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Palgrave Macmillan

The Early Computer Industry

Limitations of Scale and Scope

  • Book
  • © 2013

Overview

Authors:
  1. Anthony Gandy

    1. ifs School of Finance, UK

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
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  2. Theory and Context

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Historiography

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 3-9

    3. Scope, Scale, Concentric Diversification and the Black Box

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 10-37

  3. US Electronics Companies in the Computer Sector 1950–72

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 39-39
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    2. RCA

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 41-87

    3. General Electric

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 88-119

  4. UK Electronics Companies in the Computer Sector 1950–68

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
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    2. The Ferranti Company

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 123-163

    3. Electrical and Musical Industries — Computing on a Shoestring

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 164-188

    4. English Electric — A Failure of Strategy

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 189-210

  5. The Business Machines Firms — What Did They Do Differently?

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 211-211
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    2. Strategies and Organisations of IBM and ICT

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 213-264

    3. The Nimble Survivors: Sperry Rand, NCR, Burroughs, CDC and Honeywell

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 265-297

    4. Conclusions: Concentric Diversification, Resource Allocation and Government Policy

      • Anthony Gandy
      Pages 298-315

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 316-348
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Keywords

About this book

Uses case studies to explore why large scale electronics failed to win a leadership position in the early computer industry and why IBM, a firm with a heritage in the business machines industry, succeeded. The cases cover both the US and the UK industry focusing on electronics giants GE, RCA, English Electric, EMI and Ferranti.

Reviews

"For those of a certain age, it is impossible to read this comprehensive and fascinating book without an occasional tear." - David Birch, financialworld.co.uk

Authors and Affiliations

  • ifs School of Finance, UK

    Anthony Gandy

About the author

TONY GANDY is a reader at IFS School of Finance, UK. After a period as a journalist he worked for an investment bank and spent 15 years running his own small consulting firm mainly specialising in the overlap of banking and technology. His research interests include competition in the early computer industry, innovation in bank delivery channels, strategy and competition in services (financial enterprises) and industrial companies, and banking technology.

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