Michael Aldrich
Michael John Aldrich | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | May 19, 2014 (aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, entrepreneur, technology pioneer |
| Known for | Development of online shopping, Teleputer, e-commerce innovations |
Michael John Aldrich (22 August 1941 – 19 May 2014) was a British inventor, entrepreneur, and pioneer in technology. In 1979, he developed the concept of online shopping, enabling real-time transaction processing between consumers and businesses or among businesses themselves, a practice that later became known as e-commerce. The following year, he introduced the Teleputer, an innovative home infotainment device integrating personal computing, television, and telecommunications. By 1981, Aldrich had conceptualized interactive broadband local loop cable TV systems aimed at mass-market telecom services.
Over a career spanning nearly four decades in the IT sector, Aldrich served as CEO of the international computer firm Redifon/Rediffusion/ROCC Computers for two decades. He stepped down as CEO in 2000 but remained non-executive chairman until his passing in 2014. Prior to this, he held positions at Honeywell (now Groupe Bull) and Burroughs Corporation (currently Unisys).
In addition to his technological innovations, Aldrich provided unpaid IT consultancy to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from 1981 to 1986, advised the Confederation of British Industry between 1982 and 1983, served as president of the Institute of Information Scientists from 1984 to 1985, and chaired the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations from 1989 through 1999. He maintained a longstanding relationship with the University of Brighton starting in 1982.
Personal life
Born on 22 August 1941 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, Aldrich attended Clapham College in London. In 1959, he earned a scholarship to study history at the University of Hull. During his studies, he became engaged in 1960 to Sandy Kay Hutchings, an art student at Hull Art College; they married in 1962 prior to his graduation. The couple had four children and were grandparents to eight.
Career
Aldrich dedicated fifteen years to roles in sales and marketing at Honeywell and Burroughs within the UK, where he gained recognition for his innovative approaches before joining Redifon's Board in 1977.
In 1979, he pioneered online shopping by connecting a modified household television set to a real-time transaction processing computer via telephone lines. He regarded videotex as a revolutionary participatory communication platform that allowed external access to corporate information systems for transactions, messaging, and data retrieval—early manifestations of what would become known as e-business. His terminology concerning IT’s transformative influence on competition shaped management consulting practices and influenced the development of Business Process Reengineering during the 1990s. This interactive communication model anticipated social networking on the Internet.
By March 1980, Aldrich introduced Redifon's Office Revolution system, which linked consumers, clients, agents, distributors, suppliers, and service providers directly with corporate databases for live electronic business dealings.
Throughout the decade, he engineered videotex-based online shopping platforms that predated widespread Internet adoption as well as IBM PC and MS-DOS technologies. These systems were mainly implemented by major UK enterprises.
In 1980 Aldrich created the 'Teleputer,' which merged a customized 14-inch color television with a Zilog Z80 microprocessor running CP/M operating system alongside integrated communications hardware. Functioning as an independent color PC equipped with application software and network connectivity via dial-up or leased lines, it featured floppy disks (later upgraded to hard drives), keyboard input, and printer support. This device was among the first to combine computing power with telecommunications and television functionalities—an early prototype of a home media center.
Although designed for consumer use, manufacturing prioritized business applications without including a TV tuner due to limited demand in consumer electronics at that time. The Teleputer saw significant deployment both within the UK and in the USSR (where it was adapted with Cyrillic script).
The Teleputer frequently supported Aldrich’s online shopping infrastructures. Several pioneering systems are documented through case studies. The earliest known Business-to-Business (B2B) online shopping system was deployed by Thomson Holidays in 1981. Meanwhile, the first Business-to-Consumer (B2C) platform launched at Gateshead SIS/Tesco in 1984; Mrs Jane Snowball is recognized as the first documented online shopper from home.
Prominent B2B implementations included automotive sector projects such as Peugeot-Talbot’s dealer inventory management system (1981), Ford Motor Company’s cross-European dealer transaction network (1982), General Motors’ truck spare parts sales platform (1985), and Nissan’s groundbreaking system (1984) integrating dealer vehicle acquisition with consumer financing and credit rating assessments in real time—an early example of complex high-value B2C e-commerce solutions.
