▁Blo om berg ▁Terminal ▁or ▁simply ▁" The ▁Blo om berg ". ▁The ▁terminal ▁was ▁released ▁to ▁market ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁became ▁the ▁company ' s ▁first ▁customer , ▁purch asing ▁a ▁ 3 0 % ▁st ake ▁in ▁I MS ▁for ▁$ 3 0 ▁million ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁a ▁five - year ▁restriction ▁on ▁market ing ▁the ▁terminal s ▁to ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ' s ▁compet itors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁released ▁I MS ▁from ▁the ▁restriction . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁Blo om berg ▁keyboard ▁was ▁released ▁with ▁a ▁track ball ▁and ▁built - in ▁voice - chat ▁features . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁first ▁color ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁terminal ▁was ▁released . ▁ ▁Michael ▁Blo om berg ▁stepped ▁away ▁from ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁terminal ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁mayor , ▁but ▁returned ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Blo om berg ▁Terminal ▁had ▁a ▁greater ▁annual ▁re venue ▁than ▁Thom son ▁Re ut ers , ▁the ▁company ▁that ▁founded ▁the ▁market ▁data ▁business . ▁ ▁Currently , ▁the ▁hardware ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁terminal ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁access ories . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁those ▁access ories ▁are ▁a ▁custom ▁keyboard ▁with ▁special ▁keys , ▁a ▁finger