<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>A note to those interested in the history of IBM or computers in banking, you might want to get a hold of </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class="product-details product-details-size" id=product-details>
<H1><FONT size=2><SPAN id=ctl00_ctl00_cph_content_twoColumnCustomDIV_whsProductSummary_lblTitle><A id=ctl00_ctl00_cph_content_twoColumnCustomDIV_whsProductSummary_lblAuthor href="http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/SearchWithinCategory.aspx?as_Author=Richard++Barrow&cat=%5cBooks"><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Barrow</FONT></A><FONT size=2>, Richard (2006) </FONT>Fifty More Years of the Halifax 1953-2003, Halifax: HBOS & Richard Barrow</SPAN> </FONT></H1>
<DIV class=sticker id=stickers><FONT size=2></FONT></DIV>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light id=ctl00_ctl00_cph_content_twoColumnCustomDIV_whsProductSummary_spanPrice><SPAN class=bold>ISBN 13: </SPAN><SPAN>9780955298301</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </P><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN style="COLOR: black">It is available through Amazon on both sides of the pond.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN style="COLOR: black">This is a personal but detailed account of the computerization of the Halifax Building Society (the largest mortgage specialists in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> for much of the 20th century). His memory was helped by unfettered access to the historical records at HBOS in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Edinburgh</st1:place></st1:City>. Style and tone are rather colloquial but there are a number of 'pearls of wisdom' as well as an insight into management thinking and events that will not be available otherwise (as HBOS has a 30 year closure period policy for its records).</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN style="COLOR: black">Halifax</SPAN></SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> was unique not only because of its size but also given that it built its own systems based on IBM assembler. They never (or only by exception) purchase 'of the shelf'. Instead their policy was to 'build from scratch' and their motto was "anyone would be fire if they bought IBM". Barrow tells of different encounters in which top management was assaulted by 'Big Blue' but always decided in favour of the in house team. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN style="COLOR: black">I have recently interviewed Barrow and will be posting the transcript within the sigcis website, where he clarifies details around the deployment of ATM technology.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=author></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN>Best,</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN>Bernardo</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=author><SPAN class=hi-light><SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN></P></SPAN></DIV></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><FONT face=GillSans size=2></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>