Honeywell originally entered the computer business via a joint venture with Raytheon called Datamatic Corp., but soon bought out Raytheon's share and the business became a Honeywell division. The computer itself was called the Honeywell 800, later updated to the Honeywell 1800. Honeywell also purchased minicomputer pioneer Computer Control Corporation, renaming it as Honeywell's Computer Control Division. Through most of the 1960s, Honeywell was one of the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" of computing. IBM was "Snow White," while the dwarfs were the seven significantly smaller computer companies – Burroughs, Control Data Corporation, General Electric, Honeywell, NCR, RCA, and UNIVAC. Later, when their number had been reduced to five, ("By the 1970s, General Electric and RCA had left the business"), they were known as "The Bunch", after their initials: Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR, Control Data Corporation, and Honeywell.

In 1963, Honeywell introduced a small business computer, the Honeywell 200, to compete with IBM's 1401. That began a product line that continued until the early 1970s.

In 1970, Honeywell bought General Electric's computer division. The company was reorganized into two operating units one of which was Honeywell Information Systems, headed by President Clarence (Clancy) Spangle.

In the 1980s, Honeywell developed the first Digital Process Communications protocol for its smart transmitters used in process measurement. Since then, smart communication protocols have evolved into various standardised types, such as the HART protocol and DE protocol.

In 1991 Honeywell's computer division was sold to Groupe Bull.

Original from Wikipedia