Tom Rolander
Thomas Alan Rolander | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Known for | Creating MP/M operating system; designing CP/NET |
Thomas Alan Rolander is a notable American engineer and entrepreneur recognized for creating the multitasking, multiuser operating system MP/M for microcomputers in 1979. As one of the first team members at Digital Research, he collaborated closely with founder Gary Kildall, widely regarded as the pioneer behind CP/M. The development of MP/M alongside CP/M laid the groundwork for subsequent Digital Research operating systems such as Concurrent CP/M, Concurrent DOS, and Multiuser DOS. Additionally, Rolander was responsible for designing CP/NET, a networking solution compatible with both CP/M and MP/M.
Rolander’s entrepreneurial achievements earned him the 2013 Diamond Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence from the University of Washington. Furthermore, his 2016 oral history interview was preserved by the Computer History Museum.
Further reading
- Tom Rolander’s tribute to GARY A. KILDALL, May 19, 1942 – July 11, 1994, delivered at the Naval Postgraduate School memorial service, Monterey, CA, 1994
- Discussion with Tom Rolander on the Scoble Show, PodTech.net, August 8, 2007 – covering Microsoft’s operating system agreement with IBM