(ICT) International Computers and Tabulators Ltd - company badge (1960’s)
International Computers and Tabulators Ltd (ICT) was established in 1959 from a merger between the British Tabulating Machine Company (BTM) and Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd. ICT went on to produce a successful range of mainframe computers with international sales that rivalled those of IBM. Both ICT and later ICL, choose to specialise in the market for business mainframe computers used for commercial data processing but did not venture into computer systems for military defence or industrial process control.
During the early 1960’s, increased competition from American suppliers, particularly IBM, obliged British computer manufacturers to rationalise. Between 1959 and 1968 there was a flurry of mergers and take-overs, during which ICT acquired companies such as Ferranti Computers Division, English Electric, Leo Computers, Marconi Computer Division and Elliott-Automation. Under influence of the Labour government’s Industrial Expansion Act 1968, ICT was merged with the English Electric Leo Marconi Company (EELM) in 1968 to form International Computers Ltd (ICL). ICL in turn would become part of the Fujitsu group of companies in 2002.
This badge features ICT’s egg logo. I’m unsure if this was an employee’s badge or was issued as a promotional badge? If anyone can confirm this, I’d be very pleased to hear from you.
.
Enamels: 2 (blue & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: 1 ¼” x ¾” (32mm x 19mm).
Process: Die stamped. The badge is slight curved, as sometimes found with cap badges.
Imprint: No maker’s name or mark.
.
ICT/ICL Timeline:
1959 – ICT formed by a merger between the British Tabulating Machine Company (BTM) and Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd.
1960 May – The first ICT-1301 computer is sold to the University of London and having passed through ownerships and since 2012 has now resided in The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park). There it is kept in storage awaiting reassembly awaiting an exhibition space to house it, as it officially requires 700 square feet and weighs over 5 tons (thanks to Roger Holmes for providing this additional information 19th June 2024). The ICT-1300 series were among the first commercial mainframe computers to use germanium semi-conductor technology and magnetic core memory for Random Access Memory (RAM) data storage.
1962 July – EMI Electronics Ltd (Electronic Digital Computers Division) became part of ICT. EMI Computing had developed the EMIDEC range of computers of which the EMIDEC 1100 was later rebranded by ICT and marketed as the ICT 1101.
1964 – ICT purchased Ferranti Ltd (Computer Division) and developed their ICT-1900 series based on Ferranti’s FP6000 computer technology. The ICT-1900 went on to achieve international sales success, rivalling that of IBM’s System/360 computers.
1968 – ICT introduces its range of ICT-1900E computers.
1968 July – ITC merged with the English Electric Leo Marconi Company (EELM) to form International Computers Ltd (ICL) who continued to develop and manufacture the ICT range of computers producing the successful ICL-2900 mainframe series from 1974. The Industrial Expansion Act 1968 brought in by Harold Wilson’s government sought to promote British industry through mergers that were intended to streamline national productivity and achieve economies of scale to ensure better longer term viability for British industry. ICT benefitted from this when the government encouraged its merger with EELM to form ICL and from which the government retained a 10% shareholding. Government funding of to £50 million was also set aside for research and development at ICL.
1969 – ICT-1900A series introduced by ICL but the ICT name retained.
1984 September – ICL taken over by STC (Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd) who sought a convergence between telecommunications and the developing IT technologies of the late 80’s. However, this venture did not break any new ground and added to STC’s financial difficulties. It is ironic, but the convergence between telecommunications and computer technology did develop from the 2000’s and continues to flourish.
1990 – Fujitsu acquired an 80% shareholding in ICL for $1.29 billion (£734 million) with STC retaining the other 20%. Fujitsu would increase their shareholding percentage during the 90’s through the purchases of additional shares and further increase their control over the company.
1991 - STC (ICL) were bought as a going-concern by Northern Telecom of Canada (NorTel). ICL remained as an independent subsidiary of NorTel.
1991 - ICL purchased Nokia Data for £230 million, who were the computing division of the Finnish Nokia corporation. This gave ICL further benefits in the rapidly growing personal-computers (PC) and PC networking markets as well as greatly increasing their customer base in Scandinavian countries and Germany.
