The DIPS Research and Development Plan was drawn up in 1967. Its essential features were the DIPS-0 Research Plan, mainly aimed at acquiring experience in online information processing services and fostering the development of specialist personnel, and the DIPS System Development Plan, aimed at commercial development for data communication services.
The main purpose of the DIPS-0 Research Plan was to acquire experience in online information processing services and foster the development of specialist personnel. The plan was executed in cooperation with Hitachi to develop a computer system within the Electrical Communication Laboratories of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation. DIPS-0, which was the first prototype system of DIPS series, is a multi-processor system using two units of Hitachi's commercial hardware H-8400M as its base. In regards to software, interactive processing functions were incorporated to DOS (Disc Operating System), which is a batch monitor for a single-processor H8400M.
In the first year, a simple time-sharing system (TSS) called DIPS-0 Basic was prototyped. The DIPS-0 Final TSS supporting kana commands, and an online application program on it, were also developed. The plan was completed in 1970.
