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Wicat Systems
Wicat Systems, Inc., was an American computer and software company founded in 1980 in Orem, Utah. Originally a branch of WICAT, the World Institute for Computer-Assisted Teaching (later the Wicat Education Institute), the company manufactured multi-user systems for educational institutions before focusing their efforts on educational software development in the early 1990s.[1] The company was among the first to use the Motorola 68000 microprocessor in a computer with the introduction of the Wicat System 100 in 1980.[2] Both Wicat Systems and its parent institution were founded by Dustin H. Heuston, originally of New York.[1] HistoryAt its peak in the mid-1980s, Wicat Systems employed 500 and had an annual budget of US$40 million.[3] The company formed a joint venture with Control Data Corporation in early 1985. Named Plato/Wicat after Control Data's Plato educational software, the venture was intended to "address the entire educational process, including computer-based instructional courseware, testing and evaluation, and classroom management and administration".[4] In 1992, the company was acquired by Jostens in a stock swap valuated at roughly $111 million. Jostens, who had a rival educational software division Jostens Learning which was aimed at preschools, planned to use the Wicat Systems repertoire to increase their presence in high schools and higher education.[5] During the period from the late 1980's to 1996, Wicat Systems also operated a UK branch in Camberley in Surrey. During this period, Wicat produced CBT (computer based training - the forerunner of eLearning), and partial cockpit simulations for aviation clients. These included many of the then-leading airlines and aircraft manufacturers and training covered pilot, cabin crew and ground crew training. Norfolk Southern Railway was another of many non-aviation clients. Citations
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