SMT Goupil

SMT Goupil was a French information-technology company established in 1979 by Claude Perdrillat, a former senior executive of France’s General Directorate of Telecommunications. The company operated during the formative period of the French microcomputer industry and developed a range of desktop computers, portable machines, and servers under the Goupil name. Its early products were distinctive both technically and visually. The Goupil G1 and G2 used Motorola processors and the FLEX operating system, and were presented in relatively sober integrated cases with characteristic slate-blue and red coloring. The G3 broadened the company’s software and hardware compatibility by supporting multiple processor options, including Motorola 6809, Zilog Z80, and Intel 8088 configurations. This design allowed users to work with several operating environments, including FLEX, UniFLEX, MS-DOS, CP/M, and UCSD Pascal. The G3 also incorporated a built-in monochrome monitor, twin floppy drives, and expansion capacity in a case designed by Roger Tallon. SMT Goupil’s principal commercial strength was its relationship with the French professional and public-sector computing market. During the 1980s, the company supplied microcomputers to government agencies and sought to extend its presence beyond France. As IBM-compatible architecture became increasingly important, later products such as the G4, G5, G6, and associated G40 and G50 server models moved more clearly toward PC compatibility. The portfolio also included licensed portable products, including the Goupil Club, Goupil Golf, and the TOP series of MS-DOS laptops, as well as the UNIX-based G100 server. The company’s growth was accompanied by substantial financial pressure. Despite reporting debt of approximately 40 million French francs, SMT Goupil went public in 1985 and claimed a 15 percent share of the French microcomputer market. In January 1990 it stated that it held 18 percent of the French professional microcomputer market. Those claims came at a difficult moment for suppliers dependent on public procurement. French public-sector budget restrictions became more severe toward the end of the 1980s, while larger and more aggressive competitors such as IBM, Apple, and Olivetti intensified technological and commercial competition. SMT Goupil filed for bankruptcy in June 1991. The company’s accounting records reportedly showed debt of 700 million French francs and actual 1990 turnover of 830 million francs, figures that contrasted sharply with the company’s earlier market claims and illustrated the depth of its financial deterioration. Its collapse marked the end of an important French attempt to build a domestic professional microcomputer manufacturer. The Goupil product range nevertheless reflects the transition from proprietary and multi-architecture systems to IBM-compatible personal computers, networked office equipment, portable computers, and UNIX servers.

SMT Goupil, formally associated with the French expression Société de Micro-informatique et de Télécommunications, was founded in 1979 by Claude Perdrillat. Perdrillat had previously been a senior official in France’s General Directorate of Telecommunications, giving the company an early connection to the country’s public technology and telecommunications environment. The company’s first generation of computers was designed for the emerging professional microcomputer market. The Goupil G1, introduced in 1979, used a Motorola 6808 processor and FLEX operating system. The G2 followed in 1981 with multiple configurations. These early systems had integrated, restrained industrial designs and were identifiable by slate-blue and red color treatments. In 1983, SMT Goupil introduced the G3. It was intended to improve compatibility and support possible international expansion. The machine could be configured around different processor families, including the Motorola 6809, Zilog Z80, and Intel 8088. A startup switch allowed the user to select among processor arrangements, enabling use of FLEX 9, UniFLEX, MS-DOS, CP/M, and UCSD Pascal environments. The G3 included a 12-inch monochrome monitor, two floppy drives, and seven expansion-card positions in a proprietary Goupil format. Its dark-gray enclosure was designed by Roger Tallon. As IBM PC architecture became an increasingly influential standard, SMT Goupil adapted its portfolio. The G4, launched in 1985, was PC-compatible, and the G40 server version appeared in 1986. The company also entered portable computing through the Goupil Club, a licensed laptop compatible with the Kaypro 2000, and later introduced the Goupil Golf portable PC. The G5 desktop range arrived in 1988, followed by the G50 tower server in 1990. A further server-oriented product, the G100, was a UNIX system originally designed by SFENA and distinguished by input-output coprocessors. In 1991, the company added the G6 desktop and the TOP laptop family, which used MS-DOS 5.0 and later supported Windows 3.1. SMT Goupil concentrated heavily on France’s professional and government markets. This gave it meaningful visibility and helped the company claim 15 percent of the French microcomputer market around its 1985 public offering. In January 1990, it claimed an 18 percent share of the professional microcomputer market in France. However, its business model was exposed to changes in public procurement. Budget restrictions affecting French government agencies became more severe at the end of the 1980s, while international competitors such as IBM, Apple, and Olivetti competed with broader resources, faster product development, and increasingly influential standards. Financial problems intensified. Although the company had reported debt of about 40 million French francs when it went public in 1985, its accounting records later revealed debt of 700 million francs. SMT Goupil filed for bankruptcy in June 1991, with the records also showing actual turnover of 830 million francs for 1990. The company’s failure ended the operation of a notable French microcomputer producer, but its product chronology documents the industry’s movement from proprietary and multi-processor systems toward PC-compatible desktops, portable computers, network equipment, and UNIX servers.

• 1991

  Final product generation and bankruptcy

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The G6 desktop and TOP laptop were introduced, while SMT Goupil filed for bankruptcy in June.

• 1990

  Goupil G50 and G100 introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  SMT Goupil expanded into tower servers and UNIX systems, including the input-output-coprocessor-equipped G100.

