Happy Birthday Herman Hollerith, the overlooked pioneer of modern computing
By Chris Green in Editorial
Today is a special time in the calendar
Rated: 92% (5 votes)
Loading ...Comment by Computer Consultants Kit - March 7, 2008 on 1:36 am
Hi Chris,
I thought I was the only one who noticed that Herman Hollerith was a leap year baby… or leapling as I believe they’re correctly called.
In the spirit of celebrating what’s special about leap year, I actually wrote an e-mail about Hollerith to our clients and future clients last Wednesday.
Since our clients are largely small business computer consultants, I pointed out a few key firsts.
Hollerith was one of the few key sparks that gave birth to IBM.
Hollerith’s conflicts with master salesman Watson of IBM-fame setup perhaps one of the World’s first classic IT conflicts between engineer and sales person.
Hollerith’s company focus on census bureaus, initially in the U.S. and eventually around the globe, as well as his company’s focus on insurance underwriters, was the first foray of an IT services company into vertical markets.
A few other tidbits:
Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine Company accidentally became the first OEM, ISV, MSP, and integrator… all rolled into one.
With this huge productivity leap of the census tabulations
being completed 8 times faster, Hollerith had inadvertently
discovered the business value of IT and return on investment
(ROI)
Lots of interesting firsts.
Because of Hollerith’s impact on the birth of the IT industry, I’d like to see Worldwide recognition of his birthday each year on February 28th… and of course on February 29th on leap years.
Thanks for helping to celebrate one of the IT industry’s greatest innovators.
Joshua Feinberg
Make a comment
Tag cloud
Most commented posts
- Microsoft planning a Zune-based smartphone
16 comments
- Microsoft's move on Yahoo won't succeed
- Amazon bolts from DVD rentals as digital competition takes hold
- Now the dust has settled....A considered look at Apple's announcements
- Leaked pics of the Skypephone 2
- The iPhone and the fair use cap caper
- Motorola boss had to fall on his sword
- IT PRO unaffected by earthquake
- Facebook for BlackBerry - a licence to print money?
- Freesat - do we need another digital TV platform?
Highest Rated Blog Posts
- The iPhone and the fair use cap caper (100%)
- Predictions for 2008 (100%)
- In-flight broadband ready for take-off (100%)
- Live blogging the Apple Keynote from Macworld (100%)
- Amazon bolts from DVD rentals as digital competition takes hold (100%)
- Now the dust has settled....A considered look at Apple's announcements (100%)
- When is a free laptop not actually free? When it comes with a dongle! (100%)
- Love your SysAdmin (100%)
- Facebook for BlackBerry - a licence to print money? (100%)
- PDC Day One begins (100%)