Modern principles of open architecture of computers and methods of their implementation

In the mid-seventies of the last century, the "miniaturization" of computer technology began - personal computers began to be developed and distributed. They replace the bulky computer and, most importantly, become available for use at home. The main driver of this process was the American firm IBM, which not only was the world leader in the market of computer equipment, but also the initiator of the most advanced developments in this field.

To maintain its leading position in the market, the company took many steps, but gradually it became absolutely clear that marketing technologies alone did not work anymore, a fundamentally new technical solution was required. It was such a solution that became the development of computing devices that implement the principles of open architecture. In IBM, a special department was created, which was to analyze all developments in this field, evaluate them and offer a model of the device that would embody all the most advanced ideas. In fact, this meant that the principle of an open architecture of the computer was laid as an idea even at the stage of designing a future computer project.

Scientists and engineers from IBM worked in the conditions of technological freedom, which assumed that they used the best examples of components from different developers to solve the problem. So, for example, the processor was chosen from Intel Corporation - the best at that time Intel-8088, which provided work with the "ridiculous" to date, the memory capacity of 1 megabyte. The software was supposed to be purchased from a little-known little Microsoft company.

In the summer of 1981, this symbiosis was born - a computer made up of components from different companies, and which, in essence, embodied the principles of open architecture in its design. They also became fundamental for the whole subsequent development of computer technology. This position was fixed even in terminology: the notion "compatible with IBM PC" appeared at that time meant that this device, even if assembled in another company, is a device that conforms to IBM standards, and embodies the principle of open architecture of PCs.

The word "openness" within the framework of this philosophy and technology means that the computer initially has the possibility of updating it and even transforming it by analogy with the children's designer, where all the details are interchangeable and they can be used to collect various modifications of devices. It was also important that such transformations were not considered as a kind of commercial secret, but on the contrary, users were familiar and independent upgrade (replacement of parts for others), was actively encouraged by companies producing component parts for computers.

This analogy with the children's designer, in general, became the basis on which the principles of open architecture were formed and developed. Ironically, the discovery and launching of these principles in broad use has not played a very good role in the history of IBM. The company itself has lost, and most likely did not even receive, any preferences, in terms of market advancements of its invention. Moreover, many corporations, using the principles of open architecture, have achieved much more significant successes in the development and advancement of the computer business, it is enough to cite the example of Microsoft.

The "openness" of a modern computer is that absolutely all of its technologies and specifications for the interaction of components with each other and the external environment are available to anyone who is more or less familiar with technology to a person. And this, in turn, significantly increases the circle of potential users. Thus, the word "open" has not only technological content, but also social.