Dr. Gerard O'Regan is a CMMI software process improvement consultant with research interests including software quality and software process improvement, mathematical approaches to software quality, and the history of computing. He is the author of such Springer titles as Giants of Computing, Mathematics in Computing, A Brief History of Computing, Introduction to Software Quality, Introduction to Software Process Improvement, and Mathematical Approaches to Software Quality.
This accessible compendium serves as a companion to the title Giants of Computing, examining a collection of significant technology firms that have helped to shape the field of computing and its impact on society. Each company is introduced with a brief account of its history, followed by a concise account of its key contributions. The selection covers a diverse range of historical and contemporary organizations from pioneers of e-commerce to influential social media companies.
Topics and features:
Presents information on early computer manufacturers, such as EMCC / Sperry / Unisys, Leo Computers, and Zuse KG
Reviews important mainframe and minicomputer companies, including IBM, Amdahl, and DEC
Examines the contributions to the field of semiconductors made by Intel, Texas Instruments, and Motorola
Describes companies that have been active in developing home and personal computers, such as Sinclair Research, Commodore, Apple, Atari, and Dell
Surveys the notable research centers Bell Labs, Xerox PARC, and the Software Engineering Institute
Discusses the impact of Ericsson and Motorola in the field of telecommunications, and of SAP and Oracle in the area of enterprise software and business computing
Considers the achievements of the e-commerce companies Amazon and eBay, as well as the browser wars between Microsoft and Netscape
Provides a review of the social media companies Facebook and Twitter
Includes coverage of such prominent companies as Adobe, Cisco, Google, HP, and Unimation
Suitable for the general reader, this concise and easy-to-read reference will be of interest to anyone curious about the important role played by different technology firms in forming today’s digital world.