Bull SAS (also known as Groupe Bull, Bull Information Systems, or simply Bull) is a French computercompanyheadquartered in Les Clayes-sous-Bois, in the western suburbs of Paris. The company has also been known at various times as Bull General Electric, Honeywell Bull, CII Honeywell Bull, and Bull HN. Bull was founded in 1931, as H.W. Egli - Bull, to capitalize on the punched card technology patents of Norwegian engineer Fredrik Rosing Bull (1882–1925).[1] After a reorganization in 1933, with new owners coming in, the name was changed to Compagnie des Machines Bull (CMB). Bull has a worldwide presence in more than 100 countries and is particularly active in the defense, finance, health care, manufacturing, public, and telecommunication sectors.
Share of the Compagnie des Machines Bull S. A., issued 1963
On 31 July 1919, a Norwegian engineer named Fredrik Rosing Bull filed a patent for a "combined sorter-recorder-tabulator of punch cards" machine that he had developed with financing from the Norwegian insurance company Storebrand.[2] Storebrand integrated his device into its operations in 1921. The following year Bull sold his second machine to the Danish insurer Hafnia who had learned of the technology through an article in an insurance trade magazine.[3] At the time of Bull's death of cancer in 1925 at the age of 43, a dozen of his machines had been sold to different companies throughout Europe.[3] The commercial and technical development of the machines continued under the direction of Bull's childhood friend and long-time collaborator Reidar Knutsen along with his brother Kurt Andréas Knutsen.
As the business grew several outside investors were brought in, leading to the incorporation of the company H.W. Egli Bull in 1931.[4] In 1933, more investors joined and the company changed its name to Compagnie des Machines Bull, a name it would keep until 1964.
Groupe Bull bought Zenith Electronics in late December 1989. It kept Zenith Data Systems' headquarters and plants in Chicago and St. Joseph, Michigan.[9] In 1994, the company was re-privatised.
In August 2014, the French IT company Atos announced that it had acquired a controlling stake in Bull SA through a tender offer launched in May.[10] Atos announced plans in October, 2014 to buy out or squeeze out the remaining share and bondholders.[11]
Bull launched the Hoox m2, the first integrally secured European smartphone, which in June 2014 was approved for use with data classified as 'Restricted Information' ('Diffusion Restreinte') by the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information (ANSSI).[12] The Hoox range of secure mobiles and smartphones ensures confidentiality of voice, SMS, e-mail and data communication.
Elexo (networking and telecommunications equipment)
Amesys controversyedit
Amesys, a Groupe Bull subsidiary specializing in defense and aerospace-related systems and software, became embroiled in controversy in 2011 when it was revealed that it had sold an internet monitoring system to the Muammar Gaddafi regime of Libya in 2007. The Eagle System was used by the Gaddafi regime to spy on citizens and foreign journalists. On 12 March 2013 Reporters Without Borders named Amesys as one of five "Corporate Enemies of the Internet" and "digital era mercenaries" for selling products that have been or are being used by governments to violate human rights and freedom of information. A judicial inquiry was opened by the French government in May 2012 following allegations of complicity in torture by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).[14][15][16] In March 2012 Groupe Bull divested itself of the Eagle System, selling it for the sum of 4 million euros to Nexa Technologies, a company run by a former Amesys CEO.[17]
^. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
^Mounier-Kuhn, Pierre-Eric (1995). "Le CNETet les débuts de l'informatique (1944-1964)". Réseaux. Communication - Technologie - Société. 13 (70): 173–189. doi:10.3406/reso.1995.2673.
^"Groupe Bull Announces Plans for Zenith Acquisition, New Model". www.apnews.com. January 17, 1990.
^ "Atos succeeds in bid to buy Bull". Retrieved 2014-10-11.
^ "Atos to launch buyout of last 5% of Bull shares, bonds". Retrieved 2014-10-11.
