CA Technologies

In 1976, Charles Wang and Russell Artzt founded Computer Associates, seizing an opportunity created when IBM unbundled its software from its hardware sales. Their first product was a sorting utility for mainframes, a tool that helped establish them in the nascent enterprise software market. The company went public in 1981, raising a modest $3.2 million, which fueled its initial growth. The company's strategy centered on aggressive acquisition. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Computer Associates acquired numerous smaller software companies, rapidly expanding its portfolio of mainframe utilities and business software. This approach was effective, and by 1989, it became the first independent software company to surpass $1 billion in sales, a significant milestone that put it ahead of even Microsoft at the time. After decades of growth and solidifying its position as a major force in enterprise IT, the company rebranded as CA Technologies. The final chapter of its independent story came in 2018. In a move that surprised many in the tech industry, semiconductor giant Broadcom announced it would acquire CA Technologies for $18.9 billion. The acquisition was completed in November 2018, and CA began operating as a subsidiary within Broadcom, marking the end of an era for one of software's original giants.