The French Telemecanique company cools Paris-Orley airport, the RAF places a £1.3Million order for 1,000 Cossor Electronics terminals for their stores management system running on two ICL 4/72 computers, MSI Data Corp introduces ASTROS to revolutionise supermarket check-outs that no longer require entry of product prices, just product codes, BEA starts using the first SITA high speed data link between Rome and London for transmitting seat reservation data, Seaco Computer Display Inc introduces the Model 1601 CRT which aims to revolutionise newspaper phototypesetting, Memorex enters the mainframe business with the release of their IBM compatible MRX/40 and 50 multi-processor computers, GEC-Elliott Traffic Automation use 2 MARCH 9050 computers to control motorway signalling on the M6/M62, DEC introduces the PDP-16M which claims to be 4 times faster than the PDP-8e, IBM help to fight pollution with IBM System/7 based water control and sensing systems, Marconi completes first phase of MARS computer-based message switching system linking Meteorological Centres in Bracknell with other centres around the world and GEC-Elliott Automation launches their real-time GEC 4080 computer for large industrial and military automation and control.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist

CERN orders 6 Satellite One terminal from Computer Technology, British Rail announce a £10 million computer-based freight information project to run TOPS on IBM mainframes, ICL boosts the performance of its System 4 computers, Ferranti win a £5 million contract to supply ship-based FM 1600B computers to the Brazilian Navy, ICL 1904A to be used to process Concorde flight test data, ICL fulfil the £3 million contract to deliver 1902S, 1904A and 1906As systems to the Royal Navy for stores processing, Banks answer to Barclaycard, called Access, to run on an IBM 370/145, Royston based Image Analysing Computers to supply a Quantimet 720R pattern recognition system to detect asbestos particles and cervical smears and Southampton based Atlantic Container Line Services supply MDS systems to communicate container ship manifests to 12 ports throughout Europe and America.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist

Scan-Optics of Maidenhead’s 20/20 OCR page reader reads five times faster than current systems, GEC-Elliott Process Automation’s ‘Watchkeeper’ keeps an eye on shipping to avoid collisions, Digico Ltd’s Micro-16 based coupler acts like a 7901 multiplexer allowing 16 teletypes to interface to an ICL 1900 mainframe, The CEGB orders 5 Honeywell 316 computers to controll a 660-megawatt generator sets, The Post Office will use a Honeywell 516 system train up to 8 postal sorters simultaneously, DEC launch the PDP 11/45, claimed to be seven times faster than any other processor in this range, Texas Instruments opens a new data centre in London with a satellite link to its IBM mainframes in it’s US headquarters in Dallas, Ferranti automation systems introduce a low-cost Argus 600-2 based process control package and HM Customs and Excise buys a £700,000 ICL system 4/72 to process the new VAT.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist

£1 Million buys 3 Ferranti Argus 500s to control Heysham Nuclear power station, St Stephen’s Hospital, Chelsea is using an Elliott 903 computer to automate processing of 200,000 blood tests each year, RCA are experimenting with high-speed laser data store, claimed to hand up to a million data bits, Marconi develop two prototype stored program controlled telephone switchboards for the Post Office, ICL finally get permission to deliver £5 Million worth of 1906A and 1903A computers to the USSR, Hungary order more ICL kit including system 4/50s, Farranti Argus 500s get to play at submarine warfare simulations and ICL gets £1 Million orders for 1900 machines from France and Germany.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist

IBM to build 370/135 computers in the UK, Honeywell’s Series 6000 to compete with the IBM 370, Marconi-Elliott Computer Systems introduce a new MECS 2000 range of real time process control computers, the gas pipeline grid uses Modular One based communications and control systems, DEC launches a low-cost, mini PDP-16 computer, Seat Reservations Systems plans an 'On-the-Spot’ Check-in system for Airlines, ICL introduces 1906S, 1904S, 1903S and 1902S computers, GEC-Marconi to snoop on police communications, GEC-Elliott Traffic Automation to control the traffic in Zurich and The BBC uses an ICL 1909 to monitor World Service broadcast quality around the world.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist

The BBC adds a 1904A to run their Management Information System, British Aircraft Corporation use an IBM 1800 system to simulate the performance of the Concorde’s fuel system, Ferranti FM1600 systems simulate the operations room of a guided-missile destroyer, ICL introduced new models to their system 4 range, Post office introduce a Ferranti ARGUS 500 for monitor line performance and detect impending breakdowns, Cambridge University Computing Lab replace their Titan (Atlas II) with an IBM 370/165 and GEC-Elliott Automation design a new computer control system for a steel mill.

Brian Aldous – TNMoC Archivist