The history of ICL is synonymous with the history of the British computer industry. The company was formed by a series of mergers in response to the increasing market dominance of the large American corporations, particularly IBM. The struggles between these two giants, and the inherent problems and implications for government-industry relations of competing with US multi-nationals are examined in detail in Martin Campbell-Kelly's wide-ranging study.

Tracing the technical history of the company and the evolution of its computers from the early punch-card machines of the 1880s to the present day, the book also considers the concerns of technological change, the economics of research and development, and current product-strategy issues, making it essential reading for business students as well as computer professionals.