A comprehensive guide to why major companies with a heritage in electronics failed to establish themselves as leaders in the computer industry. Uses case studies to analyze the efforts of GE, RCA, English Electric, EMI and Ferranti to compete with business machine firms in the early mainframe computer market, primarily focusing on the USA's IBM and the UK's ICT. These case studies cover many important themes in enterprise organization and capabilities, and how the heritage which these firms came from was important to the performance of the corporation in a new and innovative market place. It critiques the value of economies of scope in productive and technical capabilities unless matched to equal competencies in customer understanding and market reach, and provides a guide to the both the business strategies and the technologies, which were fundamental to building our current information society.