The mergers of Smith-Corona, Marchant and Kleinschmidt focused research attention on new products, which could combine the company’s know-how with typewriters, calculators and telecommunications equipment. New electronics engineering and research activities were located in the Marchant Oakland plant. In February, 1961 Smith-Corona Marchant announced its entry into the data processing field with the introduction of two fully automatic machines – the Typetronic 2215, an automatic writing system, and the Typetronic 6615, a computer with typewriter input-output.

Typetronic 2215 was a business document writing system consisting of a heavy-duty electric typewriter with electronic features, photoelectric readers, and tape and cardpunches. The machine accelerated the production of routine business forms by substituting automatic production for manual typing through the use of punched tape input. The typewriter component automatically typed information on business forms at the speed of 100 words per minute. This eliminated the need for manual typing of a substantial portion of the information, which had to be recorded, and also assured error-free writing. The operator could enter variable information on the document through the typewriter keyboard. The typewriter was automatically programmed to stop at the exact locations where such date was to be entered. During the preparation of the documents, information could be selected and automatically converted into purchase tape or punched cards for further processing and storage.

Typetronic 6615 was a computing typewriter used to accelerate and simplify the preparation of documents which required calculation. The 6615 consisted of the electric office typewriter and a transistorized electronic arithmetic unit, capable of computing, storing, and recording information. In operation, the arithmetic unit functioned automatically under preprogrammed control. The operator entered variable data through the typewriter keyboard into the proper location on the business form, and the arithmetic unit automatically carried out the required calculation in a fraction of a second.

SCM Corporation

In the years following the creation of Smith-Corona Marchant Inc., in 1958, a corporation Industrial Design Department began changing the style and form of Company products and communications. As products and advertising consistently adopted the ‘TRI-BAR’ symbol, the initials “SCM” came to represent the “new” and changing organization.

On November 30, 1962, the name of Smith-Corona Marchant Inc., was changed to SCM Corporation. A new stock symbol, SCM, also became official. In connection with the name and stock symbol change, the president stated: “SCM now becomes the focal point of our new corporation identity system. We have new products, new people, new potential, which the former name did not adequately project.

“The new name will increase the attention presently being accorded the company as a well diversified manufacturer of office machines and telecommunications equipment. It will provide for clear, unmistakable visual identification and is more representative of an aggressive corporation with well integrated divisions and products. The new name will symbolize a character and quality which will work continuously in our favor.”