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Phil Singleton 1934-2007

Peter Davidson, Information Age

17/06/2007 20:33:41

Few among those who moulded ICT in Australia from its beginnings have dedicated so much energy and understanding to nurturing the industrial, political and social issues which have underpinned its evolution as Phil Singleton.

His career of more than 40 years was dedicated not only to the technology which has given backbone to the country's growth, but to its wider surrounds in education and research, ICT's transformation of government and private sectors.

He was concerned too for the societal impact of the pervasiveness of computing and communications.

Quietly self-effacing, his modesty belied the depth of his contribution to these issues, but in the opinion of contemporary and industry identity Max Burnet, "he was perhaps the most influential person in ICT in Australia through what he knew and who he knew. But he was such an absolute gentleman, you'd never pick that when first meeting him".

Others agree: Barry de Ferranti has described him as "most uncharacteristic of an IBM salesperson" and is in a position to know having joined IBM not long before Singleton's burgeoning career path took him there in 1957.

Into Sydney from Taree High and out of Sydney University to work as a sales engineer at 21 for Safe Appliance, and later Electric Control, he found he had "aspirations for earning which appeared outside the possibilities" of his current job.

He found an ad for sales people to join IBM and encouraged by the fashion of the time to join a strong company and stay there for life, he joined an intake of 12 in 1957 to start a career with the fledgling giant.

First at its facility in Lidcombe ("next to the cemetery") and later in its NSW sales office in Palmer Street, Singleton joined a group learning to program and install a 650, IBM's first commercial mainframe, sold to insurer MLC.

de Ferranti had been hired to bring the machine to Australia and to oversee its installation and support and quickly joined forces with Singleton to get the job done and to forge a valued relationship which has lasted since.

IBM sent Singleton to its Systems Research Institute in New York City, a freewheeling academy where students were encouraged to develop their own curriculum by choosing the lectures they attended.

Gathering momentum, he moved through IBM's ranks to advisory systems engineer, account manager, industry marketing manager by 1968 and eventually, Canberra branch manager in 1970 to be at the centre of government activity as agencies like Defence, Australian Bureau of Statistics, the PMG and Social Security had embraced computing.

The machinations of Canberra's bureaucracy pervaded his working days by the time his sales responsibilities extended to the entire national public sector in 1976.

In his case, it meant a conscious diversion into political science as a personal interest, as much as a necessity to gain fluency in complex administration. He became a director and later chair of the Australian Institute of Political Science from 1980.

The same single-mindedness attended his connection with the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

New Trades Practices legislation in the late 70s prompted a drive for industry cohesion to meet emerging challenges with some unity, and as Max Burnet recalls, "I can remember in 1978 watching Phil Singleton writing in longhand the charter for a new industry association, along with Bill Wells from Sperry-Univac and Neil Lamming from ICL."

First called the Australian Computer Equipment Suppliers' Association, it later changed its name to AIIA. Singleton was alternate director and deputy chair of its industry policy committee from 1978 through the 1980s.

Expanded roles within IBM took him further into the public arena, first as government programs manager, then external programs manager, director of public affairs in 1984 and having also been appointed to IBM's board, director of corporate and external relations until 1990. As the public face of IBM, along with CEO BrianFinn, he was as ubiquitous as the company itself, carrying its flag into the scores of social and industrial labyrinths where it had interests and ambitions.

He became involved in extending IBM's already massive commitment to education and training by building bridges with academia and parallel agencies within government, and generating initiatives to secure a supply of qualified graduates to fuel growth.

But after 33 years of it, he took early "retirement" in 1990 aged 56 to form his own research company.

Helping to create the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (APAC) and as foundation chair of the (NSW) Australian Centre for Advanced Computing and Communications (ac3), he was delighted to see ac3 install the (then) fastest high-performance computer in the country.

His six-year stint as chairman of the Service Providers' Industry Association (SPAN) and work with the Broadband Advisory Group continued his efforts to see pervasive broadband connections drive renewed ICT industry growth.

With wife Patti he traveled widely in western Europe to taste into its culture and cuisine, and pursue an interest in mid-20th century Italian history.

When someone comes to delve into the history of Phil Singleton's peregrinations through the Australian ICT landscape, it will be a far more daunting task.