Aldrich’s breakthroughs had considerable influence across multiple industries including travel, retail, automotive manufacturing, finance, and credit assessment. His pre-Internet B2C platforms also delivered informational content like news services at Bradford Centrepoint beginning in 1987.
Initially targeting development of a consumer electronics market connected through broadband interactive information processing and cable TV distribution networks, Aldrich successfully advocated for legislative changes in the UK that enabled deployment of new cable TV technologies.
He conceptualized IT as a mass communication medium and built practical systems embodying this vision. Although widely recognized within UK business circles during the 1980s, his substantial contributions were often overlooked two decades later despite extensive replication or patenting by others without attribution; for example, Thomson Holidays reverse-engineered his system while adopting his terminology.
His work bridged videotex innovations with contemporary IT paradigms—liberating computing from centralized corporate environments and influencing universal human-computer interface designs later seen in Apple Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, and mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone.
Aldrich’s legacy encompasses online shopping platforms, telecommuting technologies, electronic banking services, home information hubs, broadband cable TV infrastructure developments, government advisory reports, and published works—forming a foundation upon which modern IT mass communication and e-commerce are built. In June 2011 an ICM survey ranked his birthdate among key milestones for internet development within the UK. In April 2012 he was placed fourth in a UK Intellectual Property Office poll celebrating visionary innovators.
His inventive scope extended into large-scale data capture systems, mixed media scanning technologies, minicomputer networking solutions, voice response mechanisms, handprint processing methods—and notably included patenting the world’s first static signature recognition system in 1984. Following a management buyout of Rediffusion Computers that year, he established ROCC Computers which primarily operated across the UK and Eastern European markets.
High-profile IT projects
From 1978 through 1998, Aldrich and his team successfully delivered numerous prominent IT initiatives that enhanced the company's standing. In contrast to typical UK enterprises with 500 to 700 employees, Aldrich consistently managed projects characterized by high financial stakes, substantial risk, and advanced technical complexity, achieving positive results throughout.
One early significant achievement was the development of an automated system for processing handprinted timesheets at the nationalised railway company British Rail in 1978. This system supported payroll operations for more than 100,000 staff members via regional scanning centers.
The most extensive undertaking was the Siberian Gas Pipeline project for Gazprom between 1981 and 1983. This involved integrating 46 computer systems connected to 1,200 terminals and 240 Teleputers, coordinating pipeline logistics across a vast network. Despite facing political obstacles, technical difficulties, and resource constraints, this installation—then the USSR’s most sophisticated IT system—trained around 1,500 Russian experts and remained in operation for several years.
Within Europe, Aldrich created the Ford Europe dealer online ordering platform from 1981 to 1983, linking facilities in the UK and Spain to optimize vehicle procurement processes. This system continued functioning effectively for nearly twenty years. On the domestic front, a key contract involved managing pricing data for over 334 million prescriptions annually on behalf of the Prescription Pricing Authority between 1981 and 1983, supporting the UK’s healthcare supply chain for more than a decade. Another politically sensitive project was the cattle passport scheme developed for the British Cattle Movement Service during the BSE crisis of 1998.
These projects illustrated that cutting-edge technology could be successfully deployed within extensive public and private sector frameworks. However, their achievements may have unintentionally encouraged riskier IT initiatives across the UK during the 1990s, many of which did not succeed.
Profession
In 1984, Aldrich was honored as a Fellow of the British Computer Society, later advancing to Chartered Fellow status in 2004. Two years after becoming a Fellow, in 1986, he was invited to join the Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, an exclusive leadership organization in UK management circles. Additionally, he holds an Honorary Fellowship with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The University of Brighton awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Letters in 2002 in recognition of his contributions to Information Technology.
On 23 March 1983, Aldrich delivered a keynote address titled Computers in the Community in Edinburgh before an audience that included members of British Royalty, commemorating the British Computer Society’s 25th anniversary.
