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Tandem Computers Superseded

Tandem Computers
KindCompany
Founded1974
Defunct1997
StatusSuperseded
FoundersJimmy Treybig
FieldMinicomputers
Sourceen.wikipedia.org ↗

Fault-tolerant NonStop systems — the machines banks ran on because they couldn't go down. Bought by Compaq in 1997.

Acquired by Compaq

Treybig's 1974 NonStop architecture — paired processors, dual everything, designed so no single failure stops the system — made Tandem the bank and stock-exchange machine: ATMs, exchanges, reservation systems all ran on it because downtime was literally unaffordable.

Compaq bought Tandem for ~$3 billion in 1997; the NonStop line still ships today under HPE, the only fault-tolerant architecture to survive the minicomputer extinction.

Sources

  1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandem_Computers