Informer Computer Terminals

Last updated

Informer Computer Systems, Inc.
Formerly
  • Informer, Inc.
  • Informer Computer Terminals, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputers
Founded1971;53 years ago (1971) in Los Angeles, California
FounderDonald Allen Domike
Defunct2007;17 years ago (2007)
FateDissolution
Products Computer terminals (glass, teleprinters)

Informer Computer Terminals, Inc., originally Informer, Inc., and later Informer Computer Systems, Inc., was a privately held [1] American computer company active from 1971 to 2007. It manufactured data terminals that could communicate with mainframes and minicomputers, mainly those manufactured by IBM and Digital. [1] It was originally based in Los Angeles, California; in the early 1980s, it moved to Laguna Beach, and in the late 1980s, to Garden Grove.

Contents

Corporate history

Informer's 213AE terminal, released in 1991 Informer 213 AE.jpg
Informer's 213AE terminal, released in 1991

Informer, Inc. was co-founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1971 by Donald Allen Domike (1927–2017). [1] [2] Originally located in the far corner of West Los Angeles, Informer moved to Westchester, Los Angeles, in fall 1976, occupying a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) facility as their headquarters, manufacturing plant, and research and development laboratory. [3] Informer in the mid-1970s appointed Bryon Cole as president of the company and Wilfred "Will" R. Little as vice president of marketing. [4] By 1981, Little replaced Cole as president. [5] : 391 

Informer in 1976 manufactured glass terminals with small CRTs as well as traditional keyboard-send-and-receive and receive-only teleprinters. [6] [4] It achieved sales of US$1 million in fiscal year 1976, projecting a doubling of sales for the following year. [4] By 1981, the company had achieved yearly sales in excess of $10 million. [7] The company established ten branch offices in the United States by that year; [5] at some point in the mid-1980s, they also opened a Canadian subsidiary in Richmond, British Columbia. [6]

Its products in the early 1980s comprised not only glass terminals and teleprinters but also barcode readers and batch terminals. Informer's terminals were used for data entry, data monitoring, remote job entry, and software programming. [5] Following struggling sales in the mid-1980s, the company appointed Malcolm K. Green, formerly of Emulex as president and CEO. [1] Green shortly thereafter relocated the company's headquarters to Garden Grove, California. [8] [9]

By the early 1990s the company had renamed itself to Informer Computer Systems, Inc. In 1994, the company spun off its local area and dial-up networking security software operations as Informer Data Security, Inc. Bradley Little was named president of the new company. [10] Beginning in the mid-1990s, the company began orienting their products toward state emergency services, manufacturing terminals and call-tracking systems for 9-1-1 call centers, though they still offered general-purpose terminals as well. Edward P. Dailey replaced Little as president and CEO around this time. [11] In 2000, the company employed 20 in Garden Grove. [12]

Informer went defunct in 2007. [13]

Notable products

In May 1990, the company unveiled the Informer 213PT, a portable terminal that also doubles as a PC-compatible computer, complete with an i386 processor and DOS 3.3 in ROM. [14] The 213PT contains a 9,600-bit/s V.32 modem that establishes connections with IBM mainframes using the 3270 terminal protocol. Switching between terminal and PC modes is achieved via a single keystroke. In PC mode, the computer relies on a host server to provide DOS applications, as it lacks any drive bays for mass storage, including floppy disks and hard disks. The 213PT has 1 MB of RAM and an additional 4 MB of RAM acting as a solid-state drive; the contents of the latter are kept preserved for up to a month when the unit is powered off through the use of an internal battery. The 213PT has an active-matrix electroluminescent display, with a grid of pixels providing EGA resolution. [14] Informer followed this up in 1991 with the Informer 213AE, a cheaper asynchronous terminal that used an emulator to convert DEC VT100 protocol to 3270 protocol. The 213AE lacked the PC-compatible element of the 213PT but kept the electroluminescent display. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM 3270</span> Family of block-oriented display terminals and printers made by IBM

The IBM 3270 is a family of block oriented display and printer computer terminals introduced by IBM in 1971 and normally used to communicate with IBM mainframes. The 3270 was the successor to the IBM 2260 display terminal. Due to the text color on the original models, these terminals are informally known as green screen terminals. Unlike a character-oriented terminal, the 3270 minimizes the number of I/O interrupts required by transferring large blocks of data known as data streams, and uses a high speed proprietary communications interface, using coaxial cable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM Series/1</span> 1970s era IBM minicomputer

The IBM Series/1 is a 16-bit minicomputer, introduced in 1976, that in many respects competed with other minicomputers of the time, such as the PDP-11 from Digital Equipment Corporation and similar offerings from Data General and HP. The Series/1 was typically used to control and operate external electro-mechanical components while also allowing for primitive data storage and handling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer terminal</span> Computer input/output device for users

A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that can be used for entering data into, and transcribing data from, a computer or a computing system. The teletype was an example of an early-day hard-copy terminal and predated the use of a computer screen by decades. Starting in the mid-1970s with machines such as the Sphere 1, Sol-20, and Apple I, terminal circuitry began to be integrated into personal and workstation computer systems, with the computer handling character generation and outputting to a CRT display such as a computer monitor or, sometimes, a consumer TV.

