Installation of a large electronic computer

The Department of the Air Force now owns, operates, and maintains a Univac on premises of its own. The installation in the Pentagon of Univac #2 was formally completed on June 25, 1952. This was the first Univac to leave the factory of the Eckert-Mauchly Division of Remington Rand, Inc. Since June 25th all maintenance has been performed by Air Force personnel.

While there is nothing particularly new to be gleaned from the limited operating experience with Univac #2, the experience of getting it into operation in its permanent home may be of interest. One measure of the extent of such a project is indicated by the fact that active preparations for this computer began more than 18 months before the installation contract was terminated. In this period some 16 manyears were directly allocated to necessary training of programmers and engineers and to the coding and testing of instruction routines needed to get into effective operation.