[4] Depending on the model, from one to 18 display stations and from three to 12 printers could be attached.

Other systems, i.e. 6670 Information Distributor, Office System/6, 6240 Mag Card Typewriter-Communicating and System/370 could be connected for electronic document distribution.

The New York Times quoted a technology analyst's view of the 5520 as "a competitive product in(to) a rapidly growing field.

"[1] While the Office System/6 introduced two years earlier by IBM Office Products Division (OPD) was focused on word processing, the new 5520 intended to complement existing products lines with text editing and data processing power.

The need for action became urgent because IBM was losing market share[5] to companies such as Wang who exploited display (size), storage (magnetic cards), and computing (performance) weaknesses of IBM's established product lines by aggressive marketing, including direct comparisons.