MAI Systems
MAI Systems Corporation ( M | A | I ) started out as one of the first minicomputer manufacturers. In the early 1970s, the Basic Four series was one of the world's most successful systems for interactive office applications. Today the company operates exclusively under the name of its subsidiary Hotel Information Systems (HIS). The company is headquartered in Irvine , California .
Company history
Founded as MAI Computer , the company renamed itself to MAI Basic Four after a short time , as the Business Basic was the main argument for buying the MAI computer. The computers ran, starting with the (System BB1 and BB2). Basic / Four model 400 , under MAI's own BOSS operating system. In addition to the Business Basic, a complete range of components and applications for use in companies has been developed. As with Nixdorf, these formed the core developments.
In the mid-1980s, parts of BOSS, the Business Basic and all applications were ported to Unix . The development of x86 and 68000 based systems began. MAI was there, as a niche manufacturer, a financially very solid company with an extremely high equity ratio by American standards. So were z. B. all business premises property of the company. Both the parent company in the USA and all subsidiaries were profitable. That changed in 1988 when investor Bennett LeBow took over MAI and in November 1988 tried to use MAI's funds to take over computer manufacturer Prime . Prime was able to fend off the takeover.
MAI then ran into financial difficulties. As a result, all foreign subsidiaries were incorporated into the parent company and liquidated. The company was saved through the extensive sale of all assets, but continued existence as a hardware manufacturer was not possible. The further development of the software also ran into difficulties.
As a result, the company survived with maintenance activities on their former products. In 1993 the court decision in the case of MAI against Peak Computer, which is important for US copyright law, came about, in which it was determined that starting a program represents a copy of the same, for which the explicit permission of the copyright holder is required.
Since the takeover of Hotel Information Systems in 2002, MAI only appears publicly under this name.