Data Disc

Data Disc, Incorporated

Company type	Public
Industry	Computer hardware
Founded	1 February 1962 (1962-02-01) in Palo Alto, California, United States
Founder	Armin Miller, Daniel Teichroew
Defunct	1977 (1977)
Fate	Renamed Amcomp, Inc. in 1976; acquired by Datapoint in 1977
Headquarters	Sunnyvale, California , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Armin Miller (founder, board member), William W. Stevens (president from 1969), Andrew W. O'Sullivan (president from 1971), James J. Woo (president from 1975)
Products	Hard disk drives, analog hard disk drives for video storage, graphical terminals, data tape drives
Number of employees	269 (1974)

Data Disc, Incorporated was a publicly traded American computer hardware firm headquartered in Silicon Valley that operated between 1962 and 1977. The company focused on producing hard disk drives designed for mainframe and minicomputer systems, as well as analog hard disk drives intended for video storage applications utilized by scientific institutions such as NASA and the television broadcasting sector. Through its subsidiary, Bright Industries, Inc., Data Disc also manufactured graphical terminals and data tape drives. In 1976, the company underwent a rebranding to become Amcomp, Inc., before being acquired by Datapoint in 1977.

History

Established in February 1962 in Palo Alto, California by entrepreneurs Armin Miller and Daniel Teichroew, Data Disc capitalized on Miller’s patented modified frequency modulation (MFM) technology to improve magnetic data recording density and transfer speeds. By 1965, the company had grown to 26 employees and relocated to Stanford Industrial Park, eventually expanding into a 36,000-square-foot facility.

Miller developed the first low-mass read–write head featuring a three-point suspension system, which was licensed to IBM for use in their Winchester drives. This innovation allowed for significantly higher data densities—3,200 bits per inch compared to competitors’ 300 bpi. Data Disc’s adoption of nickel-cobalt-plated thin-film platters enabled their drives to safely stop and start mid-platter without causing head crashes. The company also supplied these read–write heads as OEM components to other manufacturers.

Engineers Fred Pfost and Kurt Machein, formerly with Ampex, created the VDR-210CF analog video recorder utilizing hard disk technology that allowed broadcasters to execute instant replays with precise frame-by-frame control. Data Disc licensed this technology for broadcast applications and adapted it for NASA’s Apollo 11 and Mariner space missions to store RGB component video signals that could be converted into broadcast composite video. Medical fields benefited from this technology as well, enabling rapid X-ray imaging without the need for film development. In 1969, Data Disc formed a dedicated subsidiary focused exclusively on video systems.

After experiencing increased production volumes in 1969, Miller resigned as president but retained a position on the board of directors; William W. Stevens was appointed as his successor. That same year, the company expanded its sales offices across the United States and relocated its headquarters to Sunnyvale in 1971. Andrew W. O'Sullivan assumed the presidency in July 1971.

Data Disc went public in mid-1972 and acquired Bright Industries from Tracor through a combination of stock and cash payments to enhance its product portfolio by adding data tape drives aimed at its existing hard drive clientele. The firm ventured into computer graphics with the introduction of the Anagraph graphical terminal in 1972 followed by the 6600 graphics system in 1973. By 1974, Data Disc employed 269 individuals and constructed a new facility dedicated to Bright Industries.

By mid-1975, revenue breakdown showed hard drives accounting for 55%, graphics terminals contributing 15%, Bright tape drives making up 20%, and videodisc products representing 10%. In September of that year, James J. Woo—a former IBM executive with eleven years of experience—was appointed president. Woo initiated a rebranding effort changing Data Disc's name to Amcomp, Inc., signaling a strategic pivot toward peripheral devices and integrated computer systems. This name change was officially completed in June 1976.

In March 1977, San Antonio-based Datapoint Corporation acquired Amcomp through a $2 million stock exchange deal.