2002 April – ICL were rebranded as Fujitsu who dispensed with the ICL name and was fully subsumed into the Fujitsu group of companies. This effectively brought to a close Britain’s international role as a developer and manufacture of mainframe business computers.
References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Computers_Limited (ICL, 1968 - 2002 whose main competitor was the US-based IMB Corporation, whose computers finally established the industry standard. In 2002, the Fujitsu Corporation bought ICL for $1.29 billion and renamed it as Fujitsu Services (European).)
archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/ICT/ICT.Punchc... (ICT 1964 brochure on their range of accounting machines and punch-cards. Interesting information on data processing and the range of equipment involved.)
www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/icl-plc-history/ (History of ITC and ICL highlighting the technical and financial difficulties facing both companies throughout their history).
www.ourcomputerheritage.org/BTM%20ICT%20ICL%20company%20r... (History of ICT).
www.computerhistory.org/brochures/companies.php?alpha=g-i... (Short note on ICT history plus links to two ICT brochures of 1964).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Tabulating_Machine_Company (British Tabulating Machine Company founded in 1902 manufactured the Hollerith range of recording and data-processing equipment. BTM also produced data processing machines that were used at Bletchley Park during WW to help decipher the German Enigma code. BTM were part of the American based Tabulating Machine Company Inc which later became IBM computers.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers-Samas (Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd was a British company founded in 1915 who developed and manufactured a range of mechanical data recording equipment.)
jp.fujitsu.com/brand-story/en/#stwy (Fujitsu Ltd is a Japanese transnational corporation established in 1935 originally to develop and manufacture telecommunications equipment. Today, they are a leading global leader in many aspects of computer information technology, R&D and services.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Electric_Computers (English Electric Company were already well-known for their development of the LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) range of business computers before they merged with ICT. The merger with ICT in 1968 also included Elliott Automation Ltd.)
www.tnmoc.org/virtual-flossie (About Flossie, an ICT 1301 computer)
(ICT) International Computers and Tabulators Ltd - company badge (1960’s)
International Computers and Tabulators Ltd (ICT) was established in 1959 from a merger between the British Tabulating Machine Company (BTM) and Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd. ICT went on to produce a successful range of mainframe computers with international sales that rivalled those of IBM. Both ICT and later ICL, choose to specialise in the market for business mainframe computers used for commercial data processing but did not venture into computer systems for military defence or industrial process control.
During the early 1960’s, increased competition from American suppliers, particularly IBM, obliged British computer manufacturers to rationalise. Between 1959 and 1968 there was a flurry of mergers and take-overs, during which ICT acquired companies such as Ferranti Computers Division, English Electric, Leo Computers, Marconi Computer Division and Elliott-Automation. Under influence of the Labour government’s Industrial Expansion Act 1968, ICT was merged with the English Electric Leo Marconi Company (EELM) in 1968 to form International Computers Ltd (ICL). ICL in turn would become part of the Fujitsu group of companies in 2002.
This badge features ICT’s egg logo. I’m unsure if this was an employee’s badge or was issued as a promotional badge? If anyone can confirm this, I’d be very pleased to hear from you.
.
Enamels: 2 (blue & white).
Finish: Gilt.
Material: Brass.
Fixer: Pin.
Size: 1 ¼” x ¾” (32mm x 19mm).
Process: Die stamped. The badge is slight curved, as sometimes found with cap badges.
Imprint: No maker’s name or mark.
.
ICT/ICL Timeline:
1959 – ICT formed by a merger between the British Tabulating Machine Company (BTM) and Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd.
1960 May – The first ICT-1301 computer is sold to the University of London and having passed through ownerships and since 2012 has now resided in The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park). There it is kept in storage awaiting reassembly awaiting an exhibition space to house it, as it officially requires 700 square feet and weighs over 5 tons (thanks to Roger Holmes for providing this additional information 19th June 2024). The ICT-1300 series were among the first commercial mainframe computers to use germanium semi-conductor technology and magnetic core memory for Random Access Memory (RAM) data storage.
