[4] As with the Acorn BBC Micro in Britain, Scott and Bryant saw the increasing need for a fully integrated computer to serve the New Zealand school market, which had the blessing of then Education Minister Merv Wellington.

[5] After Scott and Bryant gathered a team of engineers and designers, DFC New Zealand Limited and Lower Hutt-based Progeni Systems — founded by Perce Harpham in 1968[6][7] — formed a joint venture, Polycorp,[1][8] to market and build the Poly-1, which entered production in 1981.

[1] One of the earliest clients for the Poly in classroom networks was Rotorua Boys' High School,[10] one of whose staff Derek Williams was seconded in 1984 to work as a computer programmer and software developer of educational applications for Progeni Systems Ltd on the FORGE Computer Learning System for New Zealand schools[11][12] under the supervision of Emeritus Professor John Tiffin.

[13][14] FORGE was also used for training by the Victorian Fire Brigade in Australia, and for the first time, allowed New Zealand educators to design and deliver curricula on class computer networks.

[15] Despite strong support from teachers for the Poly-1, the Muldoon Government reneged on a NZ$10,000,000 Ministry of Education agreement to purchase 1000 units over 5 years,[2][5] after coming under pressure from Cabinet ministers and lobbyists who favoured economic deregulation.