▁were ▁connected ▁to ▁each ▁terminal ▁( this ▁pred ated ▁the ▁move ▁to ▁Windows - based ▁application ). ▁Most ▁Blo om berg ▁set ups ▁have ▁between ▁two ▁and ▁six ▁displays . ▁It ▁is ▁available ▁for ▁an ▁annual ▁fee ▁of ▁$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁user ▁($ 2 4 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁year ▁for ▁the ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁fir ms ▁that ▁use ▁only ▁one ▁terminal ). ▁, ▁there ▁were ▁ 3 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Blo om berg ▁Terminal ▁subscri bers ▁world wide . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Michael ▁Blo om berg ▁was ▁fired ▁from ▁Sal omon ▁Brothers . ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁no ▁sever ance ▁package , ▁but ▁owned ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁worth ▁of ▁equ ity ▁as ▁a ▁partner ▁at ▁the ▁firm . ▁Using ▁this ▁money , ▁Blo om berg , ▁having ▁designed ▁in - house ▁computer ized ▁financial ▁systems ▁for ▁Sal omon , ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁data ▁services ▁company ▁named ▁In nov ative ▁Market ▁Systems ▁( I MS ) ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁belief ▁that ▁Wall ▁Street ▁would ▁pay ▁a ▁prem ium ▁for ▁high - quality ▁business ▁information , ▁delivered ▁instant ane ously ▁on ▁computer ▁terminal s ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁us able ▁formats . ▁The ▁company ▁sold ▁custom ized ▁computer ▁terminal s ▁that ▁delivered ▁real - time ▁market ▁data , ▁financial ▁calculations ▁and ▁other ▁analyt ics ▁to ▁Wall ▁Street ▁fir ms . ▁At ▁first , ▁the ▁machine ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁Market ▁Master ▁terminal , ▁but ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the