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Unisys Corporation Unisys Corporation came into existence in 1986 following the merger of the Burroughs Corporation and Sperry Corporation. The following is a description of how the new name was announced on November 10, 1986. "Burroughs and Sperry rename their merged company "Unisys" "Unisys will be the new name of the commercial computer and defense electronics giant formed by the recent merger of Burroughs and Sperry, and the merger is "ahead of schedule against most of its 1986 goals", Unisys Chairman and CEO W. Michael Blumenthal said today. Speaking at a ceremony in Detroit, Mr. Blumenthal said the new name for the $10 billion company is derived from three words -- united, information, systems. Unisys signifies that "we are solidly one company, unified and committed to the world information systems marketplace. We are a new force there. We have the skills, global presence and staying power to meet customer needs for years to come," he said. "We have pledged to protect our customers' investment by continuing the Sperry and Burroughs computer architectures in perpetuity. The company behind that commitment to the two customer groups is Unisys, a streamlined, cohesive entity being built from the best of Burroughs and Sperry. Employee Suggest Name Mr. Blumenthal said "Unisys" was one of 31,000 names submitted in a worldwide employee contest with a cash prize of $5,000 for the first person to submit the name that was selected. Mr. Blumenthal presented a check to Christian "Lee" Machen. Mr. Machen, 36, submitted "Unisys" ahead of 10 other employees, based on time-stamped entries received in Detroit. He is an area systems manager in the Atlanta software product and services district. Naming Process "Unusual" According to identity consultant Anspach, Grossman, Portugal Inc., who worked with Burroughs during the renaming process, the project was unusual because of the employee contest idea and the short time span involved in choosing the name. The Sperry/Burroughs merger document was signed on May 27. The employee contest ran during July. The merger was fully completed on September 16. Today's announcement, Blumenthal said, follows a worldwide legal search on the availability of the name. Mr. Blumenthal said the selection of a name was one milestone in a merger process that is ahead of schedule in most areas. "By merging," he said, "we initiated an historic restructuring of the information processing industry that I firmly believe was needed; one that will continue with major business consequences. We have a unique opportunity to significantly reshape the industry to the benefit of users and Unisys alike." Size and Scope of the new Unisys Corporation
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