HAL Computer Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Andrew Heller |
| Headquarters | Campbell, California , United States |
Area served | Japan, Asia |
Key people | Andrew Heller (founder, former chairman and CEO), Scott Metcalf (president and COO) |
| Products | RISC-based computers, SPARC64 microprocessors |
Number of employees | 140 (1991) |
| Parent | Fujitsu (from 1993) |
HAL Computer Systems, Inc was a computer manufacturer situated in Campbell, California, established in 1990 by Andrew Heller, who played a pivotal role in designing the original IBM POWER architecture. The company focused on creating RISC-based computing solutions for commercial applications, drawing its name from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In 1991, Fujitsu invested $40.2 million to acquire a 44% ownership stake in HAL, aiming to support the development of a high-performance SPARC microprocessor. This partnership involved Fujitsu manufacturing HAL's designs, sharing patents, producing certain hardware units, and handling marketing efforts across Asia. At that time, HAL employed approximately 140 people and provided Fujitsu with access to its technological assets.
During mid-1993, Andrew Heller stepped down from his roles as chairman and CEO to serve as a consultant for Fujitsu and its subsidiaries ICL plc and Amdahl Corporation. This change occurred amid rumors regarding Fujitsu's concerns over HAL’s advancement in 64-bit system development. Scott Metcalf was appointed president and COO following Heller’s departure.
By November 1993, Fujitsu completed the acquisition of the remaining 56% of HAL, converting it into a fully owned subsidiary. While operating independently, HAL kept its product development plans confidential and aimed for a market introduction in 1994.
HAL engineered several generations of computers utilizing their 64-bit SPARC V9 microprocessors. Their SPARC64 processor integrated out-of-order execution with reliability features comparable to mainframe systems and was notable as the first SPARC V9 chip manufactured, preceding Sun Microsystems' UltraSPARC I.
The majority of HAL's sales occurred within the Japanese market. The subsidiary was ultimately dissolved by Fujitsu in mid-2001.
Following initial developments, HAL produced subsequent microprocessors including the SPARC64 II (also known as SPARC64+), SPARC64 III, and initiated the SPARC64 V project—which was later discontinued but eventually revived by Fujitsu under the same designation.
HAL Software Systems
HAL Software Systems served as the software division of HAL, originally providing a management tool for the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). In March 1994, their offerings expanded to include products such as the Olias Browser, Olias Build Tools, Olias Remote Information Broker, and Olias Filter Development Kit—solutions intended for browsing and managing Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), World Wide Web content, and relational databases. In 1996, Fujitsu supported the spin-off of HAL Software Systems into Chisholm Technologies, Inc., which concentrated on Intranet management tools with financial backing from Fujitsu.