Welcome!

It is an honor to welcome you to the website of the IT History Society. The very young Information Technology revolution has had more impact on mankind, in a remarkably short time span, than any other revolution known to humankind. In fact, even today the revolution continues at lightning speed to ‘shrink’ our large world and enable the rapid flow of information to nearly everyone on earth. We are nearing the moment when almost all of us will all be connected.

For years, many institutions, historians, and archivists have been documenting and archiving the various elements that have fueled this revolution. People, teams, machines, software, and hardware have all helped make this happen. There are dozens of institutions in the public and private spheres, and hundreds of individuals, working to preserve those elements that have created such a monumental impact on all of us.

At the IT History Society, we have esteemed trustees from around the world who have in some way participated in this revolution – as technology creators, company builders, or recorders of the events in their roles as archivists or historians. The IT History Society intends to help the process of creating and preserving the historical record, and understanding what it means for today and tomorrow, by acting as an international information point concerning IT history. We will track historical projects seeking funding, as well as projects underway and completed, to improve communication and efficiency and avoid duplication within the historical community. In addition, at the IT History Society we are dedicated to informing the public and private sector of the numerous benefits of historical and archiving functions. Through public awareness programs, the IT History Society expects to be able to increase the number of participants and projects in this field.

In addition to our work tracking projects and building capacity in the community, we are also providing background information to those with an interest or potential interest in IT history. These include papers that provide expert advice on how to go about doing historical work or which convey the benefits of why historical activities can positively effect private sector organizations. We are also organizing annual gatherings for the people involved in these functions as a platform for idea exchange and to hear from the pioneers about their experiences in the IT industry.

We encourage you to follow the IT History Society’s progress as we reach out to attain our goals.

Sincerely yours,

Jeffery D. Stein
Chairman, ITHS Board of Directors