Talk:Nomad software

Nomad Software VOF, Cortex
Nomad Software VOF was founded by John Anderson and Jim Gabriel in 1999 in Amsterdam (NL) as a launchpad for the Cortex product, a highly scalable XML metadata evolution management system. Cortex was developed under the codename Barbados, until it transitioned to the newly established mother ship Barbadosoft BV in October 2000. Barbadosoft BV was VC-funded by GorillaPark, now sadly but not surprisingly defunct, all things considered.

Nomad Software VOF continued to thrive on revenues earned from Information Design and Technical Documentation projects, two of its core competencies. Nomad Software went into hibernation mode when the Cortex product line (now functioning under the name CortexML) was sold to UK-based digitalML Ltd. in 2003, and the two founding directors of Nomad Software realised that they preferred to go sky diving or motorcycle racing in different parts of the planet with their foreign girlfriends / wives.

Nomad Software is an excellent name for a software and services company, and it has a fantastic logo designed by Andy Grogan, using a font influenced by the New Johnston font that is famously visible in the London Underground Railway. See for an example of the beautiful logo. There is therefore quite a likelihood that the company may be revived from hibernation, if only to enjoy having a good reason for printing more letterhead.

Nomad, National CSS, and recent revisions [September 2006]
I've tried to put this material in a semblance of order. I believe I have improved on the scanty citations from before, although a number of points remain that still require independent sources. Uncited points have been left in place when I believe they represent accurate statements of important issues. With luck, we will find more documentary sources. I don't believe that anything stated here is in dispute.

The memoirs at the Computer History Museum provide very useful first-person accounts of early NCSS events. Those pages are not highly navigable (I only stumbled on some interesting material after following numerous links) but they are worth attention if you are interested in the historical record.

The main problem when covering this topic, of course, is that most of these pre-Internet events are not yet covered by searchable archives. Old books are out of print. Old periodicals are on paper. It would be useful to review the NCSS corporate filings, for example, but the Edgar on-line data only goes back to 1993. (NCSS public statements would no doubt provide details about dates, intents, expectations, etc. of the day.)

I have put a good deal of detail into this article, perhaps a disproportionate amount. Nevertheless, the histories of Nomad and NCSS are curious, and include many watershed moments, e.g. the first commercial use of the relational model. (The NCSS packet-switching network was also far ahead of its time. There were many other technical advances. The bare fact that NCSS had its own mainframe operating system was unique.) Through the years, I have regularly run across old Nomad/NCSS customers asking questions about "the old days." There were many successful customers; some like BofA (Bank of America), SOCAL (Standard Oil of California), and NYNEX had extensive NCSS infrastructures and staffs. The diaspora of NCSS personnel and former Nomad/NCSS users thus touched countless businesses through the 80s and 90s.

I apologize in advance for any solecisms, but I believe we've moved this article in the right direction. Trevor Hanson 06:22, 15 September 2006 (UTC)