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Ithaca InterSystems
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Ithaca InterSystems was founded in <a href="/facts/Ithaca,_New_York/mPyMCjEd">Ithaca, New York</a>, in March 1977 and formally incorporated in April 1978.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Steven Edelman, the company's principal founder, incorporated it with two of his friends.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> For the first two years of its existence, the company was named Ithaca Audio—an homage to Edelman's original business of reselling <a href="/facts/High_fidelity/K6kaTHSw">Hi-Fi</a> audio gear to his fellow peers at his alma mater of <a href="/facts/Cornell_University/FGyXuXeI">Cornell University</a> in the early 1970s.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a>: 48 After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1976, he briefly worked as an engineer at <a href="/facts/NCR_Corporation/1vfttHoo">NCR Corporation</a>, working at the latter company's microcomputer research and development laboratory before quitting, citing disagreement with his managers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>: 48 <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Edelmen and two others founded InterSystems with $6,000 in startup capital; its initial headquarters was a small rented space in Sheldon Court, within the <a href="/facts/Collegetown_(Ithaca)/mPyMCjEd">Collegetown neighborhood</a> adjacent to Cornell University's main campus.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> In the summer of 1979, the company leased a 8,300-square-foot building off Hanshaw Road, quickly filling it with manufacturing equipment. By the end of 1979, InterSystems had 34 full-time employees on its payroll.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p><p>InterSystems' first complete computer system was the DPS-1, a <a href="/facts/Zilog_Z80/Jeqe2h55">Z80</a>-based, <a href="/facts/S-100_bus/3C5L4KSt">S-100 bus</a> microcomputer, released in 1979.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> The computer sold very well, the company soon earning big-name customers such as <a href="/facts/Bank_of_America/fXUQI9vp">Bank of America</a>, <a href="/facts/CBS/BhMsVoej">CBS</a>, <a href="/facts/General_Electric/bBm5CzVY">General Electric</a>, <a href="/facts/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory/zPXnxRBf">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, and <a href="/facts/NASA/TIMCV0yV">NASA</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> Its success threatened to overload the company's sole manufacturing facility, and in mid-1980 the company began eyeing real estate elsewhere in the city before getting a grant from the local government to expand their presence on Hanshaw Road.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> The year 1981 saw the company's workforce grow to 75 employees.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p><p>Struggling with cash flow in 1980, InterSystems was able to raise venture capital in multiple rounds, with <a href="/facts/Olivetti_S.p.A./bdoq8XPH">Olivetti S.p.A.</a> of Italy and Oak Management of Connecticut.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a>: 81 <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> However, Edelman soon found himself fighting with management in these companies, who demanded an increasingly controlling stake in InterSystems. He left the company on amicable terms in early 1981, taking a sabbatical for the next three years before founding <a href="/facts/SuperMac_Technology/BJXgIcHX">SuperMac Technology</a>, a hardware vendor for <a href="/facts/Mac_(computer)/8GhnXTK0">Macintosh</a> computers, in 1984.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a>: 81 <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> Meanwhile, immediately following his leave, InterSystems began developing a larger <a href="/facts/Minicomputer/g8hvpQxe">minicomputer</a>, eventually released as the DPS-8000 in September 1981. The DPS-8000 was based on <a href="/facts/Zilog/sB6jH5vw">Zilog</a>'s 16-bit <a href="/facts/Zilog_Z8000/do1uTklA">Z8002</a> processor and used the <a href="/facts/Coherent_(operating_system)/0N5lb15h">Coherent</a> <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> operating system from the <a href="/facts/Mark_Williams_Company/tJ12rHMN">Mark Williams Company</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a> In June 1982, InterSystems laid off 20 of their 90 employees, or 22 percent of the total workforce, management citing effects of the <a href="/facts/Early_1980s_recession/RI3fjRCE">early 1980s recession</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24"><sup>24</sup></a> </p><p>The year 1983 started off promising for InterSystems, the company receiving $1 million in their latest round of venture capital from Olivetti and Oak Management in February 1983.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:25" href="#fn:25"><sup>25</sup></a> The company's management and engineering team also moved from Hanshaw Road to the fourth and fifth floor of 200 East Buffalo Street; the Hanshaw Road building was kept around as a manufacturing facility.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:26" href="#fn:26"><sup>26</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:27" href="#fn:27"><sup>27</sup></a> The company had recently released the Graphos graphical terminal in late 1982, which was a commercial success for the company.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:28" href="#fn:28"><sup>28</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:29" href="#fn:29"><sup>29</sup></a> In August 1983, InterSystems introduced the Encore workstation, intended for scientific research, industrial process control, and business accounting.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:30" href="#fn:30"><sup>30</sup></a> </p><p>As with many other companies manufacturing computers based on the S-100 bus, it soon found itself struggling to compete against the <a href="/facts/Influence_of_the_IBM_PC_on_the_personal_computer_market/SqQeVCD5">rising domination</a> of the <a href="/facts/IBM_Personal_Computer/yhcJGMPL">IBM Personal Computer</a> and its many <a href="/facts/IBM_PC_compatible/zGUpl7Sh">clones</a> in the mid-1980s.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:31" href="#fn:31"><sup>31</sup></a>: 81 <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:32" href="#fn:32"><sup>32</sup></a> By 1986, InterSystems had folded. Reflecting on the end of his first company, Edelman said in 1989: "It's sad. Recently the last S-100 company, <a href="/facts/Cromemco/5s4vFkQK">Cromemco</a>, took down the sign in front of its building. It's the passing of an era. <a href="/facts/IMSAI/zLkwNa0R">IMSAI</a>, <a href="/facts/Vector_Graphic/sflp87Sq">Vector Graphic</a>, <a href="/facts/Godbout_Electronics/P97KJDBA">Godbout</a>, <a href="/facts/Micro_Instrumentation_and_Telemetry_Systems/c0XWUYIl">MITS</a>—all gone now."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:33" href="#fn:33"><sup>33</sup></a>: 81 </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=574">Ithaca InterSystems DPS-1</a> at Old-Computers.com</li> <li><a href="https://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/d_ithaca.html">Ithaca Audio, Ithaca InterSystems history</a> by Herbert R. Johnson at RetroTechnology.com</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"County has 9 electronic firms". The Ithaca Journal: 2. February 3, 1981 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-county-has-9-electron/129232502/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-county-has-9-electron/129232502/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Mundell, Helen (October 16, 1982). "Electronics firm gets $1.5 million computer order". