DataCAD 30 Year Timeline

Eric V. Smith writes an Apple II software precursor to DataCAD called Apple Draw while studying at the University of Virginia.

"The only thing I remember about Apple Draw is that the BASIC interpreter would load the program over the frame buffer and I had some horrible hack to switch to an alternate frame buffer after loading. It somehow involved copying the frame buffer out to a floppy, then loading it back in. Needless to say, program startup was not very impressive!" -- Eric V. Smith

September
Formal work begins on "Integrated Software Package for Architects and Engineers."

“DataGraphic Systems, Inc. was created with the intention of providing an affordable computer system for Architectural and Engineering firms. The software is carefully designed to ease the transition problems associated with office automation. It is easy and convenient to use, and it provides meaningful advantages to the designer in terms of time savings and accuracy.”

Archon developed on Corvus Concept for Stewart Griffin Burgh and Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia.

October 7, 1983 – DataGraphic Systems incorporated in the state of Virginia.

November 1, 1983 – Letter to Investors

November 16, 1983 – Letter to AIA

April 2, 1984 – Dave Giesselman joins DataGraphic Systems.

April
DataCAD is selected by the American Institute of Architects to be sold to member firms through the AIA/SC.

November
Bruce Chitiea becomes first paying commercial customer running Archon on the Corvus Concept after seeing the software at COMDEX '84 in Las Vegas.

February 18, 1986 – Registration for MICROTECTURE trademark issued.

September
Quarterly Company Newsletter called "Perspectives" is first published.

September 17, 1986 – Don Bidwell of Cobi Consultants becomes first International DataCAD Distributor.

October
DataCAD 3 released.

May 1, 1987 – First DCAL Development Conference held near Washington, D.C.

June
AIA Firm Survey ranks DataCAD as second most popular CAD system for small firms, well behind AutoCAD but ahead of CADVANCE and VersaCAD in installed base.

June 1, 1987 – Copyright application for first original prototype of DataCAD's 3D modeling and hidden line removal system.

June 25, 1987 – The first ever National DataCAD Users' Group meeting is held at AIA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

July
Chris Davis publishes the first issue of "WindowIn on DataCAD."

August 21, 1987 – Microtecture announces expansion plans and restructuring of corporate management.

October 19, 1987 - "Black Monday" Stock markets around the world crash and DOW drops 508 points to 1738.74 (22.61%).

December 2, 1987 – Formation of DBUG (DataCAD Boston Users' Group) by Rick Gleason and Evan Shu.

December 9, 1987 – Windows 2.0 ships.

February 29, 1988 – First issue of DataCAD Dealer News published.

March 21, 1988 – Clay Rogers joins Microtecture.

April
RADIUS Users' Group publishes The Radius Office Manual.

May 4, 1988 – Second National DataCAD Users' Group meeting is held McCormick Center Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.

June
DataCAD Velocity Released

July 29, 1988 – DCAL and DataMERGE trademarks filed.

February 14, 1989 – DBUG Members submit Petition to Microtecture to block potential sale to Sigma Design.

February 24, 1989 – Daryl Ferguson, President/CEO of Microtecture issues letter in response to DBUG Petition.

February 27, 1989 – Kenneth Ledeen, President of Sigma Design issues letter in response to DBUG Petition.

March 1, 1989 – L. Berry Taylor issues "DataCAD is here to stay" letter to DBUG.

March 8, 1989 – DBUG issues letter regarding responses from Microtecture and Sigma Design regarding potential merger.

April, 29, 1989 – S. Griffin Burgh, Director of Microtecture issues bulletin regarding end to negotiations with Sigma Design.

June 6, 1989 – CADKEY announces its agreement to acquire Microtecture at A/E/C Systems '89 in Anaheim, California. (Eric Smith, David Giesselman, Ken Parrish, Eric Holtman, Berry Taylor, Clay Rogers, and Lou Bodnar†)

July
DataCAD makes first appearance in 3-D World Newsletter.

July 18, 1989 – DCAL trademark issued.

“Computer program containing a high level application language which is readable and executable by a computer aided design program.”

August
Development of DataCAD 4 is put on hold indefinitely while CADKEY evaluates its abilities and needs.

September 9, 1989 – Mark Madura attends first DBUG Meeting at Ivan Bereznicki Associates.

