Is it true that CI-Honeywell-Bull was involved with USAs Department of Defense in ADA design? Had Bull used ADA as an implementation language for some products?
Yes, a language research team in CII, lead by Jean Ichbiah had written specifications and started prototyping an implementation language called LIS (System Implementation Language) when the DoD issued its first Strawman RFP for a language that should be used all across the US Services. After, the Honeywell merger, Jean Ichbiah made its proposal backed by Honeywell Federal Division, using Multics, as the Green Team proposal… and , after several rounds of refinement, won the ADA RFP. CII-HB had contemplated the use of ADA, but its main product GCOS 7 was already using a high level implementation language. The French military had selected a different language LTR for their use, before ADA was created. So, ADA, while originated in Bull, was not used internally. Jean Ichbiah and its team eventually founded their company Alsys, bought later by Thomson-CSF.