1962 July – EMI Electronics Ltd (Electronic Digital Computers Division) became part of ICT. EMI Computing had developed the EMIDEC range of computers of which the EMIDEC 1100 was later rebranded by ICT and marketed as the ICT 1101.
1964 – ICT purchased Ferranti Ltd (Computer Division) and developed their ICT-1900 series based on Ferranti’s FP6000 computer technology. The ICT-1900 went on to achieve international sales success, rivalling that of IBM’s System/360 computers.
1968 – ICT introduces its range of ICT-1900E computers.
1968 July – ITC merged with the English Electric Leo Marconi Company (EELM) to form International Computers Ltd (ICL) who continued to develop and manufacture the ICT range of computers producing the successful ICL-2900 mainframe series from 1974. The Industrial Expansion Act 1968 brought in by Harold Wilson’s government sought to promote British industry through mergers that were intended to streamline national productivity and achieve economies of scale to ensure better longer term viability for British industry. ICT benefitted from this when the government encouraged its merger with EELM to form ICL and from which the government retained a 10% shareholding. Government funding of to £50 million was also set aside for research and development at ICL.
1969 – ICT-1900A series introduced by ICL but the ICT name retained.
1984 September – ICL taken over by STC (Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd) who sought a convergence between telecommunications and the developing IT technologies of the late 80’s. However, this venture did not break any new ground and added to STC’s financial difficulties. It is ironic, but the convergence between telecommunications and computer technology did develop from the 2000’s and continues to flourish.
1990 – Fujitsu acquired an 80% shareholding in ICL for $1.29 billion (£734 million) with STC retaining the other 20%. Fujitsu would increase their shareholding percentage during the 90’s through the purchases of additional shares and further increase their control over the company.
1991 - STC (ICL) were bought as a going-concern by Northern Telecom of Canada (NorTel). ICL remained as an independent subsidiary of NorTel.
1991 - ICL purchased Nokia Data for £230 million, who were the computing division of the Finnish Nokia corporation. This gave ICL further benefits in the rapidly growing personal-computers (PC) and PC networking markets as well as greatly increasing their customer base in Scandinavian countries and Germany.
2002 April – ICL were rebranded as Fujitsu who dispensed with the ICL name and was fully subsumed into the Fujitsu group of companies. This effectively brought to a close Britain’s international role as a developer and manufacture of mainframe business computers.
References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Computers_Limited (ICL, 1968 - 2002 whose main competitor was the US-based IMB Corporation, whose computers finally established the industry standard. In 2002, the Fujitsu Corporation bought ICL for $1.29 billion and renamed it as Fujitsu Services (European).)
archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/ICT/ICT.Punchc... (ICT 1964 brochure on their range of accounting machines and punch-cards. Interesting information on data processing and the range of equipment involved.)
www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/icl-plc-history/ (History of ITC and ICL highlighting the technical and financial difficulties facing both companies throughout their history).
www.ourcomputerheritage.org/BTM%20ICT%20ICL%20company%20r... (History of ICT).
www.computerhistory.org/brochures/companies.php?alpha=g-i... (Short note on ICT history plus links to two ICT brochures of 1964).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Tabulating_Machine_Company (British Tabulating Machine Company founded in 1902 manufactured the Hollerith range of recording and data-processing equipment. BTM also produced data processing machines that were used at Bletchley Park during WW to help decipher the German Enigma code. BTM were part of the American based Tabulating Machine Company Inc which later became IBM computers.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers-Samas (Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Ltd was a British company founded in 1915 who developed and manufactured a range of mechanical data recording equipment.)
jp.fujitsu.com/brand-story/en/#stwy (Fujitsu Ltd is a Japanese transnational corporation established in 1935 originally to develop and manufacture telecommunications equipment. Today, they are a leading global leader in many aspects of computer information technology, R&D and services.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Electric_Computers (English Electric Company were already well-known for their development of the LEO (Lyons Electronic Office) range of business computers before they merged with ICT. The merger with ICT in 1968 also included Elliott Automation Ltd.)
www.tnmoc.org/virtual-flossie (About Flossie, an ICT 1301 computer)