^"Corporate Enemies: Amesys" 2014-03-26 at the Wayback Machine, The Enemies of the Internet, Special Edition: Surveillance, Reporters Without Borders, 12 March 2013
^"Firms Aided Libyan Spies ", Paul Sonne and Margaret Coker, Wall Street Journal, 30 August 2011
^"Life Under the Gaze of Gadhafi's Spies ", Margaret Coker and Paul Sonne, Wall Street Journal, 14 December 2011
^ "Advanced Middle East Systems et Nexa vont faire le voyage depuis Dubai Billancourt". 20 August 2013. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
Further readingedit
Pierre E. Mounier-Kuhn (1998). "Bull: A World-Wide Company Born in Europe". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 11 (4): 279–297. doi:10.1109/MAHC.1989.10045. S2CID 17163352. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
Extracted and translated from Science et Vie Micro magazine, No. 74, July–August, 1990: The very international history of a French giant
BULL computers chronological history
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Groupe Bull.
The history of Bull Group companies
Virtual Museum of Bull and French Computer Science
January 01, 1970
groupe, bull, bull, also, known, bull, information, systems, simply, bull, french, computer, company, headquartered, clayes, sous, bois, western, suburbs, paris, company, also, been, known, various, times, bull, general, electric, honeywell, bull, honeywell, b. Bull SAS also known as Groupe Bull Bull Information Systems or simply Bull is a French computer company headquartered in Les Clayes sous Bois in the western suburbs of Paris The company has also been known at various times as Bull General Electric Honeywell Bull CII Honeywell Bull and Bull HN Bull was founded in 1931 as H W Egli Bull to capitalize on the punched card technology patents of Norwegian engineer Fredrik Rosing Bull 1882 1925 1 After a reorganization in 1933 with new owners coming in the name was changed to Compagnie des Machines Bull CMB Bull has a worldwide presence in more than 100 countries and is particularly active in the defense finance health care manufacturing public and telecommunication sectors BULL SASCompany typeSubsidiaryIndustryComputer hardwareComputer softwareConsultantIT ServicesFounded1931 93 years ago 1931 HeadquartersLes Clayes sous Bois FranceArea servedWorldwideParentAtosWebsitewww wbr bull wbr com Contents 1 History 1 1 Origins 1 2 Growth 2 Products and services 2 1 Hardware 2 2 Software and services 2 3 Information security 3 Corporate structure 4 Amesys controversy 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksHistory editOrigins edit nbsp Share of the Compagnie des Machines Bull S A issued 1963 On 31 July 1919 a Norwegian engineer named Fredrik Rosing Bull filed a patent for a combined sorter recorder tabulator of punch cards machine that he had developed with financing from the Norwegian insurance company Storebrand 2 Storebrand integrated his device into its operations in 1921 The following year Bull sold his second machine to the Danish insurer Hafnia who had learned of the technology through an article in an insurance trade magazine 3 At the time of Bull s death of cancer in 1925 at the age of 43 a dozen of his machines had been sold to different companies throughout Europe 3 The commercial and technical development of the machines continued under the direction of Bull s childhood friend and long time collaborator Reidar Knutsen along with his brother Kurt Andreas Knutsen As the business grew several outside investors were brought in leading to the incorporation of the company H W Egli Bull in 1931 4 In 1933 more investors joined and the company changed its name to Compagnie des Machines Bull a name it would keep until 1964 Growth edit The company has undergone many takeovers and mergers since its formation 5 6 7 8 In particular it has had various ownership relations with General Electric Honeywell and NEC from the 1960s to the 1980s and with Motorola Debeka and France Telecom more recently It acquired Honeywell Information Systems in the late 1980s and later also had a share of Zenith Data Systems and Packard Bell Bull was nationalised in 1982 and was merged with most of the rest of the French computer industry Groupe Bull bought Zenith Electronics in late December 1989 It kept Zenith Data Systems headquarters and plants in Chicago and St Joseph Michigan 9 In 1994 the company was re privatised In August 2014 the French IT company Atos announced that it had acquired a controlling stake in Bull SA through a tender offer launched in May 10 Atos announced plans in October 2014 to buy out or squeeze out the remaining share and bondholders 11 Bull launched the Hoox m2 the first integrally secured European smartphone which in June 2014 was approved for use with data classified as Restricted Information Diffusion Restreinte by the Agence nationale de la securite des systemes d information