The Rise and Fall of Philips Data Systems
A Major European Computer Industry
Language: English - ISBN: 9789152762332 - 359 pages
€18.63
Synopsis
From the frostbitten labs of post-war Swedish computing to the boardrooms of Philips and the eventual American takeover, this sweeping chronicle traces one of Europe's most remarkable and overlooked technology success stories: the rise of Philips Terminal Systems. Built from decades of firsthand accounts, technical archives, and photographs gathered by an engineer who lived it, the book moves chapter by chapter through the machines, the people, and the corporate maneuvers that made a European manufacturer dominate global banking terminal systems against overwhelming American competition.
Structured not as a single narrative but as a rich collection of standalone chapters, technical deep-dives, market analyses, and personal reflections, it invites readers to wander freely through eras and product lines, from the earliest computers to the final generation of the PTS 6000 series.
With detailed chapters on computer technology, product development, international markets, and industrial history, the book is both a technical reference and a tribute to the people who built a remarkable European computer industry.
The complete book is also available free of charge as an open-access PDF.
About Mats Danielson
Mats Danielson has worked in the computer industry as a software architect and developer for over twenty years, with Philips PTS equipment as well as many other systems. Starting in 1981, he worked a total of 16 years with PTS systems, of which more than four were full-time assignments. He now spends the second half of his working life in academia as a Full Professor of Computer Science at Stockholm University.