It’s been 45 years since FairCom first innovated how we interact with data. What started as an SDK has evolved into four full product lines, bringing unmatched data solutions to industries worldwide.
But even as we drive technology forward, we still want to pay homage to our past. With that in mind, here’s a walk down memory lane to celebrate 45 years of data excellence.
Year One: 1979
FairCom stemmed from a desire for change. Its founder, Dr. Bill Fairman, had been a faculty member at the University of Missouri for the past seven years, but his role as a professor hadn’t fulfilled his desires for problem-solving and innovation. Ultimately, Dr. Fairman was a man who absolutely loved programming, and from that passion, he grew his own company. FairCom was founded in November 1979 and released its first product that same month: Micro B+, one of the first commercially available B+tree indexing packages.
This file-handling system was built using binary tree (b-tree) algorithms and provided a fast method for inserting, deleting, searching, and retrieving records. It became the basis of FairCom and a guiding pillar as we continued developing data solutions.
The First Decade: 1979–89
After Micro B+, FairCom released the c-tree file handler in 1984. Why c-tree? Well, it’s an implementation of the “b+tree” indexing with the “C” programming language. While originally a file-handling engine for app development, we continued to iterate and improve upon c-tree, eventually launching a full-fledged FairCom Database Server in 1987.
Together, our server and file handler would form the basis of our developer’s SDK and the foundation for our company as our flagship product: c-tree, now known as FairCom DB.
The Teenage Years: 1990–1999
In 1990, c-tree was renamed c-treePLUS to reflect the addition of a full client/server model database. It combined high throughput with a small footprint and portability, making it a staple for countless applications over the years. Its incredible speeds were due to the ISAM API, capable of processing hundreds of thousands of transactions per second. The ISAM API is still in use today—it interacts with data at the binary level, providing unbeatable speeds.
The ’90s also brought about an evolution in leadership—Ray Brown, one of the developers at FairCom, took over as CEO, a position he holds to this day. FairCom is proud to have always had an inspired developer at the helm. We’re truly passionate about our work, from the technology we build to the world-class support we offer.
Our Roaring Twenties: 2000–2009
FairCom’s core product continued to evolve over the turn of the century, with the addition of c-tree DB and SQL APIs in 2003. This marked a significant milestone in giving our customers the freedom to interact with their data however they want. After all, making data simple and accessible should mean you can use the tools (and languages) you’re most familiar with.
We also underwent another name change with c-treeACE (Advanced Core Engine). This was to reflect the power of our improved architecture, which gave all our APIs access to the same instance of immediately consistent data. The name also called out the level of tuning available to c-treeACE users, providing developers with ultimate transaction control.
Thirty and Thriving: 2010–2019
Your 30s can be a time of reflection, and change. What is my place in the world? Have I reached my life goals? Should I take a different path? FairCom underwent a similar metaphysical transformation—our 30s were a time of rapid change and development.
We started our trek forward in 2012 with the v10 release of c-treeACE, which was a huge step forward in true data interoperability. It brought together SQL and NoSQL databases under a single umbrella. Developers no longer had to pick between relational or non-relational data models with c-treeACE’s Relational Multi-Record Type Support. This support maps non-relational data records into relational formats, allowing the use of industry-standard SQL without actually needing to change the existing data.
Then came our new product line, c-treeRTG (now FairCom RTG), in 2013. This plug-and-play solution has brought modern capabilities to an untold number of legacy COBOL and BTRV applications. It combined our historic strengths—the c-tree database and its original conception as a file handler—to create a replacement file handler for non-mainframe COBOL applications. This product bridges COBOL with modern features, giving users immediate access to SQL and ACID-compliant transaction processing for COBOL files.
That wasn’t all we had cooking, though. In 2018, we released our c-treeEDGE IoT Database (now known as FairCom Edge). It started with an odd thought—in the age of edge computing, isn’t sending data to the cloud for processing inefficient?—and grew into a full-fledged edge platform.
Forty Never Looked So Good: 2020–Present
These past five years have seen some pretty big changes. Our FairCom Edge platform has led to our fourth and final product offering, FairCom MQ. While Edge offers incredibly powerful data collection, storage, transformation, and delivery, not every company needs the full package. FairCom MQ focuses on delivery, with a reliable message broker and embedded database guaranteeing message delivery.
We’ve also improved FairCom DB with the JSON update. Data is easier than ever: Query JSON, return as SQL, or vice versa. This incredible milestone brings us closer to universal data formatting than ever before. We also added this technology to FairCom Edge, letting you seamlessly go from one industry protocol to another.
Alongside these major changes came a brand evolution. We’ve evolved the colors, look, and feel of our brand alongside our product names, signaling a strategic push toward a unified future.
Forty-Five and Beyond
Now, in 2024, we celebrate 45 years of success and innovation. FairCom’s four product lines—FairCom DB, FairCom RTG, FairCom Edge, and FairCom MQ—continue to drive enterprise success, empowering businesses to manage, transform, and integrate their data quickly and easily.
Looking ahead, FairCom remains focused on its passion for creating technology solutions that empower customers to take control of their data. As industries embrace artificial intelligence, IoT, and edge computing, FairCom is poised to lead the way with technologies that redefine what’s possible.
For 45 years, FairCom has been a trusted partner to businesses worldwide. This milestone is not just a celebration of our past but a commitment to our future—a future where innovation, adaptability, and excellence remain at the heart of everything we do.
Here’s to the next 45 years of transforming the world through technology!
