Datum Inc
1363 State College Blvd, Anaheim, California

Datum began operations in 1968, and burgeoned during the 1970s. The company initially specialised in peripheral equipment for minicomputers, such as tape drives and controllers and drum/disc mass memory systems.

Datum created a generic group of storage systems comprising magnetic tape, mass memory (drums and/or discs) and digital cassette systems that could be interfaced with 30 different models of minicomputers and were offered in competition with those supplied by the individual computer manufacturers. In addition to peripheral equipment and instrumentation equipment divisions, the company also had a timing division that manufactured time code readers, generators, translators and displays, and complete missile test range timing systems.

In 1988 Datum acquired rival company Austron in Texas for $11.7 million. Austron also made frequency and timing instrumentation for military, commercial and space applications.

At one time Datum had 23 sales and service offices in principal cities across the USA, and a European Headquarters in Harlington in the UK.