{{Short description|US-based computer and technology corporation}} {{Multiple issues| {{Promotional|date=July 2025}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2025}} {{Undisclosed paid|date=July 2025}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox company | name = Core International, Inc. | logo = Core International logo.svg | type = Private | foundation = 1979 Incorporated 1981 in Florida, United States | founder = Hal Prewitt | key_people = {{unbulleted list|After sale: |Dr. Susumu Yoshida|Hajime Unoki|Yoshio Ishigaki}} | location = Originally Boca Raton, Florida | industry = Computer hardware and Computer software | products = {{unbulleted list|Computer data storage|Disk array|Hard disk drives|Backup software|Personal computers}} | assets = Unknown | homepage = {{URL|www.sony.com}} | num_employees = }} '''CORE International Inc.''', commonly referred to as '''Core,'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trademarkia.com/core-73587709.html|title=CORE|publisher= Registered Trademark|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> was a multinational computer and technology corporation headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.
'''Core''' was founded in 1979<ref name="Whiz kid">{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-6378228.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106075453/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-6378228.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2013|title=Hal Prewitt; a computer whiz kid challenges the big boys|publisher=Florida Trend|accessdate=October 30, 2013 | date=August 1, 1987}}</ref> by Hal Prewitt as a technology firm to develop, market, and support computer-related products and services. It was known for supporting IBM's first business microcomputers, such as the 5100, 5110, and 5120. With the introduction of the IBM PC and PC AT, the company provided a line of disk drives, backup solutions, and personal computer products.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Core International of Computer Science Topics {{!}} Question AI |url=https://www.questionai.com/knowledge/knoG0v2BGY-core-international |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=www.questionai.com |language=en}}</ref> '''Core''' remained a private company solely owned by Prewitt until 1993,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-04-14/business/9202020890_1_aiwa-prewitt-core|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725001331/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-04-14/business/9202020890_1_aiwa-prewitt-core|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 25, 2011|title=Japanese Firm Invests Heavily In Boca's Core|publisher=Sun-Sentinel|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> when it was purchased<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/Thomson_M&A/Aiwa_Co_Ltd_Sony_Corp_acquires_Core_International-252303020|title=Aiwa Co Ltd(Sony Corp) acquires Core International|publisher=Thomson Financial Mergers & Acquisitions|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> by Aiwa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony.
==History== ===1975–1980: Founding=== Core was founded by Prewitt to sell and program mini computers, assemble micro-computers, computer peripherals, and integrate them into business computer systems.<ref name=":1" />
Core was marketed as an association and created as a for-profit organization, specifically for users of the IBM 5100 Series and IBM System/23.<ref>{{cite web |title=Join Core circa 1980 |url=http://coreinternational.info/198007_Join_Core_Letter.pdf |accessdate=March 31, 2010 |publisher=Core}}</ref> The company's objective was to distribute computer supplies via mail order, deliver pre-developed (off-the-shelf) software, and provide hardware maintenance services. Supplies included printer ribbons, paper, diskettes, and tape cartridges. Software ranged from mortgage interest calculators, word processing, games, and utilities to payroll, accounting, and Industry-Specific Applications.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Viroli |first=Mirko |date=2025-07-10 |title=New Editor-in-Chief of Software |journal=Software |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=16 |doi=10.3390/software4030016 |doi-access=free |issn=2674-113X}}</ref>
Users of the IBM 5100 Series were referred to Core by IBM sales representatives.<ref name="Whiz kid" />
===1981–1983: Hard disk drives, LAN and PC for IBM 5100 series === Source:<ref>{{Citation |title=Hal Prewitt |date=2025-07-13 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hal_Prewitt&oldid=1300342184 |access-date=2025-07-19 |language=en}}</ref>
In September 1982, Core announced the availability of the first hard disk drives<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1981_5110_Disk_Brochure.pdf|title=Save IBM 5110/20's from junk yards of the world |publisher=Core|accessdate=March 31, 2010}}</ref>{{bsn|date=July 2025|reason=Additional of updated information}} and local area network (LAN)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1982_Sept_CORE_Newsletter.pdf|title=September 1982 Core Newsletter|publisher=Core|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref>{{bsn|date=July 2025}} for the IBM 5100 Series. Previously sold IBM systems were storage-limited and lacked network option; the 5100 had tape, while the 5110 and 5120 restricted to 1.2 Mb floppy disks. Core drives were available starting at 10 Mb and increased up to 160 Mb in removable and fixed configurations.
