Bell Labs

Bell Telephone Laboratories (or sometimes AT&T Bell Laboratories), best known as Bell Labs, was originally the research and development arm of the United States Bell System. It was the premier corporate facility of its type, developing a range of revolutionary technologies from telephone switches to specialized coverings for telephone cables, including the famous discovery of the transistor.

Basis

The work done by Bell Labs was broadly divided into three categories: research, systems engineering, and development.

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Research created the theoretical underpinnings for telecommunications. It covered subjects such as mathematics, physics, material sciences, behavioral sciences, and computer programming theory.

Related Topics:
Telecommunications - Mathematics - Physics - Material science - Behavioral science - Computer programming theory

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Systems engineering concerned itself with conceiving the highly complex systems that make up the telecommunication networks.

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Development, by far the largest of Bell Labs' activities designed the specific systems -- both hardware and software -- needed to build the Bell System's telecommunications networks.

Related Topics:
Hardware - Software

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