, ▁he ▁was ▁secret ly ▁informed ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁already ▁taken ▁him ▁up ▁on ▁his ▁initial ▁proposal , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁( and ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ) ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁flying ▁reconna issance ▁fl ights ▁over ▁the ▁USS R . ▁A ware ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁generate ▁vast ▁amounts ▁of ▁phot ography ▁over ▁long ▁periods ▁of ▁time , ▁Leg horn ▁realized ▁that ▁a ▁major ▁problem ▁would ▁be ▁storing ▁the ▁resulting ▁imag ery ▁and ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁easily ▁retrieved ▁for ▁study . ▁K od ak ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁introdu cing ▁its ▁" Min ic ard " ▁a pert ure ▁card ▁product , ▁and ▁Leg horn ▁felt ▁this ▁was ▁a ▁natural ▁solution ▁for ▁the ▁problem . ▁ ▁Leg horn ▁sought ▁improvement ▁by ▁combining ▁it ▁with ▁mach in ery ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁indexing ▁the ▁information ▁required ▁for ▁reconna issance . ▁Leg horn ▁contact ed ▁his ▁long - time ▁friend ▁The odore ▁" T ed dy " ▁Walk ow icz ▁about ▁forming ▁a ▁new ▁company ▁to ▁build ▁such ▁a ▁machine ▁for ▁the ▁Air ▁Force . ▁Walk ow icz ▁was ▁an ▁associate ▁of ▁vent ure ▁capital ist ▁Laur ance ▁Rock ef eller , ▁and ▁eventually ▁secured ▁a ▁seed ▁loan ▁for ▁$ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁a ▁director ship . ▁Leg horn ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁company , ▁whose ▁I TE K ▁name ▁was ▁a ▁ph on etic ▁short ▁form ▁of ▁" information ▁technology ". ▁Since ▁Leg horn ▁formerly ▁worked ▁at