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-electronics-firm-gets/129232550/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-electronics-firm-gets/129232550/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Fowler, Robert Z. (January 26, 1979). "Electronics industry will continue to grow". The Ithaca Journal: 4 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-electronics-industry/129232416/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-electronics-industry/129232416/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Ahl, David H. (December 1979). "Ithaca InterSystems, Inc". Creative Computing. 5 (12): 48–53 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan197912/page/n51/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan197912/page/n51/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Ahl, David H. (December 1979). "Ithaca InterSystems, Inc". Creative Computing. 5 (12): 48–53 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan197912/page/n51/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/CreativeComputingbetterScan197912/page/n51/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Markoff, John (January 17, 1999). "Saying Goodbye, Good Riddance to Silicon Valley". The New York Times: C1. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221122124724/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/17/business/saying-goodbye-good-riddance-to-silicon-valley.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20221122124724/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/17/business/saying-goodbye-good-riddance-to-silicon-valley.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Leone, Matt (August 19, 1980). "Heights school eyed by firm". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-heights-school-eyed-b/129232457/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-heights-school-eyed-b/129232457/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Stark, William (December 1979). "A Front Panel Computer for the S-100 Bus". Kilobaud Microcomputing (36). 1001001: 26–30 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/sim_microcomputing_1979-12_36/page/n25/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/sim_microcomputing_1979-12_36/page/n25/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 23, 1980). "Mini-computers: New kid on the block". The Ithaca Journal: 26 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-mini-computers-new-k/129232438/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Leone, Matt (August 19, 1980). "Heights school eyed by firm". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-heights-school-eyed-b/129232457/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-heights-school-eyed-b/129232457/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Schwartz, Joseph (October 15, 1980). "Dryden town services to be cut and taxes to increase, Cotterill says". The Ithaca Journal: 9 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-dryden-town-services/129232480/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-dryden-town-services/129232480/</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Mundell, Helen (February 6, 1981). "In search of technicians, capital, space". The Ithaca Journal: 14 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-in-search-of-technici/129232531/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-in-search-of-technici/129232531/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Mundell, Helen (February 6, 1981). "In search of technicians, capital, space". The Ithaca Journal: 14 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-in-search-of-technici/129232531/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-in-search-of-technici/129232531/</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Borrell, Jerry (August 1989). "Verbatim". MacWorld. IDG Publications: 81–97 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 20, 1983). "Ithaca electronics firm to get $1 million funding". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Borrell, Jerry (August 1989). "Verbatim". MacWorld. IDG Publications: 81–97 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>"Vying to Enhance the Macintosh". The New York Times: D5. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. ProQuest 426454538. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150524203447/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/02/business/vying-to-enhance-the-macintosh.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150524203447/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/02/business/vying-to-enhance-the-macintosh.html</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>"Ithaca Offers Pascal Multiuser System". InfoWorld. 3 (19). CW Communications: 27. September 28, 1981 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Kj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=Kj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:24"><p>Mundell, Helen (June 24, 1982). "One electronics firm rehiring as another lays off 20 workers". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-one-electronics-firm/129232569/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-one-electronics-firm/129232569/</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:25"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 20, 1983). "Ithaca electronics firm to get $1 million funding". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/</a> <a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:26"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 20, 1983). "Ithaca electronics firm to get $1 million funding". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/</a> <a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:27"><p>Mundell, Helen (April 28, 1983). "200 East Buffalo St". The Ithaca Journal: 8 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-200-east-buffalo-st/129232689/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-200-east-buffalo-st/129232689/</a> <a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:28"><p>Mundell, Helen (January 20, 1983). "Ithaca electronics firm to get $1 million funding". The Ithaca Journal: 3 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-ithaca-electronics-fi/129232663/</a> <a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:29"><p>"InterSystems introduces new computer system". The Ithaca Journal: 24. August 23, 1983 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-intersystems-introduc/129232717/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-intersystems-introduc/129232717/</a> <a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:30"><p>"InterSystems introduces new computer system". The Ithaca Journal: 24. August 23, 1983 – via Newspapers.com. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-intersystems-introduc/129232717/" target="_blank">https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-intersystems-introduc/129232717/</a> <a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:31"><p>Borrell, Jerry (August 1989). "Verbatim". MacWorld. IDG Publications: 81–97 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/</a> <a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:32"><p>Dvorak, John C. (August 1997). "What ever happened to... Pre-PC?". Computer Shopper. 17 (8). SX2 Media Labs: 584 – via Gale. <a href="https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19604301/GPS?sid=wikipedia" target="_blank">https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19604301/GPS?sid=wikipedia</a> <a href="#fnref:32" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:33"><p>Borrell, Jerry (August 1989). "Verbatim". MacWorld. IDG Publications: 81–97 – via the Internet Archive. <a href="https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_8908_August_1989/page/n84/</a> <a href="#fnref:33" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>