STC EXECUTEL MODEL 3910, 1984

Micro processor controlled telephone.

The advertising campaign for the Executel said "Possibly the most well featured desktop telephone terminal ever manufactured" and "Who's a clever little integrated, multifunctional, network-linked, public-data, desk communication terminal, then!"

The STC Executel was an all-in-one communications system designed for executive office use. It was launched in 1984 but was not very successful. Features included: Telephone, Directory, Diary, Notepad, Viewdata, Calculator, Clock and Security.

Donated by John Barnes

Your comments:

• Adrian from Binary Dinosaurs here, I must apologise to Robert Cross for not mentioning him in my writeup, he did indeed win the award in 1984 for the industrial design of the 3910. I completely missed that paragraph when I read the original brochure that was published for the awards.
  
  I also need to point out that the keyboard here has just browned with age. I do have units with original coloured keyboards. Thanks to Robert for designing something that literally made me sit up and take notice even though I had no idea what it was at the time.
  .......... Adrian, Cambridge UK, 10th of May 2020
  
  
• "David Leevers is the man who designed it [...]
  The other name is Sean Newcombe whose bio says not only was he at STC and oversaw the design of the Executel [...]"
  - Binarydinosaurs
  There is no Person with the Name Bob Cross mentioned anywhere and one must think an industrial designer would be a man with enough understanding to know that bright colours turn yellow after 30 years and watermarks (aka ugly graphics) are common use and do not need consent of the "designer"
  .......... Marius Schweizer, Essen, Germany, 13th of March 2020
  
  
• I used one these when I worked for BT in the Datel Test Centre Cardiff. It was a useful machine until it was replaced by a BT Tonto ( One Per Desk).
  
  .......... Allan Morse, Pontypridd Wales, 17th of August 2019
  
  
• I have consulted John Panter who was the instigator of the ICL OPD and he is of the view that the OPD and the Executel were developed independently of one another - certainly before the STC takeover of ICL. See www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection/res71.htm#e
  .......... dik Leatherdale, Teddington, 3rd of December 2016
  
  
• Bob Cross was the Industrial designer on this project and received the 1984 Design Council Award for his work from HRH Prince Philip.
  
  The keyboard on this machine is the wrong colour - and the ugly graphics were added to the machine without the knowledge or consent of the designer.
  .......... Bob Cross MDes RCA, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 4th of March 2015
  
  
• This product evolved out of the ICL OPD (one per desk)
  STC and ICL merged about this time. The visual design was produced by Dick Powell I think an early creation of the Seymour Powell design group. I dont think the colour of the buttons is correct, I think they should be varying tones of grey. Or have they changed colour over time?
  I worked with the STC design team in Southgate. North London. The head of was Peter Carr. Responsible for the industrial design of the Viscount phone.
  This is a very rare photo, I have in the past searched high and low for a copy, but I only searched under OPD which is how I knew it.
  .......... ron bird, pinner uk, 26th of August 2014
  
  

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