Fujitsu becomes a Foundation Sponsor of The National Museum of Computing

The ICL2966 computer at The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park, UK. Photo by John Robertson for TNMOC, 04-09-2009.
The ICL 2966 computer at The National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park, UK. Photo by John Robertson for TNMoC.

A couple of days ago I received the below news. The news that Fujitsu, the IT giant, is helping to keep the spirit of computing alive in the UK. They have become a foundation Sponsor of The National Museum of Computing.

ICL - FujitsuFujitsu, the global ICT provider, is supporting The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) on Bletchley Park by becoming a Foundation Sponsor. The move reflects the pioneering role that Fujitsu’s predecessor companies in the UK, such as ICL, played in the early days of the UK computer industry.

Today that history is reflected at TNMOC in the form of the Museum’s largest computer, the ICL 2966 of the 1970s and 1980s, and its forerunners the Elliott systems of the 1960s. These systems have or are been restored and can be seen in operation at the Museum.

Tim Reynolds, Chair of TNMOC, said: “Fujitsu’s generous sponsorship of the Museum is inspiring. Fujitsu’s role in conserving British computing heritage has been exemplary. Its archives have contributed significantly to our displays of early British computing that today attract great interest not just from those who have lived through the developments, but also from upcoming generations of aspiring computer scientists and engineers on the Museum’s Learning Programme.

Fujitsu UK’s contribution as a Foundation Sponsor will be enormously valuable in enabling the further development of the Museum as one of the world’s top computing museums.

Simon Carter, Marketing Director, UK & Ireland for Fujitsu added: “We are delighted to support TNMOC through this sponsorship. Our employees are very proud of the great contribution made by Fujitsu’s predecessor companies in the UK to the evolution of modern computing. Through the course of its 80 year history, Fujitsu has built a strong global reputation for innovation, a characteristic that remains at the heart of our corporate DNA. Our sponsorship of TNMOC is a great way of celebrating this heritage.