Angela’s first job in computing was with a Scottish company called Fortronic where she worked as an assembler programmer. She then moved to the South of England and started to work for ITL and wrote file system software – a forerunner of Microsoft Office. When ITL moved offices to Hertfordshire, Angela stayed in Hampshire and went to work for DEC in 1986. She joined as a programmer in the Basingstoke office, working up to a consultant. As part of this, Angela worked with DEC’s ALL-IN-1 office automation software, also one of the first purchasable off-the-shelf electronic mail products. She was one of only 4 people in the UK to work with ALL-IN-1, which led to her becoming a consultant.
Angela took advantage of the training schemes DEC offered, and went on to do a Masters degree using the skills they taught her. She also delivered training at DEC’s Shire Hall site whenever the company had a large upgrade, sometimes presenting to over 300 people. After leaving DEC, Angela worked as a contractor with several mobile phone companies including Talkland, which was later taken over by Vodafone.