Definition: System/360

IBM's first family of computer systems introduced in 1964. It was the first time in history that a complete line of computers was announced at one time. Although considerable enhancements have been made, much of the 360 architecture is still carried over in current-day IBM mainframes. Since its inception, trillions of dollars worth of information systems have been developed for this platform.

The 360, which took four years to develop and cost $5 billion ($38 billion in 2015 dollars) was a risky undertaking. Thomas Watson, Jr. literally "bet his company" on the project. The 360 has been ranked as one of the major business accomplishments in American history alongside Ford's Model T and Boeing's 707. See System/370, System/390 and IBM mainframes.

System/360

The System/360 was a bold move for IBM, because it was the first time in history a family of computers was developed and introduced. (Image courtesy of The Computer History Museum.)