ABSTRACT
The inspiration behind Insac was to improve exports and reduce import dependence by setting up a joint venture to improve UK software and sell it abroad. Five concerns were induced to participate in Insac: Fred, Olga, Velma, a company later taken over by Velma, and William. All of Insac itself was owned by the Board; and each of the five members of Insac had a representative on its Board of Directors. The reluctance of Insac’s members to act as genuine partners in polishing and advertising common software packages was compounded by bitter clashes between the National Enterprise Board (NEB) staff member who originally headed Insac and the officials of some of the member companies. The NEB had originally declared that it would ultimately spend about £20 million for Insac. A good way of looking at how Insac’s members neglected to work together under its auspices is to compare its sales against those of its member firms.
