WDU (software)
| Industry | Software |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970s |
| Founder | Steve O'Donnell |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Westinghouse Disk Utility (WDU) |
| Parent | Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
Westinghouse Disk Utility (WDU) serves as a software solution for copying, backing up, and restoring data within IBM's DOS, DOS/VS, and DOS/VSE systems. By the year 1978, this utility, created by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was operational at more than 3,000 installations.
Originally designed for IBM DOS, Westinghouse broadened WDU’s compatibility to include DOS/VS, DOS/VSE, and VM/CMS. The software provided a variety of backup and duplication capabilities such as data streaming, the use of alternating tape drives, and the generation of archives.
Pittsburgh
The initial version of the utility was written by Steve O'Donnell as a free tool. Its popularity prompted Westinghouse to commercialize the product and establish the Westinghouse Software Group, later renamed WEMS (Westinghouse Management Systems).
Columbus
Following IBM's 1972 launch of DOS/VS on the IBM/370, Westinghouse redeveloped WDU to support these newer platforms. After O'Donnell departed in the late 1970s to found GOAL Systems, Inc., John Gaston took over as lead developer.
Paris
As a result of organizational restructuring within marketing divisions, Westinghouse created an autonomous European branch called Westinghouse Electric Management Systems SA (WEMSSA), headquartered in Paris. This development caused a division in the product line—between WDU and Westi—each advancing along distinct trajectories.
Orlando
The original development team moved to Orlando, Florida under Dr. Ray Ferguson’s leadership, concentrating on integration with VSE and attempting to unify the split product lines.
Development efforts led by III of Orlando targeted enhancements for VM/CMS and newer VSE iterations. Nevertheless, during the outsourcing trends of the Reaganomics period, Westinghouse’s division dissolved due to unsuccessful negotiations, resulting in the loss of both personnel and outsourcing contracts—bringing an end to one of the sector’s foremost software teams.
Marketing
Marketing activities and primary technical support in North America were handled by the WEMS marketing group based in Pittsburgh.
Westinghouse Electric Management Systems SA (WEMSSA), operating out of Paris with additional offices in London, Geneva, Zürich, Munich, and Amsterdam, maintained worldwide marketing responsibilities initially covering Europe, Africa, and the Far East.