Amdahl Corporation - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by Security-Columbian United States Banknote Corporation. Amdahl Corporation was a technology firm that focused on producing computer products compatible with IBM mainframes, with several of its offerings considered supercomputers that rivaled those from Cray Research. Established in 1970 by Gene Amdahl, a former IBM engineer renowned for his role as the chief architect of System/360, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu since 1997. Its headquarters were situated in Sunnyvale, California. Beginning with its inaugural machine in 1975, Amdahl aimed to deliver mainframe computers that were plug-compatible with existing IBM models, while providing enhanced reliability, slightly improved performance, and reduced costs. Additionally, Amdahl's products featured practical benefits such as smaller size and lower power requirements, utilizing air-cooling systems instead of needing chilled water supplies. This resulted in a superior price/performance ratio compared to IBM's offerings, positioning Amdahl as one of the few significant competitors to "Big Blue" in the lucrative high-margin computer market. The company captured approximately 8% of the global mainframe market, achieving leadership in certain regions, particularly in the Carolinas. It became a common practice for discerning IBM clients to display Amdahl coffee mugs in their offices during visits from IBM sales representatives.