only common carrier running a packet switched service in the US. However, the Tymnet packet switched network, which is operated by the Tymshare bureau, has now applied to the FCC for common carrier status. In addition, ITT announced its plans for a packet switched network to be called Com-Pak, some months ago. Tymshare has been talking to the Post Office for some time about linking private terminal users in the UK to database systems in the US via Tymnet. The Telenet network provides access to a wide variety of US systems and databases, including numerous universities, the National Library of Medicine, the econometric forecasting database run by the Data Resources Corp in Lexington, Mass, and the New York Times database. (CW 500 3/6/1976 p8)
OCR wand handles freehand characters:
Ideally suited for terminal data capture where the source document has a mixture of OCR and freehand characters is the Datawand OCR wand now being sold in Europe by Typescan of Glasgow, on behalf of the manufacturer, Compuscan Inc of Teterboro, New Jersey, Datawand is a hand-held device that can read full alphanumeric OCRA, OCRB, MICR, 1403 and 7B fount characters, at 150 chps, with both upper and lower case if required. The wand links to a compact character recognition logic unit and via that to any kind of intelligent data entry terminal, all at the same workstation. The wand looks to the terminal just like a normal keyboard and can be used together with a keyboard on the same terminal to process documents with both OCR and freehand characters. It will be shown for the first time in the UK by Typescan at the US Trade Centre exhibition of minicomputers and peripherals from June 14 to19 in London. (CW 501 10/6/1976 p7)
Bureau offers thermal analysis suite:
Software for thermal analysis, originally developed by GEC, is to be made available for the first time as a general bureau service, through SIA, of London. Known as Meltan, the suite has been in use for some years within several GEC divisions. The programs are designed to analyse heat transfer through complex structures. Given particulars of heat sources and materials, the temperature at each point of the structure can be calculated. Meltan can also account for heat transfer by fluid flow. This should make it an interesting rival to the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow System, offered by Scicon’s bureau. The SIA release came about through impetus from both sides. The bureau had, for some time, experienced a demand for a thermal analysis service, particularly in the nuclear energy and aerospace industries. As a result, inconclusive discussions were held with US company Martin Marietta, about its Mitas and Mtrap programs. Then, this year, GEC indicated that it was looking for an outlet for Meltan. Meltan has been under prerelease trial for two months, and already has three users. The Nuclear Power Company and Reactor Equipment are partly owned by GEC and had already had experience of the package. These companies have been joined by GEC-Marconi, which intends to use the software to analyse heat flow in printed circuits. (CW 502 17/6/1976 p8)
Europe network ready on time:
The world’s first general purpose international computer network to be funded at government level is now up and running in Europe. The five nodes of the European Informatics Network have been connected and government organisations and higher education establishments in the UK, France, Switzerland and Italy are now linking their mainframes to the network. The prestige £350,000 development contract for the packet switching communications system fell to the Anglo-French partnership of Logica and SESA, and it is a coup for these two companies that the network went live exactly on schedule. Logica and SESA also shared a £400,000 contract to supply and install the communications hardware with sub-contractors Fides of Switzerland and Selenia of Italy. Funds for EIN have come from nine European countries. The network development project was known as COST11 as it was the eleventh out of 50 scientific and technical projects drawn up by 19 countries in1970 under the title Co-operation Europeanne dans le domaine de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique. Many of these countries are watching EIN closely with a view to hooking on to the network. (CW 503 24/6/1976 p1)
