Oral history interview with John Maguire

Abstract

John Norris Maguire is former founder and President of Software AG of North America, Inc., overseas distributor of the Adabas system. Adabas (from “adaptable database”) is a commercial relational database management system (DBMS) originally developed by Software AG in the late 1960s. The database system was first developed for IBM 360 computers.

In this oral history Maguire recounts his early life and decision to go into the Navy as an electrician's apprentice. He then discusses his education in electrical engineering at the University of Rhode Island and in business at MIT's Sloan School--where he studied industrial dynamics with Jay Forrester. Upon graduation Maguire joined Lockheed Missiles and Space Company where he worked on software simulation problems between 1960 and 1966. He recounts his service at CACI on software products including Quick Query, and his decision to found Software AG of North America in 1972. The bulk of the interview relates the marketing of Adabas, sales strategies against IBM, pricing decisions, cash flow issues related to the business, and the role of ADAPSO. This oral history was sponsored by the Software History Center in conjunction with the Center's ADAPSO reunion (3 May 2002).