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An Overview of the History of the Software Industry
The following is a brief overview of each of the first three decades in the history of
the software industry including links to lists of companies founded in each of those
decades. We're always adding to our lists of companies, so if you know of ones that
aren't yet on our list, please send us an email
and let us know about them.
The 1950s
- Computers become extensively used for business applications
- First contract programming firms formed
more about the 1950s 
companies founded in the 1950s
The 1960s
- Contract programming services industry grows rapidly; some companies go public
- First software products come on the market
- ICP Quarterly, a catalog of available software programs, first published in January,
1967
- Thousands of companies formed by the end of the decade
- IBM announces unbundling in June, 1969
more about the 1960s
companies founded in the 1960s
The 1970s
- Software products become accepted by customers
- First ICP Million Dollar Awards given to 29 software products in 1971
- Software industry grows rapidly despite lack of financing sources; Cullinane Corp goes
public in 1978 (first software product company to go public)
- First PC software companies founded
more about the 1970s
companies founded in the 1970s
The 1980s
more about the 1980s
companies founded in the 1980s
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