Oral history interview with Thomas H. Maguire

Abstract

This interview concerns computer activities of General Electric (GE) and the data communications industry. After describing his early life through his undergraduate work in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, Maguire concentrates on his career at GE. He worked for GE's utility sales divisions in Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin, in the programming department at Phoenix, and as a support specialist to the utilities industry in the Philadelphia field office.

Maguire describes the training program for new engineers, the divisional structure of the company, the sales and management philosophy, and the marketing plan, and illustrates them from his personal experiences. He devotes particular attention to GE's attempt to gain the number two market share in the computer industry and the decision to leave the industry because of their capital commitments to steam turbine and nuclear power technologies. He then reviews his career with GE, first as manager with the communications system start-up Communatype and later with his own company in the data communications system business. He provides an overview of the technical innovations, price-performance improvements, and companies that entered the data communications industry.