{{Short description|Timesharing company (1969–1975)}} {{Infobox company | name=Cyphernetics Corporation | logo= | industry=Timesharing | founded={{start date and age|1969}} | defunct={{end date and age|1975}} | fate=Acquired by Automatic Data Processing | type= }} '''Cyphernetics Corporation''' was a commercial timesharing company founded in March 1969 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=March 27, 1969 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118452994/time-share-company-is-formed/ | title=Time-Share Company Is Formed | journal=Detroit Free Press | page=55 | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The company had a sales offices in most major American cities and many international locations, providing communications and technical support for clients.<ref>{{cite book | last= | first= | date=1975 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CZguAQAAIAAJ | title=10-K Transcript | volume=125 | publisher=New York Stock Exchange | edition=Combined | page=179085 | isbn= | via=Google Books}}</ref>
As was the case with a number of commercial timesharing operators in the 1970s, Cyphernetics utilized the DECsystem-10 computer systems from Digital Equipment Corporation.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Whalen | first=Thomas | date=October 31, 1977 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8A3NPA-6psC&pg=PA26 | title=Unit Moves Gradually to Data Base Integration | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=XI | issue=44 | pages=26, 28 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Cyphernetics developed many products that were well ahead of their time, and whose concepts are contained in many of the most important PC applications, even today. Cyphernetics had an email system (called UTI:MEMO) in the early 1970s, as well as word processing (Cyphertext),<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=May 10, 1972 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4xBOrwFEpYC&pg=PT12 | title=Automated Total Text Processing Available on Time-Sharing Net | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=VI | issue=19 | page=13 | via=Google Books}}</ref> spreadsheets (Cyphertab),<ref>{{cite book | last= | first= | date=November 1977 | url=https://archive.org/details/bankdataservicesunse/page/128/ | title=Bank Data Service Subsidiaries | publisher=INPUT | page=128 | via=the Internet Archive}}</ref> project management, and time series data storage and analysis (TSAM).<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=November 22, 1973 | url=https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_ElectronicignV21N2419731122_153561810/page/278/ | title=Bulletin Board | journal=Electronic Design | volume=21 | issue=24 | page=278 | via=the Internet Archive}}</ref> Despite comparatively weak CPUs, very limited memory and storage, and slow communications networks of the time, most modern PC applications were functional on the timesharing network at 300 to 1200 baud while running on a processor (that was much less powerful than a desktop PC is today) shared by over 50 simultaneous users.
Cyphernetics was purchased by Automatic Data Processing in 1975 and renamed ADP Network Services.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=July 10, 1975 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118452793/business-briefs/ | title=Business Briefs | journal=The Herald-News | page=39 | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=March 22, 1977 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118452858/moving-up/ | title=Moving Up | journal=Dayton Daily News | page=8 | via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:1969 establishments in Michigan Category:1975 disestablishments in Michigan Category:1975 mergers and acquisitions Category:ADP (company) Category:American companies established in 1969 Category:American companies established in 1975 Category:Companies based in Ann Arbor, Michigan Category:Computer companies established in 1969 Category:Computer companies established in 1975 Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States Category:Defunct computer hardware companies Category:Software companies established in 1969 Category:Software companies established in 1975 Category:Time-sharing companies
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