History of Computing in France

Abstract

An overall view of the history of electronic computing in France could be based on four major dates, each of them being a turning point for most of the organizations, companies, and people involved. Our history starts in 1947-1948. In 1947, the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) concluded a contract with the Logabax Company to build Couffignal’s machine, the first electronic digital calculator designed in France. In the winter of 1947-1948, Francois-H. Raymond created the SEA (Societe d’Electronique et d’Automatisme). Meanwhile at the University of Grenoble, Jean Kuntzmann started courses in applied analysis, and a computing bureau equipped with desk calculators was established. In 1948 the management of the Compagnie des Machines Bull decided to invest in electronics. We can also mention that the same year the “Compagnie Electra-Comptable” hired its 1,OOOth employee and changed its name to IBM France. and economic‘ events also had their “sociological” side: in 1955, France had only a few scattered computer specialists (H. Boucher recalled, in his article to appear in a later issue), that he used to collect documents on American and British machines, and to write programs for them, without having actually seen a computer!); two years later a professional group was thriving, with its associations (AFCAL, AFRA), its publicity machine, and its journals (Automatisme and Chifies).