Vintage XEROX Mainframe Computers FEDERAL RESERVE BANK New York (XDS Sigma promo 1973- 1974 History)

Computer History presentation on XEROX Corporation and its purchase of Scientific Data Systems (SDS) SIGMA computers in a vintage 1970's promotional film. We explain the background that led to the SDS purchase see inside the New York Federal Reserve Bank and its Xerox machines, circa 1974.
Xerox purchased Scientific Data Systems company in 1969 and rebranded their mainframe systems (the Sigma line) as Xerox Data Systems (XDS) computers. However, Xerox was not able to grow their market share and suffered from competition from IBM and others. Xerox left the mainframe computer manufacturing business in 1975, selling their interest to Honeywell. Honeywell supported the XDS Sigma line until around 1991, when Honeywell also left the mainframe computer business, due to competition from IBM.
The Xerox footage is undated, but we calculate it is from about 1973 or 1974.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. It is responsible for the Second District of the Federal Reserve System, which encompasses the State of New York, the 12 northern counties of New Jersey, Fairfield County in Connecticut, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Located at 33 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan, it is the largest (by assets), the most active (by volume), and the most influential of the Reserve Banks.
If you recognize any of the individuals in this film, please let us know in the comments section below. Thank you!
PLEASE JOIN US in Preserving Computer History with a small contribution to our channel. www.paypal.com... Your contribution greatly helps us continue to bring you educational, historical, vintage computing topics. Thank you! ~ Computer History Archives Project

[@drakefallentine8351]

When those tape memory transports were retired, they showed up in numerous SciFi TV shows and movies. They just looked so cool that nobody asked what they did or why. They STILL look cool...

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Exactly! You needed spinning reels and blinking lights, or it isn't true sci fi. : ) Great comment!

[@josephgaviota]

I think @drakefallentine8351 is right ... to many viewers, the tape drives "were" computers. They really didn't understand storage/retrieval vs computation. (of course, I mean why would they)

[@JimAllen-Persona]

I remember I took a tour of the NY Fed a long time ago… I don’t remember being allowed to see the gold vault though.

[@SlyPearTree]

The music track is very 70's tv shows and movies, I was kind of expecting a chase scene.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

SlyPearTree, agreed, a nice chase scene from the "Mannix" tv series would have fit in nicely!

[@aljustal7577]

Audio muted due to content match. God bless the YT algorithm 😅

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Al Just Al, Yes, you are quite right on this! : ) (Will have to fix and re-upload when time permits.)

[@LeeCourtney]

Too bad we never get to see the actual mainframe installation at the bank, but just generic tape and disk drives. :-( Still a good representation of 1970s corporate marketing.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Lee, yes, we too would have liked to see s more detailed view of the equipment installation and a little tech briefing as well. Obviously, this was a briefing designed to show the operational benefits of Xerox in a data processing environment. Made more for management types, than technical folks. This was part of a larger Xerox promo film and we plan to upload additional portions of the film as soon as editing time permits. Xerox was "in and out" of the mainframe business in only 5 years, so getting good film footage of their machines in action is sometimes a challenge. However, we always enjoy and share what vintage footage we find. It is all part of the game of preservation. : )

[@dominicg3311]

It is great to see the real-world business uses of these machines, instead of simply raw stats.

[@ljmorris6496]

To the channel, I'd always wanted to know how those old systems work, thanks for uploading the videos and keep it up.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi LJ Morris, thanks for the kind words! We plan on some additional videos coming soon. Your feedback is much appreciated! Glad you found our channel! ~ Victor, at CHAP

[@newtechtv9518]

Watching here my friend 😊 newbie

[@AutogenicMotor]

The good old days when you could smoke in a meeting…

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

yeah, and they didn't even open the windows, cause it was too noisy from the traffic outside (it is NYC after all), and when the room was filled up with smoke, the meeting was over. - Thanks for the memory. : )

[@josephgaviota]

As a [nonsmoking] teen, I remember the office I worked in would _literally_ have a "cloud" of cigarette smoke hovering in the room by the end of my shift. Upon returning home, pulling my T-shirt over my head, I could smell that cigarette smoke in the shirt.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Some information was deemed too sensitive? The audio is edited out from 4:50 to 6:12 right after the narrator begins explaining how the computers keep track of monetary transactions. I believe an explanation is in order and should cover how and why such information was previously available but is no longer.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Unfortunately, the slight drop in audio was due to a copyright flag imposed by "KZbin." We did our best with the rest of the sound track. VK,

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Well thank you. Is somebody claiming ownership of some ancient background music? That happens. Crazy. @@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject

[@neta562]

Unbelievable

[@TheRogueX]

And now we can move trillions in an instant

[@ran2wild370]

Everything, but not the programs on the monitors and real CPU wardrobes. 😄

[@Brian-li5up]

Is the clip missing audio? Audio cut out for me around 4:52 and came back around the 6 minute mark.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Looks like a YT copyrighted audio snipit. Thanks. We will look into that further.

[@0neIntangible]

Wondering how many Xerox photocopiers were used by potential counterfeiters attempting to make fake cash back in the day.