September 26, 1989 – DataMERGE trademark issued.

“Computer program used by architects and engineers with a computer aided design (cad) program to specify elements of building design and construction materials, estimate costs, compare contractor bids, and track building expenditures.”

October
DataCAD 128 v3.6e unveiled at first National DataCAD Dealer Conference.

February
DataCAD introduced to French market at MICAD ’90 by Jacques Lioret of ABACAD.

March
DataCAD Velocity 1.2 released.

March 27, 1990 – DataCAD receives Editor's Choice from PC Magazine.

May 22, 1990 – Windows 3.0 ships.

June
DataCAD 4 introduced at A/E/C Systems ’90 in Atlanta, GA.

August
DataCAD 4 for DOS released.
Madura Studios Inc. founded, Bristol, Rhode Island.

November 21, 1990 – DBUG submits DataCAD Wishlist to CADKEY.

December
Cheap Tricks newsletter publishes first issue.

January
DataCAD Printer Utility Released

March
Enhanced DXF translator released.

May
Parthenon announced at A/E/C Systems ‘91 in Washington, D.C.
Macros from SPIRIT are demonstrated.
WindowIn publishes last issue.
ClipIt Macro released.

May 20, 1991 – CADKEY issues 'Super Saver' coupon booklet to DataCAD maintenance customers.

May 31, 1991 – CADKEY enters agreement with SOFT-TECH for DataCAD enhancements.

June
DataCAD 5.0 Alpha released.
Cheapware Disk Exchange Network established.
Reference Point newsletter by Phil Hart is first published by CADKEY.

July
Stair Macro released.

August
CADKEY relocates from Manchester, CT to Windsor, CT (N41°52'45", W72°44'15").

September
First DBUG Meeting held at CADKEY in Windsor, CT.
DataCAD 5.0 BETA Released

October
CADKEY celebrates its 10th anniversary and introduces new corporate logo.

November
DataCAD 5.0 released.

February 4, 1992 – Madura Studios announced as Top 5 Var for 1991.

February 17, 1992 – Strategic DataCAD Dealer Meeting held at CADKEY.
(Mark Madura, Terry Bergen, Stewart Brown, Grizz Wallace, and Bill D’Amico)

RADIUS Users' Group disbands.

March
Velocity 2.0 released.

CADKEY and SOFT-TECH announce release of SPIRIT/DataCAD 4.5.

April
Madura Studios Inc. moves to Newbury Street, Boston, MA.

June
Madura Studios exhibits at AIA Expo ’92 in Boston, MA.

September
First issue of KeySolutions magazine published.

October 1, 1992 – 3D Stair Macro released for DataCAD.

October 6, 1992 – Malcolm Davies (former VP at Autodesk) joins CADKEY.

October 7, 1992 – Malcolm Davies, President/CEO of CADKEY issues letter to DataCAD customers.

October 13, 1992 – George Krucik (former director of Autodesk Australia) joins CADKEY.

October 22, 1992 – Windows for Workgroups 3.1 ships.

November 10, 1992 – DataCAD 4, Velocity, and DCAL bundle introduced for $1,995.00.

Eric Smith leaves CADKEY.

February 26, 1993 – CADKEY announces “Busiest Day” in company’s history.

March
DataCAD Dealer Meeting at CADKEY (DataCAD SPIRIT, DataCAD Light).

April 26, 1993 – Bob Schwein hired by CADKEY.

April 29, 1993 - Madura Studios becomes a DataCAD Distributor to the U.S. Dealer Channel.

May
DataCAD “Dealer Days” at CADKEY (DataCAD 5).

June
DataCAD 5 Spring Training at CADKEY.

July 15, 1993 - CADKEY reduces staff by 20% (21 non-DataCAD employees).

CADKEY becomes a "Virtual Corporation."

Reference Point newsletter is discontinued.

August
Windows NT 3.1 ships.
SOFT-TECH and Madura Studios discuss SPIRIT 5.

August 31, 1993 – Fax to dealers announcing new pricing of DataCAD 5 at $495.

September 2, 1993 - Varimetrix deal falls through.

Malcolm Davies ‘inks’ direct marketing deal with Mirbach & Co.

September 22, 1993 – Malcolm Davies issues “Open Letter" to registered DataCAD customers.

