A Bit of AVST History from Doug Murray

AVT’s first computer had a 8088 processor, 768K of RAM, a 20 MB hard drive, two 8 inch floppy drives and three telephony boards from a long defunct company named Computalker Consultants. We paid extra for the classy wood case. It was purchased in early 1983, which was before the IBM PC XT (which had a 10 MB hard drive) was announced. 

This computer served multiple functions for the business – software development, text editing of business documents and running PhoneXpress (the early name of CallXpress). The computer ran the MP/M operating system which supported multi-processing and time sharing which allowed us to work on four serial terminals simultaneously. We took live PhoneXpress calls on this system while we were using it for all of the other purposes; not a practice to be recommended! By the end of 1984 we had moved on to IBM XTs and were using Brooktrout telephony cards. In 1985 we graduated to IBM ATs and started using Dialogic telephony cards. We still use later generations of this technology today.

Related Links:

• AVST Corporate History: Did you know AVST was established in September 2003 from the combined businesses of Sound Advantage (established in 1997) and the AVT division (established in 1982) of Captaris, Inc.?
  
• And just for fun…the DigiBarn computer museum website has some additional photos of the CompuPro System 8/16 system