• 1988

  Goupil G5 and Goupil Golf introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded its PC-compatible desktop portfolio and introduced a portable computer.

• 1986

  Goupil G40 and Goupil Club introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The company added a G4-based server and a licensed Kaypro 2000-compatible portable computer.

• 1985

  Public listing

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  SMT Goupil went public while claiming a 15 percent share of the French microcomputer market.

• 1985

  Goupil G4 introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The G4 represented the company’s move toward IBM PC-compatible desktop systems.

• 1983

  Goupil G3 introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The G3 added multi-processor options, broader operating-system compatibility, integrated display hardware, and expansion capacity.

• 1981

  Goupil G2 introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The G2 expanded the company’s desktop microcomputer range with multiple configurations.

• 1979

  Company founded

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  Claude Perdrillat founded SMT Goupil in France.

• 1979

  Goupil G1 introduced

  [1]SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org

  The first Goupil computer used a Motorola 6808 processor and the FLEX operating system.

A French professional and public-sector computing supplier that combined locally developed microcomputer designs with increasingly broad operating-system and IBM PC compatibility.

• Desktop microcomputer · 1979

  Goupil G1

  SMT Goupil’s first listed computer, introduced in 1979. It used a Motorola 6808 processor and FLEX operating system and established the company’s early focus on professional microcomputing.

• Desktop microcomputer · 1981

  Goupil G2

  Introduced in 1981, the G2 was a configurable desktop system positioned as a successor to the G1. It continued SMT Goupil’s early proprietary microcomputer architecture.

• Multi-architecture desktop computer · 1983

  Goupil G3

  The G3 broadened compatibility through selectable Motorola 6809, Zilog Z80, and Intel 8088 processor options. It supported FLEX 9, UniFLEX, MS-DOS, CP/M, and UCSD Pascal, and included an integrated 12-inch monochrome monitor, two floppy drives, and seven expansion positions.

• PC-compatible desktop computer · 1985

  Goupil G4

  Introduced in 1985, the G4 reflected the market’s shift toward IBM PC compatibility and helped move SMT Goupil’s range from its earlier multi-architecture designs toward standardized professional computing.

• Desktop server · 1986

  Goupil G40

  The G40 was a server-oriented version of the G4 introduced in 1986. It extended the PC-compatible family into organizational and network-support applications.

• Portable computer · 1986

  Goupil Club

  The Goupil Club was a licensed portable computer compatible with the Kaypro 2000. It represented the company’s entry into the early professional laptop market.

• PC-compatible desktop computer · 1988

  Goupil G5

  The G5 family, introduced in 1988, comprised several PC-compatible desktop versions. It formed part of SMT Goupil’s effort to align its core range with the dominant professional-computing standard.

• Portable computer · 1988

  Goupil Golf

  Introduced in 1988, the Golf was a portable PC-compatible computer. It complemented the company’s desktop products as demand for mobile professional computing developed.

• Tower server · 1990

  Goupil G50

  The G50 was the tower-server counterpart to the G5 range, introduced in 1990. It extended SMT Goupil’s PC-compatible product strategy into larger server configurations.

• UNIX server · 1990

  Goupil G100

  The G100 was a UNIX server initially designed by SFENA and marketed within the Goupil range. Its distinguishing feature was the use of input-output coprocessors.

• PC-compatible desktop computer · 1991

  Goupil G6

  The G6 was a PC-compatible desktop introduced in 1991, shortly before the company’s bankruptcy. It was among SMT Goupil’s final listed desktop generations.

• MS-DOS laptop · 1991

  Goupil TOP

  The TOP was a laptop with a 10-inch backlit LCD display, MS-DOS 5.0, and a 20 MB hard drive. It was offered with an 80286 processor running at 12.5 MHz, while the TOP SX used an 80386 SX at 20 MHz. Windows 3.1 was later available for the line.

• 1991

  Bankruptcy filingOther

  Background

  The company was pressured by public-sector budget restrictions, competition, and severe financial deterioration.

  Action taken

  SMT Goupil filed for bankruptcy in June 1991.

  Aftermath

  The company’s books reportedly showed 700 million French francs in debt and actual 1990 turnover of 830 million French francs.

  Debt recorded in company books. 700 million French francs (1990 accounting records disclosed in 1991)

  Source

• 1985

  Public offering during financial pressureOther

  Background

  SMT Goupil pursued a public listing while carrying reported debt of approximately 40 million French francs and presenting itself as a significant participant in the French microcomputer market.

  Action taken

  The company went public and claimed a 15 percent French microcomputer market share.

  Aftermath

  The company continued expanding its product range, but later accounting records showed much greater debt and it filed for bankruptcy in 1991.

  Reported debt at the time of public offering. 40 million French francs (1985)

  Source

• 1985

  Shift toward IBM PC compatibilityStrategy

  Background

  IBM PC architecture was becoming an important standard for government and professional computing, challenging proprietary and multi-architecture systems.

  Action taken

  SMT Goupil introduced the PC-compatible G4 and subsequently expanded that approach through the G5, G6, and related server products.

  Aftermath

  The company broadened its portfolio, but faced increasingly strong competition from IBM, Apple, Olivetti, and other technology suppliers.

  Source

1. 1SMT Goupilen.wikipedia.org