Early Commercial Electronic Distribution of Software

Author

Stachniak, Zbigniew

Author_Institution

York Univ., Toronto, ON, Canada

Volume

36

Issue

1

fYear

2014

fDate

Jan.-Mar. 2014

Firstpage

39

Lastpage

51

Abstract

Commercial electronic distribution of software (EDS) originated in the second half of the 1970s. By the early 1980s, several North American and European companies were already distributing software using common communications networks. However, it would take two more decades before EDS would become the foremost software delivery model. This article charts the development of the early commercial EDS industry in North America, focusing on cable television-based, direct-to-home services.

Keywords

DP industry; cable television; history; software packages; EDS; European companies; North American companies; cable television-based direct-to-home services; communications networks; early commercial electronic distribution of software; software delivery model; software distribution; Commercialization; Consumer electronics; Marketing and sales; Microcomputers; Software development; Software documentation; Teletext; NABU; TGN; electronic delivery of software; history of computing; telesoftware; teletext; videotext;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MAHC.2013.55

Filename

6671598