Nouvelles de la FCNQ / FCNQ News\r\nTechnologie de l’information\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Fédération purchased its first smart\r\nmachine back in 1981 when personal\r\ncomputers entered the market. Aurèle StAmant, then working at the Cooperatives’\r\nAccounting and Finance Department, pioneered the introduction of this new technology.\r\nThe first computer used by the Fédération was a TRS-80 model (see picture below) manufactured by Radio-Shack. It featured a random access memory (RAM) of\r\nonly 64 KB in capacity and a disk operating\r\nsystem (DOS). At first, this computer was\r\nonly used to manage the cooperatives’ accounting. Later in 1983, upon my arrival\r\nin Aurèle’s department, this computer was\r\nused for additional tasks. Other software\r\nprograms were also added to manage accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll\r\nand petroleum product invoicing.\r\nAt the end of 1983, Aurèle caused quite\r\nthe stir when he introduced the first Apple\r\nII computer into the Inukjuak coop. The\r\ncomputer featured a software program\r\nknown as Cash in Cash Out developed as a\r\npilot project by Aurèle’s son, Éric St-Amant.\r\nThe Macintosh computer entered the market later in 1985, and all the cooperatives\r\npurchased this computer. At the time, I was\r\nin charge of technical support for all hardware devices and software programs.\r\nIt was also at the end of 1983 that the\r\nFédération created a computer service division managed under the Accounting\r\nDepartment. Two young employees fresh\r\nout of college used this computer system\r\nto manage the Fédération’s accounting and\r\npurchasing.\r\nIn 1985, the NCR server was introduced\r\nto the Fédération; it was a real computer\r\nsystem and served to manage accounts,\r\nstock orders, warehouse operations management, payroll and other in-house software.\r\n\r\n\r\nInformation Technology\r\n\r\nTRS-80\r\n\r\nIn early 1989, the Fédération moved from\r\nits premises at 8100 route Transcanadienne,\r\nin Ville St-Laurent to new facilities at 19950\r\nClark Graham Avenue, in Baie d’Urfé. It\r\nwas then that the Computer Service Department was created under the management of Normand Murray and Christian\r\nKirouac. Yves Chamberland joined the\r\nteam in October 1996. The same year, a new\r\n\r\n\r\n