Interdata, Inc., was a computer company, founded in 1966 by a former Electronic Associates engineer, Daniel Sinnott, and was based in Oceanport, New Jersey. The company produced a line of 16- and 32-bitminicomputers that were loosely based on the IBM 360 instruction set architecture but at a cheaper price.[2] In 1974, it produced one of the first 32-bit minicomputers,[3] the Interdata 7/32. The company then used the parallel processing approach, which uses more than one computer processor simultaneously to perform work on a problem. This helped in making real-time computing a reality.[4][5]
Some real-time applications Interdata computers were used for included: Core Protection Calculator, used in some later Combustion Engineering designed nuclear power plants; lottery systems manufactured by GTech; the NexRad weather radar system. Many companies used them for internal high speed laboratory data capture, such as United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Connecticut wind tunnel, General Electric R&D in Schenectady, New York, and Perkin-Elmer in Connecticut (which later acquired Interdata).
The operating system for the 16-bit computers was called OS/16, and for the 32-bit computers OS/32. The assembly language could generate series independent object code. Later, as with Gould, SEL, Modcomp and other real time competitors, they offered a 32-bit time sharing system called MTM (Multi Terminal Monitor).
Acquisitions
In 1973, Interdata was purchased by Perkin-Elmer Corporation,[6] a Connecticut-based producer of scientific instruments for $63.6 million.[4] Interdata was already making $19 million in annual sales but this merger made Perkin-Elmer's annual sales rise to over $200 million.[4] Interdata then became the basis for Perkin-Elmer's Data Systems Group.[7] In 1985, the computing division of Perkin-Elmer was spun off as Concurrent Computer Corporation.[8]