An Adventure with a Sad Ending: The SEA

Abstract

The Société d'Electronique et d'Automatisme (SEA) was created in 1948 by the electronics engineer F. H. Raymond. At first it produced analog computers (OME and NADAC series) and developed process control devices and flight simulators. In 1955, the SEA installed the first stored-program computer in France, CAB 1011, at a military deciphering service. Other computers followed (CUBA, CAB 2000 series) for scientific and business uses. In 1960, the SEA introduced its small CAB 500 computer, based on novel magnetic circuits with a programming language, PAF; a series of transistorized machines was then produced (CAB 3900 and 4000, DOROTHEE). In 1966, the SEA (800 employees) was absorbed in the merger which created the Compagnie Internationale pour l'Informatique (CII) in the context of the Plan Calcul.