October 5, 1993 – CADKEY terminates services of 18 employees, staff reduced to 79 employees.

October 18, 1993 – Rudolph Kunzli, one of thirteen original Autodesk founders, invests $2 million in CADKEY.

October 22, 1993 - Tony Mazzagatti, CADKEY Director of North American Sales announces end of 'free' support.

November 8, 1993 – DataCAD 5 for DOS released at $149.

November 8, 1993 – Windows for Workgroups 3.11 ships.

January 18, 1994 – “CADKEY Breaks Ranks.” Price of Cadkey dropped to $495.

The number of DataCAD users doubles in first three months.

March 14, 1994 – Bernadette Coleman hired by CADKEY.

May
DataCAD makes first appearance in KeySolutions magazine.

June
A/E/C Systems ’94 Washington D.C. – CADKEY at show with 1,200 s.f. booth.
June 6, 1994 – Letter to DataCAD Dealers announces sales in excess of 20,000 DataCAD 5 licenses.

DataCAD Technical Support outsourced to TSI in Cleveland, OH.

October
DBUG list server is established.

October 31, 1994 – William Riseman mysteriously vanishes off coast of Brazil.

November
DataCAD 6 for DOS released.

Madura Studios enters discussions with Charrette to create a “Charrette / Madura Studios” department.

November 11, 1994 – Livingston Davies returns as President/CEO to replace Malcolm Davies.

May
Ken Parrish leaves CADKEY.

May 11, 1995 – Ken Parrish addresses resignation in letter to DBUG listserv.

May 12, 1995 – Livingston Davies responds to Ken Parrish resignation in letter to DBUG listserv.

June
Mark Madura hired by Cadkey Inc. as Vice President, AEC Product Group.
Rick Morse hired by Madura Studios to manage Boston operation.

August 10, 1995 – DataCAD Plan Designer offered by 11 Home Depot stores in San Diego as part of a test program for a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Software Center.

August 24, 1995 – Windows 95 ships.

October
AEC Product Group hosts International dealer conference in Belgium.

October 31, 1995 – Dawn Wynkoop re-hired by AEC Product Group.

December 15, 1995 – DataCAD 7 for DOS released.

January 19, 1996 – Softdesk Acquires SOFT-TECH GmbH.

March
Last issue of KeySolutions magazine published.

May 20, 1996 – Dan Kirsch hired by AEC Product Group.

June
CADKEY product line sold to Baystate Technologies Cadkey, Inc. changes name to Micro Control Systems, Inc.

June 3, 1996 – Christine Capazzi hired by AEC Product Group.

October 2, 1996 – DATACAD LLC co-founded by Mark Madura, David Giesselman, and William Mirbach.
(Mark Madura, David Giesselman, Bernadette Coleman, Clay Rogers, Robert Schwein, Daniel Kirsch, and Christine Capazzi).

October 31, 1996 – DATACAD begins DC Viewer Pre-release program via Internet delivery.

November

Geoff Langdon hosts first 3D Designers CADD Shootout.

November 26, 1996 – Rick Gleason formally resigns as co-chair of DBUG.

March 7, 1997 – Shelley Flanigan hired by DATACAD.

April 1, 1997 –DATACAD LLC moves to Avon, Connecticut during April Fools’ Day Blizzard.
DataCAD 3 for 1 Upgrade program is launched at $99.

May 28, 1997 – DC Viewer for Windows released. It’s the first, commercially-available, CODe-based product.

June 10, 1997 – Madura Studios incorporated into DATACAD LLC, hosts its last DBUG meeting in Boston. Rick Morse joins DATACAD LLC.

August 28, 1997 – DataCAD 7.50 for DOS released.

September DATACAD terminates agreement with Upgrade Corp. and brings product fulfillment in-house.

November 17, 1997 – DataCAD 8 for Windows is first announced at Build Boston '97.

December 16, 1997 – Bob Schwein resigns from DATACAD.

1997 AIA Firm Survey again ranks DataCAD as second most widely used software by registered architects.

February 11, 1998 – DATACAD LLC joins OpenDWG Alliance as founding member.

February 27, 1998 – Dawn Wynkoop resigns from DATACAD.

May 15, 1998 – DataCAD 8 for Windows 95/NT and Windows released.

