BOCS Box Office Computer System (1981)
Space Time Systems
Written in Fortran using the RSX operating system, and developed on a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP 11/34. It will also run on 11/23 and 11/44 models.
Among investors is Richard Pilbrow of Theatre Projects.
From The Stage, February 18, 1982
“Booking seats by satellite became a reality last week when the Barbican Centre sold tickets direct to America through its recently installed box office computer, Aided by Busby*, a satellite link, and the Bell Telephone system, the computer supplied the chairman of the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Ben Wells, with a subscription to a series of six concerts to be held in the Barbican Hall this year. The ‘satellite sale’, the first of its kind ever, comes as a considerable boost to both the Barbican and the company which supplied its BOCS computer, Covent Garden-based Space Time Systems. The company installed the computer at a cost of £200,000, by far the biggest deal in the now booming box office computer business, and the Barbican is now considering the installation of booking terminals in the City and the West End. “For Space Time Systems, the Barbican deal marked its London debut and the company is now leading the field in supplying the technology to Britain’s theatres. It is already serving 11 venues throughout the country and has been ordered by 10 more, after only 18 months of full-scale business. Space Time Systems boss Ken Fraser told The Stage: ‘Box office computers are now making a big impact on theatre because it takes the shackles off the marketing function. There can now be an instant response to demand and that is crucial’.”
*Busby was a cartoon character used to advertise British Telecom services.
Catalogue & Journal Entries for BOCS Box Office Computer System in the Backstage Heritage Collection
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