Computing celebrates 50 years of publication
It's our golden anniversary!
Since 1973, Computing has been a leading source of information and entertainment for the UK's IT leaders - and we're looking back at the past 50 years that got us to where we are today.
As the longest-running magazine for IT professionals in the UK, Computing has a rich history and has played an important role in the development of the country's computer industry trade press.
We launched as the official magazine of the British Computer Society - known today as BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, with whom we still work on the UK IT Industry Awards. It was a year that saw a host of (other) great media landmarks, including Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and the BBC's Last of the Summer Wine.
Politically, 1973 is remembered for the UK formally joining the European Economic Community - and also the State of Emergency, Three-Day Week and rolling power-cuts. Memories of all of those have been evoked many times in the last 12 months, proving that history really is cyclical.
On the tech side, 1973 not only saw the literal birth of Google - both Sergey Brin and Larry Page arrived that year - but of the internet itself. Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn proposed the TCP/IP protocol, though networks wouldn't actually talk to each other until 1977, and the Ethernet standard also made its first appearance.
So, both politically and technologically 1973 was a standout. Clearly, there was a place for a publication that would tell the growing number of UK IT professionals exactly what the changing market meant for them.
Enter Computing.
Since then we have gone from strength to strength. There have been changes along the way - we've gone from weekly to bi-weekly to online-only - but we've always remembered our core mission: to educate and empower technology leaders.
As a brand and business, we have continued to evolve, most recently with Computing's recent acquisition by The Channel Company, owner of CRN.com. This move gives us more resources to invest in our core businesses of research, events and IT leader relationships, as well as international expansion - with plans to reach the USA and mainland Europe this year.
We're turning 50 this year, and we'll be celebrating across our many events and awards. We'd love to hear from you, too! When did you start reading Computing? What keeps you coming back? Let us know, and we might just feature your story later this year.
Editor Tom Allen said, "It's both a joy and an honour to work on an industry-leading brand like Computing. Its continued success and evolution are a testament to the expertise and dedication of the people who have worked with us over the past five decades, as well as the ongoing demand for high-quality content in the rapidly-changing world of technology.
"We've been delighted to share the last 50 years with you, and we're looking forward to doing the same thing for 50 more!"