ANSSI 12 The Hoox range of secure mobiles and smartphones ensures confidentiality of voice SMS e mail and data communication Products and services editHardware edit Main article List of Groupe Bull products Supercomputers NovaScale 13 servers Linux and Windows Escala servers AIX and mainframes GCOS design manufacturing distribution Data storage and backup systems cloud computing infrastructure Mobile smart phones Hoox Software and services edit Open source Novaforge org portal Information technology consulting and services custom solutions development for clients Systems integration Human resource and social welfare management systems Managed services and web hosting Support Training Information security edit Public key infrastructure Electronic signature solutions Encryption solutions hardware and software Digital payment security Identity authentication and access management High availability and disaster recovery Systems and network monitoringCorporate structure editGroupe Bull Bull SAS Agarik Managed services web hosting HRBC Human Resources systems Bull PI Engineering research Sirus Social welfare management systems for the public sector Bull International SAS Evidian Security identity and access management Serviware high performance computing Amesys SAS Amesys Consulting including Amesys International Amesys RSS including TRCOM Elexo networking and telecommunications equipment Amesys controversy editAmesys a Groupe Bull subsidiary specializing in defense and aerospace related systems and software became embroiled in controversy in 2011 when it was revealed that it had sold an internet monitoring system to the Muammar Gaddafi regime of Libya in 2007 The Eagle System was used by the Gaddafi regime to spy on citizens and foreign journalists On 12 March 2013 Reporters Without Borders named Amesys as one of five Corporate Enemies of the Internet and digital era mercenaries for selling products that have been or are being used by governments to violate human rights and freedom of information A judicial inquiry was opened by the French government in May 2012 following allegations of complicity in torture by the International Federation for Human Rights FIDH 14 15 16 In March 2012 Groupe Bull divested itself of the Eagle System selling it for the sum of 4 million euros to Nexa Technologies a company run by a former Amesys CEO 17 See also editPortals nbsp Companies nbsp Electronics nbsp TechnologyReferences edit Heide Lars 2002 National Capital in the Emergence of a Challenger to IBM in France PDF Retrieved 2014 08 25 Histoire de Bull Retrieved 2014 10 11 a b Bull et le 20eme arrondissement sur le Site personnel de Francois Holvoet Vermaut Evenement Pierre Mounier Kuhn Bull A Worldwide Company Born in Europe Annals of the History of Computing 1989 vol 11 4 Mounier Kuhn Pierre From Kamatec to Bull Netherlands a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help From General Electric to Bull a case of managerial knowledge transfer Archived from the original on 2016 08 06 Retrieved 2019 12 16 Mounier Kuhn Pierre Eric 1995 Le CNETet les debuts de l informatique 1944 1964 Reseaux Communication Technologie Societe 13 70 173 189 doi 10 3406 reso 1995 2673 Groupe Bull Announces Plans for Zenith Acquisition New Model www apnews com January 17 1990 Atos succeeds in bid to buy Bull Retrieved 2014 10 11 Atos to launch buyout of last 5 of Bull shares bonds Retrieved 2014 10 11 Home Atos Atos Gillian Law Bull launches NovaScale blade servers Network World Corporate Enemies Amesys Archived 2014 03 26 at the Wayback Machine The Enemies of the Internet Special Edition Surveillance Reporters Without Borders 12 March 2013 Firms Aided Libyan Spies Paul Sonne and Margaret Coker Wall Street Journal 30 August 2011 Life Under the Gaze of Gadhafi s Spies Margaret Coker and Paul Sonne Wall Street Journal 14 December 2011 Advanced Middle East Systems et Nexa vont faire le voyage depuis Dubai Billancourt 20 August 2013 Retrieved 2014 10 08 Further reading editPierre E Mounier Kuhn 1998 Bull A World Wide Company Born in Europe IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 11 4 279 297 doi 10 1109 MAHC 1989 10045 S2CID 17163352 Retrieved 2009 07 08 Pierre Mounier Kuhn From General Electric to Bull A case of managerial knowledge transfer 1956 1970 Entreprises et Histoire June 2014 n 75 p 42 56 http www cairn info revue entreprises et histoire 2014 2 page 42 htm History of Bull Extracted and translated from Science et Vie Micro magazine No 74 July August 1990 The very international history of a French giant BULL computers chronological historyExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Groupe Bull The history of Bull Group companies Virtual Museum of Bull and French Computer Science Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Groupe Bull amp oldid 1221859740, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
