Cambridge Processor Unit Ltd (CPU). Their first customer was Ace Coin Equipment Ltd, who needed controllers for their fruit machines. Acorn Computer The Acorn Microcomputer (later to be called the System 1) was launched as the first product of a new company, Acorn Computers Ltd, founded in March 1979. Curry said that they "chose the word Acorn because it was going to be an expanding and growth-oriented system". After becoming a millionaire as a result of Acorn's success with the BBC Micro project, in 1983 Curry co-founded Redwood Publishing with Michael Potter (former publisher of advertising trade weekly Campaign) and Christopher Ward (former editor of Daily Express newspaper). The company bought the Acorn User title. GIS At the time of the Olivetti takeover of Acorn in 1985 Curry founded General Information Systems Ltd (GIS), based on Acorn's Communications Group, and he remains a director. GIS specialises in Smart Card technologies for access control and electronic money. In 2012 he announced his latest project with GIS, Care with Canary, a wireless sensor system that allows family members to remotely monitor relatives living alone and triggers alerts. See also Micro Men References Bibliography Lloyd, Tom (1984). Dinosaur & Co.: Studies in Corporate Evolution. London: Routledge and Keegan Paul. Penny, R. K. (1986). Developing a Philosophy for Engineering. Cape Town: University of Cape Town. Perry, James (1985). "Britain's Sir Clive Sinclair Keeps Bouncing Back With New Inventions." The Wall Street Journal. 6 June. Pesola, Maija (2005). "The Fertile Soil of Silicon Fen." Financial Times. 9 February. 1946 births Living people Acorn Computers British technology company founders English businesspeople Businesspeople in computing People from Cambridge People educated at Kimbolton School