Digital Research software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Predecessor | Microcomputer Applications Associates (MAA) |
| Founded | January 1, 1972 in Pacific Grove, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Gary Kildall |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Fate | Acquired by Novell |
| Successor | Novell Digital Research Systems Group |
| Headquarters | Monterey, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Gary Kildall (Founder) |
| Products | CP/M, MP/M, Concurrent DOS, FlexOS, Multiuser DOS, DOS Plus, DR DOS, GEM |
| Owner | Private |
| Parent | Novell (from 1991) |
Digital Research, Inc. (commonly known as DR or DRI) was a privately owned American software firm established by Gary Kildall with the purpose of developing and marketing his CP/M operating system alongside a range of 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit operating systems including MP/M, Concurrent DOS, FlexOS, Multiuser DOS, DOS Plus, DR DOS, and GEM. It holds the distinction of being the first prominent software company within the microcomputer sector. Initially, Digital Research was based in Pacific Grove, California before relocating to Monterey, California.
1974–1979: Establishment and Incorporation
In 1972, while serving as an instructor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, Gary Kildall began consulting for Intel under the business name Microcomputer Applications Associates (MAA). By 1974, he had created Control Program/Monitor (CP/M), recognized as the inaugural disk operating system designed for microcomputers.
That same year, Kildall formally incorporated his venture as Intergalactic Digital Research, which was soon abbreviated to Digital Research. His spouse took charge of business management. The company’s operating systems, starting with CP/M for microcomputers based on the 8080 and Z80 processors, quickly became the industry standard. This product lineup included the original 8-bit CP/M along with derivatives such as MP/M (introduced in 1979), a multi-tasking and multi-user variant.
1980–1990: CP/M Evolution and Competition with MS-DOS
After Microsoft launched MS-DOS, inspired by CP/M's concepts, Digital Research responded by releasing CP/M-86 in 1981—the first 16-bit operating system tailored for the IBM PC released in early 1982—as a direct rival to MS-DOS. The company also introduced multi-tasking versions like MP/M-86 (1981) and Concurrent CP/M (1982), which enabled simultaneous application execution through virtual consoles. Despite these advancements, Digital Research’s manuals faced criticism for lacking clarity and organization.
By 1983, Digital Research had broadened retail availability of CP/M-86 applications and announced PC DOS iterations of its programming languages and utilities. With revenues reaching $45 million that year, it ranked as the fourth-largest microcomputer software enterprise. Although Microsoft captured the majority of the 8088 processor software market, Digital Research sought to compete on platforms such as the Intel 80286 and Motorola 68000, partnering with AT&T Corporation to develop Unix System V-based software and distribute third-party offerings.
Alongside its operating systems, Digital Research provided compilers and interpreters for various programming languages—including C, Pascal, COBOL, FORTRAN, PL/I, PL/M, CBASIC, BASIC, and Logo—tailored to support its platforms.
During IBM PC development phases, Digital Research’s CP/M dominated market expectations. In 1980, IBM approached Digital Research to create a CP/M version for the Intel 8086 processor to serve as the standard OS for their upcoming PC. However, Digital Research declined due to terms they found unfavorable. This refusal allowed Microsoft to supply MS-DOS (with its OEM variant PC DOS) for IBM PCs launched in late 1981. By mid-1982, MS-DOS was marketed broadly for IBM-compatible hardware, positioning Microsoft as a leading software supplier.
The rivalry between MS-DOS and Digital Research’s later MS-DOS-compatible clone DR DOS is significant. Microsoft implemented a licensing model that motivated hardware manufacturers to exclusively bundle MS-DOS by linking license fees directly to each system sold—a strategy that prompted a United States Department of Justice antitrust ruling in 1994 prohibiting "per-processor" licensing agreements.
Digital Research further developed Concurrent CP/M into iterations supporting MS-DOS API emulation and FAT file systems: namely Concurrent DOS (1984) and IBM PC-compatible Concurrent PC DOS (1984). Following the release of the IBM PC/AT based on the 80286 processor in 1985, Digital Research introduced a real-time operating system called Concurrent DOS 286. Additional single-user systems were launched subsequently: DOS Plus (1985) and DR DOS (1988). DR DOS was positioned as a full-fledged replacement for MS-DOS featuring enhanced capabilities by maintaining DOS-compatible internal architecture while dropping support for CP/M applications—resulting in a commercially successful product line.
Graphics Environment Manager (1985)
In 1985, Digital Research introduced a microcomputer adaptation of the GKS graphics standard named GSX, which served as the core technology for their GEM GUI. Their software lineup was relatively limited, primarily consisting of GSX-based DR DRAW along with a modest collection of GEM GUI applications. Shortly after GEM's release, Microsoft launched Windows 1.0.
Subsequently, Digital Research and its successor Caldera accused Microsoft of employing vaporware strategies through MS-DOS announcements aimed at undermining DR DOS sales.
FlexOS, Concurrent DOS XM and Concurrent DOS 386
The Concurrent PC DOS platform evolved into the modular FlexOS in 1986, utilizing advanced CPU memory addressing capabilities to provide a versatile multitasking operating system. FlexOS offered an extensive set of system APIs supporting both synchronous and asynchronous processing, named pipes, and environment variable aliases. This operating system found enduring use within point-of-sale environments.
Additional variants included Concurrent DOS XM released in 1986 and the 32-bit Concurrent DOS 386 introduced in 1987.
1990 and 1991: Multiuser DOS
In 1991, Digital Research unveiled Multiuser DOS, broadening their multi-user OS portfolio beyond earlier single-user editions. During this period, Microsoft incorporated concealed code in a beta version of Windows 3.1, known as the AARD code, which identified DR DOS installations and produced obscure error notifications.
1991–2014: Acquisition by Novell
Digital Research was purchased by Novell in 1991 for million dollars, mainly to acquire their operating system assets such as FlexOS. FlexOS had been licensed as the underlying OS for products including Siemens S5-DOS/MT, IBM 4680 OS, and the IBM 4690 OS.
Notable employees
Several prominent figures from Digital Research later made influential contributions to the IT sector, including:
Acquisitions
- Compiler Systems, Inc. (1981), known for developing CBASIC
- MT MicroSYSTEMS, Inc. (1981), creators of Pascal/MT+
See also
- Multiuser DOS Federation
- Novell Digital Research Systems Group
- Caldera Digital Research Systems Group
Further reading
- (Marc Perkel has claimed to have influenced Novell in 1991 to acquire Digital Research and initiate "NovOS".)
- (18 pages)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Digital Research
- 1972 establishments in California
- 1991 disestablishments in California
- American companies established in 1972
- Companies based in Monterey County, California
- Defunct computer companies based in California
- Defunct software companies of the United States
- Novell
- Point of sale companies
- Software companies disestablished in 1991
- Software companies established in 1972
- 1991 mergers and acquisitions
- Digital Research software