June 25, 1998 – Windows 98 ships.

June 25, 1998 – DATACAD LLC and John Wiley & Sons enter into agreement to distribute Ramsey & Sleeper's Architectural Graphic Standards to registered DataCAD users.

August
Mark Madura has first meeting with Dieter Heimlich conerning potential merger.

February
DATACAD enters discussions with Brics about possible partnership.

March
CeBIT Trade Show, Hannover, Germany.
DATACAD hosts International dealer conference in Bad Kreusnach, Germany.

April 2, 1999 – DataCAD Celebrates 15th anniversary.

April 23, 1999 – mb America Inc. invests 1.25 million in DATACAD.

May 24, 1999 – DataCAD 8.5 debuts at A/E/C Systems '99 in Los Angeles and features OpenDWG technology.

October 4, 1999 – Mark Toce joins DATACAD.

November 3, 1999 – DATACAD posts record sales for the month besting previous high from June 1998.

April 28, 2000 – DataCAD Plus 9.5 for Windows released.

May 4, 2000 – DataCAD Plus introduced at AIA Expo 2000 in Philadelphia, PA.

June 6, 2000 – DataCAD Plus introduced at A/E/C Systems 2000 in Washington, D.C.

June
DataCAD and SOFT-TECH co-host International dealer conference in Frankfurt, Germany.

July
DataCAD Plus goes "on-tour" in Australia and New Zealand.

August 31, 2000 – DataCAD 9 for Windows released.

September 14, 2000 – Windows Me ships.

October 31, 2000 – Bill D’Amico joins DATACAD as a full-time employee.

November 29, 2000 – DataCAD Plus receives Editor’s Choice award from CADENCE magazine.

February 5, 2001 – Gary Segal resigns from DATACAD.

May
DataCAD LT 9 for Windows released.

October
DataCAD 10 for Windows released.

October 25, 2001 – Windows XP ships.

March 22, 2002 – DATACAD issues letter to DataCAD Plus customers regarding termination of agreement with SOFT-TECH.

August 16, 2002 – Rick Morse leaves DATACAD.

August 26, 2002 – DataCAD LT 10 released.

October 24, 2002 – o2c Interactive released.

November 26, 2003 – DataCAD 11 for Windows released.

December
DataCAD wins ACE (Architect's Choice for Excellence) Award from readers of Architecture Magazine.

April 2, 2004 – DataCAD celebrates its 20th anniversary.

April 23, 2004 – Letter from Stuart Griffin Burgh regarding DataCAD's 20th anniversary.

June 14, 2004 – DataCAD LT 11 released.

July 30, 2002 – DCAL for Delphi released.

December
DATACAD ends U.S. Dealer reseller channel.

November
DataCAD 12 Alpha previewed at DBUG.

November
DataCAD 12 BETA program begins.

November 8, 2007 – Windows Vista for Business released.

July 24, 2007 – DataCAD 12 for Windows released.

August 9, 2007 – Beginning of Global Financial Crisis.

December 23, 2007 – Geoff Langdon passes away at 52 years of age.

November
Mark Madura leads discussion at DBUG, “What Now” as architects try to determine how to deal with worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

January 26, 2009 – Prasad Dixit hired by DATACAD.

April 2, 2009 – DataCAD celebrates its 25th anniversary.

July 22, 2009 – Windows 7 released.

August 29, 2009 – DATACAD begins CADD for Clunkers promotion to encourage customers to trade-in their old hardware keys for a $295 upgrade to DataCAD 12.

June
DataCAD X3 for Windows released.

June
After 14 years at 20 Tower Lane in Avon, CT, DATACAD becomes a “Virtual Corporation” with all customer service, support, product development, and sales distributed via the Internet.

August 28, 2011 – Tropical Storm Irene passes over Connecticut causing major flooding.

September
DataCAD 14 for Windows released.

October 31, 2011 – Winter Storm Alfred, a.k.a. Halloween Nor’easter knocks out power, Internet, and cell service in Connecticut for ten days.

October
DataCAD 15 for Windows released.

October 26, 2012 – Windows 8 released.

October 30, 2012 – Hurricane Sandy passes over Connecticut, knocking out power for two days.

October
DataCAD 16 for Windows released.

April 2, 2014 – DataCAD celebrates its 30th anniversary.