SABRE project conception

Name: SABRE project conception
Start: 1953-09-01
Location: Transatlantic flight and subsequently IBM Headquarters, New York

C.R. Smith of American Airlines and Thomas J. Watson Jr. of IBM discuss the need for an automated airline reservation system, leading to the initiation of the SABRE project.

Significance

This meeting sparked the idea for the first large-scale, real-time transaction processing system, directly addressing a critical business need.

Key facts

Date: 1953-09-01
Type: invention
Location: Transatlantic flight and subsequently IBM Headquarters, New York