Early Commercial Electronic Distribution of Software

Commercial electronic distribution of software (EDS) originated in the second half of the 1970s. By the early 1980s, several North American and European companies were already distributing software using common communications networks. However, it would take two more decades before EDS would become the foremost software delivery model. This article charts the development of the early commercial EDS industry in North America, focusing on cable television-based, direct-to-home services.