Title:
Professional Services History Meeting

Date:
2006-02-15

Interviewer:
Grad, Burton; moderator
Frank, Werner; interviewee
Goldberg, Jay; interviewee
Goldsmith, Barry; interviewee
Keet, Lee; interviewee
Patrick, Robert; interviewee
Schachter, Oscar; interviewee
Schoenberg, Larry; interviewee
Trimble, George; interviewee
Ances, Carol Anne: editor

Abstract:
The Software Business History Committee organized a meeting with eight of the professional services industry pioneers to discuss their experiences in starting, growing (and later selling) computer programming services and consulting firms during the 1950s through the 1980s. Among the topics discussed were: successful (and unsuccessful) business models; systems and application programs; selling services and establishing customer relations; recruiting and retaining employees; competition and cooperation; the significance of ADAPSO; financing companies and selling companies; and key events which shaped the industry’s growth and culture. Lists were constructed of many of the principal companies and some of the other industry pioneers. This will serve as the starting point for constructing a professional services industry genealogy. In addition, oral histories were taken of four of the pioneers in attendance: Werner Frank, Jay Goldberg, Barry Goldsmith and Robert Patrick, the transcripts of which are posted at this CHM oral history website. There are previous oral history interview transcripts of Lee Keet, Oscar Schachter and Larry Schoenberg posted at cbi.umn.edu and an extensive memoir written by George Trimble that was published in the Annals of Computing History.

Keywords:
ACT
ADAPSO
AGS
Applied Data Research (ADR)
AT&T
Business models
C-E-I-R
CGA
Computer Clones
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Computer Task Group (CTG)
Computer Usage Company (CUC)
Equimatics
Financing
IBM S/360
IBM Unbundling
Informatics
Leasing
Principal companies
Principal pioneers
Professional Services
Recruiting employees
Selling companies
Service Bureau Corporation (SBC)
Software Design Associates (SDA)
Systems Development Corporation (SDC)
Turnkey systems, inc (tsi)

Rights:
Computer History Museum

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