Presence of IBM Data Processing Equipment in Latin America, 1920s-1980s, and Insights for Historians

This article argues that companies and government agencies in Latin America used data processing and computers in the same ways in Europe and North America throughout the twentieth century. Yet historians have paid insufficient attention to the history of IT in the region, when compared to other parts of the world. Therefore, the history of IT in the region should be studied. To assist in that effort, this article documents major milestones in the installation of equipment and applications across the region over the entire century. It uses IBM's experience to document the story because it was the largest provider of such technologies.