BSL International
Encyclopedia
BSL International was a United Kingdom
software development
house that developed the Fourth-generation programming language
(4GL) market through its concentration on Nomad
, FOCUS
, and Ramis
throughout the 1980s.
Alan Bailey bought Brooksave Limited as an off-the-shelf company in 1978 as a vehicle for his sole practice as a software development contractor building Work measurement
software and oil rig
load modelling applications for Brown & Root
. In the early 1980s he added the Nomad customers Bank of America
to his client base and was later hired by Esso Petroleum
to help build an application to support computer network development as part of Esso's programme of placing a PC on every desk. In 1985 Bailey and four friends he met through his clients bid successfully to build Nomad management information system
s for Nabisco
. The four friends left their jobs at Bank of America and Esso to fulfil the Nabisco contract and became the management team of the company that they renamed Brooksave Systems Limited.
Contracts with Exxon Chemicals soon took members of the team to Belgium
and additional staff were recruited to meet client needs in sixteen countries including the United States
. The team extended their interests into other 4GLs and began speaking at conferences to promote the philosophy of rapid application development
and extensive end-user involvement. In 1989 the company, which had been trading as BSL for some time, was formally renamed BSL International Limited.
Throughout the 1990s Nomad and the other early 4GLs were overtaken by other database management system
s and Computer-aided software engineering
tools such as Oracle
. BSL did not adapt effectively to this and the management team dispersed. In 1993 Bailey separated from his wife and emigrated to the United States. The business was divided on geographical lines with Pauline Bailey keeping the European operation and renaming the company BSL Europe Limited. It ceased trading in 1998 and was wound up in 2002.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
house that developed the Fourth-generation programming language
Fourth-generation programming language
A fourth-generation programming language is a programming language or programming environment designed with a specific purpose in mind, such as the development of commercial business software. In the history of computer science, the 4GL followed the 3GL in an upward trend toward higher...
(4GL) market through its concentration on Nomad
Nomad software
Nomad Software is a relational database and fourth-generation language , originally developed in the 70s by time-sharing vendor National CSS, Inc...
, FOCUS
FOCUS
FOCUS is a computer programming language. It is a database query building language, regarded as a fourth-generation programming language. produced by Information Builders Inc...
, and Ramis
Ramis software
RAMIS Software is a fourth-generation programming language capable of generating reports using simple language and many fewer lines of code than previous third-generation programing languages such as COBOL...
throughout the 1980s.
Alan Bailey bought Brooksave Limited as an off-the-shelf company in 1978 as a vehicle for his sole practice as a software development contractor building Work measurement
Work Measurement
Work measurement is the application of techniques designed to establish the time for an average worker to carry out a specified manufacturing task at a defined level of performance...
software and oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
load modelling applications for Brown & Root
Kellogg, Brown and Root
KBR, Inc. is an American engineering, construction and private military contracting company, formerly a subsidiary of Halliburton, headquartered in Houston. The company also has large offices in Arlington, Birmingham, Newark, Delaware and Leatherhead, UK. After Halliburton acquired Dresser...
. In the early 1980s he added the Nomad customers Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
to his client base and was later hired by Esso Petroleum
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
to help build an application to support computer network development as part of Esso's programme of placing a PC on every desk. In 1985 Bailey and four friends he met through his clients bid successfully to build Nomad management information system
Management information system
A management information system provides information needed to manage organizations efficiently and effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources: people, technology, and information. Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that...
s for Nabisco
Nabisco
Nabisco is an American brand of cookies and snacks. Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, the company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. Nabisco's plant in Chicago, a production facility at 7300 S...
. The four friends left their jobs at Bank of America and Esso to fulfil the Nabisco contract and became the management team of the company that they renamed Brooksave Systems Limited.
Contracts with Exxon Chemicals soon took members of the team to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and additional staff were recruited to meet client needs in sixteen countries including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The team extended their interests into other 4GLs and began speaking at conferences to promote the philosophy of rapid application development
Rapid application development
Rapid application development is a software development methodology that uses minimal planning in favor of rapid prototyping. The "planning" of software developed using RAD is interleaved with writing the software itself...
and extensive end-user involvement. In 1989 the company, which had been trading as BSL for some time, was formally renamed BSL International Limited.
Throughout the 1990s Nomad and the other early 4GLs were overtaken by other database management system
Database management system
A database management system is a software package with computer programs that control the creation, maintenance, and use of a database. It allows organizations to conveniently develop databases for various applications by database administrators and other specialists. A database is an integrated...
s and Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products...
tools such as Oracle
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
. BSL did not adapt effectively to this and the management team dispersed. In 1993 Bailey separated from his wife and emigrated to the United States. The business was divided on geographical lines with Pauline Bailey keeping the European operation and renaming the company BSL Europe Limited. It ceased trading in 1998 and was wound up in 2002.