Canadian software

Canadians have been contributing to the development of computer software from the beginning of the 1940s.

In 1979 the Basic Software Group was formed by Norm Francis, Ted Comfoltey, Keith Wales and Don Thompson. They wrote an accounting software general ledger that ran on a NorthStar Computer 1 using the CP/M operating system 2. Then they ported it over to the Windows operating system. The General Ledger module formed the base of an accounting suite that became know as Accpac.

Norm Francis and Keith Wales went on to start a small company called Pen Magic, specializing in pen-based/tablet PC's such as the Apple Newton. They decided to change directions and enter the Sales Force Automation market (later to be defined as CRM - Customer Relationship Management) and renamed the company to Pivotal Software 3. The company is now a subsidiary of CDC Corporation 4 and has offices all over the world.