Packard Bell Electronics, Inc., was an American computer company independently active from 1986 to 1996, now a Dutch-registered computer manufacturing brand and subsidiary of Acer Inc. The company was originally founded in 1986, after Israeli-American investors bought the trademark rights to the Packard Bell Corporation from Teledyne. The investors wanted to name their newly formed personal computer manufacturing company producing discount computers in the North American markets. In the late 1990s, Packard Bell became a subsidiary of Japanese electronics conglomerate NEC, Packard Bell NEC. In 1999, NEC stopped its North American operations and focused squarely the division on the European market, where it continued to sell PC and laptop under the Packard Bell name. In 2006, NEC divested Packard Bell, and in 2008, the brand was acquired by the Taiwanese consumer electronic firm Acer, in the aftermath of their takeover of Gateway, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AST Research</span> American computer manufacturer (1980–1999)

AST Research, Inc., later doing business as AST Computer, was a personal computer manufacturer. It was founded in 1980 in Irvine, California, by Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey, and Thomas Yuen, as an initialism of their first names. In the 1980s, AST designed add-on expansion cards, and evolved toward the 1990s into a major personal computer manufacturer. AST was acquired by Samsung Electronics in 1997 but was de facto closed in 1999 due to a series of losses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irma board</span> Early interface card for PCs and Macs

Irma board, originally spelled IRMA board, refers to a brand of coaxial interface cards for PCs and Macintosh computers used to enable 3270 emulator programs to connect to IBM mainframe computers. IRMA boards were used to connect PCs and Macs to IBM 3274 terminal controllers.

Since the rise of the personal computer in the 1980s, IBM and other vendors have created PC-based IBM-compatible mainframes which are compatible with the larger IBM mainframe computers. For a period of time PC-based mainframe-compatible systems had a lower price and did not require as much electricity or floor space. However, they sacrificed performance and were not as dependable as mainframe-class hardware. These products have been popular with mainframe developers, in education and training settings, for very small companies with non-critical processing, and in certain disaster relief roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IBM 3270 PC</span>

The IBM 3270 PC, released in October 1983, is an IBM PC XT containing additional hardware that, in combination with software, can emulate the behaviour of an IBM 3270 terminal. It can therefore be used both as a standalone computer, and as a terminal to a mainframe.

Emulator High-level Language Application Program Interface (EHLLAPI) is an enhanced version of HLLAPI. It was introduced in 1986 by IBM in association with the IBM 3270 PC to provide access from a DOS PC environment to data on an IBM mainframe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharp PC-7000</span> Luggable portable computer

The Sharp PC-7000 is a luggable portable computer released by Sharp Electronics in 1985. The PC-7000 was Sharp's second entry into the IBM PC-compatible portable computer market, their first being the PC-5000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canon Computer Systems</span> American subsidiary (1992–2001)

Canon Computer Systems, Inc. (CCSI), sometimes shortened to Canon Computer, was an American subsidiary of Canon Inc. formed in 1992 to develop and market the parent company's personal computers and workstations. The subsidiary also assumed the responsibility of marketing Canon's printers and photocopiers, which were formerly sold by other Canon divisions. It went defunct in January 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Logic Research</span> American computer company

Advanced Logic Research, Inc. (ALR), was an American computer company founded in 1984 in Irvine, California by Gene Lu. The company marketed IBM PC compatibles across that standard's evolution until 1997 when it was acquired by Gateway 2000. ALR had a reputation for beating its larger competitors to market with compatibles featuring cutting-edge technologies. However, it struggled with brand recognition in the fiercely competitive market of low-end PCs in the mid-1990s. According to computer journalist and collector Michael Nadeau, "ALR's business strategy was to be the first to market with the latest and fastest possible PC-compatible designs", a strategy that "often succeeded".

Decision Data Computer Corporation, later Decision Industries Corporation and Decision Data Inc., was an American computer hardware company founded in 1969 and based in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CMS Enhancements</span> US computer company (1983–1993)

CMS Enhancements Inc. was an American computer company headquartered in Irvine, California. Founded in 1983, the company's main product lines in the 1980s were internal and external hard drives and tape drives. The company's hard drives were chiefly sourced from Seagate and reconfigured in bespoke configurations for certain computing platforms, such as the Macintosh, the IBM PC, and the Compaq Deskpro, among others.

