Oral history interview with Robert E. Weissman

Abstract

Robert Weissman attended the University of Connecticut and received his Bachelor’s degree from Babson College. After various positions unrelated to the computer business, he was appointed CEO of National CSS during the 1970s when the company founders brought him in as a professional business manager. He describes how National CSS was founded and evolved from a general-purpose timesharing company using VP/CSS to a specialty processing services firm using RAMIS and Nomad to produce and run departmental applications. After selling National CSS to Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), he remained with D&B and later, as its CEO, redirected its strategy to being database focused rather than data processing oriented. He was Chairman of ADAPSO and describes its structure and values. This oral history was sponsored by the Software History Center in conjunction with the Center's ADAPSO reunion (3 May 2002).