(Bull Worldwide Information Systems, Billerica, MA, Group Bull, Paris, France, www.bull.com) A computer and information services company with offices in more than 100 countries. A leading advocate of open source software, Bull offers Intel-based servers running the GCOS operating system and PowerPC-based servers running AIX. One of its business units provides a complete line of networked storage products, while its Trustway appliance products are known for their open source security options for VPNs.

Bull was founded in France in 1933 and named after Norwegian engineer Fredrik Rosing Bull. Bull had created a revolutionary adding-sorting punch card machine in 1921, and his patents were purchased by the company. In the 1960s, Bull partnered with GE in computer development in France. When Honeywell took over GE's computer business in 1970, its French division became Honeywell Bull. In 1987, Honeywell turned all its computer business over to Bull. For a while, both Honeywell and NEC had ownership in the company, which was named Bull HN. Today, all operations, with particular focus in the manufacturing, banking, finance, and telecom sectors, are under the Bull name. See Honeywell.