2.1 Start of the Computer Era in Turku, cont.
The budget for the Computing Center now based on start of operation September 1 was accepted in April. Also in April a request for exemption of custom fee and turnover tax for Wegematic 1000 now estimated to 40 Mmk was sent to the Ministry of Finance.
At the first meeting of the board of the foundation on May 9th vice court judge T-E. Lassenius from the Foundation of Åbo Akademi was elected chairman and as the first head of the Computing Center, Prof. Laurikainen. The first employee, MB O. Holmström was hired as programmer on May 15 and then worked at the center for almost four years. Soon after A. Ahlnäs was hired as maintenance engineer.
The delivery of the machine originally planned to take place in the spring or at the latest in the beginning of the summer was delayed first to take place in early October then in the middle of the month and then with a projected further two months delay. This was very unfortunate because expenses for personnel, space and auxiliary machinery were running since May and covered by loan, which by early October already amounted to 3 Mmk. In a phone call by Laurikainen to Sweden he was assured that the delivery would take place in the middle of November.
Wegematic 1000 arrived by FREYS Möbeltransport Express AB on the 9th of November. The installation was completed the same month. The first registered run was made by Holmström for the Computing Center on Dec 1, 12.38-13.14.