About the seminar

1965 saw several key developments in computing: IBM’s introduction of System/360 - the first series of upward compatible computers; the first networked online systems based on American Airlines Sabre system; and the formulation of Moore’s Law. Which of these had the greatest influence on subequent events? I will discuss this question by looing at the way in which production enterprise systems evolved over the period 1965-2005 and ask why many of the best known systems of the modern era, e.g. Amazon, eBay, and even Facebook and Twitter, bear a strong resemblance to the Online Transaction Processing Systems of an earlier era. How did this happen when so much changed over that period and how can we understand what factors really shaped the evolution of computing systems?

About the speaker

Geoff Sharman holds a PhD in Particle Physics from Southampton University and spent 35 years in the software industry, working on the development of programming languages, networking systems, database management, and transaction processing systems. He eventually became responsible for the strategic direction of IBM’s billion dollar CICS software business, which involved regular contact with customer executives worldwide. He also sponsored and participated in academic research work and held the post of Visiting Professor in Computer Science and Information Systems at Birkbeck College, London, from 1982 to 2012.