In 1987, he was granted the freedom of the City of London and became a founding member of the Company of Information Technologists. This organization achieved Chartered City Livery status in 1992. Aldrich continues to serve as a liveryman within the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.
Information Technology Advisory Panel 1981–86
With IT emerging as a critical sector in 1981, the British Government established a six-person expert group known as the Information Technology Advisory Panel to offer strategic counsel directly to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Aldrich participated throughout its full five-year duration. The panel produced three influential government reports during this period.
Aldrich authored an important paper advocating for UK local loop broadband cables financed through a combination of cable television, data transmission, and telephone services without requiring government subsidies. This proposal prompted legal changes that enabled such infrastructure; by 2007, these high-speed broadband connections were accessible to approximately twelve million homes across the UK.
The panel’s second report focused on analyzing software and information sectors, emphasizing concerns about providers controlling both content creation and distribution channels. The third report anticipated IT’s transformative role in education by predicting widespread deployment of powerful personal computers on students’ desks. The panel concluded its work and disbanded in 1986.
Tavistock Institute of Human Relations 1989-99
In 1988, Aldrich became a member of the Council at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR) and held the position of chairman from 1989 until 1999. Throughout his tenure, TIHR transitioned from its location at the Tavistock Clinic in Hampstead to dedicated offices within London's financial district. Aldrich played a key role in securing the institute’s financial footing, orchestrated the 50th Anniversary event in 1997, and facilitated the release of the Tavistock Anthology, which celebrated TIHR’s historical accomplishments. His guidance encouraged a new generation of scholars to explore innovative research directions, revitalizing the institute’s emphasis on group dynamics. Although Aldrich stepped down from the council in 1999, he continues his affiliation as a member of the Tavistock Association.
University of Brighton
Aldrich’s association with Brighton Polytechnic began in 1977 when he supported staff members pursuing qualifications in electronic engineering and computer science. He joined the institution's governing board in 1982 and later served as chairman, eventually becoming the Founding Chairman of the University of Brighton, a role he fulfilled for eleven years (1987–1998) before retiring from governance in 1999. In 1990, he appointed Professor Sir David Watson as the university’s inaugural Vice-Chancellor. Under this leadership, the university earned the title 'University of the Year' by the London Sunday Times in 1999.
In 1992, Aldrich established the university’s fundraising arm, known as the Foundation. Alongside his wife Sandy, he initiated the Aldrich Collection of Contemporary Art in 1995; by 2009, this collection had grown to over 300 pieces predominantly created by former students and academic staff from the Faculty of Art. The collection has been digitized to allow worldwide accessibility. To honor his significant contributions, the university named its library serving business, biosciences, engineering, and technology disciplines as the Aldrich Library in 1996.
In 2008, Aldrich gifted his collection of IT-related documents spanning from 1977 to 2000—referred to as the Aldrich Archive—to support academic study and research at the university. A substantial portion has been digitized and made available online. The archive entered its second phase in 2010, focusing on chronicling individuals involved in early e-commerce system development and utilization.
Starting November 2010, the University of Brighton Business School began incorporating materials from the Aldrich Archive into its educational programs and introduced an annual Michael Aldrich Prize recognizing excellence among e-commerce students; this award was first presented in mid-2011.
Aldrich passed away on 19 May 2014.
Publications
- Videotex-Key to the Wired City Aldrich MJ. Quiller Press, London 1982.
- Cable Systems Aldrich MJ, co-author, HMSO London 1982.
- Making a Business of Information Aldrich MJ co-author HMSO London 1983.
- Learning to Live with IT Aldrich MJ co-author HMSO London 1986.
- Online Shopping in the 1980s Aldrich M, Annals of the History of Computing IEEE Oct-Dec 2011 Vol 33 No4 pp57–61 ISSN 1058-6180
Aldrich produced numerous publications including articles, conference presentations, and speeches centered on information technology and electronic commerce. Many remain accessible through commercial publishers and archival sources, although some have unfortunately been lost over time.