50 Year Timeline
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50 Year Timeline

        

At our 2019 software forum, we celebrated our 50th year in business.

To commemorate the occasion, we created a special banner with a timeline of key events in aSa, U.S., and technology history. 

Read the browser-friendly version below or click the button for a printer-friendly PDF. 

 

Printer-Friendly Timeline

 

From Keypunch to Cloud
 
1969

US LANDS ON THE MOON

 
 

aSa FOUNDED

The company was founded by Jim Leib, Elliot Greenman, and Alan Colker. Alan is the company’s first president. aSa’s first office is in the East Office Complex of Monroeville Mall.

 
 

aSa INCORPORATED FEBRUARY 2, 1970

 
 

aSa RELEASES SHEARING AND TAGGING

The Shearing application is aSa’s first product, and Tagging follows shortly afterward. Together, these two modules make up aSa Production. aSa’s 1st generation products use punch cards and run on mainframe computers.

 
 

JIM LEIB BECOMES aSa PRESIDENT

Prior to working at aSa, Jim was employed at U.S. Steel where he developed a shearing algorithm.

 
 

BAR LIST RELEASED

Orders are hand-written on 80-character wide coding forms and then entered into the computer by keypunch card or through a CRT terminal. Bending dimensions are validated, and a summary bar list report is created.

 
 

GLENN JOYCE JOINS aSa STAFF

Glenn was a former aSa customer at Lind Steel and Supply Company in McKeesport, PA. He brings real-world rebar shop experience to the company. Glenn’s ideas are behind many of the software’s key features.

 
 

FIRST PDP/11-40 AT aSa

Local customer W.N. Dambach Company helps aSa to finance the purchase of its first computer, a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11/40. Prior to acquiring its own computer, aSa rented computing time from a local company during off-peak hours.

 
 

aSa MOVES TO A NEW OFFICE

The company’s second home is on Mosside Boulevard in Monroeville, PA.

 
 

ESTIMATING RELEASED

Hand-written estimates are calculated, subtotaled, and priced using aSa’s new rebar estimating software.

 
 

COMMERCIAL SYSTEM RELEASED

aSa releases a complete financial solution including Contract Management, Inventory, Bill of Lading, Invoicing, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll, and General Ledger.

 
 

SELLING PDP-11/23 11/34 WITH aSa SOFTWARE

aSa’s 2nd generation products run on mini-computers, such as Digital Equipment Corporation’s DEC PDP-11.

 
 

INTERACTIVE DETAILING RELEASED

As a precursor to CAD, Interactive Detailing provides functions to assist in calculating bar details for typical structures like columns, beams, and slabs with automated record keeping for material takeoffs.

 
 
1980

MS-DOS RELEASED

 
 

FIRST IBM COMPUTER RELEASED

 
 

FIRST OPTO-SHEAR CONSOLE DEBUTS

aSa’s shear controller was designed and developed primarily by Elliot Greenman. Elliot was also responsible for many of the company’s technical innovations, including pre-Windows drivers for mouse input, screen menus, and other functionality.

 
 

MICROSOFT INTRODUCES WINDOWS

 
 

aSa MIGRATES TO PC

Rockford Fab is aSa’s first DOS customer. DOS-based programs run on personal computers: aSa’s 3rd generation.

 
 

EARLY VERSION OF CAD/DETAILING RELEASED

aSa introduces 2D CAD/Detailing software, automating both the detailing and drawing of rebar.

 
 

THE BERLIN WALL FALLS

 
 
1990

THE WORLD WIDE WEB GOES GLOBAL

 
 

aSa BUILDS DEDICATED HEADQUARTERS

aSa constructs a 12,000-square foot office at 5270 Logan Ferry Road, Murrysville, PA.

 
 

AMAZON.COM FOUNDED

 
 

SCOTT LEIB BECOMES aSa PRESIDENT

Prior to his role as president, Scott worked as a developer on Commercial, Bar List, Estimating, and Production modules. Currently, he focuses on software design, marketing, sales, and administration.

 
 

GOOGLE FOUNDED

 
 

Y2K FEARS SPREAD

Many predict that computer systems around the world will fail at the stroke of midnight in the year 2000. The issue is based on the way dates were handled in many older software programs.

 
 

aSa ex DEBUTS

Originally dubbed “Ultra,” aSa Windows-based products are the company’s 4th generation offering.

 
 
2000

aSa HEADQUARTERS EXPANDS

aSa adds 9,000 additional square feet to its headquarters.

 
 

NEW ex MODULES INTRODUCED

Throughout the early 2000s, aSa adds applications for Scheduling, Bundle Inventory, Material Tracking, Load Tracking, Delivery Ticket, and Field Placing.

 
 

aSa AUSTRALIA OPENS

 
 

aSa MIDDLE EAST ESTABLISHED

 
 

aSa INDIA ESTABLISHED

 
 
2010

PROREBAR RELEASED

ProRebar is aSa’s 3D modeling program for detailing concrete and rebar.

 
 

aSa SOUTH AMERICA OPENS

 
 

GO REBAR LAUNCHED

aSa’s first web product is an easy-to-use order entry application.

 
 

iREBAR LAUNCHED

Mobile jobsite apps give construction professionals quick access to important reinforcement information, including 2D and 3D models, building material details, and industry standard reference guides.

 
 
2019

aSa.STUDIO RELEASED

aSa.Studio is a completely redesigned web-based product suite. The system was code-named 5G during development. Studio is the company’s 5th generation software.