The Early Computer Industry

Limitations of Scale and Scope

By: Anthony Gandy

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Hardcover | 24 December 2012 | Edition Number 1

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368 Pages

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21.59 x 13.97 x 2.06

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This book presents new methods for resolving important puzzles in macrodynamic analysis; firstly detecting causal relations among changing dynamic variables, and secondly estimating the divisions of nominal income change into output change and price level change. The first topic is the basis of analysis of economic growth and business cycle phenomena, and as such has significant policy implications both in the medium and long term, for economic growth and development. The second topic is a quest for Milton Freidman's "missing equations;" since this topic is vital for any analysis of inflation and output growth, and builds on Philips' curve phenomena, it will have important consequences for current policy discussions. Amano builds on careful empirical analyses, examining data from different countries and periods.

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"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

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Non-Fiction Industry & Industrial Studies Media, Entertainment, Information & Communication Industries Information Technology Industries Business & Management Business Strategy Economics Business Innovation Sociology & Anthropology Sales & Marketing Market Research Management & Management Techniques

Management of Specific Areas Production of Quality Control Management

List of Figures	p. viii
List of Tables	p. x
Preface	p. xii
Acknowledgements	p. xiv
A Note on Referencing Styles	p. xvi
Theory and Context
Historiography	p. 3
Introduction	p. 3
The structure of this study	p. 4
Studying the electronics and computer industries	p. 5
Scope, Scale, Concentric Diversification and the Black Box	p. 10
Economies of scope and the concentrically diversified enterprise	p. 10
The life cycle of market entry - getting into the early computer industry	p. 15
The early computer market	p. 19
Intercepting IBM's strategy	p. 30
Failure in the British computer hardware industry	p. 34
US Electronics Companies in the Computer Sector 1950-72
RCA	p. 41
Early RCA	p. 41
RCA's post-war expansion	p. 43
RCA and computers	p. 45
The experimental phase	p. 45
Structured entry	p. 48
Consolidation phase	p. 61
Exit from the computer sector	p. 73
Strategy failure: the RCA Series and the Spectra 70 demise	p. 77
Conclusions	p. 84
General Electric	p. 88
The post-war General Electric	p. 88
GE in the computer market	p. 90
The experimental phase	p. 90
Structured entry	p. 93
Second generation computers: taking on IBM 1960-65	p. 97
The policy of retrenchment	p. 111
Consolidation phase	p. 112
Conclusions	p. 118
UK Electronics Companies in the Computer Sector 1950-68
The Ferranti Company	p. 123
Development of the company	p. 123
Building a capital electronics capability	p. 124
The imperative to find a new market	p. 124
Ferranti and the computer industry	p. 126
The experimental phase	p. 126
Structured entry	p. 138
Consolidation phase	p. 149
Conclusions	p. 161
Postscript	p. 163
Electrical and Musical Industries - Computing on a Shoestring	p. 164
EMI's formation	p. 164
The growth of electronics at EMI	p. 165
Changing structure	p. 167
EMI and the early computer industry	p. 170
The experimental phase	p. 170
Structured entry	p. 174
EMI post computers	p. 185
Conclusions	p. 187
English Electric - A Failure of Strategy	p. 189
The Company	p. 190
English Electric and the computer market	p. 193
The experimental phase	p. 193
Structured entry	p. 194
Consolidation phase	p. 201
A forced wedding - take over by ICT	p. 205
Conclusions	p. 209
The Business Machines Firms - What Did They Do Differently?
Strategies and Organisations of IBM and ICT	p. 213
IBM	p. 215
IBM and computing	p. 220
The experimental phase	p. 220
Structured entry	p. 225
Consolidation phase	p. 229
Forcing out the electronics companies - the System/370	p. 236
Anti-competitive?	p. 238
ICT	p. 245
ICT in the computer era	p. 246
The experimental phase	p. 246
Structured entry	p. 248
Consolidation phase	p. 253
ICT compared to the British electronics companies	p. 260
The Nimble Survivors: Sperry Rand, NCR, Burroughs, CDC and Honeywell	p. 265
Punched card rivals - Sperry Rand	p. 266
Consolidation phase	p. 272
The accounting machines companies - NCR and Burroughs	p. 275
The start-ups - CDC and DEC	p. 288
An outsider: Honeywell	p. 292
Consolidation phase	p. 294
Concluding remarks	p. 296
Conclusions: Concentric Diversification, Resource Allocation and Government Policy	p. 298
Market entry: incentives to innovate and the first phase product strategy	p. 298
Product and marketing strategies	p. 300
The position of commercial computer technology within the firm	p. 305
Competition for resources	p. 308
Software development	p. 309
Government policy and the British failure	p. 311
Economies of scope and the concentrically diversified enterprise	p. 315
Notes	p. 316
References	p. 336
Index	p. 342
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

The Early Computer Industry

Limitations of Scale and Scope

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

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