Amdek Corporation was an American computer peripheral and system manufacturer active from 1981 to the mid-1990s. The company was renowned for their standalone computer monitors compatible with a wide array of systems from the early microcomputer era to the personal computer age. According to PC World in 1994, "Amdek was once the name in PC monitors. Chances are the monochrome monitors most of us used once carried the Amdek label." In the early 1980s, the company was majority owned by the Roland Corporation's Taiwanese subsidiary; in 1986, after a brief period of independence, the company was acquired by Wyse Technology, a maker of computer terminals, who continued the Amdek brand into at least 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TriGem</span> South Korean computer manufacturer

TriGem Computer Co., Ltd., was a South Korean personal computer manufacturer and technology company. Established in 1980, TriGem was the first Korean company dedicated to manufacturing computer systems. It delivered Korea's first microcomputer in 1981 and the first Korean IBM PC compatibles in 1984. From that point until its breakup in 2010, it alternated between the first- and second-largest computer manufacturer in South Korea, competing with Samsung Electronics.

CoreCard Corporation is an American financial technology company based in Norcross, Georgia. Before 2021, the company was named Intelligent Systems Corporation and once sold portable computers, video terminals, expansion cards, and other peripherals through a variety of manufacturing subsidiaries. Founded in 1973, the company restructured as a master limited partnership in 1987, becoming Intelligent Systems Master Limited Partnership.

3R Computers, Inc., or RRR Computers, Inc., later Avatar Technologies, was an American computer company based in Westborough, Massachusetts, known for their Avatar series of dumb terminal-to-workstation devices.

Candle Corporation was an American software company active from 1976 to 2004. The company spent the first two decades developing system monitoring applications for a variety of IBM mainframes and their corresponding software, their first being OMEGAMON which saw quick widespread adoption in commercial enterprises. In the mid-1990s, the company made pivots toward non-mainframe monitoring software and middleware. IBM acquired the company for between $350 million and $600 million in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer Transceiver Systems, Inc.</span> American computer company

Computer Transceiver Systems, Inc. (CTSI) was an American computer company active from 1968 to 1998. It manufactured a wide range of portable data terminals, portable computers, and printers for microcomputers under the Execuport name. It was originally based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, soon relocating to Paramus, New Jersey, where it spent most of its independent existence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Staff writer (December 11, 1986). "Orange County". Los Angeles Times: 3 – via ProQuest.
  2. ↑ "Obituary for Donald Allen Domike". Halley-Olsen-Murphy Funerals and Cremations. January 28, 2017. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ Staff writer (October 27, 1976). "Computer Firm Moves Plant Here". Westchester-Ladera Observer: 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Hebert, John P. (October 25, 1976). "Small CRT Maker Expects Big Growth". Computerworld. CW Communications. 10 (43): 47 – via the Internet Archive.
  5. 1 2 3 Davis, George R., ed. (November 1980). "Data Communications Update Service". Data Communications. McGraw-Hill. 9 (11): 201–492 – via the Internet Archive.
  6. 1 2 Staff writer (August 13, 1985). "Investment approvals, acquisitions announced". The Globe and Mail. Bell Globemedia Publishing: B13 – via ProQuest.
  7. ↑ Staff writer (May 6, 1981). "Firm commitments: Who's where in area business". The Redondo Reflex: 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Staff writer (June 22, 1986). "Brian D. Markham has been named president of Imperial Automation". Los Angeles Times: 2 – via ProQuest.
  9. ↑ Ruiz, Frank (September 6, 1987). "Tech Bytes". The Tampa Tribune-Times: 6-E – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Staff writer (March 28, 1994). "New data-security developer emerges". Computer Reseller News. CMP Publications: 148 – via ProQuest.
  11. ↑ Petska-Juliussen, Karen; Egil Juliussen (1996). The 9th Annual Computer Industry Almanac. Computer Industry Almanac. p. 124. ISBN   9780942107074 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ McMahon, Mary Louise; Norman Stahl; Jason Wall (2000). Southern California Job Source. Benjamin Scott Publishing. p. 326. ISBN   9781891926044 – via the Internet Archive.
  13. ↑ "Informer Computer Systems, Inc". OpenCorporates. n.d. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Grossman, Evan O. (May 14, 1990). "Portable 3270 does double duty, converts to 386SX at a keystroke". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 7 (19): 44 – via Gale.
  15. ↑ Staff writer (January 1991). "Portable terminal links up to IBM mainframe". Link-Up. Information Today. 8 (1): 29 – via Gale.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.