This Day in Business History: Honeywell Retreats from Computer Market

September 25, 1986: Honeywell announced partnership discussions to join one of its computer operations with the Japanese firm NEC and France’s Groupe Bull. This consolidation was in part due to IBM’s large market size, controlling over 50% in 1986. According to a company official quoted in the New York Times, ”We can’t deal with computers anymore. We just want out.” The Honeywell announcement was one of the largest computer industry consolidations since General Electric sold its mainframe computer technology to Honeywell in 1970.

Sources: New York Times, ComputerHistory.org

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