In which decade did the practice of time sharing or resource pooling evolve to make more efficient use of computing power via the mainframe?

The practice of time sharing or resource pooling originated in the 1960s, a decade characterized by significant advancements in computing technology. This approach allowed multiple users to access a single mainframe computer simultaneously, effectively maximizing the use of its processing power and reducing idle time.

The 1960s saw the development of time-sharing systems such as CTSS (Compatible Time-Sharing System), which enabled many users to interact with the computer in real time, providing a breakthrough in how computing resources were utilized. This innovation laid the groundwork for subsequent developments in computing, eventually leading to the modern cloud computing models we see today.

While the 1940s and 1950s focused more on the initial development of computers and early batch processing techniques, the real push for time sharing and resource pooling emerged notably in the 1960s. The momentum from this period significantly influenced the way organizations approached computing, making it a defining decade for such practices.