Core-Net, the LAN built into each Core storage system, allowed interconnection of up to eight IBM 5100 Series systems, enabling shared storage and data. This configuration pre-dated LANs of the period for the IBM PC and compatibles.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
In 1983, Core introduced two major solutions as IBM was withdrawing from marketing the IBM 5100 series. First software called PC51 allowed 5100 series computer programs written in BASIC to run unmodified on the IBM PC and compatibles under MS-DOS. Second, a LAN card for the IBM PC and compatibles that provided connection to the IBM 5100 Series network.{{Citation needed|date=July 2025}}
===1984–1986: Educating the marketplace, IBM VAD, hard disk drives, PC and backup===<!-- Hal Prewitt links here --> In 1984, Core entered the personal computer (PC) marketplace. The company's first product introduced the year before, called PC-51, was an operating system (and language) for the IBM PC and compatibles. It enabled a PC to function like an IBM 5110/5120 system.<ref name=":2" />
This new product opened up an unexplored marketplace for Core by allowing the company to become an IBM value-added reseller and sell both the IBM PC and Core products individually and as a combined package. IBM authorized and promoted this relationship. As a result of the early development effort for the IBM 5100 series, Core released its own family of hard disk drives called the ATplus Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1984_ATplus_Brochure.pdf|title=ATplus|publisher=Core|accessdate=March 31, 2010}}</ref>
A few weeks after the introduction of the new IBM AT in August 1984, Core discovered problems in the factory-issued hard disk drive. As the media and marketplace became aware of IBM's disk problems, Core began offering alternative solutions during a period of limited competition. For more than six months, the IBM AT model with the CMI was in short supply.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6i4EAAAAMBAJ&q=shortage+IBM+pc+at+infoworld&pg=PA33|title=Waiting for the AT Train|date=January 28, 1985|publisher=InfoWorld|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref> Delays were attributed to lack of drives, technical problems with the machine, and other issues.
Core desired a major partner and established a collaboration with Control Data Corporation (CDC) to work on the introduction of the drives for the PC marketplace. The announcement<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1985_PCW_on_ATplus_Anouncm.pdf|title=Core, Control Data Offer AT Disk-Upgrade Kits|publisher=Core|accessdate=March 31, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1985_MM_on_ATplus_Announcment.pdf|title=IBM VAD Sells own drives|publisher=Core|accessdate=March 31, 2010}}</ref> was made in February 1985.
Purchasers of the IBM AT reported some dealers<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qy8EAAAAMBAJ&q=march%2010%2C%201986%20infoworld&pg=PA1|title=Dealers Pawn Off Inferior Drives|date=March 10, 1986|publisher=InfoWorld|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oi8EAAAAMBAJ&q=infoworld+march+10,+1986++%22dealers+pawn%22&pg=PA5|title=Substandard Components Still Surfacing|date=March 31, 1986|publisher=InfoWorld|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref> were installing inferior drives into the computer without disclosing this fact. Core developed the DiskP program, later replaced by the COREtest<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sta.c64.org/dosprg.html|title=Useful DOS Software|publisher=Joe Forster|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> (DOS based), to identify sub-standard products by providing a visual demonstration of the speed and comparative measurements of hard disk drives and controllers. Many computer publications,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ty8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Coretest&pg=PA43|title=Equity II Competes as a low-priced clone|date=June 9, 1986|publisher=InfoWorld|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patsula.com/books/gb24.pdf|title=Buying Computer Hardware|publisher=Patsula Media|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> hardware manufacturers, distributors, dealers<ref>Borrett, Lloyd. "[https://www.borrett.id.au/computing/art-1985-09-01.htm "Megabyte Tarnish]," ''PC Australia'', September 1985; url accessed March 8, 2010</ref> and independent evaluation firms<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everypatent.com/comp/pat5295247.html|title=Patent 5295247|publisher=United States Patent Office|accessdate=January 31, 2010}}</ref> employed COREtest for product comparison, which led to widespread citation of COREtest in computing publications and evaluation reports. {{cn|date=July 2025}}
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== {{portal|Companies}} * [http://www.sony.com/ Sony official website]<!-- Why does this link to Sony? -->
Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States Category:Defunct computer hardware companies Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:Computer storage companies Category:Backup software Category:Hard disk drives Category:Portable hard drives Category:RAID Category:Software companies based in Florida Category:Companies based in Boca Raton, Florida Category:American companies established in 1979 Category:Computer companies established in 1979 Category:Software companies established in 1979 Category:American companies disestablished in 1993 Category:Computer companies disestablished in 1993 Category:Software companies disestablished in 1993 Category:1979 establishments in Florida Category:1993 disestablishments in Florida Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in Florida